Hey yogis,
I'm Nicole.
Thanks for joining me today.
Another super short yoga snack.
This sequence is especially therapeutic for your digestive system.
So the postures we'll be practicing not only stimulate the stomach meridian in terms of our Chinese medicine,
But also lots of cleansing twists as well and some forward folds to help stimulate and massage those digestive organs.
We have one block for this practice and some of you might also need a yoga belt or a yoga strap.
If you don't have a strap,
A scarf or anything that you can loop around the foot will do the trick.
When you're ready,
Come on down onto your back.
We'll take a brief butterfly pose,
Bringing the soles of the feet together,
Letting the knees fall out.
And as you inhale,
Breathe down into the lower belly,
The hips and thighs.
And take a moment to pause,
Hold the breath before you exhale slowly,
Gently drawing the navel in towards the spine.
So we're witnessing the body gently expand on the inhalation and as you exhale slowly,
A gentle contraction through the navel.
Only here for three more breaths,
Either leave the arms by your side,
Otherwise interlace the fingers,
Turn the palms down.
On the inhalation,
Take the arms above the head,
Ribs and chest expand.
And then as you exhale and lower the hands back down,
Gently draw the navel up and in towards the spine.
Relax the belly as you inhale,
Body's relaxed.
Slowly expand and exhale a gentle contraction.
Last one.
This time as you exhale,
Bring the knees together.
Lift up the feet,
Stack the knees above the hips and lift head and shoulders off the mat.
And lower down.
Well done,
Yogis.
Let's take a hold of our block.
Take it in between the thighs,
Move the hips a couple of centimetres to the left and then cactus arms.
Lift the feet up off the floor,
Squeeze the thighs in on the block and imprint your lower back into the mat.
As you exhale,
Knees come over 45 degrees to the right and then inhale back to centre.
Exhaling over once again.
And then this third time,
Come all the way down into the twist,
Resting the legs on the floor.
Gently deepen the breath to deepen the twist.
See if you can expand your lower belly with the in-breath.
Well done,
Yogis.
Roll onto your right side now and straighten your right leg underneath you.
Keep your left knee resting on the block.
We're taking a quad stretch.
So awareness to the right leg,
Tuck the toes under and rotate the leg so the heel points up to the ceiling,
Thigh faces down to the mat.
Take the leg back and then bend the knee,
Reach for the foot or use the strap if you need to.
It's easier if you keep the head propped up,
Otherwise you can allow the head to relax.
Just a few breaths here.
And gently engage those lower abdominal muscles by trying to shorten the space between the pubic bone and the belly button.
And deepening the breath down the right side of the body.
The next exhalation,
Release the foot,
Return to your back.
We'll practice that on the other side.
Hips move over a few centimetres to the right,
Placing the block in between the thighs.
Let's exhale,
Knees over to the left 45 degrees and then coming back to centre.
It's on the third time that you'll come down into the twist.
So the quality of your practice is determined by the quality of your breath.
If you can't take a spacious inhalation where the breath descends,
Then maybe you're physically pushing a little too hard and you need to ease off.
Taking one last breath in this cleansing twist.
And then preparing for your quad stretch,
Roll onto the left side,
Resting the right knee on the block,
Rotating the left leg,
Taking hold of the foot or the strap.
And let's release the foot,
Gently press on up to tabletop.
And just have your block at the top of the mat,
You'll need it in just a moment.
Hands coming mat width apart,
Toes tucking under.
Let's inhale,
Drop the belly,
Lift the gaze,
Exhale around the spine.
Continue to move with your breath.
And next time you exhale,
Round the spine and then lift the hips up,
Downward facing dog.
Let's step those feet up to the top of the mat.
Once there,
Bend the knees and gently roll on up to stand,
Coming all the way up.
Well done,
Yogis.
Let's inhale,
Arms up.
Exhale,
Fall forward,
Stack the palms on your low back.
Half lift as you inhale,
Keep the hands there.
Exhale to fold.
Lower the hands down and step your left leg back into a lunge.
Bring your block over,
Maybe to the second height,
We'll flow in just a moment.
So if you need to adjust the height of the block,
You can do so.
So bending in the right knee,
Stacking the knee above the ankle.
Gently rotate that left shoulder,
Turn the shoulder in towards the knee as you bring the right arm up.
Let's inhale.
And as you exhale,
Straighten the legs,
Reach your right hand back towards the left thigh.
