Therapeutic DVDs

Here’s a restorative yoga practice to calm your jangled nerves. Cyndi Lee of OM yoga studios in New York offers this 15-minute stress-releasing routine that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Sometimes stress gets us so wound up that no amount of rest can ease our tight muscles—we simply need to move. The trouble is that we often feel too exhausted for intense, heart-pumping physical exertion. That’s where yoga can help. With its focus on movement and breath, yoga can still the mind’s ceaseless thinking. The end result can be a sense of letting go as you come back into the present. This gentle yoga routine invites you to be quiet, receptive, and spacious—the perfect way to unwind your energetic corkscrew.

View in Detail		MOVING SETU BANDHA SARVANGASANA } Bridge Pose Lying on your back with your legs bent and arms by your sides, exhale completely. Inhaling to a count of 4, lift your hips up off the floor as you raise your arms to the ceiling and then to the floor behind you, so they end up next to your ears. On a 4-count exhalation, bring your hips down and your arms back by your sides. Repeat this several times, breathing smoothly and evenly.
View in Detail		JATHARA PARIVARTANASANA VARIATION } Revolved Abdomen Pose Variation Draw your knees into your chest and lower them to the right as your arms open out into a T shape. Turn your face to the left. Soften the muscles around your eyes. Let your eyes be receptive and simply see what is right in front of you; being in the moment is a powerful weapon against frustration, anxiety, and stress. Stay here for 5 breaths.
View in Detail		ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA } Downward-Facing Dog Pose Slowly roll over, coming onto hands and knees, tuck your toes under, and very slowly straighten your legs and lift your hips toward the sky. Let your head dangle as you move into the pose to foster relaxation. To try Down Dog as a restorative pose, place a block or bolster under your forehead. Visualize your worries and stressors cascading out of your head. Hold for 5 breaths.
View in Detail		PARIGHASANA } Gate Pose From Down Dog, lower your knees to the floor and slowly roll up, vertebra by vertebra, until you are standing on your knees. Extend your left leg out to the side in line with your right knee. On an inhale, reach your arms out to the sides. As you exhale, slowly lean to the left, sliding the back of your left hand down your left leg. This arm placement supports the heart and lungs. Breathe. Feel. Stay here for 3 to 5 breaths.
View in Detail		PASCHIMOTTANASANA } Seated Forward Bend From Parighasana, bring your torso over your hips and arms by your sides. On an exhalation, bring your knees together, sit on your heels, and shift your buttocks to the left of your feet. Swing your legs around in front of you and straighten them, coming into Dandasana (Staff Pose). With a long spine and open chest, walk your hands forward, holding on to your legs wherever you can reach. Exhale and fold forward. Make this pose restorative by placing a block or blanket under your forehead and by rounding the upper back. How fully can you rest here? Stay here for as long as you like.
View in Detail		ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA VARIATION } Half Lord of the Fishes Pose From Paschimottanasana, slowly inhale and sit back up. Bend your left leg and cross it over your right, planting the left foot on the floor outside of your right thigh. Inhale to lengthen the spine as you raise your arms up by your ears. As you exhale, twist to the left, wrapping your right arm around your left leg as you place your left hand on the floor just behind your sacrum. Hold for 5 breaths, then unwind from the twist and place both feet flat on the floor. Hold on to the backs of your thighs and slowly roll down to the floor. Do the entire stress-reducing sequence to the other side. Hold the poses either for the suggested amount of time or as long as you like. Keeping the breath quiet and sensitive, explore how fully you can inhale without stressing the lungs.