Welcome back to our sixth week of the New Year, New You series! I hope you’ve been practicing last week’s tip and are experiencing the joys of living more creatively. Remember, it’s one baby step (making a new dish or taking an afternoon stroll) that can get you on track. Because you may be ready to take a mental health week and head to Mexico to soak up the sun, I wanted to share a yoga pose that will allow you to let go, rejuvenate and make it through this chilly time of the year.
Legs up the wall: This decadent pose is a must-have for letting go. Find an open wall space and scoot your bum up to the wall. Sitting up, align yourself sideways to the wall, then lower down onto your back and extend your legs straight up. Getting up to the wall in this manner is the most effort you’ll have to exert. The rest is downhill.
If your hamstrings are snug, move your bum away from the wall six to 12 inches. If you want more stretch in the back of the legs, move your bum closer to the wall. For a variation, place a folded blanket under your hips to elevate them (said to be an Ayurvedic facial), open the legs to a wide V to awaken the hips, or bend your knees and place the soles of the feet together. Surrender your head and neck. Soften your jaw and tongue, and relax the arms out to the side with the palms up.
This pose relieves tired legs, opens up the hamstrings, softens backache and achy feet, and brings an overall sense of tranquility. What’s not to love about letting go?
Omwork
» Practice this simple tool throughout your week — before a big meeting, after a less-than-tranquil phone call, while the water is boiling for tonight’s dinner, during your novel-writing break. Legs up the wall is perfect for the weary hostess, tired traveler or exhausted executive — a must for everyone’s tranquility toolkit.
Kimberly Wilson is the founder of Tranquil Space Yoga and Tranquil Space Foundation. Visit kimberlywilson.com.
