Yoga Flow (All Levels)
Yoga has taught me to get comfortable in the discomfort, to find stillness in the chaos all around me, and to surrender to what is out of my control. Yoga is the foundation and fundamental practice of my life. By that I mean, when you are devoted to a practice that grounds you, you are deeply rooted in your sense of self and you find that anything is possible. Grief, heartache, anxiety, depression—it all seems to fade away. Drop in, tune out, and flow like water in this moving meditation.
Transcript
Thank you for joining me in this moving meditation series for all levels.
Grab a mat,
Some water,
And some blocks or a strap if you have it nearby.
If not,
No problem.
Take any modifications as you need.
Intensify the postures.
Listen to your body,
Whether that's encouraging you to dial back or meet your edge.
Rather than thinking about what you can get out of this by being here today,
Think about what you can acquire by just being present.
We're going to get started in child's pose.
Come to have a seat at the back of your mat.
Bring your knees out wide,
Your feet to touch.
Walk your arms out in front of you.
Release your forehead to the mat.
You've arrived.
Give yourself permission to be present throughout these next 60 minutes.
Start to bring some awareness to the corners of your mat and to the four corners of this room knowing that it's a safe space for you.
Maybe you massage your third eye center by rocking your forehead side to side.
Start to bring awareness to your breath.
Begin to notice how you are feeling this morning or afternoon.
Begin to notice without judgment.
Take a full breath in through your nose.
Fill up.
A big open mouth exhale.
One more just like that.
Take a big breath in through your nose.
Fill up.
Open mouth exhale.
Sigh it out.
Take another full breath in through your nose.
This time,
Seal your lips though.
Exhale through your nose creating an oceanic sound from the back of your throat.
Just as though you're fogging up a mirror.
This is your Ujjayi Pranayama,
Your breath of victory,
Your breath of yoga.
We will use this breath today in class to build heat in our bodies and to also link breath to movement.
Know if at any point in time this breath does not serve you.
You can switch to open mouth exhales at any time.
And finally,
I'd like to offer again the acknowledgement of our limitations for today and the power of listening to your body and what you need today.
Honor that.
Take another full breath in,
Fill up,
Expand your lungs and a big open mouth exhale.
Sigh it out.
You will start to move.
Your next inhale as you rise to tabletop.
Stack your shoulders over your wrists,
Hips over your knees.
Breathe here.
Fire up your Uda Bandha,
Your abdominal lock by drawing your belly button in towards your spine.
Press firmly into all 10 fingertips.
Gaze is down.
To protect your neck,
Avoid any creases here.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale to downward facing dog.
Send your hips to the sky.
Press into all 10 fingertips.
This is our first downward dog of class.
Take whatever movements feel good in your body.
Maybe you pedal out your feet,
Shift your heels from side to side.
Bend your knees a lot,
Just getting warmed up here.
And a nice side body stretch you notice as you shake your head yes,
Shake your head no.
Such a point where you come to find stillness in your downward facing dog.
That balance between meeting your edge and also finding comfort here.
Inhale look forward,
Bend your knees and walk to the top of your mat and find your ragdoll pose.
Feet hips width distance apart.
Bend your knees a lot.
Switch your torso on your thighs.
If this feels good for you,
Let your head and neck feel very heavy and let something roll off your back here.
Something that no longer serves you.
Grab opposite hand to opposite elbow.
Sway side to side.
Take this moment to let go of any tension.
Let go of any lingering thoughts,
Any residual emotions.
And if you took an elbow grip,
Switch out your grip to create more balance and harmony in the body.
And again when you're ready,
Find stillness in your ragdoll.
Release your hands down to the mat.
Breathe here.
Begin to toe heel,
Your feet to touch slowly and with control.
Slowly rise to standing.
Vertebrae by vertebrae.
Your head and neck are the last things to come up to standing.
Take a deep full breath in,
Fill up and exhale.
Samasthiti.
Bring your hands to heart center.
Blink your eyes shut.
And at this point in class,
I invite you to set an intention.
Whether using yours or mine,
I offer you to set the intention of just being present with your breath flowing movement to movement in the postures.
With whatever intention you choose,
We will seal it in together with one unified breath.
Take a deep breath in,
Fill up.
Open mouth exhale,
Sigh it out.
Blink your eyes.
Open if they were shut.
And bring your hands by your sides.
And they'll start to flow.
Inhale to dasana,
Mountain pose.
Press through all four corners of your feet.
Reach your arms high over your head and breathe here.
Squeeze your inner thighs together and lift your kneecaps so that your quadriceps engage.
Now engage your core,
Your udabanda.
Release your shoulders down and away from your ears.
Bring your biceps by your ears and rotate them inward.
Rotate your pinkies inward.
