Gentle Yoga For Stress And Anxiety Relief

Unwind with this calming 18-minute yoga practice, designed to soothe the body and mind. This slow flow includes grounding poses like child’s pose, gentle twists, and sun salutations, perfect for beginners or anyone seeking a moment of peace. All you need is a mat to step into relaxation and reconnect with your breath.

Transcript

Hi,

I'm Allie.

I'm a full-time yoga teacher and I own a yoga studio based in East Tennessee.

Thank you so much for joining me in our slow flow practice today.

All you need is a yoga mat.

We'll start in a seated position,

However feels comfortable for you.

You can cross your legs,

You can send your legs long,

Or you can take the soles of your feet to touch.

As you're here,

Begin to notice how you feel in your body today.

Feel the floor underneath you,

Allowing it to support you.

Close your eyes.

Take one hand to your heart and one hand to your belly.

Breathe in through the nose.

Exhale out your mouth.

Take a moment here,

Connecting with the breath.

Continue to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Notice what sensations are coming up for your body today.

Do you have tension or tightness anywhere?

Do you feel sore or stiff?

Just notice and become aware.

Allow your attention to go back to your breath.

As you inhale,

I invite you to set an intention for your practice.

Pick a word or a phrase that resonates with you today.

It could be how you want to feel.

It could be what you want to think about as you practice.

Whatever it is,

Just allow that word to come top of mind.

When you have your intention,

We'll seal them with a breath together.

Inhale in through your nose.

Exhale,

Sigh it out the mouth.

Let it go.

Begin to bring some awareness back to the body.

Flutter your eyes open.

Let the hands fall down towards the lap.

You can sway your head side to side.

Coming back to the space,

We're going to start to move into our practice.

So on your inhale,

Let your right ear fall down towards the right shoulder.

Pull your chin in towards your chest.

Take your left ear to the left shoulder.

Inhale,

Take the head back over the heart.

And we'll do it again,

Switching directions.

Left ear to the left shoulder this time.

Chin towards the chest.

Right ear to the right side.

Inhale,

The head back over your heart.

Take both arms,

Reach them up above your head.

As you exhale,

Twist to the right side.

Take your right hand behind your back onto the floor and bring your left hand to your knee or thigh.

Send your gaze towards the right shoulder.

Take a deep breath here and release it.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Lift both arms to the sky.

Exhale,

Twist over to the left side.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Arms reach tall.

Take the palms together.

As you exhale,

Bring the hands to your heart.

Interlace your fingers and press your palms away from you.

Take your chin to your chest and round through your back.

Inhale,

Reach the arms to the sky with your palms flipped up towards the sky.

Gently lean over to the right side.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Exhale,

Lean to the left.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Release the arms down to the floor.

Leave your right hand on the ground by your side.

Take your left arm,

Reach it up and over towards the right side for a side body stretch.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Take the left hand,

Let it fall to the floor.

Reach the right arm up and over.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Both arms are resting down by your sides.

Then you're going to walk your hands forward and you're going to come onto all fours in a tabletop position.

Let your wrist stack under your shoulders and your knees come under your hips.

Toes can stay tucked or untucked,

Your choice.

And we're going to take some cat cows.

As you inhale,

Drop your belly to the floor.

Look up to the sky.

Open your chest.

Exhale,

Cat pose.

Round your spine.

Tuck your chin and look towards your thighs.

Inhale,

Belly lowers.

Look up.

Exhale,

Round the spine,

Chin to chest.

One more in each direction.

Lower your belly as you inhale.

Exhale,

Round through the back.

Inhale,

Back to your tabletop position.

Take your knees,

Send them as wide as your mat and bring your big toes to touch.

Take your hips back to your heels and let your arms reach forward for a child's pose.

You can let your head fall to the floor.

And as you're here,

Just start to notice how you feel.

Maybe you'll close your eyes and connect with your breath.

Take one more moment here,

Breathing and releasing.

As you inhale,

Gaze forward to your hands.

Take both hands,

Walk them over to the right side of your mat.

Bring your left hand on top of your right hand and reach your hips back for another side body stretch.

On your inhale,

Look forward.

Take your hands,

Walk them over to the left side.

Take your right hand on top this time.

Sink those hips back.

Feel the side body stretch on the other side.

Inhale,

Come back to center in your child's pose.

Hands are reaching long.

Let the head come back down towards the floor.

Breathe here for one more moment.

Inhale,

Look towards the hands.

Come back to a tabletop position.

Tuck your toes and then send your hips up and back for a downward facing dog.

Pedal the feet,

Bending one knee at a time and keep pressing through your fingertips.

Get a heavy breath in and a heavy exhale.

Deep breath out.

On your next breath,

Let the legs find stillness.

Look towards your hands,

Bend through your knees and take your feet forward so you're in a forward fold.

Let yourself be super heavy here.

Feel free to bend your knees as much as you want to.

You can even let your chest rest on top of your thighs.

The fingers can reach towards your toes or you can reach for opposite elbows.

You're welcome to stay still or if you want to sway side to side,

Feel free to take that option.

Take one more moment here.

And on your next exhale,

Let your fingers fall back towards your toes.

