MBSR Mindful Yoga Movement For Floor
This 40-minute track, in the tradition of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (MBSR), introduces mindful movement in the form of simple, accessible yoga connecting the mind, body, movement, and breath. This sequence is intended to be accessible for those with typical physical ranges of movement but can be adapted for physical limitations. It is intended for practice reclining face-up, on a flat surface such as a mat on the floor with adequate space to extend the arms in any direction.
Transcript
Welcome to this 40-minute Mindful Movement floor sequence.
In Mindful Movement,
We're connecting the mind and the body,
And movement with breath.
In Mindful Movement,
We're honoring our body with kind and careful attention to what we are experiencing as we experience it.
Each of us is responsible for our own body,
Making decisions moment by moment about movement,
Pose,
And posture.
As you begin this series of movements,
I invite you to approach each movement and posture as if it were the first time you've ever moved toward or been in that position.
Allowing this practice today to be fresh,
A new experience for you,
Noticing whatever you notice as you notice it.
And now as you are ready,
Beginning by taking a position lying flat on your back with enough space in front and behind you to fully extend the entire length of your body with your arms extended over your head and enough space to your sides to allow your arms out from your shoulders.
With a full,
Natural breath,
Allowing yourself to settle into this resting pose.
The resting pose.
You can return here at any time that you choose in this practice.
Remembering that wherever you are and whatever you choose is just fine.
If it's right for you today,
You can allow a pillow underneath your knees as support or allow your knees to tent against each other.
Whatever is comfortable for you today.
Begin sinking into the mat,
Into the floor with each breath.
Scanning for areas of contraction or tension.
Breathing in this resting pose.
If at any point you find your body resisting or approaching a limit in response to a suggested movement or position,
I invite you to pull back or return to the resting pose,
Noticing your breath.
Or you may consider visualizing your body moving toward or in that movement or in that position.
Without judgment,
Simply seeing your body move in your mind's eye.
If at any point you find your mind resisting a suggested movement or position because it's new or feels slightly awkward,
I invite you to explore the movement or pose with curiosity.
Noticing how your body feels as it gently moves in or toward the suggested position.
Recognizing you have the choice to move toward that position or not,
And that choice is right.
Preparing for your first stretch.
Gently raising both arms up from the floor toward the ceiling one inch at a time.
Extending your fingertips toward the ceiling,
Gently allowing the arms to float toward the floor now behind your head.
With awareness of sensation as the arms slowly come toward the floor behind you.
Noticing the moment the arms come into contact with the floor.
The shoulders may allow the arms to be in a Y shape or with the arms closer to the ears.
Noticing and respecting any limitations as you extend.
In this stretch,
Noticing breath,
Sensations.
And now inviting the arms to extend long and slowly rising up toward the ceiling again.
Then slowly lowering alongside the body.
Noticing the moment they touch the floor to release the effort.
Returning to your resting pose.
To repeat this stretch now,
Gently raising the arms,
Reaching the fullest extension available without exerting.
And with this movement,
Extending the legs as well,
Pressing out through the heels,
Stretching the legs.
Noticing any sensations or no sensations from heels to fingertips as you extend up and over your head.
Noticing the sensation as your arms touch the floor behind you.
Awareness of your breathing.
And now raising the arms back up towards the ceiling.
Gently towards the floor.
Coming into contact with the side body and releasing the legs.
Releasing the entire body in this resting pose.
The next mindful movement is a pelvic tilt.
Bending your knees,
Placing the feet flat,
Soles to the floor,
Placing your palms to the floor.
With your next in-breath,
Gently lifting the pelvis forward and up,
Tucking the tailbone while pressing the lower back into the floor.
And with the out-breath,
Releasing the pelvis,
Allowing the back to resume its natural curve.
You may notice this curve by placing one hand behind your lower back to notice the space between the floor and your lower back.
And now with this awareness of space,
Gently rocking the pelvis with your breath.
Rocking up with the in-breath and down with the out-breath in a series of cycles.
Inhaling up,
Exhaling lower.
And after this next out-breath,
Releasing your knees to lower the legs and returning to the resting pose.
Noticing any sensations or no sensations that occur after practicing the pelvic tilt.
And now with your next out-breath,
Gently bringing the knees toward the chest.
Carefully,
Gently embracing your knees,
Wrapping the arms around them as much as you can or perhaps hands to shins.
And bringing the knees closer to your chest with awareness.
And now drawing the head and shoulders up toward the knees as close as possible as fits today.
