One of my favorite practices between seasons when the earth element is most prone to maladies is to create ritual around finding ease using yin poses that target the spleen/stomach meridian lines. These poses allow us to stretch through the primary digestive meridians as well as soften in the belly. My favorite sequence, because it requires little adjustment, is to spend 15 minutes moving from a Twisted Wide Child on the Left to Center and finish on the Right.

The Wide Child series lends us the opportunity to feel a lot of sensation behind the knees and in the quads. Sometimes the sensation can feel quite uncomfortable. As long as it doesn’t feel risky, stay with it and work with the phychological practice of finding ease. Below is a simple practice that I use as a rest and digest primer. Finding ease in difficulty stimulates the nervous system in a powerful way, allowing us to move through difficulty with compassion and ultimately helping us to be more patient.

Find a comfortable seat. Take a few breaths and set an intention for your practice.
Come to all fours. Separate your knees as wide as you can, sit your hips back to your heels and walk your elbows forward, placing your forehead on your forearms to find Wide Child’s Pose. Take 3 breaths here.
Gently thread your right arm under your left armpit reaching the right fingertips out to the left, your head will naturally face left. Your left arm can be placed behind your back, outstretched in front of you or resting on the right palm. Set timer for 3-5 minutes. Follow your breath to start, notice your sensations and settle in. Gently encourage the mind to stay awake, aware and attuned to what shot up. Ease comes with letting the experiences of our breath body and mind knit together without trying to hold to tight or push away. Ease manifests as easy breathing, soft muscles and a relaxed mind.
After 3-5 minutes, come back to center. If you need to make adjustments, adding props, etc, do that here and then spend 3-5 minutes in this position.
Thread your left arm under your right armpit reaching the left fingertips out to the right, your head will naturally face right. Your right arm can be placed behind your back, outstretched in front of you or resting on the left palm. Set timer for 3-5 minutes. Follow your breath, notice your sensations and settle in.
Lie in Shavasana for 2-3 minutes and notice how your body feels. Were you able to move through any difficulty? Cultivate a sense of ease? Keep practicing, this will become a favorite with time.