Welcome to this yin inspired 12 minute yoga practice.
We'll begin in reclined butterfly pose.
Come all the way down on the back and position the soles of your feet together.
Let the knees fall out wide to stretch into the hips.
Take a few moments to get completely comfortable here.
When you're ready place your left hand over the heart and your right hand over your belly.
With the eyes closed take a deep breath in through the nose.
Open your mouth and exhale.
Release the breath out.
Take another deep breath in and a cleansing breath out.
Allow your breath to come back to a natural comfortable rhythm.
Tuning into the expansion and contraction with each inhale and exhale.
Feeling the movement of your body underneath your fingertips as you breathe.
Tuning into your physical body noticing how with each breath your body becomes more and more relaxed.
Allow your body to stay relaxed as you take one more breath.
And gently draw the knees together.
Bring the soles of the feet flat on the ground and with your next breath hug your knees into the chest giving yourself a gentle hug.
Take one more breath and then release your left foot to the floor coming into supine pigeon.
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh.
Keep your right foot gently flexed and you can either stay here with your foot on the floor or you can lift your left foot up and interlace your fingers behind your left leg.
Begin to breathe feeling the stretch in the outer glutes and hip.
Take one more inhale and one more exhale.
If your foot is lifted gently place it down to the ground.
Keep the cross of the legs.
Bring your hands down.
Press down into your palms to lift your hips placing them over to the right and then gently release your legs to the left.
Coming into a twist bring the arms out wide into cactus and breathe.
And with your next breath come back to centre.
Uncross your legs,
Readjust your hips evenly and we'll switch sides.
Cross your left ankle over your right thigh.
Gently flex your foot.
Stay here or lift your right foot up.
Interlace your fingers and hug your legs closer in towards your body to deepen the stretch.
Allow your facial muscles to relax,
Your shoulders,
Your hips.
Take one last full round of breath.
If your right foot is lifted gently place it down to the floor.
Keep the legs crossed.
Press down into the palms to lift the hips to the left and allow the legs to drop to the right.
Bringing your arms out wide,
Elbows bent,
Breathing into the low back and enjoying the stretch.
Allow your next breath to bring you back to centre.
Uncross your legs,
Release your arms alongside your body and readjust your hips.
Lift your legs straight up towards the sky and begin to point and flex your feet.
Rolling out through the ankles and take one more breath here.
Hug your knees into the chest and rock yourself up to gently come into a seat.
Prepare to come into a forward fold.
Extend your legs in front of you,
Boot down through your sit bones and with your next exhale slowly begin to walk your hands forward,
Hinging from the hips and allowing your entire upper body to relax over the legs.
If you have a bolster place it on top of your legs.
Just relax your forehead down.
Allow your next inhale to slowly guide you back up,
Lifting vertebrae by vertebrae.
Bend your knees,
Cross your ankles and come into tabletop pose.
From your hands and knees,
Move through a few rounds of cats and cows at your own pace.
Allow your body some slow gentle movements.
Transition into our next posture,
Melting heart pose.
Walk your hands forwards,
Press your forearms,
Your chest down towards the ground.
Relax your forehead towards the mat.
Begin to breathe deeply to the front side body.
On your next inhale,
Press into the palms of your hands and come back through tabletop pose.
Tuck your toes under and slowly press your hips back towards your heels,
Keeping your hands on the ground,
Your head lowered,
Feeling into this toe stretch.
If this is too intense for you,
Bring more weight forward into the hands and if you want a deeper stretch here,
Bring more of your weight back into the heels.
Come back to your breath and notice the sensations of your body.
Plant your hands down in front of you and tuck the toes and begin to point and flex the feet or tap the tops of the feet,
Whatever feels good.
When you're ready,
Come back into a comfortable seat.
Now sit the hips over the heels,
You can come to a cross-legged seat.
Take a moment to offer love and gratitude towards yourself and towards this practice and set the intention to take that love and gratitude with you.
Throughout the rest of your day.
Namaste
