We’re almost halfway through regular season and if you’re feeling a little stressed this fall, I’ve got five yoga poses that will help you destress. You can use these anytime, but it’s always nice incorporate them into your halftime routine:
1. Tadasana, Mountain Pose
- Stand with your feet together, and arms at your sides. Press the weight evenly through the balls and arches of your feet. Feel your shoulder blades roll down your back and pull your shoulders away from your ears, activate your core, tuck your tail bone and engage your quads.
- Feel free to take a few breaths here, inhaling while raising your arms up and exhaling as you return them to your sides
2. Rag doll, Uttanasana Variation Hands to Elbows
- This is a variation of a forward fold. Swan dive your arms to floor. Then, toe heel your feet so they are hip distance apart, grab your elbows and let the head and neck hang heavy.
- Feel free to sway back and forth, nod your head yes for all the wins, and no for the interceptions.
- For a hamstring stretch, keep your legs straight and to alleviate lower back tightness, give a good bend to your knees.
3. Downward dog, adho muka svanasana
- Step your feet back, make sure your ankles are under your shoulders, and your body is in a plank position.
- Push your hips into the air.
4. Low lunge, anjaneyasana
- From downward dog, raise your right leg high and sweep it through.
- Outstretch your arms upward keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
- Lay your left knee and top of foot flat on the mat and shift your weight forward to feel the stretch in the inner thigh and groin.
- Repeat on other side.
5. Child’s pose, Balasana
- Finish with child’s pose to regain breath and stillness.
- Start with table top, bring your big toes to touch and shift your hips back.
- Outstretch your arms.
- Massage your third eye center.
Music in Video Credit:
Fresh Air Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/