In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and all things love, I thought it’d be fun to share a heart-opening flow!
If your body is craving some shoulder openers instead, check out this post from a few weeks ago!
Child’s Pose
Bring your knees out wide and big toes to touch. Stretch your arms out long in front of you and rest your forehead on your mat. Stay here for 5-10 breaths as you allow your body the space to settle down and connect with the breath.
Cat/Cow Pose
Inhale as you rise to all fours, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your ankles. Inhale as you drop your belly and gaze up toward the sky. Exhale as you round your spine and gaze to your belly. Move through these poses for 5 rounds of breath.
Down Dog
Return to a neutral spine, tuck your toes and send your hips up and back coming into downward facing dog. Feel free to pedal out your feet to warm up your legs. Stay here for 5 breaths.
Sphinx Pose
Shift forward into high plank and slowly lower all the way down to your belly. Place your elbows underneath your shoulders, forearms parallel to one another. Inhale as you lift your chest between your arms and press your shoulders down and together on to your back. Stay here for 5 breaths. Press back to child’s pose and then lift to down dog.
Upward Facing Dog
Inhale to high plank, exhale to chaturanaga push up (option to drop down to your knees). Inhale as you lift to upward facing dog, rolling the shoulders back and pressing the tops of the feet into the mat. Stay here for three breaths and press back to down dog.
Low Lunge with Tricep Stretch
Inhale as you lift your right leg high to the sky, exhale as you step your right foot in between your hands at the top of your mat. Drop down onto the back knee and untuck the toes. Inhale as you reach your arms overhead. Bring the palms to touch and bend the elbows for an added chest opening and tricep stretch. Engage through your core and tuck your tailbone to avoid sinking weight into the front hip flexor. Stay here for five breaths. Return to down dog and repeat on the opposite leg.
Locust Pose
Shift forward into high plank and slowly lower down to your belly. Extend your arms by your sides and rest your forehead on your mat. Inhale as you lift your head, legs and arms off the mat. Actively reach the fingertips toward the back of the mat. Gaze down and slightly ahead of the mat. Stay for 3-5 breaths and slowly lower down to your belly, then press back to child’s pose.
Table Top Dancer
Inhale as you rise to all fours. Extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward. Option to stay here, or slowly bend your back knee and grab for the inside of the ankle. Press the shin toward the back of your mat as you open the chest. Stay here for 3-5 breaths, then slowly lower your leg and arm, and repeat on the opposite side.
Bridge/Wheel
Come to seated and move down to lying on your back. Plant your feet hip width distance apart and close enough to your ankles so that you can/almost can touch your ankles with your fingertips. Inhale as you lift your hips up to the sky. Internally rotate your inner thighs down toward your mat. Stay here, or roll your shoulders under your back, interlacing the palms and pressing the forearms into your mat. Stay here for three to five breaths then slowly lower down onto your back. Repeat bridge pose for three-five breaths again, or if you feel ready, plant the palms beneath the shoulders and rise to your full wheel pose. When finished, slowly lower down onto your back.
Savasana
Hug your knees into your chest, giving yourself a big hug. Even if it feels cheesy, tell yourself, “I love you.” Release your arms and legs out long and your mat and stay in your meditative savasana as long as you’d like. If it’s comfortable to you, option to place your palms over your heart as you breathe.
Happy Valentine’s Day! May you give and receive love today and every day 🙂
