Gentle Yoga for Stress & Tension Relief

Holiday stress already building?  Take a few minutes today to check in with your body, release some tension, and calm your mind. Dr. Robin Armstrong, shares a 20 min gentle yoga flow that focuses on deep breathing and relieving tension throughout the body.  Perfect for the holidays and to start the new year out right.

If you have any questions about this video or need some help feeling better, feel free to reach out to us, Dr. Robin Armstrong or Dr. Jody Freedman. We’re always happy to help.  You can book with us online or give us a call.

Full video description:

Welcome to today’s full-body yoga practice designed to help release tension from the body and promote relaxation. I’m excited to guide you through this practice that incorporates breathwork to calm the nervous system and reduce stress.

What You’ll Need:

For this session, I recommend having a rolled-up blanket or towel handy. You can use it to sit on or place under your knees if you’re feeling sore, particularly when lying on your back at the end of the session. You can also perform many of these poses seated in a chair if that’s more comfortable.

Finding Comfort:

Whether you’re sitting on the floor or in a chair, start by closing your eyes for a moment and bringing your attention to your breath. Begin by simply noticing how you’re breathing without trying to change anything. Often, when we’re tense, our breath becomes shallow and rapid, signaling the body’s nervous system to activate. Our goal here is to slow that down.

Breath Awareness:

Let’s begin by inhaling deeply through the nose, then exhaling through the mouth with a sigh. Repeat this a few times to encourage a deeper, slower breath. Once you’ve established a steady pattern, continue to breathe in and out through your nose with a relaxed mouth.

Place one hand on your chest and turn your attention to the rise and fall of your sternum with each breath. As you inhale, imagine the breath expanding your chest and also filling the space between your shoulder blades, opening up your upper back.

Next, bring your hands lower to your ribcage and feel the expansion and contraction of your ribs with each breath. Try to visualize your ribcage expanding in a full circle, filling your lungs with air, and stretching your sides and middle back.

Now place one hand on your belly. As you inhale, gently press your belly into your hand, then exhale and feel it move away. This deep belly breathing helps release tension, especially in the lower back. If you notice any discomfort, try to breathe into your back to further ease any tightness.

Gentle Movements:

Let’s now add some movement to the breath. Inhale, raise both arms above your head, looking up towards your hands if comfortable. Exhale, bringing the hands together in front of your chest, rounding the spine, and dropping your chin. Inhale to straighten the spine, reaching up again, and exhale to round the spine.

Let’s continue this flowing motion for a few more rounds, incorporating gentle twists. Inhale, arms up; exhale, twist to one side; inhale, arms up again; exhale, twist to the other side. This will help relieve tension in your spine, especially in areas that we don’t typically engage throughout the day.

Cat-Cow Pose:

Next, transition to your hands and knees. Set up with your hands underneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. With toes tucked, or feet flat if that’s more comfortable, begin to move your spine by inhaling into an arch, and exhaling as you round your back, tucking the belly button in.

This gentle movement releases tension in the spine and helps mobilize your back. Continue for a few more rounds, and then, if it feels right, sit back onto your heels, either using the blanket under your knees for support or shifting your legs for comfort. In this seated position, return to your breath, feeling the expansion of your ribcage with each inhale and exhale.

Standing Poses for Hip Opening:

Now let’s come to standing. Begin by bringing awareness to your feet. Lift and spread your toes, then gently lay them back down. Ground your feet evenly, feeling a balanced distribution of weight. With a slight bend in your knees and your pelvis in a neutral position, start to roll your shoulders back to release any built-up tension.

From here, reach your arms overhead, tilting to the right side for a gentle stretch down the left side of your body. Then reach overhead with your right arm, releasing tension along the side waist. After a few breaths, repeat on the other side, feeling the stretch in the opposite direction.

Lunge and Warrior Poses:

We’ll now move into a series of standing poses to open up the hips. Start by stepping into a lunge position with one foot forward and the other foot back. Keep your pelvis tucked under as you press back through the back leg, feeling a stretch in the front of the thigh. Stay here for a few breaths, ensuring your body stays long and relaxed. You can keep your arms at your waist or raise them overhead.

Next, open up the back foot to a 90-degree angle, deepening the lunge and feeling the inner thigh stretch. The arms can stay at the waist or float above you, relaxed but strong. Hold for four breaths, then transition to warrior two, ensuring your stance is long and strong.

Finishing Poses:

As we move towards the end of the practice, let’s bring the focus back to relaxation. Begin by folding forward, either standing or seated, allowing your body to hang heavy and relax. Let your head shake gently, releasing any residual tension.

When you’re ready, come to lie on your back, bending your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Hug one knee towards your chest for a gentle stretch, then switch sides. After this, point and flex your feet to help improve circulation and release tension in the legs.

Finally, lie back and place a rolled-up blanket under your knees for support, or simply let your legs rest with your feet flat on the floor. Relax on the floor, focusing on your breath. As you breathe deeply, allow your body to fully relax, bringing awareness to each part of your body, starting from the top of your head down to your feet.

After a few moments of deep relaxation, gently start to wiggle your fingers and toes. Roll to one side and slowly come up to sit. Take a moment to notice how your body feels now compared to the beginning of the practice. I hope this session has helped release some of the tension and brought relaxation to your body.

Remember, you can always return to this practice anytime you need a bit of release. If you have any questions about today’s session, feel free to reach out to me, Dr. Robin Armstrong, or Dr. Jody Freedman at Willowbrook Chiropractic. We're here to help!

Take care and breathe easy!