5 methods to make use of a sandbag – Weblog

I completely LOVE utilizing sandbags in my yoga follow. As somebody who has an anxious thoughts and tends to over fear, it’s most likely no shock that I gravitated in direction of extra grounding practices like restorative yoga. With its emphasis on utilizing plenty of props to help the physique and lengthy holds (postures are held between 5-20 minutes), restorative yoga permits for a gradual downshifting of the nervous system to assist relieve the stresses for day by day life and depart you feeling replenished and renewed. 

Sandbags have been a staple in Iyengar yoga, which is the place the restorative yoga follow has its roots. Including weight to the physique, via the usage of sandbags or eye luggage, may help to supply an expertise of grounding, bringing you out of the enterprise of the thoughts and into your bodily physique. It offers a delicate soothing sign to the mind-body connection that it’s protected, like a swaddle can soothe a child, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (our relaxation and digest response). This creates a sense of calm and safety, which helps to ease emotions of stress and nervousness. 

Right here fellow restorative instructor, Yogamatters August co-host and my pricey good friend, Yvonne O’Garro, and I exhibit 5 methods to include sandbags into your restorative follow. 

Enjoyable truth: it was truly our mutual love of sandbags that first bonded Yvonne and I after we first met! 🙂

Reclined sure angle 

4 blocks, 2 bolsters, 2 bricks, 2 eye pillows, 2 sandbags

A traditional restorative posture, reclined sure angle or supta baddha konasana, sandbags might be integrated into this pose to assist floor the thigh bones. 

• Place one cork brick horizontally on the high of the mat. Add a second brick vertically angled on high of the primary brick and place the bolster on high. This shall be to help the backbone.
• Add a neatly folded blanket for the pinnacle.
• Come to take a seat on the mat together with your again to the bolster and convey the soles of your ft collectively, permitting the knees to open huge.
• From there place two blocks on both aspect of the leg. The primary block will lay flat with the second block angled to help the outer thigh. Repeat on the opposite aspect.
• Lie again alongside the bolster, ensuring the pinnacle and neck have the help of the folded blanket. Launch the pores and skin of the shoulder blades down the again and lengthen the tailbone down in direction of the ft. 
• Place the sandbags on both hip to floor the thigh bones. 
• Possibility to put a mini bolster over the tops of the ft for grounding (as proven within the picture). 
• Keep for 10-20 minutes. 

 

Downward savasana 

2 bolsters, sandbag, small rectangular bolster

Putting weight alongside the sacrum (the again of the pelvis) in any downward going through posture like youngster’s pose or downward savasana, may help to create size alongside the decrease again in addition to launch stress.

• Place one bolster vertically on the high of your mat and the second bolster horizontally throughout the width of the mat.
• The bolsters must be touching creating an the other way up ‘T’ form. 
• Use a small rectangular bolster (as proven within the picture) or a rolled up blanket on the backside of the mat to help the ft. 
• Come onto all fours (arms and knees) and place the tops of your ft over the mini bolster/rolled blanket. 
• As you deliver your self down onto your bolsters, the decrease stomach will relaxation on the horizontal bolster, simply on the hip crease, and the ribs, chest and head will relaxation onto the vertical bolster. 
• Flip your head to whichever aspect feels most snug.
• Permit the forearms to relaxation onto the bottom, with the elbows barely away from the physique to assist launch throughout the tops of the shoulders. 
• From there place your sandbag over the again of the pelvis and barely pull down in direction of your backside to create a sense of size. 
• Keep for 10-20 minutes.

 

Reclined twist 

1 Blanket, 1 bolster, 2 blocks, 2 sandbags

On this reclined twist there may be the choice to make use of one or two sandbags, relying on what you’ve gotten at your disposal. As you may see within the picture above, one sandbag is positioned over the precise hip, with the burden of the sandbag barely drawing down away from the physique to assist anchor the hip down and create extra size alongside the precise aspect physique. The second sandbag is positioned over the precise shoulder, which is especially helpful in serving to to attract the precise shoulder down in direction of the ground to assist deepen the twist. 

• Take a folded blanket and create a small roll, which is able to help the pure inward curve of the neck. 
• Place two blocks, in portrait orientation, aspect by aspect, to the left hand aspect of the mat after which place the bolster on high.
• Come to lie down on the mat with the pinnacle on the blanket and the small roll below the neck. 
• Bend your knees and convey your ft to the ground. From there increase your hips and shift them over to the precise. 
• Straighten your left leg down and hug your proper knee in in direction of your chest. 
• On an exhalation draw the precise leg throughout the physique to the left, inserting the decrease leg onto the raised bolster. 
• The precise knee must be roughly in step with your hip, making certain that the entire of the decrease leg from the knee to the foot is supported on the bolster. Possibility to put a bolster alongside the outer proper hip to assist reduce the hip down and away from the precise shoulder. 
• Prolong your proper arm out to the precise, with palm face up. 
• If the precise shoulder doesn’t fairly attain the bottom you may shuffle your leg shoulder barely to the left to assist launch the precise shoulder down. Right here is the place you may as well place one other sandbag to assist encourage the precise shoulders in direction of the earth. 
• Keep for 5-8 minutes after which repeat on the opposite aspect. 

 

Savasana model 1 

1 sandbag, 1 blanket, 1 belt, 1 bolster

Savasana is without doubt one of the easiest poses so as to add the usage of a sandbag to. It’s additionally a pose that’s accomplished on the finish of most yoga lessons, no matter class fashion, so you may incorporate this on the finish of any yoga follow. Putting weight over the entrance of the thighs helps to anchor the legs and really feel grounded. 

Right here is a straightforward savasana arrange:

• Neatly fold a blanket for the pinnacle, with the graceful rounded edge in direction of you. 
• Create a loop with the belt and thread your legs via the loop. Deliver the strap to mid-thigh and tighten sufficient that it holds the legs collectively hip distance aside. 
• Place the bolster to the again of the thighs, simply behind the knees. 
• When you lie down with the blanket below the pinnacle and neck, the strap across the legs and the bolster behind the thighs, you may place the sandbag over the entrance of the thighs, just under the entrance hip factors. 
• Keep for 10-20 minutes.

 

Savasana model 2 

4 blocks, 1 sandbag, 1 blanket, 1 belt, 1 bolster

Putting a sandbag over the brow has an analogous feeling to utilizing a watch pillow, nonetheless the sandbag has a bit extra weight to it. Including weight to the brow may help to subtly sign to the thoughts to quieten and settle. 

• Previous to mendacity down for savasana, stack 4 blocks on the high of the mat, simply above your head. 
• Place the sandbag on high of the 4 stacked blocks after which lie down for savasana.
• Pull the sandbag down barely from the blocks till it covers your brow. 
• Because the sandbag is huge, solely a 3rd of the sandbag shall be in your brow with the remainder of the sandbag nonetheless resting on high of the blocks. 
• Ensure to evenly distribute the burden throughout the brow.