Cool Down & Relax: 17-Min Stretch for Desk Workers

So we're not going for a super intense stretch here, just let your knees open out, maybe rest the insides of your hands, on the insides of your legs where you're probably feeling tension. And just for the first time today just start to unwind, just like this tension you're feeling, slowly going to relax. Good, now bring your right knee up towards your right armpit and just hug the front of your knee with your right hand, keep your left foot where it is and just breathe here, just feel your hips opening as well now. Good, just because you feel a bit of tension in these stretches doesn't mean you need to push into it more or pull into it more and any tension you're feeling, if you're biting your jaw just rest that or if you're holding your tongue at the top of your mouth just let that rest as well.

Just really relax here, good. So either stay where you are or bring your right foot up so that it's up towards the ceiling, you can grab your right ankle or the outside of your right foot if you're comfortable there, if it's too much of an intense stretch that's not what we want today so just let go if it is and grab your knee again. Good and if you like me in these stretches I fidget sometimes and sometimes I find it hard to switch off as well but just keep bringing yourself back to your breath or the stretch you're in and just relaxing what feels tight and just focus on those things just like at Jiu Jitsu you would focus on the technique you're doing and that should kind of help your mind just start to relax and your breath slow down more. Good and when you let go of your right foot don't just let it fall down, just guide it down to where it started, good, reset there and then bring the left knee up so hug the left knee to begin with for a few breaths.

Good bring the left foot up maybe grab the ankle or keep holding the knee or the outside of the foot if you're comfortable. Yeah maybe think about what the other knee's doing as well are you holding tension there, are you picking that up or are you just kind of letting that relax now? Good let's let go of that left foot and just guide it down and then bring your knees back up and just rest the insides of them together again just give the kind of adductors a bit of a rest and now interlace your fingers and then bring your palms to the back of your head almost like they're wrapping around your head. Bring your elbows together in front of your face, good and feel that centre of your back laying on the mat now then open out your elbows so the backs of your shoulders are resting on the mat keep opening them out and then rest your elbows on the mat, good, so everything between your elbows now on your back is resting nicely on the mat and just breathe here this could be the first time today you've kind of had your hands behind you probably been at your desk with your hands in front of you all day or driving but whatever it is just just let your chest relax let your chest open and just give it the opportunity to do that and with your thumbs here you can kind of relax the back sorry massage the back of your neck here as well that could feel pretty good or even those cauliflower ears for some of you good and just lift your head briefly unlock your hands now bring your hands up good so that your arms are in kind of like a goalpost or cactus position and again let everything open out back to your hands are resting on the mat back to your elbows and your shoulders are resting and breathe here good lift your head again, place your fingers behind your head, back of your head in the palm of your hands again if you feel like you've lifted that centre part of your back you can bring your elbows together bring it down and open out again but just lift your head look over to your left so look at the left elbow and rest your head in your hands and take three breaths here lift your head up again look over to the right look at that right elbow rest it in your hands three breaths good bring your head back up rest the back of your head in your hands for a second now in your own time just let go of your hands turn yourself onto a side and just as lazy as you can come to all fours reminding yourself of those breaths now that we're in all fours just sit your hips back onto the backs of your heels here then walk your hands out in front of you rest your elbows down and then forehead to the mat or onto your knees wherever you're comfortable just breathe here and just feel a little stretch in your hips and your lower back good slowly lower your higher self to all fours again walk your hands out in front of you keep hips above your knees drop your chest down to the mat you can either rest your chin on the mat or your forehead and just feel your front body open again breathe into this for your lats and your shoulders and your chest stretch good push yourself up and now step your left hand out to the left and your right hand to and sit your weight back maybe drag your hands back good and feel that stretch between your right shoulder and your right hip if you want a little more but nothing too intense just walk your right hand away a little more and feel that good now step your right hand in front again and left hand in front rest your elbows rest your forehead or your chin on the mat for two breaths good then come back up to all fours walk your hands out in front again lower yourself down good and we'll come back up walk the right hand out walk the left hand to where the right was and now sit your weight back let your hands drag feel that stretch in your left side now maybe walk the left hand away and rest your head good lift your head bring your hands back in front of you and we'll come back up to all fours and then again as lazy as you can lay on your back knees bent good just make sure you're flat your flat your back is flat on the mat and then shrimp your hips out to the left and rest your knees on top of each other to your right so that you lay on your right hand side here now your right hand is going on top of the left knee so the top knee and then your left hand just point out to the ceiling and open that out just relax into this twist here don't force it just see where your body goes a few slow deep breaths here good one more deep inhale here and then air yourself to undo the pose turn onto your right side then push yourself onto your back and then shrimp your hips out to the right and rest your knees on top of each other to your left as you turn onto your left good bring the left hand down and then bring your right hand down to your left as you turn onto your left good bring the left hand on top of the top knee and then right hand comes up and away good then breathe here good right hand comes back up and over to the left hand side and then push yourself onto your back again good and rest your knees inside of your knees together again and then feet kind of hip width and from here you can either have your hands by your hips or one hand on your stomach one hand on your chest and just try and have no tension here and we'll take a few breaths here just some long deep breaths so let's take one more inhale together slowly in and slowly exhale good and then in your own time just turn onto your side and bring yourself up to see a position and that is it for today's class hope you enjoyed it i hope it's helped you kind of end the day and switch off and now enjoy your evening or enjoy your bed and just i hope you guys feel good i'll do some more videos like this if you guys enjoyed it let me know in the comments and i'll see you in the next video thanks guys