Unplug

To UNPLUG is to disconnect, let go, take a break. Allow yourself to unplug for a day. No phone, no internet, no TV. If a full day seems impossible, take a half day. Still beyond your wheelhouse? At the very least, give yourself a few hours. Set your phone down and go for a hike in the woods. Walk along the edge of the ocean and absorb the sounds, sights and smells. Sit by a river and watch it flow. Let the outside world disappear for a few hours. In the stillness, see what you discover about yourself.

Big Hole River, Melrose, Montana

"The world will not fall apart when I unplug for

a moment to rediscover myself."

Yoga Pose: Wide Legged Forward Fold Prasarita Padottanasana

A fun, easy forward fold that has the added benefit of being an inversion. This pose can be practiced with intensity or a bit more casual and carefree. Either way, emerge feeling centered, refreshed, playful and alive.

Foundation. From standing in Tadasana, step or jump your feet 3-4 feet apart. Make sure the inner edges of your feet are parallel to each other. Place your hands on your hips. Set your intention.

Move. Exhale. Maintain a long torso and fold forward from the hip joints. As your torso approaches parallel to the floor, reach down and take a hold of your ankles or big toes.

Legs. Push your top thighs straight back to help lengthen the front torso, then widen the base of your pelvis. Take a few breaths. On a deep exhalation, bend your elbows and lower your torso and head into a full forward bend.

Torso. Continue to lengthen the front of your torso.

Arms. For a more intense pose, maintain an active 90 degree angle in the elbows and draw yourself deeper into the fold by activating your arms, while holding your feet. Release your shoulders away from your ears. For a less intense pose, allow your elbows to soften.

Gaze. See the world upside down as you gaze through the V created by your legs. Stay in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute or whatever feels right to you. To come out, bring your hands back to your hips. Lift and lengthen your front torso. Then on an inhalation, pull your tailbone down toward the floor, and stand upright, moving from the hips. Walk or hop your feet back into Tadasana.

B R E A T H E

Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, Oregon