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Our busy lifestyles and work demands mean that we often find it difficult to exercise our bodies as frequently as we should. This leads to tiredness, stress and reduced work performance.

However taking a short break to complete a few simple yoga postures at your desk can help to relieve stress and tiredness and refresh you for another work session.

To help you reduce the effects of working long hours at a desk or in front of a computer, Total.Yoga.practice suggests you periodically perform 2 simple yoga practices at your desk. The first part of this work relaxation series can be found in our free yoga newsletter

office yoga - part 2

Take a moment to clear your mind. Be conscious of your thoughts and how they erratically pop into and out of your mind. Actively still your mind by focusing on your breathing. Vigorously rub your hands together until you feel warmth on your palms. Place your hands on your face with your palms cupping your eyes and your fingers on your forehead. Open your eyes into your cupped hands and keep your body and mind still for a few moments.

Nadi Shodhana (alternate breathing)

Sit comfortably in your chair with your back straight. Hold your right hand in front of your face with the middle two fingers resting between your eyebrows. Your thumb should be above your right nostril and your ring finger above the left. Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in slowly and silently through your left nostril, until your lungs are full without straining. Release the right nostril and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Exhale through the right nostril slowly, keeping the duration of the exhale the same as the inhale. Inhale slowly through the right nostril. Release the left nostril and close the right nostril with your thumb while you exhale. Repeat the sequence 10 times making sure that your breathing is silent. This Pranayama is good for relaxing your mind.

Pandanguli Naman (Toe curling)

Sit upright in your chair with your back straight. With your feet on the ground, shoes off, inhale as you stretch the toes of both feet backward away from the floor. Exhale as you stretch your toes downwards to make fists with your feet. Hold each position for several breaths as you feel the stretch. Repeat 10 times.

Goolf Naman (Ankles bending)

Still sitting erect with your legs slightly extended, heels on the floor. Inhale as you bend at the ankle pulling the feet back towards your leg. Exhale as you push the foot forward trying to touch the floor. Hold each position as you feel the stretch. Repeat 10 times.

Goolf Chakra (Ankle rotation)

In the seated position with your legs slightly extended, heels on the floor. Starting with the right foot, keep the leg still as you rotate the foot at the ankle clockwise 10 times. Rotate 10 times in the opposite direction. Repeat with the left foot. Next rotate both feet together in a clockwise direction 10 times. Repeat, rotating 10 times in an anti-clockwise direction. Try rotating both feet at the same time, but in different directions, clockwise with the right foot, anti-clockwise with the left foot. Repeat, with the right foot rotating anti-clockwise and the left foot rotating clockwise. Throughout the exercise, inhale as the foot is rising, exhale as the foot in falling.

Janu Naman (Knee bending)

In the seated position, clasp your hands under the right thigh, raise and straighten the leg keeping your spine straight. Bend and contract the leg bringing the knee towards your chest, and heel towards your buttocks. Straighten the leg. Repeat 10 times and switch to the left leg and repeat 10 times. Inhale while straightening the leg, exhale as you bend the leg.

Seated forward bend

Sit with your back straight and your knees together. Bend forward allowing your head to move close to your knees. Remain in the bend for the count of ten as you relax all the muscles in your back. Breathe normally through your nose. This posture helps to relieve tension from your back.

Meru Wakrasana (Spinal Twist) - variation

Sit with your spine straight and your knees together. Keep your legs facing forwards and both buttocks on the chair as you slowly rotate your upper body to the right. Start the twist with your abdomen then chest, shoulders and neck as you look behind you over your right shoulder. Once you start the twist you may hold the back of the chair with your left hand to assist the twist, but with care not to over twist. Twist your spine as far as is comfortable and hold for the count of 10 as you breathe slowly through your nose. Repeat the spinal twist to the left.

Bent knee leg lift

Turn sideways in the chair so you can hold the back of the chair for support. With the legs bent, and without holding your legs, lift your feet off the ground and pull your knees close to your chest, without leaning forwards. Pull your knees towards the chest for the count of 10 while you breathe normally through your nose. Release your feet to the floor and relax for the count of 10. Repeat 3 times.

