Quarantine Yoga Practice

What can we do at a time when many of us are quarantined and stuck at home, feeling antsy, and bearing the stress of the COVID-19 health crisis? One option: yoga.

In addition to health benefits, including improved lung health and immune response, yoga is the sort of mental and physical activity that can help change your focus and improve your mindset.

Change is the only constant in life, and yoga helps us navigate changes within and around us.

What follows is a short sequence to help open your chest, including your lungs and heart space, which refers to your upper chest and the area where the heart is located. Working the chest you will improve strength and flexibility in the muscles around your ribs and lungs, thereby improving the flow of oxygen throughout your body. In addition, opening the heart helps us find grace and love for ourselves and others, which is something we need in this challenging time.

1.      Start Seated

Start seated in a comfortable position on the floor or in a chair. Notice your breath. You don’t need to change it; just notice how your rib cage and belly may move as you inhale and exhale.

2.      Three-Part Breath

After you have noticed your breath, begin to deepen your inhales. Start with expanding your belly, then expand your mid-chest, then bring your inhale all the way up into your upper chest toward your shoulders. As you exhale, start with releasing the upper chest first, then release the mid-chest, then the belly. Try this five times, bringing air into all parts of your chest. This can be hard at first so try not to strain or tense your face and neck. If that begins to happen, don’t breathe in so deeply.

Seated Twist

3.      Seated Twist

Place your hands on your shoulders, elbows out, and begin to twist side to side. Go at a pace that suits your back and your needs at the moment. If you experience discomfort in your shoulders, bring your arms out to your sides, like a “T.” After a few rounds to each side, stay on the right side, dropping your left hand down to your right knee and placing your right hand behind your right hip. Spend about 30 seconds here, breathing fully, before switching to the other side. After finishing both sides come back to center.

Elbow Clasp

4.      Elbow Clasp

From a seated position, clasp opposite elbows behind your back. Your right hand will be holding your left elbow and vice versa. Think about expanding the front of your body and notice the front of your chest expand as it fills with air.

Staff Pose

5.      Staff Pose

If you have not already, move to the mat, and extend your legs out in front of you. Try to center your heels on the mat with your toes flexed; feel as if you are pulling them back toward your face. Place your hands behind you, on your palms or fingertips, and use them to help lengthen your spine from your lower back to the crown of your head, as if someone is pulling you up toward the ceiling. With your hands behind you, your chest opens. Spend 30 seconds to a minute in this pose.

6.      Cat-Cow

Move to a hands and knees position, lining up your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. As you inhale drop your belly toward the ground and look up, opening your chest. As you exhale, round your back up toward the ceiling and tuck your chin into your chest. Take about five rounds here, following your breath cycles. Try to slow it down. You do not want to race through this set of poses as you will miss out on feeling the expansion of the front and back of the rib cage.

7.      Low Lunge

Low Lunge

While on your hands and knees, bring your right foot up between your hands. Line up your knee over your ankle. You should begin to feel a stretch in the front of your back leg. As you become comfortable, bring your hands up to your right thigh. Make sure your knee is still aligned over your ankle and broaden through the front of your chest. If you feel balanced, try raising your arms above your head. Your arms should remain a little wider than shoulder width to keep your ribs open. After spending five rounds of breath, lower your arms to each side of your right foot then switch sides.

8.      High Lunge

High Lunge

Bring your right leg forward between your hands again. Curl the toes of your left foot under and raise your left knee, straightening the back leg. If this isn’t comfortable, repeat the low lunge (pose 7) again, without raising the back knee. You can stay here with your hands on the mat, focusing on pulling your shoulders down and behind you, or begin to raise up into a high lunge with your arms above your head a little wider than shoulder width. If you feel stable here, try grabbing your elbows behind you as in pose 4. Hold here for five breaths, then bring your hands to the mat on either side of your right foot and switch sides.

9.      Child’s Pose

From hands and knees bring your feet together behind you and take your knees out wide. Sit your hips back onto your heels. Feel your shoulders open with your arms extended long on the mat above your head, and feel your chest against your thighs. Notice your breath. Are you breathing faster or deeper? No need to change your breathing, just be aware of it. After a minute here use your hands to help you back up to a seated position.

10.  Cobra Pose

Cobra Pose

Lay on your stomach and bring your hands to the mat just outside of each shoulder. Keeping your feet and legs on the mat, inhale and press into your hands, bringing your head and upper body off the mat. Try not to crane your neck back but lengthen it long. Exhale and release back down toward the mat. Continue to raise and lower with your breath. If this pinches your lower back, don’t go up so high. Keep your movement gentle, focusing on massaging the ribs and the flow of your breath. After five rounds, lower your forehead the mat. You can use the backs of your hands to pillow your head. After a few breaths here, use your hands to come up to a seated position.

11.  Seated Twist

In a cross-legged seated position, return to the seated twist in pose 3. Bring your left hand across to your right thigh and your right hand behind you. Take five breaths here and switch sides before returning to center.

12.  Close Your Eyes

From a seated position, just close your eyes and notice your breath. You do not have to stay here for long, but take some time to compare your breathing now to the beginning of the sequence. Give yourself a little love and grace in this time of change.