Ease Back Pain with Yoga

If you’ve ever taken a Yoga class, then you know firsthand how incredible and instant the benefits are and how energized and flexible you feel afterwards.

Many people turn to Yoga as a form of therapy to reduce stress, induce calm and alleviate aches and pains, particularly in the back.

If there was any doubt of these benefits, a recent study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the largest US randomized controlled trials to date, has proven that practicing Yoga leads to improved back function and reduced back pain. However, the researchers argue that an intense stretching class will deliver the same benefits when it comes to managing back pain.

“We found yoga classes more effective than a self-care book — but no more effective than stretching classes,” said study leader Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. Back-related function was better and symptoms were diminished with yoga at 12 weeks; and clinically important benefits, including less use of pain medications, lasted at least six months for both yoga and stretching, with thorough follow-up of more than nine in 10 participants.

In total, 228 adults who were moderately active and of good mental health were randomly picked to participate in 12 weekly 75-minute Yoga or stretching classes or given a self-care book called The Back Pain Helpbook. Nine in 10 of subjects were primary-care patients at Group Health Cooperative.

In addition to attending the exercise classes, participants were given an exercise video and encouraged to practice at home for 20 minutes a day between their weekly classes. The results were recorded at three intervals: six weeks, 12 weeks and six months.

This research follows on the heels of a smaller study in 2005 that proved that Yoga is effective in alleviating chronic low back pain.

“In our new trial,” Sherman said, “we wanted both to confirm those results in a larger group and to see how yoga compared to a different form of exercise of comparable physical exertion: stretching.

Both the yoga and stretching classes emphasized the torso and legs:

• The type of yoga used in the trial, called viniyoga, adapts the principles of yoga for each individual and physical condition, with modifications for people with physical limitations. The yoga classes also used breathing exercises, with a deep relaxation at the end.
• The stretching classes used 15 different stretching exercises, including stretches of the hamstrings and hip flexors and rotators. Each was held for a minute and repeated once, for a total of 52 minutes of stretching. Strengthening exercises were also included.

“We expected back pain to ease more with yoga than with stretching, so our findings surprised us,” Dr. Sherman said. “The most straightforward interpretation of our findings would be that yoga’s benefits on back function and symptoms were largely physical, due to the stretching and strengthening of muscles.”

But the stretching classes included a lot more stretching than in most such classes, with each stretch held for a relatively long time.

“People may have actually begun to relax more in the stretching classes than they would in a typical exercise class,” she added. “In retrospect, we realized that these stretching classes were a bit more like yoga than a more typical exercise program would be.”

So the trial might have compared rather similar programs with each other.

“Our results suggest that both yoga and stretching can be good, safe options for people who are willing to try physical activity to relieve their moderate low back pain,” Dr. Sherman concluded. “But it’s important for the classes to be therapeutically oriented, geared for beginners, and taught by instructors who can modify postures for participants’ individual physical limitations.”

The bottom line is everybody needs to stretch to increase flexibility and avoid injury. Dedicating at least two sessions a week to either a Yoga or deep stretching session is recommended for optimum health.

Source:

Group Health Research Institute. “Yoga eases back pain in largest U.S. yoga study to date.” ScienceDaily, 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.

Yoga Helps Physical and Emotional Pain

Some people turn to Yoga to burn calories and work up a good sweat when it’s hot Yoga, but Hatha Yoga has always offered a combination of strength conditioning and relaxation.

A new study out of York University that was published in the Journal of Pain Research found that Hatha Yoga can have a profound effect on physical pain and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women who suffer from fibromyalgia.

The focus of this study was the stress hormone cortisol and how Yoga would affect these levels as it has been shown to stimulate cortisol. In women with fibromyalgia, cortisol levels can be quite low and this contributes to their symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety and depression.

These women were studied for a period of eight weeks and took a 75-minute Hatha Yoga class twice a week. After which their saliva samples were taken to test for cortisol levels and the results showed they were higher than before.

“Ideally, our cortisol levels peak about 30-40 minutes after we get up in the morning and decline throughout the day until we’re ready to go to sleep,” says the study’s lead author, Kathryn Curtis, a PhD student in York’s Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health. “The secretion of the hormone, cortisol, is dysregulated in women with fibromyalgia” she says.

Cortisol is part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. As a steroid hormone, cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands in response to stress.

