Yoga for Occupational Balance

I am about to introduce to you to a few of my greatest passions. Yoga, occupational therapy, and taking pictures of myself.

Before you begin reading, it is important to understand these pictures were taken for my own enjoyment and nothing more (fine and for instagram likes). My alignment and posture is not always perfect. Please acknowledge that many times I was mid-movement as these pictures were taken. The purpose of the pictures is reference.

I am not a yoga teacher nor do I claim to be.

I am a yogi and I still have a lot of work to do in my own practice, but I have come a long way from where I started. If your goal is to learn all about correct postures and proper alignment, please refer to the reference list at the bottom of the page. The names of the poses are not the formal names nor universal names. Remember, the purpose of this practice is therapeutic healing, whether that be mental or physical. We aim for correct alignment in order to prevent injury, but that is not always realistic. What is realistic is your ability to put forth the effort to better yourself. The effort to embrace the practice, give your very best, and get on the mat.

Everything is as it should be.

Yoga is becoming increasingly recognized in the occupational therapy profession as treatment modality for reducing the symptoms of various disabilities and diagnosis. Yoga is accepted in OT because it is evidence-based to prevent occupational dysfunction, improve self-regulation, enhance homeostasis, increase stress tolerance, decrease sensory overresponsivity, and enhance the overall quality of life. Those are just a few of the benefits. This is a preventative and therapeutic practice that is increasingly gaining popularity in OT.

Sun Salutation

Sun salutation is my chosen sequence for group therapy because the sequence is easy to remember, it can be performed in limited space, and can be modified for almost every person. Research is inconsistent with the type of yoga practice chosen, but typically all of these poses are incorporated, in some form or the other. Once you begin to master the sun salutation, you are able to add more poses into your practice and grade it to your own level. This sequence heats your body, focuses your mind, and allows you to travel inward.

In a sun salutation, the light from the sun is a symbol of consciousness and self-illumination. The general understanding is similar to how the rays of the sun reach all of the earth, the positive energy from yoga reaches all of the body. Each movement of the sequence should be mindful, therefore it is essential to focus on your breath as you flow. As you transition to a different pose, you should inhale or exhale. It is important for you to use your breath as a guide for your sequence. When it is time for you to exhale, it is time for you to transition. Let your breath lead the movements, rather than trying to control the practice with your mind. The traditional number of times to do this sequence is 108, but for beginners, two to five rounds is ideal. Now that you are feeling zen, lets talk about the movement....

Step 1: Mountain Pose - Bring attention to your breath

Strengthens muscles in the knees, thighs, and ankles

Improves posture, concentration, and alertness
Firms the abdomen and gluteal region
Promotes a healthy lower back

Step 2: Upward Salute - Inhale

Stretches the abdominals, shoulders, and spine
Helps relieve anxiety and improve digestion

Step 3: Forward Fold - Exhale
Stretches the hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and spine
Helps relieve anxiety, stress, and calms the brain.

Aids in relieving headaches and insomnia

Step 4: low lunge - inhale

Strengthens the deltoids and triceps

Stretches the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, and ilioposoas

Promotes mobility of the lower back, knee, and ankle

Aids in digestion, sciatica, and increasing balance

Step 5: Plank - inhale
Strengthens the arms, wrist, and spine.
Tones the abdominals leading to proximal stability

Step 6: Upward facing dog - exhale on transition, inhale during pose
Stretches the chest, shoulders, and abdomen
Strengthens the spine, arms, and wrist
Improves posture and stimulates the GI tract
Helps relieve mild depression, fatigue, and sciatica
Promotes lower back flexibility

Step 7: Down Dog - exhale

Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches of hands & feet

Strengthens the muscles in the arms and legs

Increases flexibility to the chest and mid-back

Calms the brain and energizes the body

Helps relieve stress, mild depression, headaches, and insomnia

Aids in back pain, fatigue, and high blood pressure

Step 8: low lunge - inhale

*As seen above*

Ideally, my head would be straight ahead and both arms would be on the ground

Step 8: Forward Fold - exhale
*As seen above*
Ideally, my legs and back would be straight in this pose

Step 9: Mountain - exhale
Smile. Repeat.

The goal: Balance

The therapeutic goal is balance, yet none of these are balance poses. We are not talking about balancing your body and maintaining picture worthy poses.

The goal is occupational balance.
Life balance. Emotional balance.
Balancing your roles, relationships, and responsibilities. Too much work will result in too much stress. Too much leisure, shockingly enough, also results in too much stress.

The goal of occupational balance is to balance in every aspect of your existence. Occupational balance is eating pizza and drinking wine on a Friday night, but still focusing on responsibilities and exercising daily. The balance starts on your mat and eventually, with enough practice, follows you into everyday life. At some point, the physical balance comes to your body without you even thinking about it. Taking time for yourself and focusing on your breath allows your mind a chance to explore areas it normally doesn't. While the sun salutation doesn't involve any balance poses, it helps you achieve a much deeper and meaningful balance.

Yoga doesn't have to be pretty, perfect, and precise all of the time.

And most of the time it isn't.

Sometimes you fall...

Sometimes your look silly and have awful alignment.....

Sometimes it's more about facing the dog than the Downward Facing Dog...

Sometimes you don't have on yoga appropriate clothing.......

Sometimes it's more about the fun than the form.

Balance is balance.

Again, I must reiterate, I am not a yoga teacher. I have taken a total of 2 credit hours in yoga as an undergraduate student and there is so much more I have to learn about this practice. I imagine one day when I am actually a certified therapeutic yoga teacher, I will look back on this and cringe. But for now, this is what I have so this is what I will give you.