And inviting slow and gentle rocking of the body side to side or back and forth.
Noticing the sensations in the body with the movement.
And now coming to stillness,
Holding this position.
Noticing the quality of breathing in this more constricted pose.
Noticing the effect on your breath of holding the knees into the chest.
And now allowing the shoulders to release down,
Allowing the head to come back toward the floor.
And releasing the legs,
Allowing them to slowly return to full extension.
Allowing the arms back to the sides of the body,
Returning to resting pose.
And noticing.
Noticing any sensations in the body in this moment being present to whatever is here now.
And with the next out-breath,
Beginning to draw the right leg toward the chest.
Keeping the left leg extended and grasping the right leg.
Hands to shins or around the knee,
Begin gently rotating the leg.
Perhaps clockwise or counterclockwise.
And noticing in the hip the sensations of movement.
Gently draw the knee closer to the chest.
And then inviting the head and the shoulders to gently raise toward the knee while the left leg remains flat.
Noticing the quality of the breath.
Noticing any sensations or thoughts.
Receiving any notions of striving or judgment with kindness and compassion and curiosity.
Noticing your breath in this pose.
And now releasing the head and the shoulders back toward the floor.
Releasing the leg.
The arms back down.
Returning to resting pose.
Noticing any differences between the right side of the body and the left side of the body after completing this sequence.
And now with the next out-breath,
Raising the left knee gently.
Exploring this leg.
Folding the leg into the chest.
And then gently circling the hip.
Noticing sensations as you move around in the hip.
Exploring the left leg and the hip.
Gently circling.
Rocking back and forth.
And with your next out-breath,
Gently drawing the head and the chest toward the knee.
And noticing the breath.
Noticing any thoughts or emotions.
And with the next out-breath,
Allowing the shoulders and the head to float gently toward the floor.
Releasing the leg.
Back to the resting pose.
The next mindful movement involves moving to position balancing hands and knees in a posture known as table pose.
As you are ready,
With care and intention,
Inviting the body to gently turn from lying on the back to carefully making your way to hands and knees on the floor.
Shifting the body's position and perspective.
Appreciating that the body knows exactly what to do to get where it needs to be.
As you have moved,
Noticing all the movements that you make to change position without having to think about it.
In this table pose,
Placing hands below shoulders,
All five fingers and thumb spread wide.
The knees are hip-distant apart.
Maintaining a flat back,
A neutral gaze to a spot below your eyes on the floor.
From this table pose,
With your next exhale,
Moving into cat pose.
Gaze toward your legs,
Chin tucking toward the chest,
And the pelvis tilting and tailbone tucking forward as the back lifts,
The shoulders broaden,
And spread apart.
Noticing the effect in this cat pose.
And from this cat pose,
Inhaling,
Moving back through the table pose.
Then releasing the belly towards the floor,
Gazing forward and up,
The pelvis tilting back,
Shoulder blades moving toward each other into cow pose.
Noticing the sensations of the seat bones towards the ceiling,
The eyes toward the ceiling,
And the belly being released toward the floor.
And now moving between these poses,
Cat and cow,
With breath.
Moving into cat pose with an out breath.
Moving into cow pose with an in breath.
And repeating now at your pace.
Without strain,
Noticing any sensations arising or fading as you intentionally move your body with your breath.
Completing the cat-cow sequence,
Now coming back to table pose,
And preparing to move into a balancing posture.
Allowing your right arm to lift and extend out,
Hand open as if you were shaking hands.
Notice how the body knows what to do to reach.
The arm forward,
The eyes forward,
And this may be your pose.
If available,
Inviting now your left leg to extend out with the ball of the foot in contact with the floor.
Maintaining the right arm out,
This may be your pose.
If,
However,
Available today,
Allowing the leg to rise as far as it comfortably can today.
Noticing the body balancing as best it can.
Noticing sensations,
Small adjustments as the body maintains its balance.
Focusing on breath can help the body find stability.
Noticing any thoughts and emotions as the body works with this challenging posture.
And breathing.
And as you are ready on your next out breath,
Allowing the arm and the leg to return to the floor,
Finding table pose once again.
Noticing any sensations after this stretching and balancing.
With the next in breath,
Allowing the left arm to rise,
Extending forward.
Noticing any sensations or no sensations as the left arm is lifted.
Noticing sensations if they are there from the shoulder all the way through to the fingertips.
This may be your pose.
If available,
Allowing the right leg now to extend back.
The ball of the foot or the toes maintaining contact with the floor,
Extending the right leg.
