This is a simple way to relieve tired legs and feet from a long day at work. Since it's an inversion, this pose can "drain lymphatic fluid from the lower extremities, reduce swelling in the feet and ankles, and improve circulation," says yoga instructor Chrissy Carter.
Here are her steps:
1. Lie down with your hips close to a wall and stretch your legs up towards the ceiling.
2. If you feel any strain in your hamstrings, move your pelvis a few inches away from the wall.
3. For an even more relaxing stretch, place a looped belt around the outer edges of your feet, with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. The belt relieves your muscles from the effort to keep your legs up, and it also gently rolls the thighs in to create more space in your lower back.
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Supine Bound Angle
This pose gives an "amazing openness to the hips and chest, while allowing you to slow down and quiet the mind," says Danielle Diamond, yoga instructor and founder of Xen Strength Yoga with Weights.
Her tips for reaching the proper alignment:
1. Lie on your back, or over a bolster (a cushion works too), with your knees bent and your feet touching the floor.
2. Slowly open your knees out wide, so that the soles of your feet are touching.
3. Lengthen your spine by extending your tailbone towards your heels and reaching the crown of your head in the opposite direction.
4. Place your palms, facing up, next to your hips, and soften your shoulders into the ground, away from the ears. Then soften your face, eyes, jaw, neck, and throat.
Let's address the Ganesh (err, elephant) in the room. You wear yoga pants regularly. But you actually practice yoga...maybe...once or twice a month? For busy women everywhere -- no matter how much you love the calm feeling after an hour and a half of breathing, stretching, and focusing -- it's tough to squeeze in a yoga class as frequently as you'd like.
But it is possible to incorporate more balance in your life, even when you don't have time to dedicate to a full yoga class. My goal is to set aside 5 to 10 minutes to stretch and breathe during my day -- whether that means waking up a few minutes earlier, carving out time while dinner's in the oven, or heading to the mat before bed. So I've put together a list of simple do-at-home yoga poses that are great for relaxing your tired body and mind.
Yoga newbies can also give these poses a go. Just focus inward on your breath or play some relaxing music, and you'll be ready to de-stress and de-toxify from all that crazy stuff going on in your life.
