Are for everyone as long as you go gently.
Are for everyone and will create long strong legs and strengthen the pelvic basin.
These highly relaxing and nerve-releasing exercises are some of the best movements you can do to counter a new comfort of the workplace. Our habits in life of, sitting in chairs or driving the kilometers, teaching and learning the subjects we do.
We do a lot of sitting in chairs these days, and that can shorten your sciatic nerve. And that nerve is really important. And when you safely stretch the sciatic nerve, it’s good for you!
It is a superhighway to relieving nervous energy. It is the biggest nerve in the body, so it makes sense that when you stretch your sciatic nerve, it is released and strengthened and the nervous energy in the nerve is released too.
That feeling of nurturing the body, gives intimacy to self or other. These leg stretches can be done by yourself or with a partner.
These stretches can be done for the simple purpose of relieving tension between the body and the mind. Or leg stretches can also be incorporated into various parts of a yoga practice.
Connect to the breath.
Have the knees ever so slightly bent at all times.
Have the arms extended with the elbows ever so slightly bent.
When using a strap, hold the strap gently and use it more as a guide.
Smile.
Breath in and out through your nose.
Relax the jaw.
Look for the subtleties in the stretch where you feel you can release more, with a less mindless movement.
Creating greater awareness and intimacy through the breath can be achieved by bringing the blade of the foot back, by bringing the little toe side of the foot towards your face, whilst the leg is being stretched.
Is the hip balanced?
Is the other leg kept aware whilst pressing against the wall?
Once you are comfortable and that is of utmost importance, maybe you need a pillow on your head and perhaps the leg not being stretched may need a pillow under the knee.
DO NOT stretch to create pain. Only look for connection and allow the breath to guide your levels of awareness and to release and create length and space.
You may need a strap ot a belt.
And it is generally more comfortable on a mat.
Take a moment to watch the breath and appreciate the wee journey you are about to take yourself on by stretching and relaxing your legs.
Leg stretches are often best done in the beginning by laying on the ground on your back with the souls of your feet pressed against a wall. Connect to the foundations of the pose. The feet, legs, hips, spine and the back of the head, all provide a good reference for balance, symmetry, and working softly and safely.
Now get the sacrum (the flat boney plate at the base of the spine) and extend it towards the heels by tucking the tailbone under, and resting nicely on the floor. In hale and hug the shoulders and bring the blades to the outside to create space for the spine and the chest, through the breath.
Extend through the top of the head tucking the chin in a little, create length through the spine.
Both Feet should be energized, spreading across the ball of the feet and having the outside of the blade of the foot parallel to each other, so it may feel like the big toes are touching and the heels slightly separated.
Inhale, then bring the right knee in towards the chest, hold around the shin or gently around the kneecap or use a strap around the shin and hold the strap in both hands.
Gently warm the hip socket up by moving that bent leg in a circular direction. Three times gently in one direction and three times gently in the other direction.
Exhale slowly. This warms up the hip joint and connects to the breath.
Then place a strap around the ball of the foot and hold the strap, one end in each hand, and then mindfully begin to straighten the leg to just 30° from the floor. Ensure that the other leg is also aware and energized pushing against the wall.
Work from 30°. Bring the abdomen in to protect the spine.
Then slowly bring the outside of the little toe side back to you as you raise the foot, have the knee slightly bent, and the inner elbows rolling out and facing the ceiling. Your shoulder blades roll back and down the back.
The stretch could be from the whole body or more specifically from behind the kneecap in the leg, to the buttox and beyond.
After a few breaths, take a hold of both ends of the strap in the right hand and take the left arm to left shoulder height for ballast. Take the heel to the roof, turn the toes out slightly and take the leg out to the right to gently begin to feel the stretch in the inner groin as you take the big toe towards your ear.
Ensure that the right arm is extended, this may take a strap readjustment, use the left arm for balance and insure the left leg is aware softly pushing into the wall stay for 3 more breaths.
Inhale, bring the leg and the left hand up to meet the right hand. Take the strap in the left hand, roll the big thigh muscle out ( from the base at the crease near the hip), get the thumb in there and roll the thigh out as you take your parallel foot across the body.
Bring the little toe side of the foot down to stretch through the outside of the leg, have a slight bend through both knees. With the breath, continue to be aware of the outside release of the sciatic nerve.
Stretch comfortably with the breath. This stretch is the reason for the other three stretches, so it is good to go into the stretch mindfully with the breath and effort. Then bring the leg to above, bend the leg and exhale as you take the leg back to the floor.
You may be aware of the sensation of the difference of two legs. And just rock the leg back and forth slightly.
And now to do the other side, by bending the left knee bringing the hands gently around the shin, circling at the hip in one direction three times and in the other direction three times.
Think of the hip and the breath.
Then place the strap around the foot and extend the leg holding either end of the strap. Knees and elbows slightly bent and ensure the right leg is engaged with the wall. Broaden across the ball of the left foot, pull back the little toe side of the foot, softly feel the stretch from behind the kneecap to the buttocks enjoy that stretch for three breaths.
Inhaling and exhaling with the leg coming towards you on an exhalation. Don’t bounce, move fluidly.
Bring the right hand up to take a hold of the straps from the left hand and take the leg to the left and the right arm goes out to balance the body, use the foundations.
Where are you? Embody the pose.
Take the left big toe towards your left ear. That’s the direction your foot is going.
Bring the leg up and change hands taking the parallel foot, with the slightly bent leg across the body, rolling the large thigh out, to the outside and exhaling going deeper, inhale back it off, gently aware of the stretch down the outside of the leg for 4 breaths.
Then bend the knees and extend both legs to flat and roll legs by slapping your feet and thanking your legs for doing such an incredible job.
Start now with the warm up and the three stretches; leg lifted straight from the floor, foot out to the side and accross the body.
Feel the benefits in as soon as 3 full breaths.