“Hatha yoga promotes physical relaxation by decreasing activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and increases breath volume. We believe this in turn has a positive effect on the HPA axis,” says Curtis.

As well as the saliva test, the study group women filled out a questionnaire rating their levels of pain before and after the eight-week study. The main areas of improvement after eight weeks of Hatha Yoga were:

• Less pain
• Fewer symptoms
• Psychological benefits
• Acceptance of their condition
• Reduced anxiety and feelings of helplessness
• Less likely to “catastrophize” over their condition

“We saw their levels of mindfulness increase — they were better able to detach from their psychological experience of pain,” Curtis says. Mindfulness is a form of active mental awareness rooted in Buddhist traditions; it is achieved by paying total attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental awareness of inner and outer experiences.

“Yoga promotes this concept — that we are not our bodies, our experiences, or our pain. This is extremely useful in the management of pain,” she says. “Moreover, our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain.”

The study – Curtis’ thesis – was published July 26 in the Journal of Pain Research. It is co-authored by her supervisor, York professor Joel Katz, Canada Research Chair in Health Psychology, and Anna Osadchuk, a York University undergraduate student.

Curtis was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Graduate Scholarship and a CIHR Strategic Training Grant Fellowship in Pain: Molecules to Community.

Source:

York University. “Yoga boosts stress-busting hormone, reduces pain, study finds.” ScienceDaily, 27 Jul. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2011.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Yoga Poses for Computer Neck Rehab

Finding enough time to exercise every day is a challenge in itself, but combating the stresses of the day is another.

Demanding jobs and hectic lifestyles have elevated the amount of stress that people endure on a daily basis and is the greatest obstacle to keeping in shape, according to the “Life…supplemented” Healthcare Professionals Impact Study.

“The average American probably doesn’t realize they’re not setting aside enough time to focus on developing and maintaining smart health and wellness habits,” explains Cheryl Forberg, R.D., registered dietitian to NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and consultant to “Life…supplemented,” a consumer wellness program. “The summer months offer an opportunity to turn this around–by taking advantage of the warmer weather and slowing down with a vacation – both of which can motivate people to embark on the path to good health.”

Well, I too lead a hectic lifestyle and hold down an extremely stressful job that has sent me crying to my registered massage therapist more often than my pocketbook can support. And it was at a recent visit to my RMT that I received the news that my desk job is affecting my posture so much that I am at a great risk of developing osteoarthritis. Could that be why I’m in so much pain? Too many hours hunched over the keyboard?

My RMT explained that I needed to incorporate a serious stretching routine at the end of the day, EVERY DAY, or I was looking at a very painful, hunchback of an old age.

So, I went home and put together this Yoga routine that helps open up the chest and upper back and shoulder area to counterbalance all the hunching over I do. I’m feeling better already and my consumption of aspirin has dwindled considerably. Try it for yourself and experience immediate relief!

Mountain Pose – standing with feet shoulder-width apart, swing your arms out to the sides for a deep breathe in and bring your arms above your head and hold. Breathe out as you open up your chest and bend backwards. Return to Mountain Pose with a straight spine and hands at the chest in Namaste pose. Repeat for 3 to 6 times.

Mountain Pose with Hands Entwined – standing in Mountain Pose, bring your hands behind you and interlace your fingers with index fingers extended. Pull the shoulders down and open up the chest as you breathe out. Hold for 3 seconds and repeat 3 to 6 times.

Forward Fold with Hands Entwined – from Mountain Pose, bring your arms out to the side to fly down, bending at the waist for Forward Fold, bringing your arms up and forward with hands interlaced as in the above pose and hold the position for 3 seconds. Repeat 3 to 6 times.

Downward Facing Dog – return to standing and form a triangle with your body as you stretch out into Downward Dog. Hold for 3 counts. Repeat 3 to 6 times.

Cobra – lower yourself down into Cobra Pose and extend up into Upward Facing Dog, stretching out through the chest and hold for 3 counts. Lower back into Corbra and transition into…

Locust Pose – bringing your arms down to your sides and lifting your legs slightly off the ground, concentrate on opening the chest. Hold for 3 counts and repeat 3 to 6 times from the beginning of Cobra.

Bow Pose – increase the stretch of Locust by grabbing hold of your ankles and making a bow with your body. Hold for 3 counts and repeat 3 to 6 times.

