A simple yoga practice is one of the best ways to de-bloat and detoxify after a day of drinking and feasting. Rejuvenate the internal organs and promote healthy digestion with deep abdominal twists and forward folds. This series is a great way to start the day or wind down before you sleep.
Seated Twist
- Start in a comfortable seated position with your legs crossed in front of you. If it’s difficult to sit up straight, place a blanket or pillow under the back of the hips.
- Reach the arms up and lengthen the sides of the body from the hips through the fingertips.
- Place the right hand on the left knee.
- Place the left fingertips on the earth behind you and soften the elbow and the shoulder.
- With each inhale lengthen up through the crown of the head.
- With each exhale twist to the right. Draw the navel upwards and twist from the ribcage and the heart.
- Take 5-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Low Lunge Twist
- Step the right foot between the hands and release the left knee to the earth. Make sure the front knee if directly over the heel and the back knee is behind the hips.
- Reach both arms to the sky and lengthen the spine and sides of the body.
- Place the left hand down on the inside of the foot and stretch the right arm to the sky.
- As you inhale draw the right hip back and down.
- As you exhale reach up through the arm and lift the right ribcage and chest toward the sky.
- Take 4-8 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Humble Warrior
- Step the right foot forward between the hands and press the left heel into the earth. The front foot points forward and the back foot is turned out 45 degrees. The front knee aligns directly over the heel and the back leg is straight.
- Reach the arms to the sky into Warrior 1. Press into the earth equally with both feet while reaching up to the sky through all ten fingers.
- Interlace the hands behind the back. Inhale and expand the chest open toward the sky. Exhale and bow forward resting the shoulder onto the thigh.
- With each inhale reach through the arms to open the chest. With each exhale sit deeper into the hips and let the head hang.
- Hold for 5-8 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Janu Sirsasana (Head to knee pose)
- In a seated position, extend the right leg straight and place the left foot on the inner thigh.
- Reach the arms up and lengthen the spine through the fingertips.
- Fold forward, reaching toward the foot. If you don’t reach the foot, let the hands rest on the shin or on either side of the leg.
- Lengthen the spine on the inhale. Fold deeper (without rounding) and gently pull the navel in on the exhale.
- Hold for 8-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.
Reclined Twist
- Lie on the back with your knees bent and the feet hip width apart.
- Cross the right knee over the left.
- Scoot the hips a couple inches to the right.
- Let the legs fall to the left side.
- Keep both shoulder blades pressing into the earth.
- On the inhale, gently lengthen out through the right arm.
- As you exhale, let the knees fall toward the earth and gently draw the navel to the spine.
- Take 10-15 breaths and repeat on the other side with the legs crossed the opposite way.
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