| Learning how to relax is often a key reason for people | | | | keep your knees up with your feet flat on the floor or |
| taking up yoga. | | | | roll a folded up blanket and place it under your hips. |
| Life is busy and as a yoga teacher I hear many of my | | | | Focus your awareness on your breath, breathe in and |
| students say that they are stressed and need to relax. | | | | out through your nose and gently take 3 - 7 rounds of |
| If you don't take time out to rest and relax chances | | | | deep abdominal breathing. Just allow your body to |
| are you could end up with serious stress related | | | | relax and sink further into the ground with each out |
| conditions such as high blood pressure, migraines or | | | | breath. |
| even in extreme cases suffer a heart attack. | | | | 2. The Child Pose - Another classic yoga relaxation |
| Stress is a genuine health issue that affects lots of | | | | pose. The Child Pose helps to ease tension along your |
| people in different ways. How you respond to periods | | | | back and neck muscles as well as give a gentle |
| of change and difficulty in your life plays a key role in | | | | stretch to the muscles around your hips. Ideal to |
| determining how your stress levels are affected. | | | | practice, especially after more strenuous inverted |
| When you relax you allow your body to release the | | | | poses or any backward bending postures. For the |
| build up of tension and pressure. | | | | Child Pose, sit on your heels and lean forwards until |
| In yoga, there are three main ways to relax between | | | | your forehead touches the mat/floor. Place your arms |
| poses, you can relax on your back, on your abdomen | | | | alongside your legs and rest your hands beside your |
| or curled up in the child pose. When you relax, you | | | | feet with your palms facing up. If this is too |
| allow the body to rebalance and regulate which leads | | | | uncomfortable, place a small cushion between your |
| to your body working in a more efficient manner. | | | | thighs and abdomen or kneel back and separate your |
| Relaxation also allows the body to absorb the effect | | | | knees so your belly has more space to breathe. Also, |
| of the previous pose before you practice the next | | | | if your forehead is not able to reach the ground, place |
| one. In this way you feel invigorated and ready to | | | | one hand on top of the other and rest your forehead |
| focus fully on the next pose. | | | | on the top hand. Take 3 - 7 rounds of slow deep |
| Yoga relaxation works on three main levels - physical, | | | | breaths and then move onto your next pose. |
| mental and spiritual and is the most natural way to rest, | | | | 3. Relax On Your Front/Abdomen. It is especially good |
| relax and re-energise your mind body and spirit. | | | | to rest for a few rounds of steady breathing on your |
| Here are the three main ways to relax between yoga | | | | front, especially after practicing any backward bends |
| poses. | | | | done on the floor, for example, Cobra or Locust. When |
| 1. Relax On Your Back - The Corpse Pose. This is the | | | | laying on your front, make sure you feel comfortable, |
| most traditional method of yoga relaxation. In the | | | | have the big toes touching and ankles falling to the |
| Corpse Pose you lie comfortably on your back with | | | | side. This helps the muscles in your leg to relax. Make |
| your arms at a few inches from the sides of your | | | | a pillow with your hands and rest your cheek on the |
| body, palms facing upwards. Have your legs hip | | | | pillow. This helps to release any back or neck strain. |
| distance apart and allow your ankles and toes to fall | | | | Take at least 3 - 7 rounds of deep breathing as you |
| out to the side. Make sure your lower back is flat on | | | | relax and sink your body into the ground. |
| the floor. Sometimes it helps to straighten your back | | | | The beauty of these three easy yoga relaxation |
| by having your feet flat on the floor, knees up and | | | | poses is you can practice in bed which is an ideal way |
| then slide your buttocks as close as possible to your | | | | to rest and unwind after a busy day at work. Have a |
| feet, before slowly straightening your legs back along | | | | go and let me know which pose you find most |
| the floor. If your back is still sore or uncomfortable, then | | | | rewarding. |