Ros’s Relaxation Series

Ease tension in your spine, calm the nervous system and clear your head. Mim’s guest blogger Ros R offers a series of easy exercises to ease physical and mental stress, with step-by-step instructions.

The gorgeous Ros R. (in her native habitat!) offers a series of easy step-by-step moves to ease physical and mental stress. Restful, restorative, and reviving…

This sequence is a soft and gentle way to relieve tension from your spine, clear your head and calm the nervous system. Listen carefully to the duration and quality of your breath. If your knees give you problems, place a folded towel or blanket underneath them.

Step 1

Kneel with your hands in prayer position at the heart centre. Draw the attention inward and begin to relax. Take a long breath in and then a long exhale- then proceed to inhale into the following movement (Step 2).

Step 2

As you breathe in — gently raise the arms up over the head and gaze to the thumbs, lifting and lengthening from the base of the spine.

Step 3

As you exhale — gently bring the hands down in front of you, and curve your spine upward, drawing the abdominals in.

Step 4

Begin to inhale — as you draw the chest foward, arching the spine and relaxing the tummy. This gently opens the heart, lungs and chest.

Step 5

As you exhale — release the buttocks back to the heels and surrender the upper body to the floor, resting the forehead and releasing any tension in the back.

Step 6 and Step 7

Begin to inhale — and lift the upper body gently. Release the buttoks back to the heels. Exhale to relax the shoulders. Sit upright with a straight spine. Rest the hands to the knees- palms facing upward.

Step 8

Inhale and finish as you began. Kneel with hands in prayer position at the heart centre, and exhale slowly.

Repeat the whole sequence 6 times.