Lying sideways to the wall for one leg in the air.
Lie alongside a wall in the constructive rest position with feet flat on the ground and knees up.
The upper body is completely supported.
The stability of the pose allows grounding through the shoulders,
The hips and the feet with as much contact as the back allows without forcing the spine down.
Unfold from the center without consciously stretching.
The spine is free to move but the tailbone doesn't lift off the ground very far as you lift the foot nearest the wall off the ground,
Bringing the knee back towards the head.
With your hands gently wrapped around the back of the knee,
Allow the leg to straighten so that the hamstrings release and the weight of the leg travels down through the hips which feel pinned to the floor.
The shinbone feels like it's going away from the knee and the heel goes even further.
Make tiny circles with your feet,
First with the toes and then with the heels.
Then allow the leg to go sideways further and further until it makes contact with the wall.
This can encourage muscles in the leg,
Especially around the knee and the hip to release.
Release as fully as possible.
And finally,
Return to constructive rest.
Now extend the second leg along the floor before lifting the first foot off the ground,
Bringing the knee back towards the head.
With your hands gently wrapped around the back of the knee,
Allow the leg to straighten so that the hamstrings release and the weight of the leg travels down through the hip which feels pinned to the floor.
The shinbone feels like it's going away from the knee.
Again,
Make tiny circles with your foot,
First with the toes and then with the heels.
Then allow the leg to go sideways further and further until it makes contact with the wall.
This can encourage muscles in the leg,
Especially around the knee and the hip to release.
Release as fully as possible in both legs.
See if you have the same feelings,
Especially of letting go of the muscles around the hips so that there seems to be more space there.
And finally,
Return to constructive rest again.
Remember,
The pose doesn't matter.
It's more about feeling inside the body and undoing tension.
To explore the movement of where I am and this might take me somewhere else.
You can't define it and pin it down.
It doesn't belong to anybody.
It isn't one person's invention.
It's your discovery.
Then turn around so that the other foot is nearest the wall.
Let your base be quiet and heavy,
Allowing release away from that foundation.
Let go of thoughts and feelings.
Let go of intention and ambition.
The spine is free to move,
But the tailbone doesn't lift off the ground very far as you lift the other foot off the ground,
Bringing the knee back towards the head.
With your hands gently wrapped around the back of the knee,
Allow the leg to straighten so that the hamstrings release and the weight of the leg travels down through the hips,
Which feel pinned to the floor.
The shinbone feels like it's going away from the knee.
Now make tiny circles with your feet,
First with the toes and then with the heels.
Then allow the leg to go sideways even further to make contact with the wall.
This can encourage muscles in the leg,
Especially around the knee and the hip,
To release.
Release as fully as possible and finally return to constructive rest.
Imagination is important.
It fills the gaps while your awareness is developing.
Put your body's intelligence in charge.
As you do more,
You increase awareness of what your body likes.
The quality of your attention is key.
Keep returning to the breath to open and release,
Staying with physical ease as a means of avoiding effort and strain and letting the spine extend while the skeleton works with gravity to take the weight out of the limbs.
Now extend the first leg along the floor before lifting the second foot off the ground,
Bringing the knee back towards the head.
With your hands gently wrapped around the back of the knee,
Allow the leg to straighten so that the hamstrings release and the weight of the leg travels down through the hips,
Which feel pinned to the floor.
The shin bone feels like it's going away from the knee.
Then make tiny circles with your feet,
First with the toes and then with the heels.
Then allow the leg to go further sideways to make contact with the wall.
This can encourage muscles in the leg,
Especially around the knee and the hip,
To release.
Release as fully as possible in both legs.
See if you have the same feelings,
Especially of letting go of the muscles around the hips,
So there seems to be more space there.
And finally return to constructive rest again.
You can try moving the mat further away from the wall so that there is a sideways angle between the legs when you rest one foot against the wall.
You can even move the mat so far away it rests on the floor rather than the wall,
As long as your hip muscles release enough.
But don't be too ambitious too soon.
Don't forget less is more.
Yoga is a dance for your body,
And you know it better than anyone.
Bear in mind we all have different proportions which determine the ease of poses.
Be patient with yourself.
Yoga is a personal journey and competition has no place.
Feeling a wholeness of movement gives us a profound release which as a consequence may increase our flexibility and resistance resilience.
Just a few minutes each day is very valuable.
The idea was to remain aware all day long.
Yoga sometimes when you're walking to the station.
