Hi there and welcome.
This practice was designed to address stagnation.
That can be stagnation in more of an energetic or an emotional sense.
Maybe you're feeling stuck or frustrated or it can be a more physical manifestation of stagnation.
Maybe you're experiencing something like endometriosis or fibroids or PMS.
Either way,
This practice was designed to assist you with that.
For this practice,
There aren't any props that you have to have,
But it can be a good idea to have a chair or a block nearby for triangle pose.
I'll show you how you might use those props for triangle pose once we get into it.
So we're going to start in mountain pose at the short front edge of our mats.
So join me there with your feet about hips width apart.
Arms relax down by your sides.
Gaze is straight ahead.
Bring your attention to the soles of your feet.
Notice the ground supporting you.
On your next inhale,
Circle your arms up overhead.
Exhale,
Circle your arms down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
This exhale,
Come into a forward fold by hinging at your hips,
Circling your arms down and reaching down towards the mat.
Draw your chin in towards your chest and breathe here.
Notice if your weight is in your heels.
And if it is,
Play with sending it forward.
Notice how that changes what you feel in this pose.
On your next inhale,
Halfway lift to bring your torso parallel with the floor.
And as you exhale,
Release back down into your forward fold.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Last time,
Inhale to halfway lift.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Bend your knees.
Roll up to standing.
And then place your hands on your hips.
Shift your weight to the left and step your right foot back as far as you can.
Your left knee is bent.
Your right leg is straightened.
And both sets of toes are pointing forward.
Release your arms down by your sides.
And on your next inhale,
Bring your arms up overhead alongside your ears.
Turn your back foot so that your back foot is now parallel with the short edges of your mat and perpendicular with your front foot.
Bring your arms down to shoulder height in a T-shape.
You're looking over your front fingers.
Here in warrior two.
Bring your back hand to the back of your thigh,
To the back of your back thigh.
And then reach forward with your front hand.
Turn your front palm to face up.
Reach up with your front hand and then reach back to reverse your warrior.
Come back up to warrior two.
Arms are now back in that T position.
Bend your front elbow.
Place your front forearm onto your front thigh.
And then reach your back arm up so that your fingers are pointing either up towards the sky or your arm is alongside your head.
Come back up to warrior two.
Straighten your front leg.
Place your back hand on the back of your thigh.
Turn your front palm up.
Reach up and then back for reverse triangle.
Come back up.
Arms come back into that T position with your back hand.
Once again,
Reach forward with your front hand,
Your chest.
So you're creating a lot of length on the sides of your body.
And then allow that front hand to come down.
It might rest on your leg.
This is where it might rest on a block or a chair.
Might come to your ankle or your toes or maybe to the mat.
Play with it.
See what you prefer.
Then reach that back arm or maybe that top arm towards the sky.
Imagine that you were being pulled up and out of the pose by your top hand.
Bring your torso back up.
Come back to that T shape.
Bend your front knee.
Turn your back toes so they are once again pointing in the same direction as your front toes.
Back heel is lifted.
Front knee is bent.
Back leg is straightened.
Reach your arms up alongside your ears.
Place your hands onto your hips.
Hinge forward and then step your right foot forward next to your left foot for chair pose.
Keep both knees bent.
Straighten your legs.
Shake out your legs.
And be still for a moment.
As we prepare to repeat on the other side.
This time shift your weight to the right.
Step your left foot back.
Sweep your arms up overhead.
Come into warrior two on this side.
So the back heel comes down to the mat.
And your back foot is parallel with the short edges of your mat.
Arms are in a T position and you're looking over those front fingers.
Bring your back hand to the back of your back thigh.
Turn your front palm up.
Reach forward.
Reach up.
Reach back.
Reverse warrior.
Come back up.
Bend your front elbow.
Place your front arm onto your front thigh.
Reach your top arm either up or alongside your ear.
Come back up.
Straighten your front knee.
Back hand lowers.
Front palm flips up.
Reach forward.
Reach up.
Reach back.
Torso comes back up.
Arms are in that familiar T position.
Reach forward as far as you can over your toes.
And then allow your front arm to rest down wherever it might find itself.
Whether that's a block,
Your leg,
The floor,
A chair,
Your ankle,
Your foot.
You've got plenty of options.
Then reach your top arm up.
Come up and out of triangle.
Arms come back to a T.
