u/AnjyRajy

If restorative yoga has ever made your anxiety spike, you're not "bad at yoga."

Per Polyvagal Theory, forcing total stillness on a hyperaroused nervous system is like slamming the brakes at 80 mph—it often causes rumination to ramp up.

The fix? Gradually slowing down through rhythmic micro-movements (rocking, swaying) so your body registers safety before hitting full stillness.

Here is a quick 10-minute, 5-pose routine built for gentle regulation:

1. Cat-Cow: Rhythmic breath and spine movement
2. Sphinx Pose: Mild engagement to anchor focus
3. Child’s Pose: Grounding fold to reduce sensory input
4. Reclined Figure Four: Hip tension release
5. Legs-Up-the-Wall: Slowing heart rate via vagal stimulation

Happy to answer questions or discuss the mechanics of nervous system regulation!

Link to full article: https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/yoga-for-anxiety-restless-mind

Hi everyone! I’m an Ayurvedic and yoga teacher (and a rescue dog mom 👋🐶). As someone who spends plenty of time writing and on screens, my wrists used to take a total beating whenever I stepped onto the mat—especially during Downward Dog or Plank.

If you deal with a sharp or dull pinch in your wrists during practice, you're definitely not alone. For those of us spending hours typing or texting, our forearm muscles are often structurally fatigued long before we get to class. The issue usually isn't a lack of overall strength, but unconditioned forearms and passive joint collapsing into the delicate carpal bones.

I wanted to share a simple, 5-minute sequence to help protect your wrists and build Hasta Bandha (hand-grounding) strength:

1. Tabletop Rocking (5–8 counts): Gradually loads the wrists and stretches tight forearm extensors. Focus on keeping the base of your index finger glued down.
2. Active Finger Pulses (1 minute): Ground your fingers and lift just the heels of your hands like a spider to activate the intrinsic grip muscles.
3. Forearm Plank Protraction (5–8 counts): Pushing the floor away engages shoulder stability, which takes direct pressure off the lower wrist joints.
4. Flipped-Palm Pulses (5–8 counts): Gently stretches the top of the forearms in the opposite direction of typing.
5. Isometric Hand-Pressing (5 reps, hold for 5s): Pressing palms together in Anjali Mudra evenly resets joint stability without movement.

Hope this helps anyone dealing with wrist fatigue on the mat! I recently published the full anatomical breakdown and guide over on Yoga Journal if you’d like to check out the full piece:

5-Minute Wrist Strengthening Exercises Every Screen-User Needs