Welcome everyone!
Today we are going to rekindle our fire,
Our Agni and build some heat so to purify those unserving impressions and thoughts within the mind that limit our potential and keep us from feeling at home in ourselves.
If we haven't met,
I'm April and I live,
Eat and breathe yoga and I love to support those on their journey by offering refined tools to accelerate your yogic practice and life.
So the technique I'm offering today is called Stretch Pose or Nabhi Chakra Pose and it's actually a great daily practice.
It supports the transformation of the mind by strengthening our mental digestion and purifying our thoughts.
It's a very,
Very powerful technique and asana.
Now among that it also has a host of other benefits such as strengthening our subtle or astral body,
It strengthens the digestive system and our immunity as well.
So let's practice together.
I will make a note that this posture is contraindicated for pregnancy.
So in this position,
In Stretch Pose,
We're actually going to lower ourselves down onto the mat or the floor,
Carpet,
Wherever you happen to be and the posture is to raise the legs about six inches off of the floor and then we raise the head and the chest.
Our gaze is towards the feet and the arms are raised just extended by the body,
Alongside the body.
Now for some of us,
If we get into this position and the low back is arching and we're sacrificing the low back for the core,
Then that means that we do need to modify to support the body.
So how could we do that?
Well,
We can simply raise the legs and you can raise the legs to the point that works for you,
Even if you're at 90 degrees.
No problem,
This is great.
If the head and neck need a little more support,
You could always use one hand and then switch halfway through your time if you're working at home or simply both arms,
You know,
We can just take that time and when the neck is able to be there on its own,
We can lower the arms down.
Now alternatively,
We could also sit on the arms and this will support the low back,
It tilts the pelvis and invites the core to take over,
Which is what we would like.
So know that you have those adjustments that you can take so that your body is supported.
Okay,
So find your position and here we're actually going to incorporate breath of fire as well.
So this rapid breathing in and out through the nose,
The exhalation,
We really pull the belly back towards the spine.
So let's move in together,
Join in when you're ready.
So it's pretty easy to feel that building of heat just with a few seconds in our posture.
So this pose is wonderful for about one to three minutes.
I suggest building up to one minute to start and see how it goes.
Let's do about 20 more seconds.
Do your best to relax your facial expression,
Relax your jaw.
Maintain the position,
Gather a long inhale here and with your exhale,
Slowly lower yourself all the way down.
So we completely relax into a Shavasana-like position.
Some of us may like to take some swivels side to side if you need a bit of a counter,
But just listen to your body and as always with any posture,
Any technique,
It's important to find a quality of stillness where we can integrate that posture,
That technique into the body,
The physical body,
Into the subtle body and into the mental body,
The mind.
A gentle releasing breath,
Inhale through your nose and out the mouth.
Now I actually encourage you to remain in a reclined position for a moment longer,
Even a few minutes if you'd like,
And do any counters that your body might like as well.
So this is a wonderful,
Wonderful technique.
It works very well on a daily basis and if we give it that chance to build,
It will boost our energy,
Our vitality,
Our health and it will boost the freedom of the mind.
So try it out.
Let me know how it goes.
I'd love to hear from you and I'll see you soon.
Namaskar.
