Hello and welcome back.
It's Megan here and I'm looking forward to this next session.
For today's session,
We're going to be exploring this idea of identifying our emotional triggers.
Being able to pay attention to what is our knee jerk initial reaction.
Do we avoid and run away as quickly as possible?
We react with anger in our words or in our demeanor.
Or do we have a physical reaction?
For many people who have experienced trauma,
Oftentimes the reaction doesn't always feel like it represents who we are on the inside.
A reaction when our buttons get pressed can seem magnified and as if it completely takes us over.
So as we explore the next series of movements.
We're going to be intentionally exploring some emotional triggers.
Remember that you're safe here.
Remember that you're entirely in control of this experience,
So if you need to stop the video at any time to take a couple of moments of breath or rest,
You absolutely can do that.
So let's get ready and let's get started.
As we prepare to get ready,
The invitation here is to find yourself lying down.
On the map.
Take a couple of moments here.
To allow the feet and ankles to splay off the edges of the mat.
Choose an option for your arms at your sides,
Whether they're tucked in close out at 45 degrees or even above the head.
Whatever feels most comfortable for you.
If you'd like,
Slightly lift the shoulders up off the mat and draw the shoulder caps down and away from the ears.
And see if you might be able to give yourself permission to be fully present.
Fully tuned in to this moment here.
Simple way we can do that is by simply drawing our awareness.
To the flow of breath into the body on an in-breath.
Paying attention to the sensation of breath leaving the body on an outbreak.
Remembering that there's no special way that you have to breathe.
We're just tuning in to our own natural flow.
In this moment.
Stay here tuning in to each breath as long as you wish.
The idea is to.
.
.
Bring the awareness to this present moment,
So spend as much time as you need to.
That you feel comfortable and ready to begin.
As you're ready.
We're going to take both hands and gently place them palms facing down underneath the low back.
Just like we're creating a little ledge here for the hip.
As you're comfortable,
Extend both legs high to the sky.
Notice what it feels like to gently draw the toes towards the knees and at the same time extend the heels upwards towards the sky.
As if we're creating a little length through the backs of the legs.
Check in with the core here and see if you can tuck the belly button in towards the spine.
And on your next exhale,
Draw the legs one third of the way down.
Extending the legs outward long and strong in front of you.
Notice how the core begins to activate.
See if you can continue to engage the core by tucking the belly button in towards the spine.
As you exhale,
Extend the legs down one more third of the way.
And notice how that changes where in the core.
The stomach gets activated.
Always remember you can take the legs down at any time if you need a little extra rest.
Take the feet and ankles to hover one inch up off the mat,
And at the same time,
Lift the gaze so that you can see the toes.
And we're going to flutter the feet up and down for five.
Four.
Two and one.
Bend the knees into chest.
Take a moment of rest and breath here.
As you're comfortable,
Find your way with your legs extended into the air again.
Make the adjustments that you need to,
To engage through the core.
Remembering the toes towards the nose and heels up towards the sky.
Let's exhale one third of the way.
Long and strong legs out in front,
Engage the core.
Exhale,
One more third of the way.
Drawing the low belly in towards the spine.
Let's take the legs to hover one inch up off the floor.
Peek up at the feet and we'll flutter up and down for 5.
FOREVER 3 Two.
Two,
Two,
One,
Draw the knees to chest.
And if you'd like,
Release the arms from underneath the back.
Wrapping the hands around the shins.
As if you're giving yourself a little hug here.
And just notice the sensation through the core,
Through the legs.
As you find your breath and reconnect.
To your flow of breath.
When you're ready,
Gently rolling to your favorite side.
It doesn't matter which side you choose.
And we're slowly going to draw the body up and over into a child's pose position.
So choose the option that feels best for you.
The knees can be wide to the edges of the mat or bring them close together if you'd like.
The big toes to touch behind you.
And then slowly begin.
To draw the torso towards the floor.
Connecting the forehead onto the mat.
And noticing the sensation of feeling heavy in the hip.
As the hips melt back towards the feet and ankles.
Finding your way to your natural flow of breath.
And on your next inhale,
We're going to gently rise into tabletop position.
Hands are spread wide underneath the shoulders.
Knees are hip width apart.
Core is engaged.
And we're going to tuck the toes under at the back.
And float the hips up and back into our first downward facing dog.
Be kind and gentle here if you need to walk out the dog by alternating bending each knee or coming all the way up high to the tiptoes.
Whatever feels good for you.
Choose to do that here.
As you're ready,
We're going to send the right leg high to the sky.
Give the leg a big shake out.
I always like to think of shaking out what I don't need in this moment.
So shake the leg.
Bending the knee a lot.
We're going to float the right foot between the hands.
And release the left knee to the mat.
If you find that this is a lot of pressure on the kneecap,
Just roll up the mat on the side.
To create a little extra padding for the kneecaps.
As we come into our first hip opener here,
It's important to remember that the further apart the knees are,
The more intensive a stretch you're going to get.
Closer together it's going to ease off that stretch.
So choose the ideal space between the knees for you.
