By: Tanya Mouland

The Energizer

A gentle exercise to open up the front of the body, and to relax back and neck muscles. Great to do when spending a lot of time at the computer, on your phone, or sitting at a desk.

How to do the Energizer:

Sit comfortably facing a desk or table with both feet flat on the floor.

Hands flat on the desk or table, shoulder width apart, and fingers slightly turned in.

Rest forehead on the desk.

Inhale, press hands into desk and begin raising your head, leading with forehead, and extend your chin out (as far as comfortable).

Continue upward movement of head. Pushing with hands, straighten arms a little and open the front of your chest, and roll shoulders down and back.

Straighten head and spine.

Exhale as you lower your chin into your chest and gently place your forehead on the desk. Elongate the back of your neck.

Repeat 4-6 more times.

Variations:

  1. Lie on your stomach on the floor. Forehead on the floor. Hands flat on the floor, under the shoulders. Inhale and push up onto your forearms. Extend head up and gently arch your upper back. Exhale to lower head to the floor. Repeat as many times as you’d like.
  2. Lie on your stomach on the floor. Forehead on the floor. Hands flat on the floor, under the shoulders. Inhale and push up onto hands, extending arms. Extend head up, gently arching the back. Exhale to lower head to the floor. Repeat as many times as you’d like.

Benefits:

  1. Improve posture, especially if seated for an extended period of time.
  2. Release any tension in the upper back and neck.
  3. Relax the eyes and open up soft focus. (we can become over-focused when doing near focus work on a screen)
  4. Bring awareness back to breathing in coordination with movement.
  5. Increase energy.

 

Photography by Brian Burke, Copyright © 2014 Sun.Ergos, Calgary, AB.