10-minute desk break

The sequence

1. Mountain Pose · 40 seconds. Stand. Roll the shoulders up and let them drop, once.
2. Cat Pose · 30 seconds. Hands on your thighs in the chair, or on the floor if you have a mat. Round the back.
3. Cow Pose · 30 seconds. Hands still supported. A small arch. Do not throw the head back.
4. Chair Pose · 40 seconds. Stand and sit the hips back, holding the desk.
5. Standing Forward Fold · 40 seconds. Knees bent. Hands on the desk.
6. Halfway Lift · 30 seconds. Long spine, soft knees.
7. Goddess Pose · 40 seconds. Feet wide, toes out, a small bend in the knees. Hands on the thighs.
8. Tree Pose · 35 seconds. Right foot standing, hand on the desk.
9. Tree Pose · 35 seconds. Left foot standing.
10. Warrior II · 35 seconds. Right foot forward if you have room. Otherwise stay in Goddess and reach the arms.
11. Warrior II · 35 seconds. Left side, or the other arm reach.
12. Low Lunge · 30 seconds. Right foot forward only if the floor is clean and the clothes allow. Otherwise stand in Mountain and step one foot back lightly.
13. Low Lunge · 30 seconds. Other side, with the same choice.
14. Seated Spinal Twist · 35 seconds. In your chair. Tall first, then turn right.
15. Seated Spinal Twist · 35 seconds. Turn left.
16. Child’s Pose · 40 seconds. If you can kneel, fold. If not, stack your forearms on the desk and rest your forehead on them.
17. Mountain Pose · 40 seconds. Finish standing. Notice the feet, then go back to work.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

10-minute desk break is a 10-minute practice written from the pose pages on this site. A longer break you can do in an office or a living room. Floor poses are optional. The cues tell you the chair version. The player above is a timer and a list of cues. It is not a video class, and it is not next to an advertisement. Use the written sequence under the player if you would rather read than watch a clock.

The opening cues include: Stand. Roll the shoulders up and let them drop, once; Hands on your thighs in the chair, or on the floor if you have a mat. Round the back; Hands still supported. A small arch. Do not throw the head back. Follow the seconds as a suggestion. If a pose says to stay and your knee or your breath disagrees, come out early. Pausing the timer is part of using it correctly. You do not earn the practice by finishing a number.

Nothing in this routine is offered as a treatment. A short practice may help an ordinary stiff day, a loud afternoon, or the few minutes before sleep, depending on which routine you opened. It does not cure back pain, insomnia, anxiety, or an injury. If you are pregnant, hurt, or unsure whether a shape is appropriate, consult a doctor first. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, chest pain, or dizziness.

Read the pose page linked from any line you have not tried. The safety note there is more specific than this overview. Then come back and do the shorter version if the full 10 minutes is more than you wanted. A shorter honest practice is the one worth repeating.

10-minute desk break stays inside this site’s pose library. The minutes on the page are a ceiling, not a target you have to hit. Come out of a shape early, use the modification on the pose page, and leave the last cue for another day if you want. The practice counts when it is calm enough to repeat, including a practice you cut in half.