During the upcoming Christmas celebrations, I intend to dedicate a span of 30 minutes for personal time, engaging in the "yoga for optimal well-being" exercise routine.
**Duration:** 10–15 minutes **Level:** Beginner-friendly **Mood:** Calming, grounding, and stress-relieving
As the holiday season approaches, the hustle and bustle can often lead to increased stress levels. For those seeking a peaceful respite, a beginner-friendly yoga practice inspired by Yoga With Adriene's "Yoga To Feel Your Best" series offers a perfect solution.
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### 1. Centering and Breathwork (2 minutes)
Find a quiet space and sit comfortably, either cross-legged or with your legs extended. Close your eyes and bring your hands gently to your lap or thighs. Take a few deep breaths—inhale through the nose, exhale slowly through the nose or mouth. Notice any tension and invite softness in your shoulders, jaw, and face.
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### 2. Gentle Warm-Up Movement (3 minutes)
Perform neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and seated side stretches to loosen up your body and prepare for the yoga practice.
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### 3. Cat/Cow and Child’s Pose (3 minutes)
Come to all fours and perform the cat/cow sequence, followed by child's pose. Inhale, arch your back (cow pose), chest forward, gaze up. Exhale, round your spine (cat pose), chin to chest. After a few rounds, gently sit back onto your heels into Child’s Pose.
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### 4. Gentle Forward Fold and Twist (2 minutes)
Sit with your legs extended and inhale, lengthen your spine. Exhale, fold forward gently over your legs. Stay for a few breaths, then return upright and place your right hand behind you, left hand to your right knee. Inhale, lengthen; exhale, gently twist. Repeat on the other side.
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### 5. Supported Relaxation (2 minutes)
Lie on your back, bend your knees, feet flat, or extend your legs. Place one hand on your belly, one on your heart. Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. With each exhale, release tension and soften into the ground.
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### 6. Gratitude and Closing (30 seconds)
Gently come to a seated position, hands at heart center. Offer gratitude for yourself and your practice, and ease out of the session, ready to meet the rest of your day.
This routine incorporates the calming, grounding, and accessible qualities of Yoga With Adriene’s “Yoga To Feel Your Best” style, perfect for holiday stress relief. The practice features an exercise for searching tension in the face, jaw, neck, and shoulders, as well as a head-to-knee pose that provides a hamstring stretch.
For those who find their hamstrings require continued practice due to limited flexibility, this routine offers a gentle and accessible option. The holidays are a time filled with lights, seeing friends and family, and sometimes increased stress. With the individual's exercise routine reduced to once a week due to holiday preparations, this short yoga practice on Christmas day offers a welcome opportunity for stress relief.
- Incorporating elements from Yoga With Adriene's "Yoga To Feel Your Best" series, this 10-15 minute beginner-friendly routine offers a fitness-and-exercise solution for maintaining mental health and wellness during busy holiday seasons.
- The practice includes a series of calming, grounding, and stress-relieving yoga poses such as gentle forward fold and twist, cat/cow, and child’s pose, making it an ideal choice for holiday stress relief.
- This health-and-wellness strategy is not exclusive to seasonal relaxation; it can also serve as a regular fitness-and-exercise routine to promote overall mental health and well-being throughout the year.
