Recovering from Covid-19, even the "mild" variant, can be challenging. This sequence is built on the work of Lois Steinberg, and the Iyengar yoga Association of the UK Therapeutics Committee. They both produced resources in spring of 2020, links below. (I highly recommend especially the booklet that the IYA UK made, for help setting up poses, and the video webinars both created for more information.) I found that when I was recovering I didn’t have the mental ability to create my own practice sequence, and just wanted to be told what to do. So this class is a series of parts, each focusing on a family of poses and actions, that you can practice either all together or in sections as they suit you.

During your recovery you may have difficulty with one of these parts, so simply skip that part for now. Or you may find that one part is really calling to you to practice for longer, so focus on that part. You need to tune into what the body is asking for to heal and recover, so don’t force anything that feels unhelpful or wrong. Time will pass and you will be able to do more, so practice what you can now and trust in the process. Let yourself relax into this practice, and don’t let it be rigorous or too demanding. We have shown two variations during this practice, one student more recovered, and one more symptomatic, so you can see different ways of modifying to suit your current state.

I wish you a full and speedy recovery, and many wonderful practices now and in the future.

Parts:

Introduction

Part 1 Child’s Pose

Part 2 Standing Inversions/Forward Bends

Sirsasana after Part 2 (if practicing Sirsasana)

Part 3 L shape poses

Part 4 Suptas

Part 5 Inversions

Part 6 Savasana

Suggested props: 1-2 chairs, 1-2 bolsters, 4-5 blankets, 2 straps, 4 blocks, a slant board

Links:

https://www.yogaalliance.org/Get_Involved/COVID-19_Resources/Archived_COVID-19_Workshops_and_Events/CE_Workshop_Iyengar_Yoga_Respiratory_Health

https://iyengaryoga.org.uk/covid-19-recovery-a-suggested-yoga-programme/