Lift the crown of your head up towards the sky.
Take a deep breath in,
Exhale,
Fold forward,
Hinge from your hips.
Release your hands down to the mat.
And inhale,
Halfway up,
Find a flat back.
A long line of energy from your sacrum through the crown of your head.
Gaze down,
Neck is long.
Shoulders continue down your back and toward each other.
Hands rest on your shins or thighs.
Bend your knees as much as you need to here.
Weight is in the ball mounds of your feet.
Inhale push up and hold.
You are strong in your high push up.
Hands are underneath your shoulders.
Core engaged.
Hips and shoulders in line with one another.
Heels towards the back of your room.
Gaze is down.
Inhale exhale chaturanga.
Low push up.
Bend your elbows 90 degrees.
Hands are underneath your elbows.
Gaze continues to be down while your neck is long.
Now inhale upward facing dog broaden through your chest.
Pull your chest through your shoulders.
Four points of contact with the earth.
These are the palms of your hands and the tops of your feet.
Knees are lifted and squeeze your inner thighs towards one another.
Gaze is straight.
Exhale press downward facing dog.
Send your hips high to the sky.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Inhale look forward.
Travel to the top of your mat.
Something new here.
Inhale chair pose.
Utkatasana.
Fire up thunderbolts,
Bend your knees,
Drop your hips,
Raise your arms high to the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
Bring your weight into your heels so much so that if you look down you will see your toes.
If you can't see your toes no problem.
Shift your weight back one inch or so.
Squeeze your inner thighs towards one another.
As you scoop your tailbone down to take any curve out of your lower spine.
Pull your belly in.
Pull your shoulders down and away from your ears as you place your biceps on either side of your ears.
Rotate your biceps and pinkies inward.
Breathe.
Taking a deep breath in.
And on your next exhale forward fold utkatasana.
Inhale half way lift.
Coming to a flat back.
Exhale high to low push up.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Send your hips up and then back.
Inhale raise your right leg up high towards the sky.
Exhale low lunge.
Put your foot in between your hands hold and breathe here.
Stack your right knee directly over your right ankle as you tend your fingertips so that there is little to no weight in your hands.
Charge your left foot towards the back of the room.
Inhale warrior two.
Spin your back heel flat.
Rise up expand your arms out to a T.
Hold and breathe here.
Keep your front knee stacked directly over your ankle.
To form a 90 degree bend draw your tailbone down and hug your belly in to engage your core.
Stack your shoulders directly over your hips.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down your back and find length in your arms here.
Send your gaze over your right middle finger.
Take a big deep breath in.
And on your next exhale extended side angle.
Reach your right arm forward and down as you reach your left arm up towards the sky.
Hold here and breathe.
Maintain the deep bend in your right knee continuing to stack it over your right ankle.
Option to rest your right arm on your thigh.
Engage your right oblique to lift your torso up and away from your thigh rather than dumping into your side.
Continue to press into the knife side edge of both of your feet.
Push the crown of your head toward the front of the room.
Inhale reverse warrior.
Bring your right arm up and then back maintaining the 90 degree bend in your front knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Placing little to no weight in your left arm.
Option to wrap your left arm behind your back.
Being mindful of what your body is asking for here.
Take another deep breath in.
Exhale Chaturanga Dandasana.
Hide a little push up.
Exhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Preparing to take this on the other side.
Inhale raise your left leg high.
Exhale low lunge.
Step your left foot in between your hands.
Take a moment to set yourself up here.
Stack your left knee over your left ankle to form a 90 degree angle and draw your right heel toward the back of the room.
Pin your fingertips so that there's little to no weight in your hands.
Inhale warrior two.
Spin your back heel flat and rise up.
Teal your arms to the mirror side wall or whatever wall is in your presence at this point in time at this moment in your practice.
Hold and breathe here.
Press into the knife side edge of both of your feet to really ignite your leg muscles.
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down your back to find length through each of your arms as you send your gaze over your left middle finger.
Draw your tailbone down and hug your belly button in.
Take a deep breath in.
And on your next exhale,
Extended side angle,
Reach your left arm forward and down.
Reach your right arm up to the sky simultaneously.
Hold and breathe here,
Maintaining the deep 90 degree bend in your left knee.
Option to rest your arm on your thigh.
Engage your left oblique to lift your torso up and away from your thigh.
Inhale,
Reverse warrior.
Reach your right arm up and back.
Maintain the 90 degree bend in your left knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Of course,
An option to rest your right arm down your leg or to wrap it around your back.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Chaturanga,
Dadasana,
High to low plank.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Take another deep breath in and deep breath out.
We've completed our first round of sun B.
We will flow that two more times,
Continuing to link breath to movement.
Flowing like water through each posture.
