Huffington Post: Why Yoga at your Desk Makes You Happier

Yoga has a profound effect on your mood. This is because some poses give you a rush of blood to the head, a full body stretch, and some can even induce euphoria. Even better, the desk can be a great tool to help you stretch, and I’ve developed this simple sequence below, guaranteed to brighten your mind and body.

I’ve developed curriculum for years for my office yoga company, and find that these simple poses are the fastest way to lift your mood. The simple instructions below are easy to follow, with drawings from Chic Sketch, the app where real fashion illustrators turn your photos into a “chic sketch”.

Half Dog

This pose is a simple modification of downward dog, and can help you feel the weight of the day melt away. Simply surrender your upper body weight on your hands and wrists on a table, as your body is in an L shape. You can also do this pose pushing against a wall.

Swan Dives

During Swan Dives, movement is matched with breathing, which can cause a bit of dizziness when combined with blood pressure change, as the head moves above and below the heart. This three pose sequence will definitely cause some euphoria: The release of tension in the upper back and shoulders, combined with the effect of breathing and movement, will give you a classic “yoga high”, lifting your mood almost instantly.

First, inhale, and gaze up at your hands, filling the lungs with air.