Yin For The Spine

A long, slow Yin practice for the spine, running about 52 minutes. Everything happens on the floor, and the holds last a few minutes each so the body has time to settle rather than being asked to stretch on command.

Suitable for all levels. Props are up to you. A bolster or a pillow is useful in a few of the shapes if you have one nearby, but nothing here depends on it.

Move slowly, listen to your body, and never push into sharp pain.

Music: Deep Meditation, Infinite Breaths by BreakzStudios. A quiet ambient bed with no melody to follow, so it holds the room without pulling attention away from the practice.

Transcript

Start by lying down. On your back. You can extend your legs long or have your knees bent. You can have a bolster under your knees. And start to settle in. Relax. Let go. And begin to arrive here. And just feel your spine grounding. Notice if there are any muscles in your legs, In your shoulders, In your back. You can soften and let go so you can ground your spine to your mat. Allowing your mat to hold you and support you. You can have your arms by your side or if it feels better, Just allow your hands to rest gently somewhere on your body, On your belly. Or one hand on your belly, One hand on your heart. Then soften your gaze or close your eyes. Start to go inward. Notice your breath without trying to change it. Just notice how your breath feels. Notice the quality. Your breath if it's fast or slow, Deep or shallow, Quiet or loud. And see where you can feel your breath in your body. Notice any areas in your body that Move as you breathe. And then taking three cleansing breaths here together, Take a deep breath in through your nose. Then open your mouth and slowly and quietly sigh it out. Let it go. Two more like that. Deep inhale through your nose, Feel your body expand as you breathe in. And as you quietly sigh it out through the mouth, See if you can let go of your body. Feel heavier on your mat And last one like that, Deep breath in. Exhale, Sigh it out, Let it go. Now continue breathing deeply. However feels comfortable in your body. So just breathing naturally, Maybe it's in and out of your nose, Maybe it's in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe, Bring your awareness to your body. Scanning from. . . Your toes. Slowly all the way up to the crown of your head, Noticing if there's any part of your body That's maybe a little tight for a sword. And just being mindful of that. So during yin, We're going to hold the postures for a few minutes each. As we hold, You want to make sure that You are feeling the pose, So you're at your edge. And you're feeling this stretch. But you're comfortable enough to let go of any muscles. End. You're sure that you're not holding any pain or discomfort in your body. So as you scan your body here. Just trying to figure out where those areas are that you need to be mindful of. And then finally bring your awareness to. . . Your mind. Notice what's going on in your head. Notice any thoughts. Any feelings or emotions that far. Coming up for you today. Maybe something you've been thinking about all day or maybe a plan you have for the weekend. Something that happened during the week. Just notice. How you feel. During our practice, This will probably come up. You may notice that as we hold poses for a few minutes, Things start to come up. As they do, Just know that it's completely normal and. . . Recognize that. What you have control over is to notice what's coming up. To kindly bring your awareness back to your breath. Good, Take a deep breath in. Long breath out. Good. Now slowly start to hug your knees in. And gently rock from side to side, Really slowly massaging your lower back. Maybe making circles with your knees in one direction. And then the other. Here. And then bring your feet back to the mat, Knees bent. And we're going to come into a supine twist. So you have different options for this one. You can just stack your knees and lift your hips up towards the left side, Towards the right side, And let your knees fall towards the left. Or if you want to cross your legs, Cross the right leg over the left, Lift your hips up to the right and let your knees fall to the left. So just finding a supine position. And when you get here, You may notice that your knees are lifted off the ground like mine. So just notice where your knees are and maybe bring a bolster, A pillow, A block underneath just so you can allow your leg or your legs to be resting on something. So, Finding. . . A twist where Your body is still supported by the ground, So your shoulders are resting on the ground, Your arms can E in a T or you can reach your arms overhead if that feels more comfortable. Maybe you turn your head towards the right side, The opposite side of your knees. And just find a place where you feel comfortable. If your knees are stacked, It may feel good to bring a pillow or your bolster between your knees. So I'm making the final adjustments and movements. And when you find a twist where you're settled and comfortable, You're feeling the twist in your spine. Speaking to soften your gaze or close your eyes and come to stillness. And back to your breath. Noticing if that adjustment Change your breath if you're still breathing comfortably and naturally. Just keeping your awareness on your breath. Notice if there's any part of your body that you're holding on to. That you can soften and let go of, Maybe it's your jaw. Meets your forehead. Maybe your fingers or your toes. In anything you can. Just breathe here. Noticing any thoughts or feelings. And start to come up. When you do, Gently bring your awareness back to your breath, Following the air. As it enters your nostrils. Fills your body up. And noticing the air as it exits your body through your mouth or your nose. