Yoga for Interior Designers
Written by Hannah Holbrook
As an interior designer, we are on our feet A LOT. Some days it seems like we barely get a chance to sit down! Particularly during installs or site visits, our day can feel like a moderate to intense workout, and it can often be mentally and physically draining. I found the practice of yoga during my first year of college, and it has become a pivotal part of my daily routine for the past 10 years. Yoga doesn’t speak to any one profession or person; it transcends across all types of people and I truly believe it can benefit anyone, regardless of your job or daily routine. However, this article is focused on the types of yoga I have found beneficial for my profession, interior design.
Many people fear that they cannot do yoga because they feel as though they are not flexible or do not have much body strength. However, there is yoga for all athletic levels, and there are variations within those practices that can adapt to the most inexperienced yogi to the more seasoned yogi. I’m going to focus this article on yin yoga. Yin yoga is a slow-paced practice, with asanas that are held for longer periods of time, typically 3 to 5 minutes for each pose. This is a wonderful meditative form of yoga to increase circulation in the joints and improve flexibility, while providing a form of self-awareness and mindfulness to calm and balance the mind and body.
Even if you only have 5-10 minutes to practice yoga after a long day, you can hold each pose for a minute and still feel the benefits mentally and physically. As your muscles expand and contract, endorphins are released to help you feel calm, collected, and ready to conquer whatever you may have ahead. Additionally, toxins are released through the twists that squeeze and stimulate the abdominal and digestive organs. The release of these toxins allows for oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood to flow to the organs, which makes you feel better.
Below are a few yin yoga poses that I recommend trying out in sequence. If you are a beginner to yin yoga, try holding the poses for 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Listen to your body and release yourself from the pose if you feel uncomfortable in any way, shape or form. Light some candles, dim the lights, and enjoy the peace and tranquility yoga can bring to you!
Childs Pose
Target Areas: hips, back, shoulders
Childs pose is a great posture to start or end the practice. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees, with your knees directly under your hips, your hands underneath your shoulders, your back straight and your eyes looking in between your hands to not strain your neck. Start to move your feet together to allow your big toes to touch and your knees to spread wide to either side of the mat. Sit back into your hips, bring your head to the mat or to a position that feels comfortable (you can use a block or pillow to rest it on) and tip toe your fingers forward to the top of the mat to elongate your arms.
Anahatasana
Target Areas: chest, shoulders, mid-back, upper-back
Also known as the heart melting pose, this pose will do just that! Enter into this pose in the same way you did for Childs Pose by starting on all fours in tabletop position, and make sure your knees are directly beneath your frontal hipbones. Walk your hands forward and out, slightly wider than shoulder-width distance. Keep your arms outstretched and allow your chest to sink down towards the mat, while keeping your hips stacked over your knees. Rest your forehead on the ground and enjoy the release.
Pigeon Pose
Target Areas: hips!
Oh, the pigeon pose. This is one of the most difficult poses for me to complete release and relax. I always put a pillow or block underneath the hip of the leg that is bent, but we will get to that. Begin this pose in downward dog. Downward dog is started by getting in a plank position, then lifting your hips up towards the ceiling, and looking back at the top of your thighs. Lift one of your legs in the air towards the ceiling, then bring it forward and bent at a 45-degree angle on the mat. If you feel any discomfort, this is where you put a pillow underneath the hip of the leg that is bent (it’s confusing to write out, but trust me, you will feel it!). You can stay here, with your chest raised, or you can lower your chest and put your forehead to the ground, to the pillow, or to a mat. A good alternative to this pose is by “threading the needle”. In this alternative, you will lie on your back, bring both legs to your chest, then put one leg over the other at a 45-degree angle and pull the other leg towards you to feel it in your hip.
Alternative to Pigeon: Thread the Needle
Reclining Twists
Target Areas: lower-back, mid-back, upper-back, hips
The reclining twists are one my absolutely favorite yin yoga poses! This is a great pose to end the practice before the savasana, as it requires for your limbs and tendons to be relatively relaxed. Start by lying flat on your back. Hug your feet into your stomach and then bring your feet to the floor, equally spaced, close to hip-distance apart. Create a T with your arms. Slowly drop your knees to one side and let your head look in the opposite direction. Try to be mindful to keep your shoulders pinned to the floor to allow your body to feel the pose fully. If it is resulting in any discomfort, try putting a pillow underneath your knees to start. Slowly breathe here for 45 seconds to 2 minutes, then switch to the other side.
Savasana
Ahhhh, you just completed a wonderful yin yoga sequence, and now it is time for your mind and body to fully relax. This is a very simple and straight forward pose, and it is often used to end any type of yoga practice. You can enjoy a savasana on your back or on your stomach, with your arms straight next your side with your palms facing up to receive energy, and your legs out straight. My feet typically fall outward to either side. Do not try to correct any shape your body may decide to go into. Let your body feel what it wants to feel. Embrace the complete relaxation, connect to your breath one last time, and enjoy the final minutes of your practice.
