Restorative Yoga for Grief

It’s time we talk about grief and sadness and loss. This year, 2020, has been full of both large and small losses for many of us… from losing the life we knew and loved to losing friendships/community/connection to the loss of our small businesses/income to the loss of loved ones. Just in our family, we have lost a grandfather, two uncles, an aunt, and our sweet pup Jedi is doing his best to fight off a very aggressive form of cancer. It’s heavy, and we’re doing the best we can, the best we know how. If you are grieving right now, know that I see you and I hold you in my heart. I invite you to join me for a restorative yoga for grief practice.

Restorative yoga is such a beautiful practice when you’re grieving. It’s an opportunity to feel held and cared for whether you’re practicing alone or in a group. It gives you time to heal, rest, and restore and it gives you time to bear witness to and acknowledge your emotions and thoughts without judgment and time to receive the teachings of your higher self, guides, and ancestors. Carve out this time to hold yourself in your heart space.

“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go”

Jamie Anderson

Here is the thing, grief can’t be quantified by the type of loss. The only way your grief can be measured is by how it is felt by you. So don’t let anyone tell you how to grieve or if your grief is excessive or “not enough”. We grieve because we loved. Your grief is part of this human experience and it will help build resilience as it is expressed and resolved.

Restorative Yoga for Grief: The Practice

Today I really want to share a few yoga practices that I use when I feel the weight of grief descending. I hope that you will find the following restorative yoga for grief practice helpful. The following practice will take between 20 and 50 minutes if you follow the suggested times.

Below the infographic, you will find descriptions on how to set up your props and modifications if you don’t have props. You can use all kinds of things that you likely have around the house like blankets, couch cushions, pillows, and books. If you keep scrolling you’ll find some info about the effects of grief, a handful of tips to help you on your healing journey, and a few resources.

restorative yoga for grief

Five Restorative Yoga Poses for Grief

These five yoga poses can help you through the grieving process. I will explain how to do each pose in detail and offer modifications if you don’t have all of the props. If you have questions about the poses, please feel free to reach out.

Supported Child’s Pose

Props: 1 Bolster (stack of blankets or pillows will do), 1 blanket, optional sandbag or folded blanket

supported child's pose
Salamba Balasana

Child’s Pose gently grounds are energy and can help heal our first chakra, Muladhara. Muladhara Chakra, our Root Chakra, is our center of security, support and safety. After a loss, we may lose our sense of security, safety, and support, which is why I like to start a restorative practice for grief with Child’s Pose. When you’re practicing Child’s Pose think of breathing into the backside of your heart, the back of your lungs and your back body. Allow each cycle of breath to soften the armor surrounding your heart.

Set-Up

Place your bolster lengthwise in front of you and place your folded blanket over the top of your bolster. Bring your knees just wider than your bolster and slide the short edge of your bolster between your knees. Bring your hips back toward your heels and lower your torso down to your bolster. Rest your forearms down on either side of your bolster and bring one ear down. Halfway through your pose, bring the opposite ear down.

Hold this pose for 3-8 minutes.

Supported Reclined Bound Angle Pose

Props: 1-3 Bolsters, 1-8 Blankets, 2 blocks

supported reclined bound angle pose
Salamba Supta Baddha Konasana

This is my favorite restorative yoga pose. It helps open the front body from the groin all the way up to the throat. I, however, like this pose for how it can balance and heal the second and fourth chakras. The second chakra, Svadisthana, is our center of creativity, sensuality and sexuality. The heart chakra is our fourth chakra. In Sanskrit, its name is Anahata and it is our center of love and compassion. Anahata chakra can become blocked by grief. Salamba Supta Baddha Konasana helps heal the second and fourth heart chakras by creating space that allows for the flow of prana.

Set-Up

Most people don’t have access to a million props, so I’ll walk you through setting this pose up with a minimal amount of props. First, place your blocks toward the back of your mat. The one farthest away from you should be placed on its middle setting and the one closest to you should be placed on the lowest setting. You can have a couple of inches between the two blocks or they can be touching. (No blocks? You could use a couple of pillows or a stack of books instead) Then place your bolster (or pillow, cushion, a stack of blankets) on top of the blocks, so you’re essentially building a ramp. With another blanket, make a long roll that’s at least 3 feet long.

Take a seat in front of your bolster with your sacrum nice and close to the short edge of the bolster. Bring the soles of your feet to touch and wrap the blanket around your feet. It will go over the top of your feet and then wrap underneath your ankles/shins (it can also potentially support your thighs) Then release your knees out to the sides, like the pages of a book. Slowly lower your torso down onto your bolster, rest the back of your head down and release your arms by your sides. Turn the palms to face upward. This will help facilitate the release of your chest and heart space.