And if it's right today,
Inviting the right leg to lift.
Noticing the sensations as the body works to maintain this balancing pose.
Noticing what arises.
The breath.
Awareness.
Appreciating that no movement or posture is perfect.
It's what is available now and exploring with kind curiosity.
Noticing what thoughts,
Sensations,
Or emotions are present in this challenging pose.
And with the next out breath,
Gently lowering the leg and the arm back towards the floor,
Surrendering to gravity,
Returning to table pose.
Noticing the breath and the body in stillness in this table pose.
Noticing sensations.
Noticing points of contact.
Hands,
Knees,
Feet to the floor.
And noticing at this halfway point any thoughts about the practice itself.
Any thoughts about how long you've been in the practice.
What comes next.
The opportunity to remain here in this moment.
Breathing.
And preparing for our next mindful movement.
Our next mindful movement has you on your back.
Now making your way kindly back to the back on the floor,
Back to resting pose.
Noticing the effect of transitioning from being on all fours back to resting pose.
Noticing how the points of contact have changed.
Noticing the heels,
The legs.
The back,
The shoulders,
The arms extended,
The palms up in this resting pose.
And now in our next mindful movement,
Bending the knees,
Bringing the feet toward the hips,
The soles flat to the floor.
Preparing for our bridge pose.
Arcing the arms up.
Fingers extended out to the wall.
And with the next out breath,
Raising the hips as best you can today.
Placing the weight on the shoulders,
Not on the back of the neck.
Noticing how the buttocks contracts.
And then releasing that contraction.
Noticing sensations of the front body stretching in this bridge posture.
And allowing breath to happen.
Noticing sensations.
Any thoughts that occur in this challenging posture.
And with your next exhale,
Allowing your back to slowly return to the floor,
Vertebra by vertebra.
As it reconnects to the floor.
The knees remain bent,
The soles still to the earth,
The arms slowly back to the sides of the body.
And now releasing your arms and your legs back to the resting pose.
Noticing the effect of this bridge pose.
Noticing the breath.
Noticing sensations.
And now as you are ready.
With the next in breath,
Bending the knees up,
Soles of the feet to the floor.
Extending the arms away from the sides to a T position.
Or gently clasping the hands under the back of the head.
And with the next out breath,
Allowing the knees to fall gently to the right.
Noticing the stretch in the left side of the body.
Not forcing the knees toward the floor,
Allowing them to fall gently as far as they do.
If available,
You may turn your head to look over the left shoulder.
Taking a few breaths in this spinal twist pose.
And with the next in breath,
Gently drawing the knees up to the center.
And with the next in breath,
Gently drawing the knees up to the center.
And breathing.
And with the next out breath,
Allow the knees to drift to the left side.
Perhaps extending the gaze over the right shoulder in this spinal twist.
No efforting is required,
Allowing the knees to move toward the floor as much as natural and comfortable.
And allowing the gentle turn of the head and the neck to the right.
With awareness of sensations of this twist to this side of the body.
And with the next in breath,
Allowing the core to draw the knees up to center.
And the neck turning the head also to center.
Allowing the arms to slowly move to the sides of the body.
Allowing the legs to stretch long back into resting pose.
Noticing the effects of these gentle twist postures.
Awareness of thoughts and any emotions.
Noticing without judgment.
The next mindful movement involves stretching the legs and the body.
As you are ready,
Moving into a gentle leg stretch.
Inviting the knees to bend so that the soles of both feet are flat on the floor.
Then slowly raising the right leg,
Sole of the foot,
Toward the ceiling.
Bringing the hands to holding the right leg wherever is available.
Behind the thigh,
Holding the calf,
Or the ankle if that's where works for you today.
Avoiding holding the knee.
And if available to you today,
Gently drawing the right leg toward the chest.
Noticing the gentle stretching along the back leg.
And if available today,
Allowing the forehead to come toward the right leg.
Experiencing the stretch in comfort and in appreciation for what the body does.
Inviting the breath to any vivid sensations.
Continuing the effort and noticing the effect in the body.
With awareness of your breath,
Noticing the effort in this more constricted posture.
Finding stillness.
And now allowing the head to gently return to the floor.
Releasing the right leg as it slowly,
Inch by inch,
Returns to the floor.
Noticing the moment the leg reaches the floor and ceases its effort.
And coming once again to resting pose.
Noticing your breath happening in this less constricted pose.
With curiosity,
Exploring differences in the body in this moment.
Inviting the knees to bend so that the soles of both feet are flat on the floor.
