Yin And Shavasana Practice - Ease And Relaxation

A Yin and Shavasana practice recorded live on IT. Movements and breathwork aimed at reducing tension and fostering self-awareness. The use of household items as props encouraged for comfort and support. Inclusive and adaptable to individual needs. A practice for every body. 10/30/24

Transcript

Hi, I'm Lisa. Welcome to Yin and Shavasana. I'm glad that you're here. If this is your first time or you're returning, I know lots of familiar faces are already in the crowd, So I appreciate all of you, First time or not returning or not, Just taking the time to gather, To remember, To kind of find some homecoming within ourselves without making the sound too fancy and fantastical, Really just kind of finding some peace within ourselves as well. Maybe some stretching, Maybe some deeper rest or nodding off, Whatever you need. This class is for everybody, So let me take a sip here and set that down because I don't want to spill again. Alright, So this class is all about accessibility and making it what you need for whatever your circumstances, So gather your props, Stuff. Of course, It does not have to be anything yoga. It is, I'm just realizing that these are kind of sunglasses as well, So maybe with the light, I'm just looking super, Super cool up here. I'm gonna ditch those for now. Alright, Christina, So we're grabbing some stuff, Welcome, From around wherever you are, So if you have cushions from the couch or pillows from the bed, Maybe a blanket for a little bit later or if it's cool where you are or for all the reasons, You don't have to have a reason, Collect a good mountain of props. Yeah, Just to have within reach as well so that we're always accessing the things, The stuff, Right? Okay, With all that said, We have a mountain of stuff. Wearing something that you can move in, You do not need a mat, You do not need to be on the floor, You can be in a chair, On the bed, Couch, Maybe you're listening somewhere, So just finding exactly what you need, All of that, And perpetual tissues here. Alright, Oh goodness, Okay, I like to start, Well, I guess a little housekeeping. Thank you in advance for your donations, For your sharing, Whatever, You have an aha moment or a ooh kind of moment, Allow that to be shared with your friends, With your neighbors, With your community, And it's really kind of coming back to that over and over again, So it's this communal way of sharing what's working from the inside, So the donations are all of the things, And thank you in advance for those. I have a talk on Monday coming up. Don't ask me what time the talk will be at right now, It's scheduled, But of course that is not in my brain in this moment. If you go to my page, You'll see my live events, And it's scheduled for this coming Monday. It's a little bit of grounding when things might feel a little chaotic, When things are chaotic, So where do we go, How do we ground, And it's a little bit more of this and hopefully more interactive, So a talk, It's more of a conversation. Oh, Thank you friend, Now I lost the glasses, I can't see, So I appreciate you. Yeah, So support, Support for us all in community for all the reasons, And so that is coming up this coming Monday, And check your time anyway for wherever you are, And then I will be teaching again regularly on Wednesdays following, And that is already scheduled. Look at me, One more announcement, I am, Which today is cracking me up because it's not the perfect start, Which what's perfect, But I am recording these sessions now, And I am keeping them in my audio library on Insight Timer, So just moving us from here to there, So really, You know, If you want to practice again, Or if you're like wait, What, What did she say, Which you know, Remember it's all done live, So I don't have a script, It's not, It's from The Authentic, So with with a grain of salt with all of that, But know that that's there, And that's accessible for you, And those are the free tracks, Friends. Okay, Which again, Donations always welcome, And you can always donate, But everything is out there for free on my, In my library, Which is growing now. Okay, Those are my announcements, That is what I have to say about that kind of stuff. We've gathered our things, Our comfort items, Whatever you have. My heat is not quite heating right now, So I would actually advocate for myself, And grab this, And make myself a little cozier, So notice where you need a little bit more, Less, La la la, And then let's lean into that to get into that homecoming, That feeling of, It's so chaotic, What do I do, Aside from perhaps adding to the flames, To the chaos. Considerations. All right, With all of that said, I like to start with a little seated check-in, So if you're here for just stretches, And you're ready to get going, Maybe give another moment or two of a listen, Or