Namaste,
I'm Dania,
And I'm so glad you're here.
This practice is devoted to total body relaxation.
Deep stretches to release fascia,
Unwind tension,
And rest deep in stillness.
Gather any props you'll need.
To feel fully supported.
And when you're ready,
Make yourself comfortable lying down on your mat.
Close your eyes.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
This is your time to decompress.
You may ask yourself quietly,
What am I feeling right now?
Just noticing what arises.
Yin invites us into intero reception.
Felt sense of the body from within.
Feel the weight of your body.
For now,
Gently set thoughts aside.
And let awareness sink.
Beneath the surface.
Take a slow inhale through your nose.
And let that breath expand the back body and rise.
All the way to the crown of your head.
Exhale slowly.
And feel yourself descend.
With each slow breath.
Shedding a layer of tension.
It is enough.
To be here with your breath.
Release any expectations.
And Continue to practice with this compassion.
Prepare to move into our first shape.
Bring the soles of your feet to the ground.
With knees bent.
And let your legs drop to one side.
And then the other.
Slowly windshield wipering them from side to side And then lift.
Both feet off the floor.
And gently circle your knees.
In one direction a few times.
Slowly bending and lengthening your legs.
Bringing some mobility into the knee joints.
And then rotate your legs in the other direction.
Making a few slow circles.
Your own time when this movement feels complete.
Hug your legs into your belly.
Drawing your knees tenderly in.
For a little squeeze.
And roll to one side to come up making your way onto your hands and knees.
Perhaps placing a blanket under your knees for added comfort.
Bring your knees wide,
Big toes touching.
You may choose to place a bolster lengthwise between your thighs.
And slowly lower your torso onto it.
Turning one cheek to rest.
Arms can wrap around the bolster or extend forward.
Or just bring your belly towards the floor between your legs.
If sitting back is uncomfortable.
Place a blanket between your calves and thighs.
And if this shape doesn't feel supported for any reason,
You may choose to lie on your back.
And hug your knees wide or even hold.
The outer edge of your feet in for happy baby.
Once you've settled into your shape Come to be still.
Bring your awareness.
To your internal landscape.
Can you sense any areas of gripping?
Tightness.
Guarding.
Simply notice Breathe into your belly.
Feel the breath gently expand the whole body on the inhale.
And notice how your out breath invites a sweet release.
Forward folds lightly compress the abdomen,
Which can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Encouraging the body to shift into the rest and digest mode.
Of the parasympathetic nervous system.
With each slow breath.
We send signals to the body.
To relax.
Can you feel?
The fascia responding softening unwinding Let your body be heavy.
Stay still.
Each exhale,
Dissolving layers of holding.
Each inhale creates a little more spaciousness.
And take your final few rounds of breath here.
And when you are ready to transition,
Slowly press into your hands.
And come onto all fours.
Take a few slow cat-cow movements.
Inhaling,
Lengthening the spine.
And exhale,
Round and empty.
Move like you're underwater.
Sensing each vertebra.
Continue like this.
Or perhaps.
.
.
Making some slow circles.
Or shifting from side to side.
Or even exploring some subtle figure eights.
Slow movement prepares the body for deeper stillness.
Okay,
Let's make our way into our next shape.
Let's move into deer pose now.
Begin by bringing the soles of the feet together like in butterfly.
Keep your left leg as it is in front and swing your right leg behind you so your back foot is roughly in line with your hips.
Your front leg stays in front of you.
Both knees are bent roughly 90 degrees.
But don't worry about perfect angles.
The front leg is in external rotation and the back leg is in internal rotation.
Spiraling.
In opposite directions.
Creating a balanced stretch through the deep fascia of the pelvis.
Take a moment to adjust yourself so you feel grounded through both sitting bones.
If you feel yourself tipping away from the back hip.
Draw the feet closer.
Towards your body.
And if you feel more open,
You can slide the feet slightly further away.
And once you feel stable,
You may begin to add a twist,
Rotating your chest forward towards the front leg.
Then begin to fold,
Lowering onto your forearms.
You might soften your chin towards your chest and round slightly.
Letting the upper back release.
When you've found your just right edge,
Become still.
Close your eyes.
Notice the contrast between the legs,
The outer hip of the front leg.
The inner thigh.
And the deep hip of the back leg.
Breathe into the back body.
Imagine the breath expanding into your low back.
With each exhale,
Soften forward.
Resting here.
