3 Techniques To Harness Full-Body Energy
Throughout the New Year’s celebrations, you probably set aside time to set goals for yourself, made space for personal reflection, processed lessons you learned last year, and found creative ways to give your goals some extra sparkle and inspiration.
Now it’s time to harness the energy to make it all happen!
If you’re felling a post-holiday energy hangover and need a spark of mojo to reach your goals with gusto, here are my 3 top techniques for full-body energization…
Squeeze Time
Lie down flat on your back, with your palms turned upward. Beginning on the left side, inhale and contract and tense your foot. Squeeze and hold for 5 seconds and then exhale and release. Repeat on the right foot and follow that pattern all the way up your body (from foot to calf to thigh, etc). Inhaling, squeezing, exhaling and releasing – and go all the way from toe to head!
Full-Body Explosion
Get ready for a full-body squeeze! Here’s how… Tense all your muscles at once, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and hold it for about 5 seconds. Release, take a few breaths, repeat the “full-body squeeze” two or three more times and head out the door. Trust me – after this little rejuvenating exercise, you’ll be ready to go!
See Things Upside Down
Lie on your back with your legs straight up the wall. If possible, have your sitbones touching the wall. Soften your belly and relax your inner groin. Relaxing in this pose, imagine letting go and having t he floor support you. Take long, deep breaths, and with each breath, let the tension release. This pose is the queen of yoga poses when it comes to rejuvenating.
While you are inverted, practice a breathing technique called the Breath of Fire. This rapid nasal breathing “fires” you up and stimulates metabolic processes. Breathing only through the nose, pull your navel toward your lower back to create the exhale. Then soften your belly and let the inhale come naturally. Pulse the exhales rapidly, relaxing between each exhale to let the air flow back in.
Women with an IUD should not do Breath of Fire.
