Back To The Mat - A Gentle Flow Yoga Practice

A gentle, inclusive practice designed for anyone navigating a return to the mat. Following my own recovery, I’ve found a profound lesson in patience and adaptation. I’m inviting you to join me as I transition back to practice, moving slowly, safely, and with deep intention.

Whether you are recovering from an injury, busy with work, traveling, or simply seeking a more intentional pace, this practice offers a soft landing.

What You’ll Need (Props)
To make this practice as supportive as possible, I recommend having the following nearby:
A yoga block (or a thick book) to bring the floor to you.
A cushion or folded blanket for extra comfort while seated.
A strap (or a long towel) to assist with gentle stretching.
A bolster or pillows for our final grounding meditation.

If you don't have these, please don't worry, you will be able to flow beautifully without them.

Transcript

Sitting with your spine tall. Your neck straight in parallel to the mat. Soften your gaze or close your eyes if that feels comfortable. And just begin to arrive here Feel the areas of your body that are touching the ground. See if you can allow your mat to hold you. And allow your spine to feel a little bit taller. As you sit here. And bring your awareness to your breath. Just notice how your breath feels without trying to change it. Notice if it's fast or slow, Deep or shallow. Notice if there's any part of your body that moves. With your breath. Maybe it's your belly, Maybe it's your chest. Feeling your body expand with every inhale. And soften. With every exhale. Good. Taking in three cleansing breaths here together. Take a deep breath in through your nose. And then open your mouth and slowly, Quietly sigh it out. Let it go. Two more like that. Deep breath in through your nose. And then slowly sigh it out. Let it go. And last one, Deep inhale. Sigh it out quietly through your mouth. Now continue breathing deeply in and out of your nose if that feels comfortable for you. And as you breathe here, Start to bring your awareness to your body. Just noticing. How your body feels. Scanning from the crown of your head all the way down to your toes and then all the way back up. Just notice if there's any part of your body that's maybe a little tight or sore. That may need a little bit more love during practice. And just be mindful of that. If anything I say during practice doesn't feel right for you please don't do it. Come out of the pose and take a resting posture that works for you. And then join us when you're ready. Your hands by your side inhale reach your arms all the way up palms touch overhead And then as you exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. Bow your head to your hands. And think of one thing that you're grateful for today. Inhale, Reach your arms all the way up, Palms touch. Exhale, Hands to your heart. One more like that inhale And exhale. Good. From here, We're going to come to a twist. So bring your left hand behind you. Just tent your fingers on the mat and use your arm to sit a little bit taller. Right hand to the outside of your left knee. Good. Inhale to sit tall. And then exhale, Twisting from your belly. With every inhale your spine feels a little bit taller. With every exhale, Maybe you twist just a little bit more. If it feels good in your neck you can look over your left shoulder. Take a deep breath in. Exhale slowly come back to center and then switch sides so right hand behind you tent your fingers use your arm to lengthen your spine and then bring your left hand to the outside of your right knee. Good inhale to sit tall And exhale to twist. Twisting from your belly, Keeping your hips grounded. And then if it feels good in your neck, You can look over your right shoulder. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, Twist just a little bit more. Good. Slowly come back to center. And then bring the soles of the feet together. So coming into a diamond shape. This is the beginning of our practice. So you don't need to bring your feet too close to you. Just sitting tall. Grabbing whatever feels accessible, So your shins, Your ankles. Your toes. And then with every inhale, Feel your spine get long. With every exhale, See if you can ground your shoulders down your back and maybe lean closer to your legs. So just moving your heart towards your feet. So this doesn't have to be a big fourfold. Good deep breath in. And long breath out. Slowly come all the way up and then coming onto our hands and knees so if you have props move them away and just coming to a tabletop position Spread your fingers wide, Wrists under your shoulders, Knees right underneath your hips. And then you can pat your knees, You can fold up your mat or bring a folded up blanket under your knees if that feels good. You can keep your toes tucked if that feels better in your knees or come