MBSR Yoga Standing Series

This is an invitation to gently and curiously explore the body, its physical limits and to dwell at their boundary long enough to experience them, to maybe notice our habitual ways of reacting when things get difficult - but not to push beyond. Reminding yourself of that freedom - that we always have – in choosing how to respond. What is for me now the kindest and wisest way to be with this? When is it enough? You decide if and how to follow any of the instructions.

Transcript

Welcome to a standing practice of 40 minute mindful body movement.

Come into a standing position in a place where you feel warm and undisturbed.

See that there is enough space to extend your arms up,

Front and to both sides.

Place your feet hip-width apart,

With knees slightly bent to stand as comfortable as now possible.

Open chest,

Shoulders relaxed back down and arms along your side.

Knowing that any time you decide that it is enough,

You can sit down on a chair and continue to follow the instructions seated or just before your mind's eye.

For this yoga practice,

We are again not interested in the optical form of each posture.

Different than in most physical disciplines,

The goal is,

If we really want to speak of a goal,

To not want to achieve anything.

Instead,

We are interested in experiencing this body and maybe noticing usual patterns and ways of thinking during bodily movement while following instructions that can become visible in the light of mindful awareness.

The invitation is to gently explore physical limits and to dwell at their boundary long enough to experience them.

To maybe notice our habitual ways of reacting when things get difficult,

But not to push beyond.

Reminding yourself of that freedom that we always have in choosing how to respond.

What is for me now the kindest and wisest way to be with this?

When is it enough?

You decide if and how to follow any of the instructions.

We start by feeling how the soles of the feet touch the floor.

Sensing how the weight of the body is rooting the feet onto the earth.

Gravity holding you in this place,

In this moment.

Becoming aware of both shoulders,

Arms and hands.

Feeling into them.

And waiting for that moment that maybe with an in-breath the arms want to lift up along your sides and slowly arrive over your head.

The breath can continue to flow naturally.

And see what supports you best in being here,

Experimenting with keeping your eyes open or closed.

Once the fingertips point towards the sky,

You might want to invite some stretching here.

Left and right.

Both arms at the same time.

Maybe grabbing the left wrist with your right hand and gently pulling the left arm towards the right.

Stretching the entire left side of the body.

Then letting that go and getting hold of the left wrist,

Starting to pull gently the left arm towards the right and feeling into that stretch.

And coming back to center.

If it hasn't happened already,

Slowly letting the arms sink back down sideways.

Letting go.

Feeling what that little stretch did to the arms and shoulders.

And becoming aware of the left arm and slowly starting to lift it up along your side.

Once up,

Starting to stretch the hand up towards the sky as if you would like to pick an apple that you can barely reach.

Right arm and shoulder are relaxed,

Sinking down.

And if you like,

Lift your right heel off the floor.

The toes and the ball are remaining rooted with the floor.

Just the heel is lifting.

And see how that changes the posture.

Maybe even changing the mood.

Continue reaching for your apple.

Then placing the right heel back onto the floor and gently letting the left arm sink back down.

Becoming aware of the right arm.

Maybe with an in-breath the right arm starts to lift.

Fingertips point up to the ceiling and inviting that same stretch,

Trying to grab another apple if you like to use that imagery.

Now if that feels appropriate,

The left heel can lift off the floor.

What thoughts,

Feelings are present now?

Then placing the left heel back on the floor and slowly bringing the right arm back to your side.

Feeling into the aftermath of that stretch.

Now sensing into both arms and letting them lift towards the front and then all the way up.

Once over your head,

Keeping the arms shoulder width apart and hand palms facing to each other.

And then carefully bending towards your right side.

Creating a stretch on the left side.

And stretching your body into the form of a half moon.

And the arms continue to stay shoulder width apart.

Shoulders can be relaxed.

Knowing where is my boundary.

That place where we find our potential to grow if we linger here,

Not pushing beyond.

Slowly coming back to center.

And bending towards the left.

If you like you can pull your right elbow a bit back,

Opening your chest up more and raising the stretch.

And if it hasn't happened already,

Bringing the arms back to center and letting them sink back front.