If your chin is jutting upward try to lengthen your cervical spine or support the back of your head and neck with another folded blanket. If you feel like you need support for your hips, slide blankets, bolsters or cushions underneath your knees and thighs.

Hold this pose for 5-10 minutes. If at any point it starts to bother your hips, lengthen your legs long.

Supported Twist

Props: 1 Bolster

restorative twist yoga for grief

I find this restorative twist to be really soothing to my own nervous system. I’ve even been known to fall asleep in this pose. In general, twists help to balance and heal our third chakra, Manipura, and they cultivate samana vayu. Manipura Chakra is our center of will, determination and drive. If you’ve ever had the wind taken from your sails, do some twists (corework is also deeply healing for the third chakra– but that’s for another day). Samana Vayu is the air that integrates. Working with samana vayu can help us integrate, assimilate and adapt to new circumstances.

Set-Up

You only need a bolster for this pose. You could also use a stack of blankets or cushions again. To come into the pose, place your bolster lengthwise in front of you. Sit with your right hip close to the bolster and then bring your right thigh close to the short edge of your bolster. I like to stagger the legs, but you could also allow them to be in a more stacked position. Turn your torso toward your bolster. Lengthen your spine long and then lower your torso down. Your forearms should rest on either side of the bolster. Bring either ear down. You can always switch the direction of your gaze at any time. When you’re ready move slowly as you switch sides.

Hold the pose for 4-8 minutes on each side.

Elevated Legs Up the Wall Pose

Props: 1 bolster, optional sandbag and eye pillow

legs-up-the-wall-pose-restorative-yoga-grief
Viparita Karani

Legs Up the Wall helps balance all of our chakras because the spine is nice and long in this pose. It’s also a gentle inversion, which helps bring blood to the head and heart. I like this pose because I feel both grounded and elevated after coming out of it.

Set-Up

This is one of my favorite grounding poses. Bring your bolster right up next to the wall lengthwise. You could easily skip the bolster or use a folded blanket or two. To come into the pose, sit on your bolster with your left hip, then mindfully lower your torso down to the ground. Roll down onto your back and extend your legs up the wall. You can place an eye pillow over your eyes to help turn your focus inward. It’s kinda tricky to do yourself, but placing a sandbag on the soles of your feet is deeply relaxing and comforting.

Hold this pose for 2-5 minutes.

Side-lying Shavasana

Props: 1-2 bolsters, 1-2 blankets, 1 block (as a modification)

restorative yoga grief shavasana
Shavasana

I love a traditional shavasana, but this side-lying version is just so magically calming and soothing. It really gives that sense of being held and comforted. It’s a great pose for when you’re feeling out of sorts. I highly recommend it.

Set-Up

Place a folded blanket or pillow at the top of your mat. At the bottom of your mat, you can place another blanket. This will make the pose comfier for your feet and ankles, but it’s not necessary. Then lay down on your right or left side, rest your head on your pillow or folded blanket. You can place your bolster or folded blanket between your knees (like in the illustration) or keep your bottom leg straight, bend your top leg, bring the leg forward and rest your knee and shin on your bolster (my fave). If you have another bolster I like to support the top arm with it. If you don’t have a bolster you can rest your forearm on a yoga block, a pillow, or stack of blankets. Feel free to get creative.

Make sure you’re super comfy in this pose. I consider shavasana to be one of the most important yoga poses in an entire practice, whether that yoga practice is restorative or active. Take your time setting up, settle in, and then let go of the need to adjust, fidget, or monitor your surroundings.

Hold this pose for 5-15 minutes.

Restorative Yoga for Grief: Practice Letting Go in a Million Little Ways

The beautiful thing about restorative yoga is we get to practice letting go in a million little ways. By softening the muscles of our face, letting go of tension in the belly, surrendering into the support of our props, etc. Little by little, we find peace. I will be recording this practice and uploading it to my YouTube channel soon. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone else hold the container, keep track of the time, etc. And I am more than happy to do that for you.

The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Grief

I would like to speak a little to the physiological and psychological effects of grief, so if that interests you, feel free to keep reading, if it doesn’t, go ahead and stop here.

You might wonder why I’m including science in a post on restorative yoga for grief, but the way I see it, we’ve been blessed with these human bodies that allow us to experience the world so fully. Shouldn’t we know how it works? Shouldn’t we be able to recognize the signs our body and mind give us, so we can heal and not be bound by pain and dis-ease? I also understand that there is a time for learning and a time for healing (although not mutually exclusive I know in my heart that it is easier to focus on one or the other). Take what you need and leave what you don’t.

