April 14th - Yoga-Inspired Stretch

- Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand on your abdomen.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air in deeply, towards your lower belly.
- Breathe through the belly so that the hand on your chest remains still, while the one on your belly rises.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale.
- Repeat for 60 sec.

- Inhale, tilt your pelvis back and look toward the ceiling.
- Exhale, tuck your tailbone. Draw your navel towards your spine. Allow the spine to round, bringing your chin towards your chest.
- Repeat the cat cow movement following your breath for one minute.

- Use your right hand to bring your right ear towards your right shoulder. Hold this position for 30 sec.
- Repeat on the left for 30 sec.

- Sit the buttocks back towards the heels as you reach the arms forward.
- Come to an all fours position.
- Press the hands and feet down as you lift the hip up and take the legs back. Straighten the elbows and the knees.
- Hold for one breath. Note: Your heels can be off the floor
- Bend the knees and return child's pose.

- Bring the left palm apart, following the hand with the eyes. Pause and hold for one breath.
- Return to start. Repeat this movement for 45 sec.

- Bring the left palm apart, following the hand with the eyes. Pause and hold for one breath.
- Return to start. Repeat this movement for 45 sec.

- Anchor the left hip down as you bring the arm to the right. Pause and hold for one breath.
- Return to the center and repeat on the left.
- Repeat this alternating pattern for 60 sec.

- Use a towel to join your hands behind your back.
- Hinge forward to place the forehead on the floor.
- Exhale, bring the arms up towards the head side.
- Inhale, extend the arms back.
- Repeat this inhale and extend, exhale and arms forward pattern for 30s.

- Cross left leg over right thigh.
- Hold the right thigh with both hands.
- Gently press the left knee away from the body and lift right thigh.
- Hold this position for 45 sec.
- Repeat on the left, holding for 45 sec.

- Straighten the bottom leg.
- On the exhalations, gently bring the bent leg closer to the torso.
- Repeat this pattern of exhaling and deepening the bend for 60s, alternating legs.

- With arms extended out at shoulder height, bring both bent legs to the left and look towards the right.
- Hold for 60 sec.
Note: if looking in the opposite direction is uncomfortable, look straight up towards the ceiling

- With arms extended out at shoulder height, bring both bent legs to the right and look towards the left.
- Hold for 60 sec.
Note: if looking in the opposite direction is uncomfortable, look straight up towards the ceiling