20 Minute Kapha Balancing Yoga Practice

A short yoga asana practice to balance the kapha qualities of heavy, sticky, stagnant, cold, and wet. Build gentle heat while feeling grounded and vital.

A wonderful practice when you're short on time but need to get unstuck! Pro-tip: practice between 6-10am for the best results. Can also be used to move you out of feeling in a creative rut.

Transcript

Welcome everyone,

Wonderful to have you here.

I'm Shea and today I would like to offer you a movement practice to help reduce excess kapha.

Kapha is one of the three doshas in Ayurvedic philosophy that can also be seen as our constitution.

Kapha is the dosha that is the combination of the water and earth elements and those energetics or qualities of kapha dosha are heavy,

Wet,

Cold,

Stagnant,

Sticky and cloudy.

And in Ayurveda to bring in healing what we do is work with opposites.

We bring in the opposite qualities of those particular energetics that are dominant in our mind or body as well as nature.

So springtime is kapha season.

This is a beautiful practice to kind of begin to move into spring,

Out of winter,

Get some of that stagnant energy from winter flowing and moving and just create some spaciousness.

So today we'll be adding in some movement that creates warmth in the body and the mind as well as some spaciousness to allow for clarity.

For today's practice really all you need is a blanket and let's go ahead and set the blanket up.

Let's fold it into quarters and take the folded edge towards you and begin to create a tight little blanket roll.

So we'll do is just kind of set this off to the side.

We won't be using that until the end of practice.

Today we're going to open just by dropping into the space and then moving into Ayurvedic Bhastrika.

Ayurvedic Bhastrika is a technique that I offered in the kapha balancing rituals video a little earlier that was posted.

So this is the seated version.

In that particular video I demonstrated the standing version.

Again it can be done standing or seated.

So today is the seated version.

Also this practice is great for kapha hours.

If you remember from the video certain hours of the day as well as seasons of the year relate to certain doshas.

So kapha hour is from 6am to 10am and 6pm to 10pm.

So again those kapha hours,

Those qualities of kapha,

That energetic,

Heaviness,

Cold,

Wet,

Stagnant,

It's a little more dominant in nature.

So therefore a little more dominant within us as well.

So if we're able to practice this particular movement practice during kapha hours,

Especially in the morning,

It kind of helps just boost our energy levels,

Gets prana flowing and gets us ready to especially start our day.

So let's go ahead and come to a seated position,

Anything that's comfortable for you.

You can have the legs crossed,

You can even have the legs straight out,

Maybe even a little wider in front of you.

And let's rest our hands on our knees or our thighs.

Now to inhale,

Let your spine grow tall.

And as you exhale,

Feel the sit bones root down into the earth.

So we can still lean into those kapha energies of groundedness and stability here.

Inhale lengthening,

Exhale enrooting.

And just begin to notice your breath.

On the inhale,

The collarbone lifting,

The ribcage widening,

Maybe even the navel expanding.

And as you exhale,

Feel the navel draw in and slightly up.

Now Ayurvedic Bhastrika is that combination of cat and cow movement with a forceful inhale and a forceful exhale.

Bhastrika meaning bellows,

So it's like our belly,

Our lungs are bellows and it's moving the wind.

So as you inhale,

Draw the heart through sharp in breath,

Sharp out breath as you round.

In,

Out.

So you can keep the eyes closed here.

Just begin to speed up the movement.

Five more.

Three,

Two,

One.

Inhale,

Come back to a neutral spine.

And begin to notice that even though the body is still,

You may begin to realize the inner movement.

This prana beginning to circulate.

Beautiful.

From here,

Let's make our way over into tabletop.

We'll move through a couple cat and cow.

So inhale,

Drop the belly,

Draw the heart through,

Gaze up.

As you exhale,

Round.

Let's take one more inhaling.

Exhale,

Round.

Coming back to a neutral spine.

Let's walk the hands forward.

Go ahead and bring yourself all the way down on your belly.

Set up for cobra pose.

So bring the hands right beneath the shoulders.

Hug your elbows to the ribs.

Forehead to the earth.

Inhale,

Lift your head,

Lift your heart.

Exhale,

Forehead kisses the earth.

Let's take two more.

Breathe it in.

Tops of the feet pressing.

Exhale,

Release.

Inhale,

Rising up.

Heart moves towards the top edge of your mat.

Exhale,

Lower.

Last one.

Inhale.

Breathe it in.

Reach those toes back.

We're going to hold here for three breaths.

Maybe drag those hands back just a little.

Keep hugging the elbows in.

Last breath in.

Lift the heart.

Exhale,

Release.

