It’s windy, rainy, sunny, warm, cold. It’s Spring, and it’s constantly changing. I’m no weather expert, and I’m not an Ayur Veda practictioner, but what I’ve learned from this holistic health system is that Vata (a dosha/or group of characteristics much-loved by wind, air and change) and Spring are BFFs. And since the two are pretty much co-queens of this season’s ball, the rest of us are attending the windy, airy, dry, and ever-changing party–no invitation required.
Feeling a bit more light-headed, dizzy, spacey, rushed, anxious, stressed, sensitive, and dry-skinned lately? Kudos to the queens. Want a yoga practice that can help you stay grounded and warm? Read on.
Mini Yoga Flow for Grounding The trick here is to stay low to the earth, hold the poses for a while, and get your head on the ground for a bit. Breathe!
1. Start seated in cross-legged, take a few Omms, or do some other chanting. 2. Move into sufi grinds, rotating your upper torso in the direction your front toes are pointing, each one getting deeper and closer to the earth. Pause after about 10 circles, leaning away from the hip of the front leg. Do this on the other side. 3. Lie on your back, take a reclined twist on each side. 4. Tuck your hands under your bent knees, and rock up and back on the length of your spine, until you come to seated again. 5. Roll over your knees onto all fours, hands beneath your shoulders, knees beneath your hips. 6. Come to down dog. Pedal your heals, lifting one then the other. 10 breaths. 7. Lunge your right foot forward, but stay low to the earth with your torso, fingertips on the floor. Be here 10 breaths. 8. Step your left foot up to meet your right. Hinge forward from your hips, taking a moving tadasana: put your hands on the floor, your shins, or your thighs, and pedal your heals again. 10 breaths. 9. Lunge your right foot back into the low lunge. 10 breaths. 10. Repeat this on the other side. 11. Come to uttanasana, hands holding your elbows, head hanging, neck, jaw, tongue and eyes relaxed. 20 breaths. 12. Sit down into a balancing squat. 10 breaths. 13. Put your hands on the floor, and see if you can jump your feet back to a high plank. 5 breaths. 14. Lower to the floor, elbows in, and then push back into child’s pose. 10 breaths. Clasp your hands behind your lower back in yoga mudra; then lift up your hips into rabbit pose, top of your head on the floor, arms reaching up to the sky. 5 breaths. 15. Pull back to child’s pose, then move into a reclined twist on either side. You can take an inversion like plow or shoulder stand before the twist, if you like. 16. Take a long savasana.
2 Comments
This sounds like a wonderful flow, but it would take me a while to memorize it! I like the idea of using yoga to transition into a new season, though.
good point! feel free to cut and paste into word, print it out, and voila, yoga on the go–no memorization required ;)