Has winter got you feeling stifled and stagnant? Give this yin sequence a try and let it help you dust off dullness and bring some brightness to your body and mind by targeting the abdomen through a series of twists and front body openers.
Please see my note at the end of the sequence about how long you might like to spend in each pose. If you stay in each pose for 3 minutes and pause between poses/sides this sequence will take around 25-30 minutes.
Seated twist – position your legs however you’d like (perhaps cross legged, one leg bent and the other straight, or both bent as I'm showing here) and take a gentle twist to one side.
Sphinx – prop yourself up on your elbows with your arms in a comfortable position. Your legs can be outstretched along your mat or you can bend your knees bringing your heels closer to you. Relax your head and shoulders. Part way through, you have the option to lift into seal pose (with the legs down), which may provide you with more of an opening along your abdomen.
Dragon or half saddle – these poses both focus on the fronts of the thighs (the back thigh in dragon and the folded leg thigh in half saddle). Pick the pose which feels appropriate to you. You can stay in high dragon for about 3 minutes or move to low dragon about half way through. Then switch sides.
Take a twist to one side, choosing a version with your legs that allows you to target the abdominal area the most. Repeat on the opposite side.
Relaxation – settle into your relaxation posture, taking your time to lie in any position that feels comfortable to you. Soak up the effects of your practice as you relax here. Give yourself 5-10 minutes resting here.
There are numerous options for each pose and there’s not space to list them all here. If you like a particular version of a pose that I haven’t included above, please feel free to go with that. The amount of time in each posture is entirely personal, but one suggestion is to set a timer for 3 minutes and if you find you want to stay for longer once your time goes off, you have that option. Give yourself plenty of time between poses/sides to fully feel into the effects. This practice isn’t recommended it you’re pregnant and new to yin yoga.
Comments