Social battery empty? You need this slow yoga practice for 15 minutes.

Do you spend a lot of time with family and friends? Do you feel compelled to socialize at work events? You’ll find yourself in more situations where you need to put a smile on your face and… small more outgoing than you would like?

Chances are you’re experiencing the stress and exhaustion of being ‘on’ all the time, also known as social burnout. While you can’t always avoid social obligations (or come up with a really good excuse to miss them), there is a way to release pent-up energy and calm yourself down before and after.

Replenishing can take the form of a quiet moment away from distractions and a chance to really breathe. “A lot of talking equals a lot of exhaling, and most people don’t make a point of consciously inhaling at social gatherings,” says Jeanne Heilemanan experienced yoga teacher trainer whose approach focuses on the subtle body. This can drain your device’s battery pranaor life force, Heileman explains. “When we overuse our voice or overstimulate our senses, we need to turn inward,” she says.

In other words, it’s not just your own words that drain your energy; it’s other people talking Unpleasant you, but also your environment – ​​loud music, bright lights and the collective energy of a room – which can leave you feeling empty.

So the next time you experience that feeling of overwhelm that makes you feel like you can’t breathe fully, try this short practice to ground, go within, and restore.

15 minute social burnout sequence

In this exercise you move through postures from low to mat, giving you plenty of time to take long, slow, deep breaths. Grab a few pillows, couch cushions, or folded blankets and four blocks or small stacks of books.

If it is feasible, make sure your environment is as quiet as possible. Can you close the door? Turn off your phone? Dim the lights or light a candle? However you practice it, make time to meet your needs – and let go of the busyness and noise of the outside world.

1. Supported child’s pose

Place a bolster or pillow lengthwise on the mat. Get on your hands and knees with the pillow beneath you, lower your hips toward your heels and lower your chest onto the pillow. Rest your arms in front of you on the mat with your elbows slightly bent and your palms on the mat. Rest your forehead on the pillow or bring one cheek to the pillow in the supported child position. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Breathe here for a minute or more. Once your head is turned to one side, turn your head about halfway to bring the other cheek toward the pillow.

2. Supported Crocodile Pose

Get on your hands and knees and then lower yourself onto the pillow so that your chin touches the front. Spread your legs apart so that they are wider than hip-width, straighten them and allow your heels to rotate slightly outward. Gently grasp opposite elbows and lower your forearms onto the mat or folded blanket. Rest your forehead on your forearms. Let yourself sink against the pillow. Stay here for a minute or more.

3. Supported Bound Corner Pose

Sit on the mat or a cushion. Bend your knees and pull the soles of your feet together. Place pillows, folded blankets, or books under your knees for a less intense stretch. Place a cushion or cushion on the mat lengthwise about 30 cm in front of you. Rest the furthest short end of the pillow on the mat, then tilt it up and toward you so that it touches your forehead. Gently tuck your chin. Rest your hands on your thighs. Sit in the pose and breathe here for about a minute.

Sit up slowly, then extend your legs in front of you and gently shake them out.

4. Supported Wide Leg Forward Bend Variation

Sit on the mat or a folded blanket and spread your legs in a V position. Place a pillow or cushion on top of your right thigh. Rest your right forearm on the support. Reach your left hand above your head and to the right in this wide-legged forward bend variation.

For a less intense variation: Bend your right knee and plant your right foot on the mat.

For a more intense feeling, grab your left hand with your right hand while stretching even more to the right.

Take a few breaths here and then go to the other side.

5. Supported boat position

Place 2 bolsters or cushions lengthwise on the mat, in one line, with some space between them. Place 2 blocks or stacks of books under each cushion so that the outer edges are higher and the inner edges rest against the mat. They should form a V shape. Sit in the space between the cushions with one behind you and one in front of you. Lie back against one support and gently pull your legs up to the other, resting your forearms on the mat or folded blankets in the supported boat pose. Keep your gaze soft or close your eyes for a minute or more.

6. Restorative bridge pose

Place your pillow or pillow lengthwise on the mat. Sit halfway on the cushion. Lie so that the pillow supports your mid-back and your shoulders, arms, and the back of your head rest comfortably on the mat. Straighten your legs and rest your heels on the mat or place your feet on the floor and bend your knees toward the ceiling in Restorative Bridge Pose. Breathe here for a minute or more, then press your forearms into the mat to return to a seated position.

7. Hero pose with breathwork

Kneel on the mat and lower your hips between your heels and onto a pillow, block or the mat. If this is uncomfortable, you can sit in any comfortable position.

Bhramari breathing and Shanmukhi Mudra

Bring your palms to your face and gently touch your index fingertips to your eyelids. Rest the rest of your fingers along the outside of your nose and nostrils and above and below your lips. Touch the cartilage in front of your ears with your thumbs. Inhale and pause for a moment, then exhale as you vocalize hum sound. Let this sound remove any outside thoughts or sounds from your mind. Repeat this mantra for a minute or more.

8. Sitting with Lotus Mudra

Remain seated and bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position (Anjali Mudra). Hold the heels of your hands and pinky fingers together as you hold your palms apart and spread your fingers to create a shape that resembles a flower or cup. This gesture is one of those received. Imagine light flowing in and out of your hands, warming your face, and expanding outward to illuminate the world and the people in it… from a safe distance, of course.