A mindful movement practice.
Finding a quiet space where you can practice these gentle standing stretches with a sense of attention and care.
The intention of the practice is really about being present with every little movement and every sensation in the body.
So looking after yourself by tuning into the body's signals as you go along to make sure you don't overstretch.
Now in a standing position with the feet hip width apart and parallel to each other with the back straight but not stiff and the shoulders naturally falling downwards.
The hands down by your sides and starting to notice the surface beneath your feet.
The contact points with the floor allowing the knees to be unlocked so that the legs can bend slightly.
Taking a few moments to sense how this feels.
Now starting with the first practice on an in-breath slowly and mindfully raising your arms to the sides of the body so that they are parallel to the floor and breathing here for a moment.
And then on the next in-breath continuing to raise them slowly and mindfully until the hands are raised above the head and the palms of the hands are facing each other stretching upwards with the feet firmly rooted in the ground.
Breathing allowing the breath to move in and out freely as you stretch up like this for a few moments.
Taking in the physical sensations of the stretch.
Where do you feel the stretch in the body?
How is your breathing?
And now on an out-breath very slowly beginning the journey back allowing the arms to come down and really tuning into the changing sensations as the arms move and come back to rest by your sides in the neutral standing position.
And closing the eyes for a moment if they've been open just to help you focus your attention on the sensations in the body as you stand here.
Taking in the after effects of this stretch as well as the movement of the breath in the body.
And opening the eyes once again and moving on to the second practice.
From your standing position stretching the right arm diagonally upwards to the right as if you're picking cherries from a tree that is just out of reach.
So bringing full awareness to the sensations throughout the body and also changes in the breath as you stretch.
Keeping your gaze beyond the fingers and lifting the left heel from the floor to give you that added stretch.
Feeling it ride through the body from the outstretched fingers of the right hand to the toes of the left foot.
Now bringing the left heel back to the floor and beginning to lower the right hand following the fingers with the eyes.
Noticing the colors and shapes they meet along the way as they follow the hand down and then coming back to the neutral standing position.
And closing the eyes once again to tune into the after effects of this stretch along with the sensations of the breath.
Now opening the eyes again and stretching to pick the cherries with the left hand.
So stretching the left arm diagonally upwards towards the left and lifting the right heel from the floor for an added stretch.
Once again noticing which parts of the body are at work and tuning into any boundaries you encounter.
Becoming aware and letting go of any tendency to push beyond your limits.
Then bringing the right heel back to the floor and bringing the arms slowly back to your side.
Following it with your eyes all the way back to its resting position.
Then closing the eyes and tuning into any after effects of this stretch.
Now moving on to the next practice.
Using the hands on the hips and very slowly and mindfully on an out breath bending the head and shoulders over to the left side with the hips moving a little to the right so that the body forms a crescent shape.
And imagining that you are doing this between two glass panes allowing the body to remain properly aligned and not tilted to the front or back.
And on an in breath coming back to the neutral standing position.
And on an out breath bending in the opposite direction to the right side.
And on an in breath coming back to neutral and taking a moment to sense any after effects of this stretch.
And now moving over to the last practice.
Drawing half moons with the shoulders.
So from your standing position on the inhale raising the shoulders towards the ears as far as possible.
Then allowing them to move backwards bringing the shoulder blades towards each other.
On the exhale letting the shoulders drop down completely and squeezing the shoulders together in front of the body as if you are trying to bring them together.
So on the inhale up and back for the first half moon and on the exhale down and forward for the second half moon.
And continuing this in a smooth shoulder curl motion.
And now changing so that the shoulders move in the other direction.
Now coming back to a still standing position aware of the surface beneath the feet.
Aware of your posture and all sensations in the body.
Aware of the breath moving freely in and out.
And taking a few moments to sense the after effects of this mindful movement practice on body on mind.
