Yin And Shavasana Practice - Equanimity

Yin yoga postures are long held and passive in nature, practiced mainly seated or lying down. This gentle session will let us discover the meditative aspects of yoga through movement and guided rest. Props from around you are helpful but not necessary.

Recorded live on Insight Timer 12/11/24.

Transcript

This is Yin and Shavasana,

And what is that?

If you are new to the practice,

To me,

To the platform,

Welcome.

We are here gathered together for a more contemplative practice,

A slow practice,

A rest and receive type of practice.

This class is for everybody,

So what your situation might entail can do all of the modifications,

The variations,

Asking all of the stuff.

So if you're in a chair,

For instance,

You can do a lot of this in a chair or make it your own.

Same for bed.

If you're listening at work,

Maybe you're just coming to center and breathing a little bit more deeply.

So it's for everybody.

Again,

I'm Lisa.

Welcome to Yin and Shavasana.

So I like to begin with a little bit of a arrival within our own bodies,

Whatever that looks like or feels like to you.

If you need to go to your couch,

To your bed,

To lie on the ground,

Whatever it is for you.

Oh,

Before we do any of that,

Excuse me,

I didn't talk about our props,

Our stuff.

So please gather pillows,

Blankets,

Cushions,

Whatever you have.

I have baskets of stuff around,

Of course,

That I've accumulated because this is what I'm doing,

But please gather things from your home or wherever you are.

You never need to buy anything,

Especially anything labeled as yoga.

You don't need the special bolsters.

So find what you have,

Books,

Water bottles,

Cushions from your couch,

Your bed,

Pillows,

Something warm,

Perhaps if it's cooler where you are,

A blanket or something to cover your body.

At the end of class,

As when we lay,

We rest.

Sometimes we get a little cooler,

Our body temperature drops.

So find whatever cozy you have and allow that to be around you so that you don't have to go searching when we're in class.

I mean,

Already in class,

But in our experience,

Setting yourself up,

Setting yourself up,

Finding your stuff around you,

And then let's come into whatever shape you want to explore how the body is,

How the breath is,

How maybe the mood or the spirit is.

Allow whatever shape that you want to take.

So if you're in a cross-legged and if you've been in a specific cross and maybe notice how that shifts everything,

But take a moment to get the wiggles out,

If that's a thing,

I don't know,

And start to feel that arrival in your body.

Maybe you cue the body with a yawn or you close your eyes,

Taking the emphasis off of this,

The outer world,

And bringing it into maybe even the question,

How is my body today?

And remember,

There's a fine line from,

Well,

It's because of this and that and this happened and this is happening,

Which is all valid and real,

But we're going to the sensation side in this moment,

Finding,

And we're not forgetting about all the other stuff,

Setting it aside.

So find that,

How is the sensation in my body today?

Allow a little inventory or validation or I see you,

Ankle,

And come back to stillness,

Maybe even check in with the breath.

How can the breath support the findings of the sensation or as things dissipate or bubble up,

How can the breath be the constant?

Big breath in and out,

Supporting the body.

Notice the gripping or the tension that you might have in shoulders or jaw or hands.

Letting the body soften so the underneath can be acknowledged.

How is the breath?

Notice if it gets short and constricted or you're starting to feel into expansion and there is no right where little investigators,

This frizzle comes to mind.

So allow that full breath to support the body,

Whatever shape it's in.

And then let's notice how we can expand the breath in your own boundaries without bullying or forcing or shaming the breath or the body coming into slightly longer exhale than inhale.

So finding full breath,

Whatever that looks feels like to and then let the exhale draw out a beat or two extra.

Finding the breath that allows you to keep coming back to this moment versus getting lost in the narrative of how the body is feeling.

Let's find that longer exhale here and then your next inhale even more expansive,

Noticing if the spine can stretch.

And then an even longer exhale and maybe you stay here playing with this fuller breath,

This mindful breath.

