Gentle Sunrise Flow

This asana sequence is gentle enough to suit a morning or evening practice and it comes with background music.
Move through gentle twists to release stagnant energy and learn a mudra for inner peace.

Music by Chris Collins

Transcript

Come to sit on your mat with your legs bent and your feet more than hip distance.

Bring the hands in a prayer in front of the heart.

Release the hands behind you with the fingertips pointing towards you,

Lean back a little.

Take an inhalation and on the exhalation drop your knees to the right.

Look over your left shoulder.

Inhale,

Come back to centre with the knees and on the exhalation drop them to the left.

Look over your right shoulder now.

Knees back to centre on the inhalation.

Exhale,

Drop them to the right.

Look behind your left shoulder,

Knees back to centre.

Exhale,

Drop them to the left.

Look over your right shoulder.

One more time on each side.

Inhaling through centre,

Exhale drop the knees to the right.

Inhale through centre and exhale drop the knees to the left.

Release and come into an easy seat.

Bring the palms to touch and interlace all fingers from the outside with the right thumb on top.

Rest the shape wherever is comfortable.

Close your eyes if you wish.

The mudra you're holding is Gupta Mudra.

Gupta means secret or hidden.

This mudra cultivates a sense of entering an inner sanctuary of safety and security.

This feeling of safety and security allows us to explore,

Integrate and eventually release the identification with our limiting beliefs.

Any version of I'm not good enough,

Too young,

Too old,

Too thin,

Too fat.

We all have one or several.

This mudra directs breath energy and awareness to the base of the body,

The pelvis and the solar plexus.

And supports digestion and elimination.

This gesture also relaxes the shoulders,

The neck,

The face and the head.

Blink your eyes open.

Turn the palms out,

Straighten the arms and reach the arms overhead with the fingers interlaced and the palms out.

Take an inhalation to lengthen and on the exhalation,

Side bend to the right.

Look under your left armpit and root the right sit bone down.

Inhale,

Come back to centre to lengthen.

Towards the sky and on the exhalation,

Side bend to the left.

Lengthening through both sides of the waist.

As you root the opposite hip down,

Inhale,

Come back to centre.

Reach up,

Exhale,

Reach the arms forward,

Chin to chest round.

Inhale,

Arms overhead,

Arch.

Exhale,

Reach the arms forward,

Chin to chest,

Round your spine.

Continue to move in and out of these two poses.

It's like cacao.

Seated cacao with hands interlaced overhead.

Keep it going.

Perhaps speeding it up or slowing it down.

Feel it out.

Opening through the spine,

The pelvis.

I like to tilt forward and back onto my pelvis but I leave that to you.

Find stillness.

Reach up on inhalation and on the exhalation,

Twist to the right.

Left hand to the outside of the right knee,

Right hand behind you.

Relax the shoulders down.

Draw the navel to the spine.

Twist a little bit deeper towards the right.

Inhale,

Come back to centre,

Interlace the fingers.

Straighten the arms,

Reach the arms overhead,

Lengthen.

On the exhalation,

Twist to the other side.

Right hand to the outside of the left knee,

Left hand behind you.

Draw the navel to the spine and initiate the twist from the belly centre and the middle of the back.

Inhale,

Come back to centre,

Interlace the fingers.

Straighten the arms,

Reach the arms overhead,

Lengthen.

Exhale,

Release the arms behind you.

Interlace the fingers.

Rest the interlaced fingers onto the earth and lean back and open your chest and your throat.

Seated backbend.

Push the back body into the front body.

Come on up slowly.

Head comes up last.

Release your right arm down.

Inhale,

Reach your left arm up and on the exhalation,

Side bend to the right.

Release your left arm in front of your face.

It carries you to the other side.

Left arm down,

Right arm up.

Lengthen first and on the exhalation,

Side bend to the left.

Continue in this way,

Lowering the arm in front of you.

It carries you to the other side.

Left arm up,

Right arm down.

Left arm comes in front of your face.

Right arm reaches overhead alongside the right ear.

One more time on each side.

Right arm down,

Left arm up.

Side bend to the right.

One more time onto the left side.

Come back to centre and come onto all fours.

Walk the knees slightly further back than the hips.

Begin to draw circles with your hips.

Going from right to left,

Drawing the hips towards the right heel.

Doing a full circle,

Coming back up the left.

Drawing circles with your hips around your knees.

Unwinding through the hips,

Pelvis,

The inner thighs.

Keep your toes tucked under.

Make sure you go both ways.

Walk the knees under the hips now.

Line up the shoulders with the wrists.

Spin the fingers towards you.

Begin to draw the sitting bones towards the heels.

Try to keep the palms connected.

This opens up the back of the wrists.

