If you spend a lot of your day seated (really who doesn’t) you may notice a stiffness in your hips and lower back by the evening. Before you get ready for bed, set aside about 15 minutes to try these stretches and see the difference in your sleep tonight.
Unravel your mat and begin laying down on your back.
- Leg Stretch – Bring the right knee in. Clasp hold of the back of the leg as you extend the leg. Keep a bend in the knee if need be. Flex and point the toes. To intensify, extend the left leg out on the mat.
2. Spinal Twist – If not already, extend the left leg. Take the right knee across the body to the left. Stretch your right arm out to the side. Press into the right shoulder. Trying to stack the hips, while keeping the collar facing up.
3. Reclined Pigeon – Come back to center. Cross the right ankle over top of the left knee. Pull the left thigh in, holding the back of the thigh or top of the knee. Maybe sway side to side. Keep the head and shoulders relaxed down on the mat.
Repeat 1-3 on the other side.
4. Seated Forward Fold – Come up to a seat. Keep the right leg extended out. Bring the left foot inside of the thigh. Inhale the hands up, feeling the length. Exhale to fold and release down. Don’t worry about how far you get.
5. Seated Twist – Cross the left foot over the right thigh, with knee pointing up. Hook the right elbow across the left leg. Bring the left fingers back behind you. Find length in the spine with an inhale, then exhale to open into a twist towards the left side.
Release and repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Hip Circles – Lift up to table top, with the palms under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Trace some big circles with the hips, moving intuitively. Notice where there is stiffness. Reverse directions.
7. Wide-Legged Child’s Pose – Bring the big toes together, and widen the knees. Press back towards the heels. Soften the belly and lower the forehead to the mat. Keep arms extended forward, while drawing the shoulders down the back.
These 7 poses come from day 12 of my 30 day Evening Yoga Movement challenge. Sign up and enjoy the full challenge for FREE here.
Namaste,
Kassandra
