Evening Yoga Routine: Release & Unwind (intermediate level)

This Yogea evening tension relieving routine is designed to alleviate any tension build-up from the day. It starts off with gentle rib cage isolations to open the whole spine and neck and is followed by deeper twists to decompress the spine and open space in the pelvis. The quads are then opened with a massaging semi-table top position and the spine is rounded to release tension. Forward bend twists are introduced to sooth the hamstrings and open the mid back. A variation of flamingo, eagle and modified triangles are interwoven into a down-dog based warm up to stretch the legs -- hamstrings, IT band, and calves. Gate pose twists further open the sides of the waist and the inner thigh muscles and low and high lunges provide a deep groin and psoas stretch. Innovative shoulder openers are coupled with hamstring lengtheners and a balancing ankle to knee twist brings a soothing glute stretch. More seated bound spinal twists and hip openers are integrated with forward bends and neutrally rotated standing postures that target all ligaments and tendons of the legs and the muscles of the back. The winding down section offers valuable quad openers paired with hero pose and ankle to knee variations. Soothing forward bends bring the focus in and a reclining butterfly variation that opens the hips allows for deep relaxation at the end. The sequence exerts a soothing effect on all body parts that tend to accumulate stress after a busy day.
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