This is a great pose to take if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Or if you just type a lot.

Or do any kind of manual work.

Continue to press back.

Feel the intensity.

If it's too much,

Feel free to do one hand at a time.

Perhaps reaching progressively further back.

As the wrists' joints open up.

Come back onto all fours slowly.

And turn the fingers forward.

The right way around.

Sit back onto your heels.

Rest your hands onto your thighs.

And just feel them.

Come back onto all fours as you're ready.

Begin to draw circles now around your wrist joints.

And your shoulder joints.

Drawing circles around your wrist joints.

In one direction.

And the other.

Loosening through the wrists and the shoulders.

Walk the hands to the front of the mat.

Keep the hips stacked over the heels.

Lengthen forward.

And bow for Anahata Asana.

Tosa Taktanda.

Arms in line with the ears.

Keep the forehead down.

And begin to pulse it.

Gently arching on the inhalation.

And rounding on the exhalation.

The forehead doesn't move.

These are micro movements.

It's like Kekau in Anahata Asana.

The head.

The forehead is gently pressing onto the earth.

As you undulate through the spine.

Isolating the torso.

Begin to sway now from side to side.

Swaying your torso to the right and to the left.

The head doesn't move.

Continue.

Swaying from side to side.

Come into stillness.

Release your forearms down if they're not already.

Bring the palms to touch.

Take an inhalation without lifting the head.

Draw your prayer behind your head.

Come back to the breath.

Feel all the areas of spaciousness and openness and length.

Release the forearms down.

Draw your hands towards you.

Cup to stand onto your knees.

Tosa Taktanda.

Inhale.

Reach the arms overhead.

Join your prayer.

Exhale.

Bring the prayer to the heart.

Bring the hands onto your hips.

Take a Drishti,

A focal point.

Step your right foot forward.

You're in a low lunge.

Inhale.

Reach the arms overhead.

Hold your left wrist with your right hand.

On the exhalation,

Side bend to the right.

Press the right foot down.

Inhale.

Come back to centre.

Separate the arms.

Reach up and lengthen.

Hold your right wrist with your left hand.

On the inhale,

Exhale.

Side bend to the left.

This is a little more challenging.

Inhale.

Reach the arms up.

Separate your hands.

Release your hands down at either side of the right foot.

Press back.

Come onto your right heel.

Straighten your right leg.

For a half split pose,

Hands are at either side of your right leg.

Curl the right toes to shin.

And press the right heel down as you lengthen your torso over your leg.

Keep your hips stacked over your left knee and continue to lengthen forward.

Bend into your right knee.

Bring the right foot down.

Walk the right foot to the outer edge of the mat.

For lizard.

Stay high onto the fingertips.

Keep your torso up.

Slithering out of the low back.

If you have the space,

Lower onto the forearms.

Or stay with the first grammar.

The first option.

Begin to re-emerge if you are on your forearms.

Left hand stays under the left shoulder.

Reach your right arm up and twist to the right.

Keep your left knee down.

Or lift your back leg up.

I'm going to keep my back leg down today.

Focus on shrugging both shoulders onto the back.

Release the right arm down.

Bring your hands down at either side of the right foot.

Straighten your right leg.

Sit back with the left foot to the outside of the left hip.

For half hero pose.

This pose doesn't work on everyone's knees.

If there is any pain in your left knee,

Please come out of the pose.

Inhale.

Reach your arms overhead.

Exhale.

Fold over your right leg.

Any amount.

There should be no pain on your left knee.

Continue to curl right toes to shin.

And lengthen.

Come back into low lunge.

Bending into your right knee.

Bring your right knee to meet the left.

Your back onto all fours.

Walk the hands all the way to the front of the mat.

Tuck your toes under and bow in between your arms.

For anahata asana.

Third eye.

Forehead pressing onto the earth.

Draw the hands towards you.

Come back up onto your knees.

Bring your hands onto your hips.

Step your left foot forward.

You're in a low lunge.

Onto the left side.

Inhale.

Arms reach.

Hold your right wrist with your left hand.

On the exhalation,

Side bend to the left.

Press the left foot down.

Draw the navel to the spine.

Inhale.

Come back to centre.

Switch wrists.

Hold the left wrist with your right hand.

Exhale.

Side bend to the right.

Come upright with your torso.

Separate your hands.

Reach up.

Release your hands at either side of the left foot.

Come onto your left heel.

Straighten your left leg.

Curl left toes to shin.

For abs flip pose.

Onto the left side.

Keep your hips stacked over your right knee.

If you need to,

You can heel toe your left foot further forward.

Bend into your left leg.

Walk the left foot to the outer edge of the mat.

Come high onto the fingertips for lizard.

Continue to slither out of your low back.

