Ever Tried Yoga at Work? Boost Productivity with these 7 Chair Yoga Poses

Did you know you can boost your productivity and incorporate movement into your workday with Chair Yoga? Taking the time to tune into your breath and stretch your body can benefit your mind, body, health, and work!

Chair Yoga – in addition to being the perfect type of yoga to do while you’re at work – is a wonderful way to practice if you are new to yoga, have limited mobility, or if you are dealing with an injury.

The only equipment you need is a chair, which makes this practice ideal for office and corporate settings. Chair Yoga is especially great for sneaking in some physical activity into your workday.

Taking a break from work to improve your productivity seems counterintuitive. Most employees operate by the principle that “the more hours we put in, the better.” Yet quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.
 

Chair Yoga is especially great for sneaking in some physical activity into your workday.

 
In fact, a University of Illinois study found that participants who took short breaks better retained information than those not offered breaks.

Take a mindfulness break with 5 Ways to Weave Mindful Moments Into Your Workday

In addition to boosting productivity, Chair Yoga offers an important window of physical activity. According to the CDC, getting an adequate amount of physical activity lowers your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

Consider yoga at work a win-win: You get a break, a nice dose of health benefits, AND you can increase productivity.
 

Ready to Try Chair Yoga? Here Are 7 Poses You Can Practice at Work:

Be sure to sit at the edge of your seat for each Chair Yoga pose. This encourages optimal posture.

If you’re short on time, you can always practice any of these yoga poses individually. A super quick yoga break is better than none!
 

1. Cat and Cow Pose

This exercise is a wonderful way to mobilize the spine and ease back tension. Cat and Cow Pose calms the mind by linking breath with movement.

Let’s try it:

• Sit up tall with your hands in your lap

• Inhale: arch your spine, open your chest and lift your chin

• Exhale: round your back and look down to your thighs

• Repeat 4-6 rounds

2. Neck Stretch

Staring at your computer for hours can be, well, a pain in the neck! Free up neck tension with this feel-good stretch.

Let’s try it:

• Tilt your head to the right by slowly moving your right ear towards your right shoulder

• Place your right hand onto your left ear

• Allow the weight of the arm to gently encourage the stretch to deepen

• Take care to not pull forcefully on the head

• Take 5-10 breaths and repeat on your other side

Check out the full article and 5 more chair yoga poses on YogiApproved!

Flow with me! Check out my 20-minute chair yoga video.

30 Minute Vinyasa Practice

Hi yogis!

Join me for this 30 minute Vinyasa Yoga Flow. This practice is catered towards yogis with a regular practice. However, those working on building strength can enjoy this video by taking breaks when needed. Enjoy and please reach out if you have any questions!

xoJenny

Have you Subscribed to the Urban Om Yoga YouTube channel yet? Stay up to date with free yoga and meditation videos when you subscribe. Check it out 

Photo: Kristin Wolford

Yoga Corner

The best part of yoga practice is when you are truly tuned into your time on the mat. Having the best yoga mat and props makes it all that much easier to drop into that place where typical distractions disappear.

For this reason I have created a list of my favorite yoga props on Amazon.com. I have been using these products for years and I highly recommend all the products on my list.

You will also find a reading list for your yoga library with some of my favorite books, should you be interested in deepening your yoga practice off the mat.

Check out the link below and please let me know if you have any questions!

xoJenny

Feeling the heat? Keep it Cool with this Pranayama

Sitali Pranayama is a breathing exercise, perfect for finding balance during summer. This cooling breath is a quick and easy to way to both beat the heat and calm the mind.

This pranayama is said to not only remove excess heat from the body, but it also keeps the mind and emotions cool, calm and in check during fiery Pitta season. 

Sitali Pranayama is practiced with a rolled tongue. If you are not able to roll your tongue, instead gently place the tip of your tongue to the top two teeth.

Let’s try it:

1. Find a comfortable seat. A great option is to sit cross legged on a pillow, blanket or bolster. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

2. Start with a body scan, checking in from the top of the head and moving down the body. Notice how you are feeling physically, mentally, & emotionally. Take note of any areas which show signs of excess heat.

3. Once you feel ready to begin the breathing technique, roll your tongue. Breath in through the mouth with your tongue rolled. When you are ready to exhale, close the mouth and breath out through the nose.

4. Continue this for about 8-10 rounds, doing your best to keep the in and out breaths equal in length.

5. Allow the breath to resume a natural rhythm, breathing in and out through the nose. Take a few minutes to sit in meditation and take note of any cooling sensations.

*As with all pranayamas, if at any point you feel lightheaded, come back to a normal breath rhythm and continue again as you feel ready.

Sitali Pranayama is a wonderful way to stay balanced and cool all summer long. Give this breathing exercise a try the next time you need to keep your cool.

Cold Zoodles with Peanut Sauce

Super healthy and satisfying, this is the perfect summer dish. It is a great way to take advantage of the abundance of fresh, local vegetables at the farmer’s market. It is especially great for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven and are craving a cool, delicious dinner.

I used the OXOX Good Grips Spiralizer. However, if you do not own a spiralizer you can often find spiralized veggies at grocery stores, such as Trader Joe’s.

