Mindful Movement

This is a mindful movement practice that guides you through a few simple stretches in a slow and attentive manner.

Transcript

Mindful movement. There are many physical exercises that can be engaged in in a mindful manner. This stretching based mindfulness practice is just one example of a movement exercise that you can engage in in a mindful way. So we'll begin by finding a place where you'll be undisturbed and can lie down on a mat or thick carpet with your arms outstretched at either side. A little space around you. It might be that some of these postures are right for you and some aren't. If there are exercises here which you don't feel comfortable with or aren't right for your body, Please feel free to adapt the posture to suit yourself or just to lie, Sit or stand mindfully while the guidance continues for that posture joining in again when you feel ready to do so in a safe and mindful manner. The aim of this exercise is not to become supple or to work yourself vigorously, But more to bring your mind to your body in various postures. Noticing the edge of your stretches where the limits of your physical movements tell you that you've stretched enough. It's important when engaging with this exercise not to push yourself too far, To recognise and stay within your limits and always trust your body. It may even be advisable to seek advice from a doctor or health practitioner before engaging in these exercises. This isn't a platform for performance. You're simply requested to bring your attention to your body in each moment, Moment by moment. So when you're ready we'll begin by lying down on your back with your legs outstretched and each time that it's suggested that you move, Bringing your awareness to the intention to move before you do so. To each of the muscular changes as you go through the movement mindfully and to the new posture that you settle into after each movement. And when you move into a new posture, Noticing what tells you that you've stretched far enough in each posture. The individual sensations that say that's enough for you. So from this lying position begin by pulling your right knee towards your chest making a ninety degree angle with your thighs and the rest of your body. You can reach your arms out to each side like a cross as you do. Reach your arms out to each side like a cross as you breathe out. Lower the right knee to the floor. Reach your arms out to each side like a cross as you breathe out lower the right knee to the floor on the left side of yourself without lifting your right shoulder as best as you can. It might be that your knee doesn't reach the floor but just stretching in this diagonal twist as far as is right for you. Then look over your right shoulder and remain here for a few breaths. Noticing the pull in the body. The stretch between the upper shoulder and the thigh. Noticing any sensations that move or are static within the body. The sense of pressure or stretching. Always having the breath as an anchor to come back to. Simply using the physical posture to bring your attention to the body in this immediate moment. And at the same time giving your body a stretch. Then on an in-breath returning to the center. Allowing your leg to go back up and then down to follow the other leg resting next to each other. Bringing the head back to center. And then we'll repeat the exercise with your left knee. Lifting this up to a 90 degree angle with your thigh. And twisting your left knee and dropping it to the right side this time. Moving your knee towards the floor. Again it may not make contact with the floor but just moving the knee in that direction as far as it will go without lifting up your shoulder. This time turning your head to look over the left shoulder. Once again remaining in this posture for a few breaths. Giving moment by moment attention to all the bodily sensations involved in this posture. Feeling the diagonal stretch in this direction as best as you can. And returning to the physical sensations in the body again and again. Giving up any thoughts or judgments. Just letting go and coming back to the body. And when you're ready returning to the center. Lowering your leg and bringing your head in line with your body. Noticing how this feels in the body having stretched diagonally in both directions. And for the next exercise we're going to come up onto all fours with the hands and knees and feet touching the floor. You may notice if your mind and body has already started moving into this posture. Noticing the intent to move before it happens if we can. And then when we're ready moving mindfully. Shifting your posture at a pace that suits yourself. Coming to a position with your hands beneath your shoulders. And where your arms are straight and your knees touch the floor underneath your hips. Roughly a 90 degree angle between your arms and your body. Making a table of your back. And just gazing down towards the floor to start with in this table posture. And we're going to alternate between what we call the cat and cow postures. So beginning as you breathe out rolling your chin in towards the chest and gazing towards your navel. As you hunch your spine up like a cat stretching. Moving your back towards the ceiling. Taking a couple of breaths here. Before moving into what we call the cow posture. Raising the head up to gaze upwards and dropping the spine to make a concave curve. Sinking the tummy towards the floor. And stretching the back in the opposite direction. Sinking the tummy down lifting the head up. And taking a couple of breaths in this posture. And then in your own time. Alternating with a smooth transition. And if you like in time with the breath between the cat posture with the back arching upwards. The tummy lifting up and your spine lifting up towards the ceiling. Your head dropping down to stare between your legs. And then as you breathe in raising the head and gazing upwards and dropping the back into an arch going down. If you like in time with your breath breathing out rolling your chin in towards the chest. Gazing towards your navel. Hunching the spine like a cat. As you breathe in arching your back while lifting the head towards the sky. Noticing the bodily sensations moment by moment as you alternate between these postures. When you're ready returning to the table posture with your head gazing naturally towards the floor. And your back parallel with the floor. So that we're not arched up or down but in the table posture that we started with. Holding this posture. And then when you're ready sinking your bottom back towards your heels. Allowing the arms to stretch forward and bring your head towards the floor. Resting your head on the floor in what we call the swan posture. Spreading your knees somewhat to allow your belly to be held in a comfortable position between the thighs. As you stretch the rest of your body down and forward. Resting your arms in a relaxed position along the floor in front of you. Resting the forehead on the floor. Or if you like you might put your arms back by your sides if this is more comfortable. Notice how the body feels in this posture as you hold this position for 20 or so breaths. All the while paying moment by moment attention to each of the sensations that you notice in the body. Noticing the sensations of breathing in this posture. Remembering to come back to the sensations on the body whenever the attention wanders away as it inevitably will. Not pushing thoughts away or trying to experience any particular sensations. Not trying