Moving Meditation - Slow Yoga Flow For Strength & Intention
A gentle, full-body yoga practice accessible for all levels. We begin slow and build to a set of standing postures before winding back down to our mats. This moderate flow builds strength while maintaining your focus on breath and intention.
Transcript
Welcome.
Arrive on your back,
Relaxing into the mat beneath you.
Arms at your sides,
Palms face up,
Shoulders relaxing down the back,
Getting nice and open through your heart space.
Allow your legs to completely relax,
Feet gently falling out toward the corners of the room,
And close your eyes.
Begin to draw all of your attention to your deep,
Even breathing,
Filling up belly,
Chest and ribs on your next in-breath,
And slowly,
With control,
Letting that breath go out the nose or mouth.
Continue breathing here,
Taking the deepest breaths you've taken yet today,
And arrive at an intention for your practice.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Circling the wrists and ankles,
Bringing a little movement into the extremities.
Reverse those circles when you're ready.
Nice and slow.
Relax your arms alongside your body,
And take a big inhale,
Reaching your arms up and overhead,
Pointing through your toes,
Getting nice and long on your mat.
And as you exhale,
Draw your right knee into your chest.
Interlace your fingers behind your thigh.
If you need to bend the left knee to plant the foot,
To alleviate any discomfort in your low back,
Do so,
Or keep that leg extended long,
Foot gently flexed,
As if you're standing on the earth.
Breathe here,
Inhaling all the way up through the crown of the head,
And exhaling down the low back.
Let it release.
Bring your left hand to your right knee.
On your next exhale,
Guide that knee across the left side body,
Taking your right arm out at your side,
Bending the elbow in a gentle goalpost shape,
And looking over that shoulder to bring the twist all the way into the neck.
Breathing up your beautiful long spine,
And exhaling a little deeper into this gentle twist.
Bring that knee back to the center line,
Taking your right hand behind the thigh,
And then guiding the knee over toward the right shoulder,
So it's still hugging in,
It's just angled over toward the shoulder.
Left arm comes out at your side,
And just breathe into this gentle opening in your right hip.
Sending the exhalations to areas you're feeling sensation.
Bring that knee back to center on your next inhale,
And then relax the right foot down to the mat.
Bend the left knee to plant the left foot meeting the right.
Arms out at your sides,
And just gently rock the knees side to side.
Massage your sacrum nice and slow.
Bring the knees to center,
And then draw that left knee up and into your chest.
Fingers interlace behind the thigh,
And send that right leg long if your low back feels okay.
Again,
Inhaling as if you're pulling energy up from the earth beneath that right foot,
As if you're standing on the earth all the way through the crown of the head.
Exhaling down the low back.
Right hand comes to the left knee on your next exhale,
Guided across the right side body.
Left arm out at your side this time,
Either straight or in a goalpost shape.
And turn your head to gently look over that shoulder,
Bringing the twist all the way up into the neck.
Keep your head neutral if this is uncomfortable for your neck.
And let's breathe here.
On your next inhale,
Bring the knee back to center,
Left hand behind the thigh,
And guide that knee over toward your shoulder.
Right arm out at your side,
And just relax into the hip.
Exhaling to soften even more.
Bring that knee back to the center line.
Plant the left foot on the mat with the knee bent.
Bend the right knee to plant the right foot next to it.
Arms at your sides,
And again,
Find that gentle rock,
Keeping your core engaged.
And then just gently massaging that sacrum.
I'm reaching for my blocks here.
We're going to move into a supported bridge.
So place one block in between your thighs.
Walk your heels up a little closer to your sits bones,
See if you can just kind of graze those heels with your middle fingers,
And then slide that second block underneath your sacrum at the low position.
Arms at your sides,
Palms face up.
Shoulders soft down the back,
And just relax into this gentle inversion.
If you would like to grow this pose a little deeper,
Plant your palms down into the mat.
Think of lifting from the soles of your feet to lift your hips.
Lift your chest toward your chin,
And come into a full bridge pose.
Inhaling the chest a little closer to the chin,
And exhaling to maintain that height.
On your next exhale,
Lower your sacrum back down to that block,
Taking a big inhale.
Big exhale.
