Toilet Yoga...the book
Ah, finally! We’ve been telling people about this for years. What is toilet yoga you ask? Only the best relief you could ever have at work! Ha. Read on.
We’ve already been warned that sitting is killing us, yet a lot of us sit in a some sort of chair perhaps at a desk or in a vehicle, for a scary number of hours a week, and only take tiny breaks here and there throughout the day for lunch, or say, to pee. But what if you used those random pee breaks to do some bathroom stall yoga? (Instead of talking on the phone and playing Angry Birds. You know who you are!)
An article at Stuff.co.nz has some good tips on looga (yoglet?) worth checking out. Similar to office yoga there’s an emphasis on spinal twists and conscious deep breathing, except you’re in the quasi-sanctity of your own little “yoga room” and attending to other business, ahem.
Really though, how can we expect our bodies to keep a, uh, regular flow when we’ve been stagnant all day?
If we’re tuned in to our bodies, we’re also less likely we are to injure ourselves during other exercise because we are sensitive to our limits.
Which also means not rocking up at a yoga class, having been stationary all day, and expecting your body to happily contort into a pretzel.
Believe it or not there are actually BOOKS specifically on the movement. For extra credit on the pot, check out Toilet Yoga (Because Sometimes Sh*t Doesn’t Happen), not written by a yoga teacher, but by someone who learned by experience how to move the prana, if you will.
Of course, we can’t let good potty humor potential go to waste. So we’ve come up with our own Top Toilet Yoga Movements for Relief!* Read at your leisure.
1. The Classic: Chair pose, aka Hover-asana, aka Utka-don’t you sit down that’s nasty-asana. Doubly great for firing up the legs after sitting for long periods of time, and avoiding butt cheek contact with icktastic facilities. Fierce.
2. Intermediate: Puppy Dog Fire Hydrant. Place hands on counter or sink and walk feet back under hips. Work up to fire hydrant by lifting leg back into Warrior 3 or opening up the raised leg to Half Moon. Can also be done in bathroom stall for ultimate privacy if you’re lucky to be somewhere with one-seaters like Starbucks. Beware other cranky toilet yogis waiting to practice.
3. Toilet Yoga Guru: Twisted Triko-stall-asana. One foot by the commode, the other diagonally placed. Walk hands up sides and door of stall and twist out your Triangle. Especially good for relief from hangovers, irritating co-workers and afternoon lull.
Warning: Deep breathing and inversions work wonders, but we advise avoiding headers at the head!
*yogis must wash hands before returning to work.
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Earlier…
- Yoga and Stress Response: The Brainy-Body Benefits On and Off the Mat
- Steps to Avoid Danger of Neti Pot Brain-Eating Amoebas
- Bikram’s Tricia Donegan On Elitists, and How Celebriyogi Lady Gaga Will Change the World
- Book Review: ‘The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards’ by William J. Broad
- Russell Brand Shows Us His Post-Yoga, Post-Katy Perry Fashion
- CNN Wonders Who Should Teach Yoga? Repeats Everything Already Said About Yoga Wrecking Your Body
Also helpful is the seated spinal twist… seat being the John 😉
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indeed the hand-washing kriya may be the most important…
Oh gosh, what next? Mindful eating, avoiding overconsumption, and engaging in a balanced diet are all helpful too. Any asana involving spinal rotation, via supine or seated, is helpful, as it compresses the internal organs. This enhances their performance and assists in the process of elimination.