When you are winding down after dinner, do you opt for some gentle mindful movement or do you veg out on the couch scrolling and streaming? Be honest.
Turn off the screens 10 minutes sooner tonight and try these 7 poses. No props needed, and great for all levels.
1. Child’s Pose – From kneeling, bring the big toes together. Keep the knees together, or take them wide if you would prefer. Reach the arms back at the sides, with palms up. Let your forehead drop down to the mat. Connect to the rhythm of your breath, taking it in through the nose and then sighing it out.
2. Kneeling – Lift up to sitting on the heels. Reach your right arm up and over, for a big side body stretch. Switch sides. Then bring your fingertips behind you. Lift up through the heart. Keep your elbows slightly bent, and think of squeezing them together to touch.
3. Hip Circles – Come to table top, with hips over knees, shoulders over wrists. Draw belly in, keeping back flat. Kick the right heel up to the sky. Make big circles with the right knee. Keeping weight spread evenly between sides.
4. Quad Stretch – Step the right foot to the outer edge of the right hand. Come into a deep lunge, melting the hips forward. Bend the back knee and kick the foot up. Reach the right hand back to the clasp hold of the foot. Open the right shoulder and lean back, kicking foot into the hand. Keep pushing into the big right toe.
Repeat 3 and 4 on other side.
5. Rag Doll – Step back to down dog, taking the feet as wide as the mat. Walk the hands back towards the feet. Clasp hold of opposite elbows. Bend your knees. Decompress the spine, relax the neck, and let the head be heavy. Sway side to side. Take some deep cleansing breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
6. Yogi Squat – Turn the heels in and the toes out. Bend your knees and sink your hips down. Bring the elbows inside of the knees to press them open further. Bring the hands to the heart. Find length in the torso, dropping the hips down and reaching up through the crown.
7. Modified Side Plank – Return to table top, reach the right leg back. Roll to the inner edge of the right foot. Reach your right arm up. Bring the bicep along the ear, taking a deep side body stretch. Return to table and take on other side.
If you want a full easy 10 minutes on the mat, without having to think, check out the video below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
