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One among the things that keeps me coming back to my mat, even once I can only manage a 15-minute yoga practice, is that it helps me stay grounded at times when the world feels chaotic, when people act in unkind or downright intentionally malicious ways, and when more things are coming at me than I feel I can handle.
Swami Vivekananda, who was partly liable for introducing yoga and its philosophy to the West, asserted that the aim of yoga is to alleviate pain and suffering within the moment and to attenuate it in the longer term. My yoga practice gifts me the nervous system resilience I would like in order that I can experience exactly what Vivekananda described.
Having a private yoga practice allows me to come back to this sense of physical, emotional, and energetic steadiness and ease alone. There isn’t a have to turn to anyone or anything to search out a way of calm or peace and even purpose. As an alternative, I’m capable of pull back the layers of culture’s influences, including its messages of not being enough and constant desiring of more, and I reveal what all of us are, which is pure light.
The practice of yoga helps us reveal that to ourselves in order that we may acknowledge the reality of who we’re, which is expansive, calm, and joy-filled. Our nature is ideal.
Once I are inclined to forget that about myself, I practice what I call “slow and low” movement. It’s a slow flow that’s exploratory, grounding, and embodied, and it allows me to shift my state in concerning the same time because it takes to make a cup of tea.
A 15-minute yoga practice that’s slow and low to the bottom
On this sequence of poses, you’ll use two blocks to supply yourself much more support. Move, explore, and see the shift from stressed to grounded.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Sukhasana (Easy Seat) with Breath Awareness
Place 2 blocks near the highest of the mat and are available into a snug cross-legged seated position. Sense the ground underneath you. Notice the cadence of your breath. After a number of rounds of natural respiration, inhale for so long as feels good, then add a pause at the highest of your inhalation. Exhale for so long as feels good, and add a pause at the underside of your exhalation. Repeat as persistently as you could feel connected and present.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Hip Circles
Come to all fours and start to make large hip circles, moving your body toward the left side of your mat, then toward the back of the mat, followed by the suitable side, after which back to center along with your shoulders over your wrists.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Do that 3 times, noticing the way you go through Child’s Pose as you press back, come into side bending when your hips are to the left and right, and wrist strengthening as you come forward.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
From all fours, sink your hips back toward your heels along with your arms alongside your ears in an lively Child’s Pose. Press your hands firmly into the mat to create extension and awareness along the upper body. Take a moment on this exploration of how your body feels today.
Release Child’s Pose and return to hip circles, swaying your body toward the other way as you began last time. Do that 3 times.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Bhujangasana (Low Cobra With Blocks)
From hands and knees, bring your upper body forward toward the ground and are available to lying on the mat, letting the blocks rest under your shoulders.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Inhale and interact every part out of your toes to your torso as you lift your head and chest away from the mat in Low Cobra after which exhale as you release yourself to the mat. Do that again 3 times. Explore lifting a bit of higher every time.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Marjaryasana and Bitilasana (Cat and Cow)
After the dynamic cobra exploration, come back to all fours. Sense the earth underneath your hands, knees, and feet as you inhale and lift your head and seat towards the sky for Cow Pose.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Then exhale and round your spine toward the sky and lower your head and seat in Cat Pose. Repeat this 3 times.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose With Blocks)
From hands and knees, bring the blocks underneath your hands, tuck your toes, and are available into Downward-Facing Dog. Bringing the props under your hands shifts your center of gravity back, subsequently reducing pressure in your wrists and hands. Alternate bending right and left knees to welcome in any release and side bending around your low back, which is more noticeable along with your hands a bit higher.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Half Sun Salutations
From Down Dog, grab the blocks underneath your hands and walk them back to your feet and fold forward in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend).
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Turn the blocks onto the very best level. Press into them to come back into Ardha Uttanasana (Standing Half Forward Bend), elongating your spine out of your tailbone to the crown of your head. Fold forward again, allowing the blocks to stay under your hands as your elbows bend. Inhale and lift your arms to the sky in Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute), then, exhale and fall into Uttanasana, forward fold. Proceed to explore Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana, and Urdhva Hastasana on this half Sun Salutation for 3 times.
