Yin Yoga (Herniated Disc Support)

This verbally guided Yin Yoga class was designed with individuals with herniated discs in mind. This class is not medical advice and does not replace formal physical therapy and is not a form of treatment.

**Never stretch beyond a comfortable tension during a yoga practice. Listen to your body and exit a pose if you feel any type of pain. DO NOT begin a new workout regimen without formal approval from a medical professional. By completing this class, you acknowledge that you have consulted with a medical professional and accept and assume all of the risks inherent in partaking in this activity. **

For this class, you may want your yoga mat, a bolster or pillow, a strap (towel, t-shirt, hoodie), and a blanket for support. You will experience cues for legs up the wall, knee hugs, happy baby, supported bridge, cobra, child's pose, and savasana. If you are uncomfortable in any of these cued asanas, you can take savasana or any other pose that is comfortable.

Transcript

Welcome to Yin Yoga with Planet and Peace of Mind by the Athenaeum Collection.

Today's Yin Yoga class will be centered around poses that are safe for individuals who may be dealing with a herniated disc in their lumbar spine.

So take a moment to get comfortable,

Have your mat.

You will want to have some props for this class,

Including a bolster,

Pillows,

Or a few blankets you can use to help support your body in the poses we will go through.

So take the time now to get prepared.

We will begin with our first pose being legs up the wall.

So you will want to find a space to prepare where you have access to a wall.

When you are ready,

We can begin to get into legs up the wall pose.

So you can sit as close to the wall as possible.

You can either put your right hip or your left hip towards the wall,

Almost touching.

And then I find it easiest to lay back and you can draw your legs vertical up towards the ceiling and then shimmy as close to the wall as is comfortable so that your legs can rest comfortably on the wall without putting pressure on the knees.

So go and take a minute to get comfortable.

Find a place where you can rest into the wall with the legs completely vertical,

The spine supine on the floor.

The bum and the backs of the thighs and the heels are resting against the wall.

We will remain in this pose for a few moments.

So once you are settled,

Allow your breathing to return to normal.

Do not hold your breath.

And take a moment to set an intention for this practice.

Allow the wall to support the weight of your legs,

Settling into relaxation,

Allowing tension to melt away from the back of the legs and through the hips.

Allowing the lower back,

The mid back,

And the upper back to connect with the mat.

Continue breathing at a normal pace and rhythm.

And getting ready to prepare for our next pose,

You can use the wall to push your torso away from where the wall and the floor meet,

Or you can lower your legs to one side and gently roll onto your side to exit the legs up the wall pose.

Whichever option is more comfortable for you,

You can do now.

And then we'll find a supine position laying on our back on our mat.

When you're ready,

Have both legs extended out straight.

You can reach the arms overhead.

Inhale and take a full body stretch.

And on your next exhale,

You can draw the right knee into the chest.

Leave the left leg out straight,

Extended.

Both hands can grasp the right knee to help draw it towards the chest.

If this stretch is too intense on the front of the left hip,

You can put a pillow,

Bolster,

Or rolled up blanket under the left knee for support.

We will remain here.

So continue breathing normally in a relaxed rhythm.

And mentally preparing to move to the opposite side.

You can open your eyes if they were closed,

And you can actually draw in the left knee and keep the right knee drawn in towards the chest,

And give yourself a big hug.

So we're pulling both knees in towards the chest,

Wrapping our hands around our legs,

Or you can cross the ankles and hold on to the feet,

And just give yourself a hug and possibly rock right to left,

Side to side.

Just releasing any tension you may feel throughout the spine.

Then when you're ready,

You can exhale and extend both legs out straight.

Reach the hands over the head as you inhale,

And take a full body stretch.

Then as you exhale,

When you're ready,

You can keep the right leg extended out straight,

And inhale as you draw the left knee towards the chest.

You can use the left and right hands to wrap around the left knee and draw it in closer towards the chest.

So we are hugging the left knee into the chest.

If you find this to be too extreme of a stretch for the front of the hip on the right side,

You can take a blanket,

Bolster,

Or even a pillow,

And place it under the right knee to reduce the amount of stretch and provide some additional support.

So take a moment to settle into this knee hug on the left side,

And we will remain here for a few moments as we continue to breathe in a relaxed and natural way as we sink into our pose,

Allowing the tension or any tightness you might be feeling to simply melt away or dissolve away as you relax the muscles.

And preparing for our next pose,

You can draw both knees in towards the chest and come into a double knee hug.