There's a gentle arch in the upper back.

It's like a cobra.

Breathe deep into this big opening into the left hip.

Release onto the forearms if you want to deepen the pose.

Or stay with the first karma.

Stay high onto the fingertips with the torso upright.

Wherever you are,

Continue to lengthen and breathe deep.

Begin to come out of the pose.

Bring your hands at either side of the left leg.

Straighten the left leg.

Keep your right leg bent.

Bend and sit in between your bent right leg and your straight left leg for half hero.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Exhale,

Fold over your left leg.

Keep a long spine.

And root both sit bones onto the earth.

Lift up.

Bend into your left knee.

Bring your left knee to meet the right.

Reach the arms forward for anahata asana.

Keep your toes tucked under,

Forehead bows in between.

Your arms resting onto the earth.

Lengthen and reconnect to the breath.

Begin to lift up.

Walk the hands towards you.

Straighten your legs and come into a forward fold with bent knees.

Let your arms dangle.

Let the crown of the head go.

Open your feet as wide as the mat.

Turn the toes out and the heels in.

And squat back.

Only halfway for ardha malasana.

Forearms rest onto the thighs.

Continue to lengthen your torso forward.

If you have the space,

Lower all the way into malasana.

Use your elbows to pry the knees open.

Hands in prayer.

Maybe closing the eyes here.

Bring the hands down.

Straighten your legs.

Turn your toes forward.

Bend your knees,

Hinge your hips back.

Reach the arms forward,

Way out in front of you.

Stay high onto the fingertips for this functional forward fold.

Press the feet down.

Draw the navel to the spine.

Reach upper body and lower body in opposite directions.

Feel how this elongates and decompresses your spine.

Draw the hands underneath your shoulders.

Heel-toe your feet hip distance.

Interlace the fingers behind you.

Bring the palms to touch.

Take an inhalation and on the exhalation,

Fold a little bit deeper with arms overhead.

Bend the elbows to bring the palms of the hands together.

Reach forward again with the arms.

Maybe getting a little bit more rotation.

Draw the navel to the spine.

Engage your inner thighs to support the lower back in this forward fold.

Release the interlace.

Bring the hands down.

Begin to unroll one vertebra at a time into standing.

Bring the hands in a prayer in front of the heart.

Samasthiti,

Equal standing pose.

Release the arms down.

Inhale,

Reach the arms overhead.

Bend the elbows and hold opposite elbows.

Take an inhalation to lengthen.

On the exhalation,

Side bend to the right.

Keep the arms in line with the ears.

On the inhalation,

Come back to centre.

Reach the arms overhead.

Separate the hands.

Re-bend the elbows.

Hold opposite elbows and side bend to the left.

Root the right foot down.

Inhale,

Come back to centre.

Reach the arms up over Astasana.

Exhale,

Release the hands behind you.

Interlace the fingers and look up.

Open your chest and your throat.

Bend the knees and begin to fold forward,

Reaching the arms overhead.

We've been here before.

Inhale into a halfway lift with hands interlaced behind you.

Exhale,

Release the arms down and fold in a little bit deeper.

Inhale,

Hands on the shins for halfway lift.

Exhale,

Fold in.

Inhale,

Reach the arms out and up.

Come into standing.

Draw your prayer above your head.

Lengthen and exhale.

Draw the prayer to the heart.

Inhale,

Arms reach out and up.

Hold opposite elbows and side bend to the right.

Move the chin away from the chest and lengthen through both sides of the waist.

Inhale,

Back to centre.

Separate the arms.

Re-bend the elbows.

Hold opposite elbows and side bend to the left.

Inhale,

Back to centre.

Reach the arms up.

Exhale,

Cactus your arms.

Bend the elbows and look up.

Inhale,

Reach the arms overhead.

Orva astassa.

Bend the knees.

Fold forward.

Keep your knees bent.

Inhale into a halfway lift.

High onto the fingertips.

Exhale,

Fold in.

Inhale,

Reach the arms out and up.

As you come into standing,

Use your core muscles.

Exhale,

Prayer to the heart.

Release the arms down.

Stand at the back of the mat with your feet hip distance.

Inhale,

Reach the arms overhead.

Exhale,

Bend your knees and sit into chair.

Inhale,

Arms reach a little bit higher.

Exhale,

Airplane your arms.

Release your arms by the side.

Inhale,

Lift your arms and come onto your toes now.

Exhale,

Release your heels down.

Airplane your arms.

Inhale,

Reach arms overhead.

Lift your heels.

Exhale,

Release your heels.

Airplane your arms.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Come onto your toes.

Exhale,

Release the heels down.

Airplane your arms.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Come onto your toes.

Exhale,

Heels down.

