For a long time, I’ve been ‘old school’ when it comes to Yoga.  My beliefs have surrounded the idea that Yoga is best practiced holistically, where we engage in practices that touch all aspects of ourselves, our body, mind, heart and Spirit.  Where we pay attention to our experience as we move through Yoga’s elegant ancient practices.  That means it takes an investment time to do this on a regular basis.

However, my personal Yoga practice has grown now to include a single practice when I need it.  Something simple and quick that lives along side my love of my full blown practice where I engage in “the works”, some relaxation, various postures, a meditation, which unfold for about an hour or so.  Whichever I need to do, my practice meets me where I’m at and feeds me in just the right way.

What if you’re someone who wants to practice Yoga, but doesn’t have an hour or so to invest? What if you’re someone who just wants to shift out of feeling overstressed or scattered, and purely wants to feel good again?  But quickly.  What then?

Well, you could do what I do, a single, simple posture for a few minutes at a time, and let the good vibes roll.

Here’s one simple posture that I love to slip into when I want to feel held and nurtured.  You can do this practically anywhere.  It doesn’t require a mat or a hip yoga outfit to do :).  And it feels really good when I stay in it for 5 or 10 minutes.  The posture is called the ‘Child’s Pose’.  Please do try this at home. 🙂  Here’s how:

  • Come down onto your mat.  If you don’t have a mat, no worries.  Come down onto the floor to whatever surface you find there.  If it’s a hard surface, you might want to place a blanket underneath you.
  • Come onto your knees in the middle of your “mat”.
  • Sit back onto your heels.
  • Then fold your torso forward bringing your belly and chest to your thighs. Your left and right femmer bones (between your ankles and knees) rest against the mat, as your toenails rest against the mat as well.
  • Bend at both elbows, bring the underside of your forearms to rest against the mat, with the palm of one hand stacked on top of the palm of the other.
  • Then bring your forehead to rest against your stacked hands.
  • You should be in a forward bend now with your belly and chest resting against the tops of your thighs.  Your eyes are facing the mat, either open or closed.
  • Allow yourself to find comfort in your body here.
  • Then turn your attention to the rising and the falling of your breath in your body.  Watch its rhythm, as your hold here in this way.
  • Rest here only as long as it feels comfortable for your body.  No longer.  One minute, or 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes.
  • When you’re ready, come out of this posture slowly and in away feels right for your body.
  • Then pause here for a moment, and notice how you feel.

This is one quick way to feel peaceful inside again.  We’ll talk about others in upcoming editions.