Hello and welcome.
This is a bedtime yoga routine.
So you can do this in your pajamas and actually in the bed.
All you need is a strap.
I've got a yoga strap,
But you can grab the strap off of your robe,
If you have one,
Or like a belt,
A longer belt,
Anything that will allow you to stretch.
You can also not use it and I'll give you options for not using the strap.
But we're just going to do a very gentle practice that will help you calm your nervous system down before bed so that you can go to sleep feeling a little bit calmer,
A little happier,
Hopefully in a little bit less pain.
So we'll get started on the edge of the bed or in seated if you're doing this on the floor.
We're just going to start with a breath.
You can relax those shoulder blades down your back.
Take a big deep breath in and a long breath out.
During this practice,
I want you to focus on slowing the breath down.
Slowing the body down and slowing your mind down.
Another breath,
Inhaling.
Last breath here.
Very good.
Now we're going to reach one arm overhead.
So one arm's going to come out to your side and the other arm's going to come overhead and stretch.
Maybe you're here,
This is enough stretch.
Maybe you want to stretch really big and deep,
Whatever feels good.
You can even come down to your elbow if that feels good.
Big deep breath in and a long slow breath out,
Letting go on the exhale.
Big deep breath in.
Nice,
Gentle stretch of your side.
Now you're going to grab that strap and we're going to come down to your back.
Feel free to use a pillow under your head if that feels good,
But you don't have to also.
You're going to place the strap around the bottom of that right foot and you're going to pull those toes back towards you and try to keep your knee straight.
So maybe this is where you are today and that's totally fine.
Maybe you can go a little bit further.
If you don't have a strap,
Feel free to grab your pants.
If you've got some nice pajama pants on,
Or you can grab the back of your knee.
You don't want to put a lot of pressure on the back of your knee,
But you can just grab behind nice and gently.
So you're just going to breathe here and I want you to try to let your arms feel heavy so you don't have a death grip here on the strap.
You're just nice and gentle,
Nice and easy.
Really gentle hamstring stretch.
Just breathing into it,
Allowing those hamstrings to feel soft and heavy,
Almost as if you could fall asleep right now.
Two more breaths.
Letting your arms feel heavy.
And then we're going to cross your body.
Nice gentle IT band stretch.
You can open the opposite arm out if you want to add a twist.
Looking out to the right if that feels good to you.
And again,
Maybe you're just here and you can get a little bit deeper.
Just finding a place that feels safe and comfortable in your body.
Two more breaths here.
And then we're going to open that right leg out to the side.
You're going to stretch the adductors here,
Your inner thighs.
Nice and easy.
Maybe you're just a little bit of a stretch.
Maybe you can deepen it.
Just noticing what your body needs right now.
You can even reach up and massage with one of your hands as you hold the strap with the other,
Giving yourself a little bit of love.
Two more breaths here.
Very good.
Now you're going to bend that knee and just kind of stretch here right at the bottom of the hip,
The hamstring,
Inner thigh.
Should feel a stretch.
Breathe.
Should feel good.
You want all these stretches to be very gentle,
Not overstretching,
Just very gentle.
Now you're going to weave that other foot in there and then straighten the right leg out,
Left leg is straight as well,
And pull those toes back towards your head.
Hamstring stretch.
Breathe.
Pairing those legs for sleep.
Legs and arms feel heavy and soft.
Closing your eyes.
One more breath.
And then we're going to cross your body to the right and then look to the left.
You're stretching the IT band.
Try to keep the knee straight.
Feels better to bend it.
You can do that too.
Just keep breathing.
Very good.
Now bring that leg out to the side,
Stretch your adductors.
Breathe.
You can reach up and massage if that feels good.
Keep the knee bent or straight,
Whatever honors your body.
We're just doing a nice gentle stretch.
Bringing it back to the center,
You're going to weave that other foot in there and we're going to do what's called driving the bus.
So you're going to bring the feet nice and wide.
Wide-legged stretch here and then your arms are holding that strap and I want you to pretend like you've got a big bus wheel and you just drive in that bus.
Should feel good.
So if this is too much stretch,
Feel free to bring it down if your strap is long enough.
You can also do this without a strap,
But you're just moving from side to side.
You may want to do big circles,
Figure eights.
You may get on a spot that feels really good to stretch and you want to just stay there for a minute and breathe into it.
Again,
This is super gentle.
You can also bend one knee and the other.
Just doing what your body needs right now.
Noticing how good it feels to stretch and move.
Giving your body this gift.
Good.
Now bringing it back together.
A couple breaths here,
Just stretching the hamstrings once more.
Nice and gentle.
And then we're going to release the strap,
Bring those legs down.
I'm going to do some windshield wipers.
You're going to just bring your knees from side to side.
Arms are out like a T,
Going at your own pace.
Very gentle.
And then back to the center.
Now we're going to do supine pigeons.
You're going to cross your right ankle over your left knee,
And then we're going to bring both of your hands behind that left knee.
You're going to pull that left knee back towards you.
The right elbow is going to push the right knee away.
I know that's very complicated,
But you basically want to feel this in your right hip,
Outside of your glutes.
So just kind of breathe into it.
And exhaling,
You can circle those feet around too.
That feels good here.
And it may be too difficult to reach underneath your knee.
If you can't,
This could even be a good stretch.
One more breath here.
Breathing into supine pigeon.
And then switch.
Left ankle crosses over the right knee.
You're trying to pull the right knee back towards you and push the left knee away with that left elbow so that you feel it in your glutes.
Allowing any tension or stress in those glutes to just melt away.
And circle the toes around one direction and the other.
Sending the breath to that right hip,
Or left hip rather.
Breathe.
Good.
Now you're going to keep the legs crossed the way they are.
Drop the right foot down to the ground.
Arms out like a T.
You're going to drop both knees to the right and look to the left.
So we're in a nice gentle twist.
So maybe you can just twist just a little bit.
That's okay.
Wherever you are today is perfectly okay.
Trying to breathe into any tight spots or tension and allow it to just melt.
And then we're going to switch sides.
So both keep the legs crossed the way they are,
But both knees go to the left and you're going to look to the right.
Continuing to breathe.
Last breath here.
Knowing how good it feels in your body to breathe.
And then switch.
So your right knee is going to cross over that left ankle.
Both knees are going to drop to the left and look to the right.
Nice gentle twist.
You can reach up and massage that opposite thigh.
Two more big deep breaths out.
Preparing your body for sleep.
And then switch.
Both knees to the right,
Look to the left.
Just breathe.
Letting your whole body feel heavy.
Now back to the center.
I'm going to straighten the legs out,
Bring the arms up above your head.
One long line from your fingertips to your toes.
And then bring those arms by your sides.
We're just going to scan through the body,
Relaxing each part of your body,
Beginning with your head.
Letting your whole head feel heavy and soft.
Melting into the surface beneath you.
Letting go of the shoulders.
Letting your whole torso feel heavy.
Completely relaxed.
Your hips melting into the ground beneath you.
Your calves and your feet.
So that your whole body is ready for bed.
Melting.
Breathing slowly and deeply.
You can melt off to sleep.
Or if you're not quite ready,
You can come up to easy seated pose.
