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(Return to
Mindfulness off the Mat list)
One of the most common—and may I
point out, valid—obstacles to regular yoga and other forms of exercise
is….lack of time. This is the reality of our modern times. To fit it all in,
we must be creative, and willing to straddle tradition with innovation.
Enter, the “Morning Stretch.” One great way to awaken the body and start
your day on an anti-stress note is with a handful of yoga postures to gently
work the core muscles, that is, your abdominals and low-back. Ideally,
you’ll want to wait until you’ve done enough yoga to have collected 4-6 such
postures; even then, you’ll want to be sure you’re clear on proper form and
execution. Once you’re at that point, you can use this tool to its maximum
benefit. The workout need not take any longer than 10-15 minutes, but in
that time, you can squeeze in a short, simple warm-up, focus on your breath,
and perform at least 1-2 cycles of your postures with the utmost attention
to quality. If desired, you can even end the session with a “mini” Savasana,
just long enough to let your body “digest” what was just performed. As for
the postures themselves, it is helpful to include at least one that
strengthens the abdominals, one that warms up the low back, one that
strengthens the low back, and one that gently stretches the low back. You’d
be amazed at what a little muscle contraction—and thus an increase in blood
flow--can do to your early morning alertness! Õ
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