10-Minute Somatic Yoga Practice for Anxiety | Gentle Movement to Calm and Relax

Transcript

[Music] Hello and welcome to this short and sweet sematic practice designed to support you in moments of anxiety, overwhelm and restlessness. When you're ready, we'll begin in a comfortable seat. I invite you to close your eyes or soften your gaze and take a moment to fully arrive in the present moment. Tune into your breath. Feel your body being supported by the earth beneath you. On your next inhale, reach your arms toward the sky. On your exhale, slide out through your mouth as you lower your arms. Repeat this two more times. Moving with the pace of your breath. On your next inhale, reach your arms toward the sky. And on your exhale, find a gentle twist to the right. Inhale through center. Exhale. Twist to the left. Inhale through center. On your exhale, begin to gently twist side to side, letting your arms swing freely. There's no right rhythm here. Just let your body guide the pace. Begin to let the movement slow. Let your arms come to a rest in your lap. Take a deep breath in and on your exhale, begin to move your upper body in slow circular motions. Your circles can be soft, wavy, even a little messy. But notice where your body wants to linger. Where there's tension, tightness, or release. Now switch directions. After you finish the circle, return to a neutral spine and extend your legs in front of you, finding a soft bend in your knees. Bring your palms to the earth behind you. And on your next inhale, shine your chest toward the sky. Exhale, slowly release. One more time. Inhale. Expand through the chest. Exhale. Release. You can stay here or gently stomp out your feet. You can stomp with more pressure if your body wants more release. When you're ready to move on, make your way into tabletop. Take a moment here to tap out the tops of your feet on your mat. When you're done, gently sink your hips back toward your feet for child's pose on your next exhale. Inhale, rise into tabletop. Exhale. Sink into child's pose. Inhale. Rise. Exhale. Sink. Inhale. Rise into tabletop. This time, take a moment to get balanced. On your next inhale, drop your belly toward the earth and lift your chin toward the sky for cow. Exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin for cat. Repeat this two more times. Moving with your breath. After your next exhale, return to a neutral spine. Next, find slow and gentle side bends by swaying your hips from one side of the mat to the other like a dog wagging its tail. Return to center. And if it feels okay in your body, tuck your toes as you lower your sitbones toward your heels for a seat. You can always untuck your toes if the stretch in your feet is too intense. Interlace your fingers at the base of your spine. And on your next inhale, take a deep breath in. Extend your arms and shine your chest toward the sky. On your exhale, slowly release your stretch and untuck your toes. As we end our practice, I invite you to find a few final slow deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Option to gently tap your chest as you breathe if that feels good to you. And when you're ready, return to your natural breath. Thank you for joining me for this practice. [Music]