Thanksgiving is all about indulgence — delicious food, heartfelt conversations, and moments of gratitude.
But after a hearty meal, your body might feel heavy, bloated, or even sluggish.
The good news?
Yoga can help!
Here are 8 yoga poses that aren’t just about burning off calories. They’re designed to help your body recover after your Thanksgiving feast.
They’ll aid digestion, relieve discomfort, and leave you feeling lighter and more energized. No crazy workout required. Let’s dive right in!
1. Starting with the Child’s Pose
We’ve all been there, that post-Thanksgiving slump where your body is crying out for some TLC.
So let’s kick things off with a classic yoga pose that’s all about relaxation and rejuvenation.
The Child’s Pose, known as Balasana in yoga terminology, is a restful pose that can work wonders for your digestion.
It’s gentle, easy, and incredibly soothing – perfect for when you’re feeling stuffed and sluggish.
You simply kneel down on your mat, sit back on your heels, and then lean forward until your forehead is resting on the mat. Your arms can be outstretched in front of you or resting at your sides.
The magic of the Child’s Pose lies in the gentle compression it creates in your abdominal area. This encourages your stomach and intestines to do their job, aiding digestion and helping to relieve that uncomfortable bloated feeling.
But it’s not just about physical relief.
The Child’s Pose is also a great way to relax mentally, allowing you to let go of any guilt or stress you might be feeling after indulging in that Thanksgiving feast.
2. Moving into the Cat-Cow Pose
After easing into our yoga session with the Child’s Pose, it’s time to gently get things moving with the Cat-Cow Pose.
This is a wonderful way to stretch out your back and get your digestive system fired up again.
For this pose, you start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Then, you alternate between arching your back like a cat and dipping it down like a cow.
It’s a simple move, but incredibly effective.
Now, let me tell you from personal experience, this pose is a game-changer.
After one particularly indulgent Thanksgiving, I was feeling the effects of overeating. My stomach was bloated and uncomfortable, and my energy levels were at an all-time low.
That’s when I turned to the Cat-Cow Pose. I started slowly, taking deep breaths and moving at my own pace. And within minutes, I could feel my body starting to wake up again.
My back loosened up, my digestion kicked into gear, and I felt a renewed sense of energy.
That’s the beauty of yoga – it’s not about pushing yourself to the limit. It’s about listening to your body and giving it what it needs. And in that moment, the Cat-Cow Pose was exactly what I needed.
3. Embracing the Seated Forward Bend
As Albert Einstein once said:
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
This certainly holds true for our bodies after a hearty Thanksgiving feast. So let’s keep the momentum going with our next pose – the Seated Forward Bend.
In yoga-speak, this is Paschimottanasana. You sit on your mat, legs extended out in front of you. Taking a deep breath, you reach forward towards your toes, keeping your spine straight.
You don’t have to reach all the way – it’s not about touching your toes, it’s about feeling that wonderful stretch along your back and hamstrings.
Just like Einstein’s bicycle analogy, this pose helps restore balance in your body. As you lean forward, you give your abdominal organs a gentle massage, which can work wonders for digestion.
It’s a gentle reminder that to find balance in life (or after indulging in a Thanksgiving feast), sometimes all we need to do is keep moving forward.
4. Unfolding into the Bridge Pose
Now that we’ve stretched and soothed our bodies with some gentle poses, let’s take things up a notch with the Bridge Pose.
Bridge Pose is a backbend that stretches your chest, spine, and hips while stimulating the abdominal organs.
It’s perfect for relieving bloating and boosting energy when you’re feeling sluggish.
- How to practice: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Press into your feet and lift your hips toward the ceiling, keeping your shoulders grounded. Hold for a few breaths, then slowly lower down.
What’s fascinating about this pose is that it’s a mild inversion, meaning your heart is above your head.
This has a host of benefits, including improved circulation, reduced stress, and increased energy – just what you need after a Thanksgiving feast.
5. Flowing into the Downward Dog
This modified version of the traditional Downward Dog pose gives you a deep stretch in your hamstrings, back, and shoulders without needing to leave your desk.
Want to know how to do it?
Stand up and place your hands on your desk, shoulder-width apart.
Walk your feet back until your arms are fully extended and your body forms an L-shape.
Keep your spine long and your head in line with your arms.
Press your palms into the desk and push your hips back to stretch your hamstrings and back. Hold for 5-10 breaths, feeling the stretch along your entire back body.
6. Settling into the Reclined Twist
After the invigorating Downward Dog, let’s shift gears and slow things down a bit with the Reclined Twist.
This pose is all about relaxation and gentle detoxification, making it a perfect choice for our post-Thanksgiving yoga sequence.
In this pose, you lie on your back, hug your knees into your chest, then let them fall over to one side while keeping your shoulders flat on the mat. Turn your head in the opposite direction for a nice neck stretch.
What makes the Reclined Twist so special is its ability to stimulate digestion and detoxification. As you twist, you’re essentially giving your abdominal organs a gentle massage, encouraging them to get rid of any toxins.
It’s like wringing out a wet towel – you’re helping your body to let go of anything it doesn’t need.
And let’s not forget about the relaxing aspect of this pose. The gentle twist helps to release tension in your back and hips, while the slow, deep breathing calms your mind.
It’s a moment of stillness and release that can be incredibly soothing after the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving.
7. Transitioning into the Triangle Pose
From the calming stillness of the Reclined Twist, let’s rise back up and re-energize with the Triangle Pose.
This standing pose is all about creating balance and harmony in the body – exactly what we’re aiming for after indulging in a Thanksgiving feast.
To get into this pose, you stand with your feet wide apart, turn one foot out 90 degrees, and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
Then you reach forward with your leading hand, hinge at the hip, and let your hand come down onto your shin or ankle. Your other arm reaches up towards the sky, creating a straight line with your other arm.
The Triangle Pose is a wonderful way to stretch out your entire body while also engaging your core muscles – a great way to aid digestion and boost metabolism.
It also helps improve balance and stability.
That’s how it reminds us of the importance of maintaining balance in all aspects of life, including our eating habits.
8. Concluding with the Corpse Pose
After all the stretching, twisting, and balancing, it’s time to wrap up our yoga session with a pose that might seem like it’s about doing nothing, but is actually one of the most important poses in yoga – the Corpse Pose.
In this pose, you simply lie flat on your back, arms and legs comfortably spread apart, eyes closed, and breathe deeply.
That’s it.
No stretching, no twisting, just pure relaxation.
But don’t let its simplicity fool you.
The Corpse Pose is the ultimate pose for relaxation and rejuvenation. It’s a chance for your body to absorb all the benefits of the previous poses, to rest, and reset.
And after a Thanksgiving feast, that’s exactly what your body needs – a moment of complete rest and relaxation so it can do its job of digesting all that delicious food you’ve enjoyed.
So lie back, close your eyes, and let your body and mind completely relax. It’s the perfect ending to our post-feast yoga session – a moment of peace and tranquility to counterbalance the indulgence of Thanksgiving.
Wrapping it up
Thanksgiving is about indulgence, but it’s also about balance.
These yoga poses offer a way to care for your body after the feast, helping you feel lighter, calmer, and more energized.
Whether you try one pose or all ten, take a moment to appreciate how yoga supports not just your physical health but also your mental well-being.
Roll out your mat, take a deep breath, and let gratitude guide your recovery.
