Welcome friend!
In the next few minutes we are going to do three gentle restorative poses on the floor.
You will need two blocks and a bolster.
Let's begin!
Stack your two blocks,
One on top another,
And place the bolster lengthwise on top of them.
While building a little ramp that will receive the weight of your torso.
Come and sit just in front of the bolster,
So it is right behind your lower back.
Behind your powers.
Bend your knees,
Placing your feet on the mat and then let your knees drift to the right,
The right shin forward,
The left shin behind.
Take a moment to find some ease in that shape.
And allow your body to settle here,
Gently lengthen through the crown of your head,
Elongating and just observe how it feels being here in this pose.
Notice the sensations in your hips.
In your pelvis,
In your thighs.
Let's take couple more breaths here on the exhale,
Releasing all tension.
And now begin to rotate your torso to the right,
Following your knees.
And then slowly let your upper body melt forward and down onto the bolster.
Your belly,
Your chest and your head are supported here.
Let your arms go wherever they want.
There is no right position for them.
Just let the bolster carry you.
Just do what feels right.
And what feels good for your body right now.
And here just notice your breath.
Where in the body you feel it most right now as we stay here in this pose.
Observe the sensations and observe the breath.
And since we stay here,
You may notice that stillness is not that easy as it may seem,
Because the mind will want to move,
To plan and to keep solving and doing some work.
And that's not a problem,
That's just what minds do.
But your practice here is simply to keep returning to the breath,
To the weight of your body.
To the sensations.
Whatever you feel right now.
Notice the front of your left hip,
The outer right hip.
The long line of the side body.
Stay here a little longer and let the body settle even more.
With every exhale try to relax even deeper.
Releasing and melding even more.
And go off any muscle control.
As if all the muscles of your body are switched off right now.
When you're ready,
Slowly press your hands into the floor and lift your torso back to center.
We're going to move to the left side.
I am adjusting the bolster so it's ready for other side but all you do is just changing the side.
So return to starting position.
Your back is facing the bolster and now let your knees drift to the left.
And again,
Turn your torso to follow.
And left shin is forward,
Right shin behind.
Take a moment to settle here.
Notice the difference.
The difference between left hip and right hip.
Left eye and right eye.
And then let yourself melt down onto the bolster.
Let the weight of you land completely.
The monster is there and you don't have to hold yourself up.
You don't have to hold on to anything right now.
Just allow yourself to relax and let go.
Notice the front of the right hip now.
The outer left hip.
Maybe the breath moves a little differently on this side.
Maybe this side is tighter or softer.
Just observe.
Eventually you will be getting more and more comfortable.
Just make sure that you are asking your body if it is comfortable for it to stay in this pose or how to adjust it to make it more comfortable.
Stay here,
Soft and supported and let the floor hold you completely.
It is safe to relax now.
The mind will wander,
It always does.
But each time you notice it has drifted,
Just simply come back.
To the breath.
The sensations.
It's not a failure when you drift.
Drifting is what gives you something to return from.
And now,
Slowly and gently bring yourself back to center.
Let's keep the bolster exactly where it is.
Sit just in front of the bolster.
Bring the soles of your feet together now.
Let your knees fall wide.
This is a supported butterfly supta baddha konasana with a ram beneath you.
Slowly lean back onto the bolster.
Let your spine lengthen along its surface and your head resting at the top.
You can adjust how close your feet are to your pelvis.
Closer brings more intensity to the inner thighs.
Further away is softer.
Just find what feels right.
Make sure there is no tension anywhere in the body right now.
Let your arms rest open at your sides,
Palms facing up.
If you want you can keep one hand on your belly and one on your chest,
Just whatever comes to you.
Close your eyes if it feels comfortable.
And as always,
Just observe the sensations.
Observe your breath.
Observe that gentle chest opening and hip opening.
This is the rest your body has been asking for.
Not the rest that comes after you've done enough.
Not the rest you've earned.
Just rest.
Because you are here,
And your body is alive,
And it deserves to be held.
Not because it earned it,
But just because.
You are always allowed to rest.
Feel the opening across the front of the chest,
The gentle release in the inner groin,
The the slow weight of the breath moving through you.
You don't have to do anything with any of this,
Just let it be here.
Stay here for as long as you like.
And when you're ready to come out,
Bring your knees gently together and roll slowly to one side and take your time sitting up.
If you have a few more minutes,
Shavasana is here for you.
Simply lie flat on your back,
Arms at your side and let everything go completely.
I hope this practice helped you to relax and unwind and I hope your body feels good.
