First, Gather your props: blankets, bolster, block, eye pillow.
Find a quiet place or a relaxing playlist to settle in during this flow.
Enjoy 3 to 5 minutes in these poses, unless otherwise noted.
These stretches will aid you increasing your immune system by enhancing the breath, detoxification, circulation, releasing stagnant every and creating new space for healing.
Before you take these postures take a deep breath and allow your breath wash away all the mental physical and emotional tension.
Remember to Maintain your breath:
Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. Whenever your mind wanders, come back to your breath.
This time is best supported by your breath. When used mindfully it has the potential to move energy and tension out of the body. Your nervous system is calmed allowing the body to enter to its parasympathetic state. Any time you feel stressed or overwhelmed or tight in a posture be sure to turn to your breath.
Move slow in transitions in order to stay most grounded and calm.
,Chest expansion (3 min)
- From standing bring legs into wide second position
- Interlace hands behind back at tailbone and roll shoulders open pressing knuckles away from hips
- Creating space in the upper body helps to balance the mental elements and functions of the lungs. Especially important for relieving congestion and sinus issues as well as emotional stress.
Downward dog (3 min)
- From table top position untuck feet and send hips up high
- Press palms into mat and biceps by ears and allow calfs to fall to ground
- Open through chest hips and legs
- When your head is below the heart it increases the circulation and lymphatic movement in the body which help to invite more breaths into the body.
Runners lunge each side (3 min)
- Bring one leg in front to 90 degrees and let other leg lengthen with knee to the mat behind.
- Send hips forward placing palms inside of leg
- Micro bend arms
- Sink into hips and let head hand heavy as you deepen your breath
- Relax muscles in hips and breath deep like you’re sending breath into areas that are demanding most space
- Breath so deep that when you inhale you pull you’re heart towards toes lengthening the spine
- Exhales allow you to fold deeper
- Breath deep switch until ready to switch to other side
- let go of tension in eyebrows or jaw
- Relax muscles in the hips and breath deep
- Hip opener benefits-believe it or not hip openers expand creativity.
“Creativity Energetically, the hips are associated with the sacral chakra, or the creative centre. If you think about it, the hips are what hold and support the reproductive organs–the organs of creation.”
- When the hips are focused it helps unlock those blockages and opens the path for new positive flow.
Supine Twist 2 min each side:
- Bring one leg to chest and twist across to opposite side
- Lower back stretch
- Allow your hip peel up and keep your shoulders grounded
- Use Belly breath to deepen the twist( pretend you’re inflating a balloon in your stomach and breath in and out switch sides brining other knee to chest and twisting
- make sure you keep your shoulders grounded and relax
- any forcing or flexing just soften and melt into the mat
- Side twists release and relax muscles of the lower back, chest and shoulders. They help keep the spine in better alignment and improve overall posture by relieving aches and pains.
Legs up the wall (3 min)
- Bring your mat towards the wall and shift your hips as close as possible to the wall.
- Option to fold a blanket a few times to place under your hips.
- Bring your legs up the wall relaxing the feet and hold for five minutes
- When time is up, gently roll to one side allowing the legs to lower to the earth and lay in fetal position on one side for a min to let settle
- Legs up the wall help with swelling of the feet if you’ve been on them all day and help reduce pain. Allowing fresh blood to circulate once you stand decreasing inflammation build up in the body.
Final Savasana (3-5 min)
- Lying flat on your mat with a bolster or two pillows under your knees relax and take up space
- Place your palms up with hands by your sides
- allow your feet to fall open to the outside of the mat and close your eyes
- Breath naturally and remain in savanna for 3-5 minutes.
- Allows the body to settle in complete relaxation enabling mindful breaths releasing tension throughout taking tension off the joints. The body returns stillness from your workouts and daily activities.
