1) Baddha Konasana – Seated breathwork
Relieves headaches
If you’d like to stretch your inner thighs out bring the soles of your feet together keeping your spine long and your chest open. Close your eyes and focus on nice slow shallow inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth. You may also want to come into half or full lotus for an even deeper stretch, filling the belly with air on the inhale and drawing it in to the lower back on the exhale. Or you can just simply find a comfortable cross legged position remembering to focus on the breath and take your attention inwards, allowing internal thoughts and external sounds to pass you by for 5 long breaths….
2) Ardha Matsyendrasana – ½ Lord of the Fish AKA seated twist
Calms the nervous system
Sitting tall with your feet out in front pull your right leg in towards your chest and cross it over the left. Keep all 4 corners of that flat foot down and the other foot flexed back towards yourself. Crossing the right arm on the inside of the right knee twist the body to look over towards the left corner of the room for 5 breaths. Repeat the same on the other side rolling the back arm over and pushing the hand into the floor to give you a deeper stretch. Keeping the chest open with a nice soft gaze or closed eyes….
3) Marjariasana / Bitilasana – Cat / Cow
Good for circulation & back pain
Come into an all 4 position spreading your fingers wide pushing the floor away and tucking your toes under. On the inhale arch the back to face up to the ceiling – on the exhale curve the spine to push it up to the sky. Repeat this 5 times moving like you’re going through treacle – so nice long slow movements with the breath, keeping the belly pulled into the spine on the exhale and releasing it on the inhale.
4) Balasana – Childs Pose
Lowers stress & anxiety
Starting on your knees take them as wide as the mat with your big toes touching. Sitting back on the heels rest the forehead down and focus on the inhale filling the belly with air and the exhale pulling the naval up to the lower part of the back. Keep stretching the fingers off the edge of the mat feeling the stretch from the hands to the armpits all the way down the side of the body into the hips. Hold the pose for 5 long, shallow breaths.
5) Pavanamuktasana – Knees to chest
Good for digestion
Finding a comfortable position flat on your back bring your left leg up into your chest interlacing your hand over the top of the knee, pulling it in close to the body and holding for one long breath. Repeat on the right hand side inhaling as you pull the knee in and exhaling as you relax the shoulders into the mattress. Repeat the process 4 times before brining both legs into the chest and rolling from side to side. Here making sure you come all the way onto the elbow to massage out the whole lumbar spine-finally rolling all the way over to one side to melt into the mattress and drifting off to sleep….