And then lifting that sacrum just enough to slide the block out from underneath,
And then lowering one vertebrae at a time.
Use your core to control your descent back down to the mat.
Breathe here.
Now we're going to remove the block in between the thighs.
Bring the soles of the feet together,
And open the knees wide like a book for supta baddha konasana.
Place one block under each knee or thigh,
In the event that you're a little pinchy in the hips.
If you don't need them,
You can skip them.
Right hand to belly,
Left hand to heart.
And I want you to just relax here,
Down the low back after that back bend that we just did.
Let the bowl of the pelvis soften.
Relax your hands down to the outside edges of your thighs to draw your knees back in together.
And then slowly roll on to whatever side is accessible in your space.
And lift yourself up into paschimottanasana.
Beginning here in staff pose,
We're going to plant the hands under the shoulders,
Sit up nice and tall,
And we're going to move through a rolling seated forward fold.
So walking the fingertips forward,
Keeping your spine long.
We're going to keep all that length for one more inhale.
And then as you exhale,
Gently bow down from the belly.
Inhale,
Roll up that spine,
Returning to all your length.
Exhale,
Bow.
Inhale,
Roll up.
Exhale,
From the belly,
Melt down.
From the belly,
Inhale,
Stack your vertebrae,
Roll back up.
Exhale,
Bow.
Inhale,
Lengthen.
Exhale,
Fold.
Big inhale,
Lengthen out that spine,
And this time we're going to exhale,
Fold.
And we're going to hold.
Your hands might come to the shins,
The ankles,
Maybe they reach your feet.
Just breathe into this deep seated fold.
Releasing down your low back.
Softening through the hamstrings.
On your next inhale,
Lead with your heart to rise up,
Hands slide up toward your knees.
And we're going to come onto one hip or the other,
And move into a tabletop position.
Knees under the hips,
Tops of the feet root down into the mat.
And the hands just slightly forward of the shoulders.
Find your beautiful long spine and inhale,
Open up,
Lift your heart,
Lift your tail.
Exhale,
Pull up from your belly,
Tuck your tail,
Relax your head.
Inhale,
Open up.
Exhale,
Round.
Big inhale to open up.
Exhale,
Round to your cat pose.
Inhale,
Open up,
Cow.
Exhale,
Round,
Pulling up between the shoulders.
Inhale,
Open.
Exhale,
Round.
Coming to your nice neutral spine,
Belly engages.
And then just kind of ripple through the spine.
Moving in some nice big circles if that feels good.
Just find a little bit of fluidity here.
Working through any tight spots or tension that you're encountering.
And then reverse that motion.
Take it slow.
Be present with all the sensations in your spine.
Come back to neutral.
Walk the palms forward,
Bring the shoulders over the wrists,
Finding plank on your knees.
And then slowly bend the elbows lower down to your chest.
Shoulders down the back.
Inhale,
Lift your heart cobra.
Open.
Exhale,
Melt down.
Inhale,
Gently lift plank on your knees.
Keep lifting from the belly to round through the spine.
Send the hips to the heels.
Extended child's pose.
Allow your third eye to release to the mat.
Awakening that relaxation response in the physical body.
Relaxing through the hips and the low back.
Soften through your shoulders.
Inhale,
Come back to tabletop.
And then we're going to send the right leg back behind us.
Toes point down.
Heel roughly in line with the crown of the head,
So keep your core nice and strong here.
Peek back,
Make sure those toes are pointing straight down.
And then moving to full spinal balance.
Reach your left arm forward like you're shaking someone's hand and grow long.
Inhale through those fingers.
Exhale through that flexed right foot.
Deep breaths here.
Keeping your core nice and engaged to support this shape.
Lowering your left hand down.
Big inhale to that right leg.
And then exhale.
Right knee to nose.
Get round.
Inhale.
Send it back nice and slow.
Exhale.
Knee to nose.
Inhale.
Extend that leg back.
Exhale.
Knee to nose.
And then release that knee down.
We're going to walk the palms forward.
Send the shoulders forward.
Plank on the knees.
Big inhale.
Exhale.
Slowly descend to your belly.
Shoulders down the back.
Inhale.
Lift your heart cobra.
Elbows hug in.
Exhale.
Slowly melt back down.
