Unscripted Magazine Spring 2024 - Flipbook - Page 30
SHELLY’S
GO-TO STRETCHES
Wellness Specialist and Yoga Instructor Shelly Baldwin shares mindful motivation
on how and why to practice self-care through stretching.
W
hen you wake up in the morning, after you
caught up in our busy lives, and sometimes the little
open your eyes but before you step out of
moments of allowing our bodies to pause slip away
bed, odds are high that you raise your arms above
from us. Not only do we forget to stretch, but we may
your head, lengthen your legs, and maybe even bend
find ourselves less often stopping to listen to birds
your body into a little twist—taking up space with a
outside or seeing the sunrise or saying a prayer of
well-needed stretch after a sedentary night, without
intention—whatever those little things are for you.”
thinking much about it. It’s one of our bodies’ natural
tendencies toward self-care.
Shelly says there’s nothing wrong with scheduling this
time of centering your body and mind into your day
“This pause to stretch is so important for our bodies,
if you have to, even if it’s just four minutes. So when
not just in the morning, but also throughout the day,”
your alarm goes off tomorrow morning or when you’re
said Shelly Baldwin, a Wellness Specialist and Yoga
feeling groggy mid-day, give these four exercises—
Instructor at Messiah Lifeways. “We too often get
Shelly’s go-tos—a try for at least one minute each.