So the right and left knee now are drawn in towards the chest.

The arms are wrapped around both legs,

Or you can cross your ankles and wrap your hands around your feet.

Take a moment to rock to side,

Release any remaining tension you may be feeling in your back.

And then when you're ready,

On your next exhale you can extend the legs out straight,

Reach the arms overhead,

And take a full body stretch.

Next we will move into a hand-to-toe pose,

And we can modify this pose as well.

So as you inhale,

You can draw the right foot towards the ceiling so that the sole of the foot is parallel with the ceiling.

The left leg remains on the mat,

Or if this stretch feels too intense,

You can again place a pillow under the left knee,

Or you can even plant the sole of the left foot into the mat with a bent knee.

The right foot is vertical in the air,

Sole pointing towards the ceiling.

Now reach for the right foot with the right hand.

You can either hold the outside of the right foot,

The ankle,

Or if it's possible,

You can even take two fingers,

Your index finger and your middle finger,

And wrap them around your big toe.

If you find that the stretch on the back of your leg,

Of your hamstring,

Is too intense or too tight,

You can modify this hand-to-toe stretch by using something like a strap,

A belt,

You could even use a blanket,

Or a t-shirt,

Or a sweatshirt.

Anything that's long enough to be held in both hands and wrap around the sole of your foot.

And this just helps to create a little extra space between your hands and your foot,

But allows you to still gain the benefits of this stretch.

So we will remain here for a few minutes,

So take this time to find any support item you need to modify,

Or go ahead and grab the foot with the right hand and settle into this hand-to-toe pose.

We will be here for a few moments,

So continue breathing normally.

Preparing to move to the opposite side,

You can lower the right leg down to the mat.

If you would like,

You can draw both knees into the chest and rock side to side,

Or you can extend the hands overhead and take a full-body stretch.

Take a moment for whatever feels best for you.

Next,

We will move to our hand-to-toe pose on the left side.

If you are using an item to help you modify this pose,

Like a strap,

Or a towel,

Or t-shirt,

You can go ahead and hold that item in your hands,

Placing your foot in the center to access this pose.

If you are going to be holding your foot with your hand,

Then you can inhale and raise your foot towards the ceiling,

Allowing the sole of the foot to face towards the sky or ceiling.

Holding on to the left side of the foot with the left hand,

Or wrapping two fingers of the left hand around the left big toe.

Take a moment to get comfortable,

Settle into this pose.

If need be,

You can also support the right leg by placing a blanket,

Bolster,

Or pillow under the right knee for a little extra support.

We will remain in this pose for a few moments,

So settle in and continue breathing at a normal rhythm to help you adjust and find relaxation as we release tension from the muscles of the lower body.

And preparing for our next pose,

You can release your strap or towel that you're using for the modification,

And then you can begin to lower your left leg down to the mat,

Both legs extended out straight.

You can reach your hands over your head as you inhale,

Taking a full body stretch and releasing the stretch as you exhale.

This time we are going to work on some supine side bends,

So you can remain as you are with your hands overhead and your legs extended out.

And this time,

As you inhale,

The right hand will grab the left wrist,

And as you inhale,

You can extend through the spine,

And then as you exhale,

You can draw on the left wrist with the right hand and arch towards the right,

Creating a crescent or curved shape to the spine,

Gently taking a side stretch.

And then exhale and return back to center.

And then when you're ready on your next inhale,

You can wrap the left hand around the right wrist,

And as you exhale,

Stretch and bend towards the left,

Gently,

Just ever so subtly,

Taking a gentle bend.

Then returning back to neutral.

One more time with the hands extended over the head,

Inhale,

Taking a full body stretch,

Holding here,

Continuing to breathe,

But holding in this full body stretch,

Lengthening through the spine,

As if you were creating space between each vertebrae.

Extending through the toes,

Extending through the fingers,

And then exhale,

Release,

Allowing the spine to fully connect with the mat,

Pressing into the mat.

Next,

We will move into a supported bridge pose.

So as you inhale,

Bend both of your knees and allow the soles of the feet to connect into the mat.

You want to draw the heels close towards the backside of the legs,

Towards the buttocks.

The hands and arms can be down,

Connected to the mat at the side of the body,

The palms facing and pressing into the mat.

For this pose,

You could use blocks for a little more intense of a stretch,

Or you can again use your bolster,

Pillows,

Or rolled-up blankets to create a softer support system.