Letting go of any restraint or restriction.
Inhale,
Look forward,
Bend your knees.
Exhale,
Travel to the top of your mat.
Inhale halfway lift.
Find a flat back.
Exhale,
Fold forward.
Inhale chair pose,
Utkatasana.
Exhale fold forward.
Inhale halfway lift.
Exhale chaturanga,
Dadasana.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale right leg high to the sky.
Exhale step it forward into a low lunge.
Exhale warrior two.
Exhale extended side angle.
Inhale reverse warrior.
Exhale chaturanga.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale your left leg high.
Step it forward.
Low lunge.
Inhale warrior two.
Exhale extended side angle.
Inhale reverse warrior.
Exhale chaturanga,
Dadasana.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale look forward.
Exhale step or hop to the top of your mat.
Inhale chair pose.
Utkatasana.
Exhale standing forward fold.
Inhale halfway lift.
Exhale chaturanga,
Dadasana.
Hide a little push up.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale look forward.
Exhale travel to the top of your mat standing forward fold.
Inhale halfway lift.
Find a flat back.
Exhale standing forward fold.
Inhale chair pose.
Utkatasana.
Exhale standing forward fold.
Hide a little push up.
Chaturanga,
Dadasana.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale raise your right leg high.
Exhale low lunge.
Step your foot in between your hands.
Hold and breathe here.
Inhale warrior two.
Spin your back.
Heel flat.
Rise up.
Bring your arms out to a T.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down your back and find length in your arms.
On your next exhale extended side angle.
Reach your right arm forward and down as you reach your left arm up to the sky.
Maintaining the deep bend in your right knee.
Continuing to stack it over your right ankle.
Option to rest your right arm on your right thigh.
Engage your right oblique to lift your torso up and away from your thigh rather than dumping into your side.
Continue to press into the knife side edge of both of your feet.
Reach the crown of your head toward the front of the room.
Inhale reverse warrior.
Bring your right arm up and back.
Maintaining the 90 degree bend in your front knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Place little to no weight in your left arm.
Excuse me.
Option to wrap your left arm behind your back.
As you take a deep breath in.
Exhale chaturanga nidasana.
Hide a little push up.
Inhale upward facing dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
Inhale.
Raise your left leg high.
Exhale a lunge.
Step your left foot in between your hands.
Take a moment to set up here as you stack your left knee over your left ankle to form that 90 degree bend and draw your right heel toward the back of the room.
Tint your fingertips so that there's little to no weight in your hands.
Inhale warrior two.
Spin your back heel flat.
Rise up.
Teal your arms to mirror to the mirror sidewall or whatever wall you are facing at this time.
Hold and breathe here.
Press into the knife side edge of both of your feet to really ignite your leg muscles.
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down your back to find length in your length through each of your arms.
Send your gaze over your left middle finger.
Draw your tailbone down and hug your belly button in toward your spine as you take another deep breath in through your nose.
And on your next exhale,
Extended side angle.
Reach your left arm forward and down.
Reach your right arm up to the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
Maintaining the 90 degree bend in your left knee.
Option to rest your arm on your thigh.
Engage your left oblique to lift your torso up and away from your thigh.
Inhale,
Reverse warrior.
Reach your front arm up and back.
Maintaining the bend in your left knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Option to rest your right arm down your leg or to wrap it around your back.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Chaturanga.
Hide a little plank.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Another big inhale through your nose.
Open your nose.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Preparing for crescent lunge series.
Inhale,
Reach your right leg higher.
Exhale,
The lunge.
Step your foot between your hands.
Inhale,
Crescent lunge.
Rise up,
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Reach your arms high to the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
Draw your left heel towards the back of the room.
Hug your belly up and in and engage your core by drawing your belly button in.
Place your right knee directly over your right ankle.
Draw your left hip forward and your right hip back to square them towards the front of the room.
Place your biceps on either side of your ears.
Rotating your biceps and pinkies inward.
Reach the crown of your head up towards the sky.
Move your gaze forward as you take another deep breath in.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Shift forward.
Exhale,
Revolve crescent lunge on the right.
Hook your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Option to drop your back leg down to make this less about the balance and more about the twist coming from your core.
Press your hands inward towards heart center to open your chest to whatever side wall you are facing at this time.
With every inhale,
Lengthen your spine.
With every exhale,
Twist a little deeper.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Runner's lunge.
Plant your palms to the inside of your right foot.
Untuck your back toes.
Toe heel your right foot to the right front corner of your mat.
Option to come down on your forearms.
Just let your head be really heavy here.
Surrender to this active recovery.
Let go of whatever comes up for you here.
Maybe you came down on your forearms.
Has you surrendered in this pose?
If so,
Inhale and press back onto your palms.
