Distracted
Yoga Cures: Distracted
By Marissa Conrad
It happens to the best of us: You sit down at your desk, ready to burn through your entire to-do list...and instead, you find your mind in a thousand different places.
Did I turn off my straightening iron? Where can I find a recipe online for a quick dinner tonight? Ha, I can't believe what Michael did on The Office last night! "When you are feeling distracted, notice your breath—most of the time it is short and shallow," says Johanna Nichols, RYT, instructor at Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC. "Poses that focus on deepening your breathing will help draw your awareness into the present moment and bring your mind to a clearer place."
She recommends balancing poses because they force you to focus 100 percent on what’s going on in the right then and there. If you’re mind is all over the place, accomplishing a strong, steady balance is difficult. Next time you can't concentrate, Nichols suggests these office-friendly —seriously, you can do them anywhere—poses. Mountain is more simple and Warrior 3 is a challenge, so do what feels right to clear your thoughts.
Mountain
Pose with Three-Part Breath:
Begin in Mountain pose (Tadasana). Plant your feet hip's distance apart, tuck your tailbone down by pulling your belly in, and roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. Your palms should be facing forward with your fingers by your sides. Pick something at eye level that is not moving and rest your gaze there. This will help you stay steady and connected. Focus on your breath and begin to breathe in deeply through your nose all the way down, filling up your belly, lungs and upper chest. Exhale through your nose, releasing your chest, lungs and belly. Make your exhalation long, slow and steady. Try to make the length of your exhalation double the length of your inhalation. Repeat this breathing pattern 10 times.
Warrior 3
:
Beginning in either Mountain or Tree pose, move like a pendulum from the hips, taking your right leg back and your shoulders forward until your body forms a “T” shape. Flex your right foot and extend out through the crown of your head. Lengthen your body and breathe. Keep your arms along your sides or at Namaste in front of your chest. For more of a challenge, extend your arms forward along your ears or by your sides like an airplance. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Allow your right foot to rejoin your left and return to standing. Repeat on your left side.
