Standing strong

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RESILIENCE & STAMINA
Standing strong is about more than just physical stability – it’s about resilience in the face of challenges and prioritising recovery. In my previous article, Building Resilience, we explored mental and emotional endurance. Now, let’s shift our focus to the physical foundation of resilience: the feet, ankles, and legs. Strengthening and maintaining these areas enhances balance, stability, and coordination while reducing your risk of falls and injuries.

The leg muscles are among the largest in the body. Strengthening them boosts circulation, improves heart health, and stimulates bone density by exerting force on the bones. Developing endurance and stamina in your lower body gives you the confidence to move with ease and control, whether in your yoga practice or daily activities.

BUILDING FOUNDATIONS 
A strong stance begins with mindful contact with the ground – pressing into three key points of contact with the ground: the big toe, little toe, and center of the heel. Engaging these points lifts the arches, channels energy upwards, and activates the legs for greater stability. When our foundation is strong, we stand resilient in both body and mind.

Balance is a crucial life skill that is very trainable and essential at every age. A solid foundation not only improves balance but also enhances posture, core engagement, and lower back support. Yoga offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with the feet, strengthening muscles often weakened by shoes and modern surfaces. Strong legs offer the power for steadiness, while well-conditioned feet and ankles enhance sensory awareness and reaction time. By cultivating symmetrical strength in the feet, ankles, knees, and legs, we move with greater confidence and ease. Strength can be built in yoga through slow, controlled movements or by holding static poses with intentional muscular engagement. A resilient body supports a resilient mind, allowing us to stand firm in both movement and life.

EXPLORING STANDING STRONG IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence offers plenty of opportunities to strengthen your feet, ankles and legs. The first row is a series of balancing drills challenging postural muscles, proprioception and cognitive – the three components that together make up your ability to balance. The second and third row are the two main standing flows which are each built of three two pose mini flows and finish with a single pose that you will hold for 3 to 5 full breaths. Complete the full line with the right leg forward and then repeat the line with the left leg forward – this is one full round of the flow. For a longer practice you can repeat these two standing flows. The sequencing finishes with some strengthening for the back of the hips and some hip circles to massage out the muscles.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Move slowly and with control through the sequence like you are moving through honey. Use your breath to help you access your postural muscles. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”.

• Press into the three key points in the feet, find your foundation and feel the ankle and legs muscles activate.

• Repeat the two standing flows for two or three rounds per side, stepping right leg forward first then left leg.

• Give yourself at least 5 mins in Savasana to transition back into your day.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Building resilience

Join me for FREE on Stronger You and practice this sequence. Subscribe to access more of my monthly sequences. For 50% off your first month use YOGARU50.

THE RESILIENCE FORMULA
Resilience isn’t just about pushing through a challenge – it’s about meeting them head-on and then being able to come back down after. It’s your ability to regulate your nervous system’s response to physical or mental stress. Stress is not all bad – it helps train the nervous system to adapt, motivates us to start our day, and drives productivity. While short periods of manageable stress are a natural part of life, chronic or unmanaged stress can lead to inflammation and disrupted sleep.

When stress takes over, the brain shifts into ‘bottom-up’ emotional regulation, where the amygdala – our internal alarm system – goes into overdrive, leading to impulsive decisions. In contrast, when we’re calmer, ‘top-down’ regulation takes the lead, allowing the prefrontal cortex – the thinking brain – to make more thoughtful choices. Just like a muscle, the nervous system can be trained through repetition to recover after stress and strengthen ‘top-down’ responses, fostering better emotional balance and decision-making

In the cycle of physical and mental stress, the recovery phase is where growth occurs – this is when you become stronger and more adaptable to life’s demands. As Tiffany Cruikshank of Yoga Medicine advises, “To feel and perform better, you must prioritise relaxation.” This balance between stress and recovery is the key to building resilience: stress + recovery = positive adaptation.

By applying this formula both in yoga and in daily life, we can train the nervous system to rise to a challenge and return to a state of calm. Just like a dimmer switch, learning to regulate between stimulation and relaxation prevents the body from getting stuck in a constant state of high stress or low energy, promoting long-term resilience and well-being.

BUILDING RESILIENCE WITH YOGA
Incorporating small doses of both stimulating and recovery practices into your yoga routine creates manageable cycles of stress and recovery. This not only builds resilience but also enhances your ability to handle stress in daily life.

You can introduce stimulating elements through strengthening poses, balance drills, eccentric movements, isometric holds, and slow, controlled flows. Then, balance these with recovery practices such as gentle flow, exhale-focused breathwork, myofascial release (MFR) self-massage, meditation, and yin or restorative poses. By alternating between stimulating and relaxation, you train your nervous system to adapt more effectively, fostering long-term resilience and well-being.

In daily life, it’s essential to have a personal toolkit of recovery practices to support resilience. Your active recovery might include restorative yoga, meditation, myofascial release (MFR), gentle stretching, breathwork, short naps (before 3 PM), or spending time in nature. These intentional practices allow your nervous system to truly reset. On the other hand, inactive recovery – such as watching TV, reading, scrolling through social media, or other screen time – still involves some level of stimulation and doesn’t provide the same restorative benefits.

