I would like to stick to routines and doing yoga every day for one hour but, to be honest – that is not manageable. I tried and I couldn’t keep it for 3 days straight.
Yoga is not just series of postures, Yoga is more like state of mind and workout. After work I am, like most of us, completely exhausted and for me to practice Yoga I need to be in that specific ‘mood’ and to have one hour devoted to me and only me. Realistically I have that one hour but I am not in ‘that mood’ every day after I come back from my work.
However, I found out that I can do my, I call it –
5 minute morning and evening Gratitude Practice! And I do it in my bed, in pyjamas. Nice, flat, firm mattress – and I start my day energized and happy.
We rush and we get stressed, sometimes I think, even before we wake up! So - why wouldn’t you leave cell phone out of your bedroom, wake up with some nice thoughts, do few simple Yoga stretches that would, I promise, be your ticket for a better day!
Or, at night, when you get into your pyjamas, why not do some prayers, and few stretches that would align your body and prepare for good nice sleep and great, positive dreams?
It’s easy. It last just 5 minutes and it takes just 3-4 yoga poses. Nobody is looking at you, no competing, no results are expected from you, just 5 minutes to say "
Thank you God for this day" and few stretches with deep breaths.
Although, keep in mind, it is not easy to do yoga on a soft mattress, hard surface offers more support and resistance for every pose, but if mattress is firm, these few mattress-approved poses can be easily done.
1. Full Body Stretch
Raise your arms above your head and stretch, as if someone were pulling your arms and legs on opposite directions. Inhaling, lift both arms to a 90 degree angle to the body and exhaling bring your body to a sitting position.
2. Easy Pose–Sukhasana
Sit straight, cross your shins and flex your feet. Fold a blanket if you need so your knees are lower than your hips. Lift your chest. Bring your hands to your heart and say to yourself:” My heart is filled with Love and Harmony” and try to really feel these words.
3. Easy pose with Twist
Inhale. Straight your back. Exhale and twist to the right, placing your right hand behind you and your left hand on your right knee. Slowly turn your head to the right and allow your gaze to follow, looking over your right shoulder... Return to center as you exhale. Repeat on the other side...
This pose will help you to stretches and relaxes spine and massages the abdominals helping removing toxins.
4. Seated forward bend from easy pose
Close your eyes, place your palms in front of your body, inhale and slowly, while exhaling bend forward, letting your palms slide in front of you. Your goal is to touch the mattress with forehead and your attention should be there – on the point of contact between your forehead and the mattress.This pose will again stretch your spine, shoulders and also stimulates your kidneys, ovaries and uterus and keep you focused.
5. Goddess stretch
Lie on your back with knees bent. Place the soles of your feet together, then let your knees fall open, forming a diamond shape with your legs. Rest your arms on the bed. If you feel any strain, elevate your legs by placing a pillow underneath each knee.
This pose will help you to unwind and is really good for evening, bedtime routine.
6. Child’s pose – Balasana
Sit on your hills. Bend forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the mattress. That would lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can. Extend your arms in front of you. Hold the pose and breathe.
This pose is restorative.
Another option is to put your arms next to your body, touching feet. It’s like ‘embryo position”, very
soothing. This pose normally ‘erase’ your mind and bring you back to your – beginning.
You feel protected and rejuvenated.
You can do this pose with knees wide spread while your big toes are touching.
It is important to do what is the most comfortable for you.
7. Meditation
If you have more than 5 minutes in the morning – do your meditation. If not Meditate at your bed time. I will write more about meditation but to be very simple and short – try to concentrate on your breath. Just think about In and Out, In and out… the depth of your breath, the rhythm… and don’t think about anything else.
8. Namaste
After your meditation, say Thank you to everything that happened in your life the day before. And if nothing happened – just thank for that Day that you had. Be grateful for everything – good or bad – because everything happened to you is a part of your learning process.
Bow and say ‘Namaste”.
Namaste is a symbol of gratitude and respect towards the truth that should flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.
One important thing to be constantly kept in mind when doing asanas is the regulation of the breath. It should be slow, thin, long, and steady: breathing through both nostrils with a rubbing sensation at the throat and through the esophagus, inhaling when coming to the straight posture, and exhaling when bending the body. “And, take note of the sensations in your body: If anything hurts or feels too intense, plop yourself into child's pose to recover.
You can practice this routine right away from bed or roll out your yoga mat and get started.
Written by Maya Toracki
Photos by Maya Toracki
