In this 60 minute restorative yoga class we will stimulate the vagus nerve through restorative yoga poses, breathing, sounding, and self massage to relieve anxiety. By stimulating the vagus nerve we will activate your parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for calming your body and reducing your stress response.

Props Needed: Wall, Bolster, Blocks, Yoga Strap, Eye Pillow, Blanket

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Are you looking for the perfect daily hatha yoga class that you can do anywhere? For this yoga class you don’t even need a yoga mat and you could do it outside or when you are travelling on vacation. The entire class is done standing so it is incredibly versatile to be able to practice this class whenever and wherever you want!

We begin with a standing twist to stimulate energy flow and circulation throughout your entire body, plus it will take your spine through rotation and release your back.

Standing Cat/Cow takes your spine through flexion and extension and will open up your chest, release your diaphragm and improve your breathing.

Our dynamic lunges will release your back, groin, and support you in balance and releasing what no longer serves.

The wide-legged side bend takes your spine through lateral flexion and will continue to open up your breathing capacity.

Standing Knee to chest and figure four pose will allow you to continue to practice your balancing and offer a deep opening of the hips. Additionally it will support you in digestion.

I hope you love this variation of extended tadasana where you will roll through your feet to strengthen your arches, open up your chest for breathing, add some jumping to stimulate your bone density, metabolism, increase the circulation of lymph, strengthen your heart, and increases vitality.

Our variation of chair pose not only builds strength in your legs but opens your chest and improves shoulder mobility.

Dancer pose is fantastic to release your psoas/hip complex and quads. It will also open your heart and activate your thyroid.

We did a fun variation of boat pose to build your core strength and balance.

Our final pose was malasana and uttanasana to open your hips, lower back, and hamstrings. It was also good for digestion and we added some thoracic rotations to the malasana.

Of course we finished with some sitting meditation where we offered some loving awareness to our nervous system through breath awareness.

Props Needed – Block

Daily Hatha Yoga Sequence

1. Standing Twist –
2. Standing Cat Cow
3. Lunge side to side with ball toss –
4. Wide Legged Side Bend
5. Knee to Chest to Standing figure four
6. Tadasana
7. High Lunge
8.Chair Pose
9. Dancer
10. Boat
11. Malasana to Uttanasana
12. Sitting Meditation

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Our back becomes tight and painful with injury but also in response to stress and tension.
When we are tight with fear, anxiety, and stress, we try to control our lives and our body tenses. When we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed our body seizes up in responseAlways working hard, trying to do better, building up pressure to prove yourself personally and professionally takes its toll on your body and often can result in back pain.

Tension myositis syndrome – weak, painful, aching muscles that get worse over time, as a result of tension and anxiety, usually occurs between 30-60 years of age, when you have the most responsibilities and pressures to succeed.

When things feel out of control in our lives, our sympathetic nervous system activates and creates and maintains tension in our bodies. Through yoga we can gradually, step by step, shift from the anxiety, control, and physical tension to step by step trusting the mysterious unfolding of our lives. The habitual tendency to strive, grip and hold on tight only creates more of the same. Letting go and trusting is hard. But we don’t have to do it all at once. Plus we can have the support of each other. We are definitely not alone. We are all perfectly imperfect beings, trying hopelessly to control our lives.

The pain that we experience is a messenger. It is a sacred opportunity to pause, be still and listen. As Rachel Krentzmen says, pain is our body’s way of asking us to “stop forcing and start feeling.” While slowing down and being in the physical postures of yoga, we can breathe, feel, and be present to our lived experience.

Healing is not a quick fix. It is a process. Yoga is not a way to mask your pain or fight your pain. It is not like taking a “pain killer.” Instead we are present to the sensations in our body, including pain, with courage, patience, persistence, kindness, practice and acceptance.

Gentle Yoga to Relieve Acute Back Pain Sequence

Legs up the Chair
Child’s Pose
Knee’s to Chest Pose
Cobra
Back Support Breathing
Hip Release
Child’s Pose
Legs Up the Chair

Props Needed: Chair, Blanket, Block

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