to the tops of the feet. Good, You're looking straight down so the back of your neck is long and then pull your belly button towards your spine. Good. Tabletop position. Moving through some cat cows here together. Inhale to drop your belly. Open up your heart. Look up. And then as you exhale, Round your back, Tuck your tail, Look down. Inhale, Drop your belly, Open up your heart, Look up, Cow pose. Exhale to round your back, Tuck your tail, Cat pose. One more like that. Inhale. And exhale. Good. Slowly come back to tabletop and then bring your knees as wide as the mat. Big toes together and push your hips back towards your heels. Coming to child's pose. Good. Extend your arms forward. You can bring your elbows down and let your head rest on something. So maybe on a block or you can bring your forehead all the way down to the mat if that feels good. I'm just breathing here. Notice your body expand as you breathe in. And ground. Moving closer to your mat as you breathe out. Good. And then start to activate your arms. So pressing your fingertips and your palms on the mat. Maybe lifting your elbows. And then pushing your hips back towards your heels. Good. See if you can soften your shoulders. Take a deep breath in. Exhale all the air out. Good. Slowly coming back to your hands and knees, Tabletop position. Knees under your hips, Wrists under your shoulders. Extend your right leg back, Keeping your right toes on the mat. Just start to rock back and forth a few times. Just noticing how this feels in your right ankle. In the back of your leg in your shoulders, In your wrists. Okay. And then you can stay here, Or if you like, You can flex your foot and lift your heel up just to the level of your hips. Your toes are pointing straight down. Good. Pressing your hands down. Again, Stay here. Or if you like, You can start to extend the left arm forward, Thumb faces up. And then pull your shoulder away from your ear. Good. Balancing table. Looking straight down. Take a deep breath in. Exhale all the air out. Good. You can stay in stillness or moving with our breath. So inhale, Reach your fingertips forward. Heel moves back. And then as you exhale, Round your back, Your knee and elbow. Meat under your body. Inhale to reach, Get long. Exhale to round your back. One more inhale. And exhale And inhale, Reach, Get long. And then exhale. Bring everything back down, Coming to tabletop position. Good. Adjust your stance if you need to. Wrists under your shoulders, Knees under your hips. And then when you're ready, Extend the left leg back, Keeping the toes on the mat, Just rocking back and forth. A few times, Noticing how that feels in your body, In your wrists, Your shoulders. Maybe your lower back. Back of your leg. Your ankle. And then staying here, Or if you like, Flex your foot, Lift your heel up just to the level. Of your head. Your toes are pointing straight down. Good. Stay here or extend the opposite arm forward, Thumb faces up, And then pull your shoulder away from your ear. Good, Balancing table. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath. Good. Stay in stillness or if you like, Inhale to reach, Get long. Exhale, Round your back knee and elbow under your body. Inhale to reach. Exhale round your back. One more time, Inhale. And exhale. Good. Inhale. Reach. Get long. And then exhale, Come back down to your hands and knees. Bring your knees as wide as the mat, Big toes together. And then push your hips back towards your heels, Coming to Child's Pose. Good, So reaching your arms forward, Forehead rests on the ground or on a block. See if you can soften your shoulders away from your ears. And your hips are moving towards your heels, Not necessarily touching. Take a deep breath in. Exhale all the air out. Good. From here, Start to walk your hands towards the right side of your mat. Then maybe bringing your left hand on top of the right. Actively push your hips back towards your heels. And then soften your shoulders and your head. So you can bring a block under your forehead if that feels good. You can bring your forehead all the way down to the mat. Then feeling the stretch on the left side of your body. So from your left hip all the way to your fingertips. Breathing into the stretch in your body. Slowly start to come back to center and then moving to the other side. So walking your hands towards the left side. Maybe bringing your right hand on top of the leg. And then pushing your hips back towards your heels, Soften your shoulders, Let your head rest. Gently. On the mat or on a block. And then feel the stretch on the right side of your body. Breathing deeply in and out of your nose if that feels comfortable. And slowly start to come back to center. And come onto your hands and knees, Tabletop position. Bring your knees under your hips, Walk your hands forward. And then on your next inhale, Drop your belly, Open