Grief in the Body

The wave of sadness that accompanies loss can make just getting through the day challenging. When I write about grief in the body my heart breaks just a little more knowing that so many of us are suffering. Grief, much like fear, elicits our body’s stress response and causes an increase in stress hormones that have a whole array of effects on the body. Under normal circumstances, the parasympathetic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system work in concert to allow us to move between “rest and digest” and “fight or flight” with ease. However, elevated stress hormones in addition to the sheer weight of grief can lead to a multitude of problems and persistent stimulation of our sympathetic nervous system.

Grief and Cardiovascular Health

This may seem obvious, but grief affects the heart and is associated with heart and cardiovascular issues like irregular heartbeat, stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and Broken Heart Syndrome. 

Grief and the Digestive System

The functioning of our digestive system is also impacted by grief. As stress hormones shunt the blood away from the digestive organs, some of the bereaved experience diarrhea, constipation, IBS, bloating and flatulence, nausea/queasiness, lack of appetite, binge eating or emotional eating, and reflux or heartburn. It is also common to lose or gain weight while grieving.

Grief and Sleep

Grief affects our sleep too. When my sleep starts to degrade the whole cookie crumbles and I struggle to keep myself together. When I sleep too much I’m a sluggish, achy mess. Anyone else experience the same? Grief affects our sleep in a myriad of ways from insomnia to oversleeping. Sleep is supposed to be a sacred time for restoration and healing. Without proper rest fatigue sets in, our ability to focus and concentrate declines, and our motor coordination is impaired. If you or someone you know is grieving ask/offer help so the bereaved has ample time to rest. Restorative yoga and yoga nidra can both be helpful during the grieving process and beyond.

Grief and the Immune System

Even our immune system is affected by grief and the onslaught of stress hormones. Have you ever gone on a vacation after a period of being super stressed only to get sick? That’s because those pesky stress hormones have been suppressing your immune system. The same thing can happen when we’re grieving. One study found that after loss of a loved one people are more likely to experience a physical health issue and another study found that “bereaved people demonstrate higher levels of systemic inflammation, maladaptive immune cell gene expression, and lower antibody response to vaccination compared with non-bereaved controls.” 

Grief and the Musculoskeletal System

And finally, grief can manifest as physical pain and fatigue. Some experience body aches, headaches and stiffness, while others experience muscle weakness, limb heaviness, and decreased coordination. 

Mental Health and Grief

Grief is caused by a painful or traumatic event that impacts our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. It can be experienced as acute grief, which is experienced 6-12 months after loss and persistent grief which is experienced beyond 12 months.

Remember that everyone experiences grief differently, you may recognize some of these experiences in your own grieving process and you may not. Some people experience depression, anxiety, or nervousness. Grief might manifest as apathy over their own wellbeing– an inability to make healthy meals, to exercise, to keep their living space clean, etc. Sometimes the bereaved develop unhealthy coping mechanisms and they turn to alcohol, drugs, food and unhealthy relationships.

They may experience overwhelm and anxiety if they are having to navigate planning a funeral or execute a will. Others may experience brain fog and have trouble planning and organizing. They may have a hard time thinking and will think more slowly or be confused more frequently. And sometimes the mind gets caught in a cycle of rumination and becomes preoccupied with images, memories, and thoughts about the past and the loss.

Emotional Health and Grief

Any type of loss, in particular the loss of a loved one or pet, is devastating. The waves of sadness that accompany loss are more than just unpleasant, they can feel inescapable and overwhelming. And they can leave us feeling empty and depleted. There is no need to rush the grieving process. Again, it is an important part of being human. Give yourself the time and space to experience it. Allow it to move through you and take this time to take care of yourself and your needs. Get comfortable asking for help.

I think that while we’re talking about emotional health and grief it is a good opportunity to mention the 5 stages of grief according to grief expert Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and her books On Death and Dying and On Grief and Grieving. The five stages of grief are:

  1. Denial and isolation
  2. Anger
  3. Bargaining
  4. Depression
  5. Acceptance

I won’t talk too much about the five stages of grief, simply because there are so many resources already available on the internet. I will say that not everyone experiences the five stages and not everyone experiences the five stages in the order listed. As I’ve said multiple times already, everyone experiences grief differently. 

Grief and Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) grief and sadness are associated with the lungs. The lungs, on both a metaphorical level and physical level, bring in the new and let go of the old. Intense stress or grief can be experienced as shortness of breath, faintness, tightness in the chest or throat, and shakiness in our voice. 

In TCM each organ is considered either yin or yang and it is paired with a complementary organ. In this case, the lungs are considered yin and they are paired with the large intestines which are considered yang. When the lung qi (chi) is low, one is susceptible to colds, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia. When lung qi is strong, one’s sense of smell is sharp, they breathe easily, they think clearly, communicate well, they’re open-minded, and they are able to relax and let go. If someone is having a difficult time letting go of the past or letting go of a loved one and their experience is characterized by intense sadness and grief it may indicate that their lung qi is low. Practices like yoga, qigong and tai chi along with acupuncture and traditional herbs can help elevate lung qi.

