A Seasonal Practice to Rest & Restore

We all know that the holiday season can be busy and stressful as well as joyous. To help deal with this I offer you a practice designed to help soothe and relax you to the core; a practice that I come back to time after time because I know it works and I always feel better afterwards.

I recommend that you find a quiet space for your mat (near a wall if possible), light a beautiful candle and gather some props around you (a blanket and bolster or some cushions), then you will be ready to begin this short practice…

1. Begin in child’s pose, making it as comfortable as possible, supporting your torso on a bolster or cushions. Settle and notice the rhythm of your breath letting it come to a gentle, even rhythm for 10 - 20 breaths.

2. Come up onto your hands and knees and do 5 rounds of cat - cow, gently mobilising the spine by rounding up into cat pose on an exhale and coming forward into cow pose on an inhale.

3. Move into downward-facing dog by drawing the hips up and back as you straighten the legs (allow the knees to bend a little if your hamstrings are tight). Rest the top of your head on a bolster or block if it’s comfortable - this will send a signal to the brain that it’s ok to switch off and relax. Take 5 - 10 breaths here, resting in child’s pose and coming back up into downward dog again if desired.

4. Come into bridge pose for 10 - 20 breaths supporting the back of the hips on a bolster or folded blankets if possible and releasing your arms alongside the body. Allow your hips to completely release into the support of the bolster and let your knees move inwards towards each other if comfortable. Pay attention to the gentle, even flow of your breath.

5. Legs-up-the-wall pose (my fave…) - lie with your legs up the wall and a folded blanket under the back of your head (move further away from the wall if your hamstrings are tight or lie with your hips on a bolster to add more of a chest/upper back opening). Stay for 10 - 20 breaths or as long as you like…

6. Come into a lying twist by drawing your knees to your chest and then release them over to your side, turning your head in the opposite direction. If your knees don’t comfortably release onto the floor place a blanket or bolster underneath or between them so that you can relax into the pose. Take 5 - 10 breaths and then move to the other side.

7. And last but not least…come into Savasana/relaxation pose lying comfortably on your back with your arms released at your sides, and a bolster under the back of the knees if you have one and REST for 5 - 10 minutes or longer if you have time. Notice how much more relaxed you feel before getting up again.

I hope that you get a chance to practice this sequence as much as possible over the festive season so that it becomes a resource to help you navigate and times of busy-ness or uncertainty with a little more equanimity and inner peace xx

And please do let me know how it goes and if you have any suggestions for future practices that you would like me to share.