Inhale.
Lift from the belly to come to plank on the knees.
Keep lifting from the belly to round through the spine.
Hips to heels.
Extended child's pose.
Take a breath.
Release.
Come back to your intention.
Inhale.
Lift back to your tabletop position.
And we're going to switch sides.
Take a big breath in to send your left leg back behind you.
Peeking back to make sure those toes point straight down,
Keeping the hips level.
And then we're going to send the right arm forward and long this time.
Like you're being pulled apart from end to end.
Big inhale through those fingertips.
Reach.
Big exhale down that left leg.
Core is engaged.
Hold the pose,
Not the breath.
On your next exhale,
Lower your right hand down.
Take a big inhale to that left leg.
And then exhale.
Left knee to nose.
Get round.
You're pulling up from your belly here.
Inhale.
Extend that leg back.
Use your core.
Exhale.
Round.
Knee gets a little closer to the nose.
Inhale.
Extend.
Exhale.
Round.
And then release that knee down.
Tabletop.
Walk your palms forward slightly.
Sending shoulders over wrists.
Plank on your knees.
Big inhale.
Exhale with control.
Lower to your belly.
Big breath in.
We're going to bring the fingertips a couple inches from the edge of the mat.
Elbows toward the ceiling.
Find your belly and inhale.
Roll up your spine.
Exhale.
Melt down.
Inhale.
Roll up from your belly all the way up through the crown of the head.
And exhale.
Melt from the belly all the way down.
Inhale.
Roll up.
Exhale.
Melt down.
Plant your hands back under your shoulders.
Engage your belly.
Inhale.
Lift.
Plank on the knees.
Keep lifting from the belly.
Round through the spine.
Hips to heels.
Don't let them touch though.
Curl the toes under and straighten the legs for downward dog.
Adjust your stance.
Keeping a nice gentle bend in your knees,
You get nice and long through that spine.
Pedal it out.
Wiggle it out for a moment.
And then settle in here.
Find stillness in your dog pose.
Inhaling from fingers to hips.
Exhaling hips down toward the heels.
Now bend your knees.
Look forward.
Slowly walk the feet up toward the hands.
You can walk the hands back toward the feet as well.
Just arrive in a standing forward fold.
Grab your opposite elbows.
Sway a little bit side to side.
Let that spine release.
Let the neck release.
Let your jaw soften.
Release your elbows.
And we're going to roll up from the belly.
Stack your vertebrae nice and slow.
On a big inhale,
Roll all the way up.
And we arrive in mountain pose.
Take a breath in.
Take a breath out.
Now I'm going to grab my blocks here.
We're going to place the blocks at the front of the mat.
Roughly under your shoulders when you fold forward.
So come to Tadasana,
Mountain pose.
Big inhale.
Arms to the sides and overhead.
Exhale.
Hinge from the hips.
Fold forward all the way down.
Let your hands come to those blocks.
Inhale.
Roll out from the belly to a nice flat back,
Long spine.
Exhale.
Melt down.
Big breath in.
Nice soft knees.
Lead with your hard arms to the sides and overhead.
Exhale.
Relax your arms.
Again.
Inhale.
Lift up.
Exhale.
Hinge from the hips.
Spine is long.
Fold forward.
Hands can come to the earth or the shins or those blocks.
Inhale.
Lengthen out.
Long spine.
Exhale.
Fold.
Big breath in.
Arms to the sides and overhead.
Rise up.
Exhale.
Release your arms.
One more time.
Inhale.
Rise up.
Exhale.
Fold forward.
Inhale.
Hands are sliding up to my thighs this time.
Long spine.
Exhale.
Fold into your legs.
Lead with your hard inhale.
Rise all the way up.
Arms to the sides and overhead.
Exhale.
Release your arms.
Mountain pose.
Take a big breath in.
Long breath out.
Now hands to hips.
We're going to step wide to your left to face the long edge of your mat.
I'm going to bring my blocks to center here with me.
We roughly want ankles under wrists.
Lift your arms up.
Take a big breath in.
Exhale from your hip points.
Fold forward all the way through center.
Your hands can just come to those blocks.
Or maybe your hands comfortably reach the earth.
