Inspired By Scaravelli Track 17

In this yoga practice, you will be guided into a Tree Balance posture for personal serenity and fun. Whatever your own personal Yoga practice consists of, whether a sequence like Sun Salutations, or a selection of poses (forward bend, backbenchers, twist) from standing, sitting or lying, try to include a balance. Nobody knows your body better than you. This Yoga will enable you to become more aware of what your body needs, what your body likes. Imagination is important. It fills the gaps while your awareness is developing.

Transcript

Standing,

Arms length away from the wall,

For a tree balance.

Your personal serenity and fun.

Stand facing sideways.

With your feet hip width apart,

Let the shoulders feel light,

With the heels growing roots into the ground.

The outer edges of your feet are parallel to each other,

Pointing forwards,

So that you create some space in the sacroiliac joint in the lower spine can move more freely.

Gravity is pulling the lower half of your body down like sand in an hourglass.

The upper half lightens and the rebound enables uplifting growth into the sky.

Scaravelli says it's like a tree,

Spreading its branches outwards and upwards at the same time.

Your legs are feeling strong and solid,

Reclaiming space for your internal organs and giving a strong sense of an alert self.

You're aware of the arches in your feet,

Especially across the base of the toes.

If you lift them all up and then put the little toes down and then the others one by one towards the big toe,

With as much space between them as possible,

You can feel this arch.

Your soles seem to cover a wide area.

Your kneecaps are floating,

Your hamstrings are released.

Your pelvis is balanced over your ankles,

Not tilting forwards or backwards,

Not doing anything,

But undoing everything around it.

Let the spine extend and take the weight of the arms and legs as they release away from the shoulders and the hips.

Notice that the uplift in the upper body is maintained as on an in-breath,

Space is created by releasing the muscles at the tops of the thighs.

Activating the outer arches of the feet helps you to become aware of the tailbone's location.

Feel the spine extend from there to the top of the head.

The little toe gives a connection to the lateral arches of the feet to give a strong base.

Let the heels feel far away.

There are no big surface muscles trying to tense.

The skeleton is supporting all your weight.

No muscles are getting tired,

And you could be like this for a long time.

Bring your attention to the way you're breathing.

Sit fast or slow,

Deep or shallow,

Preparing for a balance,

Centering,

Focusing on your spine,

Releasing muscles around it,

Being in a still frame of mind,

A quiet place.

Bring your hands together,

Fingertips just touching,

Not pressing,

Near your heart in Namaste.

Release muscles from the contact through wrists,

Elbows,

Shoulders.

Feel your arms connect through the shoulders to your spine.

They don't finish at the shoulders.

Be aware how you're standing.

Notice the arches in your feet,

Your soles covering a big area.

The body is shifting,

Pouring weight from one foot to the other,

Feeling their footprint.

Allow the right thigh to become heavy and solid as if it's the only leg,

The left foot tiptoes on the ground.

Open up your pelvis and lower back.

Feel your coccyx is dropping like a dinosaur's tail as your spine extends.

As you exhale,

Feel your left thigh bone is sucked up through your hip to the spine.

The leg doesn't finish at the hip.

The spine takes the weight.

Lift it lightly with the knee bent.

Forward to start with.

You can put your hands around the knee if you like.

Then rotate the knee to the side,

Not too far,

Not too far around too soon.

Your pelvis stays level.

The standing right foot isn't gripping,

But it's open and spreading.

Feel energy coming up through the arches,

A lightness as you breathe in.

Place your left foot somewhere comfortable.

Calf,

Knee,

Thigh,

Doesn't matter.

Don't try to jam it in.

And don't worry if it slips down.

It may take some experimenting with the materials you're wearing and the angle of the leg.

Don't push into the thigh too strongly.

Rather,

Feel the right leg pressing back.

Feel the outer edge and the arch across the base of the toes of the right foot.

From wherever the left foot makes contact,

Release calf,

Shin,

And thigh out towards the knee.

Your right knee cap is floating.

The hamstrings release.

Your pelvis is balanced over your right ankle,

Not tilting forwards or backwards,

Not doing anything but undoing everything around it.

Let the spine extend and take the weight of the arms and left leg as they release away from the shoulders and hips.

Feel that your spine is lifting up between your shoulders towards your head.