Healthy Ways to Cope With Grief

  • Establish Healthy Routines
    • Do your best to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
    • Eat regularly.
    • Set a gentle schedule for yourself that includes time to just be.
  • Exercise
    • Move your body every day. It doesn’t need to be anything big. Walk the dog. Walk with loved ones. Do yoga, tai chi, or qi gong.
  • Diet
    • Eat healthy meals. Ask friends and family for help. Keep it simple.
  • Community
    • Reach out to friends and family for support. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Spend time with a trusted friend– preferably someone who is a good listener.
  • Talk to a Professional
    • Talk to a grief counselor.
  • Give yourself time.
    • Give yourself time to experience it all. Meet yourself with love and compassion. Be present with the way you’re feeling. Share the same love you would share with a child with yourself.
  • Acupuncture and massage may help relieve tension and achiness.
  • Focus on gratitude and treasure happy memories as they arise.

Resources for Grief

Yoga Poses for Better Foot Health

The feet tend to take a lot of abuse and they almost never get a day off as most people are always on their feet whether they are working or playing. While keeping active is always a good thing, it can leave you with achy and sore feet. But, if you are a fan of yoga, you should know that there are some poses that can be very useful in keeping your feet healthy so that they can withstand the almost constant abuse.

yoga poses for better foot health tree pose

Some of the best yoga poses for better foot health include the following five.

#1 Mountain Pose-Tadasana

If you are going to do any standing yoga pose, mountain pose is always going to be your foundation. However, it is also a helpful pose for your feet as it helps improve balance, focus and your general posture. Healthy posture is vital for foot health as it reduces irritation and inflammation of the foot muscles and joints. Mountain pose helps you focus on your posture and stance which in turn ensures you are more aware of your standing habits to minimize the pressure on certain parts of the foot which tend to be the most problematic such as the heels.

How to do it:

* Start by standing with your feet parallel and about hip-width apart.

* Spread your toes apart and then distribute your weight evenly across both feet.

* Make sure that you do not lean forward or backward as you apply even pressure on all four corners of each foot.

* Keep your legs straight but not locked and make sure that your hips are aligned with the ankles.

* Breathe in deeply and then stretch the spine towards the ceiling with the arms at your side.

* Hold the pose for about 3 minutes and try to focus on both maintaining the correct position and your steady breath.

#2 Tree Pose-Vrksasana

Tree pose is a classic yoga pose that will help to improve your balance and the distribution of weight across your feet. This pose will entail transferring weight from one foot to the other which in the long run will improve your balance. Also, the weight transfer will help to stretch the micro muscles around the shin and foot.

How to do it:

* Start by coming into mountain pose.

* Slowly shift your body weight to the left foot, bend your right knee and then use your right hand to bring the sole of your right foot to your inner thigh, calf, or ankle.

* While in tree pose, keep your pelvis centered and parallel to the floor and your back straight.

* Bring both your hands in front and together to form anjali mudra (prayer hands). Lift your hands above your head to come into the full expression of the pose.

* Hold the position for at least 10 seconds and then release before repeating for the other foot.

#3 Warrior 1 Pose-Virabhadrasana 1

Warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1 in Sanskrit is also a classic yoga pose that can come with numerous health benefits for the feet. This pose is all about stretching your feet and strengthening the foot muscles but it can also help to reduce heel pain. And it can also help lift flat arches as it targets specific arch muscles to help lift the feet.

How to do it:

* Start in mountain pose.

* Take a long step forward so that your feet are 3-4 feet apart and hips width distance.

* Make sure your body and front foot face forward and turn the back foot 45 degrees to provide some balance.

* Bend your front leg until the front knee is directly above the ankle to form a 90-degree angle.

* Press your back heel and pinky toe edge of your foot into the ground

* Lift your arms straight up. Hold this pose for 30 seconds before switching to the other foot.

#4 Thunderbolt Pose- Vajrasana

When you want to release tension on your feet Thunderbolt Pose is a great option. And this is because it entails sitting on your heels which helps to press into a natural pressure point in the arch.

How to do it:

* Start by kneeling on the floor.

* Bring your knees to touch and press the tops of your feet flat against the floor. Your heels should be as close to one another as possible.

* Now lower the weight of your body onto your heels and then sit with a straight posture and your hands resting on your thighs.

* Hold this posture for about one minute before releasing.

* Finish by stretching your legs out in front of you. Give your legs a little shake or find movement before repeating the routine again.

