Yoga for Holiday Stress

Forward Fold / Ragdoll Pose
Bend your knees as needed – releasing your lower back. Keep your feet hips distance apart. Grasp your opposite elbows and hang from the waist loosely.

Feel the natural traction in your vertebrae as you sway a little back and forth.  This is an easy calming stretch to pull out whenever you’re beginning to feel back fatigue or aches.

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 Downward Facing Dog

Feet hips width distance apart, press your hands into the ground and your chest toward the wall behind you.  Sink your heels down to the ground and lift your sits bones to the ceiling. Bend your knees as needed. Settle into this great back and leg stretch. Breathe deeply and slowly, exhaling all the stress of super busy holiday schedules and shopping lists and the fact that you really need to do laundry, still.

After four or 5 breaths step your feet to your hands and Roll Up slowly – inhaling deeply

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Mountain Pose
Deep inhale – all the way to the basement of your lungs.  Exhale all the way up to the attic of your lungs.  Make it squeak.  Getting stale air out of your lungs is detoxifying and invigorating.

Root down into the floor with your heels and extend energetically through the top of your head.  Reach with your fingers, rotating your pinkies towards each other.

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Eagle Arms
identify your right arm, wrap your right arm around your left arm at elbows and wrists. Bringing your palms together. Lift your elbows to the height of your shoulders and reach your palms away from your face.

If you can’t quite make this variation work, simply grab opposite shoulders and give yourself a hug. This is a great upper back and shoulder stretch, equalizing any bad posture or wonky gift wrapping positions.

Breathe deeply and unwrap arms to stretch the opposite side.

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For those really intense holiday activities that require a moment to breathe finish with


Extended Child’s Pose
With your back toes touching, settle your chest towards the ground between your knees and walk your hands out in front of you. Rest your forehead on the floor and close your eyes.

Breathe here for a couple of minutes, thinking only of how your body feels and your slow breath.

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 We’re getting down to the wire here at Soul Flower, so once we get your orders out we’ll be stretching and deep belly breathing all the way to grandma’s house.

Note: Consult your doctor or physical therapist before starting, especially if you’re experiencing severe back or leg pain now or during the practice, or if you have known disc problems, like hernias or degeneration.