Love yoga, but love bed more? Bring the two together and reap the benefits.
Flip back your duvet and enjoy these gentle yoga stretches as the perfect start to your day. Not only does this let you linger in one of our Urban Snorer beds a little longer, but it’s also a fantastic way to improve your mood, your quality of sleep, and your focus.
Apanasana: Knee-to-chest Pose
Perfect for stretching the lower back, this asana (pose) is a gentle stretch through the back and legs, and can also aid in digestion and bowel troubles. Begin with both knees pulled up to your chest for an even stretch, hold for a few slow breathes, then swap to a single leg stretch.
Paschimottanasana: The Seated Forward Bend
Though the name might be a mouthful, this pose is super simple. Sitting down, with legs stretched before you, turn your thighs slightly in and press into the mattress. With hands beside you pressing down, stretch tall and breathe in, before folding forward, leaning from the hips rather than the waist. Gently reach for your feet with your hands, maintaining a long torso. As well as feeling a stretch through the lower back and hamstrings, this pose is know to help clear the mind, preparing you for the day.
Marjaryasan to Bitilasan: Cat-Cow pose
On all fours with hands directly below your shoulders, and knees below your hips, arch your spin upwards slowly, including the head and neck. At the height of your stretch, the head should be gently tilted forward, with you looking just past your the backs of your hands. This is the “cat” pose. Gently reverse the stretch, raising the head and curving the spine downwards while exhaling, raising the head to gently look upwards. This is the “cow”. Breathe in again and repeat, enjoying the stretch through the hips, abdominals, shoulders, neck and chest. This pose is known to assist with menstural cramping, lower back pain and sciatica.
Bonus pose: Supta Varjasana: Lying thunderbolt pose
Best kept for those with a little more stretch in them, the lying thunderbolt is an incredible, uplifting pose that stretches and wakes you up from head to toe, stretching the quads and opening the chest. Start in a kneeling position and slowly bend back, taking the support of first the right elbow and then the left. Gently rest your head down while trying to keep the knees in contact with the floor. Close your eyes and relax your entire body, breathe deeply and slowly. Return from this pose by using the elbows to gently lift yourself up.
PLEASE NOTE: This article is a guide for recreational purposes alone and does not replace medical or professional training. Seek your doctor’s advice before attempting.