 

#5 Toes Pose

Toes Pose is a popular Yin Yoga pose that targets the plantar fascia ligament, one of the most problematic ligaments in the foot as it is where the pain that comes from plantar fasciitis originates. This pose aims to stretch, strengthen and elongate the fascia, and in doing all this it helps to keep the soles of the feet in great shape.

How to do it:

* Start by sitting in a kneeling position.

* Next, lift up on the toes (your toes are curled under) with the knees still anchored in front of you and still on the ground.

* Gently let your weight settle back onto your heels and hold this pose for a minute or two.

* Make sure that you breathe calmly and deeply through this pose, and also try to imagine the fascia becoming more flexible and elongated.

Bottom Line

Your feet have to carry a lot of weight every day and so keeping them in good shape is vital not only for their health but also for your overall well-being. And while there are many ways of doing this, yoga poses like the five above are a great starting point.

 

By Patrick Greer

The Best Yoga for Better Posture

Does yoga improve posture? The answer is yes! Yoga is great for overall back care and spinal health. The best yoga for better posture includes a full range of motions: forward folding (spinal flexion), backbends (spinal extension), twisting, shoulder opening, hip flexors and hamstring lengthening, and retraining the body to move in better, healthier ways. It is also important to strengthen muscles that have become weakened and/or overstretched.

Posture issues and back pain are often caused by poor biomechanics and muscular imbalances due to habitual patterns of movement (or lack of movement), imbalances of strength and flexibility, injury, and sometimes genetic predisposition.

In this blog post, I will be focusing mostly on gentle yoga stretches for good posture. These good posture exercises help release tension and tightness in the muscles that often become tight, shortened or overstretched when we spend much of our time standing, sitting, or walking with poor posture.

 

1.) Yoga For A Stiff Back: Cat Cow

best-exercises-for-posture-cow-pose

Cow Pose

Cat-Cow is one of the best exercises to improve posture. I include cat-cows in every single yoga class I teach. Why? Because it stretches the postural muscles, encourages the healthy movement of the pelvis and requires the core to gently engage. Cat-cow also helps release tension in the neck and shoulders.

gentle exercises for posture-cat-pose

Cat Pose

To practice Cat-Cow, come into a tabletop position on hands and knees with your knees directly underneath your hips and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. To start, find length through your spine, draw your lower belly in and up to support your lower back and lengthen your tailbone straight back behind you. Take a few rounds of breath here and experience the length of your spine and the subtle engagement of your core.

Use an inhale breath to lift your tailbone up towards the sky, draw your belly down, pull your chest forward between your upper arms and finally turn your gaze forward and slightly up while you maintain your core engagement. This will draw your spine into a gentle backbend. You want to think of articulating through each vertebra. On your exhale breath, tuck your tailbone under, pull your navel to your spine as you round your back; Continue to round your back, puff up the space between your shoulder blades, and draw your gaze toward your knees.

Continue this movement for 10-12 rounds of breath.

 

2.) Yoga for Rounded Shoulders: Supported Supta Baddha Konasana

best-exercises-for-posture-reclined-butterfly-pose

Reclined Cobbler’s Pose

Reclined cobbler’s pose is one of my favorite yoga poses because it is deeply restorative, reestablishes the lumbar curve, opens the chest, and softens the muscles of the groin and inner thighs. The forward head, shoulders rounded forward, spine rounded forward posture is quite prevalent in today’s society. This forward head, “C” shaped posture is reinforced in our workplaces (computer hunch), our cars, and our homes (super soft couches that you sink into).

When we allow our shoulders to round forward, the muscles in of our chest get tight, weak and shortened, the muscles between the shoulder blades become weak and overstretched, and the muscles of our neck and upper shoulders become tight and prone to strain. If you notice your shoulders rounding forward during your workday, take a minute and do some shoulder rolls.

To practice supta baddha konasana, or reclined cobbler’s pose, you will want a bolster (or a couple of pillows or a rolled blanket), a blanket or folded towel, and two yoga blocks (or cushions of the same size).

Place your bolster or rolled blanket lengthwise behind you and take your folded blanket or towel at the far end of your bolster (this will support your head and neck).

Take a seat with your sacrum at the short end of your bolster, carefully lower yourself down onto your bolster, support your head with the blanket/towel (optional), and bring the soles of your feet to touch as if you were coming into butterfly pose, your knees drop out to the side like the pages of a book. If you feel like you need support for your legs, slide your blocks or extra cushions underneath your thighs/knees. Settle into the posture and allow your entire body to relax. Hold 4-7 minutes.