Upward Plank – flipping over onto your back, raise your body off the floor in Upward Plank with straight legs and arms positioned directly underneath your shoulders. Hold for 3 counts and repeat 3 to 6 times.

Camel Pose – bring yourself onto your knees and reach back for the ankles, opening up the chest. Hold for 3 counts and repeat 3 to 6 times.

Savasana – relax in Savasana for up to 3 minutes.

Yoga Poses for Golfers

Improving your swing is the eternal goal of every golfer, but many make the mistake of focusing on the upper body when they should be paying more attention to their hips and pelvic area.

Having flexibility in the hips is crucial to your swing because it helps to keep you grounded and steady as you swing back. The hips and glutes are the driving force behind your down swing, so having strength and flexibility in this region is crucial to improving your golf swing and driving longer balls.

There are some Yoga poses you can do to achieve this goal. Yoga poses target specific areas and open up deep-seated areas that defy regular stretching. Yoga helps relieve tension and learning correct breathing techniques will carry over into your game when you’re on the course and have to keep your cool.

Golfer’s Yoga Sequence

Start standing in Mountain Pose with hands at Namaste and circling the arms up, take in three deep breaths.

Forward Fold – sweep out from the hips and bring the arms down to touch your toes – hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Warrior I – lunge one leg forward and hold, bring your arms up with fingers pointing to the ceiling and hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Downward Facing Dog – bring the hands down to the ground to form a triangle with the body. Elbows should be in line with your ears. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Knees to Chest – lying on the ground, bring your knees into your chest and hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Butterfly Pose – open the knees out to the side and rest your hands gently on the inside of the knees. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Hamstring Stretch – straighten out both legs. Pull one leg into the chest and straighten it out to the ceiling, supporting it from behind the knee. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Plow Pose – straighten both legs up and over the head to rest on the ground behind you. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Pigeon Pose – sitting up, tuck your foot under one hip and straighten out the other leg behind you. Slowly lower yourself forward. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Eagle Twist – lying on your back, bring one knee into the chest and move it across the body and twist to the other side. You should face in the opposite direction. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Savasana – lying on the ground with arms out at about 30 degrees from the body with palms open, eyes closed, relax and breath deeply.

When you first run through this sequence, hold each pose for 30 seconds. Then repeat the sequence two more times, this time not pausing, but moving straight into each move.

Yoga for Office Peeps

There are few things in this world that remove the kinks from sitting at a desk all day quite like a Yoga session.

We all know that Yoga increases flexibility and helps stretch out the muscles, but why are we so afraid of a good stretch? Why do we always reach for the dumbbells over the Yoga mat?

If you have a stressful job, I think the answer lies in the fact that the body becomes so used to a high level of stress that to stop and stretch and focus on your breathing is too much of a gear change. We’re too conditioned into thinking we have to go-go-go all the time.

But you can’t continue like that forever. Sooner or later, it’s going to catch up with you. With regular Yoga practice, you will notice a huge difference in how you handle stressful situations during the day, how you sleep at night and how you stand. Yoga helps you to maintain a youthful body well into old age.

Without further ado, let’s get started! I don’t know about you, but my neck is killing me!

Yoga for Office Peeps

Dandasana – this Yoga session begins sitting on the floor with legs outstretched in front of you and your arms relaxed at your sides. Make sure you’re sitting fully on your sitting bones and not rounding out your lower back. As you bring up the arms for a deep breath in, pull the energy up from the earth through your body, letting it travel up through the chakras and release it through the top of the head as you breathe out. Repeat for 3 breaths.

Seated Forward Bend – with your final breath on the last pose, exhale and reach for your toes and hold in a seated forward bend. Hold for 3 breaths.

Plow Pose – shifting your weight onto your back, bring your legs up over your head into plow pose. Grab the hands and form them into Kali mudra by interlacing your finger and extending the index fingers. Pull the shoulders down. Hold for 3 breaths.

Sage Twist – release out of plow pose by lowering your legs slowly, one vertebrae at a time. Bend one knee, wrap the opposite arm around your leg and twist your body to look behind you. Check your alignment and make sure your back is nice and tall. Hold for 3 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Downward Facing Dog – bring yourself up onto your feet. Take a deep breath in and propel out from the hips, folding forward into a forward bend as you breathe out. Walk the hands out in front of you until you form a triangle and your ears are in line with your elbows. Bring the heels to the floor and hold for 3 breaths.

