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Lower back, hips, knees, neck, upper back and shoulders

Side-Lying Full-Body Release

The most passive of the four sequences: fully supported side-lying rest for the hips, lower back, chest, and neck, with no active neck movement required.

Restorative240 to 300 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on one side with your head fully supported

    Knees bent in front of you, lower arm reaching forward so you are not lying on the point of the shoulder. Enough height under the head to keep the neck level.

  2. 2

    Rest your top leg forward on support

    A bolster or cushion under the top thigh takes its weight so the hip and pelvis can go slack. A bolster between the knees is another comfortable way to settle the pelvis, and extra padding under the lower hip helps if the floor feels sharp.

  3. 3

    Let the side of your waist lengthen and soften

    Nothing is pulled or held here. Make small adjustments until the underneath side of the waist stops working, then stay still.

  4. 4

    Open the top arm out with the elbow bent

    The chest opens only as far as the shoulder rests comfortably. Resting the arm on a bolster instead is the gentler option and gives up nothing.

  5. 5

    Keep the head still and supported throughout

    There is no neck movement at all in this one. The support under the head is what lets the neck stay out of it.

  6. 6

    Stay four to five minutes across both sides

    Change sides at the halfway point. Shorten the holds if lying on one side becomes uncomfortable before the time is up.

What to watch for

Pressure building in the shoulder or the hip you are lying on. Bring the lower arm further forward, add padding under the lower hip, and come off that side if it does not settle rather than waiting it out.

Ways to adjust it

  • Reduce hold time
  • Extra padding under lower hip
  • Bolster between knees
  • Extra head support
  • Arm supported on bolster instead of cactus position

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.