 

3.) Yoga For a Flattened Lumbar Spine: Supported Bridge Pose

best-exercises-for-posture-supported-bridge-pose

Supported Bridge Pose

Supported Bridge Pose benefits your lower back by re-establishing the lumbar curve. The lumbar curve is often flattened in those who sit for the majority of the day. Some individuals will have a deep lumbar curve typical of what you would see in gymnasts. A deep lumbar curve compromises the integrity of the vertebrae and discs of the lower back.

For supported bridge pose you will want to have a bolster, block or a firm pillow.

Lay down on your back and bring your feet as close to your bum as you can with your feet and knees both hips-width distance. Stretch your fingertips down toward your heels. From this pose, press into your feet and lift your hips, belly, and chest up toward the ceiling on an inhale. On an exhale breath reverse the motion. Begin at the top and roll your spine down one vertebra at a time. Repeat 3-7 times. The active version of bridge pose strengthens the glutes, back, abdomen and legs.

On your last active bridge pose slide your bolster, block, or pillow underneath your sacrum, so your hips and lower back are supported. Keep your legs bent for a few minutes. If the posture still feels okay after a few minutes you can play with lengthening your legs long along the floor. This will lengthen your hip flexors, but please be mindful of your lower back. If you experience any lower back pain then bend your knees and bring your feet back down to the earth.

Hold the pose for 5 minutes.

 

4.) Two Exercises for Better Posture and Health of The Lower Back & Pelvis: Low Lunge & Half Splits

best-exercises-for-posture-low-lunge

Low lunge, or anjaneyasana, is a foundational yoga pose. When linked with Half Splits or Ardha Hanumanasana, it is a great yoga exercise to improve posture because it opens the quadriceps, hip flexors, and hamstrings. Low lunge with the torso upright also trains the paraspinal muscles (the muscles that run along your spine on either side) and abdominal muscles to hold the torso stable.

You might like to have two yoga blocks to practice the low lunge and half splits

Come into a standing forward fold with your feet hips-width distance at the top of your yoga mat. Bend your knees enough to bring your hands down to your mat. Step your right foot towards the back edge of your mat and bring your right knee down. Make sure that your left knee is directly above your left ankle. To begin, bring your torso upright and if you feel stable take your arms up overhead.

Bring your awareness to your lower back and notice if you’re collapsing; if you are, your lumbar curve will be deeper and your belly will have softened forward. If this is you, draw your lower belly in and up. You can think of lifting your pubic bone up toward your ribs, which will teach you to use your core muscles to support your lumbar spine. Hold this posture five to ten rounds of breath and then release your hands to the ground (or onto your blocks).

gentle-exercises-for-posture-half-splits

Half Splits or Ardha Hanumanasana

For half splits you will wiggle your left foot an inch or two forward and then shift your hips back, so your right hip stacks over your left hip. With your left leg extended long out in front of you flex your foot and dray your toes back toward your shin. This posture lengthens your hamstrings. Hold this pose 5-10 rounds of breath.

When the hamstrings become shortened they pull on the pelvis via the sit bones (ischial tuberosities) and this pulling posteriorly tilts the pelvis and flattens the curve of the lower back.

 

5.) Supine pelvic tilts

best exercises for posture pelvic tilts 1

Anterior pelvic tilt.

Supine pelvic tilts are incredibly helpful when it comes to rehabbing low back injuries and teach the muscles of the abdomen, pelvic floor, and inner thighs to engage.

You will want one yoga block to practice supine pelvic tilts.

Lay down on your back like you’re setting up for bridge pose (see exercise #3). Put your feet close to your bum to start. Place your block between your thighs on its narrowest setting.

yoga-best-exercises-for-posture-pelvic-tilts-2

Posterior pelvic tilt.

Level 1. Keep your feet on the mat. Bring your hands to your lower abdomen and pubic bone, so you can feel the movement. Inhale a full deep breath and as you exhale curl your tailbone up off the mat and draw your navel toward your spine. Your lumbar spine will press into the mat beneath you. As you inhale, reverse the tilt: tailbone down, belly lifts and there is a space underneath your lower back. Make sure to squeeze into your block during this exercise. Repeat 10-20 times.

best-exercises-for-posture-core-1

Level 2, position 1

Level 2. This is more of a core strengthener than a pelvic tilt, but it’s equally important. Stay on your back, keep your block between your thighs, bring your shins to parallel with the floor. From here, superglue your lower back to the mat and lower your heels down to tap the mat on an inhale. As you exhale, lift your legs back up to the starting posture. Repeat 10-20 times.

best-exercises-for-posture-core-2

Level 2. position 2

6.) Yoga For Better Posture: Release Tension in Your Back With Simple Supine Twist

simple twist yoga for better posture

Simple Supine Twist not only helps release tension in your lower back, it also helps reduce stress and improve relaxation. It’s also really easy and you can even do it in bed.

