Removing obstacles to your practice by integrating simple things directly into your day could bring you benefits. Literally doing yoga while completing everyday tasks might help you to bring yoga off your mat and into your daily life.
Upon rising, sit up nice and tall while on the side of your bed, invite length into your torso with an inhale through the nose and and a slow steady exhale (maybe even a sigh) through your mouth. Inhale reach your arm up towards the ceiling, interlacing your fingers and then exhale your arms down them down. Next inhale reach your arms up and extend 1 arm a little higher than the other, exhale and then inhale the other arm a little higher and exhale. Come to a stand, take a nice deep inhale and a full exhale through your nose.
This is a great time to grab a drink of warm water and head to the washroom. Have a seat. Enjoy breathing mindfully while you sit the thrown and maybe now, while sitting, you allow your breath to guide you moving your head around, shifting, tilting and rocking it side to side. Now maybe you decide to use your breath to side bend. Allow your hands to come to heart centre, invite an inhale to lengthen your spine, as you exhale draw your left shoulder to your left hip, inhale come back to centre and exhale to draw your right shoulder to your right hip. Repeat this a few times.
Allow your knees to be slightly wider than your hips with your feet planted below your knees. Invite your hands to rest upon your knees, and inhale and while you exhale, draw your belly towards your thighs (and space in between) and maybe your hands reach down your shins or towards the floor. Bring your hands back to your knees and inhale mindfully bringing your torso back up. Congrats you just did yoga on the crapper... insert 'hasana' (smile) & a bit of laughter wouldn't hurt.
To my point, you truly can practice yoga almost anywhere, or anytime. All it requires is your willingness to do it. Breathe, be present and allow your breathe to guide you, whether you are moving, or just simply enjoying the flow of that breathe.
There are several times each year that can be really stressful and let's face it, life in general could be considered on-going stress for many people, almost non-stop. Over the holidays, I think is especially one of these scenarios where stress might over-take the enjoyment factor, if you're not careful. Taking time to be present and breathe, taking fresh air breaks, enjoying the sunshine whenever you can, moving and being productive with that movement is even more helpful.
Yoga presents so many lessons, if you are open to receive them. Why not take the time to try to integrate little 'yoga moments' over the holidays, instead of being fixed on having a long yoga session. A little each day is certainly better than nothing and could prove to be encouragement to add and incorporate yoga on a more regular basis with longer sessions. The more frequently you practice something, the more your body and mind will integrate the experience and gain benefits. That said, I'm not specifically saying do "crapper" yoga, but my point is that we can use what is around us, we can incorporate yoga into every day things, and if we take advantage of those daily things, the everyday experiences, then yoga may just become part of our regular routine.
Take doing the dishes or brushing your teeth for example. While next to the counter take some time to put your hands on the edge of the counter and start to walk your feet back, while extending your arms. Inhale, reach your sit bones back and maybe wiggle your 'tail' a little from side to side. Ask your mid-back to draw in towards your heart & your heart to reach towards the floor. Whether you have a bend in your knees or your legs are stretched out, enjoy the decompression to your spine, while taking several breaths.
If you have been sitting or standing for long periods of time while fixating on a task (all that holiday wrapping has your neck in a cramp and your butt is numb for sure), your body may really benefit from back-bending & gentle twisting. While in a chair, sit forward on the seat. Inhale length into your torso, create a bit of space between your legs and rest your hands on your thighs. Inhale, start to tilt your pelvis forwards/your tail back, ask your belly and chest to lift forward and invite your chin towards the sky. As you exhale, tuck your tail under, hollow your chest, ask your mid-back to reach towards to back of the chair, tucking your chin towards your chest, inhale belly forwards, chin to sky, exhale tail tucks and chin to chest. Return back to neutral.
Inhale length into your torso, exhale turn to heart & head to the left, inhale back to centre, exhale heart & head to the right. Repeat a few times.
Voila - yoga at the dining table! Maybe not as cheeky funny as yoga on the crapper but productive all the same.
This month I'll be posting a holiday "yoga around the house" audio recording that I hope you find helpful. I'll post on the main page for holiday time, then likely move it to the yoga recordings page for future reference.
In health, happiness & crapper yoga 🤣🚽
Jo
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