You can elevate to blocks (as I did) or stay nice and low. ![]() On your belly, rise up to your forearms allowing the elbows to land beneath and a little beyond the shoulders. This stretch will help to gently stretch and release the vertebrae in the lumbar spine and help to restore natural curvature. We hunch over as we cuddle up on the coach, try to keep warm in the car and as we sit at our desks. Sphinx (5 min) – The low back tends to take a lot of grunt in the winter months. Breathe into that intensity and notice the tension melting away with each exhale. As you breathe, pay special attention to the outer left hip as it pushes into the block. Open your arms out into a “T” or cactus shape to create more expansion across the chest here. You can prop the foot onto a blanket/block if needed. Begin to take the right leg across the body to the left side of the mat. Lift the right leg and straighten out the left leg. Scoot the hips all the way to the right until the right hip is totally off the block but the left hip is still in contact with it. You’ll begin to prop your hips onto the prop as you would for supported bridge. Twist on block/blanket (3 min each side) – This is what I like to affectionately call the “yogi foam roller twist”. I chose a reclined butterfly pose for my legs here but you are welcome to do whatever feels best in your body. Allow your chest to splay open and your arms and legs to take up space. Reclined on bolster (5 min) – Begin your practice by lying the full length of the spine back onto a bolster or several blankets. Cozy up next to the Christmas tree and get ready for some stretchy goodness. Our lungs also tend to get neglected this time of year, so use this time on your mat as an opportunity to return to the breath as well as a feeling of openness and ease in the body. If you find the sensation is intense, breathe deeper. My hope is that this set of poses will help to open up the body in areas that don’t tend to get much TLC during the cooler months of the year. ![]() I wanted to share this sequence since the wintertime/cooler temps tend to draw us into a place of stagnancy in the body.
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