Release & Restore: MFR + Restorative Yin

This MFR + Restorative Yin class begins with 20 minutes of myofascial release for the upper traps and pecs to help ease tension. Then settle into supported poses, including a heart opener, pigeon, child's pose, and supine twist. Finish with a gentle occipital release and allow yourself to fully relax and unwind.
Suggested Props: 2 balls or foam roller, bolster, blanket or towel, and blocks.

Transcript

Welcome, I'm Rebecca. We've got Nova here today, She's sleeping in the corner. And Luna the cat is sleeping on the chair. We'll see how long they stay. Gather your props. Two myofascial release balls or tennis balls, If you have those. If you don't have those, A foam roller would work. A blanket or a towel. A bolster, Blocks. And a sock that we might use at the end of practice. With the balls. But if you don't have all those props, No worries. We're going to start with a little myofascial release before we get into the yin postures. So the first place we're going to go. Oz. Between the neck and the shoulder right at the upper traps. As you took your opposite hand and you went around like you were going to pat your back, You can feel that area between where the arm is and where the. . . Crease of the neck is. So right at that center area, We're going to place the balls there. But before we do that, Let's meet on the mat, Just lying down, And have a block nearby. So I'm lying down on the mat. Arriving. So knees can be together or knees can be out, Stretched out long. Just notice how your body feels today. Start to notice your breath. Beautiful, Noticing the inhale. And noticing the exhale. And as you bring awareness to the breath, Maybe the inhale gets a little bit longer. And the exhale gets a little bit longer. Beautiful. On your next inhale, Reach your arms past your ears, Get really big, Like you're waking up from a long, Restful nap. Waking up to the practice. And then exhale, Bring your knees into your chest and give yourself a hug. You can rock a little side to side. Or stay still. Beautiful. And then slowly place your feet down onto the earth. You'll grab the Myofascial Release Balls, One in each hand. And I like to use the opposite hand. So I'm going to take the right hand and place the ball underneath my left hand. The left side. And then I want to take the left hand and place the ball underneath the right side. Beautiful. So I've got the balls underneath me. You might be able to see them on the the screen. And you can always adjust. To make sure they feel good. But you're not gonna feel a lot right now. Especially if you've done this before. Or maybe you do, So just noticing what you feel. You could stay still. Or stay just like this. Adding on, Lifting up. The pelvis and you'll take your block and just bring it underneath you. You can have it at the lowest setting or the second setting, And that's going to help bring your body over the balls a little bit more, And they're going to nuzzle into those upper traps a little bit more. So decide what feels good for you. The block or no block. If you don't have a block, You could use your bolster. Or are rolled up. Blanket. So make it. Adjust it just right. And pause. Just notice how it feels. With myofascial release. It's nice to, You can breathe in to the balls. And you tighten that area that the balls are at, Get really tight, Pressing that into the balls as you breathe in. And then exhale, Soften. As the balls nuzzle into your body. Again, Breathing in, Pressing into the balls. Exhale, Soften as the balls nuzzle into the skin and the tissues. Beautiful. So this is gallbladder. 21 in traditional Chinese medicine as an acupressure point. It's really good to bring in calm. If you're feeling stress or anxiety. Also great to work. If you have any shoulder or neck issues. Or if you have a lot of things going on in your mind. And you just want to bring that awareness into the body. So you could stay still, Or if you'd like to add on, You can. Move your arms. Like you're making snow angels underneath a tree. This is great if you've been working at your desk. Or gardening. Caring for someone. And you can decide how much pressure you like to place. And sometimes I like to keep my arms past my ears, And then I just move a little side to side, Almost like I'm windshield wipering my shoulders a little bit. But you can be an explorer with myofascial release and see what feels good in your body. Beautiful. We'll be here for two more rounds of breath. One more inhale, Maybe press into the balls. Stay for the exhale, Releasing. Beautiful. Slowly lift your pelvis, Remove your sacrum from the block. And then take your hands and remove the balls. You can stretch the legs out long. And notice how you might feel tingling or warmth at the shoulders. You can reach the arms past the ears. Maybe move a little side to side in your upper body. Beautiful. Okay, We're going to do another myofascial release this time. We're using the block. So you can roll to your side and grab your block or a foam roller will work here. And I'm just going to show you where we're going. So we just got the upper traps. And now we're going. Towards