up your heart, Look up. As you exhale, Tuck your toes and push your hips up and back. Downward facing dog. Good. So first down dog over practice. Maybe you want to bend one knee and then the other. Walking your dog, Maybe rocking your hips from side to side. Just noticing how this feels in your body. Good. And then when you're ready, Come into stillness. So you can bend your knees a lot. You're pressing your hands, Your fingers down on the mat. Shoulders away from your ears, Pushing your hips up towards the ceiling. Good, Your heels are moving towards the mat. Not necessarily touching. Good. Take a deep breath in. Open your mouth. Sigh it out. Let it go. Good. Next, Inhale. Lift your heels. Bend your knees. Look forward. And then as you exhale, Slowly step to the top of the mat, Coming to a fourfold. So your feet can be hip distance apart or wider. We're closer together, Whatever feels good. You can keep your fingertips on the mat. You can bring your hands on a block. Wherever you are, Keep your knees bent so you can bring your belly on top of your thighs. Good. You can grab opposite elbows if that feels good. And just feel. . . Your upper back and your shoulders release. Feeling gravity. Pull your head and shoulders down. And see if he can let go of. . . Holding your shoulders. Or your head. Let your head hang heavy. Maybe nod your head yes. Shake your head no. Good. Bring your hands to your shins. As you inhale, Slowly lengthen your spine, Halfway lift. And then as you exhale, Fold forward. Good. Two more like that. Inhale to halfway lift. Exhale to fold forward. Last one. Inhale. And exhale. Good. Next, Inhale. Slowly come all the way up. Reach up. Palms touch overhead. And then as you exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. And then by your side. So standing tall in mountain pose at the top of your mat. So your feet can be hip distance apart, Wider or closer, Whatever feels good. As you inhale, Roll your shoulders up towards your ears and then down your back. Good. So you're opening up your heart. Your palms can face forward to help you do that. And then just notice the ground under your feet. Maybe start to lift your toes up and just notice that feeling under your feet Then holding on to that feeling, Slowly bring your toes back. Good. Pull your belly towards your spine. Slight tuck of the chin so the back of your neck is long. Mountain pose. Soften your gaze or close your eyes if that feels good. And just feel your mat under your feet. Next inhale reach your arms all the way up palms touch overhead Exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. Inhale to reach out. Exhale, Hands to your heart. One more like that inhale And exhale. Good. Bring your hands by your side. Keep your left arm by your side. Inhale. Reach your right arm all the way up. And then leaning towards the left side. Reach your right fingertips towards the left. And see if you can press both feet on the mat evenly. Just feeling the stretch on the right side of your body from. . . Your right foot all the way up to your fingertips. You can look down if that feels good in your neck. You can look up. Good. And then see if you can soften your shoulder. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, Lean a little bit more. Good. Slowly come back to center and then pause here. Deep breath in. Long breath. Moving to the second side so right hand by your side inhale reach your left arm up and over towards the right And then feel your feet. Press to the mat evenly. Feel the stretch on the left side of your body. Deep breath in. Exhale lean a little bit more. One more inhale. And exhale Good. Slowly come all the way back up. Standing tall, Mountain pose. Inhale to reach up. Exhale, Hands to your heart center. Good. Inhale, Reach all the way up. Exhale, Fold forward over your thighs. Bend your knees. Hands to your shins. Halfway lift. Inhale. Fold forward as you exhale. Inhale, Come all the way up, Reach up, Palms touch overhead. And exhale, Hands to your heart center. Good. Inhale to reach. Exhale to fold. Hands to your shins. Halfway lift. Inhale. Fold forward, Exhale, Good. Fingertips on the mat, Step the right leg back. Coming to a lunge, You can keep the back knee up or you can drop it down on the mat. If your knee is down, Keep your toes tucked. Good. Check the front knee. Make sure it's right over your knees. And your fingers can stay on the mat. You can bring your hands. Unblock. If that feels good on any height, That feels better. Or if you like, You can start to bring your hands on top of your thigh. Just feeling the stretch on top of your right thigh. Make sure your front knee is over your ankle. So if it's going past your ankle, That just means you can. . . Widen your stance just a little bit. Soften your shoulders down your back. Stay here. Or if you like, Inhale, Reach arms all the way up. Good. Coming