In this shape we're inhaling all the way up through the sits bones,
Sits bones toward the ceiling and we're exhaling crown of the head down toward the earth.
So see if you can deepen your fold.
And then inhale.
Lengthen out to your long spine.
Hands on blocks.
And we're just going to softly bend one knee at a time.
Being mindful as you lift through center that you're lifting from your seat.
You're not pressing your knees back.
Waking up the hips here.
Feel free to sway a little bit.
Make these movements nice and fluid.
And then find your nice long spine.
Take your blocks with you.
We're going to turn the right toes toward the front of the mat and frame that front foot.
Pivot on your left foot,
Your back foot so that the toes are on the mat,
The heel is lifted.
Right knee over right ankle and we arrive in runner's lunge.
Getting nice and long through your spine.
And exhaling down that back leg so we're not dumping our weight forward.
If you would like to lift your arms like I just did for a little more of a core challenge,
You're welcome to.
Or just keep your hands on the blocks or the earth.
Breathe into all this length and as you exhale lower your left knee down.
Top of the foot releases.
We come to low lunge.
Your hands can stay on blocks or come to your front thigh.
If you would like you can sweep the arms all the way up for the full expression of Anjaneyasana.
Meet yourself where you are.
There's no pressure to go deeper into this than you need to.
On your next exhale relax your hands back down to the blocks or the earth.
And then we're going to lift from our seat to rock the left hip back over that knee and inch the right foot forward a tad to grow long through that leg.
Curl your right toes up and back toward you and when you're ready gently bow over that right leg for your half splits.
You're pulling back from that right heel through that hip.
And you're lengthening your spine forward and over your leg.
Hands can stay on blocks or come to the earth.
On your next inhale lengthen back through your spine.
Re-bend right knee over ankle for low lunge.
Then we're going to curl the back toes under.
Lift that back knee for runner's lunge,
Staying nice and long through the spine.
And then we're going to straighten through that right leg.
We're going to plant the back foot so it's parallel to the short edge.
Take that block beneath you.
With your right hand bring it inside that foot or ankle.
Left hand to the hip and gently roll that left hip over the right.
Reaching that left arm up.
We come into Trikonasana.
Triangle pose.
Soften down your shoulders.
Lift your gaze if it's comfortable for your neck.
And then we're going to rotate from the shoulder.
So you're looking at the palm of the hand.
Take a big inhale and exhale extend that arm alongside the ear.
Let the fingers sweep down and inhale lift that arm back up.
Exhale extend,
Look down as the fingers sweep down.
Inhale lift back up.
Exhale extend,
Look down.
Inhale sweep that arm back up.
Sweep that arm long.
And bring it all the way down to that block.
Walk the hands back to the long edge of the mat.
Both sets of toes turn to point to the long edge.
Lengthen through your spine on a big inhale and exhale bow through center.
Pasarita Padottanasana.
Breathe.
Sway a little.
Let that low back release.
And then we're going to inhale back to our long spine.
You'll see my hands are on my blocks.
And I'm going to take my blocks with me as I turn my left toes this time toward the short edge.
Pivot on that right foot in the back so you're on the ball of the foot.
The heel is lifted.
Frame that front foot with your hands.
Left knee over left ankle.
Grow long through your spine.
Building a little bit of heat here in our runner's lunge.
That back leg is very firm.
Take your time.
On your next exhale,
Lower the right knee down.
Top of the foot releases.
Find low lunge.
Hands can stay on blocks.
Or they can come to the front thigh.
If you would like to lift the arms all the way up,
Go for it.
For the full expression.
That's going to bring the opening a little bit more into the psoas.
Big breath here.
On your next exhale,
Lower your hands down to frame your front foot.
Hands on those blocks or the earth.
And we're actually going to keep that right knee down.
And we're going to rock back for our half splits.
Inching that left foot forward.
Lengthening through your spine.
And then gently bowing over that left leg.
Breathe here.
Letting that hamstring soften.
And then on your next inhale,
Lengthen out through your spine.
Re-bend the left knee over the ankle for your low lunge.
Curl your back toes under.
Gently lift that knee,
Finding runner's lunge.
And then lift from your seat to straighten out through that left leg.
Get long through your spine.
Plant your right foot behind you so it's parallel to the back of the mat.