we're going to get into the packs and into the last to the last year behind you could take the opposite hand like you're going to pat your back. And this area underneath the armpit. Is the last. Kind of like a ropey. Muscle here, And then we're going to get into the pack switcher in the front. And you could take your fingers even inside your armpit a little bit and press. And you can feel your pecs, Especially if you move your arm a little bit. And there's a lot of tension that we get when you're working at a computer or rounding to care for someone or gardening. This shortens, This lengthens, And we want to stretch this out a little bit so you can kind of open up your heart. So using the block. It's like I'm going to be on my side and the block's going to be underneath my arm. The pointy part of the block will get into the pack area, And then this back part of the block is going to get into the lats. If you don't have a block, You can use a foam roller or you can use your rolled up yoga mat. All right, Let's try it. And you could take your sweatshirt or a towel to soften. The block if it doesn't feel good underneath your arm. And if you had the foam roller, It would look like this. I like the block, It's a little pointier than the foam roller, But just be really nice to yourself. Okay, So I'm lying down on the blocks, So the blocks underneath my arm. And I think about my raft being this cosmic, Like my yoga mat is like a raft and we're on the cosmic sea. I like to visualize things like just bringing in some calmness that way. And you can decide if it works for you or not. So I'm sitting on the, I'm leaning against the blocks, What's underneath me. And just notice how that feels. Breathing in, Pressing into the block. And breathing out and softening. So the block is on its second setting. It's not flat, It's up, But it's not the highest setting. Beautiful. So we're on our raft, And there's these little bitty ripples, So we're just going to rock a little side to side. So you're going to rock back. Pressing into that lat muscle a little bit. And then come back to center. Just being kind to yourself, This can be a tender area. And it's kind of an awkward place to get massaged, Especially in the pec area. And now just leaning back. So you're just leaning back a little bit, Pressing into that lat area. And just using your breath to let go of tension. Stagnation. So stay here, Or you could. . . Straighten your arm. And bend your arm. And you're just bringing a little bit of sharing. Beautiful. Maybe rock back a little bit more. And then come back to center. And now we're going to roll and the pokey part of the block is going to press into that pec area that I showed you. And you might have to adjust the block. And you may have to adjust any. Breast tissue that you might have to move it to the side. So feel free to manipulate your blocks. Or your body to make this work. And if it doesn't feel good, Don't do it. This is just one option. So I'm pressing the block into that pec area. I like to take my hand, I stack my fist on top of each other, And I rest my head in my hands. So I'm turning my chest, My heart, Towards the mat a little bit. Breathing in, Pressing into. That pokey part of the block. Breathing out and softening. And if you have a foam roller, You could try that if the block feels too harsh. You might feel tingling and warmth. Sometimes you think it's your back or your shoulders that are bothering you, But sometimes it's the back, The front of the chest that's bothering you. So you could stay like this, Just bowing to the side or straighten. Your arm, The arm that's underneath the block, And then bring it back towards your face. So it's kind of like you're saluting the sun. There might be tingling and that's okay but if it feels sharp you want to move the block or come off the block. And you can, If you feel that tingling all the way to the thumb, Then you're thinking about the nerve. So just being careful. Just compressing that nerve. We'll be here for three more rounds of breath. Exhale as a release vowel. Beautiful. When you're ready, Slowly come back to center on the block. Take your hands, Press down into the mat. And help yourself up. And just pause. And you might feel the right side, The side you had the block under, Might come down a little bit more. I can actually see it in the video. And I can feel it. It feels like my neck is longer. This my heart is opening a little bit more. And you could even place your hand there and even just move your arm a little bit. This is like. . . Free massage today. All my classes, I love to bring in massage, Self-massage, Because it's so relaxing. It's just a great way to release tension. And calm the mind. I'm just removing my microphone. So now we're doing the other side. So again, Taking wisdom from the first side, You could always take a blanket to cover the block if it's too much, Or you could use a foam roller that seems a little bit softer. I'm side-lying and I'm lying on my. . . Raft in the cosmic sea and I've got my block underneath me. I just bring my elbow down and rest my head in my hands like Cleopatra. Breathing in. And notice