to your lunge. Soften your shoulders. Shoulders right over your hips. Good. Belly to spine. Deep breath in. And then as you exhale, You're going to start to lean forward, Arms reach back. Good. Inhale to breathe up. Exhale, Lean forward, Arms reach back. One more time, Inhale. And exhale. Good. Inhale. Reach all the way up. Then exhale, Slowly bring your hands all the way down to the mat. Plant your right palm. We're coming into a twist. So if your back knee is down, You can tuck the toes. And then as you inhale, Start to lift the back knee and twist to the left side. So you can reach your left arm all the way up. Your hand can come to your hip or your lower back. Wherever you are, You're trying to stack your shoulders and open up your heart towards the left side. And then check the front knee. It wants to move away from your body. You're trying to bring it closer to you. Good, You can look up towards your thumb. If that feels good in your neck or you can look down. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath out. One more inhale. Good. Exhale slowly. Bring your hand down. Drop the back knee. And then step it back to a tabletop position. Good. Moving through some cat cows. Inhale. Drop your belly. Open up your heart. Look up. Exhale to round your back, Tuck your tail, Look down. Inhale, Take howl pose. Exhale to cat pose. Good. Inhale to cow. And then as you exhale, Tuck your toes, Push your hips up and back. Downward facing dog. Good. Just pausing in down dog. You can stay in stillness or you can walk your dog if that feels better in your body. Just noticing how this one feels compared to the first sound dog we were in. Good. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Open your mouth, Sigh it out, Let it go. Good. One more like that. Deep inhale through your nose. And sigh it out. Exhale. Let it go. Good. Next, Inhale, Lift your heels, Bend your knees, Look forward. And then as you exhale, Slowly start to move to the top of the mat, Coming to a forward fold. Hands to your shins. Halfway lift. Inhale. Fold forward, Exhale. Good. Inhale. Come all the way up. Reach up. Palms touch. Overhead. And exhale, Hands to your heart center. Good. Moving to the second side. Inhale to reach up. Exhale to fold. Hands to your shins. Halfway lift as you inhale. And fold forward as you exhale. Good. Fingertips on the mat. Step the left leg back this time. So back knee can stay up if that feels good. Or you can drop the knee. And if your knee is dropped, Keep your toes tucked. Check the front knee. Make sure it's right over your ankle. And then your fingers can stay on the mat. They can come to blocks. Or you can bring your hand on top of your thigh. Just make sure your knee is stacked right over your ankle. Left thigh. See if you can soften your shoulders, Soften your gaze, Your jaw, Your forehead. Good. Stay here. Or as you inhale, Reach your arms all the way up. Soften your shoulders down your back. Pull your belly towards your spine. Good. In your lunge, Back knee up or down. Good. Now moving with our breath. Inhale here. Exhale, Lean forward arms, Reach back. Two more like that. Inhale to reach up. Exhale, Lean forward, Arms go back. One more inhale. And exhale Good. Inhale, Reach all the way up. And then as you exhale, Bring everything back down. Hands either side of the front foot. And then plant the left palm this time, Coming to our twist. So if you want to lift the back knee, You can inhale to lift the knee and twist towards the left side. Right side, Sorry. So right hand to your hip. Or you can reach your right arm all the way up, Stacking your shoulders. Maybe look up towards your thumb. And then check the front knee. Make sure it's still over your ankle. From your body Good. Take a deep breath in. Exhale all the year out. One more inhale And exhale. Slowly start to bring everything back down. And step it back to tabletop position. Wrists under your shoulders, Knees under your hips. Inhale, Drop your belly. Open up your heart. Look up. Exhale to round your back, Tuck your tail, Look down. Inhale to cow pose. Exhale, Take care. Good. Inhale. Drop your belly. Open up your heart. Look up. As you exhale, Tuck your toes. Push your hips up and back. Downward facing dog. Good. Pausing in down dog. Again, You can stay in stillness or move the way your body is telling you to. Yeah. Spreading your fingers wide, Pressing your hands down, Pushing your hips up and back. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Open your mouth, Sigh it out. Fuck yeah. From here, You're going to slowly start to walk your hands back towards your feet. So coming to a forward fold in the back of your mat. Good. Keep your knees bent all off. Bring your hands to your shins. Halfway lift. Inhale. Fold forward. Exhale. Good. Inhale. Come all the way up. Reach up. Palms touch. Overhead. And exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. So standing tall in mountain in the back of your mat. Good. I'm going to take a step forward with the right foot. We're getting ready for warrior one. Just adjust your stance first. Back foot is pointing to the top left corner of the mat. Front foot is pointing forward. You can keep your hands on your hips. And then think about moving the right hip back, The left hip forward. And start to bend the front knee. So warrior one, Back heel is pressing down. Your back leg is straight and strong. And the front knee isn't going past your ankle. So if it is, Just adjust your stance a little bit. And again, Here, Think about moving your right hip back, Left hip forward. Good. So shoulders. Facing the short edge of the mat you can stay here with your hands on your hips or inhale to reach all the way up warrior one Soften your shoulders down your back. Pull your belly towards your spine. It pressing the back heel down towards the mat Deep breath in. And then as you exhale you can start to hinge forward and reach your arms back. Inhale to come up. Exhale, Lean forward. Arms reach back, Palms down. Back legs straight and strong. Inhale to come up. Exhale, Lean forward, Front knee still bent. Good. Inhale, Come all the way up. And then as you exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. Good. Start to straighten the front knee. We're getting ready for pyramid pose. So maybe you want to adjust your stance, Bringing your feet a little bit closer here together. And Hands can stay at heart. You can bring your hands to your hips. Again, Think about moving the right hip back, The left hip forward. Inhale to open up your heart. Maybe look up. And then as you exhale, Hinging from the hips, You're going to lean forward. So front leg stays straight, But you can have a slight micro bend in your knee. Just being really mindful of how this feels in the back of your right leg. Back leg is still straight and strong. Down to the mat you can use blocks on either side of the front foot on any height. You can bring your hands on top of your legs somewhere on your shins. On your ankles you can grab. Your foot. It. Pyramid pose. With every inhale, Spine gets long. With every exhale, Maybe fold a little bit closer to your right leg. Good. Again, Think about moving the right hip back, Left hip forward. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath out. Good. One more inhale. And exhale. Slowly bring your hands on the mat, If they're not there already, And then step it forward, Coming to a forward fold with your feet together. In the middle of the math. Bend your knees a lot. And then just notice if your legs feel different. If your right leg maybe feels a little bit longer than the left. Hands to your shins, Halfway lift, Inhale. Fold forward as you exhale. Good. Inhale. Come all the way up. Reach up. Palms touch overhead. And exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center. Good. Hands to your heart or your hips. And we're going to step it forward coming to warrior one on the second side. So adjust your feet. Make sure you have your foundation first. So back foot pointing to the top right corner of the mat. And then when you're ready, Start to bend. The left knee And think about moving the left hip back, Right hip forward. Hands can stay on your hips at the heart center. Or you can reach your arms all the way up, Warrior one. Soften your shoulders down your back. Good. Pull your belly towards your spine. Back leg straight and strong pressing. Right heel. And outer edge of the right foot to the mat. Good. You can stay in stillness or if you like, Inhale, Reach. As you exhale, Start to hinge from the hips, Lean forward, Arms reach back. Good. Inhale to come all the way up. Exhale, Lean forward, Arms go back, Palms down. One more like that. Inhale. And exhale Good. Inhale. Come all the way up. Reach up. Then exhale, You can bring your hands to your heart or your hips and start to straighten the front knee. Good, Getting ready for pyramids so you can adjust your stance if you need to. If your back foot is still pointing to the top right corner of the mat, Front knee is straight. And then when you're ready, Inhale to open up your heart. As you exhale, Hinge from the hips, Lean forward, And you can start to bring a slight bend in the front knee. As long as you're feeling this pose, Feeling the stretch in the back of your leg, You're doing this pose. So make sure you're not pulling anything or feeling any pain or discomfort. Being really mindful. And you can stay here with your hands on blocks. You can bring your hands all the way down to the mat, To your foot. Somewhere on your leg. And this side may feel different, So don't expect it to look exactly the same. Just do what feels right in your body on this side. Think about moving the left hip back, Right hip forward. With every inhale, Spine