Have you ever heard of Mindful Stretching? Nope, neither had I until recently. However, I was looking for a way to be mindful whilst moving my body, and stumbled across a whole ton of videos on YouTube on ‘mindful stretching.’ I then found this piece on the Berkeley University site that gives an excellent introduction to this slow and focused form of stretching. If you want to relieve muscle tension and stress at the same time, this seems like the perfect way to do so. I’ve been through quite a few of these mindful stretching classes on YouTube now, so here are some of my favourites.
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Hola Jess Yoga’s Mindful Movement 10 Minute Seated Yoga Stretch
This was one of the first videos I found when looking for some kind of mindful exercise, and I instantly felt relaxed. Jess has one of those voices that makes you feel so at ease and calm. It’s a quick 10-minute yoga stretching routine that’s done sitting down, and you don’t need any fancy equipment. I love sit-down exercises (who doesn’t?) so this is a winner for me.
MadFit’s 20 Minute Full Body Stretch/Yoga for Stress and Anxiety Relief
Maddie is another YouTuber who I could listen to all day! While some of her workouts are a bit more intense than calm, mindful stretching, I really enjoy a lot of the videos she puts out – everything from low-impact HIIT to dance workouts. This 20-minute video is a full-body stretch and the background music would have sent me to sleep if I wasn’t concentrating so hard on getting the moves right.
The Loss Foundation UK’s Mindful Stretching Exercise
Not everyone wants to follow along to someone on screen, especially when you’re stretching and trying to crane your neck to see what comes next. I love the simplicity of this 6-minute mindful stretch from The Loss Foundation UK. There’s a heavy focus on the mindfulness aspect to this, that’s almost meditational. If you don’t have a lot of time for self-care, and just need a moment of peace that involves moving your body gently, this is the one for you.
Jessica Richburg’s Mindful Yoga Flow | 40 Minutes – Full Body Stretch
If you have a bit more time in the day for some serious stretching, then I love this 40-minute full body stretch from Jessica Richburg. This routine also has it all, including mudras, affirmations, intentional asana sequencing and a body scan meditation. So, if you want an entire mind and body reset I’d highly recommend following along with Jessica!
Movement Paralells Life’s Mindful Movement & Stretching
I love the Movement || Life YouTube channel, where Kellen (a movement coach) teaches primal and natural movements for strength, mobility, and mindfulness. He’s the kind of person that just makes you WANT to move, instead of feeling like you HAVE to move. This is the ideal 20 minute routine to relieve stress but also aching muscles if you’ve recently done some more intense exercise (or just sat too long at your desk all day).
If you want to mindfully move, try some of these mindful stretching videos. Whether you’ve got 5 or 40 minutes spare, these should help relieve tension, overwhelm and sore muscles. Also, if you know of any more mindful stretching exercises then please let me know. I’m obsessed!