10 Detoxifying Yoga Poses to Help You Stay Grounded This Holiday Season

By Ashley Lall Updated: December 8, 2018

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healthy living

With the holidays upon us, you might be feeling a little bit more backed up than usual. Not only are our schedules packed with holiday planning and family outings, we’re indulging at every turn. But hey, this crazy time only comes once a year, right? You can’t turn down having a glass of wine and a piece of pie with your loved ones.

To help move some of that stress and toxicity from your mind and body during the most hectic time of year, yoga proposes a solution. Try this simple yoga sequence, equipped with poses that will help you detoxify your body and soothe your mind so that you feel emotionally grounded and physically radiant despite the holiday rush.

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Mountain Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Mountain Pose
1. Stand up straight and tall with your chin parallel to the ground and your hands down at your side, palms facing front. Tuck your tailbone in slightly and draw your navel in towards your spine. Keep your shoulder blades rolled down your back so your spine is straight and your chest is open. Make sure you’re distributing your weight evenly between both feet.
2. For an added benefit, take this pose against the wall and feel your back ribs press into the wall as you inhale, encouraging expansion in the diaphragm. The deeper you breathe, the more grounded your body will feel once the exercise is over.
3. Stay in this posture for five breaths.
2. Tree Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Tree Pose
1. From mountain pose, shift your weight to your right foot. Lift your left leg by bending your left knee, and grasp the outer side of your left ankle.
2. Use your hand to guide your foot to rest along your inner right thigh. Make sure you’re not resting your foot on the right knee! Either place the foot above the right knee on the inner thigh, or take the foot below the knee to the inner calf.
3. Align the center of your pelvis with your right leg, and use your hands to align your hips.
4. You can either keep your hands on your hips or take them in front of your chest in prayer position. Stay in this posture for five breaths, and then perform on the other side.
Wide-Legged Forward Bend

Lara Alexiou
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Wide-Legged Forward Bend
1. From mountain pose, step the feet wide apart, between 3 to 4 feet (or wider, if you are taller or feel open enough in your hips) with the feet facing forward.
2. Lift the inner arches of the feet while pressing firmly into the outer edge and big toe of each foot. Firmly engage the upper thighs by pulling them up.
3. On an inhale, lift your chest and raise your arms up above your head.
4. Keeping the torso long and extended, lean forward and hinge at the hips, lowering the torso down. Once your torso is parallel to the ground, place your fingertips on the ground beneath your shoulders and press firmly into them. Gaze straight in front of you, and take a full breath here.
5. On an exhale, drop the crown of the head down toward the ground as you draw the upper thighs up and shift your weight forward.
6. Take five breaths here. For an even deeper stretch, grab hold of the outsides of your feet and gently pull yourself down a little further.
Seated Cat/Cow

Lara Alexiou
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Seated Cat/Cow
1. Sit cross-legged in a comfortable position with your palms on your knees and your spine straight up tall, chin parallel to the ground.
2. On an inhale, arch your upper back and push your chest forward, opening up the front body.
3. On an exhale, round your back by curving your spine into a C shape, tucking both your chin and tailbone in and drawing the lower belly up and in towards the spine.
4. Repeat this motion for five full breaths.
Seated Spinal Twist

Lara Alexiou
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Seated Spinal Twist
1. Sit with your legs straight out in front of you and your spine straight up tall.
2. Bend your right knee in so that the sole of your foot is on the ground, then place the right foot down over the left leg.
3. On an inhale, draw both of your arms up above your head.
4. On an exhale, twist over to your right side, placing your right hand down on the ground behind your hips as a kickstand to keep your spine upright. Grab hold of the right knee with your left arm to gently pull yourself deeper into the twist.
5. On each inhale, sit your spine up taller. On each exhale, twist a little more.
6. Repeat this motion for five breaths, then perform on the other side.
Reclined Bound Angle Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Reclined Bound Angle Pose
1. Begin seated with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Bending the knees, bring the soles of the feet to meet each other and let your knees fall out to both sides, like you’re opening a book. If you feel tender in your groin here, put a pillow or bolster under each knee.
3. Lean back and bring your elbows to the floor, lowering your upper body down to the ground completely. Allow your lower spine to curve naturally.
4. Bring your arms down alongside you with palms facing up. Rest here for five breaths.
Plow Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Plow Pose
1. From reclined bound angle, stretch your legs straight out in front of you and turn your palms face down.
2. Bend your knees so that the soles of your feet are on the floor. On an inhale, lift your hips up. Take a full breath here.
3. Place your hands on your lower back and your elbows on the ground for support. On an inhale, use your hands and your core strength to lift your legs up toward the ceiling. Stretch the toes up toward the ceiling, fully extending the legs up.
4. On an exhale, bring your toes down behind you, staying in the post whereever you start to feel resistance. Press the back of the head down into your mat to keep your neck long, and make sure to keep the legs straight.
5. Eventually, your toes will land behind your head. If you’re already there, work pressing the backs of the knees up toward the ceiling. This should feel like a deep stretch in the backs of the legs.
6. Stay where you are comfortable for five breaths.
Child's Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Child's Pose
1. Come to your hands and knees (if this is uncomfortable on your knees, place something underneath them like a towel, a blanket, or a yoga bolster). Make sure that your shoulders are stacked directly over your wrists and hips are stacked directly above the knees.
2. On an inhale, feel your spine extend long with the crown of your head reaching forward and your tailbone reaching behind you.
3. On an exhale, lower your hips down onto your heels, keeping the arms extended and bringing the big toes to touch. For a deeper hip stretch, you can take the knees out wide and drop the hips between them.
4. Rest your forehead down onto the ground. Breathe deeply here for at least five breaths.
Supine Spinal Twist

Lara Alexiou
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Supine Spinal Twist
1. Lay flat on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and arms down alongside your body.
2. On an inhale, bend your right knee in so your foot is planted on the ground.
3. Using your left hand, guide your right knee over to the left side of your body for a twist, dropping the knee to the floor.
4. Extend your right arm out beside you and turn your neck to gaze to your right.
5. Press your right shoulder down firmly into the ground. Breathe here for five breaths.
Corpse Pose

Lara Alexiou
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Corpse Pose
1. Lay flat on your back with your palms facing up, extending the legs down long in front of you and arms alongside the body.
2. Keep the legs a bit wider than hip-width distance, and let the feet splay out to the sides comfortably.
3. Close your eyes and relax deeply into the posture, taking full, deep, belly breaths. Thank yourself for the effort you put into your body and well-being today.
4. Stay in the pose for five minutes, breathing intentionally.