Hello,
Welcome to class.
I'm so glad you're here.
We're gonna start off seated.
So find your way into a comfortable seat.
And we'll just do some mindful breathing to begin.
When you're ready to close your eyes.
And begin to just notice the breath without changing it just yet.
Now let's add a count.
We'll inhale for a four count.
Exhale for a four count.
Breathe in.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Breathe out.
Too.
Three.
Four.
Breathe in,
Two.
Three.
Forward.
Breathe out.
Too.
3,
2,
1.
Forward.
Breathe in.
Too.
Four.
Breathe out.
The tube.
Three.
4.
Continue to breathe,
Maybe with some semblance of balance in your breath,
Continued.
Toning your throat so that your breath becomes what we call Ujjayi Pranayama.
Continue to flow that breath as you blink your eyes open.
We're going to land on our backs to begin,
So lie down.
As you arrive here,
Step your feet as wide as your yoga mat.
And let your knees knock in,
Sort of like a tipi shape in your legs.
Then cactus your arms out to the sides.
Palms turned up.
Take a moment and just breathe here.
This is called a constructive resting pose.
It's a really nice posture to ease any tension in the low back.
Your belly rising and falling with your breath.
Take an inhale,
And with your exhale,
Keeping the feet wide,
Let your knees just fall over towards the right.
The outer edge of your right foot is on the floor.
The inner edge of your left foot is on the floor.
And then bring your knees back up to center and drop your knees the other direction,
Knees falling to the left.
Bring your knees back to center and let's add in the neck.
So drop your knees to the right and let your head fall left.
Bring your knees back.
Drop your knees left,
Let your head turn to the right.
We're timing this with the breath.
So that we inhale the knees up,
The gaze up.
And we exhale,
Knees right,
Gaze left.
We inhale,
Knees up.
And we exhale,
Knees left,
Gazing right.
Continue like this side to side for a couple more rounds of breath.
Finding your own rhythm.
Taking one last set.
Both sides.
And then bringing the knees back to center.
Heel toe your feet back into hip width distance and then pull the knees towards your chest.
And wrap your arms around your legs,
Coming into Apanasana pose.
And then find a little rock,
Just a little rock,
Side to side,
Massaging into the spine,
Into the muscles that run alongside your spine.
And then take your hands to your knees.
And begin to circle the knees around,
Massaging into the back of the pelvis.
The muscles that wrap the sacrum.
Make sure you go both directions.
And then take your hands behind your thighs.
And begin to rock and roll along the length of your spine.
Do this a couple of times.
Until you can come up back to seated.
Transition from seated to.
Plank pose.
So for me,
I just bring my hands forward,
Roll over the knees and shins,
And then I'll just step back.
If you need to get into it your own way,
Feel free to do that.
In high plank pose,
Knees are typically lifted,
But if you need to modify,
Just place the knees down.
It's fine.
Lean into those hands,
Grip with the fingertips,
Reach the heels back,
You're waking up muscles in your shoulders and your chest.
Too.
And on one,
Pick your hips up,
Downward dog.
Take a small step in.
With both feet.
Adjust your stance to hip width or wider.
Right now,
Make this about a feel-good down dog.
So don't worry about alignment right now.
Just sort of move your body around to take inventory where you're tight,
Where you're spacious.
Make it feel like a good stretch through your spine and opening across your heart.
Breathe some space down your hamstrings.
Don't force the heels down,
You can keep bending the knees for now.
Make it.
The priority here about lengthening the spine rather than stretching the legs straight.
Shifting your gaze forward,
Let's travel towards the top of the yoga mat.
So you'll arrive here.
Feet about hip width distance.
Grab opposite elbows and let your upper body dangle down over your legs.
Unlock the knees a little bit.
And if you want to add a little sway side to side,
You can.
And then drop your arms.
And bend your knees as you roll all the way to standing,
Keeping those knees unlocked until you get your shoulders.
Over your hips,
Your ears,
Over your shoulders.
Maybe you want to roll the shoulders back and down a few times.
Alright,
Step the feet underneath the sitting bones,
So hip-width distance if they weren't.
Arms at your sides,
This is Mountain Pose.
So take a breath of steadiness and groundedness.
