Restorative Yoga Session
Goal: To promote relaxation and muscle recovery through gentle yoga poses, enhancing flexibility and reducing stress.
Daily Benefits: This yoga practice aids in mental and physical recovery, decreases tension in the muscles and joints, increases joint mobility, and offers a peaceful break to rejuvenate the mind and body.
Gentle Warmup
- Light Cardio and Stretching
Instructions: Start with light cardiovascular movements such as walking or gentle jogging to increase blood flow followed by gentle stretching to prepare the body for yoga poses.
Equipment used: None
Duration: 5 minutes
Muscles worked: Full body
Main Yoga Poses
- Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Instructions: Kneel on the floor, touch your big toes together, sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips and bow forward. Extend your arms in front of you and relax your forehead on the floor.
Duration: Hold for 2-3 minutes
Muscles worked: Back, shoulders, hips - Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Instructions: Sit on the floor with your legs straight ahead. Flex your feet, inhale and lift your arms overhead, then exhale and reach forward toward your toes.
Duration: Hold for 2-3 minutes
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, lower back - Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Instructions: Lie on your back, bring your arms to form a T shape for balance, bring your knees to your chest, then gently let them fall to one side while keeping your shoulders on the floor.
Duration: Hold for 2 minutes each side
Muscles worked: Glutes, back, obliques
Cool-Down Reflection
- Instructions: Finish the session by lying in Corpse Pose (Savasana), allowing your body to absorb the practice’s benefits and your mind to clear. Focus on deep, steady breaths.
Duration: 5-7 minutes
This Restorative Yoga Session is perfect for days when you need to decrease stress and focus on recovery. Integrating such practices on a regular basis can contribute significantly to your overall wellness, complementing more intense workouts and helping maintain a balanced weekly exercise regimen.
