Yoga & mindfulness for people who stare at computers all day
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In this increasingly busy world we live in, office and tech workers often find themselves hunched over computers, pushing to meet deadlines, to clear out todo lists, and to keep up with our ever-changing, high-speed, information economy. If left unchecked, this drive to keep up - and the work habits we develop to do so, can start to build tension, stress, and even illness. All of this can impact overall happiness, health, and ability to perform at work. Join me for a look at how crafting a personal yoga and mindfulness routine can help to reduce the negative effects of our digital-based lives. We’ll walk through some quick and simple mindfulness techniques to help better your day. We’ll discuss some of the reasons you might want to introduce yoga and mindfulness practices in your workplace. And finally, we’ll end our session with a short, chair-based yoga sequence that you can practice just about anywhere.
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Yoga & mindfulness for people who stare at computers all day
- 1. Yoga and Mindfulness — for people who stare — at computers all day Julie Cameron @jewlofthelotus Tech Lead RYT 200
- 2. Why are you here?
- 3. How did I get here?
- 9. So I just did yoga.
- 10. And it’s helped to manage the pain and stress associated with my computer bound lifestyle.
- 12. And so here I am.
- 14. Balance
- 15. What We’ll Cover • Our digital based lives • What is mindfulness? • Mindfulness techniques • What is yoga? • In the workplace • Practice
- 16. Our digital based lives
- 31. Balance
- 33. Being present.
- 34. Being aware.
- 35. Just noticing.
- 38. But not letting them control you.
- 39. Being grateful.
- 40. Acting from a place of love for all life.
- 42. Bringing awareness to your desk & computer habits.
- 44. Posture Science • Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive1 1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
- 45. Posture Science • Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive1 • Good posture in the presence of stress can increase self- esteem, improve your mood, and lower fear2 1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
- 46. Posture Science • Sitting up straight makes us more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive1 • Good posture in the presence of stress can increase self- esteem, improve your mood, and lower fear2 • Body language can affect mood and decision making - power poses decrease cortisol and increase testosterone - increasing disease resistance and leadership abilities3 1 SFGATE 3 Scientific American2 NCBI
- 49. Computer Vision Syndrome • Headaches • Blurred vision • Neck pain • Fatigue • Eye strain • Dry eyes • Irritated eyes • Double vision • Vertigo • Polyopia • Difficulty focusing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vision_syndrome
- 50. Time Out — dejal.com
- 56. Pranayama
- 59. The Science • Breathing is a faculty of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
- 60. The Science • Breathing is a faculty of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) • The ANS is comprised of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
- 61. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response
- 62. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response • When fight or flight fires up:
- 63. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response • When fight or flight fires up: • heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up
- 64. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response • When fight or flight fires up: • heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up • stress hormones enter the bloodstream
- 65. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response • When fight or flight fires up: • heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up • stress hormones enter the bloodstream • breathing speeds up (in order to load the body up with oxygen in preparation for reaction)
- 66. The Science • The sympathetic nervous system commands your fight or flight response • When fight or flight fires up: • heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up • stress hormones enter the bloodstream • breathing speeds up (in order to load the body up with oxygen in preparation for reaction) • Non-life-threatening stressors can also trigger this response
- 67. The Science • The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion
- 68. The Science • The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion • When the parasympathetic system is dominant:
- 69. The Science • The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion • When the parasympathetic system is dominant: • heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers
- 70. The Science • The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion • When the parasympathetic system is dominant: • heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers • breathing slows down
- 71. The Science • The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion • When the parasympathetic system is dominant: • heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers • breathing slows down • the body and mind calm down
- 72. We can intentionally slow down and deepen the breath to return to a parasympathetic state.
