Congrats, you’ve survived another Thanksgiving!
If the thought of eating another piece of turkey with stuffing makes you a bit queasy, then forgo the urge to open the fridge and instead go for a long walk, breathe in some fresh air and get your blood flowing again.
Or try spending a few minutes in these 8 restorative yoga poses below and feel your muscles slowly opening up and letting go of all that tension from sitting for hours at the dinner table. Believe me – you’ll thank your hips afterwards!
Anyone can do these restorative poses.
We rarely get time to just be still, close our eyes and do nothing at all, and after all the excitement of Thanksgiving, running around visiting family and friends, cooking, preparing, entertaining… who wouldn’t enjoy some time in complete stillness and silence? Go on, treat yourself, you deserve it.
They look relaxing, but they can be challenging.
Although these poses look peaceful and not too difficult, they can still be quite challenging mentally. Staying still in one position for four minutes will make you want to instinctively move and adjust and stretch out, but give it a chance, be patient and let each yoga pose do its magic. You’ll find your mind wandering, that’s very normal, let it wander, acknowledge your thoughts, and then let go of whatever worries you have.
How to let go?
By simply listening to your breath. Literally listening to it inside your body – feel the air coming in and out, visualize clean air going through you and all the toxins going out. And when your mind starts to think about your Christmas shopping list, just go back to the breath, listening to it move in every part of your body.
Quieting the mind.
Restorative yoga poses are not about getting a work-out, they are about quieting the body and the mind, and feeling centered again – the perfect opportunity to give your body and mind a much needed break, and it only takes a little over 30 minutes.
We practice them daily on our luxury yoga retreats, and they are definitely part of the ‘luxury’! So we’ve included them in our weekly practice at home as well.
Try each of these yoga poses below for four minutes, and end on your back for a deep relaxation:
Start with Legs Up The Wall:
Stay there for four minutes, then push away from wall and settle into Supta Baddha Konasana below, placing pillows under your knees for support if it feels good:
Then after another four minutes, slowly move into Paschimottanasana, allowing your back to curve and placing you head on a folded towel or small pillow for support:
Continue to forward fold into Bhadda Konasana, again placing pillows under the knees:
Stretch out your legs and fold forward, placing your head on a towel or fold over a bolster:
Counter-pose with a soft backbend over one or two pillows or a bolster, keeping your knees bent or stretching out your legs, with optional head support:
Move into Child’s Pose:
End in Savasana for final blissful relaxation:
30 minutes of peace and relaxation.
This sequence will take you a little over half an hour and will make you feel grounded and completely relaxed. And then of course it’s time for pumpkin pie!
You may also like:
Mindfulness vs. Meditation – what is the difference?
Vinyasa yoga or restorative yoga – which is better for you?
Yoga Escapes organizes luxury yoga retreats in beautiful places around the world, offering a mix of Vinyasa yoga and restorative Yin yoga classes. Contact the Yoga Escapes team for info on upcoming yoga holidays.