Mini Sun Salutation
Materials Needed
Feeling
Bored
How to Do It
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. On an inhale, raise your arms overhead and stretch toward the sky. As you exhale, fold forward, letting your hands reach toward your toes. Inhale to come back up to standing, and exhale as you bring your hands down by your sides. Repeat this sequence a few times, moving with your breath.
Why It Works
This short yoga sequence helps to stretch and energize the body while also focusing the mind, helping to counter the lethargy of apathy.
Guided Practice
Start by standing tall with your feet grounded into the earth. Take a deep breath in, feeling your lungs expand and your spine lengthen. As you exhale, imagine releasing any tension, preparing your body for a gentle flow of movement.
Remain standing tall and balanced, feeling your connection with the ground. Taking a deep breath, raising your arms overhead and feeling the stretch through your fingertips. Notice the sensation of your feet grounding into the earth and your spine lengthening as you reach upward. Feel the stretch in your sides, your ribcage expanding, and your chest opening up towards the sky. As you exhale, fold forward from the hips, letting your hands gently fall towards the floor or your shins. Allow your head to hang heavy, releasing any tension in your neck and shoulders. Feel the gentle pull in the back of your legs, perhaps sensing a deep stretch or a slight discomfort. Notice where your body feels open and where it feels tight, without needing to change anything. On your next inhale, lift halfway up, lengthening your spine, bringing your hands to your shins or thighs. Feel the engagement of your core muscles, the stretch in your hamstrings, and the openness in your chest. As you exhale, fold forward again, deepening into the stretch, allowing gravity to gently pull you down. Finally, on your next inhale, root through your feet and rise back up to standing, arms reaching overhead once more. Feel the energy moving upward, a sense of lifting and lightness. Exhale and bring your hands to your heart center, pausing for a moment. Notice the sensations in your body now — perhaps a warmth, a slight increase in heart rate, or a feeling of being more grounded and centered. Gently open your eyes, carrying this sense of balance and openness with you into the next part of your practice or day.