Do you love your bolster as much as we love ours? If so, you might like to try this super short restorative sequence. Obviously, if you have the time and feel comfortable, you can hold the postures for a wee longer than suggested. Just press pause and enjoy. Same goes the other way round!

Virasana

Start in Virasana (kneeling), resting your sit bones evenly over your bolster, shins over your mat, stretching the front of your ankles. Spine nice and tall, hands resting over the thighs, chin slightly tucked in, elongating the back of your neck. Soften your face and close your eyes.

Draw your awareness to your breathe and its natural rhythm, gradually working on making it smoother, deeper and longer. Stay here for 2-3 minutes.

Uttanasana

Place your hands on the floor in front of you, roll on your toes and send your hips upwards into standing forward fold, Uttanasana.

Pressing your heels down, lengthen your sit bones upwards, opening the back of your legs. Don’t force your knees straight, instead, bend your knees as necessary in order to keep a long spine. Torso is drawing downwards. Neck is free, so keep your shoulders always from the ears.

Here, you can use your bolster on its longest edge, and rest your head on it. If this feels too low, you can also place blocs under your bolster, or even use a chair to rest your head on. Stay here for 1-2 minutes.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Press your hands firmly on your mat and walk your feet back into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog). Still resting your head on your bolster. Feel free to adjust the hight as needed. Stay here between 2-3 minutes.

Lizard Lunge

Step your right foot forward by the right edge of your mat so your right hand is by the inner edge of your foot. Here you can slide the bolster (I use it on the wider side) under your left hip. Hold for 1-2 minutes.

Supported Lizard

Now, move your bolster to its flattest edge and rest your forearms over it. Inhale to lengthen your torso forwards, exhale and allow your hips to release down. If the bolster feels too low and you’re finding yourself overarching your back, it can be a good idea to place some support, like a couple of yoga blocks, under your bolster to create some extra hight.

If you are REALLY comfy here, you can even turn the bolster onto it’s higher side and rest your torso and head over it and have a cuddle! Stay here for about 2-3 minutes.

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Frog Variation

Bend your back knee, sending your foot to the right side of your mat, in line with your knee, turning your toes outwards, so they are pointing towards the back of your mat.

Bring your bolster towards the left corner of your mat and rest your elbows over it. You can deepen the bend on your right knee in order to deepen the pose. Alternatively, you can keep your arms straight to make the pose a little less intense. Hold for 1-2 minutes.

Gate Pose

Come up to kneeling on your left knee as you straighten your right, right toes pointing forwards towards the front of the mat.

Place the bolster on its higher side under your right knee, keep your left hip directly above your left knee as you extend your left arm up and over towards your right. Palm facing down. Working on keeping both sides of your body long and hips forwards rather than having your bottom sticking back. Stay here for 1 minute.

Side Plank Variation

Come back to kneeling and place your left hand on the mat, towards its short edge. Spread your fingers and engage your left shoulder.

Lift your right foot in line with your hip, bend your knee and catch your foot with your right hand. Resist your foot away into a gentle backbend.

Place your right foot back down, toes facing forward. Bring your hands to either side of your right foot as you extend your left foot towards the back of the mat (knee on the floor) into low lunge.

Press down with your hands and step your right foot back into Downwards Facing Dog.

Repeat the sequence on the other side.