gets long. With every exhale, You lean a little bit closer to your left leg. Back leg is straight and strong. Good. Soften your shoulders. Soften your jaw. Take a deep breath in. Long breath out. One more inhale. And exhale. Good. Slowly bring your hands on the mat. Bend the front knee. Step the right foot. Forward to meet the left at the top of your mat. Good. Coming to a forward fold. Bend your knees a lot, Belly and thigh. Let your head be heavy. Maybe nod your head yes. Shake your head no. Good. Bring your hands to your shins. Halfway lift. Inhale. Fold forward exhale. Good. Inhale. Come all the way up. Reach up. Palms touch. Overhead. And exhale, Hands to your heart center. Good. Inhale to reach. Exhale, Fold. Halfway lift, Inhale. Fold forward as you exhale. Good. Plant your palms. Then you're going to step it back to a high plank. So your knees can be up or you can drop the knees. Good. Wherever you are, Your toes are tucked, Pushing your heels back, Shoulders right over your wrists. And then pull your belly towards your spine. Good. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath. One more inhale. And exhale, Slowly drop your knees if they're lifted. Bring your knees as wide as the mat, Big toes together. Then push your hips back towards your heels, Coming to Child's Pose. Good. Forehead rest somewhere, Either on the mat or on a block. You can let your elbows be soft, Resting on the mat. Just come back to your breath. Notice how your breath feels. And see if you can deepen your inhales and lengthen your exhales And slowly start to come onto your hands and knees. And then come to a seat. So just sitting back. You can extend your legs forward. And you may want to sit on a pillow or a folded up blanket. Just to tilt your hips forward a little bit so you can sit with your spine tall. And from here, We're going to bring the soles of the feet together again. So coming into seated butterfly. And this time, Maybe you can bring your heels a little bit closer to your body. So if this doesn't feel good, You can walk your heels away. And wherever you are, Grab somewhere on your legs. Or if you like, You can use a strap, Bringing the strap under your feet. And just trying to sit tall, Shoulders soft down the back. And your knees are moving towards the earth. See the butterfly? You can sit here or you can start to lean forward, Hinging from the hips and just bringing your heart towards your feet. Keeping the spine tall. With every inhale your spine gets long. And with every exhale, Maybe you move a little bit closer. To your feet. Being mindful of how this feels in your body. Making sure you're not pushing or pulling. Too hard. Here slowly start to come all the way up. Bring your hands outside your knees and then just close your knees up like a book and walk your feet close to you. Give yourself a hug. Maybe bring your forehead to your knees. And just thank your body. For everything it does for you. Good. Slowly making our way to our back. So moving any props away and just keeping your knees bent slowly. Come to your back. And you can start to hug your knees into your chest if that feels good. Maybe gently rocking from side to side. Maybe making circles with your knees in one direction and then the other. Just noticing how this feels in your lower back, Giving yourself. . . A nice massage. Good. Now bringing your feet flat on the mat, We're going to move into a figure four shape. Keeping the left foot on the mat, Flex the right foot and bring your ankle on top of your left thigh. So keeping your foot flexed to protect your knee. And you can stay here and just think about moving your right knee away from your body. So you don't need to press it. Just think about your knee moving away. If you want a little bit more, You can start to lift the left foot off the mat and grab the back of your thigh or your shin. Good. Wherever you are, See if you can let your shoulders be heavy. And your upper back is grounded and keep both feet flexed to protect your knees. Make sure there's no pain or discomfort, Especially in your right knee. And then you can stay in stillness or you can maybe gently rock from side to side just noticing where you feel this pose. Good. Soften your gaze or close your eyes. And just visualize your breath moving to the area in your body where you feel this pose. Notice if there's any part of your body that you're holding on to that you can soften just a little bit more. Maybe it's your jaw, Maybe it's your forehead. Taking deep, Long breaths in and out of your nose. Good when you're ready slowly bring your left foot back down on the mat and we're going to move into a twist so if you want to cross your legs continue to cross the right leg over the left Lift your hips up towards the right side and let your knees fall towards the left. So coming into a twist, If crossing your legs doesn't feel