Pausing here.

Checking in with how this made you feel.

Maybe savoring this pause after an activity which we often don't make time for in everyday life.

Then sensing again into both arms,

Slowly bringing them up sideways over your head.

Once the fingertips point towards the ceiling,

Letting both thumbs find each other to interlink.

While the rest of the fingers are spread out.

Stretching up one more time towards the ceiling.

And then letting go of that stretch and the thumbs to slowly let the arms sink down until they are parallel to the floor at shoulder height.

Forming a human T.

And letting the fingertips point up to the ceiling.

And hand palms face outward away from the body.

And starting to push the hands further away from the body.

As if you were holding two walls away.

Continue holding them there,

Maybe pushing until you decide that's enough.

And letting the arms sink back down by your sides.

Pausing.

Feeling sensations,

Maybe the breath.

Now becoming aware of your shoulders.

Noticing if there is any judgement,

Commentary happening about how they feel.

And then gently starting to move your shoulders forward.

And lifting them upward towards the ears.

And then rolling them back.

And letting them fall down,

Back down.

Doing these shoulder rolls in your own rhythm for the next few moments.

Forward,

Back,

Up towards the ears.

Rolling them back.

And letting them fall down.

Experiencing how the shoulder blades approach each other as you roll the shoulders back.

And then changing directions.

Bringing the shoulders back.

Up.

Front.

And then letting them fall down towards the front.

Now in your own rhythm.

To finalize roll them one more time in the other direction.

Forward.

Up.

Back.

And just letting them fall down and pause to feel in your shoulders again.

Maybe noticing differences.

Then when you're ready,

Letting the head gently tilt towards the chest.

And at the same time lifting the chest towards the chin.

Shoulders stay relaxed and down for this entire set.

Now rolling the head towards your left.

Feeling,

Experiencing that boundary.

When is the ankle just right?

Now carefully continuing to roll back.

Letting the head fall back behind into your neck.

And continue rolling.

Letting the neck slowly gently bend towards the right.

Again being curious about today's limit for this bend.

And coming back to center.

Now rolling the head one more time into the other direction in your own pace.

And just as gently bringing the head back to center.

Maybe with the next in-breath letting the arms lift up to shoulder height.

And palms face towards the floor.

Then shifting the weight onto your left leg.

Experiencing how this changes your balance.

Becoming aware of the right leg and slowly moving it outwards.

Until only the right big toe is touching the floor.

You can stay here or if that feels right.

Start to lift your right leg and foot up off the floor.

It may support you to have your eyes open here for balance.

And feel how far does the right leg want to move up today.

Whenever you decide that it's enough.

Placing the right foot back on the floor.

And pulling the leg back in.

Both feet next to each other hip-width apart.

And shifting weight onto your right leg.

And being aware of the left leg and foot when you slowly start to move the foot left until only the big toe is touching the floor.

Perfectly fine to just stay here and balance.

But if you feel up for it slowly lifting that right leg up.

To that same point that feels just enough for today.

Experiencing once again that area where you start to leave the comfort zone.

If it hasn't happened already.

Placing the right toe back onto the floor.

And then shifting the foot back in to come to stand next to the left.

Experiencing how your weight is balanced again between both feet.

How does gravity support you standing here?

Now placing your hands on your hips.

What move does this posture create?

Then while your legs,

Hip and pelvic area keep facing towards the front.

Starting to gently twist your upper body towards the left.

Including carefully turning the head left.

Feeling the twist in the region of the belly.

What is the quality of the breath like now?

And then gently and slowly turning back to the front.

Now going into the other direction.

Twisting the upper body and head towards the right.

While the hip region and legs remain relatively unmoved facing front.

How far do you want to go on this side today?

And gently turning back to center.

Pausing here.

Now letting the head sink towards the chest.

Before you slowly vertebra by vertebra sink forward and down.

Letting the whole upper body and arms hang relaxed downward.

Maybe rocking gently from side to side.

You can just hang here for a moment.

Or if you want with knees bent.

Starting to lift the left arm up and forward towards the left.

Head and neck are relaxed.