To allow the fascia around the sacrum and hips to slowly release.
We'll stay here for another minute.
And to come out,
Press gently into your hands.
Lean slightly away from the back leg and guide it forward.
And return to butterfly.
Pause let your hips settle into this symmetrical shape And then we will switch sides.
And you are ready,
Swing your left leg behind you.
Take your time setting it up.
This side may feel slightly different.
Grounding both sitting bones,
Adjusting your feet until the pelvis feels steady and supported.
And when you're ready,
Twist towards your front leg and fold forward,
Keeping the spine long.
Before softening down.
Find your edge.
Nothing sharp or forceful.
Once you feel the tug of a deep stretch.
Become still.
Breathe into your ribs and upper back.
Let your torso become heavy.
So gravity can do the work.
Slowly with patience.
Allow the deep hip rotators.
To soften.
Remain still.
Follow your breath.
I will guide you out when it is time.
And when you are ready,
Bring both legs forward and place the soles of your feet on the ground.
You may choose to pause here.
With your arms wrapped around your knees and chin dropping forward.
Or place your hands behind you.
And let your legs drop.
From one side.
And then to the other.
Slowly,
Windshield wipering them.
Back and forth.
Taking a moment to let the hips settle.
And when your rebound feels complete.
Slowly come upright and open your legs as wide as feels natural.
If your pelvis tips backward.
You may want to sit up on a folded blanket.
Or cushion.
So the spine can lengthen.
For half dragonfly,
Extend your right leg long and draw the left foot in towards the inner thigh.
Flex your extended foot gently.
Inhale to lengthen your spine.
And exhale to begin to fold over your extended legs.
You might stay upright with long arms.
Or soften down onto your forearms.
Find your edge.
And then grow still.
Traveling from the sole of your foot up the back of the leg and into the spine is a deep line of connected fascia.
Which will begin to loosen.
And unravel.
Over the next minute or so in this shape.
Imagine your inhale filling the low back.
On your exhale.
Visualize the breath.
Traveling down the back of the leg.
And out through the sole of your foot.
Long.
Slow Spacious breath.
I will guide you out.
When it's time to change sides.
And slowly rise and switch legs Take your time to arrange yourself.
You may land differently on this side.
Lengthening first along your spine.
And rotating over your extended leg.
And then soften forward.
Once you've arrived resolve to be still Let gravity pull your body downward.
Let your breath draw you inward.
Perhaps you can sense how the fascia responds.
When you let go of muscular engagement.
And surrender.
The shape.
When you're ready to come out Slowly bring yourself back to an upright seat.
With legs long or crossed.
Pause for a few breaths.
Our next shape is going to be half frog or tadpole.
To transition.
Make your way into child's pose to begin.
Let your hips rest back towards your heels.
Take a few deep breaths here.
Child's post.
Begin to slide your hands forward.
And gently widen your knees.
Further apart.
Notice how the inner thighs begin to awaken.
Now slowly begin to lift your hips so they stack roughly over your knees.
Keep the big toes touching behind you.
This creates a steady opening through the inner groin and adductors.
Deep into the fascial web of the pelvis.
If your knees feel sensitive.
Place a blanket or cushion underneath them.
Supporting yourself whenever the shape feels like too much.
Allows the nervous system to downshift.
So you may want to rest your chest on a bolster.
Once you've found your just right shape.
Become still.
Sense the steady stretch along the inner thighs.
A gentle lift of the hips here creates a mild backbend.
Bringing a juicy compression to the sacrum and low back.
Breathe into the widening across your chest and shoulders.
Feel the spaciousness.
Being created in the inner legs Feel your breath filling your low belly.
Peel your hips.
Becoming heavier.
Breathe slowly.
With each exhale,
Allow the groins to melt.
The hips to widen.
The fascia to slowly yield.
Stay patient.
Stay receptive.
When you're ready to release.
Gently shift your weight back towards your heels.
Draw your legs closer together.
To come back into child's pose.
Notice the effects of frogs.
That arise during this rebound.
Perhaps you can sense.
The subtle pulsing.
Of the currents moving through the inner legs and low back.
Stay for a few more breaths.
To let the body integrate.
Slowly make your way onto your back.
Stretch your arms overhead,
Letting them rest comfortably on the floor.
And walk both feet toward the right corner of your mat.
Then slowly begin to walk your hands towards that same right corner.
Creating a dental arc.