if you're already moving, Coming to some stillness, And I'm doing this because my hands are cold. Yeah, So there we go. So come to whatever shape you're in, And if you were in a shape, Let's say like this, Like I'm crossing one leg over the other, I'm going to switch it out, So I don't feel like, Yeah, So I can still feel some, Some feet there. So I'm switching out and finding a little bit of support, If you need to lay down again, Take any modification, Any variation that you need, As always, A breath or two to align, To arrive, And whatever shape you're in, Maybe you make it a little cozier. I like to give a little wiggle at first to feel into what still needs to arrive here, And I'm feeling into my body, So noticing the physical first. Maybe you wiggle the toes, Are you here? Can you settle into the seats a little bit more, So perhaps a sway until you find your center, Especially if you're seated on some cushions, Some, Some things, If you're in a chair, Feeling the feet on the ground, Or whatever your body expression is, Whatever's happening within your boundaries, Allow that to be rooted. Another breath starts to help you find that foundation of, How is my body today? What's calling to me? Maybe you feel absolutely great, And you're like, All right, Breathe into that, How can that breath be supportive? How can all of the things in between be supported by breath? And again, If you need to feel back into the seat, Or whatever's touching, Whatever's supporting you, Allow that awareness, Even if it's within imagination, Even with breath supported, Allowing that to be felt, Sensed, And nourishing. Soften what, Whatever body has constricted a little bit with awareness, Allow that to soften, The breath to soften into the body. And more awareness now comes into the breath, How does my breath arrive? How's my breath today? And if that's a question that makes you go, Wait, What? What's invitation? Hand to heart, Hand to belly. Feeling how the breath expresses it through the chest and belly, Feeling through the hands, The motion. And again, Notice what contracted, Constricted, So that the breath can be noticed, Soften it into whatever that is, Especially shoulders, Eyebrows, Jaw. Without looping back into the story of, Well, My body is like this, Because my breath is like this, Because coming back into feeling to the best of our abilities, How the breath can support the physical. Building a foundation of, Is it safe, Appropriate, Whatever the words are for you to be home in your body in this moment. We all have all the different circumstances, Especially with trauma, With breath, With bodies. Allow yourself to check in, Maybe you're dipping a toe, Maybe you're like, No, I'm here to stretch. It's all valid, There's no wrong answer. Breathing into what is here in this experience, And maybe you stay here with feeling how the breath moves through the body, Feeling the sensation of contraction, Expansion, Feeling everything open. Perhaps you let the breath drift you into the question of, How is my spirit, How is my mood, Again, Whatever aligns with you today, What resonates. Again, There is no right or wrong, There is no appearing to be calm and happy, There is no, Well, Hey, Look, I should be starting to breathe into truth. And again, Letting the breath support you, Knowing where our boundaries may lie. And again, Coming back to the body, Maybe you give a little wiggle, Some movement, Feeling back into hands to body, Maybe hands to earth during this, Maybe you float the eyes open. And again, Or if I haven't said it, We won't be here for too long. Checking in. Breaths full and long in the exhale. Coming back to the foundation of breath, Out of the mood, Out of the spirit, Out of the whirling. Coming back into how is the breath supporting the body, This mind, This spirit, This connection to our divinity, Whatever we are in alignment with today. Finding the breath, How can we come back to our truth, One breath at a time, Whatever that is. Reconnecting to this human expression. It connects us to our own divinity, Our own spirit, Whatever your verbiage is, Your words. Letting go of the chaos for a moment. Maybe if hands are still at heart and belly, You feel into the heartbeat. Reconnecting to this body in this moment together as community. Regardless of yard signs and divine rage. We come back to what is at the root of it all, What connects us all. This moment, This heartbeat, This breath. Big full breath in through the nose and long full breath out. Let something soften if the hands are connected to the body, Let them soften away. Continue to breathe these long, Deep, Intentional breaths here. Staying within that moment, Nothing's changed except for some body parts. Coming back to this moment, Attempting that one breath at a time. Liminal space. Reconnected. And then when it's time for you, Slowly lower