Welcome to day 26 of 30 Days of Yoga and Yoga Nidra.
Today we're going to be practicing a slow yin yoga style practice.
And we're gonna be focusing on calming the mind.
And finding relaxation.
So this practice should help you when you are facing a time of agitation.
Maybe anxiety and stress.
And it might be counterintuitive then.
You might be wanting to act.
And do you?
You know,
Run and.
.
.
Solve problems and whatnot.
But there's also the need of your body and mind to calm down,
To reset.
And to find your center.
So when all the energy is gone and everything is out and you just feel lost.
Remember to take the time to resettle.
Back into your body.
This is the most valuable time spent.
Go solve and save the world.
But first.
.
.
Press the reset button.
So let's have a seat.
Just quickly.
Finding our breath.
Adding a seed on your cushion or support or your yoga block anchoring your body.
Setting bones.
Into the floor.
Then lengthen your spine all the way up into the crown of your head.
And release.
Your shoulders.
You can have your.
.
.
Hands however you want to,
Either touching your legs,
Your knees,
So palms down,
Palms facing up or even for eating a so-called with your thumb and your index finger,
Whatever feels great.
Today.
Then take a long big inhale,
Lengthen,
And on the exhale,
Let's eat.
Bring your right ear towards your right shoulder.
Inhale,
Get the head back up to center.
And exhale.
And the head to the left.
Left ear to the left shoulder.
Another big inhale.
Exhale,
Head comes to the right.
And then inhale back to center.
Exhale to the left back to center.
One more time to the right.
And just makes us feel how.
.
.
Tense and stressed for you.
Maybe R in the shoulder girdle.
Hand back to center.
Big exhale.
Then to the left.
As the neck part,
The shoulders.
They are often the first responders to stress.
When we're facing a stressor or multiple stressors.
How can it be so simple?
Our bodies are just so.
.
.
Old.
In reacting.
In the way they are reacting to stressors that.
.
.
It can be anything,
You know,
And then you just get tense and tight.
So take a big inhale through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
Ha!
Cheers to me.
Just uh.
.
.
Relief here.
Lilt.
So we are.
When we're facing these stressors,
We get these flight,
Fight or freeze responses in mind.
Be that we are.
Rolling the shoulders forward,
Crunching.
Just keeping it in,
Protecting our chest,
Protecting the vulnerable front of our body with all the inner organs.
This is just a normal reaction that we want to Protect and stay safe.
Just remember that.
Very unhealthy for our lumbar spine for the back so we must remind us to Even if it feels weird at the beginning,
If it doesn't feel good,
If it feels wrong.
But.
.
.
Physiologically we need to have that open spine we need to have space for breathing otherwise will lack oxygen.
So opening the chest,
Releasing the shoulders,
Always during your day remind yourself of you know,
Making space for air and releasing the pressure from the lumbar spine by having the spine straight.
Respecting.
The natural curves of our lumbar spine.
All right,
Enough sitting then.
Come on to all fours.
And.
.
.
It's release.
Tension in our spine to stay.
Ease yourself,
Feel like a cat first.
Cats are just wonderful in stretching whenever they feel they need stretching,
Whenever,
And wherever.
So get your hands underneath your shoulders,
Your knees underneath your hips.
And have a wonderful round back.
The cat.
And the cow.
Lifting the nose,
The chest.
Exhaling,
Pulling the navel in.
Inhaling,
Lifting the chin,
Lifting the tailbone.
Feel into the spine.
So the cat-cow pose allows us to mobilize the spine.
Without having any pressure.
Without having any weight.
On our spine.
So we can allow ourselves to do weird movements.
To the sides even that we might not be able to do standing.
Let alone one we have weighed in our hands.
So just enjoy and explore.
The natural mobility of your spine here.
And where.
You know what we're doing here?
We're bringing our mind back into our body.
Our mind starts to feel.
That it belongs into a body.
And that both are Intricately linked,
One nurtures the other,
One helps the other.
One needs the other.
