Thanks for joining me today.
I have a yin practice for you today.
A little bit of yin blended with restorative posture,
Some somatic movement in there.
But using a yoga bolster,
If you don't have a bolster,
You can improvise with a couple of pillows stacked on top of one another or a thick blanket or towel rolled up nice and tight.
I've also got two yoga blocks there.
If you've only got the one block,
You can improvise with a thick book as well.
When you're ready,
Place your bolster or your pillows like so and we'll come to lay.
With our lower belly on the edge of the bolster.
And then bend your left knee out to the side.
The knee will be at about hip height.
Lower the head down and you can turn the head left or right,
Whichever feels best for your neck.
And gently invite a deeper inhalation.
Feel the navel expand against the bolster.
Take a moment to pause.
Before you exhale slowly.
Softening into the shape.
And let the breath moving the body Be your point of concentration in today's practice.
Anytime the mind wanders.
Simply come back to your breath.
Let's change sides now.
Bring the left knee in and take the right leg out.
And lifting up out of the pose,
Bring the right knee in and gently press yourself up.
As you come up,
Let's round the spine,
Lift the palms and sit back towards a child's pose.
And then as you inhale,
Return to tabletop.
Either neutral spine or if it feels okay,
A little back bend.
And then as we exhale round and sit back once again.
Follow your breath.
Well done,
Yuri Gis.
Let's just slide that bolster out of the way.
Posture is your pigeon pose if you're able to bring the right knee behind the right wrist if this position is not an option for you today just lean off over to the right and then both legs so you have a right angle through the legs left thigh right shin are parallel to each other and they're also parallel to the short side of the mat If you're in this position you'll fold off a little more to the right over that knee.
And if you're coming into your standard pigeon,
We'll come straight down over the center of the shin.
You might come down to your bolster,
To your palms,
Or if you have the two blocks,
I like to make a T-shape with the blocks.
So that the vertical one rests the sternum and the top one will rest the forehead.
Softening any tension that may have crept into the jaw.
Meeting any tension in the body with your breath.
Not with force.
Not with the story.
Just the breath.
Follow your next inhalation out of the pose.
So we'll change sides straight away.
You might like to step back into a tabletop or maybe a brief downward facing dog.
And then bringing that left Leg forward,
Either bending both knees and leaning off over to the side or folding down.
In the centre,
Finding your sweet spot.
And let's follow the next inhalation,
Lifting up out of the pose.
Lean off over to the left as you bring this right leg around.
And we'll come into a side bend so the right leg can come out on a 45 degree angle and we'll comfortably bend that left knee.
Now you can always use a block to support the leg if you need to.
We're coming into a side bend.
Some of you might choose to place the bolster on top of the leg so that you can rest the elbow.
Others might choose the block.
Or of course you can bring your elbow down to the knee.
Your left hand will take chin mudra,
Index finger and thumb to connect and just rest your hand on your low back.
Only here for a short time.
Be sure to breathe into the left side way.
Follow your next inhalation out of the pose.
You can lean back,
Gently swish those knees from side to side.
Before we change.
If you need longer here,
Please take it,
Otherwise left leg out on a 45 degree angle.
Again,
You can prop that right knee if you need to.
Configure your props,
However.
You need to support the body as best you can.
So be careful not to overstretch or overstrain.
We want to create space from the inside out.
With the breath.
So as soon as you arrive in the pose,
See if you can deepen the breath.
Take a breath into that area that's caught your awareness.
Into those pockets of tension.
And if you can't deepen the breath,
It's a sign that you're pushing a little too hard physically.
Then you might need to ease off.
And let's follow the next inhalation out of the pose,
Gently coming up.
Well done,
Yogis.
Let's just move our blocks to the side.
Bring your bolster over once again.
Parallel to the long side of the mat,
Let's take our prune twist.
So sitting with your right hip touching the bolster,
Hands are either side.
We'll inhale to lengthen the spine and then gently bring as much of your navel down as you can.
Head can turn left or right.
