How to Rejuvenate Yourself in Just 10 Minutes a Day
This week’s tool is a favourite of mine for combating fatigue and pacifying an over-active nervous system after a stressful day. It is also a great technique to quickly overcome jet lag if you travel a lot for business.
If we are to continue to perform in excellence we need to balance our masculine characteristics of activity, reason and analysis with our female characteristics of receptivity, intuition and emotional logic. Many female leaders I work with have disconnected with this side to them through operating in a predominantly male environment. This pose is a delicious reminder that you can rejuvenate yourself in just 10 minutes a day by taking time to just be and receive as well as do and achieve.
The Easy Inversion Pose
I call this technique the Easy Inversion Pose. This is a 10-minute power pose that will leave you refreshed and revitalized. All you have to do is set yourself up for success with a few props.
You’ll need:
- a chair
- 2-3 blankets
- a timer
Being in a quiet room with no noise or distractions helps. If you’re in a hotel room, you can use 4-6 large bath towels as a substitute.
The Set-Up
1. Turn the chair sideways so that the back of the chair is facing to one side to begin with
2. Fold 1-2 blankets length-wise and stack them about 6-12” from the side of the chair. This will support your pelvis when you are lying down and the gentle elevation will encourage the blood to flow towards the heart and head.
3. Keep another blanket or folded bath towel nearby to put under your head.
To get into Easy Inversion Pose
1. Sit sideways on the blanket/s on which your pelvis will rest.
2. Use your hands on the floor to stabilise yourself, then swing your calves up onto the chair seat. (Make sure the chair is close enough that your calves can rest comfortably on the chair seat, but far enough away so your thighs are at a roughly 45 degree angle (i.e. not perpendicular with the floor).
3. With your legs resting on the chair seat, lie back and place the additional blanket or folded towel under your head.
4. Allow the arms to rest on the floor, palms facing up, a comfortable distance away from the body.
5. Close your eyes and allow your body to relax.
Recommended time: 5-15 minutes
To come out of Easy Inversion Pose
Bend your knees and move your feet to the edge of the chair seat. Then s-l-o-w-l-y roll over onto your right side so you are resting in a fetal-like position. Stay here for a couple of breaths. Use your hands to push yourself up to a sitting position.
Benefits:
- Promote relaxation
- Combat fatigue
- Recover from jet lag
- Pacify a stressed-out, over-active nervous system
Take a Break – Before You Break Down
Enjoy the Easy Inversion Pose whenever you need a pick-me-up. If you have comments or questions about the pose, send me a tweet @LeenaPatelLive. I’d love to hear how it has helped you to take control of your energy level.
Coming up next Friday… I’ll be sharing the secret system that top athletes and sports teams have recently benefited from that will help you skyrocket your energy levels at work.
Until then, Perform In Excellence.
Author Bio:
Leena Patel is the founder and lead facilitator of Elite Performance Coaching; an experiential integration program combining Yoga with cutting edge tools in Positive Psychology, Neuroscience and other modalities to align your body, mind and spirit, and accelerate your performance level for deeper professional impact. Visit www.LeenaPatel.net for more information.
Follow Leena Patel on Twitter @LeenaPatelLive