Extended Child’s Pose – sitting on your heels, breathe in and extend your arms out in front of you, bringing your chest to your thighs, resting your forehead on the floor. Breathe out and hold for 3 breaths.

Savasana – roll onto your back, bringing your arms out slightly to the sides. Relax in savasana, moving the breath up from the souls of your feet to the top  of your head, focusing on breathing life into every space and relaxing every part of your body. When you’re ready, sit up slowly and have a glass of tepid water.

You’re going to sleep good tonight.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Yoga Poses to Drive Away the Winter Blahs

One of the most defining symptoms of depression is lack of activity. Everything shuts down and all you want to do is curl up on the couch.

Movement is the key to feeling invigorated and full of life. It gets the blood flowing, helps speed up the metabolism and stimulates other healthy benefits in the body.

Yoga can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. Yoga also introduces you to healthy breathing rhythms and helps awaken the mind.

When you suffer from depression, breathing is often compromised and exasperated by poor posture or fatigue from a stressful desk job. You will feel the benefits from your Yoga practice immediately, even if you just start with three simple poses a day. Your body will feel refreshed, you will suffer from fewer aches and pains and your mind will be less agitated and anxious. You will find yourself looking forward to your Yoga practice with relish. It can truly work wonders in improving your health.

If your depression is caused from lethargy rather than anxiety, then you will want to focus on invigorating Yoga poses like the vinyasa (a sequence of Yoga poses that flow together, utilizing the breath to transition from one move to the other) like the Sun Salutation.

If your depression is from anxiety then you will want more relaxing Yoga poses. Here are a few of the best poses for depression:

Standing Forward Fold – standing with feet hip-width apart, bring your hands down towards your toes and hold. With increased flexibility, work on bring your hands to the side of your feet or to wrap around you ankles.

Wide-Legged Forward Fold – in the same position as above, bring your feet out as wide as you can and bring the top of your head to touch the floor.

Downward Facing Dog – from the above position, bring yourself back into Standing Forward Fold, moving your hands out along the floor in front of you until you create

Dolphin Pose – same as above, except bend your elbows and rest on your forearms.

Cat Pose – bend your knees and square off your hips and shoulders, arching your back and bringing your gaze down to look through your legs.

Cow Pose – assuming the same position as above, drop your belly and lift your gaze.

Extended Puppy Pose – relax your upper body down to the floor and raise your hips up to sit on top of your knees.

Staff Pose – sitting on the floor, straighten out your legs and rest your hands on the floor beside you.

Fish Pose – bend your elbows and place them behind you, bringing your head back to touch the floor, opening up your chest.

Head-to-Knee Forward Bend – open your legs out to the side and reach for one foot, bring your chest down as close to your thigh as possible, then switch to the other side.

Seated Forward Bend – bring both legs together and reach for the toes.

Head Stand – whatever version of head stand you do, this is probably the best pose to ward off depression as it rejuvenates the brain, bringing with it a fresh supply of oxygen. If you cannot perform a headstand, place yourself in an inverted position as if you were about to go up into a headstand and hold. Shoulder stand also works just as well.

Corpse Pose – lying flat on your back, bring your arms out to the side slightly with palms up. Keep your eyes open and do a scan of your body from head to toe relaxing every muscle from your fingers to your facial muscles, breathing deeply and soaking up the euphoric effects of your Yoga practice.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Yoga Makes the Perfect Travel Companion

With all the recent airport delays, is it any wonder that people are turning to Yoga to help relieve the stress of air travel.

That’s the beauty of Yoga – all you need is a flat surface and you can perform it anywhere. With longer line-ups at airports since security was tightened up after 9/11, travelling has become even more stressful. And there’s no better way to relieve stress than Yoga.

For those of you who travel a lot on business, Yoga is the ideal workout away from home to keep you in shape. After sitting in an airport or on an airplane for hours and hours, your body tightens up, particularly the hip flexors and hamstrings, and this can lead to lower back pain. With the right Yoga moves, you can stretch and lengthen those muscles to help you relax and relieve tension. Lengthening these muscles is a good workout and will help tone and slenderize them as well. Yoga is also revitalizing and can help relieve jet lag and homesickness.

So, don’t be surprised to see more and more people using the airport for Yoga practice. In fact, just recently, Madonna was seen performing Yoga moves up and down the aisle of an airplane when it was stuck in the airport – much to the displeasure of most of the passengers.

