Yin Sequence for Zapping Tired Energy

Hello yin friends!

Below is a quick yin sequence you can do to wake up if you’re in an energy slump. I like to do these poses midday before the afternoon zzz’s kick in. ENJOY!

Wide Legged Childs Pose (2 min) – Settle the hips back to the heels and rest the chest and arms forward. Slowly roll the head side to side to massage the brow line, those muscles that help us express ourselves through the day. Move into your breath and deepen it until you find a steady rhythm to guide you through your practice.

Frog Pose (3 min) – Rise up into table top and slowly begin to inch the knees and feet away from one another allowing the pelvis to sink down toward the floor. Cushion the knees if needed. Lower down as far as is comfortable for you today. You can support your chest with a block or bolster here as well.

Cat Pose (5 breaths) – Slowly make your way up and draw the knees together. Place the hands onto the thighs and round the back toward the space behind you as you drop your chin in toward your chest.

Puppy Pose (3 min) – Bring the spine back to neutral and walk back into table top. Slowly walk the hands forward and keep the hips above the knees coming into puppy/melted heart pose. Again, support your chest with a prop if it helps you surrender with more ease. Breathe into the backs of the shoulders and the spine.

Sphinx (2 min) – Come to the belly slowly and prop yourself up onto your forearms. Align the elbows beneath the shoulders or slightly forward of the shoulders. Keep the head and neck elevated and in line with the length of the spine for the energizing purposes of today.

Reverse Needle (3 min) – Gently make your way down and rest the head to face the right side. Take your left arm out 90 degrees from the body, prop your right hand under your shoulder and then gently press yourself over to the left side body. You can use your right leg as a kickstand here.

Partial Threaded Needle (1 min) – Slowly come back to the belly and thread the left arm across the chest, reaching the right arm overhead. Let the chest sink in toward the floor to release the other side of your shoulder head.

Cat Pulling Its Tail (3 min) – From threaded needle, begin to slide the right knee up the side of the mat like your heading for half frog pose and then gently drop the right arm and shoulder toward the space behind you moving into a twist. Adjust as needed to settle in and consider binding with the left foot (right hand) if you want an additional stretch through the front of the bottom hip.

*repeat reverse needle through cat pulling its tail on the other side*

Forward Fold (3 min) – Come to a seated position and take the legs forward. You can keep the legs hips distance from each other or widen them a bit (pictured). Begin to melt forward and keep some length through the low back, but allow your upper back and neck to round as is comfortable in your body. Surrender the stress of your day, letting it melt off of you here.

Bridge Pose (2 min) – Make your way slowly to the back (one vertebrae at a time) and bend the knees placing the feet to the earth, arms alongside you. Press into the feet and lift your hips coming into bridge pose. Slide a block under the sacrum at a height that feels nice in your spine and rest into it. You can keep it simple or stretch the legs forward, arms overhead, or even add a quad stretch by coming into a half hero position for a few breaths on each side.

Reclined Butterfly (5 min) – Take these last few minutes to rest into savasana. Support yourself with props if you would like or even take a different position than pictured. Allow the space and feeling of release to settle over, in and through you.

Namaste