to have a clear or empty mind. Just appreciating what is present and coming back to the physical sense of breathing in the body in this position. And when we're ready we're going to come into a standing posture. Again noticing if the mind or body is in this posture before we've even noticed our intent to move. If possible being very conscious about the intent to move. And moving mindfully paying attention to the transition between one posture and the next. So coming up to standing in your own time. Into the mountain posture. Bringing the feet together or up to hip distance apart if this helps you to balance. With the heels and big toes in line pointing forward. And if you're quite supple and want an energetic posture you can lift the knee caps and lift the hip muscles. Or if you're feeling less supple maybe even allowing the knees to bend slightly. The weight evenly distributed between the heels and toes and between the two hips. The pelvis is neither tilted forward nor backwards. Keeping the chest broad and the shoulders rolled back. The shoulder blades pulling down on the back. The pelvis is neither tilted forward nor backwards. The gaze may be towards the tip of the nose. And as you inhale as best as you can bringing the arms slowly up each side and over the head stretching towards the sky. So just slowly moving the arms and feeling the changes in sensations as the arms raise. The changes in blood pressure in the arms. Holding this posture with the hands above the head stretching skyward just as long as is safe and appropriate for you. Lowering them earlier if you need to. And as you breathe out gently and slowly releasing your arms to your sides again. Noticing how the blood flows down into the arms once more as they come down by your sides. And taking a few moments. Now in your own time. Once again slowly raising your arms above your head stretching towards the sky once again. We're now going to invite you to go into a forward bend. And it's very important particularly if you have back problems or balance issues that you really take care of your body doing only what is appropriate and right for you. Knowing what your body is capable of. You'll be able to make the best decisions about how you engage with an exercise. So from this standing mountain posture if it helps bending the knees slightly and then hinging forward from the hips walking your hands down your thighs and legs if necessary. Letting your head hang down towards your knees. Your hands holding your upper body weight against your legs. Or if you have a strong and flexible back maybe allowing the arms to dangle towards the floor. Allow the arms to hang down using the weight of your arms to bring your upper body down towards the floor. And if you're quite supple your fingertips or palms might even touch the floor. Or even allowing your palms to rest flat against the floor. But just stretching into this bend in a safe and appropriate way for you. Not trying to achieve anything. Just being present to the sensations in the body. Just loosely folding into this bend. Coming up if you need to do so in a manner that's safe for you. Or breathing into the back. If you do come up early feel free to walk the hands up the legs to give support to your upper body as you bring your body into an upright posture. Feeling the edge of this stretch. What parts of the body are telling you that you've stretched enough? Can you detect the particularities of this stretch? Where do we feel that? Are the sensations particularly intense, Painful, Comfortable? Are they static or moving? Is there a sense of pulling in parts of the body or a sense of pressure or energy anywhere? Just hanging here as long as it's right for you. Simply breathing. And after a couple of minutes, If you haven't already raised yourself back into a standing posture, Becoming ready to slowly roll the spine up to a standing posture again. Walking the hands back up the legs if you need to support your back as you do this. Rolling up from the bottom vertebrae one at a time. Bringing moment by moment attention to the rising spine as you roll your back into an upright posture. Once you've returned to a standing posture, Noticing all the sensations in the body. And once you've returned to a standing posture, Noticing the sensations in the body after this particular stretch. Noticing the blood rushing out of the head as you stand up again. Noticing all of the different sensations in the body that result from this stretch. Now as we come towards the end of the mindful movement, You're going to lie down for a little while. Again, Noticing if the mind and body has got ahead of itself. As best as you can, Moving mindfully from one posture to the next. Coming to lie in a straight line on your back. We're going to be here for a few minutes so you might want to pull a blanket over yourself. Your arms by the sides but a little out from the body. Hands facing the sky. Maybe flopping the feet out to each side with the legs uncrossed. And resting naturally with the feet about hip distance apart or wider if this is more comfortable for you. And then just breathe naturally. Resting in this posture for five minutes. Paying mindful attention to all the sensations of the breath. The body. Noticing the contents of the mind as we lay here. Just bringing a curious awareness to whatever arises in the moment. And coming back again and again to the physical sense of lying here breathing, Moment by moment. Each moment new and fresh. The first time you ever felt it this particular way. Appreciating the miraculous newness of each moment. Coming back to the breath and the body. Whenever the mind wanders off into the future or past. To fantasy or reverie. Just noticing how the body feels having engaged in these stretching practices. The thoughts of future or past. Coming into just being. Letting go of the doing of the day. Just being this body. Just being enough right now. And if the mind wanders a hundred times, You can just come back to the breath and the body a hundred times. Acknowledging it's in the nature of the mind to consistently generate thoughts. Just giving up being entertained by these thoughts. And coming back to the physical presence of this moment. This body. This breath. We're going to end this exercise in a moment, But again just noticing any thoughts that rush to the mind of doing. Appreciating that these can just be given up. The rest of the day can just be a continuous practice of coming back to being. Again and again. So if it helps, Bringing the knees back up to the chest and rolling to the right side. Before we raise the body up into an upright posture. And congratulating yourself that you've taken this time out to care for your mind and body. And indirectly to care for those around you by practicing mindfulness. Thank you.

Reviews

After traveling in the car yesterday for nearly 10 hours, I was very stiff and sore. With that brings some grumpiness also. After taking the time to do these exercise exercises I feel so much better. Thank you for your work, Susan.

My takeaway: Slow Down and notice. :) KEY: 5*Insightful 4*Interesting 3*Okay 2*Not For Me 1*Irritating

Thank you ⭐️⭐️⭐️for sharing this gentle movement 🌺I enjoyed doing it🌺happy holidays 🙏Namaste

I found this gentle practise very supportive and kind. It is good if you don't have much energy or are in discomfort as it is gentle, although it does contain the cat/cow yoga poses which may be hard for some.

Thank you so much!
May all beings benefit from the practice of this meditation.