Tag: yoga

Tech Needs a Posture Check

Posted on by Deanna Utroske

`

If you’re reading this on a mobile device or while sitting at your desk, I’ve got bad news: “The moment the spine collapses the brain collapses” (B. K. S. Iyengar).

We sit 9 1/2 hours each day. And though our minds accomplish feats of strength in front of the computer, our bodies and our brains suffer when we slouch at our desks and sag our heads forward over our phones.

Your Spine Online: The upstanding team of Breathe Repeat bloggers — Joyce Englander, Tracey Toomey and Jamie Lugo — led a masterclass on the hazards of tech neck and text head and how to remedy these nasty evolutionary adaptations of the digital age. “When you go online, your spine goes offline,” Toomey warned during Social Media Week 2014.

A better view: Your spinal alignment correlates directly to how others see you and how see yourself. Better posture makes you more confident, more memorable, and more likely to be viewed as a trustworthy leader.

Clever you: Good posture gives your lungs space to breathe fully and your brain nourishment to think clearly. Find your best alignment, and the creative solutions will flow.

In a slump?: Notice how you’re sitting. Yes, you. Now.

Being mindful of your alignment is the most important technique to improving it. Breathe Repeat recommends simply noticing your posture periodically, as well, as occasional field trips to the wall: with your heels, backside, shoulders, and back-of-the-head lined up, you’re standing tall!

Time is of the essence: You stay focused on your work; there’s an app for posture. Several, in fact. Posture Track monitors you through your computer’s camera and alerts you when things begin to collapse. StandApp reminds you to get up from your chair. And, Kripalu Yoga Break is a collection of 22, 5-minute yoga activities to keep you fit and refreshed throughout the day. And Perfect Posture is made for our Windows fans to mimic posture building exercises. Maybe tech is good for your posture after all.

Can I get that delivered?: Yoga’s more nourishing than the same old lunch from your local takeout joint, and it’s restorative too. You can get all the benefits of yoga from the comfort of your desk and share the goodness with your colleagues. The pros from Breathe Repeat will gladly drop by your office, and then you’ll be sitting upright, exuding creativity and productivity in no time.

Send them a quick note, and they’ll deliver yoga to you. It’s like Seamless for your spine!

Deanna Utroske is the Social Media Brand Director for New York Women in Communications, where membership includes a YogaWorks discount.  Deanna writes on women’s career issues, lifestyle topics and more. Follow her on Twitter @DeannaUtroske.

Put a Little East in Your West: Morning Yoga with Breathe Repeat

Posted on by Allison Heaps

Keeping up with the frenetic pace of New York City can be exhausting. It was 5:45AM and my mind immediately started to race in preparation for my twelve-hour day.

How much snow is on the ground? Will the A train be running on time? Don’t forget bring the snow boots AND the shoes for indoors! As I proceeded to shuffle my way through the newly fallen city sludge, my Costa Rican yoga retreat bliss from a mere four weeks ago, seemed like a distant memory.

This morning I practiced yoga at the Highline Stages campus of Social Media Week. Historically, my yoga practice has been reserved for the evening. However, last year, I decided to begin the day with yoga and what a difference it has made! The morning yoga was taught by the very patient Joyce Englander Levy, from Breathe Repeat, and made possible thanks to Under Armour.

For those of you who have compromised schedules due to work or children, Breathe Repeat is equally adept at offering convenient tips and using social media resources (Twitter, Facebook, website) for the modern yogi and on-site services for businesses. I was excited to learn that, ” BR@W’s mission is to enhance the lives and well-being of as many people as possible! We do this by bringing intelligent, well-practiced, fun and accessible yoga classes directly to corporate and entrepreneurial America.”

Founded in 2011 by Joyce Englander Levy and Tracey Toomey McQuade, BR@W brings yoga to your workplace in a smart, yet lighthearted way. I would encourage everyone to check the SMW yoga schedule this week.

Another fun bonus is the ARMOURGRIP HEADBAND gift provided by Under Armour, and protective lip balm courtesy of Breathe Repeat. Be sure to look for these ladies and Jamie Lugo, who will be teaching and presenting at Social Media Week.

Allison Heaps is corporate wellness advocate living in New York. In her spare time, she practices yoga, runs marathons, and sings jazz. She is a master’s candidate at NYU with a concentration is organizational effectiveness. Contact her here.

Clear Your Cache

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

(A Guest Blog by our friends at Breathe Repeat) We aren’t the most tech savvy women, but that didn’t hold us back from building BreatheRepeat.com. Handstands are a breeze compared to the challenges we faced starting this business. Terms like “coding” and “transferring to the live server” and “staging sites”… I mean, could you give it to us in Sanskrit please?