Through the left side of your body.
You might hold your left wrist.
Or clasp opposite elbows.
Or try crossing one ankle over the other.
To deepen the side stretch.
Take a moment to refine the shape so it feels sweet.
And then become still.
You may close your eyes Bring your awareness.
To your eyes.
As you exhale,
Soften the muscles behind them.
Bring attention.
To your jaw.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Allow the jaw to unhinge slightly.
Let your tongue rest softly on the roof of your mouth.
Just behind your teeth.
Feel the weight of the jaw drop.
Another slow breath in.
And out Now sense the stretch along the entire.
Left side of the body.
The outer hip.
The waist.
The ribs.
Side of the chest.
Feel the inhale gently expanding into your ribs.
With each exhale,
Allow the side body to lengthen.
And soften.
And exhale fully.
All the way to the bottom of the breath.
Notice how the breath massages the intercostal muscles between the ribs.
And all along the side of your body deeply releasing the fascial line.
That runs from hip to shoulder.
Stay with your breath.
And the arising sensations.
And I will let you know when it is time to transition to the other side.
Slowly lock your hands and feet back to center.
Pause here for a few breaths.
Arms and legs long.
The body returning to symmetry.
Does one side feel longer?
Heavier more spacious or alive.
Just observe what sensations arise.
Now walk both feet towards the left corner of your mat.
Then walk your hands towards the same corner.
Creating an arc through the right side of the body.
Make any adjustments.
And then Subtle.
Into the shape.
Bring awareness.
To your head.
Feel the weight of your skull.
Resting on the earth.
Soften your forehead.
Let the temples release.
Let the space behind the ears widen.
Imagine cool water.
Washing through your brain.
Calming,
Smoothing.
A slow inhale.
And a long exhale.
Completely emptying.
The body of breath.
You may even Pause briefly at the bottom of your exhale.
Before you tenderly receive the next breath in.
Feel the stretch along the right side.
Hip Waist.
With this.
Shoulder.
Allow the breath to travel.
Into those spaces.
Along your side body.
Each inhale creates subtle expansion.
Each exhale softens.
Deeper into this present moon shape.
Continue to let your exhale lengthen naturally.
Body heavy.
Mind quiet.
I will guide you out when it is time.
And slowly walk your hands and feet back to center.
And pause.
Let the front of your body soften.
Feel the echo of the pose along both sides.
Of your waist.
And ribs.
Perhaps you can notice the subtle pulsing.
Through the sides of your body.
Or the quiet spaciousness.
That you created through the fascia.
Breathe deeply.
And rest.
When you are ready,
Extend your legs up.
Towards the sky.
This will be our final shape.
Gentle inversion.
And waterfall.
Your legs don't need to be perfectly straight.
Welcome a soft bend in your knees.
Let your arms rest wherever they feel most natural.
By your sides.
One hand on the belly and one on the heart.
Take a moment to settle.
T your legs of effort.
Allow the leg bones.
To drop into their sockets Legs suspended.
In a sea of chi.
Feel the weight.
Of your pelvis the back body spreading into the mat.
Surrendering to gravity any holding.
Take a slow inhale through your nose.
And a long,
Unhurried exhale through your mouth.
And again,
Inhale,
Steady.
Spacious.
And let your exhale continue to be longer than the inhale.
Waterfall pose invites the body into deep parasympathetic rest Imagine any residual tension.
Draining out through the soles of your feet.
Down your legs.
With each breath.
The mind grows quieter.
There is nothing left to do.
You have stretched the deep fascial lines of the body.
Now you can simply receive.
Legs relaxed.
Whole body.
Resting.
Just follow the gentle rhythm of breath.
Moving in steady beat of your heart.
When you are ready to come out.
Bend your knees.
Slowly toward your chest.
Wrap your arms around your legs.
Giving yourself.
A tender squeeze.
A little rock from side to side may feel good.
And gently roll to one side.
Resting for a moment in fetal position.
Notice the calm.
Notice the spaciousness.
When you feel ready.
Press into your hands and slowly rise to a comfortable seat.
We will close our practice together.
You may wish to keep your eyes soft or closed.
Bring your hands to your heart.
Thank yourself for showing up.
For allowing stillness to do its quiet work.
And thank you for choosing to practice with me today.
Of all the ways you could have spent your time,
You chose to slow down,
To care for your body and nervous system,
And that matters.
Until next time,
Be gentle with yourself.