So it doesn't matter how long or short the inhales and exhales are.

Can you notice,

Can you feel into those sensations and be with the breath?

We'll stay here for another moment or two being with the breath,

Whatever that means to you,

However your body needs to be.

Eyes can always be open with the gaze soft.

And again,

Perhaps we're staying with the mindful breaths.

Maybe you add on with the supportive breath,

The inquiry into the deeper question,

How are you today?

How is the bigger self,

Not the what I have to do and the to-do lists and the dot,

Dot,

Dot.

We're coming into how are you underneath?

So going,

Setting aside all the details and all of the things.

When you kind of wedge your way underneath and ask,

How am I today?

Notice how the breath can be your first support in this inquiry.

And maybe even saying,

Well,

My breath is here.

I have breath today.

That can be the gratitude.

That can be the safety.

And then again,

Feeling into your groundedness within this inquiry.

How am I today?

Breath and,

And it's not a to-do list of why.

Coming back to sensation.

Perhaps energy,

Perhaps grace,

Perhaps equanimity,

Balance of well-being.

Perhaps we're hiding the waves of the chaos.

We're coming back to that balance of spirit,

Mood.

Then again,

What can the first support be?

It can be the breath.

I have breath today.

For some,

That's where the mantra remains.

The reminder.

That reconnecting with that greater self,

That connected self.

That self,

Which is connected to that equanimity,

That balance,

That overall well-being,

So that we can remain with breath in the midst of all that surrounds,

From within and from without.

Noticing the breath here.

How can that be your first sense of support?

Feeling into the sensation of the breath again,

Bringing your awareness into how the physical body expands.

Reconnecting with breath and our own operating systems.

From within and full breath in.

And full sighing,

Exhaling,

Groaning.

Breath out,

Make some noise,

Let something soften.

And staying exactly as we are,

Breathing in more fully,

Intentionally.

And another audible,

Palpable exhale.

And as you arrive again in the body,

Little bits of wiggles in the fingers and toes,

Let the eyes remain closed for another moment.

And then slowly lower the chin towards the chest.

Blink the eyes open,

Keeping them soft,

Fuzzy.

The gaze lowered.

Some blinks.

And remembering all that we inquired about and found.

And carrying that with us,

So not just setting it aside,

But allowing it to infiltrate as the gaze falls to the without,

To the outward world.

How can we blend those two experiences together so equanimity is still within reach?

And then slowly lift the gaze,

Bringing a little bit more movement into the fingers and toes,

And maybe staying with stillness here.

Coming back to that idea of,

I have breath today,

Which some of us,

That is the experience.

So a little bit more stillness.

Allow whatever the boundaries of your body now to start moving with a little bit of grace,

Realivening the fingers,

The toes,

Whatever the edges of you are.

If you've been in a cross-legged,

Slowly uncross,

Maybe scooch to give yourself some room.

And again,

Keeping your props within reach,

But allow the chi,

The prana to move,

The energy to move.

So especially if it's colder,

Or if you've been stagnant,

Allow the movement to build.

Maybe you feel a little bit of fire,

A little bit of heat as you start to move.

And really what we're doing is organic movement.

Coming back to that inner,

From within,

How am I?

Well,

Maybe that one ankle wave we did,

Or whatever you acknowledged,

Maybe some more awareness,

More aliveness comes to,

Maybe it's all of you.

But how can you move that,

Which is called to you in a way that is more reverent,

That is more validating?

I don't know if that's the right word that I'm looking for,

But okay.

So another moment of little investigative movements,

Bringing ourselves back online.

And especially when we do a lot of sitting and kind of that inner,

Inner investigation,

Sometimes the rest of us gets a little stiff or sore,

Or we notice we've sat in a specific way,

Which is all great information for next time when you can lean against something,

Lay down,

There needs to be no struggle.

I feel like that should be the proverbial mic drop.

So notice where we're creating the suffering.

