Welcome everyone to Aligned Hatha.
I'm April,
If we haven't met before.
In this practice,
We will use a block near the end of the practice.
However,
You could also exchange a block for a folded blanket if you'd prefer or if that's what you happen to have on hand.
Both of those items will suffice.
Let's begin our practice in a comfortable seated position of choice,
Whatever it is that works well for your body.
And here I'm actually sitting on the edge of a folded blanket as well.
When you discover your chosen seat,
Your sustainable seat,
Invite the hands to rest down while the palms of the hands rotate up towards the sky.
You might choose to keep the hands relaxed just as that or unite the index and thumb into the mudra of wisdom.
Then guide your eyes closed,
Turning inward and begin to thread your awareness within so that with full focus you begin to align your body from the inside out.
Begin to feel a soft weight through the lower half of your body as you anchor into the earth support.
And through the center of your spine,
Grow the torso long.
The center of the chest will lift,
Soften,
Expand,
And even encourage a release of the weight that may be held on the shoulders as you relax your shoulders back and down.
Sides of the neck find length.
Relax the throat center and consciously release any effort in your facial expression.
As you quiet your facial expression,
Softening from center through to periphery and the crown of the head lifts.
And then allow your breath to feed the focus of your mind further.
As you grow aware of the inhalation as it meets your body,
Grow aware of the exhalation as it meets your body,
And even grow aware of the ease that exists within every strand of breath.
Following the ease of breath,
The inhalation,
The exhalation,
As it further and further softens the narrative of the mind so that you can settle into this practice of coming together.
This practice of coming together,
This is the state of yoga that exists within you and our practice unfolds.
Invite your hands to come together,
To join and yoke in pramudra,
In front of the heart space.
And together we'll open our practice with a collective OM.
Feel free to join in at home if you'd like.
Gather your lung,
Inhale.
Inhale,
Prayer to third eye,
Space between your eyebrows.
Exhale,
Prayer to heart.
Allow the thumbs to rest on the center of your chest as you realign and reconnect to the currency of your breath.
Stepping into ujjayi breathing,
Ocean breathing,
Gently narrow the center of your throat and discover long deep inhales through the nose with an audible er sound.
And long deep exhales through the nose with an audible ha sound.
And as your breath,
Your ujjayi breathing continues.
Inhale,
Sweep both arms overhead to the sky.
You might choose to open the eyes or keep them closed.
Spinal twist to the right side.
I'll be your mirror image.
Exhale,
Twist to right,
Lower arms down.
Left hand will land on right thigh,
Right fingertips perhaps on the floor or floating or in a prop.
Feel free to choose a gaze that serves the neck.
Maybe direct the gaze towards the back of your mat or chin can remain aligned with the sternum.
A few deep breaths here.
Parivrtta,
Sukhasana.
The body being breathed.
On your next inhale,
Float back through center,
Both arms overhead to sky.
We rise,
Spinal twist,
Left side.
Exhale,
Lower arms down.
Settle in,
Relax the shoulders,
Direct the gaze wherever it's appropriate for the neck,
And then be in the experience of your breath.
Feel the breath awaken your body from the inside out.
The breath aligns the body from the inside out as it meets the body,
It meets the mind,
And allows us to settle into the clarity of self.
With your next inhale,
Float back through to center,
Both arms overhead to sky.
We rise,
Tabletop.
Exhale,
Either guide yourself forward or you might choose to unravel the legs first and make your way forward into your tabletop position from there.
So face the front of your mat,
Wrist under shoulders,
Knees stack underneath the hips.
Feel free to use any extra padding,
Blanket,
Or doubled up mat if needed.
Madhuryasana,
Cat-cow.
Inhale,
Slowly tilt the pelvis up,
Tailbone up as you begin to arch the spine.
Low,
Mid,
Upper back.
Perhaps gaze up at the peak if it serves neck.
Exhale,
Draw the pelvis under as you round spine,
Tuck chin to chest at peak,
The belly scoops in.
Same motion,
Inhale,
Float yourself forward,
Paraka.
Exhale,
Deep round of spine,
Rachaka.
Feel free to turn the gaze in,
Maybe even close the eyes as you grow more aware of the inside of your body,
The movement of our body,
The movement of these postures and techniques.
Not only tune in to the physical experience,
But also invite us to explore the inner experience,
The movement of life force and prana within us.
As we begin to purify,
Cleanse,
And awaken the energetic channels,
The nadis through which prana and life force and consciousness flow.
