MBSR Yoga Series 1 Laying Down

This exercise features very gentle poses and movements. The poses are done mindfully and with awareness of breathing.

Transcript

Welcome to the Hatha Yoga Series 1.

Let's start with some simple body movements,

Remembering that in this practice we are emphasizing moment-to-moment awareness in a non-judgmental way.

Yoga is a form of meditation and when done regularly is an excellent way to build mind-body health.

The poses are done mindfully and with awareness of breathing.

We will be doing very gentle poses and movements.

Remember throughout to be aware of your breathing,

Letting the breath flow naturally.

You should follow along as best you can,

Knowing that you should refrain from anything that does not feel appropriate for you at this time.

Let your own sensitivity to your own body override any instruction that I offer.

In the process of developing a deeper sensitivity to your body you will discover its limits or edges.

It is important to experience and dwell at these edges,

But it is just as important to know when you have passed your limits and need to be gentle towards yourself.

Look deeply into the sensations at these edges.

As you practice you will notice that your edges shift.

They will also shift day to day.

The best results are achieved by not trying to achieve any result at all.

It is enough just to follow the instructions as best you can,

Not trying to do anything,

Including relaxation.

Just pay total attention to how your body feels in each moment,

Noticing any sensations of tingling,

Pulling,

Pins and needles,

Heat or anything else.

Perhaps asking yourself what am I feeling?

What is its nature?

Where is it?

Is my mind reacting to it?

Just noticing what comes up.

If a posture is too difficult for you in this moment,

Just assume a comfortable posture and visualize yourself doing the posture.

Let this practice be joyful and remember to breathe.

We'll start with a lying down or corpse pose.

Lying on your back,

Letting the arms and legs drop open with the arms about 45 degrees from the side of your body.

Closing the eyes and breathing naturally,

Allowing your whole body to become soft and heavy,

Letting it relax into the floor.

As the body relaxes,

Feel the whole body rising and falling with each breath.

As we begin our practice,

Taking a moment to set your attention to be aware of your moment-to-moment experience non-judgmentally,

To just be with whatever arises moment by moment.

Now stretching your arms overhead parallel to the floor,

We're going to be stretching from the tips of our toes to our fingertips,

Feeling the stretch all the way through your body,

Feeling any sense of stretch or any sensations in the muscles.

Noticing your lower back and your buttocks,

Any sensations that may be present for you in that region as you stretch from the tips of your toes to your fingertips.

I'm bringing the arms back to your sides,

Closing your eyes and becoming aware of any residual sensation as a result of this pose.

Now what do you feel in the body?

Next is a pelvic tilt,

Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor,

Hip width apart,

With your heels directly under your knees,

Resting your arms in the floor at your sides with your palms facing up.

Inhaling as you press out through the crown of your head to keep your neck long.

Exhaling as you gently tilt your pelvis and press your lower back into the floor.

As your pelvis tilts,

Your tailbone curls up and your hips remain on the floor.

As you do this gentle movement,

Being aware of sensations in the lower back,

Do you notice any pulling,

Tingling,

Warmth or the pressure of the back on the floor?

Repeat this movement a few more times,

Bringing a sense of curiosity to your experience.

Next we will do a reclining twist,

Remaining on your back with your knees bent and your feet comfortably on the floor.

Now moving your arms on the floor at 90 degrees to the body,

Out like a kind of T.

Take a few moments to sense into how the body feels.

Now allowing your knees to flow over to the right side,

Allowing your knees to move towards the floor.

They may even touch the floor.

Notice if your left shoulder wants to lift off the mat.

If it does,

That's okay.

You can think about inclining the shoulder towards the mat in a relaxed manner,

Noticing any tension in the body and what happens as that tension releases.

Relaxing into this pose as best you can.

Invite the skin of the back body to spread and soften,

Settling with ease and release into the earth.

Try to let go as you rest quietly here,

Breathing comfortably and drawing your awareness inward.

And now engaging your abdominals and bringing your feet back up so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are bent.

We'll now allow our knees to flow over to the left side,

Repeating the same motion on the left side.

Releasing and flowing into this posture and just being with your inner experience,

Your body sensations,

Noticing any tension in the body,

Just noticing we're not trying to get rid of anything and just being with what is here.

Perhaps noticing any thoughts that are arising about the practice or what we're doing,

Drawing your awareness inward as you breathe comfortably in a reclining twist.

And releasing your feet back to the mat and lying on your back.

