Feb 9

Feb 9 If all else fails, lie down...

I met Nathan at one of his yin yoga classes and was instantly drawn to his gentle style of yoga. I reached out to him for this edition as a lot of people lean on yoga for “mind control” and thought we could benefit from some slow yin after a long, fast day of ads. Nathan has amazingly put together a 60 minute yin flow for us and has recommended some stretches below that will help us “un-do” the damage of ads.

Nathan runs a construction company and balances that out by teaching and practicing yin at studios around Auckland. For those who’ve never tried yin, it’s a style of yoga which involves deeper longer stretches with support from props like bolsters and blocks. As you hold each pose, you release any muscular effort by stretching deeper into the connective tissues of the body. This is your fascia. Yin is a slow and spacious class which allows the body and mind to find some space. Enjoy some zen!

Stretches to un-do-ads.

Rolling out shoulders: Right arm up, bend at the elbow and bring palm to upper back, left hand can rest on the right elbow. Take 8-10 slow breaths. Repeat with your left arm.

Pectoral stretch: Lie on the floor and extend your right arm away from you perpendicular to your body. Bring your left hand beside your chest (into a press up position). Press into your left hand as you peel the left side of the chest away from the mat. Legs can stack on top of each other as you take 10- 15 slow breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Full back stretch: Stand against a wall and bring your feet out 30 centimetres from the wall while still leaning into the wall. Gently bend through the knees and slowly start to fold forward over the legs. Release completely through the back body and neck. If your hamstrings are screaming at you, bend your knees more. Take 12-20 slow breaths. Slowly ease out of this stretch by pressing your hands into your legs to assist you getting up.