Mobilize the spine,
The physical spine,
And the astral spine known as Sushumna Nadi.
Three more rounds of Cat-Cow.
If the wrists are tender,
Fist position or forearms can also work very well.
On your next inhale,
Neutral spine in tabletop.
Exhale here,
Continue to connect to the alignment and table,
Fingers spread inner triad of the palms,
Root down.
Inhale,
Lengthen your right leg straight back out from the hip,
Three-legged tabletop.
Exhale,
Roll that right hip,
That top hip open,
And place the sole of the foot near the back edge of your mat.
Right hand or rather left hand is rooted down or even a fist.
Inhale,
Right arm will float up to the sky.
We draw into a kneeling gate pose.
Hold here as you exhale.
Gently draw the low belly in,
Shoulders away from the ears.
Gather in inhalation.
Top arm will move.
Exhale,
Guide top arm towards the back of your mat,
Down towards the earth.
We can invite that wrist to rotate.
And inhale,
Float all the way back up.
Palm will face forward at the peak.
Two more times.
Exhale,
Lower that arm down,
Forward,
And all the way back up.
Last one.
Inhale.
This time,
Find a side bend at the peak.
Extend your top right arm up and over.
Root down through the outer edge of your back foot and connect to that length.
Top arm straight up to the sky.
Inhale.
Tabletop.
Exhale,
Hand and knee return down to the earth.
Switch sides.
Continue to face your front of mat.
Inhale.
This time,
Lengthen your left leg straight back.
Exhale.
Roll the left hip open and place the sole of that foot near the back edge of your mat.
As you're ready,
Inhale.
Left arm floats up to the sky.
Settle into the position.
Find your stability.
Gather a long inhale here.
Top arm moves with breath.
Exhale.
Top arm will draw towards the back of the mat,
Down to the earth.
It will sweep forward and all the way up.
Two more times.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
This time,
Find that nice,
Long side bend.
Outer edge of the back heel roots down.
Connect into length,
Supported by breath.
On your next inhale,
Top arm overhead.
And tabletop.
Exhale.
Hand and knee down to the floor.
From here,
Guide the knees to touch at center into kneeling pose,
Vajrasana.
Sit back onto your heels.
This is uncomfortable.
Choose a different seated position instead.
Cat breathing.
Inhale.
Draw the thumbs into soft fists.
Arms draw back.
Elbows are bent.
Gently open through the chest,
The heart space.
Exhale.
Round the spine.
Extend the arms forward.
Spread through the fingers.
Palms open.
Same motion.
Inhale to draw back.
Exhale.
Extend forward.
Now,
This pace might be really great for you,
Or you can choose to speed up both the breath and the motion.
Breath and motion will remain synchronized.
And just continue at the pace that makes the most sense for you in this time.
If you're pregnant or you have high blood pressure,
Then keep the pace slow,
The breath very slow.
The breath nice and slow and steady.
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Inhale.
Draw yourself up.
Thumbs into soft fists.
Retain the breath here.
Unless you have high blood pressure or you're pregnant,
Then breathe naturally.
Connect into that expansion of prana,
Absorption of prana.
As the five major types of prana within your body begin to harmonize and communicate easily with one another,
If the breath is retained,
Exhale completely.
Let's all release the hands down,
Palms onto thighs,
Roll the shoulders back.
A few deep breaths here.
Be in your body.
Inhale,
Arms overhead.
Eyes might open or remain closed.
Return back to tabletop.
Face the front of your mat.
From tabletop position,
Walk the palms forward an inch or two.
Create a little more space here for the shoulders and the chest.
Downward dog.
Exhale,
Tuck toes.
Begin to lift the knees.
Low belly scoops back subtly.
Seat draws to the sky.
Adho mukha svanasana.
Here in downward dog,
Feel free to walk the dog if you prefer.
Bend one knee and then the other knee.
Or you might like to find a quality of stillness in downward dog,
Maybe with both knees bent or the legs fairly straight.
We can modify with a tabletop or a child's pose.
Know that you can adjust your practice at any point.
Although we come together here in a collective practice,
Each of us will have our own individual experience and expression within that collective joining,
That collective togetherness.
Broaden the shoulders.
Relax the facial expression.
Relax the neck.
One more long breath wherever you are.
Beautiful.
Inhale,
Float forward high,
Shoulders stack over the wrists.
