Introduction to Gentle Twisting Yoga Sequence

This gentle lying down Yoga Sequence is to support practitioners to visually see some yoga postures and experience ongoing yoga and mindfulness home practice. The video includes a gentle lying down practice to connect the breath with slow movement. Please feel free to use whatever props to support you during this yoga practice, extra blankets or pillows to place under your head and neck. Thank you for practicing Yoga with me today and I hope you can feel some benefits to support ease.

Transcript

So welcome, My name's Lisa Pollard and we're going to do a gentle twisting sequence together. So just enjoying your body. Only doing what feels right for you. So welcome. Great to be here and practicing together. Begin by taking arms tall and gently circling your wrists And back the other way. Bringing your right hand to the forehead, Left hand to the earth, And slowly turning your head side to side. A little bit of opening through the shoulder, The neck, Being kind to your body. Only doing what feels comfortable for you today. If anything's not okay, You can visualize in the mind, You can pause. Changing hands, Opposite hand to the earth, Other hand to the forehead, Gently rocking your head, Always being gentle with the neck. Bringing one hand to the belly, One hand to the heart and smiling. Saying quietly in the mind, Breathing in I smile, Breathing out I let go. Breathing in I smile, Breathing out I let go, Just inviting this sense of enjoyment to your practice today. Release the arms long, Have your left leg long, Right knee points up. Inhale. Exhale, Allow the knee to roll out to the side. Inhale, Knee points up. Exhale, So comfortable knees, Notice how that feels through the hips, Your pelvis. Changing sides, Left knee points up, Right leg long, Inhale, Exhale, Take the knee off to the side. Inhale, Knee points up, Exhale. Gentle rocking through the sacrum. Opening through the groins, The hips. Coming back, Standing the feet on the mat, Turn the palms down, We're going to do a pelvic clock with the sacrum. So we have 12 o'clock. Pubic bone. Points down. Three o'clock Leaning the sacrum off to the right. Six o'clock, Gently tucking your tail. Nine o'clock, Leaning sacrum to the left. So, This is a clockwise movement. A lovely practice if the lower back is a little bit tight. And now we'll go anti-clockwise. 12 o'clock, Nine o'clock. Six o'clock, Three o'clock. You might have a direction that is more comfortable for your body. So being curious, Attentive as we practice together. Now we're going to roll to the right side. So my knees are a right angle, My arm is long. Inhale, Opening your top arm like a book. Exhale, Drape the hand along. Inhale, Opening, A lovely twist through the spine, Exhale. This time with the arm tall, Drawing some gentle circles. Feel how there's lots of different movements through the shoulder blade, Your armpit. And if there's an area that's a little bit tight, You might just pause and open and breathe. In and out through the nose. Releasing, Rolling off to your left side and we'll repeat. Arms along, Inhale, Top arm. If you might need extra pillows under the head, Feel free to do that. Exhale, Draping the arm, The knee. Inhale, Opening, Exhale. I'm drawing a circle on my elbow is soft. Go after your body. If there's a little area that might be a little bit tight, You might like to pause, Breathe, Notice. Gently coming back onto the back body, Arms long, Feet on the earth. Bringing the feet together, Knees wide and just gently rocking. Pulsing, Noticing. And pause, Interlock fingers circling your wrists. And back the other way. You know that your wrists are okay and your shoulders, Pressing palms. Maybe up. Or long over your head. And we can press heels together and the shoulders into the blanket. Once again noticing your breathing through the side lung, Ribcage area. So quietly in the mind, Breathing in ease, Breathing out tension. Breathing in ease, Breathing out tension. And float the arms back, Bringing the feet back. And extending your legs long. Almost like your feet are pressing into an imaginary wall. Inhale, Float your arms over the head. Reaching through fingertips. Feel the whole length of your body, The aliveness of your body. Bringing the arms back down, Draw the knees in. You might like to hold on to the back of the hamstrings and gently rock the shoulders. Massaging into your kidneys, Rocking your internal organs. Coming back, Standing the feet on the earth and one hand on the belly, One hand on the heart. Staying quietly in the mind, Breathing in I smile, Breathing out I let go. Or maybe you prefer breathing in ease, Breathing out tension. Just acknowledging that you've been able to do some gentle lying down yoga today with a little bit of rocking and twisting. And any benefits you might be aware of, Maybe there's pulsing, Gurgling, Aliveness. Heat, Warmth, Flow, Touch, Grounding. Whatever is here to be known. The language of sensation brings us back inside the body. Inviting us to feel at home. So feel free to stay here as long as you need to. You might bring the knees in, You might cover your eyes, You might put a blanket over your body. Whatever is comforting and soothing for your nervous system. So thank you for your practice today. I hope it has supported you.