8 Easy Yoga Moves for MS - Do this in the morning and see what happens

Many of you know how important yoga has been for my success with MS.  It is something that was practiced before getting sick and continued through my illness.  My practice may not have been the most dedicated but it has always been there in some form or another.  The calmness it brings to my life, and the fitness and strength it provides is amazing.  Basically it feels like a massage from the inside out.

Here is a very EASY faux-ga Yoga routine for MS patients.  This simple routine is all done sitting down and lying down.  No need to stand.  It can even be done in a bathtub, sort of.  There are many resources for true Yoga but these are adjusted exercises that work for me.  

1.  Grateful Breathing:  Sit, cross legged, hands at chest in prayer position, welcome this time for your practice. Let go and breath deep for the next seven minutes.  Surround yourself with an invisible hug of positive energy.  Bring to mind gratitude toward something in your life.  Acknowledge and enjoy this feeling.  Either stay here or bring to mind another grateful moment.  Savor this moment and next seven minutes.  Bring to mind your breathing.  In through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Think positive in, negative out.  Breathe deep into your stomach on the inhale, feeling it expand like a balloon.  On the exhale squeeze out all the air by pressing your belly button back toward your spine.  Think of a tube of toothpaste with all the air being exhaled.  Breathe in deep again and exhale.  Make sure you are forward on your sits bone and use a blanket if needed.  The circle of energy through your body will be most open to change and healing in this position.  Continue this for 6 deep breaths.

2. Chest Opener:  On a big inhale, open hands and stretch elbows and shoulders back, squeezing shoulder blades together behind you. Exhale everything out and bring hands back to prayer position.  Repeat this for six deep breaths.  Do not push yourself too hard.  Be compassionate and listen to the body.  Go where it's comfortable.

3.  Spine Straightener:  As your are sitting, think about your alignment. Is our chin sticking out?  Or is an invisible thread pulling the crown of your head up toward the heavens and your sacrum is stretching toward the floor?  Be aware and adjust accordingly, using this visual to continually stretch yourself open.

4.  Neck and Shoulders:  Gently pull your right ear to your right shoulder, stretching the outer left side of your neck.  If you like, place your right hand over your head, finger just above the ear and carefully help you reach the stretch desired. Gently rotate your chin around in circles and find what feel good for you.  Make sure to stretch on both sides.   Now, shrug your shoulders up to the sky, rotate them back, down and forward, making large circles,  Complete a few in each direction.  Feel the openness in these areas and acknowledge the stagnant energy leaving your body and making room for freshness and rejuvenation.

5.  Reclining Cat:  While sitting on your bum with knees gently bent and feet on floor in front of you, place your hands gently on the outside of your knees.  On in inhale, stretch up as tall as you can while sitting with body close to knees., head up, back arched, eyes toward the heavens.  Big inhale.  Then exhale it all out with an open mouth and let your back roll backward toward the floor.  Big inhale and stretch up straight and tall by your knees.  Exhale and roll back, stretching all the little and large muscles.  While in the exhale position, gently rock side to side, massaging your sacrum.  Repeat this four more times for six deep breaths in all.

6.  Sage Twist:  While sitting on the floor, legs stretched out, we are going to take our right leg, knee bent, and scoot the heel as close to you as possible.  Sitting up tall, feel the stretch this provides.  Then if you want more, place that right foot on the outside of your left thigh.  Now, if it's available, take the left leg and bend it so that the left heel is near your right buttocks. This should be called the pretzel. Where ever your foot and legs are we will begin the twist. On in inhale stretch you right hand up tall and on the exhale, gently twist to the right and place right hand on floor behind you.  On the inhale stretch the body tall, on the exhale twist to the right a little bit more.   Take 4-6 deep breaths and then unfold.  Shake everything out and do the other side.


7.  Dying Insect:  roll on to your back and take all arms/legs/tails and shake them out above you.  Be a wiggly worm and take a couple of good breaths, exhaling any last negative energy in your body.

8.  Shavasana:  Time to relax. Lie down on your back on your mat.  Legs about 18" apart and hands about 8" away from sides of body.  Let everything sink to ground and relax.  Feel the body restoring.  Allow your body to fee this as safe place.  Stay in this place a couple of minutes - as long as you want.  Enjoy and appreciate.

9.  Thankful Breath:  Use your arms to raise from the ground and seat yourself with hands at prayer position. Breath deeply, acknowledging the time and energy put forth in this simple but effective and refreshing series.  Take a couple of deep, thankful breaths.


10.  I've got this!  You can end with a prayer or a namaste but I like to say to myself, "I've got this!".

Only do what feels good and don't push your body too hard.  No pushing through pain. We are gentle, compassionate toward our bodies.

This mini routine is a great way to get started and keep motivated.  Not too difficult but easy and gently on the MS.

#takethatMS