Exhale,
Place your knees to the earth.
Untuck the toes.
Fold back into child's pose.
We continue to move with breath.
Inhale,
Ripple forward.
Return towards your tabletop and downward dog.
Exhale,
Lift the knees.
Seat to the sky.
Inhale,
Raise right leg to the sky.
Three-legged dog.
Low lunge.
Exhale,
Place right foot through between your hands.
Guide your back knee down to the floor.
Back toes are tucked.
Ensure front knee,
Front ankle,
Right knee,
Right ankle are stacked.
Square the hips.
Right hip draws back,
Left hip draws forward.
You're welcome to remain here,
Hands on a prop.
Or inhale,
Sweep both arms overhead to the sky to rise.
Exhale,
Place the hands to the waist.
Encourage elbows to draw back and heart to shine forward.
Tune into your ujjayi breath here.
Relax the jaw.
Relax the root of the tongue.
And even if your gaze is open,
Allow the gaze to find a quality of relaxation.
With your next inhale,
Both arms overhead to the sky,
Rise.
Palms to the earth.
Exhale.
Inhale,
Lift your back knee as an option,
Or you could keep the knee down.
Scissor the legs.
Engage in your thighs.
Twisted lunge.
Inhale,
Right arm draws up to the sky.
Parivrtta Anjaneyasan.
Breathe here.
Five breaths.
If your left wrist is a little tender,
Know that you could draw into a fist position.
Beautiful.
One more.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Guide top hand down to the earth.
Inhale,
Fingertips of the floor grow long through the spine.
Exhale,
Pivot your back heel down.
With an inhale,
Windmill yourself all the way up.
Hips are open to the side of your mat.
Exhale,
Straighten through your front leg.
Triangle pose.
Inhale.
You might choose to shorten the stance slightly.
Exhale.
Invite your front hip to draw back.
I'm your mirror image here.
So you guide the torso forward.
Right hand will lower down in front of the shin,
Perhaps onto a block.
Top arm overhead.
If there's any strain in your top shoulder,
Know that you can guide that top hand down to rest on the waist or the low back.
Again,
Breathe into the long lines that you're creating through this position.
Utthita Trikonasana.
And find a gaze that works for the neck,
Floor,
Front wall,
Maybe sky.
Maintain your triangle pose.
Gather a long inhale.
Only the top arm will move.
Exhale,
Guide that top arm towards the back of the mat,
Just as we did before.
Down to the earth.
Inhale,
Forward and all the way up.
Two more times.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale to rise.
Last one.
Exhale.
Inhale.
This time,
Torso follows.
We rise,
Draw all the way up.
Exhale,
Bend into your front knee,
Your right knee.
Windmill the arms forward.
Plant the palms down to earth.
Pop your back heel.
Inhale,
High plank.
Step back.
Maintain your high plank position with your breath here,
Exhaling completely.
If you need support,
Feel free to place the knees down to the earth.
One more long breath.
Inhale,
Option to move through a little vinyasa flow if that's in your practice,
Or exhale,
Downward dog,
As I am demonstrating.
We'll reunite in downward dog once you're ready.
Spread the fingers,
Spread and lengthen through the toes.
Soften into the engagement of your body.
Feel the edges of the body relax,
The edges of your mind relax,
As you dip deeper into the sweetness of the breath.
The breath as it weaves through us and becomes the door,
The catalyst to this coming together,
To the yoking of the layers of ourselves that allow us to surrender into the experience of our true nature as whole and as complete.
From downward dog,
Inhale,
Raise your left leg to the sky.
This time,
Ekapada adho mukha,
Low lunge.
Exhale,
Place that left foot through between the hands.
Guide back knee down to the floor.
Left knee,
Left ankle are stacked.
Square the hips,
Left hip back,
Right hip slightly draws forward.
When ready,
Inhale to rise,
Both arms overhead.
Exhale,
Hands to the waist,
Elbows draw back,
Shine the heart forward.
Breathe here.
Again,
Soften into the experience.
Soften the mind.
Drift beneath the waves of thought into the potency of presence.
Inhale,
Arms rise.
Twisted lunge,
Exhale,
Palms to earth.
Inhale,
Option to lift your back knee.
Maintain position,
Scissor the legs,
And then as you're ready,
Left arm will rise to the sky.
Parivrtta Anjaneyasana.
Breathe here.
Of course,
If there's any tenderness in that bottom wrist,
A fist position can also work well.