Arms into airplane wings.

Inhale,

Reach the arms overhead.

Straighten your legs,

Lengthen.

Exhale,

Draw the prayer to the heart.

Feet hip distance.

Inhale,

Reach the arms overhead.

Exhale,

Bend your knees and sit into chair.

Inhale,

Reach the arms a little bit higher.

Exhale,

Left arm forward,

Right arm back.

Twist to the right.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Legs don't change.

Exhale,

Right arm forward,

Left arm back.

Keep your knees level.

Draw the navel to the spine and twist from the middle of the back.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Exhale,

Left arm forward,

Right arm back.

Spread your wings.

Inhale,

Arms reach.

Come to face the front.

Exhale,

Right arm forward,

Left arm back.

Twist to the left.

Inhale,

Reach up.

Come into standing.

Straighten your legs.

Join your prayer above your head.

And on the exhalation draw the prayer to the heart.

Take a moment to feel that.

Come to stand at the back of the mat.

Inhale,

Arms reach out and up.

Exhale,

Bend your knees and fold forward.

Walk out to downward facing dog.

Bring your knees down.

And come into Anahata Asana.

Reaching the arms forward.

Arms straight.

Forehead bows.

Hips are off the heels and toes tucked under.

Lengthen.

Hinge forward.

Bring your belly down.

Bring your whole body down.

Bring the hands by the side of the chest.

Press the tops of the feet down.

All ten toenails pressing down.

Pubic bone presses down.

Draw the elbows in.

And on the inhalation reach your chest forward and up for cobra.

Lift your hands off the earth.

A cobra doesn't have any hands.

Use the back body to lift in this pose.

And hold cobra.

Continue to lengthen and look down to avoid using the neck.

Make a pillow with your palms.

Rest your forehead there and rest.

Allowing the dust of cobra to settle.

Taking this time to feel into the effect of the back.

Re-emerge from this pose and roll onto your back.

Bend your legs.

Bring the knees into the chest with one hand on each knee.

Begin to draw circles with your knees keeping the legs together.

Drawing circles.

Wrap the right leg over the left.

See if you can catch hold of the tops of the feet.

Criss-crossing the legs for shoelace pose.

Do your best to squeeze the legs together.

And draw the feet away from each other as you keep the low back onto the earth.

Release the clasp of the feet.

Release the legs down.

Open the arms in a T.

Take an inhalation and on the exhalation drop your knees to the left.

Turn the head to the right.

Bring the knees back to centre.

And switch.

Left leg over the right.

Catch hold of opposite foot with your hands.

Draw the feet away from each other as you squeeze the legs together.

Creating some compression in the nadis,

The energy channels.

Clearing the path for prana to flow freely.

Release your left foot down.

Take an inhalation on the exhalation.

Drop the whole shape to the right.

Arms are in a T.

Bring the knees back to centre.

Unravel your legs.

Keep the legs bent.

Release the arms by the side setting up for bridge pose.

Press the hands down.

Press the feet down.

And on the inhalation lift your hips.

Low back and middle back off the earth.

If you have the space shrug one shoulder under and then the other.

Interlace the fingers.

Press the fists down to get a little bit more height.

Legs are parallel.

Inner thighs are strong.

Chest is moving towards the chin.

But the chin moves away from the chest.

Continue to lengthen your spine.

There should be no pinching in your low back.

The thighs are reaching towards the knees.

The spine is elongating and decompressing.

Release slowly.

Release the interlace.

And release your body to the earth.

Open your feet as wide as the mat.

Bring your knees to touch.

It may feel nice to rest the hands onto the belly or onto the heart.

One hand on the heart,

One hand on the belly.

Taking this time to marinate in the natural high of the backbend.

Bring the knees into the chest again.

Hug them in.

Lengthen in the low back.

If you have the space you can bring the forehead towards the knees.

Lengthening a little bit more.

Straighten your legs and release the arms by the side for Shavasana.

Final relaxation.

Ensure you are nice and cosy.

And allow yourself to rest fully here.

Begin to deepen your breath.

Interlace the fingers.

Reach the arms overhead.

Bring the legs together and stretch.

Release the arms down,

Bend the legs and roll onto one side.

Come into a seated position.

I like to keep my eyes closed.

For this portion of the class whether it's up to you.

Come into an easy seat and simply observe.

Take Gupta Mudra again.

Interlacing all fingers with the right thumb on top.

Considering what version of I am not good enough.

Are you willing to leave behind on the mat today?

Release the mudra.

Bring the hands in a prayer in front of your heart.

Thank yourself for doing the work.

Bring the thumbs to the third eye center.

Namaste.

Reviews

Lovely morning practice, thank you for including the full Shavasana 🙏🏼