Yoga @ Your Desk:

Yoga Position #21: Hound Dog Shake

by Blake More

You ain't nothing but a pound dog without good circulation and a relaxed body. Full body muscle shaking is a great way to nudge your sleeping hound.

Objective: This posture can be used as a warm-up for just about any activity since it activates every muscle group in the body. It's also a good cool-down after swimming, biking, or running since it promotes relaxation. For extra fun, find a coworker or 20 and get a group shake going.

  1. Find a comfortable place to stand, making sure there is plenty of room for you to shake without smacking into a neighboring cubicle.

  2. Keeping your back straight, place your feet hip-width apart and allow your arms to hang limply at your sides.

  3. Leave your eyes open since this helps you stay focused and aware of your body.

  4. Gently press your lips together and begin breathing through your nose. You can pant for added effect.

  5. Take 3 easy, but full breaths, and as you do, relax your body from head to toe, making sure your knees stay soft and slightly bent.

  6. Breathe rhythmically and begin shaking your arms, legs, and torso from side to side.

  7. Allow the motion to build, until the shaking becomes rapid and fun, like a dog shaking after a swim in the ocean.

  8. Focus on making your flesh hang as loosely as possible on your skeletal frame, letting your hands flap from your wrists like empty gloves and your legs wiggle like soba noodles.

  9. Continue shaking until your body wants to stop.

  10. Howl like you just don't care. (But if you do, remind yourself you're nothing but a hound dog and give your hips an extra shake.)

  11. Elvis would be proud.

Blake More

Certified yoga instructor Blake More writes regularly forYoga Journal and Alternative Medicine Digest.. Before she learned to breathe and stand on her head at the same time, Blake was a dedicated stress junkie and pastry queen whose main source of fitness was running to catch trains in Tokyo.

Now, much to her amazement, she has traded city thrills for bucolic serenity, practicing yoga next to three mama goats, two bunnies and lots of chickens. She is currently working on her third book.

For more of Blake's tips on how to be a body-wise business person, check out her book, The Definitive Guide to Headaches.