Well hello from Sifnos, Greece! Our retreat week is off to a fantastic start. I'll be posting pictures to instagram, if you're interested in seeing more of what's going down here at the yoga retreat.
Today I've been inspired by traveling. Or rather, the toll that traveling takes on the body. Even though I was coming from the Czech Republic, a short flight away, I had odd travel times and scheduling that made it so I was waiting around a lot, and arriving at my final destination super late at night. The result was just an overall feeling of exhaustion.
Whenever I feel this way, I turn to a few heart opening yoga poses because I find them to be really energizing, in addition to headstands, which for me are the next best thing to a solid nap.
If you're finding yourself low on energy in the middle of the day, try these three poses for a pick-me-up.
1. Fish pose - Fish is a great counterpose to shoulder stand. Beginners can extend the legs on the ground, and people wanting a little bit more can bring the legs at 45 degrees. There isn't a ton of weight in the head - it's more about stabilizing from the core.
Related: a video on how to get into fish pose.
2. Low lunge - Low lunge is really nice just for waking up the hip flexors and the bottoms of the feet (provided your toes are curled and you're pressing the toes into the ground). I like to exhale and bring the hips forward as I raise my arms to the sky and look up. I think about lifting the heart and feeling a nice stretch through the little mini backbend I've got going on.
3. Camel pose - I recommend doing camel pose once you're really warmed up. Beginners can modify by keeping the hands at the backs of the hips and just pressing the hips forward until they feel a stretch in the hip flexors. For those wanting to come into the full expression, just cup the heels in the hands and let the head go if that's okay for the neck. When you're ready to release, immediately come into child's pose to avoid feeling dizzy.
Breathe 5 - 7 breaths in each, and then release. Hope that helps!
Let's talk What time of the day do you feel least energized? What poses make you feel the most awake?
Related An energizing yoga sequence.