Exhale to high plank.
Shoot your right leg back to meet your left.
Inhale,
Side plank towards the mirrors.
Place your weight on your left hand.
Reach your right arm high towards the sky.
Stack your feet on top of each other.
Hold and breathe here.
Pull your belly button in and really engage your left oblique to lift yourself up and away from the mat.
Option to drop your knee.
Option to lift your right leg.
Reaching the crown of your head towards the front of the room as you stack your shoulders directly over one another.
Take another deep breath in.
Maybe you lift one inch higher.
Open mouth exhale.
Chaturanga Nandasana.
High to low plank.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
Lift your left leg high towards the sky.
Exhale,
Low lunge.
Step your foot between your hands.
Inhale,
Crescent lunge.
Rise up.
Stack your shoulders directly over your hips.
Hold and breathe here.
This time charge your right heel back.
Engage your core by drawing your belly button in towards your spine.
Place your left knee over your left ankle.
Draw your right hip forward and your left hip back in space to square them to the front of the room.
Release your shoulders down and away from your ears as you place your biceps on either side of your ears.
Rotating your pinkies inward towards one another.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Shift your weight forward.
Find length.
Exhale.
Revolved crescent lunge on the left.
Hook your right elbow to the outside of your left knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Being mindful not to be compressing onto your knee but more so an inch or two higher.
Don't want to be pressing onto the actual knee.
Very gentle area so please,
Please,
Please be mindful of that here.
Option to drop down to your back knee to take the balance out of this posture and to focus more on the twist.
Press your palms to heart center to open your chest toward whatever side wall you are facing of the room that you are in,
Of the space that you are in.
Reach the crown of your head towards the front of the room.
With each inhale,
Lengthen your spine and with every exhale,
Twist a little bit deeper.
Take a deep breath in and exhale to runner's lunge.
Place your palms on the inside of your left foot.
Release your back toes towards the mat.
Hold and breathe here.
Maybe you stay here,
Proud on your palms.
Perhaps your body is encouraging you to come down to your forearms if you have a block.
Always nice to work towards putting your forehead down towards the mat,
Surrendering here in this pose.
Let your head and neck be really heavy wherever you are.
Taking this active rest to recharge and replenish all of the good that you are doing right now for your body.
Maybe you close your eyes.
Let it go.
Always a good time in this series and practice to come back to your intention.
Whatever it was for you,
Whatever you call that intention to be at the beginning of class today,
Call it back in.
Cultivate that memory.
Allow it to propel you forward through the remainder of this moving meditation.
On your next inhale,
Wherever you are,
Press up to your palms,
Reengaging your back leg.
Exhale to high plank.
Step your right foot back to meet your left.
Inhale,
Side plank.
Shift your weight onto your right palm.
Spin your heels over to the right,
Stacking your left foot on your right,
Reaching your left arm high towards the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
Engage your right oblique to lift yourself up and away from the mat.
Option to drop your right leg to your mat for more stability.
Option to lift your left leg up to the sky.
Reach the crown of your head towards the front of the room wherever you are.
Stack your shoulders over one another.
Imagine what it would feel like to light up your shoulder blades here,
Your upper into middle back.
Notice what it feels like in this pose.
It may activate something for you,
Completely different than what you've experienced prior.
And if this is your first time in this pose,
No worries,
No judgment.
See what it feels like.
Take notice.
Re-engage your core.
As you stack your shoulders,
As you,
Sorry,
Re-engage your core as you come to a plank position.
And exhale to hide a little plank,
Chaturanga Dandasana.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
Look forward.
Bend your knees.
Exhale,
Step or hop to the top of your mat.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Find a flat back.
Exhale,
Forward fold,
Bow down.
Inhale,
Chair pose,
Utkatasana.
We've been here before.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Shift your weight forward.
Find a long spine.
Exhale,
Prayer twist on the right.
Bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Right away,
Your left hip wants to come forward.
Can you draw it back in space and press your right hip forward?
Maybe you draw your left knee back if it's sticking out.
Square your hips towards one another,
Towards the front of the rung.
Just be mindful of what this looks like for you.
No judgment.
Pressing your palms to heart center to open your chest.
Towards whatever side wall you're facing today in the space that you're in.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Twist.
Always an option to place your left elbow between your knees.
Maybe you have a block and you put it in between your thighs.
Whatever you're being called to do here.
Honor that.
One more inhale.
Fill up.
Exhale,
Gorilla pose.
Release your hands down to the mat to heel your feet,
Hips width distance apart.
And place your palms underneath the soles of your feet.
Breathing here.
Bend your knees a lot.
Maybe you rest your torso on your thighs.
Perhaps you straighten your legs for more of a hamstring stretch.
Let your head and neck be really heavy here.