Beautiful.

Let's press through tabletop.

If you like,

You can move through down dog here,

Or you can just step to the top of your mat.

We'll all meet in a forward fold.

So let the head be heavy.

You can have a nice,

Deep bend in your knees here.

And then on an inhale,

Rising all the way up.

Palms press overhead.

Exhale,

Find your tadasana.

So we're at the top of our mat in tadasana.

Feel the four corners of your feet rooting down.

Maybe you lift the toes,

Spread the toes wide,

And place them back down on the earth.

Beautiful.

On an inhale,

Let's sweep both arms up.

We're going to grab forearms or elbows.

I'm going to turn towards you so you can see me a bit better here.

On an exhale,

Let's lean to the right.

Root evenly through both feet.

Really breathe into the left side body here.

Inhale,

Coming back through center.

We'll lean to the left this time.

So sense that you can draw the inhale just into that right lung.

Feeling the right rib cage fanning open.

Beautiful.

Inhale,

Rise back through center.

Exhale,

Release your arms.

Beautiful.

Let's bring hands to hips.

So we're at tadasana at the top of our mat.

We're going to step our right foot back to the back of our mat.

We're going to set up for warrior two here.

So take a moment,

Gazing down,

Making sure that that right heel is in line with your left arch.

That left foot can be parallel to the back edge of your mat,

Or those left toes can turn in slightly.

Just begin to notice what feels more stable in your body today.

Arm variations.

Arms can be parallel to the earth.

Palms facing down or up.

You can bring hands to heart center for prayer,

Or you can even take goddess arms.

From here,

We're going to add some dynamic movement.

So on an inhale,

Straighten your left knee.

Sweep the arms up.

Press the palms together.

Exhale,

Come back to your warrior two.

We're going to do that twice more.

Move with your breath.

Inhale.

Exhale,

Grounding to warrior two.

Last one.

Breathe it in.

Exhale.

Inhale,

Star pose.

Turn the left toes to the long edge of your mat.

And then we're going to take warrior two to the back edge of your mat.

So those right toes turn out.

Beautiful.

Finding your foundation here.

Root through the soles of the feet.

We'll add that movement on an inhale.

Inhale,

Straighten the legs.

Sweep the arms up.

So we want to think about spaciousness on the inhale.

Exhale to warrior two.

Inhale,

Side body lengthening,

Spine growing tall.

Exhale,

Warrior two.

Last one.

Breathe in.

Really press through that right foot to straighten your leg.

Exhale,

Warrior two.

Star pose.

And as you exhale,

Draw the hands back through center.

Bring them to your hips and begin to just heel toe your feet back together.

And making your way back to Tadasana at the top of your mat.

Just checking in.

Notice maybe some of that warmth that you're creating in the body.

Some spaciousness,

Especially through the side body.

Maybe even the chest,

The heart area.

All right,

We're going to step that right foot back once again.

We're going to set up for warrior one this time.

So maybe that right foot steps out to the right slightly so that you can draw that right hip to the top edge of your mat.

We're going to take an arm variation here.

Bring the palms together in front of you.

And we'll add dynamic movement once again.

Inhale,

Straighten your left leg.

Take the arms wide.

Really expand.

And as you exhale,

Draw that energy back to center.

Two more.

Breathe it in.

Take up space.

Exhale,

Navel to spine.

So notice here,

Shoulders stay over the hips.

We're just moving that left leg,

Moving the arms.

Beautiful.

Exhale,

Draw it back in.

Inhale,

Arms wide.

This time,

As you exhale,

Flip the palms up.

Bend that left knee.

So you'll notice here as we flip the palms up,

Shoulder blades draw down the back,

And there's this natural lifting of the heart space.

So allow your heart to shine up towards the sky.

From here,

Inhale,

Straighten your left knee.

Hands come back to hips,

And we'll step back to Tadasana.

Exhale,

Step your left foot back.

Same,

Same,

Opposite side.

So take a moment here creating that foundation.

Remember,

You can lean into that earth element.

And then we'll begin to create some space to balance.

Inhale,

Take the arms wide.

Straighten the leg.

Exhale,

Draw it in.

Inhale,

Spine stays long.

Navel to spine on the exhale.

Last one.

All right,

Take the arms wide.

Flipping the palms up,

Bend the right knee on the exhale.

We have three breaths here.

Shining your heart.

You can even take the gaze up.

Just allow the back of your neck to stay long.

Beautiful.

Inhale,

Straighten your right knee.

Hands to your hips,

Stepping forward to Tadasana.

Once again,

Taking pause.

Just noticing the effects of your practice.

