10/03/2026
🌿 Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero) with modifications
From a Chinese medicine lens, this pose stretches along the Stomach and Spleen channels on the front of the thighs and abdomen. It also gently opens the ribcage, where stuck Liver Qi likes to hide. It’s a classic pose for the pattern of Liver Qi overacting on the Spleen and Stomach: stress that shows up as bloating, sighing, tension, and a “knot” in the middle.
My modifications:
✨ A block under the seat takes pressure off the knees.
✨ A bolster behind the back lets the chest open without straining the low back.
✨ Raise the props as high as you need. Comfort, not depth, is the goal.
🌿 Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
After opening, we turn inward. Forward folds are cooling and calming, and they draw the Shen (spirit) home. A bolster across the legs to rest your torso on lets the nervous system soften instead of reaching and striving.
🦶 Bonus: Kidney 1 (Bubbling Spring)
Before or after your fold, press your thumbs firmly into Kidney 1 on the sole of each foot. You’ll find it in the depression just behind the ball of the foot, about one-third of the way down from the toes. Hold for 1–2 minutes with slow breaths. Kidney 1 is the most grounding point on the body. It draws energy downward, calms an overactive mind, and helps you feel rooted.
💛 A few notes
• Skip deep Reclined Hero if you have knee injuries or acute low back pain.
• Breathe slowly, with your exhale longer than your inhale.
• Let the props do the work. Support is not “less than.” It’s where the healing happens.
Try it after a meal (wait at least an hour), during your cycle, or anytime you need to move from tight and stuck to soft and settled.
