![]() ![]() Threaded Needle + Option to extend leg (3 min each side) – Come to table top pose and take your left leg out to the side. Rest on your belly or take half frog on either side (pictured) for a few moments before moving to the next pose. If you want to hang the head and feel no pain in the neck as you do so, feel free to drop the chin toward the chest and create small side to side movements. Just play with what feels right for you today. You can elevate to blocks (as I did) or stay nice and low. On your belly, rise up to your forearms allowing the elbows to land beneath and a little beyond the shoulders. This stretch will help to gently stretch and release the vertebrae in the lumbar spine and help to restore natural curvature. We hunch over as we cuddle up on the coach, try to keep warm in the car and as we sit at our desks. Sphinx (5 min) – The low back tends to take a lot of grunt in the winter months. Breathe into that intensity and notice the tension melting away with each exhale. As you breathe, pay special attention to the outer left hip as it pushes into the block. Open your arms out into a “T” or cactus shape to create more expansion across the chest here. You can prop the foot onto a blanket/block if needed. Begin to take the right leg across the body to the left side of the mat. Lift the right leg and straighten out the left leg. Scoot the hips all the way to the right until the right hip is totally off the block but the left hip is still in contact with it. You’ll begin to prop your hips onto the prop as you would for supported bridge. Twist on block/blanket (3 min each side) – This is what I like to affectionately call the “yogi foam roller twist”. I chose a reclined butterfly pose for my legs here but you are welcome to do whatever feels best in your body. Allow your chest to splay open and your arms and legs to take up space. Reclined on bolster (5 min) – Begin your practice by lying the full length of the spine back onto a bolster or several blankets. Cozy up next to the Christmas tree and get ready for some stretchy goodness. Our lungs also tend to get neglected this time of year, so use this time on your mat as an opportunity to return to the breath as well as a feeling of openness and ease in the body. ![]() If you find the sensation is intense, breathe deeper. My hope is that this set of poses will help to open up the body in areas that don’t tend to get much TLC during the cooler months of the year. This fall-themed sequence should take around 45-60 minutes to complete, depending on how long you hold the yin poses.I wanted to share this sequence since the wintertime/cooler temps tend to draw us into a place of stagnancy in the body. (Need some yoga music inspiration? Check out Alo Moves on Spotify). You can also get creative and make an ambient music playlist with a song timed to each hold. If you’re doing this on your own time, try setting a timer with a very gentle sound to remind you to switch poses. In a typical Yin class, an instructor is there to keep time, leaving you to enter the poses fully without worrying about how many minutes have passed. It can be hard to get used to, but with a regular Yin practice, you’ll start noticing the difference in your Yang practice, too. When you find your edge - where it would feel about right to stop in a more active pose - dial it back about 30 percent. Yin Yoga works with different tissue groups, so it shouldn’t feel the same as a Yang class like Vinyasa. The Large Intestine Meridian’s yang counterpart is the Lung Meridian, so consider a vigorous pranayama exercise before and after practice. Throughout this sequence, you’ll draw attention to your abdominal organs - so consider what you’re letting go as another solar year comes to a close. This sequence also subtly works your hips to release lingering emotions.Įnergetically, autumn is associated with the metal element and the Large Intestine Meridian, which helps us clear what doesn’t serve us physically, mentally, and spiritually. You’ll finish by surrendering your body to the earth. You’ll start by facing the sky as if to catch those last summer rays, then ground and lengthen to celebrate growth. This fall Yin Yoga sequence celebrates our fire while transitioning us toward focusing on our roots. We’re halfway from the Summer Solstice to the Winter Solstice, and we’re starting to wind down, turning that bright, sunny energy into something more subdued and reflective. As the nights get longer and the days get cooler, the perfect time for soft, slow Yin Yoga. ![]() The Fall Equinox is almost here, signaling a time to turn inward and embrace the dark, lunar sides of our lives.
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