As demonstrated in this video, my favorite morning yoga stretch is a wonderfully therapeutic technique to ease weight-bearing pressure and stress on the body. This blog explains more about how it works and why it works so well in the morning.
This has been my favorite way to wake up this winter/spring!
It is a perfect way to stretch your back and relax into a new day.
Using:
1. Yoga bolster
2. Yoga wheel
3. Body ball
After sleep, when the body is well rested, make a gentle stretch to greet the breath and relax into your wakefulness.
Why yoga is perfect in the morning
In the morning, or whenever you get out of bed, the body makes a shift from complete reclined relaxation, to coordinated movements on two feet.
That creates a distinct shift of gravitational force on the body– from horizontal to upright. In bed, the head is on the pillow and the feet are below but not under; they are nearly the same horizontal level. When upright, the feet are like pedestals, with the body as an obelisk, and the head at top.
The lying down in bed orientation with gravity… is pretty simple to understand. It’s rest.
Upright gets more complex as the directions (sagittal, coronal, axial) physically interact to create structure, motion, and balance.
How this is a perfect yoga stretch
The benefit of this favorite yoga stretch is enhanced in the morning because of a distinct change of orientation– from reclined rest to upright activity.
When the body has rested, there is a reduction of pressure along the musculoskeletal joints.
As the day continues, the body accumulates natural weight-bearing pressure. When the pressure creates stress on the body, it causes a myriad of aches and pains.
These aches and pains are not always felt initially and don’t often indicate stress until the pressure has really taken its toll. So when the pain does show up, it can be more difficult to get it to go away.
Therefore, by starting out the the day with a therapeutic technique to ease the weight bearing pressures on the body, you will benefit from a reduction of physical stress accumulated throughout the day.
Demo video
How to get a perfect stretch using yoga blocks
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