I hear you…You are stiff, tight and tense. I know that feeling very well. When you are stuck in the office all day, sitting at your desk, and then waiting for the train or bus to ride home. Running some errands, buying some groceries…When you finally get home you are too tired and depleted to exercise. You take a shower. Fix a quick dinner, tend to your family and anchor in front of the TV – just to gaze at the screen. Or you decide to respond to your messages. You simply cannot process more information. You just need to chill out – that’s all. Been there, done that.

The good news is that you don’t need a whole ritual to get into an exercise mode after work. You can still have a light supper and carve 15 minutes to sooth all your achy joints, and relax your busy mind. And I literally mean 15 -20 minutes at the most.  I have made this routine solely for this purpose.

The first thing you need after a long day of work is to stretch the tendons, mainly the hamstrings, the gluteus, the shoulder blades and the hips. Provided these stretches work on the fascia. The fasica is the fiber-like webbing of the body that when stiff locks in tension, blocks the joints and results in decreased mobility and pain. Whenever I combine forward bends with hip and shoulder openers, I make sure they provide myofascial release, i.e. the stretch is not just simple pulling, but provides a deep tissue massage. These forward bends, hip and shoulder openers not only sooth, they help release the inner tightness –muscularly, as well as on a cellular level.

After deep rinsing of the tissues, I introduce some binds that release the shoulders while stretching the hips. It is essential to do both after work. As the hips open and the gluteus muscles begin to stretch, the entire spine gets reinvigorated, and the disc cushioning replenished.

Once the body is taken care of, it is time to relax the mind. Some forward bends and simple inversions do the job. This is the moment of the practice when you feel you want more, and you don’t look at the time. The mind de-stresses as the body-unstiffens. A progressive relaxation that is brief and nourishing seals the benefits of the practice and winds you down to sleep.

But mind you, you probably wouldn’t want to sleep right after. Sip a warm cup of herbal tea, and cozy up with your favorite book, movie or in the lap of your loved ones. That is the last and most crucial part of the practice. The yoga doesn’t end on the mat. It trails into your day and night to set the perfect balance between body and mind.

After Work Yoga Routine: Un-stiffen (open level)

This soothing after work yoga routine contains forward bends, twists, shoulder and hip openers, and is intended to stretch tight tendons, sooth away stiff muscles, open up sore joints – while providing a deep tissue massage to wind you down for a chilled and relaxing evening.