Yoga For Stress Relief
Yoga is designed to stretch and strengthen muscles and ligaments and promote blood flow to the extremities. In any pose, meet yourself at the comfort level you are at today. If a pose ever causes pain, please back out. Do what you can and breathe deep breaths in and out to ease into the pose. Go at your own pace and only do what you feel comfortable for your body.
Try this 15 minute consecutive series to reduce stress and calm your mind. Flow from one pose to the other starting with #1. You will need a mat, or comfortable space on the floor and comfortable clothes you can move in.
Stay in each pose for about 10 breaths total (5 breaths on each side when doing left & right side).
1. Easy Pose with a Twist
Begin in a seated position with your legs crossed and your arms resting on your legs. Sit tall with a long spine, shoulders drawn down your back, and your sit bones grounded to the floor. Close your eyes and take a deep breathe in through your nose and open your mouth and exhale out. Flutter eyes open and take your right arm behind you placing your palm on the floor for support, take your left hand to your right knee. Take a deep breath in, lengthen your spine, and on your exhale twist to the right. Take four more breaths in and out, twisting on your exhale. Then release back to the center, cross your legs the opposite direction and repeat on the left side, placing left hand behind you on the floor for support, place right hand on your left knee, take a deep breath in lengthening your spine and twist to the left, take four more breaths in and out twisting on your exhale.
2. Cow Face Pose
Once you return back to the center release your legs and bend your right knee and place on the floor, take your right foot to the outside of your left hip, cross your left leg over your right leg, taking your left foot to the outside of your right hip. Your knees will rest on top of each other. You can rest arms by your side or take your hands in front of you and rest them on the floor as you forward fold over your knees. Take 5 breaths and then switch sides and repeat.
3. Butterfly Pose
Release legs from second side of cow face pose and bring the soles of your feet together and knees wide. Interlace your fingers around your toes and take a deep breath in and forward fold, drawing belly in, and rounding into your back. Take 10 deep breaths in and out.
4. Puppy Pose
From Butterfly Pose, rise up to all fours, stacking joints; wrist under shoulders, knees under hips. Walk your hands and arms long in front of you and keep your hips high as your lower down to your forward. Hold pose for 10 deep breaths.
5. Downward Facing Dog
From Puppy Pose, rise back to all fours, spread your fingers wide and take them shoulder width apart, press through your palms, curl your toes under and lift your hips up. Draw your belly in to support your low back, draw shoulders onto your back as you press away with your palms, heels press down towards the earth. Feel the extension in your spine, stretch in your shoulders, calves, and hamstrings. Alternate your knees left to right a few times then find stillness and draw a deep breath in and open your mouth and exhale out. Hold for 10 breaths in and out.
6. Three Legged Dog
From Downward Facing Dog, shift your weight into your left foot and take your right leg high towards the ceiling. You can keep your leg long or bend your knee and open your hip. Take 10 breaths in and out and lower right foot back to the floor. Repeat on the left side. Return to Downward Facing Dog.
7. Crescent Lunge with a Twist
From Downward Facing Dog, shift your weight into your left foot and take your right leg long to the sky, take a breath in and on your exhale bring your knee towards your nose and step your right foot to your right hand. Make sure your knee is stacked over your ankle and your left heel is lifted. Take another breath in and raise your arms up to the ceiling. Draw your ribs in and slide your shoulders down your back. Take a breath in and bring your hands to heart center, palms touching and twist bringing your left elbow to your right knee. Keep a long spine and draw your belly away from your thigh. Take 5 breaths and twist back to the center.
8. Warrior Two
From Crescent Lunge with hands at heart center, take a breathe in and on your exhale open to Warrior Two by turning your back foot parallel to the back of your mat and opening your arms wide. Keep your right knee bent and your right foot facing forward. Take 5 breaths.
9. Triangle Pose
From Warrior Two, take a breath in and straighten your right leg on your exhale lean your upper body towards your right foot and bring your right hand down to your right leg and take your left arm towards the ceiling. Both legs are straight and you are reaching through your fingers and lengthening your spine. Take 5 breaths.
10. Wide Legged Forward Fold
From Triangle Pose, take a breath in and rise all the way back up to standing arms wide and turn your right toes in towards your left so your feet are parallel. Draw your belly in, lift your heart with an inhale and forward fold, releasing hands to the floor or the outside of your ankles. Let your head be heavy and your knees softened as you take 5 breaths.
11. Wide Squat
From Wide Legged Forward Fold, release hands to the floor right below your face. Walk your feet in so they are hip width apart, bend your knees and lower your buttox down into a squat. Bring hands to heart center and elbows to the inside of your knees. Take 5 breaths. Release hands back to the floor and step back to Downward Facing Dog.
Repeat this sequence on the left side:
#7 Crescent Lunge with a Twist
#8 Warrior Two
#9 Triangle Pose
#10 Wide Legged Forward Fold
#11 Wide Squat to Wide Squat
12. Pike Pose
From Downward Facing Dog, walk your hands to your feet and sit down and extend your legs long in front of you. On your seat, legs long in front of you, draw your belly in, flex your feet, take a deep breath in and raise your arms over your head, then fold over your legs, take 10 breaths into your rounded back. Slowly roll back up to a seat and bend your knees placing feet back on the floor hip with apart, lower all the way down to your back with arms reached out in front of you.
13. Bridge Pose
Once you lower all the way down, rest your head, shoulders and back on the floor, and keep your knees bent, arms by your side, palms facing down, scoot your heels in close to your body. Then press through your feet and hands and lift your hips. Take 10 breaths and then lower your hips and back down to the ground.
14. Happy Baby
From Bridge Pose, draw your knees into your chest and take them wide, flex your feet and grab the outside of your feet with your hands. Pull knees in towards your armpits and press your entire spine down to the floor. Rest the back of your head on the floor. Take 10 breaths.
15. Savasana
From Happy Baby, release your hands from your feet, place hands on top of your knees and pull your knees to your chest, take a deep breath in and open your mouth and exhale out. Let your legs fall long to the floor as wide as your mat and place your arms by your sides palms up. Head and shoulders stay on the mat. Take 10 breaths in and out in stillness. Bring your hands to your heart center and thank yourself for taking this time for you. Namaste!
Brought to you by Tracy Strash
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