Alright,
One last time,
Lifting the chin.
And exhale,
Rounding the back.
Let's come into child's pose,
Closing both eyes.
Chose.
Both toes touching,
Then open the knees,
Maybe mat with the part and just sit back.
And lengthen the arms forward.
You can bring your forehead to the mat.
Lengthening the arms,
Forward stretching.
And now release.
Your hips onto your heel.
So this is A pose where we feel the grounding power of the earth.
And the ground also protects us.
Text the vulnerable.
The soft front part of our body.
So we feel safety,
We feel peace,
We can calm down and relax.
You can close your eyes.
Your end.
I hope there are no stressors around you so you can feel the relaxation.
You can maybe start to feel how your nervous system is calming down.
And this might be the beginning of a great fatigue.
This might be a sign that your body was in overdrive.
For a while.
And then,
Is this a sign that you.
.
.
Should rest.
So when we start to calm down,
Our body starts talking to us.
And.
.
.
We can listen.
And from here Slowly.
Climb with your hands back underneath your shoulders.
Close your knees in and then shift your weight onto your toes,
Pressing the heels down.
Just stay here for a second,
Rocking.
You are faz-to-mond.
You know how much I love you.
Mobilizing the first toe joint.
You've heard this before,
Aging starts.
In the first toe joint,
Right?
Then get your heels onto the floor,
Coming into forward fold.
So stretch the legs.
Bend the upper body,
Release the head,
Shoulders,
The neck.
The hens!
The forward fold is D.
Pose for calming down and relaxing.
It's.
.
.
Works wonders on our nervous system as it releases the tension in our back line and the back line is the one that responds when we act,
When we do,
When we.
.
.
Run we fight!
We lift,
We carry.
Then we need our back line.
We need the stability.
So when the back line is engaged,
We're in action.
And if we release tension in the back line.
The body can let go.
And the mind and let go we're not acting anymore.
We're relaxing.
Just breathe into the pose.
Letting the hair go,
The head go one more time.
And then bend the knees,
Pulling the navel in,
Supporting the spine,
Rolling up into sitting.
As for a quick back into gravity.
So this feels a bit weird right now right we're all relaxed But withstanding,
This is a bit wobbly,
Maybe.
You might feel.
.
.
Soft.
And this is cool,
This is alright.
So just notice.
Bee.
In this soft wobbly body.
Great.
Inhale,
Arms come overhead softly.
And then exhale them beneath.
Roll back down.
Into safety,
Forward fold.
Amazing.
From here walk the hemps.
All would have been.
Get the knees onto the floor,
Crossing the legs.
Shifting the weight back.
And.
.
.
Coming in two.
Almost lying on the floor.
We're getting there.
So grab one knee.
And release the spine onto the ground,
Release the head.
And then simply get your feet.
Above your hips.
This is.
You can also do this against a wall if you have one.
Be pure.
Feed against the wall.
End.
Your hips close to the wall.
We'll just keep it here.
You can have the knees bent or straight,
Whatever feels good.
This is a rejuvenating pose.
Where we allow the heart ciao Work a little bit less hard.
As the blood from the legs comes back.
With gravity.
With no additional work to the body.
So all the blood can flow to the heart.
Where it gets.
Oxygenized,
Filled with oxygen,
With life.
And then our heart just needs to bring it back to the legs.
So we get a whole flush.
Of oxygen once we lower the legs down.
For the tagger.
Few more deep breaths here.
This is so calming.
We might fall asleep here and that's okay if you do.
And slowly transition into Shavasana.
So if that feels great with the feet up in the air,
You can also practice the beginning of shavasana like this or if you want to start to do nothing and simply lie down,
Stretch your legs out.
Adjust your body into your most comfortable lying on your back pose shavasana and let's simply rest.
Let's do Nothing.
Lie down on your back.
Your arms comfortably by your side.
And your palms and fingertips.
Facing up.
Close your eyes.
And take a few.
Deep breath.
Slow your breathing down.
To settle.
Into this moment.