the chin towards the chest, Keeping that small amount of space open. Blink blink the eyes open or keeping them closed. Allow that gaze to stay lowered here. Letting that wavy liminal space to weave its magic between that inner space and this outer space. The within and the without. The within and the without. Carrying that divinity with us as we move through the waking as well as the sleeping hours. When you're ready, Lift the gaze. And then if you've been in a shape, And let's move slowly, Quietly within our own space, Keeping even our own noises to a minimum, If you're following. Unwind the legs if they have been crossed and allow them to find a little bit of movement. And last week I was talking about that organic movement. How do you move when you first wake up? And I'm just scooching back because I was forward so I could push the buttons. So now, Finding that organic movement. If you're on a big mountain of squishy things like me seated on them, You might want to remove a layer or two. And this one on the bottom here I'm keeping and it squishes down pretty close to the earth. So it's still keeping me warm but also I'm not wobbling on top of a lot of support, Blanket included. So a little bit of movement in my legs here. If you need to lean up against something, Legs are extended with whatever support you need. So maybe you even have something across the lap like a big cushion or a pillow and your movement is slightly different. Allow whatever is necessary to be. I have something behind me I could lean against. I can put my hands down if that doesn't put too much pressure on anything. And then wiggle, Move, Allowing breath and stillness to still be available as all the snapping and crackling is happening. All right, Plant one foot at a time bringing the knees in closer to you. If you need to be on your back, Go ahead and slow motion move to your back keeping all of your props within reach. Otherwise staying upright, Hands can be back behind you. And if you're on your back, This will be, You'll join us doing this. If you're in a chair, Feet are on the floor and gentle sways. You get it, We're starting to modify and advocate. Slow, Little movements, Swaying the knees side to side. And awareness that you're not locked out or braced into muscles, Joints. Letting things be soft and fluid like the breath. Again, We're noticing, Maybe we've been away from home for a little bit. And so we're checking in, We're looking around. This morning I was looking to see why my heat was not doing the things as we had our very first cold night. It's fun to find that out. But again, Now we check it out and we're looking at what is. So we grab an extra sweater or pillow or something to support us. We feel the gist of what I'm talking about here. Allow everything to be moved and then extend the legs once again, A little bit of reach stretch. If you're not already on your back, Find your way to your back. Moving your props out from underneath you, Including all of the other stuff. I almost said a really, I almost said a French word really badly. So I caught myself because I know someone from France is here. Okay, Not a bad word, But just a word pronounced poorly. Make that clear as well. Making your way down to your back. I had a lot of stuff to move. But ensure that you have some room, Some space. And again, That everything is within reach. From here, We'll find that full body stretch. I have so much stuff that it takes me a moment to move it all and then reach and stretch. Create that length in wherever you're reaching out from. So if you're in a chair, Reaching out from the fingers. I don't know, Maybe that's an option. Listening to the body, Where are your borders? And then pause in the center of whatever that stretch is. And slowly lower the arms down by your sides. If you need a little bit more space in between the hips and the ribs. When you're lying down, A little walk with the shoulder blades away from the center. You don't really go anywhere, But you feel that length for sure. At least in my body I do. Allow that length to be felt. Pausing here, Checking in. Maybe you notice where there is some gripping, Some bracing in the muscles. Maybe it's the jaw, The thoughts. And letting the breath be the foundation of softening from the inside outward. I'm coming up just to be a little bit more clear here. So just taking space, How do you notice that melting outward from the center? From, Let's say, The center of the center. One more moment with intentional rest. Allow this to be the melting. And there is no, Oh I did it. It's a constant, Oh gosh I didn't realize that. My hands were clenched. Right glute was still engaged. Allow the inquiries to start to bubble up here because sometimes we don't notice until we notice. And again, There is no doing. It's the noticing. It's the letting the breath soften what