Welcome.
Today's practice will be a grounding practice.
We're going to begin in a comfortable seat and we're going to find a little bit of movement in the body,
Getting into the shoulders,
A little bit into the spine and legs a little bit.
And then we're going to be ending with a seated meditation to invite a sense of grounding and stillness and calmness in the mind.
So remember this is your practice.
Listen to your body,
Listen to your breath.
Find variations as you need to.
You might need a couple blocks or a couple blankets to sit on,
Whatever you would like for your practice.
Please come to a comfortable seat where you can have that nice tall spine,
A regal spine.
And just notice how you feel.
It might be different than yesterday or last week,
Might be different than tomorrow.
Notice any sensation in the body.
Might notice tension or tightness,
Perhaps even discomfort.
Invite that sense of curiosity,
Just observing what's going on without any attachment.
Setting aside any labels or judgment or criticism.
Be present and aware.
Notice if there's any feelings in the body.
Are you feeling anxious or jittery or maybe you're calm.
Just notice whatever's going on.
And on your next inhale,
Gently open the eyes if they're closed and reach your arms out and up.
Exhale bring your hands down to your heart.
Again inhale,
Reach your arms out and up.
And on your next exhale,
Lower the right hand down beside you.
Inhale lengthen through your left side.
And on your exhale side bend over to your right.
Feel that lengthening along the left side body.
Remember only go as far as feels appropriate to you.
Breathe here and just notice how that feels along the left side,
Creating a little more space between the ribs.
On your next inhale,
Rise all the way back up and lower your left hand down.
Inhale lengthen through the right side and side bend as you exhale over to your left.
You might gaze up or down or straight ahead.
Whatever feels best to you.
Breathe here,
Inviting a little more space between the right ribs.
And then on your next inhale rise all the way back up.
And on your exhale slowly lower the arms,
Come into a little twist to your right.
Hands and arms wherever they feel best to you.
Just only as far as feels appropriate to you,
Come into a little twist.
Feel the twist is initiated from your mid-back and then head and neck might follow,
Looking over your right shoulder or in that general direction.
Inhale unwind,
Come back to center.
And exhale twist to your left.
Whatever only goes far as feels appropriate to you.
And breathe here.
On your next inhale unwind,
Come back to center.
And exhale bring your hands and arms into a T shape.
And then we're going to bend the elbows,
Coming into goal post arms.
You can inhale,
Bring the arms and hands back slightly until you feel the shoulder blades coming closer together.
And then exhale bring the arms towards each other,
Elbows may or may not touch but try to take the elbows towards each other and palms turn towards your face.
Feel the shoulder blades moving away from each other,
A nice little stretch in the upper back.
And then inhale open the arms wide and exhale bringing the arms towards each other,
Nice little stretch.
Once more inhale opening the arms and exhale bringing the forearms together,
Palms towards your face,
Elbows may or may not touch.
And then release the arms again,
Opening them out wide in a T shape as you inhale.
And then exhale crossing your hands to the opposite shoulder,
Notice which arm is on top,
Give yourself a nice hug.
Squeezing just as much as you would like.
On your next inhale open the arms again and exhale give yourself another hug.
Hands to opposite shoulders,
Switching which arm is on top.
Give yourself a beautiful squeeze here.
Well deserved hug.
Inhale open the arms and lower the hands down beside you.
Thoughtfully transition into hands and knees.
Coming into table pose,
Knees are about under the hips,
Wrists are under your shoulders.
Lengthen your spine,
Reaching your tailbone towards the back of your mat and crown of your head reaches forward.
Notice where your hands and legs make contact with the support beneath you.
And invite a sense of grounding through your hands and knees and top of the feet.
And then take a few rounds of cat cow.
Move with your breath here.
Exhale rounding the spine into cat.
And on your inhale arch the spine into cow,
Drawing the heart forward.
Move with your breath here.
Exhale rounding into cat.
Inhale arching into cow.
Maybe using that soft ocean breath,
The ujjayi breath.
So your breath is audible to you.
Move slowly and thoughtfully.
And then return to neutral table.
And then maybe bring a block so that you can support your head.
Bring your toes to touch,
Widen the knees a little bit.
And bring your forearms down onto the mat or blanket that you're on.
Elbows may be near the knees.
And maybe the hands are just sort of supporting the block.