Bringing that block inside that left foot or ankle under your left hand.
Right hand to the hip.
Roll that right hip over the left and send your right arm up for triangle.
If your shoulder is uncomfortable,
You can keep your right hand at your hip.
And if your neck is uncomfortable,
Just keep it nice and neutral.
Meet yourself where you are.
Breathe here.
Rotate from the shoulder so you're looking at the palm.
Exhale,
Sweep that arm forward and long.
Inhale,
Back up.
Exhale,
Extend.
Circle down.
Inhale,
Lift.
Exhale,
Extend.
Look down as the fingers circle down.
Inhale,
Lift.
Exhale,
Grow long through the side body as you extend that arm down.
And then bring it to a block and walk your blocks back towards center.
All ten toes to the long edge of the mat.
I'm going to lower my blocks to the low position here because we're going to move into wide-legged downward dog.
You can keep your hands on blocks or just walk them forward.
Letting the ears rest in line with the biceps.
And continuing to send the weight a little bit back.
Hips up toward the ceiling.
Now gently slide the blocks back or walk your hands back under your shoulders.
I'm going to bring my blocks to the high position so I can get nice and long through my spine here.
And then turn your right toes back toward the front of your mat,
Framing that foot again with your hands,
Returning to runner's lunge.
Take a big step forward with that left foot and gently fold over your legs.
Uttanasana.
Sway gently,
Hands to opposite elbows.
And then take a big inhale.
Arms to the sides and overhead,
Rise up.
Exhale,
Relax your arms down.
Bring your hands into a fist at your tailbone and send that fist to the earth as you open up through your heart.
On your next exhale,
Fold forward.
Let that fist come up and overhead.
And again,
Just sway a little bit.
Let the neck and shoulders release.
If the fist is too much,
You can just grab opposite elbows behind your back.
Let all that tension melt away.
And then with a nice soft bend in your knees,
Lead with your heart to rise all the way back up,
Fist toward the earth,
And release that fist.
Mountain pose,
Take a breath.
Release it out.
Big inhale,
Arms to the sides and overhead.
Exhale,
Hinge from your hips and fold forward.
Inhale,
Halfway lift,
Hands to thighs or the blocks.
Exhale,
Fold into your legs.
Nice soft knees,
Plant your palms.
Step that left foot back and then the right foot,
Finding plank maybe on your toes if you're up for it or come to your knees.
And then nice and slow,
We're going to bend the elbows and lower all the way to the belly.
Tops of the feet release.
We're going to come into sphinx pose.
I'm moving my blocks aside here.
We want the elbows under the shoulders,
Forearms rooted into the mat.
And you want to find that little bit of a pulling back motion through the fingers,
Like you're pulling the earth back toward you.
Your heart sends forward.
And you relax completely down your spine.
Don't crunch your neck here.
The neck should follow this beautiful curvature you're creating through your spine.
And then if it feels okay,
Draw a line with your nose over your right shoulder.
Breathing into the left side of the neck.
Draw that line back through center and over the left shoulder.
Breathing into the right side of the neck.
And then bring your head to center.
Just gently bow the head,
Allowing the weight of gravity to apply a little bit of pressure on the back of the head and just breathing down the neck and shoulders.
Don't let your shoulders round forward here.
Keep them down the back.
It's just the head that gently bows.
Lift your head on your next inhale.
And exhale,
Let your elbows go wide.
Just come all the way to your belly.
Third eye to your hands or the earth.
Maybe shake your hips side to side for a moment.
And then reach your left arm out at your side.
We're going to plant the right palm,
Bend the right knee behind us,
And gently roll to the outside edge of that left leg and let your right toes tap behind.
Coming into a little shoulder pigeon.
If your right toes don't reach the earth,
You can put a block beneath them.
Breathe deeply here.
Come back to your intention.
Use your next exhale to come back to your belly and switch sides.
So the left palm plants,
The right arm extends at your side,
Palm face down.
Left knee bends behind you and you gently guide yourself to the outside edge of your right leg.
Close your eyes.
Let that right shoulder relax.
And then come back to your belly.
Plant both hands under your shoulders.
Inhale,
Lift a plank on the knees.
