Welcome.
This practice is an invitation.
There's nothing to achieve.
We're simply going to let our intuition guide our movement.
Let's arrive in a comfortable seat.
You may close your eyes or let your gaze soften toward the floor.
Take one full breath in through the nose.
And a long,
Slow exhale out through the mouth.
Let's make our way onto all fours As you inhale,
Feel the belly drop,
The chest open,
The tailbone lift.
Let your breath lead.
As you exhale,
Press the floor away and let the upper back round,
Chin drops toward your chest,
Gently squeezing your belly towards your spine at the bottom of your breath.
Now begin to find your own rhythm.
Let the breath move the spine in whatever way feels most satisfying right now.
Maybe the movement gets bigger.
Maybe smaller.
Maybe it becomes something totally different.
A figure eight weight shifting into one hip and then the other.
Or perhaps a wave through the side body.
You might close your eyes to feel more deeply.
Getting out of the head and into the body.
Let your body lead.
Improvise.
Be spontaneous in your movement.
Surprise yourself by moving in a totally new way.
This is the body expressing itself.
There's ancient wisdom in these impulses.
Trust that.
Slowly come back to a neutral all fours position.
And from here,
Walk your hands forward and let your hips sink back toward your heels in your version of Child's Pose.
Arms long in front of you or resting by your sides.
Your sit bones may sink back onto your heels or not.
Wherever you are is just perfect.
Notice the weight of your hips.
Notice the length in your spine.
Is there anywhere you're still gripping?
See if you can offer that place a breath.
And a little permission to let go.
Be still or walk your hands to the left to stretch along the right side of the body.
Then to the right for a few breaths.
And returning to center when you're ready.
It is enough to simply be here,
Breathing.
From child's pose,
Slowly slide forward onto your belly.
Hands under your shoulders,
Elbows in close to your ribs for Cobra.
On your next inhale,
Begin to press gently through the palms and lift the chest.
Keep your elbows soft.
Feel the front of the body open,
The belly,
The chest,
The throat.
Let the breath fill the front of the body.
Notice if there's any holding in the low back.
And soften there.
Perhaps even giving your hips a little wiggle.
You might follow the urge to look to one side.
And then the other.
Or perhaps gently lowering yourself down as you exhale and rising back up into Cobra as you inhale.
Let the shape become alive.
Be curious.
What feels delicious.
On your next exhale,
Slowly lower back down,
Rest your forehead on your hands.
From here,
Let's move into Downward Facing Dog.
Tuck your toes and press back,
Hips high,
Heels reaching toward the floor.
Bend your knees generously.
Let this be a wiggly down dog.
Let your head hang heavy.
Begin to pedal the heels one at a time.
Notice what your body wants.
Maybe your hips sway from side to side.
Gently wagging your tail.
Maybe you want to shift your weight forward.
Playing with movement between plank and downward facing dog.
Or even moving between upward facing dog and downward facing dog if your body is looking for more dynamic movement.
Time to explore its full range of motion.
Listen.
Be playful Let the movements be guided by intuition.
When this exploration feels complete.
Make your way into our shape of rest,
Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted flat on the mat about hip width apart.
You might want to let your knees rest against each other if that feels good.
Your arms may rest at your side or gently on your body.
This is constructive rest.
A position where the nervous system can settle.
Feel the whole back.
Surface of your body.
Making contact with the earth.
The backs of the arms.
The shoulder blades.
The pelvis.
The soles of the feet.
Come back to your breath.
Just notice how the body breathes itself.
You don't have to do anything.
Just follow this sweet ebb and flow of breath.
This subtle movement of life force energy coursing through you.
Hug your knees into your chest to give yourself a hug.
Perhaps explore a few rocks from side to side.
Or it may feel good to make some slow circles.
Rotating the hips like you are tracing a circle with your tailbone.
When you are ready,
Let both legs fall across your body to one side.
Letting your legs fall in any way that feels good.
Knees stacked or staggered for a gentle reclined twist.
Arms wide or reaching over your head.
Move,
Adjust the position of your body until you land in your perfect shape.
Bring your awareness to where you feel sensation most vividly.
Maybe the outer hip.
Maybe the low back.
Maybe up through the right shoulder.
Can you breathe into that area?
Can you let each exhale be a tiny release?
Slowly draw your knees back to center.
Pause or find some movement here.
And when you are ready,
Drop into your reclined twist.
On the other side.
Play with the position of your legs and arms,
Make adjustments,
Follow sensation.
And move until you are ready to settle into stillness.
Notice where sensation arises.
Breathe into the tight places.
The sticky edges.
And let the exhale guide the release.
Give yourself permission to unwind.
Slowly draw the knees back to center and let both legs extend long.
Settling into a few moments of rest to bring the practice to a close.
Scan your awareness slowly from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
If you find any spaces in the body that are still holding,
Offer a breath.
And an invitation to soften.
When you are ready,
Draw your knees into your chest.
Roll to one side.
And slowly press yourself up to seated.
Take a moment here.
With your eyes still closed.
To notice how you feel.
Bring your hands to your heart.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Take care of yourself.
And I'll see you soon.