And your forehead is resting on the block.
If you don't have a block you can just use your hands.
So we want to position the block so that it supports the head.
And the spine is fairly parallel to the mat,
To the floor.
Rather than having the hips too much higher than the head.
So make sure the neck feels comfortable here.
And find whatever variation works for you.
This should feel really nice.
Soften the shoulders.
Let the hips be heavy,
Sinking towards the heels.
And just notice your breath.
Notice again where your body is making contact with the mat or the support of the blanket or floor beneath you.
With each exhale invite that sense of sinking towards the earth.
Appreciating the support of the earth.
Notice the belly against your thighs.
Breathe naturally here.
Child's pose is a very calming and centering pose.
It's great to relieve stress and anxiety.
Begin to slowly deepen your breath.
And maybe extend the exhale a little bit longer than the inhale.
Perhaps with a slightly open mouth for the exhale.
Gently parted lips or like a soft sigh.
Elongating the exhale without strain.
One more breath here in Balasana,
Child's pose.
And then slowly bring yourself back up onto your hands and knees.
Set the block aside unless you're going to use the blocks for downward dog.
Starting with your hands again,
Wrists about under your shoulders,
Knees about hip distance apart.
You're going to tuck the toes and lift your hips up and back for downward facing dog.
So if this doesn't work for you,
If wrists complain,
You can walk your feet in closer towards your hands.
Maybe have your hands on blocks or a chair.
You want to lengthen through the spine.
Draw the belly in slightly to protect the low back.
Reaching your hips up and back.
And as you take the heels towards the earth,
You're going to feel a stretch perhaps in the hamstrings.
Notice where your hands and feet are.
Notice on the hands and feet and energetically ground into the earth.
Maybe notice on your exhale if your breath is going out your hands or your feet.
Notice how that feels.
Inhale just allow the inhale to be natural and exhale.
Notice if it's going out your hands or your feet.
Take one more breath here and then thoughtfully lower the knees and make your way to a comfortable seat.
You might sit up on a blanket or other support,
A cushion.
Make sure you feel comfortable.
And we're going to do a little practice here called Kyosterium.
It's a rotation of consciousness,
Rotation of awareness.
And it's going to help us feel a little bit more grounded and still.
So when you come to a comfortable seat,
Bring your hands wherever they make sense to you.
Palms down might be a little more grounding.
Nice tall spine and gently close your eyes.
And bring your awareness to your right foot.
Notice your right foot.
Then notice the whole right leg,
The whole right leg.
And then bring your awareness to your left foot.
Focus just on your left foot.
And then notice your whole left leg from the foot to the hip,
The whole left leg.
And then notice the lower belly.
Notice the belly.
Then notice the upper chest,
Heart area.
And then notice your whole back.
Notice your whole back.
And then notice your right arm.
Bring your awareness to your right arm,
Shoulder to the hands and fingers,
The whole right arm.
And then notice your left arm,
The whole left arm.
Bring your awareness to the throat and neck.
Notice your throat and neck.
Then bring your awareness to your head and face.
Notice the whole head and face.
And then notice the whole body,
Steady and grounded as a mountain,
Still as a stone.
Notice the whole body,
Steady as a mountain,
Still as a stone.
And then again,
Notice your right foot.
Being aware of your right foot.
Notice the whole right leg,
The right leg.
Notice your left foot.
Notice your left foot.
And then notice your whole left leg.
Bring your awareness to your left leg.
Notice your belly,
The lower belly.
Bring your awareness to your upper chest.
Notice your upper chest area.
Then bring your awareness to the whole back.
Notice your whole back.
Bring your awareness to your right arm.
The whole right arm.
Notice your left arm,
The whole left arm.
Notice your throat and neck area.
Your throat and neck.
Notice your whole head and face.
Being aware of your whole head and face.
And then notice your whole body,
Your whole body,
Still as a statue,
Steady as a tree.
Notice the stillness within.
Feel your sitz bones and legs sinking towards the earth,
Grounded with the earth.
You can repeat this practice as many times as you need as a preparation for your daily meditation to find stillness within,
To be more grounded and centered.
Enjoy where you are for a little while longer.
Just notice your stillness within.
And when you hear the bell,
It will be the end of this practice.
Thank you for joining me today.
Namaste.