All right,

We're going to go back to that Warrior II once again.

So stepping your right foot back.

Left toes turn out,

Hips square to the long edge of your mat.

This time,

As you exhale,

Bring your forearm to your thigh.

We're going to sweep those right fingertips towards the top edge of your mat as you inhale.

Beautiful.

Exhale,

Take the arm back up.

Inhale,

Back into Warrior II.

Exhale,

Supported side angle.

Inhale,

Sweep the top arm.

Exhale,

Roll the heart open.

You can take the gaze up,

Out,

Or down.

Inhale,

Warrior II.

Exhale,

Side angle.

Sweeping the arm.

Inhale,

Lengthen the side body.

Beautiful.

Pause here as you exhale.

Inhale,

Rise back to your Warrior II.

Exhale.

Star pose.

And we're going to switch sides.

Exhale,

Warrior II to the back of your mat.

Beautiful.

Big breath in.

Spine lengthens.

Forearm to thigh.

Inhale,

Extend your side angle.

Exhale,

Take the arm back up.

Inhale,

Warrior II.

Exhale,

Side angle.

Inhale,

Sweeping the arm.

This time,

Keep that arm extended.

Roll the heart open.

Warrior II.

Inhale.

Exhale,

Side angle.

Extending the top arm.

Inhale.

Pause on the exhale.

Warrior II,

Rising back up.

Inhale,

Star pose.

Hands through heart center and then hands to hips.

We'll heel toe the feet back together.

Tadasana.

So again,

Just noticing the space that you're creating through the physical body.

Notice the warmth that you're building.

And then coming back to the top of your mat.

Breathe in.

Take the arms up.

Exhale,

Fold forward.

Halfway lift.

And then we're going to step back into our tabletop.

Let's bring the big toes to touch the knees wide.

Sink hips back to heels.

Just find a child's pose for about three breaths.

Forehead comes to the earth.

And from here,

Go ahead and make your way back through table.

And then come to your back.

So roll right over.

We'll start by bending the knees,

Soles of the feet on the earth.

And just gently take your knees from side to side.

I'm going to move into a little twist here.

So your arms can come out to a T,

Palms facing down.

Or you can bring your arms to goddess arms,

So 90 degrees.

Let's draw the knees in.

And on an exhale,

Gently take your knees over to the left.

So feel free to place a block,

A blanket,

Or a pillow under the knees here for your twist.

And then melt your right shoulder blade back to the earth.

And inhale,

Draw the knees back through center.

Exhale,

Twisting to the right this time.

And then inhale,

Draw your knees back through center.

Allowing your feet to come back to the earth.

Now go ahead and grab that blanket roll.

So that blanket roll is going to rest right at the bottom tip of the shoulder blades.

We're going to create a little heart opening.

Spaciousness through the chest here as we move into a modified Shavasana.

So go ahead and come to reclining back down on the earth.

You may take a few adjustments here to find that sweet spot.

You'll know that you're in the best spot when those bottom most ribs lift and separate.

So you can take the arms wide,

The palms facing up.

And then your legs,

Whatever's most comfortable.

Knees can stay bent,

Soles of the feet on the earth.

The knees can fall in towards each other.

You can take reclined bound angles to let the knees fall open.

Soles of the feet pressing together.

Or you can take more of the traditional Shavasana legs out wide,

Feet falling open.

So you can close the eyes or just gaze softly towards the tip of your nose.

Just let your breath be steady here and effortless.

And I recommend staying about three to five minutes,

Not very long.

This was a short movement practice.

We want to keep that upward moving prana,

Upward moving energy.

The longer we kind of rest here on the earth,

Our energy begins to move back down towards the earth,

To ground itself.

So when you decide that you are ready to make your way out of this last shape,

The legs are straight,

Bring the soles of the feet back to the earth.

Making your way over to one side,

Gently press yourself up.

Coming back to your seated position.

Hands resting where it's comfortable in your lap,

On your legs,

Maybe even over the heart space.

Eyes soft.

Just one more opportunity before you leave your mat.

Notice the effects of the practice.

The space you've created,

Not only in your physical body,

But between each thought and each breath.

Allow that awareness to guide you through the rest of your day today.

And bringing hands to heart center,

Chin to chest.

Thank you all so very much for allowing me to guide you.

It's an honor and a pleasure to be here.

The light in me sees and honors the divine light within each of you,

The same light that lights the universe.

And together we bow in gratitude.

Thank you again very much.

Wonderful to be here and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Reviews

Hello beautiful 🌷🌺🌷🌺🌷Thank you so much for the wonderful practice and words 🦋it gives me so much pleasure 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️Namaste