A Short, Seated Flow for the Spine

Often when people say the word “flow”, the first place our mind goes to (in yoga) is sun salutations and the vinyasa sequence of chaturanga to upward-facing dog to downward-facing dog. Sometimes your body is just not quite ready for that sun salutation, whether it’s too early in the morning or you have issues with forward bending, back bending, or the support and strength needed to hold those dogs and planks. So I was inspired to create this short flow to get at a lot of the same movements (and even more!) that sun salutations give me, but just seated and gentler. You’ll get the spine to forward bend and backbend, as well as some rotation, some twisting action, and a couple of lateral stretches. Try it before your sun salutations or as a way to wake up a sticky spine! While the sequence may be lacking in the strength-building department, it will definitely get your body primed for some asana work that can provide that benefit.

If you have issues taking your hands overhead, you can always take them to your hips while still taking your body in the direction of the stretch gaining much of the same benefit. As I note in the video, you can sit in a different posture than cross-legged if cross-legged is not right for your body. As always, listen to your body and modify your movement as needed!

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