It's Q4 - the perfect time to curate yoga tools for noticing your stressors and managing them. We want to support our innate ability to heal, adapt and be resilient - which means allowing the nervous system to flow between sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest & digest) responses. Then you can really show up for your colleagues, clients and yourself from a space of clarity and calm!
You can encourage this flow with intentional micro-breaks throughout the day, like my two favorites below.
- In less than 30 seconds you can soothe your nervous system and tone your Vagus Nerve with a Humming Breath. Inhale slowly through your nose and hum as you exhale. Feel the vibration in your throat, mouth and lips. Repeat for 5 rounds (or as many as you want).
- In less than 1 minute you can give your brain a visual processing break by closing your eyes and checking in on yourself. Cup your palms over your eyes, use an eye pillow or just close them. Take a few rounds of breath and notice how you feel, your mental activity, and your emotional state.
It may seem so minimal, but taking care of ourselves doesn't have to be hard or take up a lot of time. Try these micro-breaks or choose some of your own!
Use them a few times throughout the day, each day over the next two weeks and observe any changes in how you feel. This can be anything from noticing your stress levels are different, feeling less irritable or less emotionally reactive, to improvement in how you feel overall.
Ready for me to support your team's wellness?
Learn more about our Corporate Wellness Memberships here, where we'll create a plan for at least once monthly sessions like Desk Stretches or meditation breaks. Custom content based on your wellness campaigns is available.
You can also book my Reset Your Nervous System with Microbreaks workshop for a live Zoom experience where I share about the stress response and ideas for your team to regulate their nervous system throughout the work day with yoga microbreaks!
About the Author:
Tiffany Lord, E-RYT & Yoga Therapeutic Specialist
Corporate Yoga Coach
Resilience + Stress Management Expert
As the founder of Love + Asana, I help busy professionals feel more resilient and and increase agency in their wellness. This all-levels, accessible approach to physical and mental health at work allows employees to easily learn and implement healthy habits during their work day…and feel the benefits ripple out into all areas of life
Since 2016, I’ve had the honor of coaching thousands of employees through virtual sessions and workshops focused on relaxation techniques, mindset, and mobility. My wellness articles have been featured in fyi50+, CO Yoga + Life, and I’m the author of three “Get With Gratitude” journals based on my online workshop series for resiliency through a grateful mindset.
I completed a 200-hour training through CorePower Yoga and received my 500-hour Therapeutic Specialist certificate through Yoga Medicine to complement my background in massage therapy and Bachelor’s Degree in International Business with Cum Laude honors from the University of Colorado at Denver. As a Continuing Education Provider with the Yoga Alliance, I share my knowledge of functional movement and the mind-body connection with yoga instructors wanting to deepen their teaching toolkit. My expertise in relaxation techniques and stress management also supports others living with Migraine through collaborations with Cove, an online migraine treatment company, and the International Headache Center.
When I’m not supporting wellness of others, I’m out improving my own – enjoying time with family & friends, dancing, camping, bouldering, reading and drinking too many lattes :)
Questions? Contact Tiffany at loveandasana@gmail.com