winding down
This sequence is designed to quiet your body and mind and ready you
for deep, restorative sleep. If you find you are still wakeful, shift any remaining
tension by lying on your back, repeating the Bound Angle or Bridge poses
and watching your breathing become slower and deeper.
If you do not have time for the whole sequence,
just lie in the final relaxation, or Corpse Pose and
systematically tense and release every part of your
body in turn. Start with your feet and work up
through your legs, buttocks, hands and arms, chest
and shoulders, and finally your face. This teaches
your body how to let go of its armor of physical
tension and helps you release unhelpful or
negative thought patterns.
THE EXERCISES
This sequence begins with mind-calming forward
bends. Just relax and let gravity and the out-breath
do the work for you—imagine it emptying you of
thoughts and concerns. If your knees will not
straighten, raise your buttocks on blocks or folded
blankets, or sit with your back against a wall and
listen to your breath. To stop your back from
hunching, loop a belt around the foot of your straight
leg, taking one end in each hand. On the inhale,
pull on the belt to help you sit tall; on the exhale,
hinge forward, aiming to walk your hands down the
belt toward your foot. Do not struggle to get your
head down—it doesn’t matter if you never manage
to bend forward. Instead, focus on sitting tall to
strengthen the lower back and lengthen the
hamstrings, cushioning the thigh of your bent leg
if your knee doesn’t reach the floor. If even this feels
onerous, just lie on your back with your legs crossed.
To relax your lower back after forward bending, lie
on your back, drawing your knees into your chest.
Then practice pelvic-floor lifts: lift the muscles
between your genitals and anus as you exhale and
release as you inhale. Progress to the supported
Bridge Pose: lying with your chest open and outer
shoulders and upper arms on the floor is quieting
and calming. Lower your back down slowly, taking
one block out at a time, and let the twists ease out
any tightness before lying in Corpse Pose and just
letting go. If you wish, raise your calves on a chair
or put a bolster under your knees.
TIPS FOR WINDING DOWN
•
Forward bends may be easiest at first if you
place a chair in front of you and simply relax
your forehead onto its seat.
•
Hinging from the hips is essential in
forward bending. If this seems tricky, tilt
your pelvis forward by placing blocks
beneath your buttocks to stop your
back from hunching.
•
For the Bridge Pose, make sure the height
beneath your buttocks feels comfortable so
that your back remains unstrained. Rest your
head and shoulders on the floor.
Enjoy the Side Angle Stretch, relishing the long extension
from your hip to fingertips as it eases out any residual tension
of the day.
US_080-081_Windingdown_intro.indd 80 21/06/2019 11:13