softens. And then when it's time, Find that full body stretch reach once again. Reach, Stretch, Allow that center to be felt and known again. Creating a little bit more spaciousness. Reach, Stretch, Spacious, Spacious. Alright, We're coming back into center. I just, I kind of zoned for a second because I noticed my space heater was just sitting right there and I hadn't turned it on. Again, We notice what we notice and then we keep going. So let's squeeze everything into a tiny ball here. Again, Don't get caught up on the words or, You know, What you think needs to be happening. What does it feel like to curl up into a seed? And then from here, Come open into, Burst open, Whatever that is to you, Into a big four pointed star. Big reaching legs, Arms, Reaching spine, Reaching in opposition. No force, No pushing. So whatever that stretch looks like to you, Reach, Reach. And then hug into that little seed shape or whatever you want to call it. Little ball and without force here. So it's not a, Yeah, I'm doing it. And then when you're ready, Just a little bit of a hug, A tender squeeze that reminds you. We got this. Little hug and then open, Burst up, Take up some space this time. So maybe you find some movement here, Reaching, Reaching, Reaching. Create some space and moving with legs and arms. If you're in a chair, You know, If you're holding something, If you're laying down, If you're, Find whatever that is for you. And then one more big hug into center. Squeeze, Squeeze. From the squeeze, Let your limbs melt down and intentional rest again. So not really taking up space, But little effort as possible to melt in that intentional rest. And this time, See if you can drop everything and let all of the muscles soften. Let the connective tissue have a moment of ease from all of the places it's woven. When you're ready, Stay exactly as you are and just listen first. So you're in this melty, Relaxed place. You're welcome to stay here and let the words just kind of wash and take the rest that you need, That you deserve. You can also bring your knees into your chest, One knee at a time. You can also stay where you are and listen to the options, All the choices. Knees into your chest, A little squeeze, Staying there with a little bit of rocking. Or you can add on by planting the feet and resting the knees together. So like it can be anything really, But knowing that there's permission along the way hopefully is helpful. So going forward with knees together, Feet planted, Arms resting by your sides. Take a moment here, Allow your body to soften into those parts that maybe have been clenching and grouping that whole time. And then pick a leg, Let's say right knee comes in towards the chest, Left knee stays where it is, Maybe parallel so it was resting. So parallel the knees, Right knee comes into the chest, Left knee stays where it is, Foot planted. And gently hug the fingers around the knee. So we're not hugging, Squeezing, We're not doing that big or that tiny little ball. Allowing the hands to rest, So maybe it's some weight from your hands below the kneecap. Letting the spine to be long, So maybe the chin tucks a little bit towards the chest, Back of the head as long. And perhaps then you extend that left leg, So if I were, Let's see, I'm here. That left leg can come down, Which then really allows the arms, The shoulders to soften towards the earth. Back of the neck as long, Slight tuck of the chin, Letting everything soften. So all of the options you can add on, You can be here, But knowing that the effort is what we're taking out, So find what works for you. When it's time, We will rewind, So left knee will bend, Foot plants. An option here, You can set the right foot down and pause, Knees rest together. Or you can unwind the hands and extend the leg upward here for a moment. Ankle rolls in one direction, And then in the other direction, The leg over, I guess it's in the air, It's not overhead. And then gently bending the knee, Setting the foot down, Let's hug both the knees into the chest, Big squeeze. Again, Making the variations for you. And then plant the feet, Keeping that right foot down, Left knee hugs in, And release the fingers around. Or whatever touches, Really, It can just be a couple of fingertips. You can be using a strap, You can be using a sock, Whatever you need here. And then the option to extend that opposite leg, Creating some softness, Back of the neck is soft. Allowing that reconnection to body, Breath. Softening from the inside out. And then when you're ready, Re-bending that right leg if you extended it. Option to plant the left foot, Or to extend the left leg up above. Hands are definitely helpful here to find that balance, And then ankle circles in one direction or the other. Really light movement, Gentle. And then when you're ready, Replacing that left foot down, Let's come back