Last week I talked about the hunch and crunch,

And we'll see that a lot in more yang classes.

So when we're efforting to put the body in a shape,

So asana,

You'll see that especially if it's,

You know,

A muscle effortful pose,

Let's say we're in a warrior two or something,

And all of the hunching and crunching just to be there.

All right,

That was a little tangent.

And finish up your movement,

And then come down to your back,

And then continue on with your movement,

Finding a full body stretch.

So if you're in a chair,

How can you extend the body more?

Whatever your situation is,

Allow that full body stretch,

And I will stay upright today.

So keeping in mind,

Listening,

Finding,

Setting maybe all of the word salad aside,

And we find sensation again,

Versus where am I supposed to feel this,

Which in person classes,

I hear a lot of.

Wait,

Where am I supposed,

When we're coming back into breath,

And of course,

You know,

Full body stretch,

Maybe you feel it everywhere.

Maybe you feel it just in one arm.

There are specifics to asana,

And where do you feel it?

So acknowledging that,

And then when you're ready,

Bring your arms down by your sides,

Bend the knees,

Feet on the ground,

And let the knees rest against one another.

Perhaps a little body scan check in here.

Where am I efforting?

Where is there effort in my body?

Can my shoulders kind of walk away from my hips a little bit,

And let the ribs soften towards the earth?

Are you bracing?

Where can you soften?

Can the hips melt in?

And so noticing.

How can we come back into the body,

Drop in,

Soften,

Come back to our breath.

Notice if we've been miles away.

How can I release some of that gripping,

That hunch and crunch,

The bracing?

Which a lot of us live in,

In dysregulated nervous systems for all of the reasons.

So coming back home,

Something I often reference,

It's whether you're in your place of residence or not.

So yes,

We're lying here,

Knees resting,

Everything's softening.

Can you be at home,

Whether you're at your residence or not?

Can you have breath here?

I'm bringing that to a greater definition,

Not that,

Yes,

I am breathing,

But can you have intentional breath?

Can you have awareness of home sensation?

And again,

This is within your own boundaries.

Another moment here.

And with that depth of breath,

Bring one knee at a time into the chest if that's available.

A little hug at first.

We all want to do that little squeeze in.

Find some gratitude in that hug.

Notice if the breath goes away,

The mind goes away.

Little hug,

Squeeze.

Hey,

Let's stay in this experience.

And then a million times,

We'll say that again.

This time,

Release the squeeze,

But maybe just place the fingers,

Hands on the knees,

Shins,

Whatever works.

Notice if there's hunching,

If there's bracing,

Preparing for the next thing.

We see that a lot in those more young classes,

Like a flow class,

If you will,

Asana.

Soften.

Drop the tailbone.

Drop the back of the head.

Allow the spine to meld with the earth or whatever you're resting on.

With breath,

With sensation,

Another moment here.

And then when you're ready,

A couple of options.

You can take a full stretch if that feels good,

Really expanding,

Taking up space if you have it.

Or you can roll to your side,

Pause here in this fetal shape.

If you're in that full take up space,

Take it all moment.

Continue on reaching through the fingertips versus the joints.

Yes,

Through the expansion,

Through the energy.

And then when you're ready,

Roll over onto a side.

Mindfully,

We'll all press our way up,

Taking the time,

Restack that energy,

The spine,

Releasing,

Bracing as much as is available.

And then let's come to a straddle type of situation with the legs.

So a big,

Wide stretch.

If you're seated up on a bunch of stuff,

I might be one layer too many,

So I'll move one layer aside.

And then you want to still be connected to the earth.

You don't want to be lifted too high.

So if you're in a chair,

Knees are more bent,

And then you can have that wide with hips lifted,

Right?

Yeah,

Same thing here,

I suppose.

You could be with knees bent,

Leaning up against something and sat up higher.

So that is something that,

Yes.