And as you are ready,
Slowly raising the left leg.
The sole of the left foot toward the ceiling.
Bringing the hands to holding the left leg wherever available.
It may be the same place that you held the first leg.
It may not.
And that's fine.
If available for this leg today,
Gently drawing the left leg toward the chest.
Gentle stretching along the back of the leg.
And if available,
Allowing the forehead to come toward the left leg.
Noticing whatever sensations may be present.
With a sense of gentle curiosity.
Noticing sensations.
Inviting the breath.
Continuing the effort and noticing the effect in the body.
With awareness of breathing,
Noticing the effort in this more constricted posture.
Noticing your body's ability to breathe in this position.
And now allowing the head gently to return to the floor.
Releasing the left leg as it slowly,
Inch by inch,
Returns to the floor.
And noticing the moment the leg reaches the floor and ceases its effort.
And coming once again to resting pose.
Noticing breathing.
Noticing the effect of stretching on both sides.
The next mindful movement will be side lying pose.
With your next in-breath,
Turn your body to lying on your right side.
Allow the right hand to support the head.
The left hand palm down to the floor right at heart center to help your body balance.
Stacking the left leg on the right leg.
Allow the left leg to rise toward the ceiling as far as comfortable.
And breathing.
And now allowing the left leg to drift slowly back to join the right.
With intention.
And now returning back to lying flat in resting pose.
And now as you are ready,
Exploring side lying pose on the left side.
Gently rolling to the left.
The left hand supporting the head.
The right hand palm face down to the floor in front of heart center.
The right leg stacking on the left leg.
And when you are ready,
Begin to raise the right leg to the ceiling as far as comfortable.
Today.
Noticing.
And with the next out-breath,
Gently,
Intentionally,
Lowering the right leg to the left leg.
Now releasing hands and arms,
Allowing the body to come back to resting pose.
And back to the breath.
The next mindful movement involves moving to the front body.
Rolling to the front body.
Arms alongside.
Palms facing the ceiling.
Allowing the head to rest on one of your cheeks.
Allowing the body to sink into the floor.
Sinking with each out-breath as the body releases tension.
And as you are ready,
Drawing your gaze up to the front.
Resting your head on the chin.
And inviting the right leg to rise from the floor as far as is available today.
With toes and foot in extension.
Noticing the effort of raising.
And then slowly allowing the leg to drift back toward the floor.
And turning the head to rest on the other cheek.
Noticing the effect.
On your next in-breath.
Bringing the head to center.
Resting on the chin.
Gazing forward.
Inviting the left leg to rise as far as possible.
Notice the effort.
Then with an exhale,
Slowly releasing the leg back to the floor.
Releasing the head to the opposite cheek.
And resting in this position.
And with your next in-breath,
As much as comfortable.
Raising the head and the shoulders up without straining.
Eyes forward in this modified cobra pose.
Noticing how the back muscles engage.
How the front body stretches.
Noticing the quality of breath in this position.
And breathing.
And with an exhale,
Releasing the pose.
Returning the face one cheek to the mat.
And sinking into the mat.
The next mindful movement involves turning the body to lying again on the back.
Intentionally turning the body to lie flat in full extension.
Intentionally turning the body to lie flat in full extension.
In resting pose.
With legs straight.
Feet falling naturally to the sides.
Legs relaxed.
Belly soft.
Chest rising and falling with the breath.
Shoulders on the floor.
Arms away from the body,
Palms face up.
The head rests on the mat.
The eyes gently close or remain unfocused.
Inviting now a scan of the body.
From the bottom all the way to the top.
Noticing contact points with the floor.
Noticing sensations in the lower legs.
In the knees.
In the upper legs.
Noticing any sensations in the trunk of the body.
Contact points with the floor.
Contact points with clothing.
Sensations within the shoulders or the arms.
Sensations in the neck or the head.
Releasing any remaining tension in the body.
And breathing.
Appreciating all this right in the body.
And breathing.
Appreciating all this right in the body in this moment.
Bringing awareness to fingers and toes.
Noticing hands and feet.
Bringing awareness back to the entirety of your body.
Breathing.
Exploring the body.
And turning with attention at your own pace to your right side.
Resting your head on the right upper arm.
And breathing.
Slowly and at your own pace.
Return back to a sitting position.
Noticing grounded seat bones.
An erect spine with shoulders relaxed.
Completing this practice by breathing deeply with appreciation for the time and the effort you have given to yourself.
And when you are ready,
You can continue with the rest of your day.
