6 Yoga Poses for Recovery
The past week I caught a bug from traveling in Mexico City and was stuck in bed for 2 days. Once I felt a little better, I noticed how stiff my body felt from being bed ridden- I hate that feeling. Lengthening your body while you are sick can do wonders for your blood flow and mood! It will definitely make you feel better.
Here are 6 poses that helped me and I held each of them for 2-3 minutes for a short practice (This poses can be more of a Yin style if your body wishes, but we can talk about Yin vs Yang style practice at a different time!)-
Child's Pose:
Great for stretching out your backside, particularly my lower back
For a better hip stretch, you can try widening your knees
You can also try moving your arms to one side and then to the next for a nice side body stretch too!
Anjaneasana:
My favorite in general to counter all the laying down and sitting
This is one of my favorites for stretching my hip flexors
Make sure to remember pulling your hip back for the knee that's up
See how it feels if you sink your body for the stretch versus engaging your core
I like putting my hand on my knee but if you are feeling more energetic you can raise your arms up
Uttanasana:
Great lower back stretch, especially if you are pulling your belly into your thighs, pointing your tailbone towards the sky
If your hamstrings are tight, start with your knees bent
This should feel gentle and be sure to wave side by side for some movement too!
Gentle Twist:
My flexors were particularly tight these days so I enjoy the variation of putting one ankle onto my thigh and then twisting to one side. This felt so good and yummy afterwards!
Apaneasana:
Squeeze your legs together and give yourself a big hug!
Remember to keep your lowerback on the mat, my hips tend to pop in this pose!
Svasana:
I love the variation with my legs apart (butterfly legs) and then extending them for final svasana (corpse pose). While this just be like laying bed, I find laying on the floor much more supportive for my back. A few things to remember is to try to have your palms towards the sky, this way your shoulder blades will naturally externally rotate. One of the biggest part of svasana is relaxation of your muscles and also mentally focusing on your breathe. Svasana does not mean sleeping!
I hope these poses were helpful, let me know your thoughts below and share your favorites as well!
Here are 6 poses that helped me and I held each of them for 2-3 minutes for a short practice (This poses can be more of a Yin style if your body wishes, but we can talk about Yin vs Yang style practice at a different time!)-
Child's Pose:
Great for stretching out your backside, particularly my lower back
For a better hip stretch, you can try widening your knees
You can also try moving your arms to one side and then to the next for a nice side body stretch too!
Anjaneasana:
My favorite in general to counter all the laying down and sitting
This is one of my favorites for stretching my hip flexors
Make sure to remember pulling your hip back for the knee that's up
See how it feels if you sink your body for the stretch versus engaging your core
I like putting my hand on my knee but if you are feeling more energetic you can raise your arms up
Uttanasana:
Great lower back stretch, especially if you are pulling your belly into your thighs, pointing your tailbone towards the sky
If your hamstrings are tight, start with your knees bent
This should feel gentle and be sure to wave side by side for some movement too!
Gentle Twist:
My flexors were particularly tight these days so I enjoy the variation of putting one ankle onto my thigh and then twisting to one side. This felt so good and yummy afterwards!
Apaneasana:
Squeeze your legs together and give yourself a big hug!
Remember to keep your lowerback on the mat, my hips tend to pop in this pose!
Svasana:
I love the variation with my legs apart (butterfly legs) and then extending them for final svasana (corpse pose). While this just be like laying bed, I find laying on the floor much more supportive for my back. A few things to remember is to try to have your palms towards the sky, this way your shoulder blades will naturally externally rotate. One of the biggest part of svasana is relaxation of your muscles and also mentally focusing on your breathe. Svasana does not mean sleeping!
I hope these poses were helpful, let me know your thoughts below and share your favorites as well!
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