Side Stretches

Take a wide stance, placing your feet more than hip-width apart and pointing your toes outward. Keep your knees unlocked, bending them slightly over your toes.

Bring your awareness into the right side of your body.

Raise your arms up overhead and clasp your right wrist with your left hand. Inhale as you bend your knees further.

Exhaling, stretch your whole right side, pressing from your waist down through your right heel. At the same time, lengthen from your waist up through your right fingertips. Your left hand tugs gently on your right wrist to extend the stretch through your torso and right arm

Continue breathing slowly and deeply, in and out through your nose, as you hold the stretch.

Inhaling, return to straight standing. Notice what's happening in your body. Compare the sensations in your right and left sides.

Ancient Images of the Sacred Feminine: Side Stretches
Benefits Limbers your spine Releases muscular tension, especially in your back Stretches the muscles between your ribs, enabling you to breathe more fully Balances your right and left sides How To Practice [click on your browser's "refresh" or "reload" button to replay the animations]
Take a wide stance, placing your feet more than hip-width apart and pointing your toes outward. Keep your knees unlocked, bending them slightly over your toes. Bring your awareness into the right side of your body. Raise your arms up overhead and clasp your right wrist with your left hand. Inhale as you bend your knees further. Exhaling, stretch your whole right side, pressing from your waist down through your right heel. At the same time, lengthen from your waist up through your right fingertips. Your left hand tugs gently on your right wrist to extend the stretch through your torso and right arm Continue breathing slowly and deeply, in and out through your nose, as you hold the stretch. Inhaling, return to straight standing. Notice what's happening in your body. Compare the sensations in your right and left sides.
Now bring your awareness fully into the left side of your body. Reversing the position of your hands, now clasp your left wrist with your right hand. Inhale as you bend your knees further Exhaling, stretch your whole left side, pressing from your waist down through your left heel. At the same time, lengthen from your waist up through your left fingertips. Your right hand tugs gently on your left wrist to extend the stretch through your torso and right arm Continue breathing slowly and deeply as you hold the stretch. Inhaling, return to straight standing. Again, notice what's happening in your body. Compare the sensations in your left and right sides. Repeat this pair of side stretches, moving through at least two and as many as five repetitions.
Awareness As you stretch through one side, notice the line of stretch defined by your fingertips and your foot. Focus your attention at the centerpoint of this line, a point within your body's center. As if a double-pointed arrow were seeded there, watch as this arrow spreads from the centerpoint out equally in opposite directions along the line. Breathing into the centerpoint and out through the arrow's endpoints, feel the continuous line of stretch extending from your center out through your fingertips and foot. In this way, your awareness expands from your body's center and fills this pathway through your body. <<back
Lisa Sarasohn is a poet, artist, yoga instructor, and bodywork therapist. For additional articles on the body's sacred center and information on "Honoring Your Belly" workshops, the instructional video, and belly-celebrating accessories, visit loveyourbelly.com or contact © 2000 Lisa Sarasohn