If there's other situations,

Remember you can pop into the chat,

But find the situation,

New word of the day,

Where you can feel connected through your sitting bones.

So this cushion is actually a little softer than you would think.

So I can feel that connection.

I feel more supported.

Maybe you have another thin layer underneath you that brings you a little more forward and tips your pelvis forward,

Putting you more in a neutral.

So there's less gripping in the quads.

Maybe just lean up against something,

Scooting your tailbone closer to the wall or whatever you have behind you.

Allow that arrival again.

So especially in yin asana,

We take the moment to support ourselves,

Set ourselves up.

We notice.

We take a moment to perhaps acknowledge the stillness.

And we hold.

We allow for not just the arrival and the equanimity,

But we also give the moments for the connective tissue,

The fascia to soften,

To open,

To be supported.

So while it might not look like a lot on the outside,

We know the difference is vast from within.

So find that arrival.

Maybe you fold forward.

And I mean on to all of the props,

The stuff,

Bringing the experience to where you need.

And then with a long spine,

Then rounding forward.

Or staying straight up,

Leaning up against something in your chair with knees bent.

All of the options.

But finding that support,

Perhaps we're building on from I have breath to I can honor the situation my body is in in this moment.

And then how do I arrive in that body?

What's appropriate for my situation?

What are the boundaries?

Soften into stillness.

Letting those full exhales release some of the movement,

Some of the mind chatter.

Each time the mind fills the space of the silence,

Let the breath be the sweetest,

Kindest guide.

Allowing the awareness of the breath to be your north star,

The focus.

But again,

It's the drushti kind of focus,

The gazing through.

The walking beside.

Another moment or two here.

Notice how you come back to the breath occasionally.

Bringing that to the forefront of what the practice is,

What it looks like.

It's that which cannot be taken away from you.

So notice the breath being the north star with intention.

Without moving,

We're still in the straddle stretch.

Allow the breath to bring you back into awareness here.

Without moving,

Without shifting anything,

Full breath in.

And that long lingering exhale,

Letting that be.

And if you folded forward,

Slow motion,

Building that long spine without too much crunch.

Crunch.

And then from here,

We'll set our props to the side.

And crunch,

I don't mean within joints or bones or compression I'm talking about.

I'll add on to that in a moment.

Let's come out of this.

Let's choose a knee and slowly bend that knee with support,

Noting that we hold these shapes for a while.

So really taking the time to come out and then bring it to the other side.

And we'll take those same organic movements here,

Supporting yourself with the hands or leaning up against the wall.

Start to pedal through.

And let's start at the toes.

So finding as maybe we're moving the knees,

We're bringing focus to the toes.

Perhaps they've lost the movement here.

So find a little bit of movement then through the arch,

Through the heel,

Through the ankle,

And so on,

Building up the leg.

Legs.

And then bringing focus to one hip at a time as we slow motion,

Maybe even think of it as a walk without really crunching.

This is what I was talking about,

Bringing all of the constriction into one muscle,

That kind of turning it on,

But without intention.

It's more of a gripping,

A bracing.

That's what I meant by the crunch.

So a little bit of softening through the front of the thighs,

Through the front of the hips,

Bringing mindfulness through the hip joint.

Maybe hands come to the hips.

So we're feeling into that intention.

Still that slow walk and then slowly extend the legs.

And then actually we're staying here in this extended leg shape.

So adjusting if you need,

Maybe again,

Sitting back up against something here.

And without,

So I have alleged without,

You know,

Sticking your tailbone under something,

Say if you have a table,

Finding that length without the gripping into.

So building that longer spine,

Finding length here.

How do I need support under my knees always feels good for me.

So it's not a hyperextended knee joint.

So again,

We're taking the time to arrive in our bodies,

In our shape,

Finding the support that would feel beneficial in this moment,

A little magical tower,

Maybe even taller.

And then with intention,

Long spine,

Letting the quad soften.

