| Supine Stretch
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| Lie on your back with your legs together, arms by your sides, palms down. Close your eyes. Inhale, expanding the abdomen a little. Exhale, slowly letting your breath out in a smooth continuous flow. Repeat three times. Then inhale and raise your arms overhead till the back of your hands touch the floor. Hold and stretch from head to toe. Then slowly release and drop your arms forward and down to the sides. Repeat three times.
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| Benefit: Stimulates and stretches the whole body.
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| Inverted Pose
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| Sit on the floor with one side close to the wall. Using your hands and arms to support you, reach your legs up the wall and lower your back to the floor. Square your sit bones to the wall and position your buttocks about 6 inches from the baseboard (or less if you're more flexible). Extend your legs up the wall and either straighten your knees or keep them bent. Breathe abdominally for several breaths. This pose may also be done in the center of the room with your legs bent and resting on a chair.
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| Benefit: Enhances circulation and functioning of female organs; relieves congestion in the legs; and is an excellent antidote for lower back discomfort.
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| Pelvic Tilt
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| Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor close to your buttocks. Place knees and feet hip-distance apart, arms beside your body. Inhale and push your tailbone onto the floor, feeling a slight arch in your lower back. Exhale. Contract your abdominal muscles and squeeze your buttock muscles as tightly as possible and flatten your lower back onto the floor. Notice your pubic bone curl upward. Be sure your upper body remains relaxed throughout the posture. Hold. Repeat several times.
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| Benefit: Stretches the back and strengthens the abdominal muscles, which relieves pressure on the lower back and thus helps swayback. Tones the lower tummy muscle and also the pelvic organs, especially the reproductive and urinary organs; releases tightness in lower back; is helpful for menstrual problems; is helpful for tailbone injury and weak bladder; prevents prolapse.
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| Half Boat
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| Lie on your back, knees bend, feet flat on the floor, arms by your sides palms down. Inhale, and contract the abdominal muscles as you raise your knees and feet a few inches off the floor. Stretch the arms up in front of you. Finally, swing the trunk up, so that you are resting on the base of the spine, the arms outside the legs and parallel to the floor. Hold. Exhale and come down by reversing the movements.
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| Benefit: Tones the stomach and intestines and strengthens the back; improves balance.
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| Bridge
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| Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor close to your buttocks. Place your knees and feet hip-distance apart, arms beside your body, palms down. Relax your neck and upper back. Inhale and slowly lift your hips off the floor as high as comfortable, taking the weight in your feet and upper back. Hold. Exhale and slowly uncurl your spine onto the floor, starting at your shoulders, keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed.
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| Benefit: Massages kidneys and pelvic organs; improves functioning of the thyroid and parathyroid glands; eases fatigue; increases circulation to the head; stretches thigh muscles; helps relieve backache; strengthens back and leg muscles and develops spinal flexibility.
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| Knee-to-Chest Pose
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| Lie on your back on the floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale. Exhale and bring your right thigh toward your chest. Take hold of your leg by clasping the hands on the top part of the shin or underneath the knee. Chin points down toward the chest. Straighten the left leg on the floor, flexing the foot, pressing out through the heel and contracting the top of the thigh. Hold. Repeat with other leg.
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| Benefit: Stretches and relaxes your lower back; increases flexibility; releases gas; helps peristalsis by massaging ascending colon with right squeeze and descending colon with left squeeze; massages abdominal organs.
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| Hamstring Stretch
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| Lie on your back on the floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Take hold of a strap or towel, placing an end in each hand. Draw the right knee toward you and place your strap over the bottom of the right foot. Relax the shoulders and keep the elbows slightly bent. Inhale and as you exhale press through your heel, firm the thigh, straighten the knee and flex the foot. Hold. Lower the leg to the floor and repeat the stretch on the left leg.
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| Benefit: Stretches and lengthens the hamstring muscles shortened from running, walking or sitting for long hours at a desk. Also benefits the back; hips and knees.
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| Supine Spinal Twist
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| Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, feet and knees hip-distance apart, arms out to sides at shoulder level. Place the sole of your right flat on your left leg just above the knee or cross the right knee over the left. Inhale and as you exhale slowly roll to the left while turning your head to the right. Hold. Inhale and bring your knees back up to start. Reverse to the other side. Be sure to keep both shoulders relaxed onto the floor.
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| Benefit: Relaxes your lower back; relieves backaches, stiffness, headaches and fatigue. Adjusts vertebrae. Helpful to do after a long day of sitting in a car or at desk. Also relieves strain from standing for long periods. Improves functioning of internal organs; improves circulation; strengthens and limbers the shoulder, back and hip joints; helps to trim the waistline.
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| Both Knees-to-Chest Pose
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| Lie on your back on the floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale. Exhale and bring both your knees toward your chest. Take hold of your legs by clasping the hands on the top part of the shins or underneath the knees. At the same time raise your head and try touching your nose to your knees. Hold. Release.
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| Benefit: Stretches and relaxes your lower back; increases flexibility. Aids digestion and elimination.
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| Corpse
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| Lie comfortably on your back on the floor, and separate your legs so your feet are 2 to 3 feet apart. Let your toes fall out to the sides. Close your eyes. Separate your arms so that each hand is 2 to 3 feet from your body with each palm facing up. Roll your head from side to side, releasing tension in your neck. Roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. Relax your entire body. Breathe normally. Rest for at least a minute.
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| Benefit: Rests and relaxes the whole body and the nervous system; rejuvenates the body; an excellent antidote for stress.
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