Are you ready for a quick way to restore that requires zero props except for the floor?
Then join me for crocodile pose.
Come to the ground.
So often when you're needing a rest,
You might find that what actually keeps you from taking it is the belief that it needs to be a complicated setup.
This pose totally combats that belief.
All you need to do is bring yourself down to the ground.
Take the legs comfortably wide apart.
And then you can stack your arms in front of you.
You can choose your head position.
Some people like.
The head facing down.
Some people like the head facing to the side.
Before you settle into stillness altogether,
With your head resting,
Bend your knees and just take a little flop.
Letting the legs rock side to side,
Massaging the fronts of the thighs.
And make a little circling motion with your legs.
And circle the other way.
Relax the legs down when you feel ready,
Again,
Letting them be wide.
Tops of the feet resting.
Then pick your head resting position of choice.
And completely let the weight of the head be held.
Give yourself a moment to settle in.
And to experience being held by the ground.
Relax your arms and your shoulders as much as you can right now.
And make your head a little heavier so that your neck muscles,
Your facial features can soften.
You may notice on your next inhale the way the breath fills up through the back of the body.
And as you exhale,
Let the whole front surface of the torso soften downward.
To the support of the floor beneath you.
Each inhale a chance to inflate through the back and sides of the body.
And each exhale.
An opportunity to undo the effort of breathing that way.
And to relax through the front ribcage.
Invite the belly and the low back to release.
Make the legs and the feet very heavy.
And notice as you do that.
If you can observe a little more ease in the hips.
Observe how this resting position is different.
Than the typical lying on the back sort.
Notice the grounded feeling of the front of the body.
And the open,
Expansive quality of the back of the body.
Notice how this pose is an invitation to turn inward.
Away from external stimulus and orientation.
It's like going into the cave of you.
So take just a few more minutes.
This precious time out of your day to slow down.
To be held.
And to reconnect.
As your next breath comes in.
Notice how you feel.
And with your exhale,
See if you can invite even the tiniest bit of additional release to the support of the floor.
Slowing down,
Inhale and exhale as a way to gradually make your way out of this practice.
But also as a way.
To more fully experience and integrate.
What's happened for you.
For making this time of rest.
What the impact has been.
Notice as you observe your breath deepening.
Slowly.
Press the forearms down.
Let the head come back to more of a neutral position.
And then bring your forms in underneath you.
And just press yourself up and back.
Taking your choice of some kind of a downward orientation pose,
Maybe A puppy pose.
Keeping your hips up high and stretching out your arms.
Or maybe a child's pose.
Stacking your hands and resting your arms or draping your arms alongside the body.
Wherever you are,
Just take one or two more breaths.
And as you're ready.
.
.
Bring yourself slowly back upright.
Mmm.
And just notice.
How you feel.
I'm so glad you made the time for this no prop restorative and I hope Crocodile will be a friend to you whenever you need it.
Thanks for practicing.