And then we're going to walk the knees forward a tad,
Coming onto one hip or the other.
And come to center.
Extend your legs forward for staff pose and then swing them over to your left.
We're going to set up for deer pose.
With your right shin in front,
Take a big inhale and exhale.
Gently bow.
Inhale,
Roll up your spine.
Exhale,
Bow forward.
Inhale,
Roll up.
Exhale,
Bow down.
Inhale,
Journey up that spine.
Exhale,
Release down.
And this time we're going to hold our hip opener.
I'm reaching for a block here.
You can put the block underneath your forearms.
Maybe it's going to go underneath your third eye,
Like I have here.
Maybe your forehead goes all the way to the earth.
It can just rest on your hands.
I have flipped my palms to face up here.
Nice and open to receive a little bit of energy as we release through the hips.
If full pigeon pose is in your practice,
Just straighten that left leg out behind you and come into a full pigeon.
When you're ready,
Slowly lead with your heart to rise up.
Plant the hands under the shoulders.
Extend your legs back forward for staff pose.
And then swing them over to your right.
Your left shin is in front now,
Setting up for deer pose.
Come to full pigeon if you prefer.
And then exhale,
Melt down.
Inhale,
Roll up.
Exhale,
Melt down your spine and bow.
Inhale,
Slow journey up.
Exhale,
Melt down.
We're going to hold this time.
Grab your block if you're going to use one.
Set yourself up so you're nice and comfortable.
We're going to take some nice deep breaths here,
Releasing through the left hip.
On your next inhale,
Lead with your heart to slowly rise up.
Straighten your legs back forward for staff pose.
And then I'm going to bring one heel toward the corner,
Each corner of the mat,
Coming into a dragonfly pose.
Sitting up nice and tall.
And then using the exhale to hinge from the hips and gently fold forward through center.
Using a block again,
Perhaps under the forearms.
Maybe you're open enough to come all the way through center.
Block under the forehead.
Just keep those feet flexed.
Toes toward the ceiling.
Don't let them roll forward as you fold.
And just send your exhalations to areas where you're feeling resistance.
Leading with your heart on your next inhale,
Come back up.
Put one hand under each knee to gently help guide the legs back into center.
Coming to a nice seated position on your mat,
And make sure your strap is nearby.
We're going to sit up nice and tall,
And we're going to come into boat pose,
Navasana.
You can lift both feet up in line with the knees.
Extend your arms forward if that's okay.
Maybe even straighten your legs.
That's the full expression.
Meet yourself where you are.
And breathe here.
Belly anchors down to the spine.
Slowly rolling on your next exhale,
Down all the way to your back.
Reaching those arms up and overhead,
Full body stretch.
And then hugging both knees in,
Wrapping your forearms around your shins.
Just giving yourself a big hug.
Come all the way back onto your back.
Feet come to the mat,
And go ahead and reach for your strap.
We're going to draw the right knee into the chest,
And bring that strap around the ball of the right foot,
Sending that right leg straight up.
Sole of the foot parallel with the ceiling as if you could balance a book on that foot.
And send your left leg forward and long if that's accessible for you.
It's okay to have a generous bend in that right knee.
Just think of pressing the foot toward the ceiling as you inhale,
And softening down that leg on the exhale.
Bring both ends of the strap into your right hand,
And allow that right leg to open out to the side on your next exhale.
Take your left arm out at your side.
Belly anchors toward the spine,
So you stay nice and balanced in this shape.
This is a reclined big toe pose.
We're moving through.
And then lift that leg back up.
Don't pull it with the strap.
Really try to lift it,
And then bring the strap into the left hand.
And we're going to take that right leg about six inches over to the left.
See how that feels for your IT band.
See how that feels down the outside edge of the right leg.
Take your right arm out to the side in goal post,
And turn your head over your right shoulder.
Now,
If you would like to relax that leg a little deeper to the left,
By all means,
Please do.
Just find where you're experiencing sensation,
And breathe.
Lifting that leg back up at center,
Bending the knee into the chest,
Setting the strap aside.
We're going to take the left hand to the right knee.
Reach the right arm down alongside the body,
Bending the knee of that straight left leg.
And bring your left foot into your right hand.
This is a variation on a cat pulling its tail pose.