Here are some moves you can perform without leaving your seat that will loosen up those hip flexors and hamstrings:

Airport Yoga Poses

Seated Forward Fold – Breathing in, interlace your fingers and stretch everything out in front of you, bringing your chest down as close to your knees as possible. Breathe out. Now bring your arms up above your head with a deep breath in. Deepen into the stretch by pointing the toes and arching the whole of your back so that your belly sticks out. Sticking out your chest, lift up and back, looking up. With a long and controlled exhale breath, bend forward, bringing the arms out in front of you and relax the feet. Repeat for 1 to 5 minutes.

Seated Back Stretch – Grab your knees and use them as an anchor point to round out the shoulders and stretch out the back, keeping the chin into the chest, while you flex the feet. Breathe into the stretch and release and hold for 1 to 5 minutes.

Seated Spinal Twist – Crossing your right ankle over the left knee, grab hold of your right knee and twist around as far as you can, keeping the spine elongated and the core engaged. Use the arm rest to give you leverage, drop your right shoulder and raise the right arm to look behind you. Hold and release for 1 to 5 minutes until switching to the other side.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Yoga Stretches for Active Recovery

If you’re like most bodybuilders and strength trainers, your muscles are tight, tight, tight. While this may feel good, it can compromise your flexibility.

So it is important to make sure you thoroughly stretch out after each training session. Try to schedule a few stretching or Yoga sessions on your non-training days too. Not only will this help you to increase your flexibility and range of motion, it is an effective method of active recovery. Incorporating Yoga into your routine is also like taking a tranquilizer and will elevate your spirits and clear your mind.

Here’s a simple stretch that I like to do to open up my chest and upper back, as well as stretch out my legs. I actually use this series of poses as a warm-up to my Yoga practice, but it is equally effective as a cool-down stretch.

This sequence is also particularly helpful for those people who have desk jobs, as it will open up your chest and get some movement into that upper back.

Chest Opener

Starting in Dandasana Pose – sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched, shoulders are relaxed and hands are by your sides. Now place the hands behind you breathing in, bend the elbows lowering yourself back and down, while your chest expands and pushes up for an exhale breath. Return to the beginning and repeat 3 times.

Dandasana Pose

After completing the Chest Opener, stay in Dandasana for three breaths, focusing on your posture and breathing. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, your stomach is pulled in and your back is straight.

Seated Twist

Starting in Dandasana Pose, bend one leg and bring it over the other (breathing in). Now twist the opposite side of your body into your bent leg, wrapping your arm around it and looking behind you, breathing out. Hold for a breath. Repeat 3 times before switching to the opposite leg. To increase the stretch, straighten the arm that wraps around the leg. Make sure you keep your stomach pulled in tight and your spine is tall and strong.

Three Part Full Body Stretch

From Dandasana, you’re going to bring the arms up to shoulder height with the palms open and facing forward (breathe in). Now flex the wrists and the feet, while you move your arms out in front of you (chest height), while you round out your back and lean back a little, breathing out.

Breathing in, point the toes, bringing your weight forward and reaching for the toes with the hands in Shiva Mudra Pose (fingers interlaced with the index fingers pointing up or out) and breathe out. Keeping your hands in Shiva Mudra Pose, raise your arms above your head, breathing in. Return to the beginning by bringing your arms to shoulder height out to the sides, palms open and facing forward. Breathe in and repeat from the beginning 3 times.

Next, you’re going to repeat the same movements with the upper body, but you’re going to change the leg position – first to Bound Ankle Pose, repeating 3 times, then with legs open to the sides, repeating 3 times.

Cat Pose

Starting in Child’s Pose, round out your back, pulling yourself up from the mid-back into Cat Pose I until you’re on all fours, breathing in and stretching out the back and looking through the legs – breathe out. Now for Cat Pose II – breathing in, relax the lower back and look up slightly with the gaze. Now lower the upper body down into a push-up, breathing out, then work your way back through Cat Pose I to return to Child’s Pose, breathing in. Repeat 3 times.

Cat Pose with Down Dog

Starting in Child’s Pose, pull yourself up through Cat Pose I, breathing in. Move into Cat Pose II, breathing out, then tuck your toes under, breathing in, and raise yourself up, working through the spine to transition into Downward Facing Dog and hold for a breath. Work through the spine to transition into Cat Pose I and return to Child’s Pose to start again. Repeat 3 times.

