Yoga practice at home - Part 5

Hello everyone, we have now reached the final section of our home practice series! If you have been following the series, you will have put together a well-rounded practice with the movement meditation, lunge sequence, standing and balancing poses and now we come to our closing sequence. In this part of our practice we are looking to slow everything back down - our heart rate and our breath - and prepare the body and mind for the final relaxation in Savasana.

As you move from Mountain Pose to come to sit on the mat it might be useful to have a cushion or two and a blanket.

Head-to-Knee Pose
Sit with both legs out in front of you (you could sit on a folded blanket to help tilt the pelvis forward) and then bend your right knee and bring the sole of the foot to rest on the left inner thigh and let the knee drop out to side (you could prop a cushion under the knee if it doesn’t reach the floor). As you inhale, flex the left foot, press the top of the thigh down, lengthen the spine and raise your arms either side of your head. Rotate your upper body slightly so you are facing the left leg and then fold forward from the hips as you exhale. Keep your spine long, chest open and shoulders relaxed. Place your hands down, framing your left leg, or take hold of your ankle or foot. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths and then inhale, as you come out of the pose. 

Half Lord Of The Fishes Pose
Lift your right knee and place your right foot on the outside of your left leg. Either bend your left leg and place the left foot on the outside of your right hip or keep the left leg extended. As you inhale, lengthen your spine, place your right arm behind you, extend your left arm up. As you exhale, twist your body to the right, hugging your knee with your left arm, or hooking your elbow behind your left knee. Keep lengthening your spine on the in-breath and twisting from the belly on the out-breath. Stay for 5 to 8 breaths. To come out of the pose, come out of the twist as you exhale.

Repeat both poses on the other side (right leg extended).

Put some cosy socks on and come down onto your back and bring your knees into your chest. Either wrap your arms around your legs (giving yourself a well deserved hug) or place the hands onto the knees and gently rock the back from side to side to ease out the back. Release your feet to the floor and get your blanket - make sure that you’re warm and comfortable.

Savasana
Extend the legs out along the mat a little wider than hip width apart and then let your feet and ankles relax out to the sides. Let the legs be heavy on the mat and allow the pelvis, hips and buttocks to relax. Feel your back widen and lengthen out along the mat and give the shoulders a little wriggle down away from your ears. Let the arms rest down by the sides of your body with the palms turned up to the ceiling and the fingers gently curling in. Find length in the back of your neck, let your eyes close and relax in pools of darkness beneath your eyelids (an eye pillow would be lovely here). Soften your forehead, let go of your jaw, let there be space between your upper and lower teeth and the tongue be loose in the mouth. Take a deep breath in through your nose and then sigh the breath out of your mouth before closing the lips and allowing the breath to find it’s natural rhythm. Let your body rest and your mind be still. Enjoy!!