20 Minute Yoga for Grief | Slow Stretch Legs, Hips & Low Back is a deep and gentle stretching workout from Sara Beth. I did this after a cardio workout and if felt very good. You hold each stretch/pose for a long time. How deep you go into the stretch is up to you and your level of flexibility. Sara created several “grief’ yoga practices that I plan to try. Here is how she describes them: “The entire GRIEF Yoga Collection was created to give you a safe space with emotional support & guidance to gently stretch your aching body while pumping the brakes on the “fight or flight response” so you can rest and relax into your grief process.” Though at times Sara talks about grief, she doesn’t overwhelm you with it. She makes the practice a gentle and safe place to take care of yourself.
20 Minute Yoga for Grief | Slow Stretch Legs, Hips & Low Back is 22:12 minutes; it is actually 21 minutes, the last minute is Sara talking. Equipment: fitness mat. Optional: folded blanket. Sara shows easier variations of a few of the stretches.
- Sit on mat with one leg extended straight in front of you, the other leg is bent with insole against inner thigh of other leg, hinge torso forward over straight leg
- Sit on mat, knees are bent and feet on floor, hands are on floor behind you, arch spine, opening chest to ceiling
- Same starting position as #2, wrap arms around bent legs and lower forehead to knees
- Repeat #2
- Child’s pose
- Kneeling lunge, leaning forward to stretch hip flexor; lift back knee off mat so you are in a deep runners lunge, rock body forward and back, straightening front leg so you are in pyramid pose then return to deep runners lunge
- Forward fold; slowly roll spine up to standing and stand with hands in prayer
- Still standing, stretch both arms overhead; grasp one wrist with other hand and do a side stretch
- Swan dive forward into forward fold
- Repeat #6 on other side of body
- Child’s pose
- Sit cross-leg with hands in prayer
For more info on SaraBethYoga and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