Give your wrists a little massage with your feet.
Be mindful of the energetic connection from your feet all the way up to your hips.
Feel that long line of energy in your hamstrings open up,
Thighs.
Take note of what that feels like.
Can you massage your feet in another way that maybe strengthens that connection?
Maybe you rock forward and back or side to side.
Let go of any thoughts that might not be serving you here.
Calling back that intention.
Release your palms from underneath your feet.
Toe heel your feet together.
Bring your feet to touch.
Inhale,
Chair pose,
Utkatasana.
Fire up,
Bend your knees.
Drop your hips,
Raise your arms high to the sky.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Lengthen your spine.
Forward.
Exhale,
Prayer twist to the left.
Bring your right elbow to the outside of your left knee.
Hold and breathe here.
Option to place your elbow between your knees.
This time notice if your right hip is pushing forward,
Can you draw that hip back in space?
Draw your right hip knee back in space to meet your left.
Find a long line of energy from the base of your spine to the crown of your head.
Release your palms to your heart center to open your chest toward whatever side wall you are facing in the space that you are in at this time.
Every inhale,
Lengthen your spine.
With every exhale,
Twist a little further.
This is always my favorite pose.
Not only do I find it to be the most challenging pose,
It really brings you to your edge and it really cultivates the finding of what it means to find stillness in the body.
That moment where you build heat in the body and you want to surrender,
You want to come out of it,
But it's so difficult and that is the moment where you change is when you find that comfort in the discomfort where you find stillness all around you.
Be a yes to finding that stillness in the discomfort.
This is where you change.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Let it go.
Straighten your legs,
Release your hands down to the mat.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Find a flat back.
Exhale,
Bow down,
Chaturanga,
Hide a little plank.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.
Acknowledge that you showed up today for yourself on your mat.
Acknowledge the work that you've put in thus far.
It matters.
It matters.
Inhale,
Look forward.
Exhale,
Travel to the top of your mat.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Exhale,
Forward fold.
Inhale,
Chair pose,
Utkatasana,
Fire up,
Thunderbolt.
Bend your knees,
Drop your hips,
Raise your arms towards the sky.
Can you pull your belly button in towards the back of your spine as you drop your tailbone?
Tilt your pelvic floor in and breathe.
Preparing for eagle pose on the right.
Hook your right arm underneath your left.
As you cross your right leg over your left,
Hold here and breathe.
Always an option to bear hug your arms or to kickstand your right foot towards the mat.
Pull your belly button in and work to stack your shoulders directly over your hips while squeezing everything inward.
Taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out.
Unwind your arms and legs.
As we take that to the other side,
Inhale,
Chair pose.
Exhale,
Eagle on the left.
Place your left arm underneath your right and cross your left leg over your right.
Hold and breathe here.
This side may feel different than the right and let that be okay.
Find your drishti,
Your non-moving point of focus directly in front of you.
Maybe you close your eyes,
Test your balance.
Wherever you are,
Take a deep breath in and exhale,
Unwind.
Release your left foot to the mat and your arms by your side.
Inhale,
Mountain pose,
Tadasana.
Raise your arms up towards the sky.
Exhale,
Dancer pose on the right.
Bring your right arm by your side,
Bend your right knee and grab onto the inside edge of your right foot with your right arm.
Maybe you stay here.
Maybe you slowly reach forward with your left arm and kick your right foot into your right hand.
Hold and breathe here.
Press firmly into your left foot to create a solid foundation.
Find a non-moving drishti.
Where is your point of focus?
Breathe here.
Belly button in.
Find a bit of an up dog in your chest.
Shine out.
Just one more breath in.
Exhale,
Release your right foot to your mat.
Unwind.
Take it out.
Inhale,
Mountain pose,
Tadasana.
Exhale,
Dancer on the left.
Bring your left arm down by your side.
Grab the inside edge of your left foot with your left hand.
Right here is dancer on the left.
Of course,
Option to move your right arm forward and kick your left foot into your left hand.
Maybe what you do on this side is different from what you did on the right side and that's okay.
This time,
Press into your right foot.
One more breath in.
Exhale,
Release your left foot down to the mat.
Bring your right hand back to heart center.
And shake it out.
Inhale,
Mountain pose,
Tadasana.
Rise up.
Exhale.
Your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Tree pose on the right.
Bring the sole of your right foot to your inner thigh or shin.
Be careful to avoid the knee joint.
Hold and breathe here.
Maybe you keep your gaze down and soft.
Maybe you close your eyes.
Perhaps you grow branches with your arms as you sway side to side.
Release your shoulders away from your ears and keep your shoulders stacked over your hips simultaneously.
Take a breath in.
Exhale,
Release your right foot down to the mat.
Inhale,
Tadasana,
Mountain pose.