Next we'll bring our knees to our chest.

Inhaling bring both knees into your chest,

Wrapping the arms around the knees,

Either holding on to opposite elbows,

Forearms,

Wrists or fingers.

Noticing what is happening in the body as you bring yourself into a ball.

Holding this for a few moments,

Noticing the effect on the breath of this pose.

Next drawing the forehead towards the knees into what is called wind relieving pose.

Bring your awareness to any sensations of being in such a ball,

To the shoulders,

The back of the neck,

Feeling the feet,

The legs,

The hips.

Noticing the breath as your belly pushes on the thighs.

Now releasing the arms and legs back to the floor and lying flat on your back.

Next we'll do the half plow pose.

With your legs stretched out fully,

Keeping the heels and the big toes together,

Stretching your arms on the sides with your palms turned down.

Inhaling press the palms down and raise first one leg slowly as high as possible without bending the knee,

Keeping the other leg flat on the floor.

Hold the leg straight up until you complete the inhalation.

Exhaling bring the leg slowly down,

Noticing how the leg feels.

Repeat the process with the other leg as well.

Now we will raise both legs up.

Inhaling press the palms down and without bending the knees or raising the hands raise both legs together slowly until they make an angle of 30 degrees to the floor.

You could try raising them 60 degrees.

Perhaps they'll even go close to perpendicular or 90 degrees to the floor.

Notice any sense of striving arising in the mind and gently bring yourself back to just an awareness of the body and the breath.

How high the legs go is not important.

We are simply exploring sensations in the body,

Looking for what arises in the mind as you engage in these movements and allowing your legs to come back down to the floor and resting for a moment.

Now slowly moving onto all fours slowly and mindfully even in between poses as best we can we do so mindfully we'll be coming into what is called a table pose.

We position ourselves on the hands and knees on all fours with the knees about hip width apart and the feet directly to behind the knees.

Place the palms on the ground in front aligned forward directly below the shoulders.

Look downwards towards the palms and allow the spine to flatten.

Stretch out the spine by pressing the tailbone of the spine towards the back wall and the crown of the head towards the front wall.

Notice what is happening in the body as you move in this pose.

Gently exploring any sensations in the body as you flatten the spine extending your buttocks towards the back wall and the crown of the head to the front wall.

From the table pose moving into what is called the cat cow pose.

Inhaling and reaching the tailbone up towards the ceiling arching the spine letting the belly drop down spreading the fingers wide apart and press the palms into the floor.

Drop the shoulders down from the ears and reach the crown of the head up towards the ceiling looking up as high as you can towards the ceiling without straining.

From here you're moving it back into the table pose.

From the table pose arch the spine upwards this time reverse of the dog tilt and tuck the tailbone in so to speak.

Press the palms and drop the shoulders down away from the ears noticing the breath inhaling into the dog tilt posture and exhaling into the cat posture.

Again release any inhaling and flatten the back into the table posture as best you can being in the moment of each moment with a sense of alertness and gentleness.

With your breath just moving from the cat pose to the cow pose for a few moments.

And finally settling into the tabletop pose we're going to move into a balancing posture.

On all fours shoulders over wrists and hips over knees reaching one arm forward and the opposite leg back.

You'll notice that there's a lot of balancing that is going on in this posture noticing any wobbling which is fine.

Notice any thoughts that are arising.

Our balance of course is different day to day even moment to moment.

Just being okay with where it is in this moment.

Reaching forward through your fingertips and back through your foot as though someone were trying to pull you in half.

Keeping your gaze down and create length through the back of the neck.

Drawing your navel towards the spine engaging the core.

This will help you protect the lower back and also to maintain balance.

Again noticing any wobbling this is okay and quite natural.

Hold this pose noticing any thoughts.

If any judgments about how you are doing arises that's okay.

Minds will do this.

Noticing the process and letting the thoughts go.

And now bringing your arm and your leg back down and repeating on the other side.

Like holding the pose remembering to breathe exploring with curiosity what is arising in the body.

Listening to your internal wisdom about when to come out of the pose.

Moving slowly onto your back we will now do some side leg raises.

From your back and turn onto your left side and place the elbow of the left arm on the ground with your left palm supporting your head.

Place the palm of the right hand on the ground for balance while lifting the right leg towards the sky.

Keep the left leg extended on the ground and continue normal breathing.

As you hold this pose notice any sensations in the body.

What do you feel in the thigh or the side body?

