Heart Opening Yoga Flow: 30 Day Challenge Day 8

Open the heart space. Starting in supported fish, we'll cultivate an intention from the heart. We'll then move into a gentle flow with backbends and pec stretches to open the heart.
Props needed: Bolster / rolled up blanket / long pillow

Transcript

Hey, Everyone, And welcome to day eight of our 30-Day Yoga Challenge. My name is Candice, And today's practice is about opening the heart. So you will need some sort of bolster or rolled up blanket or a long pillow, Anything of similar shape. That's all you'll need. If there's anything else you know you need that you'd like to have for practice, You can grab that as well. And we are going to get started on our backs, But before you lie down, We're going to lay our prop lengthwise up the back. So grabbing what you need. And we're going to place the base of the bolster or blanket or pillow just to the base of the spine. You can bend the knees, Plant the feet on the mat. We're just going to lay down. Onto your prop. And you may have to kind of shift around, Especially if your bolster or pillow is as thick as mine is. It kind of feels a little bit weird at first, So you have to kind of shift around and find that sweet spot. And legs can just be in any position that feels comfortable. I tend to like my knees bent feet on the mat. Maybe you like to find Baddha Konasana in your legs, So feet together, Knees apart, Or you can extend your legs straight out in front of you. And your arms. I invite you to take them as wide as feels comfortable. So if it feels comfortable to have them straight out beside you or maybe you have to bring them a little closer to the body. Finding your level of comfort here. Allow the eyes to close down and Just tune in, Bring that attention inside. And at first, Let's just do a little scan from head to toe of the body. Notice any sensations that you're feeling in the body, Whether it's physical sensations in the muscles, In the bone. Perhaps more energetic sensation. Feelings and thoughts. And you can notice with complete non-judgmental curiosity not. Labeling as good or bad, Positive or negative, Or even trying to make sense of what you're feeling, Just notice. Separates the sensation from the need to have the story. You can allow your awareness now. To fall into the heart space. Notice if there is an openness that you sense here. A tightness that you sense here. Is there areas that feel open, Areas that feel closed off? Breathe into your heart space. Allow the breath to flood with. Nourishment and compassion and love into this space. I feel the inhales expanding through the chest and the ribcage, Creating space. Exhales, Feel yourself become soft. Surrender. Surrender yourself here. While your awareness is here in your heart space. You may ask yourself, What do I desire? What do I long for? Just noticing any thoughts that arise when you ask those questions. What do I desire? What is my heart longing for? Perhaps you might use whatever answers arise in your mind to bring an intention forth into this practice that we have together today. Maybe forming that intention into an affirmation-like statement. If you're longing for gentleness, Perhaps the statement is, I am gentle. If you're longing for ease, Perhaps the statement is, I am relaxed. Love, The statement may be, I am love. So repeating that statement to yourself in your mind. Feeling it come directly from the heart space. Feeling that statement. Flood, That intention. Flood through your entire body. Connecting back with the breath and noticing. If the breath is shallow or if it's deep. Knowing that as your mind will inevitably wander as with any practice. You have this. Affirmation, Statement, Intention to come back to. Created from the heart. And from here you might wiggle the fingers and the toes to start to invite a little bit of movement. Whenever you're ready, You can gently roll off of your prop. Just roll off to one side, Remove it, Go ahead and set it aside. And come back onto your back. Let's just bring the soles of the feet together. Let the knees fall open. Take one hand to the heart, One hand to the belly. Feel the breath effortlessly moving in and out of the body. Feel your heart space soft and open. Next, Exhale, Bringing the knees back up. Heel to the feet about hips distance apart. Let's rock the knees from side to side. The next time you roll over to one side, It doesn't matter, You can completely allow your body to roll to that side. Use your hand to press yourself up. And come all the way up and forward. Let's take a tabletop position. Stacking wrists somewhere underneath the shoulders, Knees under the hips. Let's take a few cat-cow movements. Let's take it really, Really slow here. Fully draw the inhale in. Drop the navel down. Roll the shoulders back. Really feel the heart come through first and then your chin lifts last. Pause here. Exhale, Chin tucked. Press into the palms, Pull the heart back, Pull the navel back around the spine. Slow motion cat and cows drop the navel. Roll the shoulders back. Pull the heart through, Lift your chin. Exhale to round, Press into the palms, Drop the head. Let's take one more each way. And then we'll come on back to center. Bring the knees together, Heels together. Sit back on the heels for a moment. Sweep the arms up overhead. Point through the fingertips, Palms facing forward. As you exhale, Cactus the arms. Pull the elbows down, Pull the shoulder blades down as you lift your heart, Lift your gaze. Inhale, Rise up, Reach through the fingertips. Exhale, Pull the elbows down, Pull the shoulder blades down, The back, Lift the heart, Lift the gaze. And how to rise up. Exhale, Last one. Pull