Are you ready to take on the day? If you don’t quite roll out of bed raring to go, give a few yin yoga poses a try!
With yin, remember it is a passive practice – no pushing, pulling, forcing your way into a shape. There is also very little to no muscular effort involved.
Your body is much tighter first thing in the morning. As you hold each of these 5 poses for about 2 minutes, notice your body softening.
- Butterfly Forward Fold – From a seat, bring the soles together and knees apart. Turn your palms up, let your spine naturally round as you fold forward over the legs. Let go of any expectations for what the pose looks like. Take slow steady breaths as you hold.
2. Deer Pose – Bring the right shin parallel to the top of the mat. Take the left shin parallel to the long edge of the mat. Knees roughly aligned with the hips. About a 90 degree angle in each of the legs. Press and rotate the left hip down. Walk the hands back behind you. Either staying up on the palms, coming to the forearms, or laying all the way back. The lower you go, the more intense this will be. Exit out slowly, take any bit of movement you need, then set up on the other side.
3. Half Butterfly – Extend the right leg out to the side. Bring the left foot to the inner groin. Rotate to face the right shin. Fold down passively, rounding spine and turning palms up. Come to the forearms, or bring elbow down and prop head on hand. After 2 minutes, move slowly to the other leg.
4. Melting Heart – Come to table top. Keep the hips over the knees. Walk the hands out in front of you. Lower your head and chest towards the floor. Feel an opening through the upper back, shoulders, chest and maybe arms.
5. Seed Child’s Pose – Walk the knees in to the belly. Sink the hips back towards the heels. Bring the hands back at your sides. Turn the palms up. Let your shoulders relax and soften as you breathe here for a couple minutes.
These 5 poses come from the 15 minute Morning Yin Yoga practice below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
