Dear Community,
This month I am sharing a ‘self-care snack’ seated embodiment sequence. Whether you use a wheelchair for mobility, sit for long hours at work, or use a chair to best support your body when practicing yoga or other embodiment practices, I hope this sequence helps you to pause and attune to your breath, heart, and to the moment.
Self-Care Snack: A Seated Embodiment Sequence
Start seated on a supportive surface (wheelchair, kitchen chair, office chair, physioball chair, etc). Extend the right knee, placing the right heel on the floor (pictured above left). Keep the left foot flat on the ground. Slowly walk your hands down the right leg, maintaining an extended spine to start, until you feel the first stretch sensation (you may feel the sensation in the spine, hip, back of the leg, between the shoulder blades, etc).
Pause at the first sign of stretch. Your hands can be resting on your right thigh, shin, or perhaps hold behind the toes at the ball of the right foot. Where your hands rest is not important, instead focus on where you feel the first stretch sensation in the body and pause. Try staying for one to three minutes and see if that stretch sensation diminishes; if so, try walking your hands down the right leg further or take your hands off your feet and place them on the floor. Although starting with the torso extended is helpful for creating space in the spine once you have established that length, allow the spine to slowly flex (round) as you relax into a forward fold. Repeat on the other side.
Now, bring both legs out straight with the heels on the floor and the toes pointing up. You can have the knees fully extended (without hyper extending) or bend the knees as much as you need. Again, slowly walk your hands down the legs, maintaining an extended spine to start, until you feel the first stretch sensation. Pause at the first sign of stretch and place your focus on your breathing or the sensations in your body. You can hold this forward fold for one to three minutes or as long as feels good.
If at any time you experience pain, try to make small adjustments in the posture (ie; bend your knees, keep your spine extended vs flexing the spine, etc). If the adjustments don’t help, come out of the pose and consult with your local yoga teacher or reach out to me by email: Jaharasara@wildradiance.net.
Either way, I would love to hear from you! Feel welcome to leave a comment or connect with me through the email provided above.
Header image credit: Marivi Pazos