Inhale and lunge with a twist.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Coming into your lunge and holding it there this time,
Bring the back knee down to the mat.
Option one,
You can have the right hand behind you or just rest it on the thigh.
If you don't need the block,
You can remove it.
Option two,
Quad stretch.
Take a hold of the left foot,
Gently kick the foot into the hand.
And let's release the foot.
Ground the left foot down and windmill the arms up.
So warrior two legs,
Right heel intercepting the arch on the left foot.
Let's inhale,
Arms up.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Inhale,
Reverse the warrior.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Press the feet away from one another.
Inhale,
The left arm up.
On your next inhalation,
Reverse the warrior.
Bend the knee,
Lean back.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Inhale,
Left arm up.
Holding here as you exhale.
Last round,
Inhale,
Reverse the warrior.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Inhale,
Left arm up.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Press into both feet,
Come to stand.
Left hand to the low back,
Right arm up this time.
Turn the right foot so you're parallel to the short sides of the mat.
We'll take a forward fold with a twist.
Right hand to the left leg,
Wherever you can hold on.
And let's keep the hands low.
Walk the hands to the top of the mat,
Transition into a lunge.
You can either step up to the top of the mat and rest in your ragdoll or step back into plank and we'll take a flow.
Rounding out the upper body.
Exhale to lower.
Inhale,
Baby cobra.
Roll the shoulder blades back.
Feel as though you're dragging the hands back towards the feet.
Exhale to lower.
Return to plank.
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
Left leg up.
Step through into your lunge and recruit your block.
Inhaling into the twist.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Left hand to the right thigh.
Inhale and twist.
Last one.
Holding your twist now,
Either with the arm back to the thigh or maybe via your quad stretch.
Let's release the foot.
Come to stand,
Warrior two legs.
Windmill the arms up.
Left heel now intercepting arch on the right foot.
Arms up as you inhale.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Inhale,
Reverse.
Triangle pose.
Inhale,
The arm up.
Hold as you exhale.
Inhale,
Reverse the warrior.
Triangle pose.
Lift the left arm.
Pivot the feet.
Fold forward.
Left hand towards the right leg.
Stepping up to the top of the mat.
So we'll let the knees bend here a little.
Option one,
Hold the elbows.
Let the body hang for ragdoll.
Option two,
Yogi squat.
Take the toes a little bit wider.
Heels can still angle inwards.
Drop the bottom down.
Bring the hands to prayer.
Gently pressing the elbows into the inner knees.
Knees gently squeezing in on those elbows.
And let's take a seat.
Well done,
Yogis.
Right leg out on a 45 degree angle.
Sole of the left foot to meet the thigh.
Right leg out on a 45 degree angle.
Left hand to the low back.
Right arm up.
Exhale,
Leaning over.
Inhale,
Coming up.
Pressing down through the heel.
And this last time,
Staying down.
Back of the palm can rest on top of the leg or maybe push the back of the palm into the inner leg.
Left hand to the back of the head.
We're inhaling to look up.
Exhaling,
Bring the elbow down towards the knee.
Inhale to expand.
And reaching left arm overhead now.
Option to look down.
If you're close to that big toe,
Palm facing up and then take hold of that big toe.
Spacious breath into the side waist.
Follow your next inhalation,
Lifting up.
Send those hips forward.
And then exhaling,
Take a seat.
Let's square to the front now.
So right leg is straight out in front.
And then just a little bend in the right knee.
Press down through the heel.
Toes up to the ceiling.
Arms up as you inhale.
And then exhale,
Fold forward.
Bring the belly to the thigh.
Inhale to lift up.
Exhaling forward.
And then exhaling,
Fold forward.
Staying down this time.
Holding onto the leg or the foot.
Make sure the belly's meeting the thigh.
You can start to straighten the leg as long as you don't lose that contact between belly and thigh.
And remember,
It's an expansive inhalation.
As you inhale,
Feel the lower belly and the back expand.
And you can pause in that spaciousness before you exhale slowly.
Let's press down through the heel.
Gently roll on up to seated.
And then we'll lift up that left knee.
Cross it over the right leg.
Holding onto the knee.
Inhale,
Nice and tall.
Exhale,
Twist to the left.
Inhale,
Back to center.
Exhale and turn.
Third time coming all the way into the twist.
Maybe wrapping your arm around the thigh.
Gently press down through the left foot as though you're trying to stand up.
And press down and away through that left hand.
And let's return to center.
Leaning back,
Give the knees a little swish.