With our busy lifestyles, we can't always exercise as frequently as we should. At Total.Yoga.practice we're helping our members fit a full yoga practice into their busy schedules. To find out how we can help you by bringing professional yoga instruction into your own home 24/7, try out our 14 day free trial membership.

Please note the following important cautions before using Total.Yoga.practice.

Not all exercise is suitable for everyone, and this or any exercise programme may result in injury. Consult with your doctor before you use the Total.Yoga.practice services.

To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain yourself during exercise. If you feel pain, stop and seek medical attention if necessary.

Any liability, loss or damage in connection with the use of Total.Yoga.practice and its yoga instruction, including but not limited to any liability, loss or damage arising from the performance of the exercises demonstrated here, or any advice or information provided by Total.Yoga.practice in the videos, or on the website, is expressly disclaimed

about THE AUTHOR: Jez Heath is helping real people learn yoga online so they can make the commitment necessary to improve their yoga and their health - mind, body and soul. Learn how yoga streaming video can help you transform your life

Whilst yoga can be practised without any props or special equipment, sooner or later most people decide to invest in some supplies for their home practice. Equipment can generally be divided into two categories. First, there is the basic equipment. This can include things like mats, blankets, and perhaps eye bags. The next tier in terms of priority might include straightforward supportive tools, such as belts, bolsters, and blocks. Finally, there is a range of specialized tools that can give very precise support to the positions for which they were designed. This article will discuss some of the different yoga supplies available, and what poses they are generally used for.

Yoga mats could be classed as essential, except that they can be substituted by a large towel, or a cotton rug that isn't slippery. The most important thing it does is help facilitate a student's grip as they move through, and hold, different asanas. It is much easier to use a proper mat compared to a towel or rug, but if you are short of funds, you can certainly make do. Mats are generally inexpensive, with 'sticky mats' being the cheapest. There are higher quality synthetic mats, but even these can be bought for the cost of a restaurant meal. Generally, it is suggested that mats be hand washed, but I have washed mine in a machine with no problems.

cotton mats tend to be used in some indian yoga centers, and are also available on the internet. There are also 'ecological' mats, made out of rubber, or other natural materials. These are quite popular with yoga practitioners who are sensitive to their effect on the environment.

Blankets can be used in relaxation at the end of a session, or to provide gentle support when doing some poses such as shoulderstand and headstand. Blankets tend to be thin and lightweight. This is especially important when they are used to support the neck in the above mentioned asanas.

Eyebags are usually made of satin, and filled with an organic, lightweight material like linseed. They are used in relaxation.

Props were introduced by B.K.S. iyengar, although they are used in many different disciplines now. The reason was that it made it easier for beginners and those with physical limitations to experience the benefits of some postures they may not yet be able to do. They can also help students become more aware of the subtleties of a pose, by allowing the body to align as it should. The props that particularly help with this are blocks, belts, bolsters, chairs, wall ropes, and special props developed for specific poses.

Bolsters are excellent for certain floor poses, and are often used to support the back. Blocks are typically used in standing poses, are and very useful when students are not yet flexible enough to reach the ground. This is particularly true in standing poses that involve twists. Belts are used in a variety of poses, including foward bends, and others that help keep the arms in the correct alignment. These are not usually expensive items, and are worth having on hand. They may allow you to really spend a lot of time in a particular pose.

The most expensive yoga supplies tend to be the very specialized props that can be used in headstand and backbends. They are certainly not crucial, in that you can use cheaper props to gain support in those poses. But they may offer particular benefits that are worth the cost to those than can reasonably afford them.

Good yoga props can make a home practice more enjoyable. It is particularly gratifying to be able to extend one's ability in a pose, and practicing at home certainly provides the luxury of time sometimes not available in a class. Props, in this instance, would be very beneficial. But whether you need anything beyond the basics, a mat, is an individual call.

Good yoga supply shops have an excellent range of hatha yoga DVD's. Read this guide before you buy, and check out more on a yoga practice here.