Body Rebalance — Form Guide

Quick reference for yin yoga poses & warm-up additions. Less thinking, more doing.

🧘 Yin Yoga Sequence (10 min)

Hold each 60–90 seconds. Breathe into the tight side — right shoulder, right hip, right QL. These aren't stretches to push into; settle into them and let gravity do the work.

1. Thread-the-Needle

Start on right side (the tight one). 60–90s each side.

Start on hands and knees, tabletop position
Slide right arm under left arm, palm facing up
Rest right shoulder and side of head on the floor
Keep hips stacked over knees — don't let them drift
Feel the stretch in right shoulder and upper back
Breathe into the tight spots between shoulder blades

2. Pigeon Pose

Right leg forward first. 60–90s each side.

From downward dog or plank, bring right knee toward right wrist
Right shin at a comfortable angle — doesn't need to be parallel to mat edge
Extend left leg straight back, hips square to front
If hips don't reach floor: place a cushion or folded blanket under right hip
Walk hands forward and fold over front shin if comfortable
Right hip is the anchor of the whole chain — this is priority #1

3. Sphinx Pose

60–90s. Passive lumbar extension.

Lie on belly, elbows under shoulders, forearms parallel
Press forearms into floor, gently lift chest
Keep shoulders down away from ears
Glutes relaxed — don't clench
Low back should feel decompressed, not compressed
If sharp pain in low back: slide elbows further forward
Right QL gets a chance to relax here — let it

4. Cat/Cow

10 slow reps. Extra rotation to right on extension.

Hands and knees, tabletop. Inhale = cow (belly drops, look up)
Exhale = cat (round spine, tuck chin)
On cow (extension): deliberately rotate a little extra to the right
This re-calibrates "center" — your default center is tilted left
Move with breath, not speed

💪 Day A Warm-up (Mon/Fri — Strength Focus)

Add to beginning of workout. ~5 min total.

Dead Hang

15–30 seconds, 2 rounds. Pull-up bar or sturdy doorframe bar.

Grip bar at shoulder width, palms facing away
Let body go completely dead — shoulders up near ears
Feet off floor (bend knees if bar is low)
Passive shoulder decompression — gravity does the work
No active pulling. No flexing. Just hang.
If grip fails before 15s: that's fine. Build it.

Calf Step Stretch

90 seconds each side. Edge of a step, curb, or thick book.

Ball of foot on step edge, heel drops below step level
Stand upright — don't lean forward
Hold something for balance if needed
Straight leg targets gastrocnemius; slight knee bend targets soleus
Tight calves → ankle pronation → hip tilt. Loosen the chain from the ground up.

💪 Day B Warm-up (Wed — Rotational/Core Focus)

Add to beginning of workout. ~5 min total.

Single-Arm KB Carry

1 minute each side. 15–20 lb KB.

Hold KB in one hand at your side like a suitcase
Walk normally — keep shoulders level, don't lean away from the weight
Engage opposite-side obliques to stay upright
The loaded side's shoulder stabilizers work to keep the joint centered
Forces each side to stabilize independently — can't cheat with right-eye dominance
Farmers walk (both hands) is fine too, but single-arm is the key progression

Face Pulls

15 reps. Light resistance band or cable at face height.

Anchor band at face height. Grip with both hands, palms facing down or toward each other.
Pull band toward your face — elbows go wide and high
Squeeze between shoulder blades at the end position
Hands finish beside ears, not below chin
Wakes up posterior delts, external rotators, lower traps
Counteracts the forward-rounded shoulder pattern from desk work

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