Exhale to let your energy settle,
To let go of anything you've arrived on your mat with that you're carrying that you want to just set down.
Then reach your arms towards the ceiling,
Big breath in.
As you exhale,
Bring your hands to your heart.
Let's set an intention here.
To Just find some balance to listen to our bodies.
To move the way that we feel guided to within.
So not just my guidance,
But also taking the heedance of your own inner guidance.
This practice is about feeling good,
Choosing the right moves that serve your body,
Modifying when needed.
I want you to walk away from this practice feeling refreshed and energized.
And joyful.
Take a big breath in,
Reach your arms up.
As you exhale,
Forward fold over the legs.
Halfway lift,
Breathe in.
Exhale to a plank again,
And this time you're gonna lower down all the way or halfway.
You can choose,
And you can also use your knees on the mat if you'd like.
And then Cobra or Upward Dog,
Straightening the arms for an Up Dog,
Knees off the mat,
Reaching back through your toes.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog,
Lift the hips,
Reach the heels to the floor.
Inhale and look forward again.
As you exhale,
Soften the knees.
Take a big step or a jump forward.
Pull your chest ahead with a breath in.
Exhale and forward fold,
Breathe out.
Press down to rise up,
Circle the arms to the sky.
And bring your hands to your heart.
So that's round one.
We've got two more to go of this Surya Namaskar.
Reach up,
Breathe in.
Forward fold,
Breathe out.
Halfway lift,
Inhale.
Plank pose towards the floor,
Modify as needed.
Cobra or up dog,
Breathe in.
Downward dog,
Breathe out.
Inhale and look forward.
Exhale and step or jump.
Halfway lift,
Breathe in.
And forward fold,
Breathe out.
Inhale to rise,
Reach the arms up.
And bring your hands to your heart.
Reach the arms up.
Forward fold.
Flat back,
In-breath.
Plant your hands,
Step back and lower halfway or all the way down.
Elbows hugging in.
Upward dog or cobra.
And downward dog.
Inhale,
Look forward.
And again,
Step or jump.
Flat back breathing.
And exhale fold.
Inhale to rise.
Rooting down as you reach up.
And then bring the hands.
To the heart.
Drop your arms at your sides.
Take a cleansing breath in and out.
Sigh it out.
Notice how you feel.
Three rounds of Surya Namaskar,
Got that blood circulating,
Muscles are warmer now,
Hopefully your mind a little clearer.
Step your feet together so that your big toe joints are together and your heels are lightly gapped.
We're dropping our seat into a chair pose.
So imagine you're sitting down into a little child's chair,
Arms reach up.
Then bring your hands to your heart.
And we'll twist first to the right,
Left elbow outside the right knee.
Turn your heart towards your thumb knuckle,
Squeeze your knees,
And shift your gaze up.
Back to chair pose.
Stay low.
You can do it.
Reach the arms up.
Hands to the heart,
Twist to the left.
Right elbow outside the left knee,
Palms pressed.
Back into chair pose,
Inhale,
I know.
And then we're gonna challenge ourselves a little,
Bring your hands to your heart.
Lift your heels so it's a toe balancing chair and then drop your bottom to your heels in toe balance pose.
Breathe through those wobbles,
And if you fall out,
Just get back into it.
Take an inhale.
And take an exhale.
Reach your arms forward to help counterbalance your weight.
Let your heels slowly land and then your bottom drop,
Hopefully without too big of a thud.
Try to do it as gracefully as possible.
Reach your legs out,
Boat pose.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Bend your knees,
Place your feet hip width distance.
Take your hands behind.
Fingertips forward.
With an inhale breath,
Lift your hips up.
Reverse tabletop pose.
Shine your heart to the ceiling.
If it's okay on your neck,
Let your head drop back.
And then take one breath in through your nose.
Open your mouth and let it go.
Let your hips drop back down to the floor,
And then cross your ankles in really close.
If this transition works for you,
Great.
If not,
Find your own way.
Come forward,
Plant your hands.
Step back.
Downward dog.
Finding your down dog.
Spread your fingers wide,
Root into the thumb and the index.
Reach your heels into the floor and spike those hips up and back.
Take your right leg and lift it.
And then step your right foot forward between your thumbs.
Here we are in a lunging pose.
Now.
I want you to stand on your right foot.
