Welcome to this Yin Evening Reset.
This will be a gentle practice to help you release the day and prepare your body and mind for rest.
Tonight's practice is about unwinding and letting the body soften.
Gather any props that help you feel supported,
A pillow,
A blanket,
Or simply create a cozy space on the floor or in your bed.
Begin by coming down onto your back.
Arms resting by your sides,
Palms open,
Feet relaxed and falling outward.
Feel the full weight of your body against the surface beneath you.
Take a slow inhale through your nose and a long,
Unhurried exhale.
You may want to set an intention for this practice.
A short positive affirmation,
Perhaps repeating three times,
I am resting deeply.
Let's move into our first shape,
Supta baddha konasana.
To come into reclined butterfly,
Simply bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open.
You may want to place pillows or blocks below your thighs to support your legs so there is no strain.
It may feel nurturing to place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart.
Or simply let your arms rest comfortably along your side with your palms open in a gesture of receiving or facing down,
Which may feel more grounding.
Once you are settled,
You may take a moment to scan your awareness through your body.
Noticing any tight spaces where the tension of the day has accumulated.
Just notice with compassionate curiosity,
Let sensations in the body come to the surface.
Feel the rise and fall of your breath.
Notice how your breath is becoming steadier,
Slower,
Deeper.
Stillness settling into your nervous system.
Inhale deeply and exhale completely.
Welcoming the sensation of softening that comes with lengthening your exhalation.
Letting your out breath carry away the busyness of your day.
With every exhale,
Tension drains out of the body.
If your mind returns to thoughts of your day,
Simply guide it back to the gentle rhythm of your body breathing.
You might silently repeat your intention.
I am resting deeply.
Before we move into our next shape,
You may choose to take three heart clearing breaths.
Inhaling gently through your nose,
Filling your lower belly,
Ribs and chest with breath and slowly sighing the breath out through an open mouth with a soft.
Inhale breathing in to fill your body and slowly releasing with a long sighing exhale,
Completely emptying the body of breath before you receive your next in breath.
And one more cleansing exhale to lighten the heart and surrender the weight of your body to the gentle tug of gravity.
And slowly bring the soles of your feet to the floor with your knees bent,
Pausing here for a few breaths.
Noticing how the previous stretch unravels as your body settles in the neutral shape of constructive rest.
You may wish to remain still in this rebound shape or welcome some movement.
Letting your legs fall to one side and then to the other.
Slowly windshield wipering the legs from side to side.
It may feel good to draw your knees into your belly for a hug.
Gently swaying from side to side.
Eventually rolling to one side.
Taking your time to come up to prepare for a forward fold in Caterpillar.
Extend your legs forward and sit up tall.
If the hips feel like they're tilting back,
Simply sit up on a folded blanket.
Moving from the hips,
Begin to rock forward over your extended legs.
You may choose to keep your spine extended,
Or let the spine round,
Head heavy,
Chin dropping down towards your chest.
If you want to make this pose more restorative,
You can set up so the belly or head are resting with a bolster or pillows.
This is a shape of surrender.
Here awareness turns inward.
Feel how your inhale fills the back body.
Upper back and shoulders widening and releasing as you exhale.
Sending your inhale into the tight corners.
Visualize your exhale like a cleansing river,
Washing away tension.
If thoughts arise,
Let them simply float away on this river of breath.
No need to follow them.
Just follow the sweet ebb and flow of your breath.
Each breath is a subtle letting go.
For the final 30 seconds,
You may want to take a few heart cleansing breaths.
Inhaling deeply into your lower belly and all the way into your upper back and exhale completely with a long slow sigh.
Slowly begin to walk your hands back and gently roll up to sit and find your way onto your back for a rebound pose.
Choosing to lie in pentacle pose,
Legs long,
Spread apart about the distance of your mat with your feet falling out and arms resting at your side.
Or bring the soles of your feet to the floor with your knees bent.
Pausing here for a few breaths and constructive rest.
Rest your awareness in the flood of sensations that wash through your body as your nervous system integrates the effects of the deep forward fold.
You may notice a subtle pulsing or the vibration of prana coursing through you.
The softening of muscular tension as fascia untangles.
Or the heaviness in your body as you let go of any effort to support yourself in this shape.
Just allowing whatever sensations are present to come to the surface.
You may wish to remain still in this rebound shape or welcome some movement,
Letting your legs fall to one side and then to the other.
Slowly windshield wipering the legs from side to side.
We're taking a big stretch,
Like you just woke up,
Reaching arms overhead and lengthening toes and fingers in the opposite directions.
You may feel good to draw your knees into your belly for a hug.
Gently swaying from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Roll to one side to come into a supine twist.
Your arms may open up like wings at shoulder height or try reaching them overhead.
Take a moment to play with the shape.
The position of your arms,
But also the position of your legs.
Bringing them close to your belly or letting them drift wide.
Perhaps even slightly apart feels good.
You may want to make the shape more restorative.
Placing a pillow between your knees.
Perhaps letting your head gently roll to the left and then the right.
Feeling into the best position for your head to land.
Once you find you're just right shape,
Come to be still.
I will let you know when it's time to move to the other side.
Slowly return to center and switch sides.
Make any adjustments to the shape on this side.
So it feels just right.
And when you are ready,
Enjoy the next few minutes of quiet stillness.
I will let you know when it's time to transition into Shavasana.
Slowly make your way out of the shape.
And slowly make your way out of the twist.
Extend both legs long.
Let your feet fall open.
Palms face up.
Make any small adjustments so the body can fully relax.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
And a long soft breath out through the mouth.
Bring your awareness to your feet.
Feel the soles of your feet soften.
Let that softness move into your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs,
Your hips,
And lower back.
Softening into the ground beneath you.
Your belly is relaxed.
Your chest and shoulders are heavy and expansive.
Fully supported.
Your awareness travels down your arms into your hands.
Palms of your hands.
And all 10 fingers.
Your neck softens.
Your jaw unclenches.
Your tongue rests softly at the roof of your mouth.
The tiny muscles around your eyes smooth out.
Your forehead is wide and calm.
Your chin is relaxed.
Now feel your breath moving gently in and out.
A gentle tide.
A meandering river flowing through your whole body.
Imagine you're floating.
Fully supported.
Held.
With every exhale,
Sink a little deeper into rest.
Rest now.
Stay here as long as you need.
I will leave you here.
Take a moment to thank yourself for choosing to slow down.
For choosing rest.
Until next time,
Goodnight and sweet dreams.