right, You can stack your knees and let them fall towards the left side. And then bring your arms to a T by your side, Palms up or down, Whatever helps you ground your shoulders. So maybe you come to cactus arms, If that feels better. So making sure your shoulders are grounded and heavy on the mat. Good, If it feels good, You can turn your head towards the right side. Soften your gaze, Close your eyes. Breathing. In and out of your nose. Just breathing into this twist. Slowly come out of the pose uncross your legs if they're cross feet flat on the mat Just bring your hands. To rest somewhere on your body. On your belly, On your heart. And just pause here. For a breath or two. When you're ready, Moving to the second side. So flex your left foot, Bring your left ankle on top of the right thigh. Just think about moving your knee away from your body. And then you can stay here or if you want a little bit more, You can start to lift the right foot off the mat, Grab the back of your thigh. Or your shin, Keeping both feet flexed to protect your knees. Just letting your shoulders be soft. Staying in stillness or gently rocking from side to side. And again this side may feel different so Just make any adjustments you need on the side. To make sure you feel comfortable and supported. Soften your gaze or close your eyes and send your breath. To the area in your body where you're feeling this pose. And see if you can soften with every exhale. And slowly start to bring the right foot back down. And then moving to the twist on the second side. So if you wanna cross your legs, Continue to cross the left leg over the right. Lift your hips up to the left and let your knees fall towards the right side. Good, You can extend your arms to either side, Palms up or down, Grounding your shoulders. Maybe you turn your head towards the left if that feels good in your neck. And then pausing here in this twist. Breathing deeply. Notice as we come to the end of our practice to stillness. If your mind is starting to wander, You're starting to think about the rest of your day or to-do list. See if you can allow yourself to be present in this moment. Just for a little bit longer. And slowly start to Come out of the pose, Uncross your legs if they're crossed. And just allow your hands to rest gently on your body. If it feels good, You can bring the soles of the feet together again. Coming to Supta Baddha Konasana, Reclined butterfly. And you can stay in stillness or maybe gently rocking your knee. It. And we're going to get started to get ready for shavasana so if there's anything else your body needs here before moving into our final posture. You can take that now. So maybe you want to hug your knees back into your chest. Maybe you want to come to happy baby pose. Maybe you want to come to an easy inversion. Whatever your body needs right now, Take that. And then when you're ready, Moving into Shavasana, Corpse pose. So grabbing any props, Layers, Anything you need. To get really comfortable in Shavasana. When you get there, Let your feet. And toes fall out. Be soft, Your legs heavy. Hips grounded. Feel your spine on the max. Arms by your side, Palms face up. Soften the muscles of your face, Soften your eyes. Your gaze, Or close your eyes. And then scan your body from the crown of your head all the way down to your toes. And notice if there's any part of your body that you're holding on to that you can soften and let go of just a little bit more. And then let your body breathe naturally and take in the effects of your practice. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath out. Good. One more like that. Deep inhale. Full and complete exhale. Slowly start to bring some movement back to your body. Wiggling your fingers, Your toes. Maybe gently walking your head from side to side. When you're ready, Bend one knee and then the other. And roll onto your right side in the fetal position. Using your bottom arm as a pillow. Fetal pose after corpse pose reminds us that after every ending, There's a new beginning. Slowly push yourself up to a comfortable seat. Sitting with your spine tall. Your neck straight, Chin parallel to the mat. Good, Soften your gaze or close your eyes. If that feels comfortable. Bring your hands by your side. Inhale, Reach your arms all the way up. Palms touch overhead. As you exhale, Bring your hands to your heart center and bow your head to your hands. And thank yourself for coming to your mat today. For spending this time for yourself and for your practice. Bring your thumbs to your third eye, The space between your eyebrows. May your thoughts be kind. Thumbs to your lips. May your words be caring. And thumbs to your heart center. May your heart be filled with love and gratitude. Thank you for practicing with me today. Namaste.

Reviews

Great, very good explanations of the poses and such a good flow in the practice.