And bring your left knee to your chest,
Hands meet at the heart.
We're balancing,
Look somewhere ahead on the floor or the wall,
Lock your gaze in,
That will help with your balance.
Pull your navel to your spine.
Breathe through those little wobbles,
Inhale.
Exhale.
Lower your left foot down next to your right.
Drop your hips.
Chair again.
Then bring your hands to your heart and twist.
To the right,
Left elbow outside the knee.
Here we are again in a twisting chair.
Lean into your right foot and softly step your left foot back.
Twisting lunch.
Take an inhale.
And exhale.
High crescent,
Reach the arms up to the sky,
Big breath in.
Exhale to cactus your arms.
Take an inhale and open your chest even more.
When you exhale,
Reach the arms forward and lean.
Feel the right leg loading up.
Pull it back into cactus,
Breathing in.
And reach and lean,
Breathing out.
Pull it back.
Cact.
And reach and lean,
Hold,
Lift your back leg and reach forward through your fingertips,
Back through your toes for a brief balance warrior three,
You can do it.
And then drop your hands down over the right leg.
Ooh,
Lean into your hands.
Reach the left leg to the sky.
Take an inhale.
And an exhale.
Adjust your right hand to the floor a little ahead of your shoulder.
You can use a block under your right hand if you'd like.
We're gonna start to turn the left toes open.
And reach the left arm up.
This is half moon pose.
Balancing here,
Flex that left foot,
Reach through the fingertips.
And one,
Softening your right knee,
Take a big step back with your left foot.
And then straighten the legs.
Reach those arms up to the sky.
As you exhale,
Forward fold down over your legs.
Turn those toes slightly in.
And then drop your head to the earth.
Prasarita Padottanasana.
Let your head and neck go.
Find your steady breaths again,
The breaths that you began this practice breathing the four in and the four out.
And then come up to a flat back.
Walk yourself towards the right,
Coming towards your lunge again,
Stepping back to plank.
And taking your vinyasa.
Back and down dog.
We're gonna flow through that on the left side to get nice and balanced.
So reach your left leg high,
Breathing in.
And stepping forward,
Breathing out.
Get ready,
Here we go.
We're gonna launch into this left foot.
Stand on it.
Bring this right knee towards the chest,
Hands at the heart.
Steady your gaze,
Breathe,
Three.
One,
Reach your arms up as the right foot lands next to the left.
And then drop your hips back and down.
Bring your hands to your heart again and twist,
Right elbow outside left knee,
Palms pressed.
Then lean into your left foot.
Softly step your right foot back.
Twisting lunge,
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
And slow and steady,
Come into that high crescent,
Reach those arms up.
Cactus,
Exhale.
Stay right here.
Pull your heart open even more.
Breathe in and then reach forward,
Breathe out.
Pull it back,
Breathe in.
Reach forward,
Breathe out.
Once more,
Draw it back,
Breathing in.
And reach forward,
Hold because you're launching.
Forward lift the back leg,
You can do it,
Three.
One hands down.
Take some weight into the hands.
Adjust your left foot.
And here we go into our Half Moon.
You might use a block under your left hand or something block-like if you're at home.
Roll the right toes open.
And reach the right arm up to the sky.
You're turning your hips and your chest to the side wall.
Reach out through that top arm.
Lift up through that right leg.
And then a slow,
Slow step back.
Land softly.
And rise,
Arms up.
You Wide-legged forward fold.
Come on down.
Drop your head towards the earth and enjoy a few breaths here in your staggered fold,
Wide-legged fold.
And then come up to a flat back.
Walk yourself around toward the left so that you're lunging.
Step back to high plank.
And vinyasa if you ever want to skip the vinyasa press back to down dog nothing wrong with that As we come back into downward dog,
Start to walk your hands backwards towards your feet.
And when you get there.
Place each hand under each foot so you're standing on your hands.
Toes are at the creases of your wrists,
Your elbows bending out to the side,
Your head is dropping.
Take a few breaths here.
Imagine you're trying to just close the gap between your ribs and the tops of your thighs.
One more breath here.
Sliding your hands out from underneath.
Go ahead and walk out to a high plank.
If you need to set your knees down,
Feel free to.
Otherwise,
Hold right here.
Take a few breaths.
