Do you take time to cool down after a sweat session? These 7 poses are great to do after finishing up a workout or run.
They will help you to focus on full body flexibility and relaxation.
- Wide-Legged Child’s Pose – Start kneeling. Bring big toes together and knees wide. Sink hips back to heels, while walking the hands forward. Soften the forehead and chest to the mat. Shrug the shoulders down the back. Release tension in hips and low back. Hold for about 10 breaths.
2. Eagle Arms – Lift the torso back up. Keep the toes pointing back, or to stretch the feet further tuck the toes under. Sitting back on the heels. Bring the elbows in front of you, bent at 90 degrees. Wrap the right arm under the left, binding once or twice. Drop the chin to the chest, pushing forearms towards one another. Press into palms and shoulders down. Breathe into the upper back. Lift the head up. Inhale the arms open. Repeat with left arm under right.
3. Tiger Pose – Come to table top, shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. Take a few rounds of cat and cow, inhale to drop the belly and curl tailbone up. Exhale, to round and contract looking towards the belly button. After a few rounds, when you drop the belly kick and reach the right leg up to sky. Maybe reach left hand back to clasp ankle. Kick the foot into the hand to take it higher and find deeper back bend. Try on the other side.
4. Runner’s Lunge – From table, step the left foot through between the hands. Keep the right knee rooted down. Melt hips forward. Keep fingertips down. Stay here or after a few breaths add a quad stretch, bending right knee and reaching left hand back to clasp the foot. Pulling heel to glute. Release.
5. Pyramid Pose – Tuck the right toes and lift the knee up. Start to straighten the left leg any amount. Relax the head as you melt toward the front leg.
Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Puppy Pose – Return to table. Keep the hips over knees, while walking the hands forward. Lowering forehead to the mat. Ground the elbows. Keep hands down or bring the palms together and bend elbows and bring hands to back of the neck.
7. Sphinx – Ripple forward to the belly, with the forearms down. Push through pubic bone, reaching tail back. Lift the heart, reaching it forward. Roll the shoulders back. Hold for a few deep breaths.
These poses come from a 10 minute cool down class on my YouTube channel. Check it out below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