And you can always position the block in between the thighs if you need to support the hips and knees.
Feeling the breath move the body.
Notice the body gently expand as you inhale.
Especially the lower belly and the lower back.
Find that sweet little pause before you exhale and soften.
Into the shape.
Let's inhale together smoothly,
Deeply,
And pause.
And exhale for five.
4.
3.
2.
Huan Inhale smoothly,
Deeply.
And pull.
And exhale for five.
Pull.
3.
2.
1.
Follow your next inhalation out of the pose,
Gently pressing up.
Either coming to tabletop and changing sides or a brief downward facing dog.
And lower the left hip next to the bolster.
Inhale to sit tall.
And exhale to lay yourself down.
And once again,
Let's find that longer exhalation.
Very soothing for the nervous system.
But also allows more time for the body to rid the toxins.
Let's inhale smoothly,
Deeply.
And pour.
And exhale for five.
1.
Inhale smoothly.
Deeply and hold.
And exhale for five.
4.
2.
Wow.
Follow your next inhalation out of the pose.
Just pressing up to seat it.
And then from here,
Yogis,
Let's just turn the bolster around so it's parallel to the short side of the mat.
Coming into our sphinx pose.
So you can practice this posture without the bolster or your pillows.
You prefer to come down flat onto the mat do so.
Otherwise,
Bringing your lower belly onto the prop.
Then we'll take those blocks underneath the forearms.
Just relaxing the shoulders,
Broadening the collarbone.
And witnessing the dance between the breath and the body.
Plenty of options here today.
Yogis either stay exactly as you are.
Or if you'd like,
You can take a hold of your left foot if you can comfortably do so.
And then roll onto your right side.
Use your right arm as a pillow.
Gently deepen the breath to deepen the pose.
From here,
Let's return.
And change slides.
And return once again to the navel.
Pressing ourselves up now coming into tabletop rounding the back and just rock back a little and then return to a neutral position.
Once again,
Rock back,
Tuck the tailbone rounding the spine.
And back to center.
This time you might like to come all the way down into your child's pose.
Option to use the bolster.
Or roll it away and bring the forehead to the mat.
Feel the breath spread across the back.
And when you're ready,
Gently lifting yourself up.
Just move the props to the side so you can bring yourself down onto your back.
Once on your back,
Lift up the feet,
Take the hands to the knees.
Arms are straight here.
Let's press the hands into the knees and pull the knees back into the hands.
Imprint your lower back into the mat.
So it's a little bit of cool happening here.
Keep the jaw relaxed.
And let's relax.
Hug the knees into the chest.
Inhale to straighten the arms.
Exhale to bend.
Let's lower the feet to the floor.
Cross the left leg over the right leg.
We're coming into a twist.
Move the hips a little to the left before those knees come down to the right.
If this is too intense on your legs,
You can uncross the legs and just have the block in between the thighs.
The arms out to the side and either resting as you are.
Or if it feels okay for your left shoulder,
Take three sweeping circles with the left arm.
Bring the left fingertips to the right elbow crease.
Inhale the arm up and overhead.
And then as you exhale,
Sweep the arm down past the hip.
The inhalation has the arm above shoulder line.
Exhalation is below shoulder line.
And then this fourth time,
We'll come to stillness,
Resting with the arm out to the side.
Let's change sides in our legs back to center.
Move the hips over to the right,
Change the cross of the leg.
Option to take those sweeping circles with the right arm.
Inhaling above the head Exhaling below the hip.
Coming to stillness when you're ready.
Let's inhale those legs back to center on crossing the legs.
Coming into Shavasana now,
You might like to place the bolster underneath those knees.
Allowing the legs to fall heavy.
And we will finish our class in Shavasana today,
Yogi.
So please stay here for as long as you need.
Taking up as much space as feels.
And closing the eyes.
Softening the tongue and jaw.
And allow the eyes to gently roll back.
As you commit them to rest.
From the world of looking and seeing.
Let's become the quiet observer.
