Weekly Challenges

Week 4 Challenge

We often stretch maybe after our warmup and definitely at the end of our workout, but how often do we utilize the idea of stretching and meditation together without an actual workout? On a rest day maybe? But what about the other days? There’s so much recovery of the body and mind that can be achieved simply through gentle stretching and breathing.

Breathe.

During classes, after classes, throughout the stretches, and even outside of classes, I’m always constantly telling people to breathe. Why? Because breath is such a powerful force that lives within each and every one of us; breath is what makes us living beings that are capable of feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Breathing helps calm the nervous system and often we forget to breathe when we’re feeling on-the-go stressed, tension, anger, frustration, etc., because our brain is panicking, it’s putting the pedal to the metal about all the things that overwhelms us. Therefore, this week, I encourage you to practice working stretching, meditation, and breathing into your daily routine – before bed, in the morning, and/or even midday reset.

The goal of this challenge is to surrender all your tensions, stress, and worries, and let all feelings pass through, so that you can be present with your body and reconnect with yourself. 

  • Find your own space for the next 15-20 minutes
  • If you have a yoga mat, feel free to use that 
  • Start by lying on your mat and closing your eyes
  • Hold each pose for approx. 30 seconds each, syncing you breath with each movement
  • Feel free to stay in the poses for longer if you feel like it’s right for your body
  • Sequence is as follows:

    1. Lying on the mat with eyes closed
    2. Hug knees to chest – rock side to side to massage lower back
    3. Happy Baby pose – rock side to side 
    4. Left Figure 4
    5. Right Figure 4
    6. Left Supine Spinal Twist
    7. Right Supine Spinal Twist
    8. Rollover onto Right side
    9. Push to Seated Position
    10. Left Neck Stretch
    11. Right Neck Stretch
    12. Left Seated Side Bend
    13. Right Seated Side Bend
    14. Cat Pose
    15. Cow Pose
    16. Downward Facing Dog
    17. High Plank
    18. Slowly lower to the ground 
    19. Upward Facing Dog
    20. Child’s Pose

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