Written by: Lucy Wyndham
Your eyelids are getting heavy. Your brain is moving at a snail’s pace. Whether you are sitting in your office chair on a boring afternoon or trying to wrangle your children after work, the struggle with fatigue is real. Fortunately, these yoga poses will help reinvigorate you.

Savasana
Savasana improves mental concentration, offers total relaxation, and is a fantastic way to relieve fatigue at home. You start by lying on your back with your legs stretched in front of you. Your feet will fall to either side. Close your eyes and place your arms on the sides of your body with palms up. You can hold this pose for five to ten minutes or for however long you want. Breathe into your belly. Keep the focus on your inhales and exhales or engage in breathing exercises and meditations.
Supine Twist
The supine twist releases the lower back, opens the shoulders, quiets the mind, and improves digestion. You start by lying on your back with your feet on the ground and your knees bent. Keeping your left shoulder and the sides of your feet on the ground, let both of your knees fall to the right side of your body. Lastly, look over your left shoulder and put your arms out to make a T.
Legs Up the Wall
You can do this with a chair or against the wall. Begin parallel to the wall. Lean backward as you twist your legs toward the wall. In a comfortable position, let your legs rest on the wall. If you find the floor uncomfortable, you can use a blanket or pillow for your hips or head. Notice your breathing as you place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Cat/Cow
Start with your hands shoulder distance apart and knees hip distance as you are on your hands and knees. Roll the shoulders back, lift up your hips, look forward, and let your belly lower as you inhale. Round the spine, let the head drop, and tuck the hips as you exhale. This improves digestion, relieves back pain, and opens up the spine.
Child’s
With your knees a few inches wider than your hips and your feet together, sit on the floor. Rest your forehead on the floor by walking your hands forward. Use a blanket or pillow under your forehead if it does not reach the floor. Take deep, slow breaths.
Butterfly
Relieve fatigue by sitting on the floor with the soles of your feet together. Open the feet like a book and round the spine. Then, fold forward towards your feet.
Fight fatigue with us by practicing with PYR 7 days a week at our pay-what-you-can studio!
by Sarah Humphries
I first met Joy at work. She was transferred to work at the same location with me because she and I both were living with Multiple Sclerosis (M.S). and Joy was struggling to keep up. The thought was I could help her succeed as I understood more about M.S. and the everyday struggles.
On her second day at work with us, I went to her and shared with her that I too had M.S. and we became fast friends, almost immediately. I was her supervisor and we worked together to support each other, in every way.
Joy went out on disability and I missed her. I was not far behind her, finding myself on disability as well. The cognitive losses from M.S. were making it hard for me to keep up.
When I stopped working, I began to explore the idea of becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher and going to various M.S. support groups to speak on the benefits of yoga and how the practice had helped me. I decided to get my certification over that summer and began to speak to small groups. Joy asked me to share with her what I had learned. I began visiting her at her home once a week and eventually these visits became yoga classes!
Joy’s M.S. was progressive and over time she began to use a wheelchair and I learned how to adapt poses so that Joy could continue the yoga practice she had come to enjoy and rely on. We even were able to incorporate some of her exercises from her physical therapy sessions.
Incidentally, my private sessions with Joy led me to venture out and begin teaching at other places, in addition to adding a couple of other private students. My talks about M.S. and yoga helped get my name out into the community and I loved sharing. Dana, the Co-Founder of Project Yoga Richmond, came to one of my chair classes at a nearby studio and she invited me to teach a class at Project Yoga Richmond. The rest is history!
I named my class at Project Yoga Richmond EnJOYoga after Joy because that is what she taught me. She taught me that everyone can enjoy yoga and benefit from what yoga offers no matter their ability. Joy’s memory lives on each time I teach this class.
We invite you to join Ambassador Sarah Humphries every Saturday at the studio for EnJOYoga from 10:30-11:30am. Whether you are a genuine beginner who needs a little extra guidance, an experienced yogi who wants to get back to the basics, or someone who wants to try practicing in a chair, then this class is for you. The focus is on making yoga available to anyone who wants to practice. We will use a variety of props to help you find your JOY in Yoga!