So you'll want to make sure those are nearby.

On your next inhale,

You can lift through the hips,

Drawing the abdomen and the belly button towards the ceiling,

Pressing into the hands,

Pressing into the feet.

So we are coming into supported bridge pose.

Once the abdomen is drawing towards the ceiling and the buttocks is lifted from the mat,

You can slide your block,

Bolster,

Pillow,

Or blankets under your lower back,

And settle onto your support item.

Allow this item to take the weight of your bridge pose.

If you are using a block,

You may feel an intense relief in the lower back.

If you have a bolster,

You will feel a gentle releasing of these muscles in your lower back.

And we will remain here for a few moments.

So take this time now,

Getting comfortable,

Finding the supported bridge option that works best for your body and your comfort level,

And then slowly sink into your support item.

Allow the weight to rest into that item as you feel the tension or tightness melting out of your muscles.

You can use your breath to help guide this relaxation.

So as you inhale,

Find space and length in the spine and space in the hips.

And then as you exhale,

You can sink deeper into your support item.

Taking this time to allow the breath to remain natural.

Do not hold the breath.

Keep the gaze neutral,

Looking towards the abdomen or towards the ceiling.

Mentally preparing for our next pose.

If your eyes were closed,

You can flutter the eyes open.

And then slightly begin to push through the heels,

Push through the palms,

And you can lift your hips off of your support item.

Gently move that item out of the way.

And then slowly,

One vertebrae at a time,

Lower your buttocks back towards the mat,

Slowly and gently.

Allow your entire spine to connect into the mat.

Take a few deep breaths here.

When you're ready,

You can roll to your left side,

Taking a fetal pose for just a few moments,

Feeling the mat underneath you,

Supporting your body,

Taking again a few deep breaths.

Next,

We will make our way to a supported child's pose.

This will be a great pose to use your bolster or some pillows.

We're going to do a supported child's pose.

So as you're kneeling on your mat,

You can extend or open the legs wider to accommodate for a bolster or a pillow.

You can lay the bolster or pillow in front of you,

Opening the knees for a wider stance.

And then you can fold over the bolster,

Coming into a supported child's pose.

So the abdomen is fully resting onto the bolster or pillow.

The chest is fully resting onto the bolster or pillow.

And the arms are coming to the side.

They can be out wide and opened.

They can be holding the sides of your support item,

Whatever feels most comfortable for you.

So as you are getting ready for a supported child's pose,

Reconnect into a natural rhythm with your breath.

We will hold this pose for a few moments.

So really settle into your support item.

With each breath,

Allow more tension and tightness to be resolved or dissolved from your body.

As you inhale,

Create length and space through the shoulders and spine.

And as you exhale,

Act as if your muscles are melting around the bolster.

Remain here,

Breathing naturally.

Slowly preparing to come into our next pose.

You can open the eyes if they were closed.

And then gently allow your hands to connect with the mat and slowly walk yourself back up to a seated position.

You can remove the bolster or pillows out of the way.

And then we are going to come into a cobra pose.

So you can lie down on your mat in a prone position with the abdomen,

Chest,

And the fronts of the legs all connecting to the mat.

So we're lying on our stomachs on our mats.

You can reach the hands out overhead and extend the legs out as far as possible,

Inhaling and taking a full body stretch here momentarily.

And then exhale,

Relaxing all the muscles of your body.

For cobra,

We will allow from our fingertips to our elbows to remain connected to the mat.

Draw the elbows in towards the side of the torso.

And then as you inhale,

You can lift the chest off of the mat,

Creating a small arc in your back.

Your elbows should remain connected to the mat.

And we will remain in this cobra pose for just a few moments.

Continue to breathe normally,

Allowing the natural rhythm of your breath to help you find muscle relaxation,

Finding tension release through each exhale.

Each inhale creates space between the vertebrae and exhale creates relaxation.

And slowly preparing to come into our next pose,

We can gently open the eyes if they're closed and slowly begin to allow the chest to reconnect with the mat.

You can place the arms overhead or even rest the head on the hands,

Looking right or looking left,

And just take a moment to reconnect into the breath.

And then when you're ready,

Take a fetal pose on the left side of the body,

Taking a moment to take two or three deep breaths here in fetal pose,

Bringing your awareness back into the body,

Focusing back on relaxation,

Tuning in to your natural rhythm of breath.

Slowly begin to make your way to a supine position or lying on your back on the mat.

Allow your legs to extend.