So the big muscles on the front of the thighs,

Letting them melt like butter and then soften in,

Perhaps then rounding forward.

And then come to your breath.

Notice where the breath might be catching,

Where you might,

Or you might not feel that the shape is sustainable for a few moments.

So make that shift,

Letting the breath be that North Star.

And then notice,

Can I pause here?

Can I slow down the wave that I've been riding?

And even though we know everything's still happening,

All the things are valid,

We're coming back to our bodies in this moment.

And perhaps asking,

Do I have breath here?

Full breath in,

Full breath out,

And find that softness.

Allow the softness of the back of the thighs or whatever's touching,

Whatever you're resting on,

Allow that softness to blend,

To merge,

To melt.

How can the breath support that depth of relaxation,

Of softness,

Or perhaps stretch,

If that's your experience?

How can the breath support the mind slowing down or focusing into that depth of rest,

Releasing those muscles that are still clenched and gripping,

Including those of the face,

The jaw,

Letting the breath fill those spaces that were just created through the softening.

Full,

Deep breath in,

And when you're ready,

The longest exhale,

No force,

Letting it just extend a beat or so more.

One more just like that,

Full breath in,

Feeling that expansion,

And exhale softening back to center slowly,

Letting it draw out.

If you're folded forward,

Taking the time to lengthen all the way upright,

Eyes flutter open,

And then we'll prop all of our stuff over to the side.

Again,

Taking the time to come out of these shapes,

These moments of contemplation,

However you will,

Softly,

Like staying within that melty sensation,

Really taking the time to bend one leg,

Letting the foot plant on the other,

And maybe you don't have something behind you,

You do not need to move,

You can support yourself with your hands,

Maybe scooching away,

But finding softness through the shoulders and the elbows as we find gentle swaying movements,