the elbows down. Pull the shoulder blades down this time. Keep pulling the elbows down. Sweep the arms out in front of you. Come on forward. Slide forward onto the belly. Untucking the toes, Take the hands beside the ribs. Press into the palms slightly to roll the shoulders back. Lift up to a low cobra. Exhale, Lower down. Inhale, Roll up. Exhale, Lower down. Take the hands out wider, Tent the fingertips. Inhale, Press into the fingertips, Roll up, Maybe a little bit higher. Exhale, Lower down. Inhale, Roll up. Adding on, Exhale, Drop left shoulder down to the center, Drop the head down. In how to roll up. Exhale, Drop right shoulder down to the center, Drop the head. And how well. Last one, Each way. Exhale, Left shoulder down. Inhale, Roll up. Exhale, Right shoulder drops. Inhale, Roll up, Come back to center. Pause here for a moment. Roll the shoulder heads back in space. Lift your heart. Exhale, Lower all the way down. Take the left arm straight out beside you. Rest your head down onto the left side. Keep the right fingertips tented, Bending the right knee. Let's roll over to the left, Finding your edge. Maybe stopping with that right foot, Just kind of hanging out in space. Or maybe you can roll over and find the ground with your toes. Wherever you are. Calm and smooth, Even and deep continuous breaths. And next exhale, Let's roll on back to center. Switching sides, Right arm extends out beside you. Lay your head down on the right side, Tenting the left fingertips. Pressing into the fingertips, Bend the left knee, Rolling to the right. The next exhale, Roll on back to center, Shift the weight to one side, Bring that forearms down to the mat, Elbows underneath the shoulders, Pressing firmly into the palms of the hands, Press firmly into the forearms, Roll the shoulder heads back, Lift your heart, Maybe you pull the elbows towards the body and feel how that pulls the chest through. Option to stay here in Sphinx if you're happy here. If you want, You can take the hands forward just a little bit, Pressing into the palms, Straightening the elbows for seal. Keep lengthening through the spine as you lift up. Make sure it's not too much of a bend in the lower back. You want a nice even bend through the spine, Not putting too much compression in one area. And as you exhale, Let's lower down. Stack the forearms in front of the face. Just rest the forehead down here for a moment. And then from here, Slide the hands beside the ribs, Press into the palms. Come on back. Bring the knees together, Heels together, Sit down on the heels, Round the spine over the thighs. Rest down to this Child's Pose variation. You can maybe stack the fists and rest your forehead down, Or if your forehead comes to the floor, You can rest it there. We won't be here long, Just resting here for a moment. Next inhale, You can press yourself up, Sitting on your heels, We'll clasp the hands behind the back. If it feels better, You can also just take your hands to your hips or low back. Inhale, Roll the shoulders back. Lift your heart. Squeeze the shoulder blades together as you roll the shoulders back. And exhale, Release. Turning to one side, Swinging the legs out in front of you. We're going to come all the way down onto our backs once again. Grabbing your prop and make sure it's nearby. Coming down onto your back. Let's rock the knees from side to side. Coming back to center, Planting the feet, Maybe about hips distance apart or a little bit wider. Go ahead and grab your prop. Your blanket or bolster or pillow, Bring it about to where your hips are. We are going to press. Into the feet to lift the hips up just enough so that you can slide. Your bolster or pillow or blanket underneath your hips and just resting your sacrum onto your prop. Take the arms out wide. Maybe close the eyes down. You can rest here, Feel the hips become heavy. You can stay here with the knees bent, Or if it feels good, You might extend the legs out in front and just kind of bring the sensation more into the hip flexors, The front of the hips. But if that doesn't feel good, Just stay where you are. Calm and smooth, Even and deep continuous breaths coming back to your intention if you've lost it. Every exhalation, Feel the hips surrender. Feel your pelvis melt into your props. Feel completely supported. And if you're really happy here and you want to stay, You can stay just as you are for as long as you want. If you're ready to come out, You can gently press into the feet, Just enough to lift the hips enough so that you can slide your prop out from under you, And then slowly lower the hips down. Maybe rock the knees from side to side. Now let's curl the knees in towards the chest, Wrap the arms around the legs, Give yourself a little squeeze. And we can exhale, Extend the legs out in front, Taking our Savasana. If you want to use your Prapa in any way, Either keeping it under the hips, Maybe taking it underneath the knees. Or if you really like the. . . Bolster pillow up the back, You can take that as well. Let's soften the breath. Back to its natural pace, Let's close the eyes down. Noticing sensations in the body and the heart space. Maybe even take one hand to the heart, One hand to the belly. With tenderness and gentleness. I'll leave you here for as long as you need or as long as you have time for. Feeling completely and utterly supported by the ground underneath of you. And whenever you're ready to move on to the remainder of your day or your evening, Knowing that you can always lead with the heart. Soaking up these last few moments. Staying as long as you need to. And thank you so very much, As always, For joining me in practice, And we will see you again tomorrow.