Confession time: I love to sit. 

And because I have a deep love for the art of sitting, today we are going to do the opposite. 

Welcome to your yoga practice to combat sitting, open your chest, stretch your shoulders, improve your posture, and energize your entire body.

…… could I have made that class title any longer, probably. 

On the outside, it might appear that I’m an active human being who loves movement, but the reality is – I like to get cozy, prop myself up with pillows, and do whatever it is I’m doing. Write a blog post. Read a book. Write in my journal. Create a yoga sequence. Respond to emails. 

It all happens whilst sitting. 

Yes, I do get my ass up and move (mostly to make myself food), but the truth is, I don’t do it consistently enough to improve my overall wellbeing. Hours will go by and the only healthy movement that happens is my water cup being lifted up (or coffee cup). 

Now if you would’ve asked me about the sitting epidemic, chronic body pain, and depleted energy levels a few years ago, I would’ve immediately blamed it on the corporate workspace environment. It was an easy place to put my blame. I can’t move my body throughout the day because I sit in a cubicle, wearing heels, in a tight office outfit, and people will stare at me. 

And while all of this was true, here I am,  a free bird from the corporate workspace and my ass is still sitting. 

Related: A quick, 10 minute chair yoga you can do at work!

So I’ve come to the conclusion, the problem is me.

Not the cube. Not the outfit. Not the people who surround me. Just me.

……. this about the time I recommend asking yourself if the problem is you too. 

It can be a bit overwhelming to take full responsibility for our actions and the things that bring us pain (both physical and emotional pain), but it can also be freeing, empowering, and inspiring. Let’s choose the latter side of the spectrum, you with me?

Here’s how we choose. 

Instead of sitting, sitting, and sitting some more – we stand up from our comfortable seat and move (just a little, nothing extreme). Over the past few weeks, I’ve set my intention to do this throughout the day and let me tell you, it makes a difference.

I return to my seat and whatever task I was doing with more focus, clarity, and spaciousness. 

Here’s what this looks like.

• strap circles with my arms (this is my favorite) 
• downward facing dog 
• forward folds with hands clasped
• pelvis rocks and pelvic breathing (on the floor)
• stepping away from my computer, going for a walk, gazing into nature (oh hi nature, you’re so beautiful) 
• taking deep belly breaths to bringggg down my stress levels 

After doing these practices pretty regularly, it dawned on me……

Hello girlfriend, let’s turn this get off your ass and move your body theme into a yoga class. So alas, this is how today’s practice came to be. 

Related: Upper body feeling all hunched from sitting & screens? Find your antidote with Relaxing Yoga for Neck Relief

Straight from my struggles with sitting, into your home, as a yoga class for you to experience and use. 

Now before you unroll your yoga mat and hit play, a note on yoga props. You will need a strap or something similar to experience my favorite antithesis to sitting and a bolster for an amazing heart opening savasana experience. 

Okay, that covers it babe. 

It’s my *hope* that after you finish today’s yoga class that you feel centered, grounded in the present moment, both soft and strong in your heart space, and motivated to look underneath the surface of what’s not working, and have the courage to take action and change it. 

Like my mom always reminds me, you can’t eat an entire elephant Allie, but you can nibble the ear. And yes, that’s a weird example, but you get the picture. 

I’ll meet you on your mat, xoxo.