Bend your front knee.
Warrior II.
Turn your hips forward.
Turn your back toes forward.
Place your hands onto your hips.
Shift your weight forward.
Step your left foot forward.
Chair pose.
Both knees are bent.
Straighten your legs and shake out your legs.
Be still.
Shift your weight to the left.
Step your right foot back.
As far as you can.
Straighten your front knee.
And then pivot so that you're facing the long front edge of your mat.
So your toes are facing forward.
Everything is parallel with the short edges of your mat.
Hands are on your hips.
Turn your heels in.
Bend your knees.
You can keep your hands on your hips.
You can bring them out to a T.
Or you can bend them,
Palms facing forward.
Begin to pulse up and down.
Then be still,
Deepening into your bend.
We're here for 5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
Straighten your knees.
Turn your toes to face forward.
Place your hands on your hips if they're not already there.
Lengthen your spine.
And then bend forward at the hips.
Bring your hands down,
Either to rest on your legs or to rest on your feet.
Legs,
Ankles,
Your toes or feet.
Or the mat in front of you.
You can also place your hands on blocks or maybe that chair again.
Begin to shimmy your hips.
So shake them from side to side.
Then be still.
Walk your feet in so they're about hip's width apart.
And then bend your knees to take a seat at the center of your mat.
Extend your right leg out to the side.
Left knee is bent and your left heel is coming in towards your groin.
Once you're settled in and your right knee is bent,
Comfortable there,
Reach your left arm up and then hinge over to the right.
Reaching as far as you can with that left hand.
Come up.
Bring your left hand down.
Left fingertips,
Or fingers,
Are pointing away from your hips.
Bring your weight into your left hand.
And then send your hips up and come on to your left knee.
Reach your right arm up.
Lower your hips back down.
Reach your left arm up.
Stretch over to the right.
Let's repeat that.
So left hand comes down.
Weight goes into your left hand so that you can come up onto your left knee.
Hips shine forward.
Right arm reaches up.
Lower your hips.
Stretch over to the right.
Continue doing that at your own pace.
Maybe you sync it up with your breath.
Maybe you just move freely.
Your call.
Make this your final round.
And we'll switch sides.
So bring your right foot in.
Left leg goes out.
Settle in.
And then reach your right arm up and over to the left.
Come up.
Right hand comes down.
Bring your weight into your right hand.
Come up onto your right knee.
Hips shine forward.
Left arm reaches up.
Lower your hips back down.
Reach back up with the right arm.
And over to the left.
Right hand comes down.
Hips come up.
Lower.
Continue at your own pace.
Make this your last round.
Straighten both legs.
And turn so that you are perfectly parallel with the long edges of your mat.
Lie back.
Draw both knees into your chest.
Give them a little rock from side to side.
Or maybe you make circles with them.
Bring your left leg in.
Left knee down to the mat.
Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
And press your right knee away from your torso.
You can stay here.
Or you can lift your left foot.
And draw your right ankle and left knee towards your chest.
Interlacing your fingers either behind your thigh or on top of your shin.
Rock your hips from side to side.
Lower your right foot.
Draw your left knee in.
Cross your left ankle over your right knee.
Press your left knee away.
Remain here.
Or bring your right knee and left ankle towards your chest.
Hugging them in with your hands that are interlaced either behind your thighs or on top of your shin.
Rock from side to side.
Then be still.
Lower your right foot.
Lower your left foot.
Straighten both legs.
Reach your hands out to your chest.
Palms are down by your sides.
Facing up.
Breathe here.
Rest here.
Wiggle your toes.
Wiggle your fingers.
Wiggle your nose.
And roll over to one side.
Press yourself up to a seated position.
I'm going to explore one acupressure point before we end.
So what you'll do is you'll bring your index finger to the webbing between your big toe and your second toe.
Actually,
You'll do it on both feet.
So I should say big toes and second toes.
And then you'll slide your fingers towards your ankle.
So down your foot.
You might find a little tender spot.
Right where it almost feels that those two toe bones would meet.
That's liver three.
You want to apply gentle pressure there.
You can make circles.
Or you can just pulse.
Or press evenly and firmly.
Release your feet.
Bring your hands together.
At the center of your chest.
Thank yourself for taking this time to move,
To breathe,
And to be still.
And I thank you for allowing me to guide you in this practice.
Be well and bye for now.
