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Yoga Poses to Tame Holiday Stress InstantlyTake a break from in-laws, company and holiday budgeting with this easy mood-soother |
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The Pose:
Strengthening, Flowing Sequences
Start at the front of your mat with your hands in prayer position. Inhale, reaching arms up to the sky. Exhale, folding down at the waist and bringing your fingertips to your toes. (Narain advises to bend slightly at the knees if you feel too much pull.) Inhale, lifting the chest and stepping your right foot back into a lunge. As you exhale, move into downward facing dog. Inhale, going into a straight-armed plank pose. Then as you exhale, press back into downward facing dog again.
Next, inhale, lifting your arms above your head and bringing yourself into crescent pose (a high lunge with arms stretched over your head). Hold this pose for a breath or two, sinking slightly deeper into the pose if you can.
Bring both your hands to the ground and step your feet together at the front of your mat. Inhale, reaching arms up and above your head, then bring them back into prayer position. Repeat the sequence on the opposite side.
Why It Soothes:
Narain created the tension-burning segment of her DVD to have more flow to invigorate your body. "Both a slow practice and a little more fluid practice are beneficial, depending on how we feel. Sometimes we need to conserve energy, but other times we need to build the fire a bit more."
Photos: Republished with permission from "Everyday Yoga for Stress Release with Nadia Narain." To see Narain's full sequences, you can purchase the DVD on Amazon now.