Noticing any thoughts that it might arise about how high the leg goes.

Again how high the leg goes is not important.

We're merely exploring the edge of the movement for you today.

This is a practice of mindfulness and awareness.

Repeat this for the other side for the right side with the left leg.

Again keep both legs extending the left leg towards the ceiling and the right leg extended on the floor and continue normal breathing.

Noticing any sensations anywhere perhaps in the legs or the shoulders the side body.

Again listening to your internal wisdom regarding the appropriate time for you to come out of the posture.

Next is what is called the locust pose.

Moving slowly so that you're flat on your abdomen or belly and chest with your face downwards.

Keeping your arms stretched back on the sides with your palms faced upwards.

Pausing for a moment and notice what is inwardly occurring in this moment.

Raising your head a little and place your chin on the floor.

Keeping your knees stiff.

Your arms and your legs rigid.

Inhaling slowly and deeply.

Putting mild pressure on the tops of your hands.

Raise both legs together slowly as high as you can from the navel without raising your head or bending your knees.

How high they go again is not important.

Holding this position noticing any sensations in the legs or buttocks.

Exhaling putting mild pressure on the tops of the hands and lowering the legs slowly to the floor without bending the knees.

Again pausing and tuning into your body.

How does it feel now?

Where are the most prominent sensations?

Is there warmth in the body?

Repeating this movement two more times.

Inhaling your legs up and exhaling them back down.

And now for what's called the happy baby pose.

One of my favorites.

Lying flat on your back bring your knees into your chest and grab the outer edges of your feet.

Keeping your feet flexed.

Stacking your ankles over your knees and letting your knees fall to either side of your torso.

Gently pulling down on the feet.

Pulling the feet,

Knees and thighs towards the ground.

Rolling your lower back and tailbone towards the ground and tuck your chin slightly.

Ironing out the entire spine onto the ground.

You can roll around like a happy baby.

Do you feel like a happy baby?

Some people report feeling more like a dead bug.

Just noticing what is there for you in terms of body sensations as you roll around in this posture.

Moving in any way that your body wants to move.

And if you haven't already just coming back to a lying posture.

Letting your legs come back down to the mat.

Just pausing for a moment and tuning into any sensations in the body.

Any thoughts arising in the mind about the practice.

If any particular movement feels appropriate for you in this moment and just engaging in that movement.

Whether it be stretching or more twisting.

Whatever may feel appropriate for you.

Just listening to your inner wisdom.

And we'll be ending with the lying down or corpse pose.

Lying on your back,

Extending your legs.

Making sure you're warm and comfortable.

If you need blankets either to place over you or under your body.

Coming into a very warm and comfortable position.

And closing your eyes if this is okay.

And breathing naturally.

Allowing your whole body to become soft and heavy.

Just letting it soften into the floor.

And feeling the whole body rising and falling with each breath.

Completely letting go.

Remembering what it means to you to give yourself this time to nourish and improve your health.

Just resting for a few moments until you hear the bells.

Reviews

Very gentle practice of being in the moment of the moment. Thank You. My body feels more alive and my mind is calm. My heart is open and grateful.

Excellent Gentle Yoga Practice💥Easy Pace.
Stretching. Good for me to do, I am 82. Recovering from hip fracture wirh pinning 8 months ago.
Perfect Class to Add to My
Healing thru Awareness of the Body. Grateful for This
Practice😍❤🙏

Very nice, gentle practice. Thank you so much.

So relaxing! So soothing! Loved this yoga session so much 🙏🏼

Wonderful & easy to follow 🙏🏻

Just what I needed! Thank you!

Really simple, basic, easy. But nice and centering. Very much appreciated.

Many thanks. A wonderful mindful session.🙏💐

Really enjoyed this !

Thank you for your yoga meditation!

Thank you! Good pacing and very helpful and relaxing.

Thank you 🌈for this mindful and wonderful session 🙏

Great series to tune into the body and the energy body

Thank you, this sequence feels incredibly helpful - exactly what I need. Also, it has very clear detailed instructions, delivered in a very pleasant, down to earth and listenable way.

An excellent half hour gift to yourself.

No achieving, no judging, just noticing the body, lovely and energizing🙏

Gentle inspiring practice for early morning, for the stiff and achey definitely plan

Wonderful way to Awaken sensations.

Amazing instruction for a beginner. I feel exhausted; but in a good way. Namaste~🙏🏼🌟

Just what I needed this morning. Thank you🕉