Welcome to Yoga for Witches,
The spell of evening stillness.
A journey to seek a little peace and grounding,
And to treat our bodies,
Our hearts and our minds with tenderness and love at the end of the day.
We will take our practice from an easy seated position,
So cross-legged if that's comfortable for you,
And you can do this anywhere you like,
It can be on your bed,
It might be on cushions or just upon your living room floor.
Perhaps take your time to rest your hands upon your knees or in your lap.
The sit bones are settled in the earth,
The bum is settled in the earth.
We're just gently lifting through the spine as if somebody you love is gently pulling you by the top of their head,
So we're creating a little space,
A little length with the spine.
From here we can close the eyes and breathe.
A simple invocation that you may say aloud or in your mind's eye.
I soften into stillness.
I leave the day behind.
I return to myself.
I soften into stillness.
I leave the day behind.
I return to myself.
So with as much ease and gentleness as we need this evening,
From our seated position we're going to take a very gentle twist.
So I invite you to take the left hand and just rest it upon the right knee.
The right hand can just rest on the earth behind you.
Spiral the heart,
The shoulders and the gaze around to the right.
We're creating a gentle spiral twist through the spine.
Easing through our centre.
Maybe even a sense of wrapping up the day.
From here we'll gently journey to the other side.
So it might be right hand upon left knee.
You can take the left hand to the earth behind you and again that's spiralling.
Heart,
Shoulders and gaze round to the left side.
If you've done the opposite side it doesn't matter.
So the spine is still tall but we're creating a spiral twist.
When you feel ready come back to centre,
Back into that easy seat.
And perhaps we just take a few rolls with the shoulders.
Just such a simple movement,
That rolling,
That spiralling of the shoulders.
I always like it to imagine that we're shrugging off any weight that's settled upon the shoulders during the day or any weight we may be carrying.
We can let the shoulders rest,
Peaceful,
Relaxed.
And then from here,
From our easy seat,
Extend the legs out in front of us.
So the legs are going to be long,
The spine is tall.
So we look a little bit like a capital L shape seated upon the earth.
We'll come to a forward fold here.
So we're gently hinging from the hips,
Along through the spine.
We'll just let the hands slide along the legs or along the earth towards the feet.
You can bring some softness into the knees if you like.
We'll let the head,
The shoulders,
The arms hang heavy.
Settling into a softness of this forward fold.
We're not pushing ourselves,
Not forcing a big stretch with chest.
Finding a little space,
Bowing to the earth,
Finding a place to breathe and settle.
Slow and steady,
We'll gently rise through the head and heart to bring us back to upright in that seated position.
And then what we'll do,
Come to ground to this evening.
Gently lay upon the earth.
So take your time to rest upon the ground.
And if it's comfortable from our place upon the earth,
What we'll do,
Bend the knees,
Pop the soles of the feet on the ground.
But then bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees fall out either side like a butterfly,
Creating a diamond shape with the legs.
And if it's comfortable,
We'll create the same shape with our arms.
So we'll take the hands overhead and let the elbows fall out.
Two diamonds created with the legs and with the arms.
This is a passive pose upon the earth,
So you don't have to hold on.
Just creating an opening through hips and heart.
The earth supporting us and gravity helping us.
If you'd like to take some deep cleansing breaths to release the day,
Perhaps we take a lovely deep inhale through the nose and sigh a big exhale.
Making as much noise as you like as we sigh away the day.
Breathing out anything we're holding on to that we'd like to release for a moment.
From here we extend long through the body.
So we'll just send the legs long along the earth,
Arms long overhead.
And we're just going to have a lovely long line stretch through the body.
You can have a little wiggle and flex of fingers and toes if you like.
As if you're trying to reach both sides of the room at the same time.
And then from here we'll just gently bring the arms back alongside the body.
Or you can rest them upon your body if you prefer.
As we just take a moment to lay upon the earth.
Come to ground.
A simple closing words that you may say in the mind's eye or aloud.
The day is done.
I rest in the dark.
I am safe.
I am home.
The day is done.
I rest in the dark.
I am safe.
From this place of safety and calm take a peaceful minute of stillness.
As we settle into the evening.
When you feel ready perhaps we take one more of those lovely big inhales through the nose.
And sigh it out through the mouth.
You can wiggle fingers and toes.
Take a luxurious stretch.
As we begin to bring our awareness back to the evening,
Back to the room.
If you are drifting off to sleep now you can stay in peace and calm.
Or gently journey through your evening.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
As from my heart to yours I say Namaste.
Thank you and farewell for now.
