Small Movements For A Heavy Afternoon

A gentle movement practice for the stiffness and heaviness that builds from hours of sitting. Shoulder rolls, a gentle neck turn, and an overhead reach paired with the breath, done seated or standing, wherever you are.
Companion track to the course "Working With The Afternoon Crash."

Transcript

Welcome. This practice is for anyone whose afternoon is feeling just a little bit too heavy. So you can begin seated or standing, Whichever is available to you right now. Take a moment here. Just allow the body to become still. And just check that the spine is tall, The shoulders softly relaxed. When you feel ready, Just roll the shoulders backwards slowly a few times at your own pace. You can make the circles as big or as small as you feel you want to. And then in your own time, You can roll the shoulders forwards a few times instead. Again, Just make the movements as big or as small, As fast or as slow as you feel you want to. And then come back to stillness when you're ready. Make sure you're still lifting from the chest, The shoulders are relaxed, The spine is tall. And then on your next exhale, Gently turn your head to look over one shoulder. Breathing out all the way as you turn. When you're ready to inhale, Let the head move back to centre. Then on the other side, Breathing out as you turn. Inhaling as you return to centre. And just repeat that in time with your own breath. Exhaling as you turn the head to the side. Inhaling as you come back to the center. Just working from side to side in time with your own breath. Movements always comfortable. And just completing the movement as you come back to centre. Just coming back to stillness. Again checking in that the spine is still tall, The shoulders still relaxed. When you come to an inhale, Gently reach the arms up overhead just as much as is comfortable for you. You can bend the elbows a bit if you wish. As you exhale, Let the arms fall back down to your start position. Inhaling the arms float up overhead. Exhaling, The arms come back down to the start. And just keep repeating that movement in time with your own breath. Inhaling the arms up. Exhaling as the arms return. You feel like you want to sigh on the exhale. You're free to do so. And just completing the movement that you're working on. When you finish, Just come back to stillness. And take a moment here to notice anything that feels even slightly different from when you started. In your own time, Take one last slow, Deep breath in. And a slow exhale out. That's enough for now. And carry that lightness back into whatever you were doing before this. Thank you for practicing with me today.