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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