When you make your way into bed at night, do you find yourself laying there thinking about different aches and pains. Prevent them from keeping you up tonight by doing these poses when you first go to your room tonight.
All you need for props are the pillows and mattress you already have.
- Neck Stretch – Start in whichever position is comfortable for you to sit, whether that’s with leg’s crossed, kneeling or propped up on some pillows. Lift tall through the spine. Roll shoulders down away from the ears. Drop your left ear to left shoulder. Play with the angle of the chin. Lifting it up to get more into the front of the neck on the right side, or roll it down to get into the shoulder. Repeat on the other side.
2. Eagle Arms – Bring the arms out in front of you, bending the elbows. Wrap the left arm under the right one. Binding once or twice. If this is too intense, give yourself a big hug instead, reaching for the shoulder blades. Lift the elbows up at shoulder height. If hands are up, press them away from the face. Tuck the chin to the chest for an added stretch in the back of the neck. Take 5 or so breaths here then switch the bind and repeat.
3. Side Bend – Extend the right leg out to the side. Tilt towards the right, as you reach your left arm up and over. Finding length in the left side of the body. Let your head be heavy and neck relaxed. Then bring your left hand back behind you to open more into the shoulder. Let the head dangle or support it on the fist. Hold for a minute.
4. Easy Seated Twist – Bend into the right knee. Cross the right foot over the left thigh. Hug the right knee with the left arm. Opening the chest to the right.
Repeat 3 and 4 on the other side.
5. Half Reclined Hero – Bend your right knee and bring the foot in towards you. Lift up and tuck the tailbone under. Keep the thigh bones parallel to each other. Stay up, recline to some pillows or all the way back to the mattress. Keep the top of the foot flat to the mattress. If experiencing pain in the knee, come up higher or exit. You can also bend the left knee and bring the foot flat to the bed if it feels good. Repeat on other side.
6. Reclined Cow Face – Wrap your right thigh over the left one. Lift the legs, bringing the knees towards the chest. Grab hold of feet, knees or shins. Widen the feet away from one another. After a moment, switch the cross.
7. Happy Baby – With legs unwound, clasp hold of the feet. Stacking the heels over the knees. Bring the elbows inside of the knees to push them wider. Dragging the knees down to the sides. For a more intense stretch, try straightening the legs out to the sides.
These 7 stretches come from my 30 min Relaxing Yoga in Bed class on YouTube.
Namaste,
Kassandra
