Christmas brings joy and all the festive feelings but it's not a completely stress-free time for people. The weeks leading up to Christmas are packed with Christmas shopping and perhaps some visits to friends and families, not to mention the boozy work-do. This can all leave us feeling a little exhausted by Christmas day.
To avoid that, roll out your best yoga mat and try this 10 minute yoga flow that will energize and ground you, allowing you to handle anything that comes your way this Christmas.
1. Sukhasana
Sit in an easy, cross legged position with a straight spine. You can do this sitting in a chair if that’s more comfortable for your knees, and you can also use a yoga block underneath your buttocks to help lower your knees, or place under the thighs for added support. Make sure you’re comfortable so your mind isn't distracted by your body during this grounding meditation.
Start by taking three deep breaths in and out the nose. Slow the breath down. Then, start to bring your awareness to your lower body and the parts that connect with the floor beneath you. Send your breath towards these places. Feel supported by the floor beneath you and start to find a freeness and lift through your spine. Stay here until you feel settled and calm.
2. Striking cobra
From your grounding meditation position, come onto all fours. The next posture is a dynamic movement that will help get your heart pumping, blood flowing and energy lifted.
From all fours, inhale and as you take a long exhale, bring your chest close to the floor and slide it forward between your hands, placing your hips flat on the floor. On an inhale, lift up into cobra pose. As you exhale, press into your hands, arch your back and move your buttocks back to your heels. Repeat this five - 10 times, remembering it’s a fluid movement designed to remove any tiredness and frustrations from your mind (that are perhaps being caused by bickering children, family arguments or just general noise in the house).
3. Downward dog
You’ll end your striking cobra with your buttocks towards your heels. From here, place your hands forward, coming back up to all fours. Tuck your toes on an inhale and exhale, push your hips up and back into a downward dog. Stay here for three - five deep breaths.
4. Pigeon pose
From downward dog, bring your right knee towards your right wrist, placing it on the floor and slide your left leg back. Your right knee should be turned out from the hip, allowing your right hip to open while you stretch your left leg back, helping to release the left hip flexor. Your left hip should be facing the yoga mat and not pointing off to the side. If it is, grab a yoga block or cushion and pop it under your right buttock to level your hips.
Either stay up on your hands here, or exhale and come to lie on your forearms or all the way down over your right leg. Go to a place you can hold it comfortably, where you feel a stretch but there isn’t any pain. Make sure there is no pain in your right knee. If there is, release and skip this posture. Take five deep breaths before releasing, changing sides to bring your left knee toward your left wrist. Repeat and stay for five more deep breaths.
5. Extended child’s pose
Exiting pigeon pose, bring your buttocks back to your heels and stretch your arms forward. Come up onto your fingertips and lift your elbows off the floor. This extended child’s pose gives your shoulders and chest a moment to open. When we’ve been working hard, rushing around to get ready for Christmas, we may not realize but any stress we’re feeling may have creeped into our shoulders, causing them to feel tight. Stay here for five deep breaths and continue to reach your hips back while you extend your arms forward. Elbows stay lifted to allow you to move your chest forward and down, to open the shoulders.
6. Shoulder stretch
Coming up from your extended child’s pose, sit back on the heels, or come to stand if you’d like to stretch out your knees. Interlock your fingers behind your back and draw your shoulder blades down your back. Keep your elbows straight, but not overextended, and lift your chest up. Take two deep breaths here before releasing. You can do this again, interlocking your fingers the other way, as an additional stretch.
7. Hero pose
The last posture is a great one for digestion. It’s one of the only yoga postures you can do directly after eating food so you can do this after your Christmas dinner! For more advice on this, check out these yoga poses to beat the festive bloat.
Hero pose means to sit back on your heels and rest your palms onto your thighs. If you find it difficult to sit on your heels, take a cushion and place it underneath your buttocks. You can stack up as much as you need under your buttocks until you’re comfortable. Take a few deep breaths here before entering the chaos again.
Repeat this sequence as often as you need throughout the festive season.