your breath. Pressing into the block. And then exhale, Letting go. The exhaled release valve. So you can stay here like this, Or you just move a little bit back and forth. So it's like there are these tiny ripples in the sea, These teeny tiny movements, And you're just moving a little back and forth in your raft. If you go back, You can feel that little tenderness of the hair. The lats back there. Really good if you're play pickleball. Or you are an electrician or you hammer a lot. It's a great area to work for overhead. Movements. And then just lean back so I'm pressing into the lats a little bit more. And you could stay here or you could. Straighten that arm that's holding your head up. And closing. You could even just melt your neck, Your head down towards your face. Right shoulder. And you're just getting your left. No, This is your left. Neck is coming towards the left. And the right side is stretching out a little bit. So just adding what feels good. Kind of exploring and seeing what works for you. Beautiful. And now. Going towards the block point. I've got my microphone. But finding a spot. You could stack your hands on top of each other and rest your head there. I'm not coming down as much because I've got the. Little microphone. And just notice how this side feels. You can breathe into the blocks. And exhale, Soften. As the block presses into your connective tissue. Beautiful. You could stay here, You could just even kind of melt down. Or you can add that movement. I'm just straightening and bending that arm that's underneath the block. And the heart meridian. Comes out at the armpit and it traces along the inner part of the arm to the pinky side of the finger, All the way to the pinky. And we're into that heart one point at the armpit. Just a nourishing spot for the heart. Beautiful. We'll be here two more rounds of breath. You're doing amazing. When you're ready, Place your hands on the mat and just roll to your side and then press yourself up. Be careful. And notice the two sides. You might feel this tingling and warmth in the chest, And it might feel a little more open. You might feel that your head's reaching up a little higher, Like the neck is longer. And your fill in the back and even in the front. The lat area. Just notice what you feel. Now we're going to do some yin. So our first posture, We're going to grab a block and the bolster. So I've got my block. It's going to be a runway for my bolster. So I'm putting my block down. And I'm going to place my bolster. If you don't have a bolster, You could use a couch, Cushion. You could use a long foam roller or roll up your yoga mat. If you have a blanket fold, You could place that on the top for your head, But if you don't have that, That's okay. Beautiful. So now I'm going to come back and maybe it's one hand. With apart from the sacrum to the bolster, But you can decide when you lean back and you can adjust. Just want to make sure your head lands on. The bolster and it's not hanging off. So getting yourself. Comfortable on the bolster. You could keep your legs long here. Or you can bring your feet together, Knees out wide. You decide. And just take a moment to adjust. I like to take the blanket and just place it underneath my neck so I'm filling up the space between the neck and the bolster. Arms can be at your side to start with, And I've already started at the time. There's three principles in Yen, Three tathas. One is to come to the appropriate depth in your pose. The second is to bring in stillness. In the body and the mind. And the third is to hold for time. So adjust yourself on. The bolster, Make sure it feels comfortable, Feels like you're in the right depth. Making any movements that feel good. Sometimes it feels good to maybe rock. Your knees a little side to side. You can move your arms a little back and forth. Anything that feels good. And then when you're ready and you feel like you can bring in the stillness in the body. And the mind, And go for it. Drop in. If it feels good, You could close your eyes. Beautiful. Stay still or adding on, Straighten your arms to the side. And the T shape. And they might hang. Or they might come to the earth. And you open your palms to the sky if that feels good. And you can imagine breathing into your heart space. And breathing out into your arms. And to your fingers. Breathing into the heart. Breathing out into the arms and the fingers and how we touch the world. And express ourselves. So coming into the posture, But if something doesn't feel good, You can. . . Adjust so it feels better. Invitation to bring. Love and compassion into your body. And into your practice. Breathing into the heart. Breathing out into the arms and then to the fingers. Beautiful. Stay here or Bring your arms past your ears like a. . . Y shape. So they might hang in air or you can bend your elbows and let your hands drape over the back of the bolster. Beautiful. Two more rounds of breath. Maybe you straighten your arms and reach the fingers really wide. Your feet are together. Just slowly straighten your legs out long. Just be really kind to yourself. On your next inhale, Get really big. Stay for