Ground through all four corners of your feet and slowly roll yourself up one vertebrae at a time.

Take the arms reach and tall to the sky.

On your exhale,

Bring your hands together at your heart space.

Take an inhale and an exhale.

Inhale,

Reach both arms tall.

Exhale,

Fold forward.

Inhale,

Halfway lift.

Let your hands go towards your shins or thighs.

Squeeze your shoulders together so you have a flat back.

Exhale,

Fold.

Let your hands go down towards the floor.

Step your feet back to a plank.

Option to lower your knees down.

Exhale,

Chaturanga.

Lower down to your belly.

Inhale,

Cobra.

Lift your chest.

It can come up as high as you want to.

Exhale,

Downward Dog.

Send your hips back.

Inhale,

Look forward.

Bend through your knees.

Step your feet towards the hands.

Take your fold as you exhale.

Inhale,

Halfway lift.

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale,

Rise tall.

Take the arms,

Reach them up.

Exhale,

Palms touch to the heart.

Breathe in deeply.

Exhale,

Completely.

Inhale,

Both arms reach.

Exhale,

Bring your hands down.

Take a fold.

Inhale,

Halfway lift.

Exhale,

Fold.

Hands to the floor.

Step your left toes back behind you.

And pivot on your left foot so it's flat.

Inhale,

Warrior II.

Windmill your arms up towards the sky like a T.

Keep a bend in that right knee.

Reverse your Warrior.

Flip your right palm to the sky.

And then reach it back behind you.

Exhale,

Back down to your Warrior II.

Take your hands to your hips.

Straighten out through the right knee.

And take your right toes to point them forward towards the long edge of your mat.

Inhale,

Take both arms,

Lift them up to the sky.

Exhale,

Fold forward.

Let your hands fall down towards the floor so you're in a standing wide-legged fold.

As you're here,

Feel free to bend through each knee.

You can sway side to side.

Find any movements that feel comfortable for you.

Take one more breath.

And on your next inhale,

Take your hands to your hips.

Activate your core.

Lift your spine halfway.

And then come all the way up,

Back to standing.

Take your arms,

Reach them up to the sky for Star Pose.

Pick up some space here.

We're going to switch sides.

Point your left toes towards the short edge of your mat.

Bend through your left knee and tee your arms to your sides like a Warrior II.

Inhale,

Reverse your Warrior.

Flip your left palm towards the sky and reach it back behind you.

Keep a bend in that left knee.

Exhale,

Back to your Warrior II.

Teeing the arms to your sides.

Begin to straighten out through that front leg.

Hands go to your hips.

Point your left toes to the long edge of your mat.

Inhale,

Both arms rise.

Exhale,

Fold.

Wide-legged fold.

Take any option that feels good for your body.

What you did on the last side does not have to be what you do on this side.

If you're looking for a shoulder rinse an option could be to take the hands behind your back,

Interlace your fingers and work on lifting your hands off the low back.

Deep breath in.

Release it.

Let your hands go back towards the hips.

Inhale,

Halfway lift,

Flat back.

On your exhale,

Rise all the way up.

Inhale,

Star pose.

Lift your arms to the sky.

Take some space.

Take the right toes.

Point them back towards the front edge of your mat.

Bend through that knee so you're in your Warrior II once again.

Tee your arms back to your sides.

Exhale,

Cartwheel your hands.

Frame your foot.

Step back to a plank.

Exhale,

Lower down to your belly.

Inhale,

Cobra.

Lift your chest.

Exhale,

Downward dog.

Reach your hips back.

Inhale,

Bring the knees to the floor for a tabletop position.

Exhale,

Child's pose.

Take your hips back towards the heels.

Send your knees wide.

Take a pause here,

Noticing how your body feels in this moment.

Inhale,

Look towards the hands.

You're going to come back to your tabletop position.

Take one more round of cat-cow.

Inhale,

Drop the belly,

Look up.

Exhale,

Round the back,

Chin to chest.

Inhale,

Back to your tabletop.

Take your legs,

Slide them on around and come to a seated position.

Send both legs long in front of you and gently bend through each of the knees.

Sit up nice and tall.

Take the arms,

Reach into the sky.

Exhale,

Fold forward.

Let the hands fall wherever feels good for you.

Take a moment to pause here,

Getting a nice hamstring stretch.

You might also feel it in your lower back.

Inhale,

Walk the hands back to center and then come all the way down to your back.

Bring both knees in towards your chest.

Take your arms and wrap them around your legs.

Gently rock side to side,

Massaging out your lower back.

On your next exhale,

Gently find stillness.

Let your feet go long down towards the bottom of the mat and take up some space here.

We're going to come to our final resting position for Shavasana.

Let your ankles reach as wide as the mat.

Take your arms out to your sides.

Feel free to create some space between the arms and your midline.

Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.

Relax your forehead.

Soften the muscles around your eyes.

Unclench your jaw.

Let yourself settle in here into your mat.

I invite you to stay here as long as feels good for you.

Thank you so much for practicing with me.

I'll see you next time.

Reviews

Very well guided gentle flow. The perfect practice to get back into practicing after a long break.