One more inhale.
Exhale,
Guide the top hand down to the earth.
Inhale,
Fingertips grow long through the spine.
Exhale,
Pivot your back heel down.
Inhale,
Windmill yourself all the way up.
Exhale,
Straighten through your front leg,
Triangle pose.
Inhale,
Feel free to adjust your stance if needed.
Exhale,
Invite your front hip to draw back as you guide the torso forward.
Left hand will lower towards that left shin or maybe block or floor.
Top arm extends overhead,
But know that you can adjust and settle back into your breath.
Soften the gaze.
Soften into the experience of self.
Maintain your position long.
Inhale,
Top arm flows.
Exhale,
Top arm down towards the back of your mat to the earth.
And inhale,
Draw all the way up.
Two more times.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Last one.
Exhale to lower.
Inhale,
Draw up.
This time,
Torso follows.
We rise.
Exhale,
Bend into your front knee.
Windmill the arms down to the earth.
Palms will land.
Pop your back heel.
Inhale,
Step back to high plank pose.
Maintain this position as you exhale.
Know that you can modify by placing the knees to the floor.
Gather another long inhale.
Option to move through a vinyasa if that's in your practice or exhale,
Downward dog.
Relaxing breath here in down dog.
Inhale,
Nose.
Out the mouth.
One more time.
Inhale.
Let it go.
Inhale,
Place the knees to the earth.
Return to tabletop.
Untuck the toes.
Exhale.
Remain on your knees.
Inhale,
Guide your torso all the way up to rise.
Camel pose.
Either place the heels of the hands to the sacrum,
That pelvis point,
Fingertips drawing down,
Or if that's causing discomfort in the wrists,
Thumbs back,
Fingers forward.
All right.
Inhale here.
Gather a long spine.
Feel a subtle lift through the heart space and exhale.
Gently draw back.
Roll the heart open a little more.
Perhaps gaze towards the sky.
Now you might stay here in a nice little quarter camel as I am.
Hips and knees fairly stacked.
Or some of us might choose to draw one hand down towards the back heel.
Maybe both hands.
You could always tuck the toes and offer yourself a little more leverage if you need.
Feel that with every inhale,
Spine grows longer.
And with every exhale,
The heart melts open.
The back of the heart melts.
One more inhale.
Exhale.
Hold here as you exhale.
Inhale,
Neutral spine.
Slowly draw yourself up.
Take your time.
Exhale,
Tabletop.
Land down,
Neutral spine.
One breath in tabletop.
Gather another inhale here.
Feel the crown lengthen forward.
Extension through spine,
Through neck.
Child's pose.
Exhale.
Fold yourself back.
In child's pose,
You might choose to sweep the arms back alongside you.
Maybe extend them forward or even create a nice little pillow for the forehead.
Whatever makes the most sense for you.
If this is uncomfortable for the knees,
The ankles,
The hips,
You could always roll onto your back into a reclined version of child's pose.
Breathing here deeply.
Allowing the sacrum to soften and open.
To relax.
As the low back unwinds.
Surrender the weight of the body into that earth support.
And with Brahmari breath,
Brahmari pranayam,
We'll drop deeper into that quality of melting down.
Hum through the nose on the exhale.
Two rounds.
Inhale.
And again.
Remain settled inward.
Inhale.
Draw forward tabletop.
Make your way to seated.
Exhale.
Either cross the ankles and sit back or draw yourself to the side.
Find the sit bones to the earth and extend.
Once sit bones are to the earth,
Extend legs out in front of you.
Staff pose.
Feet awake.
Spread through the tailbone.
Grow long through your spine.
Draw both legs out to the sides.
Find a wide angle position.
Here in wide angle,
Ensure that the feet remain active.
The toes to the sky.
The knees draw straight up to the sky rather than the legs rolling in or rolling out.
So there's quite the activation through the legs.
Even press the legs down into the earth.
Root them down into the earth.
Tune into that stability which supports mobility and grow long through the spine.
On exhale,
You might choose to stay here.
This could be great.
You could even sit on the edge of your folded blanket or begin to draw forward a millimeter,
A centimeter,
A few inches,
Maybe quite close to the floor.
You could always place forearms on a prop.
If it's challenging for you to hinge at the hips and fold forward,
Fingertips behind the body can help as well.
Breathe here.
Breathe into the areas of sensation calling your attention.
Those areas that are seeking pranic breath and presence.
One more breath.