the exhale. Beautiful. Slowly bring your arms back to your sides. Be really kind to yourself. Slowly bring your knee in. Bend your knees and bring your feet down to the earth about hip width apart. And then you can just winch your wiper side to side. When your knees come to the right, Just pause. And just roll to the right and you're going to use your left hand to help press yourself up. And notice how you feel. You can circle your shoulders. One way and then circle the shoulders the other way. Maybe. For all year. Neck a little side to side so just think about your chin coming down and it will go towards the right and then you can roll towards the left. Beautiful. Okay, Our next pose is pigeon. So we'll keep our bolster. Remove your blanket fold if you are using it. Grab your blocks and place those at the front of the. . . Bolster. If you don't have a bolster, You can use your couch cushion or you could. . . Use a block for this instead. Or a blanket roll. Okay. So we'll meet in tabletop. Just as a transition. If it feels good, You can drop your belly, Lift your crown, Breathe in, Opening the front of the heart. Exhale, Pressing the mat away, Opening the back of the heart. Beautiful. And then pause at center. So we're going to come into Pigeon. If you like to come into Pigeon and Tabletop, That's great. Or you could come into Downward Facing Dog. Which always feels good. So my right knee is coming towards the right wrist and using this, My bolster as a runway for my. Knee, My thigh, And my glutes. It's all going to rest on the bolster. I'll turn so you can see me. I've got my blocks for my elbows. So I'm bringing my knee towards my right wrist. I'm bringing the glute. The thigh and the knee on the bolster. My heel. My shin's not parallel. It's coming down a little bit. That right heel is about halfway between the knee and the groin. And my left leg is extended long. And the heels lined up with the toes, So the heels not splayed to one side. Beautiful. Okay, So get yourself adjusted. No rush. And remember that invitation to add some movement. So maybe you move your hips a little side to side, Or you move your shoulders a little side to side. Or any movements that feel good. You could lie on your back in figure four if that felt better. So you could stay upright like this. You can even bring your hands onto the thigh and just kind of hold yourself up, Shoulders away from the ears. Or fold forward. I like to use the block. And I like to bring my elbows onto the block. And then I rest my eyes and my hands. But whatever feels good for you. So get yourself adjusted in the perfect position. The time has already started. And if your torso. Is touching your thigh. Maybe you notice your inhale. I'll start. Lungs expand. And noticing your exhale. Just feeling that on your torso, On your thigh. Beautiful. Each exhale, This release valve. Letting go of tension. And goes stagnation. Of thoughts. And worries. Beautiful. So you could stay here. Maybe you feel a little more spaciousness and you can bow down a little deeper. Or You can bring your hands onto the block. Lift yourself up. Reach your left hand back and grab hold of your left ankle. If that feels okay. You could always bend the left arm. Knee, Just reach back for the left ankle. You don't have to grab hold of it. If you're following along with me coming up, Think about the left shoulder opening. Getting into the left side of the chest. Gaze is forward or you can turn your gaze back. Towards. Your left heel. And think about getting long on the right side of the neck. Whatever you're offering, It's amazing. You are amazing. Your body. Is so precious. Beautiful. One more inhale, Maybe you bring the heel towards you a little bit more, Or you bow down a little bit more. Exhale if you have the heel lifted, Slowly release the heel. And bring your gaze forward. If you're bowing down, Slowly make your way up and we'll just pause. And then you can use your blocks for help. And you're just going to slowly unthread the right knee so it meets the left knee. We can do some cat cows. Some hip circles feel really good sometimes. Or any other movements that feel good as your transition in between poses and just noticing if you're circling your hips go the other way. Beautiful. Walk your hands back and we'll meet in hero's pose. You can circle your shoulders, Opening up your heart. Just letting go of anything that's kind of. . . Heavy on your shoulders. Just let it go. If you're using your bolster, Just move it to the other side. You can come into your tabletop or downward facing dog. Left knee to the left wrist. And I'm going to land on my. Bolster. So I've got my glute, My thigh, And my knee on the bolster. And my left heel, I like to bring it kind of in the. It's not going to be like this, Unless that feels really good to you. Mine's more in the center, But you can decide what feels good. You just don't want this left knee to get hurt. Look back. And notice your right heel and make sure it's lined up with the toes. Beautiful. Awesome. You can stay upright to start. And maybe move a little side to side, Moving your shoulders a little bit. Or moving your hips a