- 73. The Science • “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice”, Krasnow, 2017 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
- 74. The Science • “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice”, Krasnow, 2017 • They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
- 75. The Science • “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice”, Krasnow, 2017 • They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing • They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
- 76. The Science • “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice”, Krasnow, 2017 • They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing • They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention • When these 175 respiratory neurons were silenced, mice reacted calmly when put in a normally stressful situation http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
- 77. The Science • “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice”, Krasnow, 2017 • They studied the respiratory pacemaker - a cluster of 3000 neurons in the brainstem that control autonomic breathing • They discovered that ~175 of these neurons also communicate with the part of the brain responsible for arousal and attention • When these 175 respiratory neurons were silenced, mice reacted calmly when put in a normally stressful situation • When breathing is slowed, these neurons don’t signal the arousal center http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1411
- 79. Sama Vritti Pranayama Equal Breathing
- 80. Sama Vritti Pranayama Equal Breathing same fluctuations
- 81. Ujjayi Pranayama Victorious Breathing AKA Darth Vader Breathing
- 82. Kumbhaka Pranayama Retention Breathing or Square Breathing
- 84. Meditation is about noticing and letting go.
- 85. Proven Benefits • Less anxiety • Less stress • Less depression • Less loneliness • Less pain • Less inflammation • More focus • More creativity • Better memory • More positivity • More compassion • Increased immunity Source
- 86. headspace.com
- 90. Yoga
- 91. What is yoga?
- 101. Flickr
- 103. Yoga is for everybody.
- 104. Yoga is for everybody. every body.
- 105. Yoga is a practice.
- 106. Yoga to unite
- 107. Yoga to tie the strands of the mind together
- 108. Yoga to tie the strands of the mind together to attain what was previously unattainable
- 109. Yoga to tie the strands of the mind together to attain what was previously unattainable directing the mind without distraction or interruption
- 110. Yoga Yoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1 1 The Joy of Yoga
- 111. Yoga Yoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1 Yoga has its origins in the Vedas - the oldest record of Indian culture (5000-1700 BCE) 1 The Joy of Yoga
- 112. Yoga Yoga is one of six fundamental systems of Indian thought collectively known as darsana, which means, “to see”1 Yoga has its origins in the Vedas - the oldest record of Indian culture (5000-1700 BCE) 1 The Joy of Yoga Yoga became systematized sometime before 400 BE by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra
- 113. Patanjali defined an “8-limbed” path called, Ashtanga, that provided instruction for living a meaningful life of purpose, morality, self-care, and clarity of mind.
- 114. Rachael Flatt 1.Yamas - Self-restraints 2.Niyamas - Purification & Self-Study 3.Asanas - Physical postures 4.Pranayama - Breath control 5.Pratyahara - Control of the senses 6.Dharana - Control of the mind 7.Dhyana - Meditation 8.Samadhi - Bliss / Oneness / Nirvana Greed
- 115. A system for living a meaningful life—full of purpose, morality, self-care, and clarity of mind.
- 116. The alignment of mind, body, and breath.
- 117. The physical practice (asana) is a moving meditation.
- 118. We focus first on the breath.
- 119. Yoga can be as challenging as you want it to be.
- 120. YogaTrail
- 121. Source
- 122. Yoga is what you make of it.
- 123. Physical Benefits • Increased flexibility • Increased muscle strength • Improved respiration • Balanced metabolism • Weight loss • Reduced chronic pain • Boosts immunity • Improved cardio & circulatory health • Protection from injury - prevents cartilage and joint breakdown • Better bone health • Improved posture • Increased blood flow • Reduces blood pressure YogaJournal
- 124. We need to keep moving.
- 125. Yoga is a mindful way to heal and protect your mind and body.
- 126. In the workplace
- 127. Benefits Include • Enhanced emotional well-being • Increased resilience to stress • Increased empathy and patience • Improved self-confidence • Enhanced ability to focus and multi-task • Improved engagement & performance • Reduced burnout • Reduced back pain • Relief from repetitive & strain related pain • Reduced illness-related time off • Reduced healthcare costs (up to 43%!!1) 1 Study
- 128. What company doesn’t want all that for their people?
- 129. Things To Try • Group meditations • Group breathing exercises • Group yoga classes • Online mindfulness training There are plenty of fantastic online resources available. Use them. Or hire out, if the budget allows.
- 130. You can do all of this at your desk, at any time. Workplace mileage my vary.
- 131. Let’s practice…
- 133. Mindfulness is a practice.
- 134. Tech is a giving culture.
- 135. We need to give back to ourselves first.
- 136. Namaste @jewlofthelotus Articulate Please complete the session survey!