Upavistha Konasana.
Inhale to rise.
Draw all the way back up.
Exhale,
Root the legs down.
Inhale,
Both arms overhead.
Exhale,
Side bend right side.
Roll the heart open.
Two breaths.
Inhale,
Center,
Arms sky.
Exhale,
Left side.
Two breaths.
Inhale,
Back to center.
Exhale,
Release arms completely.
Palms to the backs of the knees or the backs of the thighs.
Bend at the legs.
Draw the legs,
Helping hands towards one another.
Place the hands behind you,
Feet wide,
And swivel legs side to side.
Gentle release.
Find center.
Lengthen both legs out in front.
Feet continue to remain awake.
Extend both arms out to the sides.
Lower down.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Either with that core control or feel free to use the support of your arms to land.
When you meet the earth,
Draw both knees in towards your chest.
Little hug,
Little squeeze.
Place both feet onto the floor,
Hip distance apart.
Supported inversion with our prop.
So whether it's the folded blanket or the block,
Make sure it's close by.
Arms beside the body,
Bridges and entrance.
Gaze straight up to the sky.
Inhale,
Engage thighs,
Hips,
Glutes.
Begin to lift pelvis off of the floor just enough to slide your prop underneath the pelvis.
So we're under the pelvis rather than the low back.
You could actually stay here or begin to draw one knee in towards the chest and then the other knee.
And as the feet lift off the floor,
You might need to make some small adjustments with your props.
When you're ready,
Legs to the sky,
Arms out to the sides,
Palms roll open.
Supported inversion.
Now of course,
You're more than welcome to remain here with me or some of us might prefer to move into shoulder stand if it's in your practice or even a short headstand if it's in your practice and the body feels ready for that.
You can relax the feet.
So we allow the energy to draw from the soles of the feet down,
Reversing gravity and shifting energetic awareness into the upper triangle of chakras,
The heart,
The throat,
The third eye and even the crown.
So we're going to begin with Ujjayi breathing.
Quiet the facial expression.
The breath here can soften,
Unwind Ujjayi breathing.
In a releasing breath,
Inhale nose and out the mouth.
One at a time,
Bend the knees,
Draw them in towards the chest.
If you took a headstand,
Child's pose is your next position as a counter.
If in shoulder stand or a plow,
Roll out to a fish if that's in your practice.
Those of you following me,
One at a time,
Place the sole of the foot right and then left onto earth.
One breath.
Arms beside the body,
Palms down.
Use that engagement,
Glutes,
Thighs,
Hips.
Inhale,
Lift pelvis off of your prop.
Move the prop to the side.
Exhale,
Roll down.
Now here,
Feel free to move into a counter of choice if needed.
Otherwise,
Relax right into our short Shavasana,
Final relaxation.
Invite the whole back body to relax down.
As the weight of your body melts into the earth as though there was never any separation.
Each breath a sweet surrender for the mind.
As we have the opportunity to relax the whole of ourselves into the embrace that fuels collective consciousness,
The purity behind that,
Pure consciousness,
Pure awareness.
I'll draw you back when it's time.
Within us lie the answers to our deepest questions and the antidote for all our fears.
The divine is not an abstraction.
It's as clear and intimate as a heartbeat or a whisper.
We are penetrated,
Suffused,
Caressed,
Cell by cell and synapse by synapse with the same love that set the galaxies to spinning.
No matter how identified we become with mind and body,
We can release the thoughts that blind us to the truth.
Seek the still point where the words you and I lose meaning,
Where we meet and merge as one.
Allow all awareness to return back to the whole of your body.
Coming together,
Joining together,
Joining in with your subtle breath.
Inhale through the nose,
Out the mouth.
Exhale through the mouth.
The pranic expression within the breath,
Fueling subtle movement through your fingers and your toes,
Wrists,
Ankles.
One at a time,
Draw the knees towards your chest and roll yourself to the right side.
With the support of your top arm,
Draw yourself back to your seat of choice.
Eyes remain closed.
Thread your awareness within.
Thread into the harmony within.
Within and without.
And rest in the result of this practice of coming together.
Within and without.
Coming together,
Hands in Pramodara.
Rest in that alignment through center,
Aligned with self.
We'll seal with a final ohm.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Prayer to heart.
I bow in deep reverence to all of you.
Namaste.
Thank you for joining and sharing your time and your presence in your practice.
Wish you all a wonderful day and I'll see you again soon.
