Bedtime Moon Salutation Yin Yoga Practice

This is an invitation to practice a Moon Salutation in the form of yin. This practice is ideal in the evening to allow yourself to experience each posture in the moon salutation through meditative, long holds, and stretches. Please allow yourself the opportunity to use any props that would best support your practice and honor any modifications that would feel most nurturing. I hope you enjoy. These online offerings are in response to COVID-19 to allow us to be together even while apart.

Transcript

Welcome.

For today's class,

You are invited to start in a comfortable seated posture.

Taking time to settle in,

Finding a tall spine with the shoulders relaxed down and away from the ears.

Crown of the head reaching towards the heavens.

If it feels good for you,

Go ahead and close down the eyes.

Let's start by taking a deep breath in through the nose.

Exhale out through the mouth.

Let's try that again.

Deep breath in through the nose.

Exhale through the mouth.

Taking a moment to notice the energy in the body.

It's showing up for you in this moment.

See energy high,

Is it low?

Somewhere in between perhaps.

Noticing without judgment.

So before you get carried away in the story of your energy,

It's okay wherever that energy is right here and now.

We all have a story.

And our beautiful and unique and wild story has brought you here to this moment.

Just where you're meant to be.

In this gentle sequence of yin,

We'll be exploring a moon salutation in slow motion.

This is a wonderful sequence to allow the body to unwind,

To tune into your energy,

And to nurture and nourish this body that shows up for you every day.

So if you've done a moon salutation or salutations before,

Perhaps this will be a bit different as we are slowing down a bit and exploring it through a yin lens.

So holding postures to allow our bodies to savor this sweetness.

Savor the ting.

Savor any sensations that are present in the body.

There's this beautiful way that the moon has for me the effect to bring me to the present moment whenever I see it.

There's so much theory and science behind the moon and I'm no official scientist or theologist,

But the moon has an energy of its own that affects us daily.

So next time you see the moon,

We'll invite you to take that slow deep breath in and that slow exhale out through the mouth,

Inviting the mantra,

Sompra-ti hum.

Sompra-ti hum.

I am here.

I am now.

Appreciating the present moment and all that it brings me.

Sompra-ti hum.

I am here.

I am now.

Appreciating the present moment and all that it brings me.

Just beginning by lifting the gaze up towards the moon,

Turning the chin up,

Allowing your hands to come to the knees or to the thighs where you can press the heart up towards the sky.

And then you're yawning open the front side of the body.

And seated,

Cat-cow,

Rounding through an exhale,

Dropping chin back towards the heart,

Leaning back slightly,

Stretching through the upper back.

On the next inhale,

Draw the chin forward,

Heart follows,

Lifting,

Exhaling,

Rounding in.

Inhaling,

Lifting.

On your exhale,

Rounding in.

One more lift,

Inhale.

Exhale as you round,

Begin to round back and crawl the fingertips forward,

Coming into a seated fold,

Rounding through the upper back.

Allow the head to hang.

If you do have any props nearby,

Pillows,

Blocks,

Blankets,

You're welcome to invite those into your practice at any point.

It would feel supportive.

Allowing the hips to stay heavy.

Sip bones,

Stay on the mat.

Shoulders away from the ears.

Noticing your breath.

And if the mind begins to trickle off into another world,

And you lose sight of this practice,

Come back to that gentle mantra,

Samprati hum.

Samprati hum.

Samprati hum.

See where you can soften,

Even just a bit more,

If anything.

Take one more deep breath here,

In through the nose.

Exhale out through the mouth.

Only pressing your fingertips back into the mat to walk your hands back towards your legs.

Inhale reaching the palms up and around the sky,

Feeling length,

Creating space in the low back.

Take a breath in.

On an exhale,

Feel the palms coming down through heart center.

Pausing here.

So to transition,

We'll come to hands and knees briefly.

Table top.

Maybe a gentle sway of the hips.

Inviting us to tuck our toes,

Lift our hips.

Downward facing dog,

Adho mukha sravasana.

Allowing the head to fall.

Maybe inviting some gentle sways of the hips or peddling the feet.

Find your breath.