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, Long breath out. Slowly, You start to. . . Slowly come back to center, Feet flat on the mat and just bring your hands to rest gently somewhere on your body. And maybe you lift your hips up and tilt your hips forward, Rounding your lower back. And just feel your spine straight and flat. On the ground being supported. Deep inhale, Feel your body expand. Exhale to let it go. And then when you're ready, Starting to move to the second side. Whatever that feels like. Right. On this side. Maybe you stack your knees, Allowing your knees to fall to the right. And maybe bring a bolster or pillow between your knees. Or maybe you want to cross the left leg over the right, Lift your hips up to the left. And let your knees fall to the right. And wherever you are, Make sure your shoulders are still grounded. And this side may feel different, So maybe. . . Cross your legs on the sides or stack your knees. I don't think that it has to look exactly the same. Whatever feels good. As long as you're feeling the twist in your spine. Allow everything else to soften and let go. Shoulders grounded, Maybe turn your head to the left. Maybe you reach your arms overhead or allow them to rest by your side. Take care. A few moments to find. A twist that feels right on the second side. And then soften your gaze or close your eyes. Just allow your body to breathe into this twist. Allowing gravity to. . . Pull you deeper into the pose. As you stand still now. Notice if your mind starting to wander. Kindly, Gently bring your awareness back. Thank you. Bye. To this moment. To this pose on your mat. Right here, Right now. You Letting go of anything that's not necessarily necessary right now. Whether it's holding on to something in your body. And holding on to a feeling or a thought. Isn't serving you now. Take a deep breath. Long breath outs. Really slowly. Start to come out of the pose. Starting to come back to center, Bring your feet flat. On the ground. Good, Ground your lower back, Feel your spine on your mat, Let your hands rest gently on your body. And deep breaths in. Open your mouth and sigh it out. Let it go. And then slowly you can hug your knees in, Maybe walking from side to side, Maybe making circles with your knees. Massaging your back. And then when you're ready, Move on to. . . Your left side coming into a fetal position. Really hug your knees into your chest using your bottom arm as a pillow. You can allow your right hand to ground on your mat. Feel your mat holding you. And as you pause here for a few breaths, Just think of one thing that you're grateful for today. And then slowly, However feels good, We're going to make our way to our belly. So coming onto your belly. And. . . You can stop your hands and just bring your forehead to rest on your hands. And just pause here, Maybe shake your hips from side to side a few times. Softening. Any tension in your lower back. Good, Let your shoulders be soft, Your head heavy. And then take a deep breath in. Exhale all the air out. From here, You're going to bend the right knee and just on the ground, Bring your knee just to the level of your hips. So you're on the inner edge. Of your right foot. And you can turn your head on your hands towards the right side or the left side, However feels good. In your neck and this should feel really good. In your lower back and in your hips. If you need to bring a pillow or a folded up blanket under your right knee. Just to give it a little bit more height or padding here you can do that And when you find a place where you're comfortable. Soften your gaze or close your eyes and just breathe. Make sure your shoulders are soft and comfortable. And your head is resting. On your hands or on your mat. And your neck is comfortable here. Notice if clenching your jaw or pressing your teeth together. Notice if there's anything in your body that you can soften and let go of. To get really comfortable here. Slowly start to make your way back to center, Bringing your legs inside the lock. Your forehead back onto your hands. Maybe shake your hips gently from side to side. And then moving to the second side, So start to bend your left knee just on the ground, Bringing it up to the level. Of your hips or maybe lower. And making any adjustments you need to get comfortable here maybe turn your head to the left Again, This should feel really comfortable in your lower back, In your hips and in your left knee. So maybe on this side you need to bring your knee a little bit lower. Maybe you need to pad your knee with a folded up blanket. When you find a place where you're comfortable and settled. And you can hold for a few minutes, Must come to stillness. Soften your gaze, Soften your jaw, Your forehead. And just breathe here. Notice if there are parts of your body that You're tensing up your shoulders. Meets the muscles of your face. And without judgment, Just soften them. Good. Slowly start to. . . Come back to center. Stack your hands, Bring your forehead onto your hands. And. . . Maybe gently rock your hips from side to side. We're going to come into Sphinx Pose. You can. Bring your elbows right under your shoulders. Bring your arms parallel, Palms facing down. And you can. . . Decide where you want your feet to be. So the wider your feet are on the mat, The easier this is on your lower back. So adjust your feet. Just notice what feels right for you today. And if holding yourself up on your elbows like this is uncomfortable, You can always bring a pillow. Um. . . Just under your ribs. And just allow your. . . Upper body to rest. On something. This will probably be more comfortable to hold for time. So just notice what. . . Your body needs today. Make sure your shoulders are soft, Down your back, You're not rolling up towards your ears. And allow your head to be comfortable so your neck is relaxed. Maybe if you have a block you can bring a block under your forehead and let your head rest on the block. Maybe that feels better in your neck. So taking a few moments here to get comfortable in Sphinx pose. And then Notice if any part of your body is tight or holding. Any muscles. See if you can let it go. If this is too much of a backbend here, You can always stack your hands. And bring your forehead down to your hands. So coming back to and your belly all the way down. And then soften your gaze, Soften your jaw. Allow your tongue to fall away from the roof of the mouth. And just breathe here in this back bend. We've been here for a few minutes now so notice if Maybe this is becoming too much. Maybe you need to make adjustments and. . . Lower down onto your belly. Maybe you want a little bit more and you want to walk your hands. Straighten your arms. And come to seal pose, So just walking your hands off your mat, Widening. Hands apart. Maybe lifting up a little bit more. Just adjusting the pose. Based on how your body is feeling. A little bit deeper or backing out a little bit. Listening to your body. And doing what feels right. And if you move into seal pose and realize that this is too much. You must come back to where you are. Find stillness, Find your breath. And just allow your body to settle here. We're going to be here for about a minute or so. Just breathe naturally. And soften anything you don't need to hold on to. