yoga flow for a hectic day

Time and again I return home from work frazzled. Employment in a high-volume, time-sensitive coffee shop tends to wriggle me into a stressed mindset not only during the shift, but for several minutes or even hours afterwards. I run around the condo mumbling, attempting to throw one arm one way and the other the opposite, all the while building a to-do list of rather menial tasks which seem inflated into impossible accomplishments during this tensed-up state of existence. Such is anxiety: a spiral.

Managing stress and anxiety is an ever-present goal of mine. Whole peace likely isn’t possible, as I am human, and humans will occasionally fall victim to that which we wish to exterminate as far as mental nuances are concerned. That said, working to deload our stress responses is within our capabilities. I found yoga through this very desire. About a decade ago I whipped out a mat and, with my mom, followed a 75 minute video molded around the Ashtanga primary series; this triggered an initially sporadic practice, which folded into a daily ritual. Ever since, I’ve said hello to my mat almost every day, morning or evening, or whenever I need to lie back in silence, or let out a good cry, or joyously play, find healing, or uncover strength.

I began my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in February of this year, hoping to breathe richer life into my own practice and share the craft with others who may be unfamiliar and who, likely, need it in their routines. Over several months my personal sequences largely mellowed from quick to soft. No doubt, I like a good power class and love flipping into a forearm stand, but as a runner who is quite often catalyzing a stress response in my muscles and joints via these endurance sessions, I learned the importance of powering down my body so it may find recovery in between workouts and in between moments of heightened tension.

I incorporate several of the same postures in my sequences when I need restoration, and I’d like to offer them to anyone craving mental and physical relief. These can be done in any order, but I personally enjoy starting on the floor, standing, then ending on the floor in savasana for a good 5-10 minutes.

My tips for the practice:

• Hold each pose for :30-1:00.
• Breathe to a count of three on the inhale, and a count of three on the exhale (i.e.: inhale for one, two, three; exhale for one, two, three).
• Transition easily and mindfully into the next posture. Repeat as many rounds as you need.

Let me know: what’s your favorite pose of the sequence? Mine is cat-cow – the movement feels so nice on my lower back and heart center.

I am not a doctor or licensed physician. Any advice is based on my own experience and my own body. Always clear any new exercise or wellness regimen with a doctor first.

1. Child’s Pose

Benefits: Massages digestive organs, calms nervous system, gently stretches back body.

How-to: Begin on hands and knees. Guide the tail back until glutes rest atop the heels. Extend arms in front, clasp hands and allow forehead to rest upon the backs of the hands, or let arms drape on either side of the body. Relax the shoulders, neck, upper back, and glutes.

2. Cat-Cow

Benefits: Heart opener, builds stability in wrists and arms, resets spinal alignment.

How-to: From Child’s, rise onto hands and knees (Tabletop). Stack knees below hips and hands below shoulders. On an inhale, guide tailbone and crown of the head towards the sky, arch the lower back – this is cow. Exhale, curl the tailbone towards the earth, round the upper back and tuck the chin towards the navel for cat pose.

3. Downward-facing dog

Benefits: Reverses blood flow, strengthens core, spinal stretch, “pedaling feet” eases tension in the legs, knees, and hips.

How-to: From Tabletop, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back. Press into the thumb and index finger of each hand to ground, press shoulder blades together, lengthen spine to avoid traction in the lower back. Bend knees if the hamstrings are especially tight. Find stillness and breath, or pedal the feet one at a time to loosen tension.

4. Triangle pose

Benefits: Stimulates digestion, opens hips and heart.

How-to: From Downward-facing Dog, step right foot forward into a high lunge position. Straighten the right knee as much as is comfortable, but maintain a microbend to avoid strain. Heel-toe left foot closer if strain is felt in the inner thighs. Place the right hand on the shin, inside of ankle, or ground. Rotate hips and shoulders open while the left arm extends up so a straight line exists along the fingertips. Press shoulderblades together. Focus gaze either down, straight ahead, or towards the upraised left hand. Repeat with the left leg.

5. Seated forward fold

Benefits: Stretches hamstrings and back, calms nervous system and anxiety response, improves urinary and digestive function.

How-to: From Triangle, plant hands on both sides of the left leg and step left leg back into Downward-facing Dog. Lower to Tabletop. Sit on heels and swing legs around until they extend straight in front. A microbend in the knee is recommended. Lengthen the spine. Hinge forward at the hips until a stretch is felt in the hamstrings, then round the spine. Fingers may clasp the big toe, the ankle, the shin, or forearms rest on the ground on either side of the legs.

6. Supine twist (both sides)

Benefits: Wrings digestive organs, massages spine.

How-to: Rise out of Seated Forward Fold. Lie onto back. Clasp hands around right knee and bring towards the chest. Let the knee fall to the left side of the body without putting too much weight into the left shoulder or lifting right hip off the ground. Rest left hand against the side of the thigh. Extend right arm perpendicular to the body. Gaze over either the left or right shoulder. When complete, carefully guide the knee towards the right hip and rest the right foot, knee bent, for a few moments. Repeat with the left leg.

7. Savasana

Benefits: Resets mind and body, promotes rest and refocus on breath, calms all internal organs.

How-to: Find a comfortable lying position on the back. Arms may rest beside the body or with hands atop the stomach. Legs may lengthen, or knees bend with feet planted flat against the ground. Breathe and relax all the muscles and tissues in the body, paying special care to the space between the eyebrows, the jaw, the fingers, and the backs of the knees.