Give the recipe a try and let me know how it goes! 

xoJenny

Ingredients: 

2 Tbs dark sesame oil

1/2 cup organic peanut butter (can also use tahini)

1 Tbs agave

3 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 Tbs rice or white wine vinegar

Hot sesame oil or hot sauce to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

3 medium zucchini, spiralized

1 medium English cucumber, spiralized

1 medium carrot, peeled & spiralized

1/2 cup chopped scallion

1/4 tsp sesame seeds

Optional Protein: Add edamame and or grilled chicken for extra protein

1. Whisk together the sesame oil, peanut butter, agave, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, hot oil and pepper in a large bowl. Thin the sauce with hot water until it is the consistency of heavy cream (about 1/4-1/2 cup)

2. Combine the spiralized zucchini & cucumber with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with carrot, scallions and sesame seeds and serve :)

Makes 2-3 Servings

Over Night Oats- Never Skip Breakfast again!

today's oat creation: pear, oats, almond milk & organic PB

This month at Urban Om we are focusing on making our mornings as beautiful as possible. One way to embrace your inner early bird is to do a bit of planning the evening before so your morning can be as seamless as possible.

One of my favorite preparations for an early morning is over nights oats. These yummy oats take just minutes to prepare and are perfect for a healthy grab and go breakfast. 

My recipe changes depending on what I have in my fridge and what I am craving but check out the basic formula below.

The basic overnight oats recipe:

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup fruit

1 tbs nut butter (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar the evening before enjoying. Throw a lid on the jar & give it a little shake. Store in the fridge and voila! - you have a yummy, healthy breakfast waiting for you in the morning.

Feel free to get creative! Add cinnamon, agave and/or chia seeds. I love nut butter so I always add a scoop to my oat creations :) Give this recipe a try and comment below with your favorite overnight oat combinations.

Wishing you happy mornings, Yogis!

wishing you a bright new year!

As we bid farewell to 2017 and say hello to 2018, I would love to share with you a practice I have found to be a powerful way to ring in the new year.

A few years ago, I started the tradition of closing out the year by listing all the positive aspects of the past year. No matter how big or small the event, the accomplishment, the blessing, I sit with my journal and list all the beauty that has entered my life. This has proved to be both a wonderful way to reflect on the past year as well as a way to embrace a positive perspective for the year to come. 

Not only does this practice frame the closing year in a positive light but it is very telling as to what IS working in our lives and how we can grow the positive aspects of our lives rather than being overly focused on what we need to change, uproot and shed. 

I encourage you to give this exercise a shot for a happy and positive transition into 2018.

Wishing you and your family a bright and happy New Year!

Much love,
Jenny

Easy Maple Brussel Sprouts

your local farmers market is a great place to pick up locally grown brussels sprouts.

Looking for a healthy dish to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? This easy brussels sprouts recipe is a great way to incorporate some greens into your holiday menu. Nutrient rich brussels sprouts are rich in antioxidants as well as high in vitamin C and fiber. A natural sweetener, maple syrup will keep your blood sugar steady (no sugar crash!) Walnuts add some healthy fat and protein. This dish is a healthy addition to any meal :)

Head to your local farmers market this week to pick up these awesome veggies and some local maple syrup. Check out the recipe below!

My favorite fall recipe- nutritious & delicious!

Easy Maple Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 cups brussels spouts, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbs Maple syrup (the real stuff, if possible!)

Step One:
Sauté olive oil, salt and brussel sprouts in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until tender (about 10 minutes)

Step Two:
Add walnuts and maple syrup. Sauté for one more minute. Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Bon Appetite!

Too busy for Yoga?

There is an old Zen saying, "you should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are very busy; Then you should sit for an hour." 

This saying rings so true as I am currently moving out of my apartment where I have lived for the past 7 years. Between sorting through papers, organizing clothes and getting the room ready for the next tenant, this Zen reminder is just what I have needed to keep my practice going, even when super busy.

I think of all I have to do in order to get ready for my move (on Sunday!) and it feels like any spare moment when I am not teaching, I should be working to prepare for the move. However, knowing myself and knowing the power of meditation and yoga, most days I have carved out time for practice. Having a little time on my mat has given me the calm focus I need to stay on task and not get too distracted. This post-yoga focus has been a sharp contrast to days when I was 'too busy', didn't practice and somehow wasted more time than if I had spent just a bit of time on my mat.

I always love a nice, long yoga practice but it is true that we do not always have the time. That's why we could use a break from the all or nothing mentality. A 15-30 minute practice can do wonders, leaving you grounded, centered, focused and ready to take on whatever tasks are at hand. 

For this reason, I have been creating short yoga sequences and sharing them on YouTube. (You can subscribe here if you haven't already!) Anytime you need a shift of energy but don't feel like you have the time, try a video from the Urban Om Yoga channel, like the one below. Just 13 minutes is all you need for an afternoon boost :) Check out the video and, as always, let me know if you have any questions! 

xoJenny

This video was filmed in the loft I have called home for 7 years. Excited for a change but I will miss this dance floor!

Yoga for a Strong Core

Happy Self Care Sunday, Yogis!

I am excited to announce that I have started a YouTube Channel, Urban Om Yoga! 

I started this yoga channel to offer some peace and calm in an easily accessible (and free!) platform. Through various practices we will sweat, rest, restore and meditate. There will be a wide range of practices on the channel so you can find a practice that works best for your specific needs each day. I am so excited to share this project with you. Subscribe to the channel here and check out the most recent video below. 

A strong core supports from the inside out, promoting good posture and a healthy back. 

My yoga practice has been influenced by my recent pilates training and I have found some incredibly helpful exercises to weave into my everyday yoga flow. Check out the video and subscribe to Urban Om Yoga to stay in the loop for future videos- More coming soon!!

Have a wonderful Sunday! 

xoJenny