Try making restorative poses the core of your practice if you are feeling run down or in need of a lift before Spring. Why not try the first two poses for 10 minutes or longer, and the third for 5 minutes or longer. If you want to wind down before bedtime or just feel like lifting your spirits then try this sequence and feel the benefits when you wake up with a beaming smile on your face the next morning.
Supta Baddha Konasana
(Reclining Bound Angle Pose) Supported
Sit on your mat in front of a bolster placed lengthwise behind you, Loop a strap behind your back at your sacrum. Bring it forward around your hips and over your shins, and secure it under your feet so that it encircles the lower part of your body, Place the soles of your feet together and put a folded blanket or block beneath each of your outer thighs. Lie back with your spine centered on the bolster and with your arms out to the sides, palms up.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) Supported
Place a bolster or two folded blankets on your mat, and lie back over them so that they support your back rib cage but allow your upper back and shoulders to reach toward the floor. Place the soles of your feet together, cross your shins, or bend the knees and keep feet flat on the floor. More-experienced yogis can practice with the legs straight and the feet on a block. Let your arms rest out to the sides or stretch them overhead with elbows bent and palms facing up.
Viparita Karani (Legs-upthe-wall Pose) Supported
Inches away from the wall (the exact distance depends on your leg flexibility and comfort). Sit sideways on the bolster, with the side of your hip touching the wall. With the bolster under your bottom, lower yourself back and swivel around so that your torso is perpendicular to the wall and your legs are extended up it. Let your arms rest out to the sides, palms up. In the beginning, stayabout 5 minutes, and gradually increase the time to 10 minutes or longer
