Today’s world demands so much from life-that more than one would care to admit-could be carried physically and emotionally. Stress, prolonged sitting, and a busy lifestyle are just a few of those sources..
Setting the Stage
Choose a soft quiet room at the beginning. A towel or blanket should be used to raise the hips during seated postures, thus improving the posture and spinal alignment. While you settle in and begin to settle, take a moment to notice how your body feels. Whether you’re here to ensure comfort or hoping for much-needed relief, this practice is your invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself.
The Practice
- Breath Awareness
Start in a cozy seated position. Either close your eyes or soften your gaze so that you can draw your attention to your breath. Notice its natural rhythm, without forcing any changes to it. Inhale and feel lift through your crown; exhale and set your ground through your hips.
- Gentle Neck and Spine Stretches
- Let your chin drop slightly toward the chest, thus elongating the back of the neck.
- Interlace fingers, resting them on the back of the head and releasing the stretch a little more.
- Bring your head back to neutral, and perform slow, mindful twists, lifting your thighs, and alternately bringing one elbow forward and the other back. Gradually increase the speed but maintain the steady breath and upright posture.
- Cat-Cow Pose
Come onto all fours with your wrists underneath the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Inhale, dropping your belly and lifting your chest to look up (Cow Pose).
- Exhale, rounding your spine and tucking your chin with pressed hands (Cat Pose).
Repeat several cycles travelling in and out with the breath to mobilize the spine and release tension.
- Extended Child’s Pose
Widen your knees and bring the big toes close to each other. Extend your arms forward and lower the torso. Rest your forehead on the mat or a blanket. Gently rock the forehead side to side to massage away tension in the brow and temples. Deeply breathe to release the stress with each exhalation.
- Downward-Facing Dog
Indeed, from all fours, by curling the toes underneath, it raises the hips into the air. The heels can be pedaled to stretch the calves and hamstrings further. You may further explore your areas of tightness by shifting your weight and concentrating your breath to those areas.
- Hero Pose or Comfortable Seat
Back to the seated position, either Hero Pose (knees together, sitting back on the heels) or cross-legged. Use a rolled blanket behind your knees if you need support. Roll your shoulders forward- up- and back to open your chest.
Integration
Conclude your practice by sitting in silence for a little while. Place your hands on your knees, up with palms open to receive energy or down to ground yourself. Consider the feelings in your body and any changes you observe in your mind.
Closing Thoughts
Stress tends to build up rather abruptly, mostly unbeknown to us. Yoga is an accessible and effective approach that allows us to release this tension through mindful movement and breath. You can do the full practice or take a few minutes just to stretch and breathe. Either way, you are giving to your body the sort of care it needs.
This feeling of calmness should be carried along into your day because relieving tension is not simply about curing physical discomfort, but rather nurturing the entire being.