As you're comfortable,
Draw both hands to the top of the right knee.
And draw the awareness back to your flow of breath.
See if you can pay attention to that initial resistance in the body,
How we just subtly try to pull ourselves out of the bend.
See if you might be able to sink the hips low towards the floor.
And draw the motion forward into that right knee.
Again,
Our initial knee jerk reaction as we open up.
And perhaps notice a sensation in the hip that's quite intense.
Even without realizing it,
The body tries to resist and get out of it.
Trust that with your breath you can sit with this.
For maybe a moment more.
Than you may have perhaps thought before.
If you'd like,
You can extend the arms up towards the sky.
Keeping the core engaged,
Belly button to spine.
Notice how that changes the balance just a little bit.
Always remembering that you get to choose how long you want to stay here.
Or if you need to come out.
Into a moment of rest.
Now,
If you'd like,
You can also start to extend the hands back behind you.
Coming into a slight backbend if that feels comfortable for you.
Keeping the bend in that right knee.
Continuing to send the hips down and forward.
As you're comfortable.
When you're ready,
Bringing it back through center.
And taking the hands to either side of that right foot.
Unwind the mat here and heel toe heel toe nice and slow and controlled back into your tabletop position And if you'd like windshield wiper the legs side to side just to flush out.
The hips and get that blood flow back.
As you're comfortable.
Tucking the toes under and floating the hips up and back.
Back into your downward facing dog.
Again,
Choosing the subtle movements that you'd like to do.
To get the circulation back to the legs and whatever feels most comfortable in this moment.
Sending the left leg high now to the sky,
Shake the leg out here.
Bend the knee a lot and we're going to float the left foot between the hands.
And release the right knee to the mat.
Remembering that you can roll the mat up to protect the kneecap if that's comfortable for you Choose the distance between the knees that feels the best for you in this moment today,
Knowing that it can change day by day.
And as you're comfortable,
Take the hands to the top of the left knee.
And you may have already noticed that one side feels a little bit different than the other.
We all have a dominant side or a side that holds a little more tension.
Just using your breath here to fully settle into this hip opening.
Noticing here that initial reaction as well,
How the body wants to come out.
And ease off.
See if you can sink the hips low towards the mat and forward towards the front of the mat as best you can.
Remembering that you can come out of this.
You can make any adjustments that you need to so that you can feel comfortable.
We're just noticing.
How the body starts to work.
When sensations get a little more intense.
Than perhaps we're used to.
As you're ready,
Float the arms up to the sky.
Finding your breath.
As you're ready,
Coming back to center.
Slowly taking the hands to either side of that left foot.
And we're going to shimmy and heel toe heel toe that left foot back.
Into tabletop position and just windshield wiper the hips.
From side to side.
As you're comfortable.
Slowly find your way into a seated position.
And we're going to take one leg,
Doesn't matter which one,
Whichever you choose,
And make the shin parallel to the edge of the mat.
The other leg is going to swing up and over top.
Of that leg.
And that shin is going to become parallel to the edge of the mat as well.
We're coming into what's called fire log with the legs and this can often be an intense hip opening.
The idea here is to work towards stacking the shins and legs one on top of the other.
But as you can see with me,
I have a tremendous amount of tightness in my hips.
So I'm just doing the best that I can.
Same thing for you.
Listening to that mental chatter and being okay with wherever your body is at today in this moment.
Drawing the toes towards each other,
Lifting the toes towards the kneecap to protect the knee joint.
We're going to extend the arms out to 45 degrees.
And just tiptoe tiptoe tiptoe the hands forward until you get to your edge.
The sensation here.
Can be quick and can be quite intense.
So using your breath,
Trusting in your body here.
Knowing that if you need to ease off and back the hands up just slightly,
You can do that at any time.
And slowly tiptoeing the hands back towards center.
We're very slowly and mindfully just going to switch the legs.
So whatever leg was on top for you now comes onto the bottom with the shin parallel to the edge of the mat.
And we swing the other leg up on top.
As if we're trying to stack the shins here.
As you're comfortable,
Extend the hands outward.
And we're gonna tiptoe,
Tiptoe,
Tiptoe the hands forwards.
To the point that's comfortable for us.
Remembering that.
We should never be pushing ourselves to pain.
That we come to a place that challenges us but doesn't overwhelm us.
So whatever that is today and know that It can change day by day,
Moment to moment.
And choosing.
The intensity that works for you.
You get to control.
How far forward you fold.
And how long you sit in this movement.
And as you're ready,
Slowly tiptoeing the hands back to center.
We're gently going to unravel the feet so both soles of the feet come onto the floor,
Knees are bent.
And we're just going to windshield wiper the knees side to side.
Slowly making your way back into a comfortable seated position.
If you're comfortable taking the eyes to a close or just drawing the gaze downwards off the tip of the nose.
Hands resting in the thighs.
Allowing the movements that we did today to settle into the body.
Every in-breath.
Let that fresh breath reach any areas.
That need a little extra love and attention.
With every out breath,
Release.
Any excess tension.
Thank you for tuning in today.
Have an amazing day.