Bring your awareness.
To your toes.
Imagine.
A soothing,
Warm light.
Washing over your toes.
Releasing.
Any tension.
Gradually move this light up.
Through your feet.
Your ankles.
Lower leg.
Calves,
Please stay.
Your thighs.
And your hips.
Melting away any stress.
With this warm light.
Now envision this calming.
Warm Relaxing light.
Traveling up through your hips into your.
Abdomen belly.
And chest.
Allowing your muscles to soften.
And your body.
To think deeper.
Into relaxation.
Feel your breath.
Becoming rhythmic.
And gentle.
Like the waves.
Of the ocean.
Than imagine.
This warm,
Soothing light to travel.
Through both of your arms to your shoulders.
Upper arm.
Elbows four rounds.
Both of your wrists.
Palms.
And all of your fingers and fingertips.
Releasing any tension left.
In your arms.
And bring your awareness.
To your neck.
And envision the calming light.
To travel through your neck.
The back of your head.
Top of your head.
To your whole face.
And allow all muscles.
In your face to soften.
Notice the natural flow.
Of your inhale.
And exhale.
As you breathe in,
Imagine drawing in a sense of tranquility.
And as you exhale,
Visualize releasing.
Any worries or tension.
The head no longer.
Serves you.
Picture yourself in a.
.
.
Serene.
Safe place.
This place is entirely your own.
Where you can explore strategies.
To manage stress.
And anxiety.
In this space,
Imagine a reflective pond or pool.
Before you.
With each question I'm going to ask you.
Allow ripples to form on the surface of the water.
Gently.
Guiding your thoughts.
What strategies?
Have I used in the past?
To manage stress.
And anxiety.
Observe the ripples as memories arise.
How do those strategies?
Make me feel.
Watch the ripples expand and fade.
Acknowledging.
Your emotions.
What new strategies?
Can I envision?
Employing in my daily life.
Visualize each idea.
As a floating leaf.
On the water's surface.
Imagine yourself engaging.
In these strategies with confidence.
And ease.
See yourself practicing.
Deep breathing.
Walking in nature Mindfulness.
Practicing gratitude.
Exercising.
Creative words.
Or any other techniques you're drawn to.
Feel the empowering.
Positive energy.
Emanating from within you.
Then repeat the following affirmations.
Silently.
In your head.
I am capable.
Of managing stress.
And anxiety.
I embrace.
New strategies.
With an open heart.
And mind.
I create.
A harmonious flow.
And peaceful life.
For myself.
End as this practice.
Comes to a close.
Feel a sense of gratitude.
For this time of self-care.
Gradually bring your awareness back.
To your physical body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Allowing movement to return into your body.
Take a full deep breath in.
And as you exhale.
Gently open your eyes.
Remember that you can return to this peaceful state within your mind.
Whenever you need it.
Now.
Take a moment to stretch.
And remember that you have.
Everything that you need.
And all the inner strength.
To manage.
Stress.
And anxiety.
Effectively.
I'm with you next.
Full deep breath in.
Lengthen your arms,
Stretch out maybe.
Yawn if you need to.
Open your eyes and.
.
.
When you're ready.
Come back up to sitting.
So,
I don't know about you.
.
.
But.
.
.
These slow practices.
They give so much energy and I believe.
.
.
Is the fact of releasing over tension in our muscles that Fatigue us.
Overtension just uses energy.
That we don't have to spare.
And so when we release that over tension,
That over agitation,
That over acting,
That we sometimes don't even control because it's our responses to stress.
Then We feel.
So much more vitality.
So that is how I feel right now.
And even though the practice was slow and calming and soothing and.
.
.
I even slept a little at the end.
I just feel.
Awake and full of vitality now.
So let's in this practice.
With And that last big.
.
.
Inhale oxygen.
I'm destroying.
.
.
Your two thumbs with your forehead.
With your chin.
And with your heart center.
Thank you so much for taking the time.
Thank you for joining and have a wonderful rest of your day.