in for another squeeze, Both knees in. Little bit of a squeeze, Like that hug, Not necessarily squeezing with all your might, But a reminder. Lengthen the spine, Breath in the lungs. Big hug. And then when you're ready, Gently roll over to one side or the other. And press your way up for, You know, Your variation. And come to a seat. So, Lots of options here. What do I want to use? Well, Let's just extend the legs first, Let me not get ahead of myself. Extended leg is where we're going, So I didn't need to jump that far ahead. But I was going to showcase all of the options that you can use, Because sometimes people hear, Oh, Grab your stuff, And then they're like, Well, What do I do with it? Or the overcomplicating, Which I am not a blanket folding person, So do not worry. However, You can do a towel, Something smaller. And for me, Aside from warmth, I'll give it just a couple of folds and then sloppy rolls to put underneath my knees. So it's not big like a giant cushion or too block-like with a book or something like that. And it has some give, And it gives me support, Whereas my knees don't like to be whatever, Straight out. All of that. You can have your seat up onto something that is relatively thin, That you don't feel like you're going to be tipping over. And then the beauty of having lots and lots of things is you can bring ground closer to you. And find like this magical tower. Finding all of the cushions, And then with that long spine and breath, Rounding forward, Whatever it is that you need. Soften into it. If you're a bendier person, Check in with the intentionality, The efforting. Remember, The variation is your own. And for me, I like to lean up against this mantle behind me and creating less effort, Where I know I'm still clenched or I'd like more support for whatever reason. And as we've been practicing thus far here, That melting from the center so that we can take the time to notice the beauty and the chaos. Because really, They'll be happening either way. Because really, They'll be happening either way. So how can we stay grounded, Rooted, Connected? Come back to our body, Our breath. And truly coming back to the somatics of regulation. So that we may then, Well, Really just taking our next breath, But doing so with mindfulness and ahimsa. Ahimsa. How do we create that within our human experience, Within ourselves, Capital S selves as well? So we come back again and again, And sometimes that is feeling into the body, Or stretching, Or breathing deeply, Or finding. There's lots of options, But knowing that that is another tool that we must have. And I don't usually say absolutes, But taking a peaceful breath is something that is integral to this human experience. Let's take a few more peaceful breaths right here, Friends. Allowing the body to be breathed as is. Without attachment to what was. Letting another peaceful from within breath wash over you, Nourish you. And then stay where you are, Coming back to the natural rhythm of your breath. So whether you're folded forward or you have that beautiful mountain of all the goodies, Allow yourself to be mindful in how those get set to the side. And that you bring yourself up slowly with that long, Beautiful, Regal spine. Checking in. So we notice when we didn't plug in the little heater. So how can we contribute to the chaos when we don't slow down? That's for me, Perfect example. Like, Oh, I could have been so much warmer this whole time. Hmm. Okay. Legs may still be extended. I don't know. I've been talking for a minute. So slowly bend one at a time. If you do have something underneath, Again, Set it to the side within reach. Let's come back to that snap, Crackle, And pop a little bit of movement. This time we'll make those sways a little bit bigger with wider feet. Again, Making your own modifications. So for me, Wide feet on the floor. If you're using a traditional Western sticky mat, You know, Maybe to the edges. And start to sway the feet, The knees, Side to side. Notice if you can slow it down. If your arms are propped up behind you, Soften them. Notice if there's hyperextension or locked out. If you need to lean up against something. Really, This is meant to be like my teacher says, Seagrass. Moving with the wind. So you can really slow it down. Checking in. Maybe a hip lifts or not. Allowing the body to be felt, Sensed. And then notice when the brain's like, I'm out of here. So when you do notice that it's left, Come back to the breath. Or if you need to pause, I'm scooching around, You might too. So come back to center. And then extend the legs one more time. A little bit of wiggle. This time start to pedal them out. Make sure that you're supported. So if you need, If you have block like items next to you, You can always bring the ground closer to you. Start to pedal, Shimmy, Shake. Maybe start to throw a fit in the