Good morning,
Yogi.
So this practice is an invitation to just do as you're rising from sleep.
You can even do this practice while staying in bed before you step out.
You're welcome to roll and slide off your bed onto your mat gently if that feels most of service for you.
But every pose and posture we will do will be accessible just being in your bed if there is enough space.
Perhaps just popping in some headphones if you're the only one sharing this practice.
And beginning to allow the eyes to relax.
Maybe gently falling chut.
And just lying down however feels comfortable whether it's on sides,
Backs,
Bellies.
Drinking in a breath in through your nose.
Exhale,
Sigh out.
Doing that again,
Breathing in through your nose.
Exhale,
Sigh out through the mouth.
It's so natural to hear the alarm,
Step out of bed,
Begin your day.
Whatever that looks right now for you.
So this practice is an invitation to really start your day with awareness.
To lean in gently rather than leap and rush and dive into the day.
It's an invitation to fall awake.
An invitation to have space before checking phones,
Checking news,
Social media,
Emails,
Whatever it might be.
An invitation before you're pulled in whatever directions this day has to take you.
Even if it means setting your alarm for 20 minutes earlier just so you can lie here and tune into your body with some gentle movements.
So go ahead and find your way onto your back and gently take the soles of your feet.
Meet them on the mattress,
Knees point up towards the ceiling.
Take the arms,
If you have this space reach them back behind you or just taking the elbows out wide,
Palms facing the sky.
Back to the hands rest down.
Gentle rocks of the knees from side to side.
You can pause in between maybe allowing the knees to drip over to the right.
Taking a breath,
Bringing them back through center and allowing them to rest on the left.
They might be resting down or just gently hovering.
Go ahead and bring them back through center and allow the knees to tip opposite directions.
Soles of the feet come together and arms can rest wherever it feels supportive.
So you can leave them as is or bring them to the belly.
Radha Konasana,
Reclined angle.
Just feeling the weight of the knees.
Allow the hips to awaken.
And as you're here maybe just a gentle rock with the head from one side to the other.
It can be very slow and sweet.
You can pause at any point.
Bringing the head back to neutral,
Gently tip the knees back up towards the sky.
Soles of the feet meet the mat.
Maybe hugging the knees in towards the heart.
It doesn't have to be a deep stretch.
Elbows might be bent or maybe elbows that are extended with palms just resting on the knees or the shins.
Finding a gentle roll or rock with the knees and the hips.
As if you're steaming some clothes to get the wrinkles out.
Gently and lightly ironing through the body.
Who knows how we slept.
Who knows where the tension was held throughout the night.
So we're just offering space to tune into that and possibly release some of that excess tension hanging on.
Bringing the knees back through center.
Maybe just a gentle pull,
Bringing the chin and the nose towards the knees.
Taking a breath.
Letting the head meet back down on the pillow or the mattress.
Go ahead and roll the ankles around in any direction.
Maybe flexing the feet.
And taking the palms right on the knees and open the knees up in circles in opposite directions so they're opening away from each other.
Bringing the knees back together.
Let's find a happy baby.
So soles of the feet point up towards the sky,
Reaching for outside soles of the feet or anywhere on the insides of the legs,
Whether it's shins,
Calves,
Thighs,
Ankles.
Allowing the weight of your arms to do the work here.
Your body is supported.
Sinking down.
Maybe you find a little rock from side to side.
Letting the knees come back towards heart center.
And let's get a little twist here.
So the knees drape over to the left side,
Stacking one on top of the other.
One might be hovering.
If you have a pillow nearby,
You can slide a pillow right in between the knees.
Arms might open to a T or elbows bent.
Or they might just rest right on top of those right ribs.
Maybe the chin turns over the right shoulder.
Take another breath deeply into that belly,
Breathing in through the nose.
Exhaling sign out.
Coming back through center.
Maybe a slight shift of the hips,
Just lifting them and sliding them over to the left.
So you can get that twist over on the right.
Right knee gently taps down and left knee follows.
Can use a pillow in between the knees if that feels supportive.
Left shoulder hugs down.
So heart is open towards the sky.
Arms can reach out.
Maybe you turn your chin over your left shoulder.
One last exhale.
So continuing to roll your body over to the right,
Permitting you have space to the right.
We're going to meet up in child's pose.
So however you need to get there.
Coming up onto your knees,
Sinking the hips back towards your heels.
And arms can be resting anywhere that feels comfortable.
So elbows can be bent.
Arms can be back by your feet or even in between your legs.
Maybe you bring a pillow to rest the head or heart down on.
Make this sweet.
And So starting to curl forward.
So we're going to come onto our knees,
But maybe just be on your forearms as you come up for a moment.
And then moving into hands and knees.
And shifting your way into a comfortable seated posture.
You might even use pillows for support around your hips,
Your low back,
Around your knees,
Your hips.
Once you find your way,
The spine that feels supported and upright,
The heart is open.
Just bringing the hands to the knees.
A gentle yawn of the heart forward.
So inhale,
Lifting the heart,
Turning the chin up.
Exhale,
Rounding through the upper back.
Chin meets the heart.
Feeling the weight of the head.
Take a few breaths here.
Inhale once again,
Lifting the heart,
Lifting the chin.
Take a few breaths here,
Just lifting.
Feeling that energy rising up.
Rolling the shoulders down.
Then just exhale back to a neutral spine,
Nice and long.
Take a breath in,
Exhaling to fold forward,
Using any pillow to rest down on,
Resting the head,
Resting the heart.
Once again,
Allowing the head to hang.
Slowly rolling the spine back up.
Take the shoulders up by your ears,
Slide them down the back.
Do that one more time,
Roll them up by the ears.
Slide them down the back.
And space permitting,
Inhale,
Reach the palms up and around the sky.
Take a breath out,
Exhale,
Palms to heart center.
Do that two more times.
Inhale,
Reach up and around.
Inhale the length,
Exhale,
Palms touch heart center.
One more time,
Inhale up and around,
Reach finding length.
Exhale palms to heart center.
Opening the eyes if they're not already.
Blinking them open.
Look around you.
There's an ancient tale out there where a grandfather brings his son up to a hill at sunrise every morning and he tells the son,
This son that you see in the sky has one day and mustn't waste its precious time.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Exhale,
Sign out through the mouth.
This day is a gift.
Namaste.
