This Reset Yoga Practice Helps Balance Your Mind and Body

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In a world that constantly asks you to be on, pressing pause can be a tough thing to prioritize.  So often we’re running from here to there. We’ve got work, we’ve got text messages, we’ve got emails, we’ve got family, we’ve got friends. Honor your body and mind by taking the time to tune back in through a reset yoga practice, so you can show up as your best self.

Whether you’re at the office, working from home, winding down from a busy day, or just getting started, this practice is designed to help you bring a sense of balance into your day—and your life.

A Reset Yoga Practice to Support Your Peace

A quick note on Savasana: this practice doesn’t have one! The resetting sequence is designed to help you tap into your body, tune into your mind, and continue on with your to-dos with a little more calm.

Easy Pose (Sukasana)

Start in a comfortable seat, such as Easy Pose (Sukhasana). Bring your hands to yourknees and take a deep inhalation. Exhale and allow your eyes to gently close.

Seated Cat and Cow

Inhale as you lift your chest and drawing the shoulder blades down the back body as you would in Cow Pose.

As you exhale, round your back. Repeat this pattern for 5 cycles of breath, lifting the chest, chin, and gaze on your inhale, and drawing the chin and navel in and rounding into the lower belly on your exhale. Switch the cross of your legs before repeating this pattern for 5 more cycles of breath.

Seated Salute

As you come back through center, let your hands lift. With your eyes shut, draw your hands to heart center as you create an intention for your practice.

Seated Side Stretch

Allow your inhale to lift your arms back up, and as you exhale extend your left hand out to the side  and place it flat on the mat. Press into your left palm as you reach your right arm overhead in a side bend. Take a deep inhalation here as you reach through your right fingertips.

Pinky Taps

As you exhale, bring your right arm forward and tap your pinky down to the mat. Inhale to open back up to your side bend, and then exhale as you tap your pinky to the mat on your exhale in a dynamic movement. Repeat this pattern for 5 cycles of breath.

Seated Forward Fold

Inhale as you bring both hands back to center. As you exhale, take a forward fold, hinging at your hips and keeping a flat back in a Seated Forward Bend. Relax your shoulders and allow your head and neck to move from side to side. Stay here for 5 cycles of breath.

Come back to center on your next inhale. Cross your legs in the opposite direction before repeating the side bend sequence on the opposite side. Once completed, come back to your Seated Forward Fold and allow your head to swing gently from side to side. Inhale as you bring yourself back to center.

Extended Leg-Arm Sweep

Uncross your legs and come into a Tabletop position. Stack your shoulders over your wrists, your knees under your hips, and your flexed toes beneath your heels. Take a deep inhalation and extend your left leg straight out to the left side and reach your left hand toward the sky in an open twist. Stay here for 3 breaths.

Gate Pose

Pivot on your right knee to bring your right foot straight behind you as you step your left foot back and parallel to the back of the mat. Your chest will face the long side of the mat. Keep your right foot flexed and press your toes into the ground. Ground down through the outer edge of your left foot as you reach your left arm overhead for a full side body stretch in a Gate Pose. Stay here for 5 breaths.

Tabletop

On an exhale, bring your left hand down to the ground. Pivot on your right knee and lower your left knee to the mat to come back to Tabletop.

Cow Pose

With a deep inhalation, lift your  heart forward and arch your back in Cow Pose.

Cat Pose

With an exhalation, round your back and pull your belly inward for Cat Pose. Repeat this Cat-Cow cycle for 5 breaths.

Come back to Tabletop and with an inhale, extend your right foot to the right side to repeat your sequence of Extended Leg-Arm Sweep and Gate Pose on the opposite side.

Downward-Facing Dog

Pivot back to Tabletop, tuck your hips up and back, and pedal into your first Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Spread your fingertips and toes wider and press into your hands and feet as you lift your hips. Take 5 breaths here.

Halfway Lift

As you exhale, take a generous bend in your knees, look into between your hands, and walk your feet forward to the front of the mat. Inhale into a Halfway Lift, lengthening your spine.

Standing Forward Bend

Exhale as you release your chest toward your thighs and relax your neck in a Standing Forward Bend.

Upward Salute

Inhale and rise to stand, lifting and lengthening your arms toward the sky in Upward Salute.

Mountain Pose

With your exhale, bring the hands to heart center in Mountain Pose. Bring your feet together at the top of the mat. Take a nice deep inhalation and reach your hands toward the sky.

Standing Forward Bend

H3 As you exhale, hinge at your hips and take another Standing Forward Bend. Draw your hands to your heels, relax your neck, and enjoy a deep breath here.

Plank Pose

Gently place your palms to the outer sides of your feet. Take a deep inhale here. As you exhale, step your feet back into Plank Pose. Squeeze the ankles together to create a straight line of energy from your heels to your head.

Side Angle

Take a big inhalation and step your right foot forward. Bend your right knee and stack your knee over your ankle. Ground your left foot down in an approximately 45-degree angle, and align the heel of your front foot with either the heel or arch of your back foot. Reach your left hand to the sky in Side Angle Pose.

Extended Side Angle

As you inhale, reach the left hand up and over your head in Extended Side Angle.

Triangle Pose

On your exhale, begin to straighten your right leg. You are free to shorten your stance, moving your left foot toward the right. Inch your back foot to an approximately 90-degree angle. Place your right hand on the inside of your right foot, palm facing out and fingers facing (or touching) the floor. Reach your left hand up to the sky in Triangle Pose. Take three breaths here.

Hands to Hips

As you exhale, bring your left hand to your hip and rise all the way up. Take this same posture sequence, beginning with Side Angle Pose, on the opposite side.

Plank Pose

Following Triangle Pos, inhale as you pivot onto the ball of your back foot and step back into Plank Pose.

Knees-Chest-Chin

Lower to your mat beginning with your knees and followed by your chest and chin in this alternative to Chaturanga or take traditional Chaturanga.

Cobra

Lower yourself onto your belly and place your hands at your mid-ribs. Inhale as you press your palms into the mat and lift your chest in  Cobra Pose.

Upward-Facing Dog

Press through your palms, straighten your arms, and lift your hips as you move into Up Dog.

Downward-Facing Dog

Take your hips up and back into Down Dog. Find 3 deep breaths here.

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Standing Forward Bend

Gently walk your feet toward your hands, then walk your hands toward your feet. Inhale here.

Mountain Pose

Put your hands on your hips and rise all the way up to standing. Bring your hands to heart center.

Tree Pose

Roll your shoulder blades down the back of your body as you root through your right foot. Shift your weight into your right left and bend your left knee. Find your balance before placing the left foot on the inner ankle or thigh of your right foot, balancing in Tree Pose. Take 5 breaths here.

Repeat Tree Pose on the opposite side before returning to Mountain Pose.

Inhale to reach and lengthen through the arms and exhale hands to heart center. Reenter your day (or evening) with a greater sense of serenity.

This practice was shot on location in Costa Rica.