Our Daily Routine
What do we do all day? We sit. We drive. We eat. We are glued to our handheld devices and computers. At night, we spend a lot of time hanging out with our mutual friend, the couch. Which honestly they should drop the “C” in the word and call it an OUCH due to the behind-the-scenes pain it’s causing our bodies. While you may consider it “relaxing”, sitting in this position actually creates unnecessary stress on our lower back.
So what is the result of all this sitting and looking down at our phones? Being in a hunched over position most of the day means your spine is out of its natural state. It’s only time before your shoulders, neck and lower back start to develop problems.
An Easy Solution
With one simple, modified yoga pose, you can immediately support the natural curve of your spine, relieve chronic sciatic pain, open shoulders, create stability in your lower back and give your hamstrings a great stretch.
So you think yoga is not for you? That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only is yoga for everyone but it also can be done anywhere. You don’t need a fancy mat or the latest apparel; you really just need a flat surface. It can be a tabletop, the hood of your car or a kitchen counter.
Follow these easy steps to begin bringing relief to your body:
90-Degree Downward Dog
1. Face the tabletop with feet hip-width apart.
2. Place hands shoulder width apart with fingertips spread out.
3. Take a breath
4. When you are ready, walk your feet back slowly bringing your spine parallel to the floor without dropping your head. Your ankles will end up right below your hips.
5. Take a breath
6. Press back at top of the thighs to release sciatic nerve and stretch hamstrings.
7. Lift up through arm bones to get a deeper stretch through upper back and shoulders.
8. Take 8-10 breaths
9. Bend knees, walk forward, roll up to standing and pause to let your body adjust.
Be Good To Yourself
It often feels like we can find time to do almost anything but stop, reset and recharge our bodies. Taking 1-2 minutes each day to implement this technique after a long workday or a long drive is the beginning of creating new habits around self-care.