Hello,
And welcome to this gentle yoga stretch you can do right from your bed.
This is a great way to wind down before sleep,
And this is also a nice way to start your day.
You can do these same stretches first thing in the morning before you even get out of bed.
You won't need any special props for this practice,
Just a comfortable surface to lie down on,
Such as your bed,
Some comfy clothes,
And maybe a couple of blankets nearby as well.
To get started,
Make your way onto your back,
Keeping your feet on the ground or on the bed with your knees bent.
Maybe let them fall inwards towards each other.
Close your eyes if you'd like.
You can place your hands on your belly and start to tune in to your breath.
Inhale in,
And feel your hands gently rise with your breath,
And exhale,
And feel your hands gently fall back down,
And inhale,
And exhale.
With each breath in,
Taking a little bit deeper and fuller of a breath,
And exhale,
Letting your exhale extend a little longer as well,
And inhale,
And exhale.
Notice the temperature of the air as you inhale in through your nose,
And notice the change as you exhale out,
And inhale,
And exhale.
On your next breath in,
Take the deepest breath you've taken all day,
And this time exhale out through your mouth,
And inhale,
And out.
And now,
Turning your attention from your breath,
Notice how you're feeling physically right now,
Starting at the top of your head and doing a body scan down your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your torso,
Your legs,
And your feet.
Just notice how you're feeling physically right now,
And then turn your attention to your mood and your emotional state.
How are you feeling right now mentally?
Just noticing what comes up without judgment,
And we'll take a few more breaths in the silence.
On your next breath in,
Take the deepest breath you've taken all day,
And release out through your mouth.
And one more,
Just like that.
Keep your left foot where it is,
And start to draw your right knee in towards your chest.
You can hold your leg underneath your knee,
You can also use a strap to help pull your leg up,
Or you can hold on the outside of your leg if it feels okay on your knee.
You can keep your left knee bent,
With your foot on the bed or the ground,
Or you can stretch your left leg out long,
And take a deep breath in,
And out,
And we'll be here for a little bit longer.
Inhale in,
And exhale out,
Lower your right leg back down,
And switching sides,
Draw your left knee into your chest,
Holding whichever way is comfortable.
You can keep your right knee bent,
Or stretch it out long,
And then come back to your breath.
Inhale in,
And exhale,
Lowering your left leg back down.
Draw both knees into your chest,
And you can hold underneath your knees,
Or you can hug your knees in,
Holding the outside of your leg if it's not putting too much pressure on your knees.
You can stay in stillness here,
Or you can find a gentle rocking movement from side to side.
Inhale in,
And exhale,
Lowering both legs back down.
Take a breath in here,
Noticing how you feel,
And then we'll take a reclined twist,
So you can take your arms out in a T,
Shift your hips an inch or two to the left,
Draw both knees into your chest,
And let them gently fall over to the right,
So coming into a twist On your right side,
You can try scooting your knees closer or farther from your body to see what's more comfortable.
If you have those blankets nearby,
Or an extra pillow,
You can place that between your knees,
Or underneath both knees for some extra support.
You can also place a blanket underneath your left shoulder,
Particularly if your left shoulder is up off the ground or the bed.
Placing a blanket there helps provide some extra support.
Once you're settled,
Take a deep breath in,
And out,
And we'll be here for about another minute.
Inhale in,
And exhale out.
Start to bring both knees back up to center,
And shift your hips back to center as well.
Then shifting your hips a little bit over to the right,
Let both knees fall over to the left,
Taking some time to get set up and comfortable.
You can take your knees closer or farther from your body,
You can place a pillow or blanket between your knees,
Or underneath both of your knees,
And you can also take a blanket underneath your right shoulder,
Particularly if your right shoulder is up off the bed or the ground.
And then once you're settled,
Take a deep breath in,
And out.
Inhale in,
And exhale out,
Bringing both knees back up to center,
And shifting your hips to center as well.
We'll come into reclined cobbler's pose.
You can bring the soles of your feet together,
Let your knees fall open to each side,
And you can scoot your feet out farther away from your body to make it less of an intense stretch.
You can also place a blanket or something similar to support underneath both knees.
Your hands can come to your belly and help return your focus back to your breath.
Inhale in,
Feeling the gentle rise of your hands with your breath,
And exhale,
Feeling them gently fall back down.
And once you're settled,
You can close your eyes if you'd like,
And we'll be here for another couple of minutes.
Inhale in,
And exhale out.
Take your hands underneath your knees and gently lift them back up to center.
Take your feet hip-width apart or a bit wider,
And let both knees fall inwards towards each other.
And once again,
Bringing your hands to your belly and your attention back to your breath As you inhale in,
Feeling your torso expand and your hands gently rise,
And exhale,
Your hands gently fall back down.
Take a deep breath in,
And out.
From here,
Finding Shavasana,
Maybe you stay right where you are with your knees bent and your feet on the bed or the ground.
Maybe you take your hands by your side,
Seeing if palms facing up or down feels more comfortable.
You can also stretch your legs out long,
Or taking some support for underneath your knees such as a rolled up blanket or a couple of pillows.
Once you're comfortable,
You can close your eyes,
And take a deep breath in,
And out.
This is where I'll leave you for this practice.
Feel free to stay in Shavasana as long as you would like,
Maybe until you even drift off to sleep.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
I hope this was enjoyable and relaxing,
And helps you find better sleep.
Take care,
And I hope you have a great rest of your night.
