5 Simple Yoga Practices to Start Reclaiming Yourself Today
When was the last time you truly paused for you? Not to tick off a task or take care of someone else, but to reconnect with your breath, your body, and your needs?
For so many women, the rhythm of life is defined by serving others first. And while caring for loved ones is beautiful, it can easily slip into a pattern of self-sacrifice and burnout.
That’s where the simple, soul-soothing practices from a meditation and yoga retreat come in. These aren’t fancy or complicated. They're gentle, grounding rituals you can begin right now to start coming back to yourself.
Here are five simple yoga practices to help you reclaim your energy, reset your nervous system, and remember who you are—no retreat booking required (though we do know a good one).
1. Grounding Breath Awareness
Before you move, pause. Sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
Inhale slowly for a count of four. Exhale for a count of six. Repeat this for two to three minutes. This longer exhale calms your nervous system and signals to your body that you are safe.
Why it works:
Breath awareness grounds you in the present. It’s the gateway to deeper emotional regulation and self-awareness, just like we practice on retreat.
2. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Sit tall, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees drop out to the sides. Rest your hands on your ankles or feet. Breathe deeply.
Stay here for at least one minute, allowing your hips to soften and your shoulders to relax. This pose invites gentleness and connection to your centre.
Bonus Tip:
Close your eyes and silently repeat, "I choose me."
3. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
Find a wall, lie on your back, and extend your legs up so your body forms an L shape. Rest your arms by your sides, palms facing up. Breathe slowly.
Stay for 5 to 10 minutes. This restorative inversion helps regulate blood flow, calm the mind, and soothe anxiety.
Bonus Tip:
Let your eyes soften or even close. The less you do, the more your body receives. Notice how stillness itself becomes the practice.
4. Seated Twist
Sit cross-legged or with legs extended. Inhale, lengthen your spine. Exhale and twist to the right, placing your left hand on your knee and your right hand behind you. Hold for a few breaths. Switch sides.
Twists are great for resetting the spine, wringing out tension, and offering your body a symbolic ‘let go.’
Retreat tip:
We often combine this with journaling to help you release emotional knots, too.
5. Savasana with Intention
Lie on your back, arms at your sides. Let your entire body relax into the earth. This is Savasana, the final rest pose.
But here’s the shift: before you drift off, whisper an intention to yourself. Something like: "I give myself permission to slow down." Or "My needs matter."
This turns rest into a reclamation.
Bonus Tip:
Stay a little longer than you think you need. True restoration often begins just after the mind stops fidgeting. Give yourself the gift of extra time here.
Additional Tips, Best Practices & Mistakes to Avoid
Best Practice: Make it short and consistent. 5–10 minutes a day is powerful when practiced regularly.
Mistake to Avoid: Waiting until you're burnt out to start. Use yoga as prevention, not just recovery.
Tip: Pair your yoga with journaling or breathwork. These practices work beautifully together, just like they do on a meditation and yoga retreat.
Conclusion
You don’t have to wait for a breakdown to start your breakthrough. Even the simplest yoga practice can be an act of radical self-love.
These five practices offer a gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and remember yourself. They’re exactly the kind of grounding rituals we guide women through at Inside Retreats, because reclaiming your wellbeing shouldn’t feel like another thing on the to-do list.
If these practices spoke to you, pass them on. Share this blog with a friend who might need the reminder to slow down and choose themselves, too.
