Hey Chicks!

Now that we are into week 2 of our Countdown to Xmas Bootcamp you might be feeling some tight muscles in the back of your legs, maybe even muscles you didn’t know existed, and perhaps even a little tightness in your lower back area – ouch!

Not in class? Perhaps you may be tight is from all those steps you have been taking in the malls to get your pre-holiday shopping done or sweating up a storm in your living room to “Shape Up with FIT CHICKS” (this weeks episode is a fierce one!).  Or if you are a procrastinator with the shopping duties, maybe it is simply just the weather change has you feeling a little less “loose as a goose” and more tight muscled.

Whatever the reason being here is a sweet and simple stretch you can do anywhere and anytime to help alleviate that back ache and open up your hamstring muscles…The Seated Forward Bend!

Introducing the fab Seated forward bend!

Sounds super simple right, well the thing with this pose is that it is often done incorrect and so you do not always get the benefit of this stretchy asana.

What is the Seated Forward Bend?

The Seated Forward Bend is essentially a yummy yoga pose that is performed like its name suggested. You are sitting on your booty and stretching forward. However, the key to this pose is to avoid the hunch over while reaching with all of your might for those tootsies (aka feet). Instead you want to extend from your hips (which should be nice and open from all those pigeons you have been doing 🙂 lifting up and then forward towards your feet.  I like thinking about trying to make my heart reach my toes.

This pose is super fierce for helping to get your hamstrings loosey goosey and in turn this helps to alleviate back pain. Say what?! Yes, that is right. If your legs are tight you will be feeling the pain all the way into your lower back so let’s reverse this and just get you limber from head to toe.

Other Benefits of the Seated Forward Bend:
·    Calms the brain, helps to alleviate stress and mild depression
·    Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus
·    Improves digestion – BONUS!
·    Soothes headaches and anxiety and reduces fatigue
·    CHICKS this one is important – Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort!

HOW TO DO A FIERCE SEATED FORWARD BEND:

Step 1: Start seated on your booty legs straight out in front of you – feet together and legs together

Step 2: Inhale deep (like real deep, into your belly deep) and extend arms overhead – think not just reaching arms up but think lifting your whole upper body up and away from your hips

Step 3: Exhale and fold forward over your legs but continue lifting. The thing most peeps want to do is drop down and flop your head to your knees. This is a no no. Doing this action will shorten the length in your spine and slowly cut off your air passage way making it harder to breathe so let’s avoid that one!

If you are super jelly ie Level 3, then you can try grabbing your opposite wrist with your opposite hand in front of the soles of your feet to be sure you get the stretch you are looking for.

Level 2, try gripping your soles of your feet or toes with your hands.

Level 1 aka just starting to get into those bad boys ( place your hands beside you on the floor still not dropping down but always with the forward and lifting motion.

Step 4: Relax – like let your shoulders drop from your ears and breathe into your body nice and deep

Step 5: Think every time your inhale lengthen a little more through your spine and extend and every time you exhale think fold a little tighter like you are an awesome package trying to touch your heart to your feet.

Keep in mind when I say “heart to feet” that it is a way to visual the movement and does not mean that will happen. It is no biggie but just think about it while you breathe.

So chicks try this out! Even if you do not have tight your hamstrings you like, your digestive track will thank you, if you want to do the complete rutine just like I do check out this yoga decorations. Either way you will effective your body someway, somehow  🙂

Have a fabulous weekend!

Amanda xo