legs. And if it's colder where you are, Getting that circulation going. Or if you just haven't moved a whole lot today, Start to move, Start to wiggle. It doesn't have to look or act like my legs are looking or acting. But start to just get a lot of movement. Maybe start to vibrate a little higher. Find what you need. And then soften. Pause. Notice the sensations. Some breath. How can I be supported? Noticing that yes and. There's so much activity, And yet it's still from the outside. So how can I bring everything in line, In alignment? Start to wiggle the toes, Move the feet. A little windshield wiper or windscreen. Movement with the feet, Side to side. Noticing some movement in the hip joints. If that's available to you or whatever joint is your boundary. Allow that to be moved and to feel into that lubrication of the joint. And then come back to ankles. A little movement, How the ankles are moving the whole legs. And then one foot at a time, Bend and extend. Checking in with how it feels to be at home, Stay at home. How we have all the reasons that our mind takes off. So coming back to what feels safe and appropriate for you. Over and over again with our breath. Maybe you've stayed with one hand with the heart and belly the whole time. Maybe you've stayed with knees hugged in on your side. So allow all of that to be the yes and. It's all the practice. And the practice, As all of my teachers say really, Is what cannot be taken away. So it's not the going to yoga. It's the being of yoga. Which we all are. And the body is a vehicle. So allow that stretch, That movement, Whatever still needs to wiggle and move so that we can practice. Practice all the things. With all of that said, Let's make some room. Feeling our way down to our backs. And let's get ready for Shavasana, Actually. So whatever kind of cozy nest you want to build for yourself. Need more blankets or cushions or whatever you need. Grab them and allow yourself to get even cozier, Get even more comfortable. Oh, I wonder if Katiana is here. I've been practicing my Spanish. Get more comfortable. And allow that melting from the inside. Allow that dispersal of energy and whatever that means to you. So maybe that's just the movement that just left your toe as you moved your foot a certain way. So it's not necessarily something that's not imaginable. Allowing all of the energies to be dispersed through last movements or breaths. Not last breaths, But last full exhale of whatever is being swept out with that energy. And allowing space for the yes and. However much more comfortable you need to get, Find that now. Continue to melt from the inside out. Fullest exhale, Let everything soften even more. Even more. The gripping the bracing the breath holding. Let everything soften. The body, Let it be breathe. Noticing when the mind takes us on an adventure into the past or future. All of that piece, All of the teams. We bring ourselves back to this moment of connection of softening. Each time we come back. We are greeted with another breath. That breath comes with no judgment or parameters. Simply life. Honoring what is. From within. Creating space. Space for clarity. Space for reconnection. Connection with self. Connection with all relationships with community. Which is global. Continue to drop in to remember our breath, Our own divinity. Which reminds us how we're all connected. How each breath is a chance for peace from within. So that it may be dispersed outwardly globally. Universally. Melting into the opportunity of your own inner peace. At a time. Allow your breath to become deeper, Fuller, More intentional here. Maybe some movement comes along with the breath. Keeping it organic. How does it feel. Maybe you slowly start to blossom into that big spacious four pointed star taking up space. Perhaps you're keeping it small. Closer in. Allow the movements to be felt, And I have to remain close so you feel that inner movement first. When you come into your big stretch, Take a moment and then find your way into your side. Come back to that seed shape on your side now using the arm as a pillow, Or your variation. Bring your awareness inward once again. Creating spaciousness for that inner listening for inner clarity. That we may take that next right action within our own experience. Knowing that we can come back to that dropped in sense of peace. With the breath. With intention. When you're ready, Gently press your way up, Coming to a seat hands come to the heart. Anjali mudra prayer. Spine is long, Let's take a full breath in together as community, And a full breath out releasing tension gripping bracing that need not be there. And lastly, Let's bow the heads forward to the teacher within all things to which we give a hearty. Thank you.

Reviews

Muy tranquilo , mi Amiga. Especially good for me to hear the expression of Divine Rage and Global Peace.