Not big at all,

Just checking in with the energy in the hips,

And maybe you keep your eyes closed,

Maybe that helps to connect you to the softening of the quads,

The staying within,

Maybe you keep the eyes open and that gives you the same experience,

But your version,

Find what works for you,

And it's not necessarily that I'm telling you to do this or that,

It's what can't be taken away from you,

What is that experience,

How is that,

I have breath for you,

All of the messaging today,

So find another sway,

And maybe it gets a little bit wider in the feet,

And letting the hips find this motion here,

Where as you lower to one side,

That top hip gently comes up just a little bit,

Maybe,

Right,

Depending on the boundaries of our body,

Our live,

Our lived experience,

Our privilege,

So find where you are here,

Another movement,

Moment or movement here,

And then come back to center,

Wiggle through the toes,

Walk the feet in a little closer,

And then if it's available,

I'm not pulling my legs all the way into my seat,

But I'm using my shins to lift the spine,

I'm not finding all this effort in my arms,

I'm not pulling,

How can I find a little less contraction into my spine,

That folding forward,

The flexion,

So find a little bit more extension without hyperextending,

And whatever your center is to you,

Right,

Creating awareness,

And the legs are really just there to help you find a little bit of length,

And maybe you don't know,

Maybe you don't know where your center is,

Coming back to that organic feel of what does it feel like over here,

Or here,

And maybe you get some feedback,

Some sensation,

A little bit of a tuck with the chin,

Imagining the crown of the head to be that top of,

I just went in so many directions,

Top of the spine,

Find a little bit more length,

Big full breath in,

Feeling that expansion,

Creating more spaciousness,

And full exhale,

Let the spine round a little bit behind you without,

Without tucking the chin too far and dropping the head,

So keeping the length in the neck,

The cervical spine,

A little bit of rounding back in the lumbar,

The thoracic,

Without the shoulders involvement,

Let it be rounded,

And then without doing a cow,

So we're not doing cat cow,

Rounding here,

So maybe this is a seated cat,

But then breathing up into a long spine versus a cow where we'll,

Where we would arch and then lift the tailbone,

So we're finding what is my length feeling like today of my spine,

Notice any other contracting that hunch and crunch that I was talking about,

Finding a little bit more information with the breath,

And then exhale,

Let's find one more round into that lower middle,

Without dumping the head forward,

Keeping that head somewhat lifted,

That head or head,

And then maybe you find some information like I just did,

A little bit of movement,

More breathing,

And then inhale brings you up to length here,

Once again,

Extend the legs,

A little bit of movement here,

Doesn't have to be too much,

I like to do wrists and ankles,

Maybe a full body kind of floppy sensation,

Whatever that feels like to you,

And then eventually make that beautiful movement down to your back,

So explore,

Find that full body stretch,

Sometimes when we are holding in stillness,

Everything gets concentrated,

And again,

That prana,

That movement,

That life force gets walled in,

So find that movement,

Maybe like a jellyfish,

Starfish,

Whatever it is to you as you're on your back,

And in a moment we'll be preparing for our shavasana,

Our deep breaths,

So knowing that,

Getting some of those wiggles out,

And if you're finished wiggling,

Allow yourself to build a supportive nest with your cushions,

With your pillows,

Perhaps you move over to the couch or the bed,

The chair,

Somewhere that you can find that ultimate melting into the best of our abilities,

How can you create the space for your own reconnection,

That blending,

That merging,

That transmutation of habit and personality,

And all of the sticky things that we forget,

That we can use all of our senses,

All of our breath to create something different,

So,

Oh yeah,

I,

Oh I have this pillow,

Let me go grab it,

I have this lovely cozy blanket,

I think I'll use that,

So find,

And it's not about the things,

But how can you support yourself more here,

And then let yourself arrive in this moment,

And making the adjustments,

How can I melt more,

How can I be more supported,

Is this sustainable,

And then as you make those movements,

Those adjustments,

How can the breath support you here,

So really it's the same checking in,

The same,

Am I with breath,

Do I have breath,

And you can change out that word breath to what's calling to you,

Do I have breath,

Do I have peace here,

Softening into that idea of there is no efforting,

Can I soften into this moment to the best of my ability to be with my breath,

Or grace,

Or divinity,

Or all of the options,

Full deep breath in,

And on the exhale imagine everything softening even more,

Sweeping out,

Letting go of that contraction,

That bracing,

Letting the eyes close if they haven't already,

Or the gaze to soften into the liminal space,

As the heels,

Hips,

And head melt into whatever they're resting on,

Notice how the breath can soften,

Melt,

And tame the feral mind,

Allowing it to soften into this depth of rest,

Muscles softening,

Breath reminding,

Sensing into our own equanimity,

Balance,

Grace,

All of which enables us to come back to imagination,

Wonder,

Joy,

Creativity,

Those are which we use to create different ways of being,

Different ways of sensing and experiencing,

Taking us from reactivity to proactivity,

Moving from center to center,

In which the question comes from,

Do I have breath here?

That answer informs everything,

Creates equanimity,

Softness,

Impeccability with our words,

All the agreements met,

Feeling into this depth of rest,

Allow the breath to be supportive,

Inviting movement into fingers and toes as you extend the breath into those spaces,

And maybe even coming into that full starfish shape,

Taking up some space as you are coming back on line with the breath,

Keeping the eyes closed or soft,

Reaching in all of the directions,

And then when you're ready,

Rolling over onto one side,

Pausing here,

From within,

Sensing into that shift,

That grace,

That privilege of breath,

And setting the intention of carrying that with us through the rest of the day,

The week,

When you're ready,

With that intention in your heart,

Gently press your way up to a seat,

Rebuilding the spine,

Bringing hands to heart center,

Feeling this connection of community worldwide,

Let's take a communal breath in through the nose,

Full exhale through the nose or the mouth,

Let something be swept free,

And lastly,

Thumbs come to the center of the eyebrows,

The seat of our intuition,

Let's take a moment and bow forward to the teacher within all things,

To which we give a hearty thank you.