I encourage you to create your own resilience formula by identifying activities that challenge you and listing your favorite active recovery practices. True resilience comes from a well-rounded approach that includes quality sleep, proper nutrition, hydration, movement, time in nature, and meaningful social connections.

EXPLORING BUILDING RESILIENCE IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence combines challenging poses with recovery. It starts with one of the best MFR techniques for stress and tension relief – the shoulders. The first row has a progression of mini flows that gets more challenging followed by a propped Malasana/Squat to recover. Rows two and three are the two standing flows which incorporate core and balancing challenges. You will step your right leg forward first then repeat the flow with the left leg forward. You can repeat these flows two to three times depending on how challenging you want your practice to be and how long you want to practice for. Row four has two more core mini flows and a breather in Apanasana/Knee to Chest. This is followed by two more MFR techniques on the hips and glutes – the perfect way to recover the hips. Finally you will finish with a short seated pranayama practice.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the MFR and pranayama techniques used in this sequence. The props you’ll need are:
2 x MFR balls - or 2 tennis balls.
2 x yoga bricks - or 2 thick similar sized dictionaries.

MFR
No.1 - Shoulders (trapezius & supraspinatus)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each upper shoulder, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly circle arms overhead and back to the ground x 5. 

No.2 - Hips (gluteus medius)
Compression - from side lying up on your forearm, stack  2 x balls behind your frontal hip bone on your outer hip, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower your leg x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down on your outer hip.

No.3 - Glutes (gluteus maximus & piriformis)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each buttock muscle, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5. Place your right foot on your left knee and lower and lift your right knee.
Roll & cross fibre - roll around the whole buttocks area.

Pranayama
Sit in supported Baddha Konasana/Bound Angle or your preferred seated position.  Inhale for the count of 4, exhale for the count of 4, pause for the count of 2 x 3 rounds. Inhale for the count of 5, exhale for the count of 5, pause for 4 x 3 rounds. Inhale for the count of 6, exhale for the count of 6, pause for 6 x 3 rounds. 

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Morning mobility flow

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BLOW AWAY THE COBWEBS
We are all very aware of the many benefits of a good night's sleep – from strengthening the immune system to better focus and attention throughout the day. But after a really solid night of deep sleep you can sometimes feel a bit stagnant and creaky. Mobilising all the joints of the body with a quick morning yoga practice will blow away the cobwebs and help you optimise the benefits of your nights sleep. If the idea of slotting a morning practice into the start of your day feels like a mammoth task, have a read of my previous article Morning routines. Stretching and strengthening your hips, spine and shoulders will help you sit, stand and walk throughout your day with more awareness of good posture, and allow you to move around with less aches and pains. It also wakes up your digestive system, kick-starts your metabolism, boosts your circulation and immune system and expands your lungs which unlocks your upper spine and brings in more oxygen to wake you up.

THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING
Muscles are like rubber bands. If you apply force to them, without warming them up first, they can tear. Morning mobility helps prevent injuries by warming up all the muscles ready for your daily task – from simply reaching for something in a high cupboard to your preferred sporting endeavour. It is important to keep this rubber band principle in mind when you are stretching and approach a morning yoga routine with patience. Your flexibility can vary on different days and at different times of the day. Studies show that muscles and joints are tighter in the morning and increase in flexibility throughout the day. This is totally normal and all the more reason to gently stretch your muscles and enjoy having a more adaptable body for the whole day. If you have time you could add some MFR (myofascial release) to your hips, spine or shoulder. I love to start my morning practice with some MFR from my calves up to my hamstrings. This is an area for me that can feel tight in the mornings and very easily sustains overstretch injuries, particularly in my hamstrings. For these MFR techniques, have a read of my previous article.

EXPLORING MORNING MOBILITY FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence focuses on hips, spine and shoulders and also hits all the muscles and joints of the body in this short and simple morning practice. The first row is the general warm up with four mini flows to warm the whole body. Link your breath with each movement and repeat each two pose flow three times. The second and third row are the two standing flows. In a full standing flow round you will repeat the flow (marked between two arrows) twice – first time with the right leg forward and second time with the left leg forward. You can repeat this full round one, two or three times depending on how much time you have. The breath count for the standing flow is an uncounted inhale and a slower exhale to the count of three as you transition to the next pose. The final row is the cool down stage of the practice, finishing with Savasanah.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Focus on capturing smooth and comfortable ranges of movement as you flow.

• Notice how you feel before and after your practice.

• Pay particular attention to the sensations in your hips, spine and shoulders as you move.

• Move slowly through the sequence using the breath count as your guide. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”. You can increase or decrease the count to suit what feels comfortable for you.

• Breath all the way into your belly to access the full capacity of your breath.

• Repeat the two standing flows for three rounds per side, stepping right leg forward first then left leg.

• Give yourself at least 5 mins in Savasana to transition back into your day.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru