Nourish your body - Yoga poses to Relax & Renew

What I love about yoga is its ability to provide your body exactly what it needs.  Whether its relaxation or energy, focusing a few minutes on your breath, connecting your mind & body can bring you to a new state of bliss. 

Try these 5 poses to nourish your body:

1.  Child's Pose

Begin on your hands and knees in Table Pose.  Bring the tips of your big toes to touch, your knees out wide (the width of your yoga mat), sink your sit bones back toward your heels.  Fold forward, extending your arms out in front of you, resting your forehead on the ground.  Take several long, deep breaths here (filling your entire chest, all the way up to your sternum).  Exhaling slowly, release your belly back towards your spine.  Stretch your right hand out in front of you as far as possible, feeling a stretch along your entire side body.  After a few breaths here, switch sides, stretching your left hand out.

2.  Low Lunge

Beginning in forward fold, step left foot back in a low lunge ensuring your right knee is directly stacked over your ankle.  Drop your back knee to floor and bring hands to hips.  We hold a lot of stress and tension in our hips so this pose helps you open up and release. Focus on breathing through any sensations and practice "letting go."  After 5 breaths, switch sides.

3.  Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Step feet out wide, toes slightly pointing inward and hands on hip.  Slowly begin to fold forward bending at your hip creases.  Drop your hands to the floor, shoulder-width distance.  Letting the top of your head drop to the floor, release any tension you may be holding in your neck or jaw.  Knees can be slightly bent.  Take 10 long, deep breaths focusing on releasing more with each exhale.  To come up, place hands on hips and using your legs, come up nice and slowly.

4.   Goddess Pose

Step feet out wide, point toes slightly outward and begin to lower into a wide-legged squat.  Place arms out to the side at shoulder height and bend at elbows creating field goal post arms (fingertips pointing toward the ceiling).  Squat a little lower maybe doing a few pulses up & down or side to side, working your inner thighs.  Coming back to neutral, exhale your breath completely and draw your pelvic floor in and hold.  Hold as long as you can, release and take a round of breaths before trying again.  Continue to practice the pelvic floor raises to improve the muscles of your vagina, great for before or after birth.

5.  Reverse Process 

Begin sitting on the floor with one shoulder blade touching the wall.  Keeping your bottom up against the bottom of the wall, swing your legs around and up the wall, legs extended, until your back is resting on the floor.  Place arms down by your side, palms facing up.  Relax here for approximately 20 breaths.  Breathe gently making your exhale twice as long as your inhale.  Legs can be slightly bent.  This pose is great if you are having trouble falling asleep or have been on your feet all day.  It may be uncomfortable for those who are pregnant.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me today.  Best of luck on your journey to relax & renew!
Namaste.