Author and yoga instructor Jean Hall shares her 5 poses to support the soft flow of breath…
Check out our January schedule as Jean hosts a month of lessons primarily based on breath and motion: https://www.yogamatters.com/pages/neighborhood-yoga-lessons-2023
Tadasana Antascara – Mountain Body transferring
Stand and root your toes into the floor about hip width aside. Reach your arms up to the sky. Use your proper hand to maintain round your left wrist and slowly circle your arms over to the proper as you sway your hips throughout to the left. Keep transferring throughout till you are feeling the motion has come to its pure completion. Pause right here, and breathe into the entire of your left aspect, sensing the support of the earth beneath and the spacious sky above.
When you are feeling prepared, return to centre and calm down your arms by your sides. Notice how your left aspect feels in relation to your proper. Then repeat to the different aspect.
Variation: You can even do that seated in a chair.
Paschimottanasana – Back Opening over a bolster
Sit along with your legs outstretched in entrance of you and the bolster mendacity vertically alongside your legs. Slowly ease forwards, bringing your stomach, entrance ribs and chest to relaxation towards the bolster. Place your fingers wherever alongside the bolster that feels snug and calm down right here for 10-20 breaths.
Variation: you can even do that with the pelvis raised up on one other bolster or on the edge of a low couch.
Jathara Parivartanasana – Resting Twist
Lie in your again gently hugging your knees into your chest. Open your arms extensive after which roll your knees over to the proper till they discover the ground, retaining them shut to your torso. Now relaxation your proper hand in your stomach and calm down your left arm. Soften and yield into the floor for 10-20 breaths. Repeat on the different aspect.
Variation – It could assist to place a bolster between your knees. Or if you want to deepen the twist, attain your prime leg out and take maintain of the prime foot with the reverse hand.
Setu Bandhasana – Bridge Pose on a brick or bolster
Lie in your again along with your knees bent and your toes on the floor hip width aside. Have your prop (bolster or brick inside reaching distance). Take a number of moments right here to let your breath and physique settle. Then elevate your hips up and slide your brick or bolster beneath your sacrum. Rest the weight of your pelvis on the prop and permit your chest and stomach to softly open. Ease the shoulders down and into the floor. Be conscious to hold the legs parallel as you breath and launch right here for a minute or two.
Viparita Karuni – Legs up the wall
Place your mat and bolster (or agency cushions) up towards the wall and wriggle in, so that you lie along with your hips raised up on the supporting prop. Extend your toes up the wall while feeling your pelvis calm down and launch down into the bolster. Take time to relaxation right here for 10-20 breaths.
Variations: If your legs don’t like to stay straight as they relaxation up the wall, you possibly can transfer your bolster/cushions and hips additional away from the wall so the legs could calm down with out the knees bending. Also discover completely different positions along with your legs, like releasing them extensive right into a straddle place or bending the knees and inserting the toes on the wall somewhat wider than the hips (a bit like a reclined squatting place)… play – nothing is incorrect or proper!
Any props required – bolster, cushion, wall
