As I curated my yoga sequence for BurnAlong this week, I found myself seeking a series of poses that could instill a sense of ease—both in the body and the mind—especially as the year hurtles towards its close. The rush of life as the holidays and year-end approach seems to demand swifter movement and thinking. Perhaps this urgency was heightened by the lingering reflections from my recent blog on breath, where a focus on mindful breathing aided in slowing down my pace. For clients contending with osteoporosis and stress-induced muscle discomfort, I designed this sequence with the intention of fostering ease in their lives, recognizing that stress can be detrimental to both physical and mental well-being.
To complement my yoga practice, I compiled a list of simple practices, activities, and reminders—akin to a yoga sequence—to infuse ease into my own life. These include spending quality time with friends and family, relishing the fresh air outdoors, and engaging in mindful practices such as yoga.
In this week's yoga sequence, our emphasis was on prolonged poses, extended inhalation and exhalation cycles, and spending ample time on the ground rather than in a standing position. We delved into postures like knees to chest for lower back openness, gentle hip openers like low lunge and half-spits, fluid movements in and out of triangle prep, and finally, restorative poses like bridge on a block. Each pose offered modifications to protect the spine for my students with osteoporosis and was held for an extended duration, allowing for 3-5 slow breaths.
The incorporation of forward folds and deliberate breathing, concepts introduced during my teacher training, serves as a means to quiet the mind and soothe the nervous system. As emphasized in my previous blog, conscious breathing also relaxes the muscles. Drawing inspiration from physical therapy, which advocates longer stretches for cellular-level muscle changes, our challenge lies in finding stretches that facilitate relaxation over an extended period—beyond 2 minutes—without inducing strain.
In case you are curious Body in Tune would love to collaborate with you to find your perfect movement practice.
More Strategies for Stress Reduction and Ease During the Holidays
After immersing myself in Helen Russell's "The Year of Living Danishly" for a book club, I began exploring stress-dissipation techniques. One such method involved spending quality time with loved ones. Recently, my husband and I invited friends to join us for the lighted boat parade and fireworks in Boothbay Harbor, reveling in the festive atmosphere. Another cherished tradition involves baking and delivering Christmas cookies—an activity that not only strengthens connections with family and friends but also bridges the gap left by the onset of the indoor season in Maine.
Good news! Body in Tune would love to collaborate with you to teach you this precise yoga practice and to support your ongoing practice so you can enjoy your life off the mat with confidence.
The notion of exercise and outdoor activities, as highlighted in the book, became a cornerstone in my stress-relief strategy. Despite the darkness enveloping our morning walks, the spectacle of holiday lights adorning houses provides a delightful backdrop. Additionally, planning walks or snowshoeing excursions in the woods, even if it means traveling a couple of hours to find snow, serves as a rejuvenating escape from daily responsibilities.
Further inspiration from Katherine May's "Wintering," our second book club selection, led us to experiment with cold water dipping. Despite initial reservations, the invigorating experience of walking from the car to the water in swimwear and immersing in cold waters—shoulder-deep in temperatures in the 40s (Fahrenheit)—proved surprisingly empowering. Recent insights shared by my husband about the increase in dopamine levels through cold water dipping added to the sense of well-being. It's akin to taking a happy pill! There is research looking at all the health benefits from cold water dipping to see if the practice really does affect multiple systems of the body in positive ways.
These activities collectively contribute to relaxing my nervous system, providing respite from work and life stressors. I anticipate positive impacts on my health, bone density, memory, and sleep. If you, too, contend with increased anxiety, osteoporosis, chronic muscle tightness, or restless nights, consider creating your list of stress-relief activities for this season and beyond. It's a challenge that may yield lasting benefits into the New Year.
Body in Tune, LLC was born from a belief that quality of life matters; both life and physical balance matters.
I would welcome the opportunity to be part of your support team with regards to your muscles, joints, bones and osteoporosis. The goal is, after all, to help you feel confident in your body so you can play with your grand children, take that long-dreamed of vacation and get outside and enjoy a walk with friends.
Click below to schedule a complimentary call and get started today on your personalized breathing and movement routine to break your cycle of stress, worry and concern.