We're always invited to allow the stance to be a bit wider,

To notice if that feels any different to the body.

Anything worth exploring.

Slowly begin to walk the feet up towards the hands,

Putting a soft bend or a big bend in the knees.

Let your head hang.

Begin to roll the spine up slowly.

Coming all the way up to standing tadasana,

Mountain pose.

Finding your feet at a width that feels supportive for your hips.

Here's where we'll begin our slow moon salutation.

So savoring stillness.

Notice what your body does when it tries to be still and stillness doesn't have to mean not fidgeting or not shifting.

It's just the art of bringing a sense or inviting a sense of awareness with ease.

That's all.

Pretty simple.

Not always easy.

So inviting you to pick up your toes off the mat.

Balance might shift so note that if eyes feel best open or closed.

Gently beginning to lay the toes back down on the mat.

Begin with the knees,

Soft bend.

Allow the palms to open and close.

Really spread the fingers wide when you open the hands,

Getting a stretch.

Do this a few times.

Maybe roll the wrists around.

You might tap into the breath a bit but in the end there's really no specific way that will cue you to breathe other than breathing when your body needs to and savoring the exhale.

Focusing on the exhale not only allows stress to physically leave the body through releasing the jaw,

Releasing heat,

But also emotionally or mentally.

When the body hears the audible exhale it signals to our brain to soften.

We are safe.

Let's go ahead and inhale,

Reach the palms up and around to the stars,

Feeling this stretch.

Bring the palms to touch together above the head.

Draw in the belly button.

Reach up just a bit higher.

Go ahead and lean over to the right.

Here's the invitation.

You can touch the left wrist with the right palm.

You could interlace fingers and flip the palms.

We'll be here for a minute so allow us to be gentle.

Maybe it's a soft lean and you inch your way over to the right slowly throughout this time.

Feel your feet.

Notice the length in your spine.

You're yawning open the left side of the body.

Maybe the hips take a soft journey over to the left just slightly.

Keep finding your breath,

Some breathy palm here and now.

You need to turning the chin up towards the left arm,

Back down through center towards the right shoulder.

Going with a gentle flow there.

Pausing wherever it feels natural and easeful.

On an inhale,

Coming back through center,

Reach the palms up towards the stars.

Roll the wrists around.

Step our right foot back behind us.

Turn all 10 toes to the right.

Arms open up to a cactus.

God,

I squat slightly turn the feet up opposite directions.

Sink into your hips.

Heart is open.

Draw shoulder blades together,

Shoulders down and away from the ears.

Press into the outer edges of your feet.

So we won't be holding it here.

We're going to allow our thumbs and our index fingers to cup around our knees.

Press into your thighs with your palms.

Heart still open.

You're supported by your thighs,

Your hands against your thighs.

Go ahead and dip your right shoulder down.

So it's this gentle twist to the left.

Going back through center.

On an inhale,

Gently on an exhale,

Dip that left shoulder in.

Turn the heart open to the right.

And going at your own pace here.

And if you stepped too wide for your liking,

You can walk the feet closer or unbend the knees slightly.

Dipping the shoulders in.

Maybe holding a side that feels good for a few breaths.

Coming back through center.

Inhale,

Press through your feet.

And all the way back up into strong T arms reach open to T feet face back towards the right or forwards.

Go ahead and turn the right foot out to the right,

To the back of the mat.

Heading towards Shrikasana,

Triangle pose.

So if typically in triangle pose you like to use any prop,

The block,

You're welcome and invited to find that.

As you reach forward with that right arm,

Tipping the left hip back.

So it's this gentle pulling of the energy,

Forwards and back,

Sliding the right arm down the body.

Maybe left hand comes to left hip.

As if you were leaning against a wall,

Pressing into your feet to keep the heart open.

Left arm might reach up towards the sky.

Find your breath.

And maybe a gentle motion with the head,

Checking out how it feels to turn the chin up,

Forward down towards the right foot.

Go ahead and roll that left wrist.

Open and close the palm.

As if it feels comfortable,

As if you're scooping up a cloud,

Up and over,

Reaching towards the back of the mat,

And over the left ear,

Pressing through that back foot to find length across the whole left side of the body.

