Follow the video or text instructions below for some mindfulness, relaxation and stretching exercises.
Start by sitting on the ground. Breathe in and out and focus on your breath for a moment. Then take a few minutes to go through the sensations of your whole body, as if you are a computer trying to assess the present condition of each individual part. As you move along with your scan, try to adjust, soften and relax what you feel to be tense. Start at the crown of your head and continue to your forehead, your nose, your cheeks, your mouth, your jaw, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, your hands, your fingers, your chest, your belly, your hips, your thighs, your legs, your feet and your toes. Relax and prepare yourself to be present in the moment so you can start stretching.
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| Head circles | Circle your head slowly around trying to press the back of your head to your upper back while you are circling to the back and press your chin to your chest while you are circling to the front. You can do it in one full movement or break it up into half circles on the front and back if the full movement is uncomfortable. Circle to the other side. | 30 sec | |
| Upper trap | With one hand, pull your head to the side, keeping the opposite shoulder down. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
| Chin tucks | With your head straight up pull your chin straight back and return. | 30 sec | |
| Upper body | Shoulder stretch | Pull your arm across your chest with the help of the other arm. Switch sides | 15 sec per side |
| Chest stretch | Clasp your hands behind your back and pull your arms down and out while pressing your chest forward | 30 sec | |
| Triceps stretch | With your arm bent over your shoulder, place your hand on your back and use your other hand to pull your elbow back | 15 sec per side | |
| Flies | Stretch your arms in front with your palms facing each other, open your arms as much as you can and come back | 30 sec | |
| Front stretch | Curl your back and reach your arms as high as you can | 30 sec | |
| Oblique rotation | With your hands behind your head reach one elbow to the opposite knee, come back and reverse | 15 sec per side | |
| Side bend | With your hands behind your head, bend to one side, come back and repeat on the other side | 15 sec per side | |
| Lower body | Butterfly stretch | Place your arms on your inner thighs and bend at your hips while keeping your back straight | 30 sec |
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| Hamstring stretch | With one leg bent, pull the other leg straight up with the strap. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
| Side stretch | Keeping one leg straight on the ground, pull the other leg up and then across your body. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
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| Calf stretch | With your leg straight, use the band to pull your foot back so you feel your calf stretch. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
| Soleus stretch | With your knee slightly bent, use the band to pull your foot back. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
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| Quad stretch | With the band around your ankle, pull it over your shoulder to help your heel come closer to your glutes. Switch sides | 15 sec per side | |
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| Anterior tibialis stretch | Pull your knees up | 30 sec | |
| Whole body |
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| Cat-cow stretch | Tuck your chin, arch your back and pull your pelvis in and hold. Then, pull your pelvis back while pulling your head back arching in the other direction | 30 sec | |
| Hands | Wrist extension | With your palms facing down and your fingers spread out and stretched on the floor, move your center of gravity in circles, so that you move to one side, then to the front, then to the other side and then return to where you were before | 30 sec |
| Wrist flexion | Turn your hands so your palms are facing up, move your center of gravity in circles, so that you move to one side, then to the front, then to the other side and then return to where you were before | 30 sec | |
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| Tendon gliding exercises | Straight fingers to tabletop to hook fist to straight fist to full fist and back to straight fingers and repeat | 30 sec | |
| Opposition | Touch each tip of your fingers with the tip of your thumb | 30 sec | |
| Hand circles | Close your hands into fists and do circles to one side then the other | 30 sec | |
| Shaking your hands out | Shake your hands as if trying to dry them out | 15 sec | |
| Whole body | Prayer stretch | Fold to the front and stretch your arms over your head as far as you can. Alternate stretching to the front and a little to each side. | 30 sec |
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| Long stretch | Elongate your entire body pulling your feet and hands apart as much as you can | 30 sec | |
This part of the routine is set so you can massage your feet for as long as you wish and choose which techniques are best for your feet at that moment. Choose whatever feels best and focus on the part of your foot that seems to need the most care.
Sit with your legs crossed, with the foot you are going to massage facing up.
Set your foot on the floor
Put both feet on the ground and compare the difference.
Sit close a wall and swing your legs up on to the wall, so that your feet are up high and the backs of your legs are pressing against the wall. You can adjust your position to be closer to the wall if you like. At this point, you can adjust your mat to lift your hips a little or get a pillow. Relax your legs and stay in this position for five minutes. While you are in this position, you can repeat the body scan. Once you are done hug your knees onto your chest and stay there for a moment, then roll onto your right side to lay in a curled side position. Stay there a moment with your eyes closed. Open your eyes and slowly return to a sitting position.
Enjoy the rest of your day!