After your last repetition, walk your hands and blocks back to Downward-Facing Dog. Enjoy a protracted extension across your upper back.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) to Ardha Hanumanasana (Half Splits)
From Down Dog, step your right foot forward and lower your left knee for Low Lunge on the suitable side. Welcoming support out of your blocks, draw your hips forward and see the feeling within the left hip flexors on the front of the hip. Begin your slow flow here by inhaling and lifting your arms toward the ceiling.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Then exhale and convey your hands to blocks as you shift your hips back and extend your right leg straight in front of you for Half Splits. Inhale, bend your front knee and draw your hips forward to Low Lunge, after which exhale and are available into Half Splits.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
From Low Lunge, bring each your hands to your sacrum as you shift your hips forward. Leave your right hand on the sacrum as you inhale and reach your left hand up and over toward the suitable for a side bend. Stay for the exhale. Inhale and release to center.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Bring your left forearm behind your head and wrap your right arm behind your back. Lean back into your left arm for an archer variation.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Release your left arm forward as you draw your right arm back for an open twist. Stay for an exhale. Reach each arms to the sky, then release them to the mat.
From all fours, with or without your blocks, move through 3 rounds of Cat-Cow after which come back to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat the slow flow on the left side, exploring dynamic Low Lunge to Half Splits, Low Lunge with side bend, with a wrap, and with an open twist.
Release to all fours. Move the blocks out of the way in which, then lower your whole body to the mat. Explore low Cobra dynamically again, engaging your lower body as you lift your head and heart away from the mat 3 times.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
From Cobra, lower your head and chest to the mat. Bring your hands next to your hips, palms down. Notice the connection between your hands and the bottom. Engage every part out of your toes to your torso as you lift your head and chest away from the mat. Engage from the hip flexors and pelvis, lift your legs away from the mat in Locust Pose. Notice the grounding of hands to the mat as you sense the upward movement of your upper and lower body. If there’s any pain feedback out of your lower back, try pressing your feet into the mat. Stay here for 3 breaths.
Release to Child’s Pose.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Anahatasana (Puppy Pose)
From Child’s Pose, send your hips forward so that they’re stacked over your knees. Extend your arms long to bring your chest and brow, lips, or chin to the mat in Puppy Pose. Feel for the support of the bottom underneath your chest, arms, and head. Stay for 3 breaths.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Supported Sphinx Pose
From Puppy, release to the mat. Drag your upper body forward to rest your abdomen on the mat. Prop your elbows underneath your shoulders for supported Sphinx Pose. Notice the connection between the front of your body and the ground while engaging along your back body. Stay here for 3 breaths after which release yourself to the mat.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Salamba Salabhasana (Restorative Locust Pose)
Turn the blocks on the medium level and convey them alongside your chest and underneath the fronts of your shoulder and upper arms. Turn your palms toward your body, after which rotate them towards the ceiling. Rest your head onto the mat or a folded blanket and let the blocks support your upper arms on this gentle locust variation. Stay for five breaths (or longer). Release the entire body to the ground.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Salamba Matsyasana (Supported Fish Pose)
Make your way back to upright and convey blocks on their medium height where they may support your head and your middle back. Come to lying back onto the blocks while leaving your knees bent. Notice the opening across the upper body as your lower body stays connected to the ground.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Sure Angle)
Leaving the blocks where they’re, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees bow out to the edges for Reclining Sure Angle. Begin welcoming in ease and softness as you remain here for five breaths (or longer).
In case you like, you possibly can straighten your legs. If this brings discomfort to your lower back, come back to bent knees.
(Photo: Tamika Caston-Miller)
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
From Restorative Fish, remove the blocks from under your body. Release your upper body to the mat as you extend each legs long for Savasana. Enjoy rest for so long as time allows. Hopefully you’re feeling more grounded, peaceful, and calm—qualities you can then take into the remainder of your day.
About our contributor
Tamika Caston-Miller, E-RYT 500, is the director of Ashé Yoga, where she curates yoga experiences and trainings in service of collective healing and community repair. Having begun her yoga journey in 2001 with a house practice, she now holds advanced certifications and training in Trauma-Informed Yoga, Somatics, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. Tamika’s journey has been informed by chronic pain and injuries, social justice for QTBIPOC communities, the battle between shame and compassion and quest for ancestral healing, and the love for the practice and philosophy of yoga.