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, Let it all go. Slowly come out of the pose wherever you are, Moving any props aside. Come back to your belly. Rain. Now stack your hands and bring your forehead onto your hands. Just maybe bend your knees and windshield wiper your feet gently from side to side. Letting that go. Maybe rock your hips from side to side, Letting any tension go from your lower back. Good. When you're ready, Slowly make your way up to a tabletop position. So moving really slowly and mindfully, Coming to tabletop, Wrists under your shoulders, Knees right under your hips. Spread your fingers wide. And you're looking straight down, So the back of your neck is long and then shoulders away from your ears. Good. Pull your belly towards your spine, Moving through some cat-cows. Inhale, Drop your belly. Open up your heart, Look up. Exhale to round your back, Tuck your tail. Inhale, Drop your belly, Open up your heart, Look up, Elbows. Exhale, Round your back, Tuck your tail, Look down, Cat pose. And three more like that with your own breath. So inhaling to towel. Exhaling to cat. Good when you finish your last one Bring your knees as wide as the mat, Big toes together, And then push your hips back to child's pose. So finding a child's pose where you can hold this pose. So we're going to be here for about five minutes. It's going to be a longer child's pose. So you want to make sure that you're completely ground it and you can let go of any muscles in your body. Making sure especially your shoulders and your hips are comfortable. So you can bring a bolster under your upper body, Allowing your head to rest to one side or the other. And maybe it feels good to just bring a block or a pillow under your forehead. Or just stack your hands, Bringing your forehead to your hands. It may feel better in your knees if you have have a bolster or a folded upper. Blankets under your thighs. Lifting your hips up just a little bit. So taking a few moments to find a place where You're in the child's pose that you can hold. For time. Allowing your body to really soften and melt into your mat. Feeling comfortable. And settled. Letting go of any muscles in your body. That's. . . Aren't serving you right now. Soften your jaw. Soften your gaze or close your eyes. And just breathe here. With every exhale. See if you can soften just a little bit more. Notice your body melts closer to the mat. Following the breath in and out of your body. Feel your body expand as you breathe in. And soften and let go as you breathe out. Notice any faults. Any feelings or emotions that are coming up right now. We're in a fourfold And you may notice things start to come up here as we go inward. See if you can set it aside to come back to your breath And allow yourself to be here for a few more minutes. Take a deep breath in. Long breath out. One more like that. Deep inhale. Full and complete exhale. Let it go. And now slowly start to come out of the pose. Moving really slowly and mindfully, Walk your knees forward. And just sit down on your heels, Sitting in a kneeling position. Allow your hands to rest. On your lap or somewhere on your thighs. Roll your shoulders down your back. Soften your gaze or close your eyes and just pause here for a few breaths. Notice the rush of energy. In your head. As your spine. See if you can lengthen your spine with the next inhale. And soften your shoulders with an exhale. Take a deep breath in. Long breath out. Slowly start to walk your knees forward across your ankles and come to a seat and make your way to your back so coming all the way to your back We're going to come into Shavasana, Our final resting posture. So for this one, You may grab any props that you need to get comfortable here. So maybe you have a bolster pillow under your knees. Maybe you bring a blanket on top of you. Um. . . Maybe you bring it a little under your head. So. Your time. And. . . Get comfortable here. In Shavasana. Really grounding your spine, Especially your lower back. Allowing your legs to be comfortable. Your feet and your toes soft. Your hips, Your lower back grounded. Shoulders are heavy and grounded on the mat, Arms by your side, Palms face up. Fingers gently curled in. Soften your jaw, Allow your tongue to fall away from the roof of the mouth. You Soften the muscles of the face and your eyelids, Allowing your eyes to gently close. And then scanning from the crown of your head all the way down to your fingers and your toes. That you can soften and let go of just a little bit more to get comfortable here. And allow your body to rest. Breathe naturally and take in the effects of your practice. You Take a deep breath in. And a long breath out. You One more, Just like that. Deep inhale. Full and complete exhale, Let it go. And really slowly start to bring some movement. Back to your body. Moving your fingers, Your toes, Your wrists. Your ankles. Maybe gently rocking your head from side to side. And when you're ready, Bend one knee. And then the other and roll onto your right side. 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. And slowly start to Make your way up to a comfortable seat. Finding a seat with your spine tall. Your neck straight, Your chin parallel to the mat. Soften your shoulders, Down your back, Soften your gaze or close your eyes. Bring your hands by your side. As you inhale, Reach your arms all the way up. Palms touch overhead. Exhale, Bring your hands to your heart. And bow your head to your hands. Thank yourself for coming to your mat today, For spending this time for yourself, For your practice. 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.