Sitting on our desks all day, our bodies are confined to a limited space. This sedentary lifestyle has led to stiff back and strained neck. However, this limited space offers us more than we think it does. A two-minute stretch can do wonders to your mind and body. Sometimes, a stressed body can lead to a cluttered mind. Here are 7 easy-to-follow yoga stretches you can do on your desk that can keep you going through the day:

Garima Bhandari* shows how to perform these asanas.

Chair eagle pose

How to do: Push your chair back from your table. Cross your right leg over your left leg and wrap your right foot around your left calf if you can. Bring your arms forward and cross your left arm over the right one and bring the palms to touch. Lift the elbows. Repeat with left side.

Benefits: Seated eagle pose stretches the joints of the wrists, elbows and shoulders; improves the posture of the upper trunk; removes stress from the shoulders and the lower neck region; opens up chest and improves the sense of balance.

Cow face arms (Gomukhasana)

How to do: Push your chair back and then bring your left arm behind your back and right arm behind your head. Try to clasp your fingers. Hold this position for 5 to 8 breaths. Repeat.
Benefits: Gomukhasana opens chest, stretches ankles, hips, thighs, shoulders, armpits, triceps and extends latissimus dorsi. (broadest muscle of the back).

Seated forward bend

How to do: Keep both feet flat on the floor and bring your hands back and interlace your fingers. Now bend and let your chest rest on your thighs. Straighten your arms as much as possible, drawing your interlaced fingers down while releasing your neck.
Benefits: Stretches spine, shoulders, hamstrings; stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus; improves digestion; soothes headache, reduces anxiety and fatigue.

Natraj pose

How to do: Stand on your right leg and fold the left leg from the knee. Grab all the toes of the left leg with the palm of the left hand. Then bring all the fingers of the right hand together and slowly raise this hand up and at the same time slowly push the raised left knee backwards and pull the leg up and back.
Benefits: Strengthens legs, hips, ankles and chest; helps to reduce weight; stretches the thighs, groin, and abdominal organs; improves posture and balance and digestive system; releases stress and calms the mind.

Standing backward bend (Ardha Chakrasana)

How to do: 
Leave your chair and stand straight with feet together and arms alongside the body. Balance your weight equally on both feet. Hold you waist and gently bend backwards pushing the pelvis forward. Your knees should be straight, head up and chest towards the ceiling. Hold, breathe in, come up. 
Standing backbend opens the front of the body, and strengthens the respiratory, cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

Desk shoulder opener

How to do: Stand facing your desk keeping some distance between you and the table. Now bend forward and touch the table with your palms. Stay in the position for 20 seconds and then release.
Benefit: This posture helps you to stretch legs, arms, back. Relieves stress.

Standing desk stretch

How to do: Sitting in one position can put pressure on your thighs and cause tightness. A dynamic quad stretch can help open up your hip flexors. Stand tall and face opposite to your desk. Put your hands on the table and bend backward. Your hips and back should not touch the table. Hold for 15 seconds, relax.
Benefits: This asana stretches your arms, shoulders and back. This also relaxes your neck muscles. It strengthens the respiratory and cardiovascular system.