Take as long as you need to.
Otherwise,
When you're ready,
We'll change sides.
Left leg out on a 45 degree angle.
Left arm up.
Exhaling over.
Inhaling up.
Two more to go.
Staying down.
Right hand to the back of the head.
Inhale to expand.
Exhale to contract.
And coming to stillness.
Reaching the arm above the head.
Or of course,
You can always take that hand to the low back.
Either resting with the left arm where it is or reaching for that big toe knuckle if you can comfortably reach.
Let's inhale,
Lifting on up.
Send the hips forward.
And exhaling down.
Well done.
Let's square the body now.
Left leg straight out in front.
Little bend in the knee.
Arms coming up on the inhalation.
Belly to meet the thigh on the exhalation.
Staying down this time.
Holding on to the leg or maybe the foot.
And deepening the pose by deepening the breath.
Let's lift on up.
Taking our twist,
Crossing right leg over the left.
Sitting tall on the inhalation.
Turning the head on the exhalation.
And when you're ready,
Let's settle into the twist.
Well done,
Yogis.
Let's uncross the legs.
Option one,
Just swish those knees from side to side.
Option two,
If your wrists and elbows permit,
We'll take a reverse tabletop.
Broadening the collarbones.
And let's lower all the way down onto our back.
So let's rest with those knees bent.
Feet fairly close to the bottom.
On the inhalation,
Lift the arms up and the hips.
Lift the heels,
Exhale,
Lower down.
When you touch down,
Hug the knees into the chest.
Inhale the feet down,
Arms up,
Hips up.
Lift up the heels and exhale to lower back down.
Hug the knees into the chest.
Inhale,
Heels up.
Arms up.
Exhale,
Hug it in.
Lower the feet down.
This time we'll take a supported bridge pose.
So recruiting your block,
Lifting up the hips.
You might have the block on the flat side or maybe the second height.
So it's a wonderful restorative pose.
To not only gently lengthen the low back,
But also those digestive organs as well.
Let's press into the feet,
Lift up the hips.
Holding an active bridge for just a couple of breaths.
And then we'll lift up the heels,
Remove the block and slowly lower down one vertebrae at a time.
Touching down to the mat,
Hug the knees into the chest once again.
We'll inhale,
Heels up,
Arms up.
Exhale,
Hug it in.
Let's do one more of those.
Maybe bring the feet a little closer to the head.
And then bringing the feet down to the floor.
We'll straighten those legs.
And before we come into Shavasana,
We'll practice our three laying spinal bandhas.
So flexing gently through the feet,
Tucking the chin in so the back of the neck is long.
Let's interlace our fingers and turn the palms down.
So our three spinal bandhas,
We have the chin lock,
Jalandhara Bandha.
We'll engage Mula Bandha on the out-breath.
So gently lift through the pelvic floor for the ladies.
And then Uddiyana Bandhas around the navel.
So we're going to draw the navel up and in towards the spine,
Much like making a pond through the belly.
So when you're ready,
We'll inhale the arms above the head.
Exhale through the mouth and then hold the out-breath retention.
Engage Mula Bandha,
Seal at your base.
And then gently hollow your belly.
Make a pond with your belly.
When you need to inhale,
Be sure to relax the belly first and then sip the inhalation.
And slowly exhale the arms down.
Take a brief rest,
Relax hands and feet.
And then we'll go again.
Engage the feet,
Interlace the fingers.
Inhaling arms above the head.
Exhaling through the mouth.
Make a pond with your belly.
Mula Bandha gently engaged.
Then relax the belly,
Sip the inhalation.
And exhale the arms back down.
And then we'll go again.
Relaxing hands and feet.
Feel free to rest in Shavasana.
Otherwise,
For your third and final round,
We'll inhale the arms up.
Exhale through the mouth.
Sealing off at your base,
Mula Bandha.
Make a pond with your belly.
Relax the belly before you inhale.
And exhale the arms down.
Let's take a rest in Shavasana.
Being completely soft.
Softening the forehead,
The tongue and jaw.
And just be in this spaciousness,
Quietness.
And let's inhale a little deeper as you bring your awareness back.
Feel free to wiggle those toes and fingers.
And following any urges to move or stretch.
Rolling to your preferred side whenever you're ready.
And then coming up to seated when you're ready to continue on with your day.
Thanks for practicing with me today,
Yogis.
I hope that you found more space in the body and were able to stimulate that digestion.
Wishing you a lovely day.