little bit. Bringing some movement in so then when you're ready to drop into the stillness, You've gotten any little wiggles out of the way. And you could stay upright. You could even bring your hand onto the left thigh. Or fold forward. I like to use the block and rest my elbows. On the blocks and I rest my head in my hands. If you're resting your head and your hands, The pinkies, Maybe pressing onto that center of the eyebrow, That yin-tang point. Just an extra little acupressure point, Bringing in more calmness. Beautiful. And on your next inhale. Notice is there any place that you're holding on to without even realizing it like your thigh or your hip And exhale just that invitation to let go. Breathing in, Notice if there's any tension or holding on. Exhale, Just this little invitation to your body to let go. Which is easier said than done. But we're planting these seeds. These little tiny seeds. Beautiful. So stay here. Or you can bow down a little more, Like moving your blocks and bowing down. Or you could follow along with me, Slowly walk your arms up. I'm using a block in my left hand and my right arm is reaching back and you can bend your right knee and maybe grab hold of the right ankle. If that doesn't feel good, You could just reach back. Or just bend and not touch the ankle. Or bow forward. You can feel that nice tug in the quad. Keep your gaze forward. Or maybe your gaze walks back towards. Your right heel. And you're getting long on that left neck. And this right shoulder's moving back and down, And I'm opening up this right pec area, Chest area. You're doing great. Got two more rounds of breath. In your next inhale, Maybe you bow a little more, Or maybe your heel comes a little closer. And then with great care, Slowly release the heel if you have it. Turn your body towards the front of the space. If you're bowing down, Slowly come up and we'll all meet just in our pigeon, Lifted pigeon. And then with care, I'm going to unthread the left leg. So I like to use my blocks for support. I'm coming on to my right knee and then just slowly unthreading the left leg. Beautiful. Anything for a transition? You can circle the head. Big, Kind of big circles or small circles. Beautiful. Okay, And when you feel like you're a little balanced, Pause at center and just notice. Beautiful. Our next pose is child's pose. You could use your. . . Bolster and rest your hands on your bolster as you come into your child's pose. I like to come in with my knees out wide. You could also use your blocks instead of the bolster to place your hands on. Or you could take the bolster kind of as a little, It's coming up on your, In between your legs and you're just bowing over it. So just decide what you want to offer. I'm using my hands are stacked and I'm resting my head in my hands if you're melting over the bolster. If you're using the bolster for your arms and your hands are extended, You can just drop your head down onto the bolster. So again, Any movements, Maybe move your hips side to side. Adjust your arms, Move your head back and forth. And then when you're ready, That invitation to drop into stillness. Quieting the body. And quieting the mind. Beautiful. Breathing into the back of the heart. Beautiful. You're doing great. Staying where you are, Or maybe adding on reaching your arms a little more forward. Sinking your hips back just a little bit more. Beautiful. One more inhale. Stay for the exhale, Let it go. Growing with Tara, Walk yourself up. Now we're going to meet on our back. Have your bolster nearby. In the house. Just bring yourself down. Come back to that constructive rest. You can hug your knees into your chest. Maybe rock a little side to side. Beautiful. Our next posture is a twist. And you can use your bolster. To let your knees fall on. You could have both knees together. I'm just going to show you before we go into it and you can bring your knees to the right and I've got my knees, My shins, And my feet on the bolster. You could bring the bolster in between your knees. Or you could stretch. The right leg out long, Bring the left knee into the chest, And then drape. One leg over the bolster and the other one's long. So when you're ready, We're going to meet in this twist. I'm going to just bring my left knee into my chest today. And my right leg is long. My bolster is on the right side. And then slowly come into your twist. Any twist is awesome. And using the bolster, Not using the bolster is amazing. So maybe you're in this fetal position, You're adjusting your bolster. And then when you're ready, Opening your heart. To the sky. So I'm just bringing my right shoulder underneath me. The arms can be to a T if that feels good. So when you get into this posture, Adjust the props. Adjust your body. Make it feel as good as it can. Since I have that right leg extended, I'm going to bend it and grab hold of it with my left hand. Kind of like this catcher's. Catch the tiger's tail. The time has already started. And when you're ready to drop in to stillness. And go for it. Beautiful. Stay here or I'm going to offer a pranayama. So this is a mental breath. You can imagine breathing into your left