May is the month we celebrate our wonderful mums. Mums deserve huge mountains of praise for all their selfless love and care. Being a mum is a full time job, but these days mums are having to manage a few other departments as well and are run off their feet managing a family, house and job.
Life can be fast paced and stressful. One of the best presents you can give to a busy mum, apart from letting her know how much you appreciate her, is time out to relax and recharge, not just on Mother’s day but as often as possible. One of the best ways to relax and recharge is with yoga.
If one has time to go to a yoga class all the better, but if not, rolling out the mat at home can also do wonders. A great yoga sequence not only helps to maintain and increase strength, flexibility and endurance but also provides space to quiet the mind and relax the nervous system.
Of all the poses there are some that shine above all the others. Not only because they are feel good poses but because they tick just about every box.
In my opinion Shoulderstand not only ticks many boxes but earns some stars as well. It shines brightly amongst yoga asanas because it strengthens the back and core support muscles and challenges the breathing to become slow and deep. It relaxes the mind and nervous system and being an inversion gives a good shake up to our internal organs while relieving tired and sore legs and feet.
Here is a great sequence for a busy tired mum.
- Start by lying on your back hugging your knees to your chest and rolling up and down the spine. This will warm up your back muscles.
- Next move into a Bridge Pose to strengthen your legs, pelvis and back while opening through the front of the body..
- Move into Shoulderstand and stay there at least 2 minutes if you can.
- Before coming out of Shoulderstand move your legs over your head into Plough Pose for a leg stretch then bend your knees into your chest as you roll the spine down to the mat. Lifting the head while you do this will take strain out of the neck.
- Finish the sequence with a relaxing Supine Spinal Twist.
And there you have a great sequence which will rejuvenate and relax!
All the poses can be modified according to one’s individual condition to make the sequence available for everyone.
By Vrndavan Dasi
Founder and Principal of Veda Yoga Teacher Training