And then you can just slide into any space that might feel a bit tight.

And continuing this journey to plant the left palm down and around on the inside of the left foot,

The right foot.

So folding over the right leg,

Just a moment.

Putting a bend in that right knee.

Come on,

The ball of the back foot.

And lower down the back left knee.

Untuck the toes.

Inviting in a yin style lunge.

So you can scooch the left knee back a bit.

If the knee feels sensitive at all,

You can roll up your mat or place a pillow underneath the knee.

Getting into that left hip.

Allow your gaze to be down towards the right foot.

And if the posture is calling you to do so,

You can bring the right hand on the inside of the right foot along with the left hand.

You can start to walk the hands forward.

You can come onto forearms or if you do have any props,

You can rest arms,

Heart,

Forehead down on that.

Take another deep breath in through the nose.

Feel out through the mouth.

Breathing into both hips.

Is there anywhere you could allow yourself to be heavier?

To drop in?

It doesn't have to be more or deeper,

But to let go.

If you feel yourself finding that you need to control this posture in any way.

Gently beginning to walk the hands back up.

Bringing the right hand on the inside of the right foot,

If not already.

So we're going to shift into Skandhasana.

And you might want to be creative in this posture as well.

So let's play with it.

Go ahead and lift the back left knee off the mat.

And start to turn your heart open to the left as you pivot that left foot,

The outer edge on the mat.

And eventually turning the left toes up towards the sky.

So this is a low and deep squat.

If it's too much and you're already thinking,

No thank you.

We can transition by still from the low lunge,

Lifting the left knee,

Pivot and plant the left foot.

And then like a humble warrior,

But with arms resting on the ground.

Let the head hang.

So outer edge of that back foot would still be planted.

So your choice.

And it doesn't have to be so deep of a lunge either.

You can gently come out of this bend.

And if none of that is serving you,

Maybe a wide legged forward fold would feel good.

Finding your breath wherever your body guides you to go.

And resting with all of the expectations,

Even just for a moment in yoga.

Allowing the head to drop wherever you're at,

And the arms want to journey a bit forwards wherever you're at.

Finding this.

And the arms will pull through the spine,

Creating space.

One more breath here.

Let it go through the mouth.

Walk our hands towards center and we're heading into malasana or frog.

So you might come up onto the fingertips to lift the hips up.

Gently walking the feet a bit closer together.

Maybe you come into a wide legged forward fold to transition and to sink the hips down towards the heels.

So another option,

Great for a prop,

Would be to rest those hips right down on a block,

A pillow,

A bolster,

Books.

Palms of the hands can rest down in front.

The hands come to heart center and elbows press against the inner thighs to create space.

Tailbone draws down either way,

Whether hips are resting or hovering.

Crown of the head reaching up towards the stars.

This is our halfway point through the moon salutation.

So checking in.

Where is my energy?

With that gentle awareness.

Maybe it would feel nice to have a little bit of a gentle rotation with the hips and heart.

I'm going into Skandhasana on the other side.

If you took that wide legged variation fold,

You're welcome to do so.

If you took a lunge variation here,

You're welcome to do so.

Right foot in Skandhasa is going to extend out towards the right.

And another variation that I didn't mention on the first side,

So if it resonates with you,

You can try it again at the end,

Would be to sit on a prop in Skandhasana.

So that left forearm is pressing against the inner thigh of the left leg.

Palms can creep forwards,

Maybe out to a wide V.

Head can hang down.

So I'm pretty home.

I'm here.

I am now.

Coming into that low lunge,

That supported crescent.

So walking the hands around the left foot,

Dropping the back right knee,

Untucking the toes,

Scooching the right knee back just a bit perhaps and finding any props to surrender into this posture.

Supporting that back knee with any cushion.

If it would feel nice.

Maybe the left hand joins the right on the inside of the left foot.

And if you find the left knee really traveling past the left big toe,

Go ahead and walk your hands back,

Walk that right knee back a whole lot and see if you can allow the left knee to be in line with the heel.

