With all the extra social commitments and gift shopping battles, the holidays can be the most stressful time of the year.
But they don’t have to be super stressful. By consciously making time to rest and recharge, you can stay cool and appreciate all the joy from this time of year.
One way to chill out? Follow this simple yoga flow routine created by Chelsea Jackson Roberts, PhD, a certified yoga instructor and founder of the Yoga, Literature, and Art Camp for Teen Girls at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.
“This is the perfect flow to open your heart and find your center,” she says. So, follow along and get your Namaste on.
Mountain Pose
Stand tall with your shoulders down and back, with palms together at the center of your chest. Ground down into all four corners of your feet, and with your eyes closed, inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.
Upward Salute
Bring your arms up while inhaling, and reach through your fingertips. Exhale and extend your arms around the back of your body, all while outwardly rotating shoulders to stretch and open your chest. Interlock your fingers behind your lower back, and then inhale while lifting to your chest’s center and pressing your knuckles toward the ground.
Chair Pose
On your next inhale, release your hands and sweep them as up as you lower your hips back and down. Allow your arms to lift; power up your quads and press through all four corners of your feet. Then, draw your shoulder blades into your upper back while reaching elbows toward ears. Draw your tailbone to the floor; remember to keep your lower back nice and long.
Photo Credit: George Rudy/Shutterstock.com
