Daniel and I went on a bush walk in the Kattang Nature Reserve today, just north of the long sweep of Dunbogan Beach. It’s been a mild winter which probably accounts for the early season wildflower displays we discovered scattered among banksia shrubs, casaurinas, and paperbarks. There were rumoured sightings of whales far out at sea, but no marine animals showed up for us.
In the spirit of being able to do yoga anywhere, anytime, this bench seemed like a good place to demonstrate a great side stretch that combines with a forward bend movement:

At the beginning of a yoga practice, first you do a straight forward movement in the kneeling position (virasana forward stretch) and then take the stretch out to the side, one direction and then the other. Opening up the sides of the body can be good preparation for backbending poses, too.
And, if you prefer working passively, here’s a way to open up the sides of the body:

Can’t resist showing one more awesome (true sense of the word) photo from today. We are totally blessed to live in such a magnificent part of the world!