PHP, J Query, SRS, Cache? We didn’t even know we had a cache until our valiant coder, Bennett, asked us to clear it.

“The cache temporarily stores images, scripts, and other parts of websites while you’re browsing,” Bennett explained patiently. “When I make changes to the code you have to clear your cache, so that you can access the new, improved version of the site instead of getting the older version.”

Hmmm, clearing your cache… With a click of the mouse, we can clear away the old stuff that isn’t serving us and let the new, improved version come forward? We started wondering… if it’s a piece of cake to clear your cache in the virtual world, how do we clear our caches in the real, flesh-and-blood world?

The first step is to “build our new code”. Our mind-body-machinery is much more complex than a computer’s, because we are indeed living, breathing beings with many interrelated systems. So, what is the gateway in? Ahhhhh — through the breath. By using our breath and subtly manipulating the posture of our body, we begin to redirect the blood flow and neural impulses in our body which help to carry our biological code.

For updating your code in a flash, we here at Breathe Repeat are big fans of breathing and twisting! Anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level, it’s detoxifying, and it’s something you can do right in your desk chair. Alright… let’s get started.

The double-helix, clear your cache twist maneuver:

  • First things first, sit up so that your breath begins to come and go more easily.
  • Place your left foot firmly on the floor, turned a few degrees to the right.
  • Cross your right leg over your left, and allow your legs to fall to the right naturally – it won’t be much. This will begin to take your hips and torso to the right as well – like you are a winding strand of DNA being built from the ground up. Go with it!
  •  Now place your left hand on your knee and your right hand on the side or back of your chair. Notice if the breath is still coming and going easily – this is as important as keeping the power of your computer turned on.
  • The spine will have the greatest opportunity to twist if you start from the base. So let your pelvis turn, then swivel your low back, then start to engage the arms to wind the upper torso around and up. Still breathing easy?
  •  Now, you’re going to have to look away for a moment, but before you go, here are some tips: Allow the head and neck to follow the twist of the torso rather than lead it. You can even turn your eyes to gaze in the same direction as the twist. Stay as long as the breath remains easy or until your body naturally unwinds back to neutral.
  •  Don’t forget the other side… take your time… we’re in no hurry. Perhaps it’s this last part, this turning of the head for a minute to look away from your computer and gaining a new perspective that helps us wipe the slate clean.

Presto! Consider your cache cleared!

 

The Three Minute Reboot

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

(A guest blog by our friends at Breathe Repeat)

You’ve been working your ass off, and now you’re heading into Social Media Week. It doesn’t look like you’ll be getting R and R anytime soon. Instead of heading out to Jack’s for your fourth latte of the day, why not try a little yoga instead? Don’t worry. We’re not talking about schlepping to a yoga studio and taking an hour-and-a-half class that will leave you sweaty and in desperate need of a shower. This is something that only takes three minutes, and can be done in the privacy of your own cubicle. It won’t hurt a bit. We promise.

First things first.

Uncross your legs and put your feet on the floor. Feels weird, right? Sit up a little taller. You know, like you’re proud of the work you’ve accomplished today. Take an easy breath. We here at Breathe Repeat never advocate taking “deep breaths” – no need to be an overachiever when it comes to breathing. You do enough overachieving in your morning meeting, spin class and in your efforts to take on the world. For the next few minutes, just let your belly be soft – don’t tighten it or try to suck it in – just let it be fluid and allow the breath to just come in. Then let it go. Feels good, right? Do it again. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Repeat.

Now it’s time to move your body! Place your left arm next to your desk and lean into it. Reach your right arm up in the air and as you press into your left arm, bend up and over to the left, stretching out the right side of your body. Press into your feet. Play around with it a little bit. Lean forward, lean back. Make more space for an easy breath. There is no right or wrong way! If you’re breathing mindfully, you’re doing yoga. It’s that simple!

Switch sides. Now your right arm is next to your desk and your leaning into it. Lift your left arm up and arc over to the right. Press into your feet. Inhale lean back a little. Exhale lean forward. Explore.

Notice a difference? Thought so.

Sometimes when everything goes haywire with your computer, you need to reboot, right? Consider this your own personal reset button. Sometimes you need to shut down your newsfeed for a minute, ground your feet on the floor, make some space in your body and breathe easy before revving up again.

Now, at the very least, no matter what else happens during the day, you’ll know you’ve done something for you. This will give you a great deal more patience when your computer freezes, your hotspot doesn’t work, your Friday meeting gets pushed back an hour, or no one likes your recent status update on Facebook.

You can do it.

Always,
Breathe Repeat