Taking some time out for self-care can be just what you need after a stressful day and even if yoga isn’t part of your routine, there are a range of poses that offer deep restorative and relaxing benefits for your body and mind. The best part? You can do them right from the comfort of your own home, in your pjs, or even on your bed.
Never tried yoga before? Not only is it fantastic for increasing flexibility, strength and balance, Harvard Health has also highlighted its proven mental health benefits, such as reducing anxiety, stress and depression, as well as improving cognitive skills like memory and learning.
Restorative yoga practices are great for resetting, releasing any muscular tension and letting go of the mental stressors of the day. Really settle into each pose and let yourself relax for at least 60 seconds per pose, or longer if you have the time.
If you’re feeling a bit cold or want an added layer of comfort, it can be nice to have a blanket close by, a pillow to offer your body extra support, or even an eye mask to switch off from the world around you.
Looking for more ways to show your body some love? There are several yoga programs available in the YogaFokus app, plus a popular De-Stress Collection, full of over 30 guided foam-rolling, stretching, yoga and active recovery sessions, ranging from five to 45 minutes.
Child’s pose
As soon as you enter this pose you should feel a sense of ease and relief — it’s your opportunity to let go of the day, focus on your breath, and relax.
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Start in the centre of your mat on all fours, ensuring that your shoulders are stacked over your hands and your hips are over your knees with your toes untucked.
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Draw your glutes down towards your heels and lower your torso towards your thighs. Extend your arms along the mat, resting your head on the mat between your arms. Create space between your shoulders and ears by drawing your shoulder blades down and back.
As you breathe through your nose, you can either hold this as a static stretch, or feel free to add some gentle movement if it feels good for your body, such as slowly rocking from side to side, trying to reach a little further forward with your hands for a deeper stretch, or sink your hips closer to your heels when it feels comfortable to do so.
Legs up the wall
Legs up the wall is such a simple pose that can work wonders. According to Michigan Medicine in the US, elevating your legs can help with circulation and improve blood flow to the rest of your body. This pose can also help reverse any stiffness or soreness that may come from sitting or standing all day.
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After placing your yoga mat on the ground, begin in a seated position with your right side up against a wall and your legs extended along the base.
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Then, rotate your torso down towards the mat and sweep your left leg up the wall, followed by your right. You should now be lying on your back with both legs extended up the wall and in line with your hips with your arms resting in a comfortable position on your body or on either side of your body.
Don’t have a wall available? You can perform this without a wall just by lying down with your legs up in the air, too. If it feels good to add some movement, you can also take your heels off the wall and roll out your ankles, rotating them clockwise for a few circles and then anticlockwise.
Reclining pigeon
Reclining pigeon isn’t just good for stress relief, it’s also amazing as a hip-opener if you’ve been training hard or spend a lot of time seated.
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Start by lying on your back on a yoga mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
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Release and turn out your left leg and rest your ankle on your right leg, just above your knee. Release your arms and reach to place your hands on the back of your right thigh, drawing your knee into your chest.
When you’re ready, gently release and repeat this pose on the opposite leg.
Butterfly
This is a great hip-opening pose and there are several variations you can try depending on what your body needs or what is most comfortable.
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Sitting on your mat, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together. The closer your feet are to your body, the deeper the stretch will feel.
If this feels like enough, stay there! For a deeper stretch, you can hold your ankles or place your hands on the floor in front of your feet and lean forward. If you want a more relaxing and heart-opening posture, you can also perform a butterfly stretch lying on your back with a pillow or yoga bolster under your upper back for a nice release through your chest and shoulders.
Cat cow
Although this is a more active yoga pose, it still offers a deep tension release for your hips, spine and shoulders. Slow the movement down and sync it with your breath to relax even further – inhaling as you look up and exhaling as you look down.
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Start on all fours on a yoga mat with your knees below your hips, your hands below your shoulders and your spine in a neutral position.
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Lift your chin to look upwards and allow your stomach to sink towards the floor. Create space between your shoulders and ears by drawing your shoulder blades down and back. This is called Cow.
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Press your hands and knees into the mat, draw your chin towards your chest and draw your stomach in to curl your spine. This is called Cat.
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Continue to alternate between the two.
Seated forward fold
This pose is a restorative way to offer the entire back of your body a beautiful stretch while also massaging your internal organs with the fold position.
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Begin in a seated position with both legs extended out in front of you with toes flexed. If it feels better, you can also bend one knee and place your foot on the inside of your straight leg, as demonstrated above.
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Reach your arms up to the sky to lengthen your spine, then reach forward towards your feet or ankles, trying to keep your spine in a neutral position rather than rounding.
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As you settle into the pose, with each exhale you might find you are able to lower your forehead a little closer towards your legs.
If you want to hang out in the pose for a while, it can be nice to place a pillow or yoga bolster on top of your legs to give your head something to rest on.
Supine twist
This is an incredible posture to release tension in your back and hips while also promoting circulation and spine health.
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Start by lying on your back on your yoga mat with your legs extended.
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Bend your right knee in towards your chest, then gently cross it over your body towards the left side, keeping your shoulders grounded on the mat.
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It can feel comfortable to rest your left hand on your bent knee, while extending your right arm out to the side where your gaze will be looking.
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Hold, then repeat on the other side.
For most people, their bent knee will be hovering off the floor, so to help you fully relax into the pose it can help to position a yoga block, pillow or rolled- up towel underneath your knee for support.
Corpse pose or savasana
Usually the final pose in any yoga sequence, the goal of this pose is to really unwind and let your body reap the benefits of all the other poses. Sure, it just looks like you’re lying down, but how often in your day do you enjoy lying down and doing nothing apart from when you’re trying to fall asleep? It’s total bliss – soak it in.
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Lie down on your back with your legs extended in front of you and allow your feet to gently roll outwards.
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Place your arms by your sides and turn your palms upwards. Close your eyes, bring your attention to your breath and find a place of full relaxation.
Hold this position as long as it feels comfortable, continuously breathing in and out through your nose.
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Relax and unwind
Relaxing with yoga doesn’t have to mean a full-length sweaty flow, it can be as simple and restorative as a couple of poses held for a few minutes each as you focus on your breath.
Grab a blanket or a pillow and get comfy – this is time for you.