Hi Friends,

With the Yoga Journal Conference coming up this weekend, The Well Daily headquarters are busier than ever. This article reminded me that when I'm feeling stretched for time, I can regroup in just one minute.

xoxo,

Sukey

If you have just one minute to recenter with yoga before a big meeting or a critical phone call, what pose should you do? Ideally, you want a pose that will stretch your spine, relieve shoulder and neck tension and get your head below your heart—without having to roll out a mat or take off anything but your jacket.

All you have to do to calm your mind and release tension (which is really just trapped energy) is take ten slow, deep breaths in Downward Dog. (Don't forget to take equal breaths.) Even if you've never been to a yoga class, this pose is a perfect introduction to the relaxing effects of the practice.

Downward Dog is used so often as a resting position in yoga classes that we forget what a potent inversion it actually is. Because the head is below the heart, it provides many benefits of inversions like headstand or forearm stand without requiring as much strength or balance.

Taking a quick break for Downward Dog stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, hands and arches of the feet all at once. Continue reading to discover more benefits of this powerful pose and watch a video tutorial of how to do it.