Lift your arms up high towards the sky.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
Inhale,
Tree pose on the left.
Bring the sole of your left foot to your shin or thigh.
Again,
Avoiding your knee joint.
Hold and breathe here.
Work to open your left hip,
Pushing the sole of your foot into your shin or thigh,
All while pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
Continuing to release your shoulders away from your ears.
Option to grow your tree.
And bear in mind that what you did on the other side does not have to be repeated here.
Each side is a little bit different.
Let that be okay.
Inhale,
Tadasana,
Raise your arms high towards the sky.
Exhale,
Forward fold,
Bow down.
Inhale,
Halfway lift,
Find a flat back.
Exhale,
Chaturanga,
Tadasana,
High to low push up.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Take a deep breath in.
And a deep breath out.
Ujjayi in,
Ujjayi out.
Resiting that oceanic sound.
That breath of victory.
Building heat in the body.
On your next inhale,
Reach your right leg high.
Exhale,
Low lunge.
Step your foot between your hands.
Inhale,
Warrior one.
Spin your back heel flat to a 45 degree angle to the front of your mat.
Rise up,
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Reach your arms high to the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
This is a bit of an awkward pose,
So feel free to separate your feet as much as you need to here to maintain balance.
It should not feel like you are on a tight rope.
Also with the positioning of your feet,
Your stance will likely be shorter than in crescent lunge or in warrior two.
You want to work towards pressing your left hip forward and drawing your right hip back,
Keeping your right knee stacked directly over your right ankle,
While pressing into the pinky toe edge of your left foot.
Release your shoulders away from your ears and rotate your elbow creases and pinkies inward to broaden through your collar bones.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Open up towards whatever side of the room you are facing.
Bend in your right leg,
Arms out to a T.
Inhale,
Straighten your right leg.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Reach your right arm forward and down.
Bring your left arm high towards the sky.
Breathe here,
Placing little to no weight in your right arm.
Option to place your right hand on a block.
Keeping a micro bend in your right knee,
Continuing to press into the knife side edge of your back foot and into the mat,
Use your right oblique to lift up and away from your mat.
Squeezing your inner thighs together,
Stack your shoulders over one another.
Reach the crown of your head towards the front of the room.
Breathe.
And on your next inhale,
Rise up and T out your arms.
Exhale,
Parallel your feet to the short edges of your mat.
Inhale,
Puff up your chest.
Exhale,
Wide leg forward fold.
Hinge at your hips.
Release your hands down to the mat.
Hold and breathe here.
Let your head and neck be really heavy here.
You can bend into one knee and then into the other.
Maybe you find stillness.
Maybe you get upside down if that's in your practice.
Do whatever is calling to you.
What feels good in your body?
If you need an inversion,
Begin to make your way back down to the mat.
And on your next inhale,
Rise up,
T out your arms.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Place a deep bend in your front knee.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Windmill your hands forward.
Get a low plank,
Chaturanga nandasana.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
As we prepare now to take that on the other side.
Inhale,
Lift your left leg high.
Exhale,
A lunge.
Step your left foot in between your hands.
Inhale,
Warrior one on the left.
Spin your back heel flat to a 45 degree angle.
Rise up,
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Hold and breathe here.
Pull your belly button in and draw your right hip forward and your left hip back to square your hips to the front of the room.
Press the knife side edge of your right foot into the mat.
Release your shoulders down your back.
Place your biceps in either side of your ears and rotate your biceps and pinkies towards one another to broaden through your collarbone.
Reach the crown of your head up towards the sky.
Take a breath in.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Open up toward the mirror side wall.
Place a deep bend in your right knee.
Inhale,
Straighten your front leg.
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Reaching your left arm forward and down,
Simultaneously reaching your right arm up towards the sky.
Hold and breathe here.
Keeping a slight bend in your front knee,
An option to place your left hand on a block.
Stack your shoulders on top of your back foot into the mat.
Engage your core.
Reach the crown of your head toward the front of the room and breathe here.
On your next inhale,
Rise up and teal your arms.
Exhale,
Parallel your feet to the short edges of your mat.
Inhale,
Puff up your chest.
Option to take a basket grip with your hands behind you here,
Behind your sacrum.
Exhale,
Wide leg forward fold.
With chest expansion,
Hinge at your hips and release the crown of your head towards the mat.
And if the grip doesn't serve you,
No problem,
Just let it go.
Option to bend into one leg,
Then bend into the other.
And maybe you take an inversion on this side.
If it's in your practice,
Maybe you find stillness here.
Inversion,
Slowly make your way back down to the mat.
And wherever you are,
On your next inhale,
Rise up and teal your arms.
Exhale,
Warrior two.