Maybe melting forwards or just allowing the head to hang.

Feeling the earth beneath you,

Maybe by spreading the fingertips,

Just a bit wider.

Rounding into this moment.

There's nothing to change about this moment.

Just resting in your body.

You're just resting in your body.

Taking one more deep breath in through the nose.

Exhale out through the mouth.

Bringing the left hand on the outside of the left foot,

Go ahead and scooch the right knee up just a bit to tuck the right toes,

Lift the back knee,

Unbend that front knee and gently walk the right foot forward so you can come flat on that foot to fold over the left leg.

Pyramid.

This is always an invitation to put a soft bend in that front knee to grab two blocks on the outside of the left ankle,

Rest your hands down on.

Let the head hang.

One more breath here.

Slowly turning the right toes out to the right,

Making our way into triangle pose,

Trikonasana on the left side.

So pressing into the left palm or left hand on a block.

Inhale,

Sweep the right hand back behind you up and around towards the sky.

As if you were leaning up against a wall,

And perhaps you are.

Press into that back foot,

The outer edge to create length in the right side of the body.

From hip to underarm,

Reaching up,

Pressing down.

Like you're scooping up a cloud,

Reach the arm up and around the ear,

Reaching forwards,

Pressing through both feet,

Creating just a bit more length through the right side.

Roll that right wrist around.

Open and close the palm.

Inhale,

Right arm reaches back up towards the sky.

Put a soft bend in that left knee.

On another inhale,

Reach the palms up and around,

Bringing the torso up,

Turning all 10 toes forward.

Back to strong T.

Arms reaching open,

Taking a breath here.

Go ahead and interlace the fingers behind the low back.

Draw the shoulder blades down.

Turning the feet out towards opposite directions,

Sink the hips down just a bit.

Not too low,

Pressing through outer edges of the feet.

Draw shoulder blades together,

Maybe the hands hover off the low back.

Just a few more breaths here.

Inhale,

Reach the palms back up to a T.

Roll the wrists around.

Bend the elbows,

Kept us arms,

Got to squat just for a moment.

Take a breath in.

Let it go.

As you inhale,

Reach the palms up to sky.

Take the right foot back up to the top.

Reaching hands to the sky.

Go ahead and catch the right wrist with the left.

Take a side bend over to the left.

Breathing through the feet.

Checking out with the chin,

Turning the chin down or turning the chin up or somewhere in between that feels sweet.

Just a few more breaths here.

Bend in the elbows.

Inhale,

Come on up back through center,

Maybe a gentle back bend,

Pressing the hips forward,

Opening up the palms like you're reading the moon.

Come back through a neutral spine,

Reach the palms back up.

Take a breath in.

Exhale,

Palms touch.

Gather the energy towards heart center.

Feel the feet.

Checking in some pratyam in this moment.

Now here,

How does it feel?

Place the palms over the heart space.

Take a deep breath in.

Exhale,

Deepest breath out.

So to transition down,

Let's get a breath in.

Reach the palms up and around the sky.

Exhale,

Forward fold,

Hinging at the hips,

Bending in the knees.

Palms slide down the backs of your legs.

Stepping back gently,

Downward facing to bottom of the chest.

Slowly coming forward,

Tabletop.

Hands and knees.

Big toes touch together,

Sink the hips back,

Child's pose.

Allow there to be a bend in the elbows.

Head rests down or hangs.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

You're welcome to stay in child's pose for as long as your body needs.

The next invitation would be to find a comfortable way into savasana,

Resting posture.

If child's pose feels right for you,

You can stay just as you are or slowly find your way forward.

Maybe rolling and crawling all the way onto your belly at first.

Perhaps rolling onto your back.

Taking up space when you arrive.

Feet are wide apart.

Back to the palms,

Rest down heavy on the mat.

Take a deep breath in through the nose.

Exhale,

Sigh out.

One more time.

Deep breath in.

Exhale,

Sigh out.

Savasana.

Exhale,

Sigh out.

Savasana.

Sampratiham.

Sampratiham.

May this be a gentle guide to the here and to the now.

From my heart directly to yours.

Namaste.

Namaste.