nostril. And breathing out through your right nostril. Breathing into the left. And breathing out to the right. Beautiful. Breathing into the left. Breathing out through the right. On your next inhale, Breathe through both nostrils. Exhale through both nostrils. I'm just coming back to your. . . Regular breath. That rather your normal rhythm. If you have the right leg, Release the leg and straighten it out long, It's bent. Slowly take your left hand and guide it. Either your left knee or both knees back to center. You can grab hold of your knees and give yourself a hug. Circle your feet around your ankles. Beautiful. Bring your bolster to the other side if you're using it. And you don't have to do the exact same thing if something didn't feel good. But if it felt good, Then the invitation is to do the same thing. But of course, Each side is so different. So we're coming into our twist. You can have both knees together and bring them onto the bolster. So I have my knees, My shin, And my feet on the bolster. You could bring the bolster in between your legs. Or you could bring your right knee into your chest, Straighten your left leg out long. Roll onto the bolster that way. And wherever you are. The invitation to open up your arms if that feels okay. And I'm just going to guide my left shoulder underneath me a little bit more. Stay here or if you have the. . . Left leg extended, You can always bend it and grab hold of it with your right hand. Okay, Stay here or adding that breath. So you'll breathe in to the right. Nostril. And breathe out through the left. You're doing great. Whatever you're offering is more than enough. We'll be here for two more rounds of breath. And on your next inhale, Breathing in through both nostrils. Exhaling through both nostrils. And then coming back to your rhythm of breath. If you have your left foot, Straighten it out. Or bring. Your right knee or both knees back to center using your hands to help guide. Hug your knees into your chest. Maybe rock a little side to side. Our next posture is Shavasana. If you wanted to. You can grab your balls and place them into your sock. And we're going to do an occipital release if you want to. If your myofascial release balls came with a little pouch, You can use the pouch. Or place your balls into a sock. And then you'll just tie. The balls in the sock, So you just tie the end of the sock and make a little pouch for your balls. If you're following along with me, You're going to bring the balls. Where the neck. Meets the head, That's where the balls are going to go. I'm going to lie back on the block. If you don't have balls, You can use the blocks. The edge of the block against your occipitals, Right where the head meets the neck. If you don't want to do this, Just coming into your Shavasana and you can bring a bolster underneath your thighs. If you have the balls underneath you, Breathe in and press into the balls. Exhale, Soften as your body melts. Over the balls and the balls melt into your connective tissue. This is acupressure. Gallbladder 20. Another great place to work for stress or anxiety. Also really good for headaches. Ciao. Pain. Neck pain. Shoulder issues. You can stay still. Or slowly take your nose. And you're just going to bring it to the right. It's just small movements. And as you move your nose to the right. You're pressing into that right side a little bit more. Into the label. There's a place you find that's tender. You could circle. Your nose making these teeny tiny circles or making a figure eight. And then slowly come back to center. Just take your time. Noticing the two sides when you get back. Now we're going to the other side. So I'm just bringing my nose, The teeny tiny movements to the left. And if there's an area that wants attention, I'm going to pause there. You find a spot, You can make those tiny circles with your nose. And slowly come back to center. There's no rush to get there. Beautiful. Center just thing A little bit of time. We'll be here for one more minute. Could keep the balls if they don't feel good, Take them away. Beautiful. Noticing the sensations. One more inhale. Exhale if you have the block. And the balls or the block to slowly Remove the block and the balls and bring your head down. And you might feel warmth or tingling. Just notice what you feel. We compressed and now we're clearing out. Noticing it in your neck and your shoulders. Reach your arms out long. Reach your toes away from your fingers. Get really, Really big. And then bring your knees into your chest and get small. Give yourself a hug. You're amazing. Your body is so precious. Slowly roll to your favorite side, Watching out for props. Just pausing in this place of rejuvenation. This place of rebirth and nourishment. More. Bringing gratitude. This practice. To this beautiful community. Slowly make your way to seated, Watching out for props. Place your hands at your heart center. Bowing to the inner teacher within each of us. The light of awareness. That connects each one of us and makes us one. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Peace, Peace, Peace. Thank you so much for practicing with me today.