Then you can reach your arms overhead,

Again taking a full body stretch,

Allowing each inhale to create space between each vertebrae,

Feeling pressure release off of the back with each stretch,

Decompressing the spine one breath at a time.

Prepare to come into the next pose.

You can draw both knees into the chest.

You can wrap your hands around the knees or cross the feet at the ankles and hold each foot in one hand.

Take a moment.

You can rock side to side,

Releasing tension through the spine.

Maintain a natural and consistent breath,

Feeling all the relaxing sensations of this gentle knee hug.

Taking time to rock side to side if you're feeling any tension or tightness in this pose.

And then slowly begin to exhale as you release your arms from around the knees or release your hands from the feet.

Allow your legs to be extended out straight.

Allow your hands to reach overhead.

Inhale as you take a full body stretch from head to toe,

Decompressing through the spine.

Take three deep relaxing breaths as you continue to stretch.

Inhaling one more deep breath,

Filling the lungs as you stretch from head to toe,

The entire body,

The length of the spine.

And as you exhale,

Release all tension through the body and allow your body to connect fully with the mat as if you were melting into the ground.

Preparing to come into our next pose,

We will enjoy a reclined butterfly pose,

A supported reclined butterfly.

So you will need two bolsters or two pillows that you can place one on either side of the body.

You'll remain in your supine position lying on your back.

Draw your supportive item to about the hip space on either side of you.

And then next you'll draw the soles of the feet together as you bend through the knees.

So you'll be creating butterfly wings with your knees.

The soles of the feet can be drawn up close towards the body,

So drawing the heels close into the core.

Or for a less intense sensation,

The feet can remain further away from the torso part of the body.

Take a moment to flap your butterfly wings slowly and gently and then make sure your bolsters or pillows are positioned correctly so that as you flap your butterfly wings or your knees out to the sides,

They can gently rest onto your bolster or pillows.

The full weight of your leg should be able to comfortably rest onto the pillow.

So take this time to maneuver your support items until you can reach a ample support setup.

Again,

The legs are going to be resting gently on your support items.

The soles of the feet are touching and your hands can be resting out to the sides of the body.

They could be laying on the abdomen or you can have one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.

So take this time to settle into your supported reclined butterfly.

Then we will begin to hold this pose for a few moments as you continue to breathe naturally.

If any thoughts wander into your mind during this time,

Allow them to pass by without judgment.

Allow the thought to enter the mind and simply allow the thought to exit the mind.

Allow each breath to help you sink deeper into this pose.

Then gently preparing to come into our final pose for today's class.

You can draw the knees together,

Removing the feet from touching at the soles.

You can remove the bolsters from either side of the body but keep them nearby.

Extend your legs out straight and prepare for Savasana.

You can put a bolster,

Pillows or a blanket underneath the knees as the legs are outstretched.

This will provide a gentle support through the legs and relieve some tension on the lower back.

So take a moment to get comfortable in your Savasana pose.

Again the arms can be out to the sides,

Palms facing up or palms facing down.

The hands could also lie against the abdomen comfortably or you can place one hand on the heart,

One hand on the abdomen and allow your hands to feel the movement of your breath.

Find whichever version of Savasana works best for you and then slowly close your eyes and return to a comfortable breath.

If any thoughts arise during this pose,

Again allow them to exit your mind without judgment.

And remember that yoga is never about perfection but it's always about presence and progress.

So thank yourself for taking the time to show up on the mat today to help you along your wellness and healing journey.

Hold the thought of gratitude for yourself in your mind as you continue to breathe naturally.

Slowly preparing to come out of Savasana,

You can begin to wiggle the fingers and wiggle the toes.

Allow movement to return to the body.

Slowly begin to flutter the eyes open as you turn onto your left side,

Coming to a fetus pose,

Fetal pose.

When you're ready,

Using your hands for support,

You can come up to a seated position.

Finding an easy seat with a tall,

Elongated spine.

Placing one hand on the heart,

One hand on the abdomen.

Take a moment to reconnect into the breath.

Inhaling,

Holding the breath for just a moment.

And finally exhaling,

The tension relieved from the body.

Inhaling one more time,

Pausing and holding the breath and exhaling as any remaining tension exits the body through the breath.

Wrap your arms around your shoulders,

Give yourself a big hug.

Take a moment to thank yourself for prioritizing this Yin Yoga practice today.

Thank you for joining us on the mat.

This practice is now ended.