Place a deep bend in your front knee.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale,
High to low plank,
Chaturanga dandasana.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Taking a universal breath in through your nose,
Open mouth.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Preparing for pigeon pose,
Inhale your right leg to the sky.
High exhale,
Half pigeon on the right.
Bring your right knee behind your right wrist.
Untuck your back toe.
Left leg is long behind you.
Press the top of your left foot into the mat.
Maybe you stay on your palms.
Perhaps you bring your reach.
Perhaps you reach your arms forward and bring your torso down to the mat into sleeping pigeon.
Maybe you massage your third eye center onto the mat or block here.
Settling into your breath here.
Each inhale,
Call back your intention.
And each exhale,
Allow yourself to sink in deeper into this space.
Often times we hold a lot of tension and emotional trauma in our hips.
Really making it difficult to let go of that resistance that we experience in this pose.
The difficulty that we find and allowing stillness here.
Each breath in.
Call back that intention.
Each exhale,
Create more space.
Find more stillness.
And if you are sleeping pigeon,
Inhale and rise up to your palms as you broaden through your chest.
Wherever you are,
Tuck your left toes under and re-engage your back leg.
Taking a deep breath in and exhale to downward facing dog.
Bring your right foot back to meet your left.
Maybe you open up your hip here and take some giant hip circles.
If it feels good in your body,
Do that.
Inhale,
Lift your left leg high.
Exhale.
Half pigeon on your left,
Bringing your left knee behind your left wrist,
Unlocking your back toes.
Right leg is long behind you.
Press the top of your right foot into the mat.
Option is stay up proud in your palms.
Option to sleep your pigeon.
Reach your arms forward and bring your torso and forehead to the mat.
Option to massage your third eye.
Maybe if you have a block or a sweatshirt or sneaker nearby,
You put it underneath your hip.
To release some tension,
Seeing what it feels like to have your hip rest into the earth.
Without any resistance,
Without any tension.
Surrendering to the posture here.
Sleeping pigeons,
Inhale.
And right up to your arms.
To your palms.
An extension of your arms that has.
Tuck your right toes under and re-engage your back leg.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Bring your left foot back to meet your right.
Maybe you open up your hip here with circles.
Even if you didn't on your other side.
Do whatever you're called to do in this moment.
And then you're going to be eating back in downward facing dog whenever you're ready.
Inhale,
Shift your weight forward into high plank.
And slowly lower down.
Count of four.
Three.
Two.
Core engaged.
One.
Tuck your belly,
Hips,
Thighs,
Chin,
Feet,
All grounded in the mat that was beneath you.
We will begin to prepare now for our spine series as we start off with cobra pose.
Bring your hands to the base of your hips.
These are your ribs.
Palms face down about 90 degrees.
Bend in your elbows.
Facing up towards the sky.
Put the tops of your feet into the mat so much so that your kneecaps lift and your quadriceps engage.
Squeeze your inner thighs together and lift your chest.
Little to no weight in your palms.
Maybe your palms lift up off the mat.
Continue pressing the tops of your feet down into the earth beneath you.
Neck is long.
Bring your gaze down towards earth.
Take out any crease in your neck here.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly back down to the mat.
Let your arms go along by your sides as you gently gaze your left cheek to the mat.
Preparing for floor bow.
Bring your chin back to center.
Bend your knees and grab the outside edges of your feet with your hands.
Inhale floor bow.
Kick your feet into your hands.
Lift your chest up off the mat.
Taking in small sips of air.
Sending your gaze down to protect your neck.
Flex your feet.
Bring your knees closer in towards one another.
Ideally we don't want them to spread out.
Flex your feet.
Maybe you push,
Maybe you rock back and forth onto your hips.
Taking in small sips of air.
Sending your gaze down again to protect your neck.
Now you take a deep breath in.
Exhale as you release your right cheek to the mat this time.
Maybe you wind chill.
Wipe your legs back and forth to release your lower back.
When you're ready find stillness.
Press into your palms and come to stand on your knees as we take a round of camel pose.
For camel pose place your palms on your lower back.
Fingers facing down.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Inhale.
Lift your gaze up and back.
Exhale.
Press into your hips with your hands and lift your chest towards the sky.
Maybe you stay here.
Option to grab for your shins or your feet.
Important not to drop into your lower back here.
Pull your belly button in towards your spine as you shine your chest out.
Wherever you are on your next inhale.
Slowly come up.
Exhale.
Have a seat on your shins and close your eyes for a moment.
This can really open up your heart space which can bring up a lot of emotions or feelings.
Even nausea.
So take a moment and honor your body in this space.
When you're ready swing your legs out in front of you.
Coming to lie on your back.
Slowly lowering to the ground one vertebrae at a time.
Using your core strength here.
Preparing for a round of bridge pose.
