Care Services Australia’s Post

Transcript

Sit cross legged in the middle of your mat with your hands resting in your lap. If this position causes you any discomfort or you have difficulty maintaining a straight spine, you can raise your sitting bones up on the edge of a cushion. In the relaxation sequences, we'll move through some gentle stretching and mobility exercises to release tension and tightness throughout the body. I will demonstrate and talk you through all of the poses, but feel free to move in any way that feels comfortable and relaxing to you. Our bodies are all very different, so it's important to adapt the poses to meet your own individual needs rather than the other way round. Let's begin with a calming breathing exercise. We're going to practice a simple technique in which your exhalations are twice as long as your inhalations. Breathing in this way is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Triggering a state of Restful relaxation. Close your eyes. Inhale. Sit up tall, lengthen, from the base of your spine, all the way up to the top of your head. Exhale. Let all the air out. Let's begin. Feel your lips and inhale quietly through your nose for the count of four. 1. 2. 3. 4. Hold your breath for seven. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Excel for 8:00. 2. 3. Football. 5. 6. 7. 8 and again inhale. 2. 3. Before. Hold for seven. 2. 3. 4. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 Continue for two more cycles, counting in your head. Inhale slowly and quietly, and allow your belly and chest to expand. Hold. Exhale slowly and completely empty your lungs. Inhale, relax your shoulders and allow your rib cage to expand. Hold. Exhale slowly. Let all the air out for the count of eight. Let your breath return to its natural rhythm. And open your eyes. You can repeat this breathing exercise before bed to help you sleep. In the middle of the night if you're struggling with insomnia, or during the day to calm your nerves if you're faced with a stressful situation. Switch your legs so that the other ankle is in front. And sit up tall. Let's start to bring some gentle movement into the spine to release any tension in your upper body. Take a full breath in, sweep your arms out and up, interlace your fingers and press your palms up to the sky. Exhale, bend to the right. Inhale. Come back to center. Stretch up. Exhale. Bend to the left. Inhale, come back to center. Reach out. And again, exhale, Bend to the right. Inhale. Come back to center. Stretch up. Exhale. Bend to the left. Inhale, come back to centre. Reach up. Exhale. Bring your hands down in front of you round your spine. Tuck your chin and press your palms away. Inhale. Lift your hands up to the sky. Arch your spine back. Exhale, Lower your hands, round your back and tuck your chin to your chest. Inhale. Lift your hands up. Draw your shoulders back. Look up. Exhale, Lower your hands and deepen the stretch across your upper back and shoulders. Last time, Inhale. Lift your hands up. Arch your spine, look up. Exhale, Bring your hands back down round your spine, and hold the stretch for a few breaths. Last inhale. Exhale, release your hands and sit up tall. Interlace your fingers behind your back and pull your hands away to fill a stretch across your chest and the fronts of your shoulders. Move gently from side to side to deepen the stretch and loosen up your lower back. Last breath in. Exhale, release your hands and sit up tall. Let's finish our created sequence with A twist. Place your left hand on your right knee and your right fingertips on the mat a few inches behind you. Inhale. Sit up tall. Exhale. Twist from the base of your spine to the right. Inhale lengthen. Exhale. Draw your right shoulder back. Inhale lengthen. Exhale. Last twist. Let all the air out. Take a full breath in. Exhale, Come back to centre and switch side. Bring your right hand to your left knee and place your left fingertips behind you. Inhale. Sit up tall. Exhale, Twist to the left. Inhale lengthen. Exhale, Press into your right hand and twist from the base of your spine. Inhale lengthen. Exhale last dress. Let all the air out. Take one more full breath in. Excel come back to centre. Let's come down onto our backs for bridge pose. Bring the soles of your feet flat to the mat tip with the part. Inhale setup tool. Exhale. Lower your upper body slowly down to the mat. Bring your hands by your sides, palms facing down, and walk your feet back until your fingertips graze your heels. Inhale, press into your feet and lift your hips all the way up. Roll your shoulders underneath you and lift up to your edge. Check that your knees point straight ahead and do not roll out to the side or in towards each other. Your feet should be directly underneath your knees. Toes point straight ahead. Inhale. Lift your hips up. Exhale lower slowly down to the mat. Inhale. Lift your hips up. Exhale Lower. Inhale. Lift. Exhale Lower. Last time inhale, lift your hips up and hold. Come up to your tip toes and bring the palms of your hands to your lower back. Fingertips point out to the side. Lower your heels and rest and supported bridge pose for a few deep breaths. Last breath in. Excel, come up to your tip toes, release your hands and lower slowly down to the mat. Bring one hand to your belly and one hand to your chest. Walk your feet to the edges of the mat and drop both knees to the right. And the left. Windscreen Wiping your knees a few times to release your lower back. Bring your knees back to centre and hug them into your chest. Rock'n'roll your way up to Seated for our final pose. Bring the soles of your feet together in the shape of a diamond and let your knees relax down towards the mat. Inhale. Sit up tall. Excel Fold forward in butterfly pose. Completely relax your upper body, arms, neck and head. Take one more deep breath in. Exhale gently, come back up, bring your knees together, and place the soles of your feet flat to the mat. Inhale. Sit up tall. Exhale. Lower your upper body slowly down to the mat. And hug your knees into your chest. Release your arms and legs and lie back in final resting pose. Let your feet come as wide as the mat and fall open. Relax your hands. Palms facing up shoulder blades, rest evenly on the ground. close your eyes. Let's finish today's sequence with a progressive muscle relaxation exercise that releases tension throughout the body. Draw your attention to your feet. Call your toes in towards the soles of your feet. Squeeze them tighter. Inhale. And release. Allow your toes, feet, and ankles to completely relax. Draw your toes back towards you. Flex your feet and squeeze your calves, shins, quadriceps and hamstrings. Inhale. And release. Let all the tension from your legs dissolve into the mat. Bring your awareness to your sacrum pelvis and hips. Allow them to soften and become heavy. Gently squeeze your glutes, lower back and draw your abdomen in. Inhale. And release. Allow your belly to soften and your back to relax into the mat. Observe the sensations of your chest rising. And falling. Allow any tightness or tension in your torso to soften and relax. Bring your awareness to your fingertips. Squeeze your hands into fists, lift your arms off the mat and tighten your forearms, biceps, and triceps. Inhale. And release. Let your arms become heavy and sink into the map. Pull your shoulders up to your ears. Squeeze them tighter. Inhale. And let go. Since a wave of relaxation flowing from your fingertips. All the way up your arms. To your shoulders, neck and head. Scrunch up all the muscles in your face. Wrinkle your forehead, eyes, nose, lips and cheeks. Inhale. And release. Relax your forehead so often the corners of your eyes allow your eyelids to become heavy. Release your jaw and let all the muscles in your face relax. Allow your whole body to soften and become heavy. Sink into a state of total relaxation. You have nothing to do and nowhere else to be. Start to bring gentle movement to your fingers and toes. Interlace your fingers and stretch your arms up overhead. Open your eyes. When you are ready, roll onto your right side and gently bring yourself up to sitting.