It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and also the most indulgent time of the year!

Between the cookies and cocktails you might be feeling a little, how should I put this—blah! Here’s a few yoga asanas to help cure the most common holiday ailments.

Feeling a little bloated? Try Dhanurasana!

This pose will help massage your internal organs.

1. Lie on your stomach, hands alongside your body and palms up.

2. Exhale and bend knees, not letting them separate wider than hip distance.

3. Reach back and grab ankles from the outside.

4. Inhale, lift your heels away from your body and lift your thighs away from the floor. This will start to pull your upper torso and head off the floor, keep your back muscles soft.

5. As you continue lifting the heels and thighs higher, press your shoulder blades firmly against your back and draw the shoulders away from your ears. Breathe here for 20-30 seconds, then gently release and move into child’s pose.

Does the thought of long lines for gift returns at the malls give you a headache? Try a variation of Child’s Pose!

1. Kneeling on the floor, touch your big toes together and sit on your heels. Separate your knees to be hip distance apart.

2. On your exhale, sit your tailbone back to your heels and reach your arms forward. It might be a great relief to stay here.

3. If you’d like more of a challenge, press the knees together, take the crown of the head to the floor and interlace your fingers above your head.

4. Again, breathe here for 20 to 30 seconds, then release back to child’s pose.

Got a hot New Year’s Eve date? Try a Downdog for that winter glow!

Adho Mukha Svasansan is great for the circulatory system which will help freshen you up!

1. From child’s pose come to all fours, stacking your joints.

2. Rotate over your toes, extending your heels up towards the ceiling.

3. Pull knees towards chest as you tuck the tailbone under and lift from the core stretching the legs straight as you can.

4. Spread fingertips wide, pressing the head towards the upper arms. Engage with your muscles throughout the posture. Feel free to hang out here from one to three minutes.

And we’ve come to the point where we try to find the cure for the common hangover.

I can’t guarantee it will cure it, but Ardha Matsyendrasana will help! In this seated twist, you will help stimulate the liver and kidneys by literally wringing yourself out.

1. Stretch the left leg out and cross right foot over left leg. Bending the right knee vertically, bend the left knee so that it’s flat to your mat.

2. On an inhale, stretch right finger tips behind and left fingertips up.

3. On the exhale, begin to twist left elbow to the outside of the right knee.

4. Keep weight even between hips. Hold for 20-30 seconds slowly release and switch to other side.

Post-holiday blues starting to get the best of you? Take a few minutes to enjoy legs up the wall!

That’s it!

1. Put your legs up the wall, close your eyes and breathe.

2. Ground the sitting bones evenly into the floor, keep the legs slightly firm and relax!

 Remember, these moves are great for any day of the year!

Heidi Templeton is a former competitive gymnast and Tampa Bay Area yoga instructor specializing in vinyasa, hot, and standup paddle board yoga. Heidi shares her zest for all things health and wellness on Facebook. 

 

 

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Asst. Ed: ShaMecha Simms

Ed: Bryonie Wise

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