MANAGE STRESS

‘Stress causes a fight-or-flight response in your body which, if present for too long, can cause problems such as chronic pain, poor sleep and IBS,’ says Hannah Barrett (@hannahbarrettyoga). ‘These postures will calm the mind and counter stress responses, such as stomach pain.’ 1 Child’s pose

(A) Kneel on the floor with your big toes together and knees wide. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs, keeping your spine long. (B) Stretch your arms forwards, feeling a stretch from your tailbone through to your fingertips. Relax your shoulders and rest here for 5 slow breaths or longer, if you feel you need it.

2 Cat cow

(A) Start in tabletop position, with wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale into cow pose, dropping your stomach down to arch your spine and gaze up. (B) Exhale into cat pose, rounding your back, tucking the pelvis under and dropping your head. Move through for 5 breaths.

3 Forward fold

(A) Start standing with your feet together, then exhale and slowly bend forward from your hip joints, bending your knees if you need to. (B) Bring your fingertips to the floor, press the soles of your feet into the floor and lift your bum towards the ceiling. Engage your core and let your head hang loose.

4 Restorative fish pose

(A) Place a pillow or block parallel to the short edge of your mat. Lie on top, so the bottom edge is level with your bra strap. You can use another pillow or block to support your head if you need it. (B) Place arms by your sides. Hold the pose for at least 1 min. To come out of it, roll to one side and remove the prop.

5 Legs up the wall

(A) Bring your hips to the wall, with your back flat on the floor and bum as close to the wall as is comfortable. (B) Raise your legs straight up, resting them against the wall. Place a pillow under your bum to ease any discomfort in your lower back. Stay here for 5 to 15 mins.