Place the soles of your feet onto the mat.
Placing your feet hip width distance apart.
Inhale.
Bridge pose.
Lift your hips away from the mat.
Breathe here.
Press into the four corners of your feet.
Maybe you lift your toes to acknowledge the four points of contact on the four corners of your feet.
Bring your toes back down towards the mat.
Squeeze your belly button in towards your spine.
But relax your glutes here.
Relax your glutes.
Bring your shin towards your chest.
Option to interlace your hands behind your back.
By shimming your shoulders underneath your back.
Take one more deep breath in.
Exhale.
Supta Baddha Konasana.
Lower your hips to the mat.
Bring the soles of your feet to touch.
Splay your knees out wide.
Bringing one hand to heart center and the other to your belly.
Close your eyes and breathe here.
Taking a moment to acknowledge what it feels like in your body.
Without judgement.
How is it different from the start of practice?
Take note of how you feel.
I invite you now to draw your knees into your chest.
Rock and roll the length of your mat and come to a seat with your legs long in front of you.
Inhale.
Raise your arms up overhead.
Exhale.
Sita Forward Fold.
You want to feel the point of contact.
You do not want to bend your spine here.
Flat back.
If your knees are bent this whole time,
That's okay.
If you're making contact with the energy that you need to as it relates to the point of contact between your upper thighs and your chest,
Then maybe you're ready to scoot forward.
Be mindful of your back and your lower back.
Engage your core in towards your spine.
Reach your arms overhead.
If you want to feel this in your back,
Straighten your legs more and if you want more of a hamstring stretch,
Utilize the bend in your knees.
On your next inhale,
Rise all the way up.
Reach your arms overhead.
Exhale.
Lower into the mat.
Slow and with control with your last bit of core strength.
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Happy Baby Pose.
Stamp the soles of your feet to the ceiling as you place a deep bend in your knees.
Grab for the inside edges of your feet with your hands.
Maybe you rock side to side.
Maybe you massage your lower back and I invite you to find stillness here.
When you're ready,
Hug both knees into your chest.
Hold on to your right knee.
Let your left leg go as you take a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Supine Twist.
Guide your right knee across your body.
Teal your arms.
Keep your shoulders on your mat.
Gaze to the right.
Let gravity do the work here.
When you're ready,
Come back to center.
Hug both knees into your chest and hold your right knee.
Let your left leg go along.
Rather,
Time to hug your left knee in.
Let your right leg go along as you take a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Supine Twist.
Guide your left knee across your body.
Send your gaze to the left.
Teal your arms.
Prioritize keeping your shoulders down to the mat.
When you're ready,
Hold on to your right knee.
Let your left leg go along.
And this time,
Supine twist.
Guide your right knee across your body.
Teal your arms.
Keeping your shoulders on the mat as you gaze to the right.
Letting gravity do the work here.
And when you're ready,
Hug both knees into your chest,
Taking a full,
Big,
Robust breath in.
As you exhale,
Shavasana.
Take up space on your mat.
Your breath returns to its natural rhythm.
For your final rest,
Shavasana.
Shavasana.
Shavasana.
Take a deep breath in.
And a long breath out.
Know that this space is yours as long as you need it.
However,
If you're ready to move on with your day or your evening,
Begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Maybe you rock your head side to side.
Taking a long body stretch,
Like you're just waking up for the day.
And turn to your right side for fetal pose.
Fetal pose represents a rebirth.
With that,
I invite you to take this moment to leave something behind.
Something behind on your mat that no longer serves you.
And maybe you take something anew.
An idea,
Perspective.
When you're ready,
Come to have a seat at the top of your mat with your eyes closed or with a soft gaze.
I invite you to bring your hands to heart center.
And we will end class the same way we started today with one unified breath.
But first,
Exhale all of the stale air from your lungs.
Taking a deep breath in through your nose.
Open mouth exhale.
Let it go.
Bring your palms to your third eye center.
The space between your brow.
This is your seat of intuition.
I acknowledge and I honor the light and the love in each and every one of you.
And I invite you to acknowledge and honor the light and love in yourself.
Together we bow forward and we say namaste.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Blessings.
4.6 (19)
Recent Reviews
Susan
July 26, 2025
Hello beautiful 🍎🌸🌷🌸🍎Thank you so much for the wonderful yoga session 🎀like unfolding a present I found so much peace ☯️and sweet love in my body and mind soul 🎀I’m smiling and enjoying 🥰much love 🕉️Namaste
Gypsy
May 2, 2021
Tough but beautiful yoga practice. I feel stronger, longer and deeply in tune with my body. Deep release. Although moving into savansa was abrupt as was the end, this is a yoga practice that I will come back to again. With gratitude! Namaste 🙏🏼