2. STANDING FORWARD FOLD

UTTANASANA

From Mountain pose, with your feet hip-distance apart, take your hands to your hips and, on an inhale, root through your feet to lengthen your torso away from your pelvis.

Exhale, bend your knees slightly and fold forward from your hips, keeping your hips in Dog tilt and your back flat. When your spine is parallel to the floor, let your pelvis come into neutral.

Keeping your knees bent, inhale to lengthen your spine once more, then, as you exhale, continue folding and allow your chest to rest on your thighs. Release your arms and rest your hands on your shins, ankles or the floor.

If it feels comfortable, straighten your legs, keeping a microbend in your knees, then allow your upper body to relax fully. Take your tailbone towards the ceiling, and your head closer to the floor.

On each in-breath, feel your spine lengthening; on each out-breath, fold a little deeper.

Consciously surrender, breathing softly and evenly for several breaths, then inhale to gently uncurl your spine to return to standing.

Benefits

Calms the sympathetic nervous system

Relieves fatigue

Reduces insomnia

Regulates blood pressure

Variations HALF FORWARD FOLD

From Standing forward fold, knees bent or straight, place your hands a few inches in front of your feet. Inhale as you lengthen your crown away from your tailbone to come up to a flat back. Root through your hands and feet and draw your shoulder blades down your spine. Take five deep breaths and release back into Standing forward fold.

LUNAR FORWARD FOLD

Bend your knees and let your torso drape over your thighs. Release your neck and rest the backs of your hands on the floor. Allow your breath to find its natural rhythm, slowing down as your body surrenders to the ground.