Happy Thursday Friends!!
Part TWO of The Yacht Stew’s guest edit with Alessia is LIVE & as promised, we are chatting all about stretching! Let’s face it, we all work insanely hard, spend countless hours on our feet and rarely have time to focus on ourselves. As a trained Pilates teacher, she has a deep understanding of exercise and the importance of movement. Click HERE to see part one where Alessia share’s her favourite onboard snacks.
I hope you are able to take some time out of your day to follow the sequence that Alessia has put together!
Hey, I’m Alessia!
I am originally from Italy and Argentina but grew up in the most beautiful place on earth…Bali, Indonesia. I am a passionate surfer and an active young adult. I’ve recently completed my Internationally recognized Pilates Matwork course and yearn to live a healthy, balanced and active lifestyle. Something that I have ensured to maintain in my daily life, even when working onboard is a daily stretch – whether it be morning or night, I always take a small amount of time for myself.
First things first…
If you don’t have much room, lay on your back and put your legs up straight against a wall. This will help get the blood flowing & is really easy to do anywhere!
Prayer Stretch/Childs pose :
If you are feeling tightness in your lower back, this will really help! It also stretches under the arms.
Kneel on your hands and knees.
Hands shoulder width apart and knees hip distance apart.
The top of the feet resting flat on the floor.
Put your arms in-front and go deep into the stretch.
Roll down stretch:
Stretches the back of the legs and the spine.
Imagine you are standing against a wall.
Standing up tall, feet hip-width apart, arches of the feet lifted.
Arms relaxed by your side, shoulder blades down and back.
Inhale and on the exhale roll your body down trying to touch your toes.
Downward dog
Come onto the floor on your hands and knees.
Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.
Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.
First keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor.
Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis.
Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.
Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor.
Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them.
Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly.
Narrow the front of the pelvis.
From the downward dog you can transition to Baby cobra pose
Start lying down on your stomach with your palms on the floor directly under your shoulders.
Your feet should be pointed.
Keeping your elbows to your sides, press your hands firmly into the floor and begin to lift your chest into a mild backbend.
Thank you so much Alessia for sharing such a relaxing & worthwhile stretching routine with all of us. If you would like to follow Alessia on instagram click HERE.
Big hugs,
Gemma xo
- Managing TWO full time jobs, while changing the world - October 16, 2020
- Mini Series: Dealing with being overwhelmed // Yoga - October 9, 2020
- Mini Series: Dealing with being overwhelmed //Breathing - October 8, 2020