So you're releasing down that left quad.
And if your left foot doesn't come into your right hand,
Just work toward it.
They don't have to touch,
But let the left knee relax down enough so you're feeling some sensation in that quad.
Draw the left knee back up to meet the right at center,
Arms at your sides,
And we're just going to draw some nice circles on the ceiling now with our knees,
Keeping them together.
Using your core to drive this movement,
And just massage out that sacrum.
Reversing your circles.
And then release your right foot down to the mat,
And we're going to switch sides.
So the strap goes around the ball of the left foot,
And you're going to straighten that left leg up.
Now be very careful about your strap placement around the foot,
Because we want to be able to press the foot into the strap.
So you really want to make sure that strap is around the ball of the foot,
And you can press the foot up toward the ceiling.
Softening down on your exhale.
Bringing both ends of the strap now into your left hand,
We're going to inhale into your long leg,
And exhale,
Open that leg out to the left.
Perhaps with the assistance of the strap,
You can angle the toes a little more toward your left shoulder.
Opening through the hip a little bit more.
Lifting your leg back up at center.
Bringing the strap into the right hand now,
And releasing that left leg about 6 inches to the right,
Noticing what you're experiencing there.
Journeying deeper if you like,
And turning your head now over your left shoulder.
Lift your leg back up at center,
Bend that left knee back into the chest,
Set the strap aside,
And then we're going to take the right hand to the left knee,
Left arm reaches down for that right foot,
And we're going to breathe into that right quad.
Draw your right knee back into your chest,
Arms at your sides,
And we're going to circle through the hips now.
So open the knees wide like a book,
Circle them down,
Away,
And back together.
Just take your time.
Reversing that motion.
And then send your leg straight up toward the ceiling.
For legs up the wall without the wall.
Breathe into this beautiful inversion,
Maybe pointing and flexing the feet if that feels good.
Engaging the lower abdominals to support this shape.
Maybe circling out the ankles one direction and then the other.
And then bending the knees toward the shoulders,
Hands to the feet,
Coming into a nice happy baby pose.
Rocking around a little bit on the spine if that feels nice.
Breathing into the hips.
Releasing the feet,
Or perhaps you grabbed your shins or ankles for a happy baby.
Bring your feet all the way down to the mat,
Bending the knees,
Arms at your sides.
And again,
Let's just gently rock side to side with those knees.
Eventually releasing them all the way to the right and turning your head over your left shoulder in a reclined twist.
Continuing to breathe up the length of your spine and exhaling all the way back down.
Bring your head to neutral.
Use your core to support you as you lift your knees to center and then relax them over to the left.
Take your gaze over your right shoulder.
Just envision gently wringing out your spine.
Letting all that tightness and tension release.
Bring your head back to neutral,
Knees back to center,
Rocking again a couple times if that feels nice for the tailbone and then extend your legs forward and long toward the corners of the mat.
Full body stretch and then relax your arms down at your sides,
Palms face up.
We're arriving here now in our final relaxation.
Relaxing completely into the mat beneath you.
Taking a big inhale,
Focusing on your third eye,
That space between your brows.
And exhaling all the way into the earth.
Arriving in stillness,
Allowing your breath to naturally flow and just be present.
We're going to slowly begin now to wake the body back up.
Wiggle the fingers and the toes.
Circle the wrists and the ankles.
Reversing those motions when you're ready.
And then relax your arms down,
Taking another full body stretch,
Reaching those arms up and overhead,
Pointing through the toes.
And then hug your knees into your chest and give yourself a big hug.
Rock around on the spine.
Relax head,
Neck and shoulders back down and gently roll onto whatever side in your space is accessible.
Lifting yourself all the way up and coming into a nice,
Gentle Sukhasana seat.
You can sit up on blocks like I'm going to here,
Or keep your sits bones rooted into the earth.
Backs of the hands on the knees,
Thumbs to forefingers,
Close your eyes.
And take a moment to recall your intention.
Take a big inhale,
Lift your arms up and overhead,
Palms together,
And lower your thumbs to your third eye.
Breathing in,
And then exhaling to lower your thumbs to your heart for Anjali Mudra.
Let's take another breath together,
And then exhale,
Bow forward.
Namaste.
