The underlying theme of Satsanga Yoga is the power of movement. I stress this in many of my classes – yoga it is not about doing a pose perfectly or being able to touch your nose to your knees – the benefit is in moving your body. We have all heard how bad sitting or inactivity for long periods of time is for us – “Sitting is the new smoking”.

We sit for work, sit to commute, sit to eat, and sit for fun. We sit a lot. Prolonged sitting has major health risks; it has been linked to heart disease, obesity, and even early mortality. The CDC reports that sedentary behavior and physical inactivity healthcare costs in the U.S. are $117 billion annually, with approximately 300,000 deaths per year.

Yoga is a great way to counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting! It helps with posture, flexibility, circulation, and even mental clarity. Here are some great yoga poses that specifically target areas affected by sitting:

• Pigeon pose – counteracts tight hips

• Cobra pose – reverses slouched posture

• Supine Twist – relieves lower back stiffness

• Downward dog – counteracts tight hamstrings

• Eagle arms – releases upper body tension

If you can’t make a class or have 30 minutes to find time on your mat – find 10-15 minutes throughout your day for a blend of the above poses to break up your day or do one every hour for 5 minutes.