To practice simple supine twist, make your way onto your back. Draw your knees to your chest and give them a little hug in. Then release your arms out to the side, so they go straight out from your shoulders. Release your knees to the right and turn your gaze toward your left shoulder if it feels okay on your neck. Hold for a couple of minutes and switch sides.

 

7.) Improve Your Posture With A Chest & Shoulder Opener: Downward Facing Dog Using A Wall, Table Or Chair

best-exercises-for-posture-downward-facing-dogDownward Facing Dog at a wall or table is a gentler version of the traditional yoga posture. It helps those who have tighter/shorter hamstrings, tighter lower back or tighter shoulders get the benefits of the posture. Downward Facing Dog stretches the hamstrings, back, and shoulders. The posture also helps people find a long spine and core engagement.

To practice Downward Facing Dog on the wall, face the wall and bring the palms of your hands to shoulder width distance on the wall in front of you. Walk your feet back until your back becomes straight. You might need to slide the hands down a bit. You will create an upside down “L” shape with your body. Your spine is lengthened long and your navel draws in to support your lower back. Hold the posture for 10 rounds of breath.

 

8.) Reduce Your Swayback: Child’s Pose

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Child’s pose is wonderful for those who have tight lower backs. There are two versions of child’s pose: one that works deeper into the hips with the knees wide, and one that works deeper flexion into the spine with the knees together.

You don’t need any props to practice child’s pose. Come down into a tabletop position, bring your knees to touch and your big toes to touch and press your hips back toward your heels. Rest your forehead on the mat or on a yoga block or pillow if your head doesn’t reach the floor. Hold for 2-4 minutes.

I hope you find this blog post helpful. If you would like to learn more about strengthening poses specifically related to the postural muscles, read my post on back strengthening yoga poses. If you have lower back pain, please take a look at my four-part series on back pain, where I discuss restorative yoga for better posture as well as active yoga postures to help strengthen your core and back.

Alignment Tips For Parsva Bakasana

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Side Crow Pose (Parsva Bakasana)

Side crow pose was my first arm balance pose. I first learned the “easy” version and honestly didn’t know there was another version for many years. I was pretty content with the version of side crow I had already learned and wasn’t much interested in learning another version. But I began seeing other yogis linking arm balances together using parsva bakasana and eka pada koundinyasa I as transition poses and my curiosity eventually piqued. I now teach side crow pose with two options depending on the students in class.

Alignment Tips For Teaching Side Crow or Parsva Bakasana

  1. From revolved chair pose, sit hips onto heels and bring hands to side of the mat
  2. Place hands shoulder width distance and spread the fingers wide
  3. Engage hasta bandha– fingertips press down into the mat, index finger and thumb press down into mat and lift through the arch of the hand
  4. Think “chaturanga arms” as the elbows bend and bring the outside of the thigh closest to the arms on to the tricep of the front arm.
  5. If possible, keep the hips lifted off of the back arm. This option will be more challenging, but it’s the correct posture. If side crow pose is new to you try the posture with the back hip on the back arm.
  6. Gaze forward and lift your feet up off the ground
  7. Find your balance here and breathe
  8. If the posture feels steady play with leg variations like transitioning into eka pada koundinyasana I.

Remember there are two options for teaching side crow.

For beginners teach side crow with the back hip on the tricep of the back arm. They will feel more steady. As the student builds strength and becomes comfortable in this version of the posture encourage them to try the second option.

For the second option of side crow the hip is lifted off of the back arm, so only the thigh is in contact with the front arm. This option is more challenging, but rewarding and empowering!

alignment-tips-side-crow-for-beginners

Side crow pose for beginners. (Parsva Bakasana)

Teach Side Crow With Modifications

  • Encourage students to bring their head down to a block and learn the muscular engagement to lift the legs.
  • For students whose elbows wing out to the side use a yoga strap to secure their arms to shoulder width distance. Slide the loop of the strap just above their elbows.

Teach Side Crow with Props

  • Use a blanket, bolster, or block underneath their face if they are worried about falling on a hard floor.
  • Place a block under their face to support the head, so they can focus on lifting their feet up.
  • Use a strap around their upper arms to secure the elbows above the wrists. Some students have a tendency to allow their elbows to swing out to the side or collapse inward. When the joints are stacked improperly and the weight of the body is distributed unevenly their is a risk of injury.
  • Use a block in the set up. Have them start with both feet on a block as they twist to the side and set up for side crow. This way their feet will almost be in position for side crow and they can focus on the arms and upper body.

Preparatory Poses for Side Crow

Contraindications:

  • Glaucoma
  • Wrist injury

How to Teach Warrior Three

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Warrior Three Teaching Tutorial

Virabhadrasana III or warrior three in English is a strong posture that builds focus and concentration while strengthening the entire body. In this yoga teaching tutorial you will learn to teach warrior three confidently and effectively with these help helpful tips.