Again experiencing how far up do you like to go here.

And you feel it's enough bringing the left arm back down.

And if you like starting to lift the right arm up towards right and front.

You decide when and where to stop.

And bringing the right arm back down.

Carefully vertebra by vertebra rolling back up lifting the head up last.

Now feeling contact between your feet and the floor.

Sensing both arms and starting to lift them slowly up front.

Until you are forming a 90 degree angle between your arms and legs.

And palms facing down.

Fingertips point towards the wall in front of you.

Now imagining a chair behind you.

And start to bend your knees attempting to sit on that imaginary chair behind you.

Arms stay up but shoulders are relaxed and down.

You choose how high your imaginary chair is in this moment.

And coming back up letting the arms sink back down to your sides.

Now with eyes open shifting the weight of your body on your left leg.

And pulling the right foot in so that the right heel comes to rest on the top of the left foot.

Right toes still in contact with the floor.

You can bring your hand palms together in front of your heart.

Or lifting them up from the center of your chest up over your head.

Or open both arms.

Fingers pointing towards the sky like branches of a tree.

Resting here.

Breathing.

Rooted to the floor through your feet.

Then bringing the arms slowly back to your sides and placing the right foot back next to your left.

Aware of any thoughts or commentary that might be going through your mind.

Then shifting body weight onto your right foot.

And pulling that left heel on top.

Feeling that gentle shift of balance.

Before bringing the hand palms up together in front of your heart.

Resting them there or moving them up over your head.

Maybe opening the arms again here.

Shoulders can be down and relaxed.

Resting in that tree pose.

Alive,

Open hearted,

Breathing tree.

And then letting that go too.

Bringing the arms back down and foot parallel to each other.

Pausing and feeling.

Being aware of your experience.

Then remaining present during the transition that is about to follow as you mindfully find your way to a seating position on the floor.

Once you're down here,

Bringing the soles of your feet to touch each other in a far enough space in front of you.

And carefully pulling the feet closer towards your pelvic area.

Feeling the stretch that this creates here in your inner thighs and hamstrings.

Maybe opening the chest a little.

Making sure the spine is straight as good as possible.

And the hands may close around the ankles or cup your toes left and right.

Choosing how far you want to pull the feet in closer.

Then stretching the left leg out.

Placing the sole of the right foot on the inner left thigh.

Maybe shifting your buttocks with your hands.

And left and right of the floor.

Making sure you're sitting well on your seat bones.

Before you lift your arms.

Up over your head.

And stretch both arms up.

Turning your upper body slightly to the left.

Feeling how that twist affects the abdomen and spine.

And then carefully reaching forward.

Sinking down onto your left leg.

Upper body and head may hang,

Linger over your leg.

The arms and hands may just rest where they land.

Seeing if you want to keep the arms straight or relaxed.

Feeling the stretch on your right side.

Breathing here.

Then carefully lifting back up.

Letting the arms sink back down.

Before extending the right leg out.

Pulling the left foot back in to place it against the other inner thigh.

Slowly lifting your arms up.

Stretching them upward.

Twisting right with your upper body.

Before stretching forward.

And carefully sinking down onto the right leg.

Experiencing how the stretch on this side may be different than on the other.

Then carefully rolling up.

Extending both legs before you slowly transition to lying on the floor.

With all the support you need from your arms and hands to come down onto your back.

Arms by your side.

Hand palms face up.

Feet gently falling away from each other.

Spine straight on the floor.

Letting go of what has passed.

Feeling the whole body filled with awareness.

Resting.

And reconnecting with the breath.

Maybe taking a couple of deeper in-breaths.

Inviting little movements in your hands and fingers.

Maybe stretching a little.

Gently rolling the head from left to right.

Opening your eyes if they have been closed.

And sensing the opportunity to continue this day from that open-hearted moment to moment awareness.

Gently rolling the head from left to right.

And feeling the whole body filled with awareness.

Reviews

Wonderful! Thank you! 🙏 I came on to the yoga mat this morning thinking I was going to “work hard” when in fact what I needed was really this, mindfully being kind and gentle with myself…🧘‍♂️