You've got this,
One more breath.
If you need to drop your knees to do this,
Feel free.
We're lowering to our elbows.
Now you're in a forearm plank.
Option to have those knees down,
Press into the forearms,
Take three more breaths.
Walk your toes in for dolphin.
So start to walk your feet in and lift your hips up.
It kind of looks like a down dog,
But you're on your elbows.
Your chest is pushing through.
I'm up on the balls of the feet.
I'm not even going to try to get the heels down right now.
You choose for yourself,
Though.
Little bend in the knees so you can prioritize the length of your spine.
Chest is moving through.
Three,
Two,
One.
You.
One,
Walk the toes back again,
Forearm plank.
And then melt your hips to the mat.
Here,
Release the tops of the feet down.
Pull the floor to you and feel into that backbend.
You're welcome to remain like this in Sphinx.
If you're feeling a bigger backbend is in store for you,
Angle your palms out.
And then press into the hands and straighten your arms.
This is seal pose.
Keep lifting your heart,
Earthing through your hips and your thighs,
Reaching through your toes.
I've been relieved.
Elbows come down.
Your hands can slide back to frame your chest.
Just press yourself up and back into a child's pose.
So forehead down,
Arms extended.
Take a breath into your lower back.
And then rise up into your hands and knees.
Coming up into tabletop pose.
Let's take it into a down dog,
Adho Mukha.
And bring the right shin forward behind the wrist.
Settling into our pigeon pose.
Walk the left leg back and make sure the left leg is straight back from your left hip.
Then come down onto your elbows.
Take a few breaths here,
Breathing space into that right glute.
Piriformis,
Letting any tension,
Contraction there dissolve.
And then climbing back up into your palms.
Tuck your left toes under and step back down dog.
Switching sides,
Left shin forward,
Right leg back.
Opening into that left hip.
Usually one of your hips feels a bit tighter than the other.
For me,
It's definitely this left one.
And then rising back up into your palms.
Tucking the back toes under and stepping back.
This is your last down dog of today's practice here with me.
Take a moment to take inventory.
Maybe your heels are a little closer to the earth.
Maybe you feel a little stronger in your arms,
In the press through your hands.
When you're ready to walk or jump forward,
Sit down.
And roll onto your back.
As we arrive here,
Right knee to chest.
Left leg goes long.
Let's take the right elbow to the inside of the knee.
Wrap the palm to the outside of the right foot or ankle.
And then pull the heel toward the ceiling,
Half happy baby pose.
You might need to re-bend the left knee to be here.
Feel free to do that or keep the legs straight.
And then gently release.
Cross the right knee down over to the left.
Extend your right arm out to the right and turn your gaze looking over the right shoulder.
And then come back to center.
And switch sides.
Take your right leg long,
Bring your left knee in.
Bring your left elbow to the inside of the left knee.
Again,
Grab that outer left foot.
Start to peel the foot up towards the ceiling.
And then release the foot,
Cross the left knee to the right,
Finding your twist.
Bring yourself back to neutral.
As you arrive on your back,
Arms and legs up to the ceiling,
Make fists.
Start to roll out wrists and ankles,
Getting the little pops and clicks out,
Encouraging that blood to circulate back towards your middle.
Towards the heart.
Bringing that lymphatic fluid down through the body.
And then release.
Slide your legs out straight.
Let the arms relax at the sides,
Turn the palms to the ceiling.
Make sure to be still here.
Often considered the hardest.
Pose of the whole practice.
So much.
One in the world,
It's hard for us to be still.
So if you have that desire to just.
.
.
Leave your practice now and skip this part.
You're not alone.
But I beg of you to.
.
.
Lie back just for a few minutes here.
Begin to notice your breath.
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
Start to slide the knees into a bend.
And just roll off to one side using that forearm as a little pillow for your head.
And then pushing down,
Lift yourself all the way up.
Come to set.
Bring your hands together in front of your heart.
Take an inhale,
Sigh it out,
Offering gratitude to yourself for making time today to move your body,
To move your body in ways you might not normally move it.
To be open to exploring transitions that maybe you weren't familiar with.
To the challenge of balancing,
Which we did a lot of in this practice.
May this practice serve you in so many ways as you leave your mat today.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Namaste.