Warrior three has many benefits. Make sure to share the benefits of the posture when you teach warrior three. Sharing the benefits will help your students discover the purpose of the posture and the focus needed to execute it.

The posture builds strength throughout the backside of the body, especially in the ankles, calves, hamstrings, glutes, back and shoulders. It also tones and strengthens the abdomen, ignites our inner fire and improves our concentration and focus. Your students may even find they feel invigorated and energized after practicing warrior three. Sweet!

Warrior Three Alignment Tips

  • Remember to start with the foundation of the posture. For warrior three the foundation is the foot of the standing leg.
  • In virabhadrasana III the toes of the standing leg foot should be spread wide. Think of distributing weight evenly throughout the entire sole of the foot (all four corners).
  • When standing in warrior three the extended leg is straight back from the hip and the extended leg stretches long.
  • The foot of the extended leg is flexed and the toes point straight down toward floor the floor or the foot is pointed strongly.
  • There is one long line from the heel of the extended leg out through crown of the head. Aside from the standing leg the body is parallel to the floor.
  • Make sure that the hips are level with one another. It is very common for the hip of the extended leg to want to lift up.
  • In warrior three the navel draws in and up to support the lower back (think mula bandha and uddiyana bandha).
  • To bring more stability to the posture draw the lower ribs in toward one another instead of allowing them to flare out and the back to arch.
  • Arms extended long overhead with biceps by ears.
  • Use a focal point or drishti for your eyes.

Warrior Three Modifications

Finding balance in warrior three can be a challenge for many. For students struggling to find steadiness in virabhadrasana three here are three modifications to help them find their balance and build strength in the stabilizing muscles necessary for steadiness and ease. Yoga Journal provides a helpful article about Warrior Three for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.

  • Bring a chair just beyond the top of your students yoga mat. Have the back of the chair facing your student. When the student comes into the posture they will hold onto the back of the chair with their hands. Overtime, increase the amount of time they hold the posture. Make sure to switch sides. If there is no chair available use the wall or a sturdy countertop. 
  • Another modification for warrior three is to offer two blocks that they can use underneath their fingertips. Place the blocks shoulder width distance at the top of your student’s mat. Have them use the blocks for balance as they find the alignment through the torso, hips and legs.
  • Some students may need to stay upright in warrior three to work on balancing on one leg. Have students that need to remain upright stand in the center of their mat. As they inhale have them take the arms overhead. On their exhale have them extend one leg straight back behind them and keep the toes on the mat. When they feel steady they can begin to lift the back foot and lower the torso to parallel with the floor. These students may also benefit from using a chair, block or wall for stability for the upper body as well.

Warrior Three Variations

  • One of my favorite warrior three variations is interlacing the fingers behind hips and drawing the palms of the hands toward one another.
  • If students have tight shoulders or shoulder strain/pain teach warrior three with hands at heart center.
  • Another arm variation for virabhadrasana three is airplane pose. In airplane pose the arms are extended back and out to the side with the palms turned down toward the floor.

Props for Warrior Three

  • Use the wall for warrior three
  • Press hands into the wall
  • Press the foot of the extended leg against the wall
  • Use blocks for strength and stability in virabhadrasana three
  • Block(s) under hands for stability
  • Block between the palms of the hands with arms extended overhead. Have students squeeze the palms of their hands into the block to strengthen arms, shoulders and upper back.

Preparatory Poses for Warrior 3

The following postures will help your students find stability, strength and ease in warrior three. Before you teach warrior three make sure to offer a mix of postures to bring both stability and mobility to the muscle groups and joints used in virabhadrasana.

  • Table top pose/ Tiger pose (stability)
  • Low Lunge (mobility in hip flexors)
  • Ardha Hanumanasana/Half Splits (flexibility for the hamstrings)
  • Locust (strengthens the back body)
  • Crescent Lunge (strengthens the legs and tones the core)
  • Pyramid Pose (opens the hamstrings)
  • Warrior 1 (strengthens the legs)
  • Tree Pose (balance and focus)

Vinyasa Yoga Sequencing to Teach Warrior Three | Four Fun Warrior Three Sequences

  1. Crescent lunge, warrior three, standing splits, forward fold
  2. Warrior 1 with hands bound behind hips to Warrior 3 hands still bound, release the bind and swing arms forward in Warrior three, return to warrior 1
  3. Warrior 1/Crescent Lunge to Warrior 3 to Garudasana/Eagle Pose, hinge from hips elbows to meet knees, lift two inches and come back to warrior 3
  4. Teach Warrior 3 to Dancer Pose to Warrior 3 to Standing Splits to Handstand to Standing Splits