Upward Facing Dog

Starting in Child’s Pose, pull yourself up through Cat Pose I, breathing in. In one fluid motion (breathing out), lower yourself down, then up into Upward Facing Dog to breath in. Then lower down into Half Locust, lifting both your legs and breathing out. Then move back up into Upward Facing Dog, breathing in. Moving through Cat Pose I, return to Child’s Pose to return to the beginning. Repeat 3 times.

Hero Rolling

Sitting in Hero’s Pose, work your way down through the spine, breathing out, rounding out your spine and pulling yourself up with the breath to return to Hero’s Pose. Repeat 3 times.

Forward Fold

From Hero’s Pose, bring your hands out in front of you so you’re on all fours in Cat Pose I, breathing in. Transition into Cat Pose II and breathe out. Tuck the toes under, breathing in, and pull yourself up into Downward Facing Dog – breathe out. Now walk the hands into your feet (breathing in) for Forward Fold and hold, breathing out.

Bend the knees slightly, bringing the body all the way up, arms sweeping out to the side for a deep, cleansing breath up. Bring the hands into the chest into Namaste and breathe out. Arms come out to the sides for a deep breath in. Flying out from the hips, breathe out and bend down into Forward Fold and hold for a breath. Repeat this last portion 3 times.

Finish in Moutain Pose (standing) with your feet hip width apart, heels out slightly and hands into the chest in Namaste, bowing you head.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Six Pack Abs with Yoga

If you thought Yoga and six pack abs don’t belong in the same sentence together, then think again. Yoga is more than stretching and relaxation.

If you’ve ever taken a Yoga class, you’ll understand how much physical stamina it takes to hold a position for the required amount of time. And while most of us probably use more Yoga poses in our workouts than we realize, it’s time to introduce you to the anti-crunch set. How to work you abs without ever doing a sit-up or crunch.

Follow along with this video and I promise you, you will feel the burn and start to see those abs ripple and take shape. This workout incorporates your entire core, as it uses your back muscles, especially the lats, to maintain the holding position. Also, never mind about shoulder work! This workout takes care of those too. Enjoy!

Yoga Poses for PMS

When that time of the month comes around and you just don’t have the energy for your regular workout, try some Yoga.

Yoga poses have numerous health benefits and can help alleviate PMS symptoms. Yoga has a calming effect on the central nervous system, which will help with irritability and mood swings. Certain poses will help in the delivery of oxygenated blood to the pelvic region, which will help to flush out toxins. Yoga can also relieve depression and headaches by triggering the release of endorphins. Yoga also helps you to focus on your breathing, flooding the body with cleansing breaths of oxygen that help to relieve stress and promote relaxation.

While a Yoga workout will bring about instant relief, for long-term effects, it is best to adopt a regular Yoga program and include it into your workout routine at least four times a week.

• Extended Child’s Pose with forehead to the floor and arms extended
• Cat Pose – on all fours, stretching out your lower back and upper back (shoulder area)
• Downward Facing Dog
• Extended Child’s Pose as a transition pose
• Modified Hero’s Pose for three cleansing breaths with hands moving from Namaste to an Om Mudra with the thumbs and index fingers touching, opening out to the sides for your inhale breath, coming together at the center for the exhale to pause in Namaste
• Forward Fold – make sure you relax you neck and shoulders and use a towel to support your head if necessary
• Extended Child’s Pose as a transition
• Wide-Stance Forward Fold – again, relax your neck and shoulders and use a bolster or towel for your head
• Modified Hero’s Pose for three cleansing breaths (same as above as a body link into the next phase)
• Reclining Butterfly pose with hands in Om mudra (flat on the belly in the shape of a triangle with thumbs and index fingers touching)
• Wind Pose – knees to the chest, making sure you do not put too much pressure on the knees
• Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose II with leg out to the side (change sides)
• Bridge Pose – starting with pelvic tilts, gradually moving up into bridge pose to hold
• Legs-up-the-Wall Pose at a 90-degree angle – you can use a towel or bolster to support your lower back
• Half Plow (use a bolster to support your legs)
• Savasana at the very end

Perform these poses and hold each for a minimum of 30 seconds, focusing your breath, keeping it controlled and relaxed. Then move through the sequence in a typical Vinyasa, using the breath to move in and out of the poses. End with Savasana and relax in this pose in a meditative state without falling asleep.