Feel that your bent leg is light,

Not finishing at the hip,

But going up to the spine through the hips.

Your head feels like it's going towards the sky,

The soles of your feet going down into the ground.

Imagine a wall just behind you.

You feel really well supported.

Your skeleton takes all of your weight.

Feel that your core is strong.

Feel your navel drawn back.

Your spine is lifting up through your pelvis.

It's better to keep your spine erect than to have the bent knee high and right round to the side.

Rather,

It unfolds from the center,

Keeping your balance centered,

Not shifting towards your right toes.

Your shoulders feel really light.

As you breathe out,

Raise your arms like wings to shoulder height.

If you feel balanced,

Take your hands in a fist to the crown of your head and feel the next out-breath going from there down your back through open hips and open knees to your heels.

If you still feel balanced,

Take your hands towards the ceiling and feel your spine respond,

Going up towards your head.

Feel that your upper body is light,

Especially as you breathe in.

Feel that your thigh bones are sucked through your hips to your spine,

Especially as you breathe out.

The palms of your hands can touch together to free your shoulder blades down to your waist.

You can imagine,

Or better still,

Actually arrange that your hands touch a ceiling or a beam and feel the release,

Especially in your lower body,

Down to your feet.

You can imagine your body hanging from your wrists.

You're not stretching.

Continue with these thoughts as long as you feel comfortable.

And finally,

Come back to Tadasana and prepare to do the same standing on the left leg.

So once again,

Practicing shifting weight from one foot to the other,

Pouring it from one foot to the other,

Feeling their footprint on the ground.

Allow the left thigh to become heavy and solid as if it's the only leg.

The right foot this time,

Tiptoes on the ground.

Open your pelvis and lower back.

Feel that your coccyx is dropping like a dinosaur's tail as your spine extends.

As you exhale,

Lift your right leg with the knee bent,

Forward to start with.

You can put your hands around it if you like.

And then rotate the knee to the side,

But not too far around too soon.

Otherwise your pelvis won't stay level.

The standing left foot isn't gripping,

But it's open and spreading.

Feel energy coming up through the arches of the left foot,

A lightness as you breathe in.

Place your right foot somewhere comfortable,

Calf,

Knee or thigh.

Don't try to jam it in and don't push into the thighs too strongly.

Rather,

Feel that the left leg is pressing back.

Feel the outer edge and the arch across the base of the toes of the left foot.

From wherever the right foot makes contact,

Release calf,

Shin,

Thigh out towards the knee.

Your left kneecap is floating,

Your hamstrings release.

Your pelvis is balanced over your left ankle,

Not tilting forwards or backwards,

Not doing anything but undoing everything around it.

Let the spine extend and take the weight of the arms and the right leg as they release away from the shoulders and hips.

Feel that your spine is lifting up between your shoulders towards your head.

Feel that your bent leg is light,

Not finishing at the hip but going up to the spine through the hips.

Your head feels like it's going towards the sky,

The soles of your feet going down into the ground.

Imagine a wall just behind you.

You feel really well supported.

Your skeleton is taking all of your weight.

Feel that your core is strong.

Feel your navel drawn back,

Your spine is lifting up through your pelvis.

Your right leg unfolds from the center,

Keeping your balance centered,

Not shifting towards the left.

Your shoulders feel really light.

As you breathe out,

Raise your arms like wings to shoulder height.

If you feel balanced,

Take your hands in a fist to the crown of your head and feel the next out-breath going from there down your back through open hips and open knees to your heels.

If you still feel balanced,

Take your hands towards the ceiling and feel your spine respond going up towards your head.

Feel that your upper body is light,

Especially as you breathe in.

Feel that your thigh bones are sucked through your hips to your spine,

Especially as you breathe out.

The palms of your hands can touch together to free your shoulder blades down to your waist.

Imagine,

Or better still,

Actually be touching a ceiling.

Release,

Especially your lower body,

Down to your feet.

You can imagine your body hanging from your wrists.

You're not stretching.

Continue with these thoughts as long as you feel comfortable,

And finally return to Tadasana.

As an alternative,

If you're still feeling comfortable and well balanced,

Is to take one leg bent up behind hold your foot in your hand as you extend the opposite arm forwards.

This is the Dancer.

Right on both sides,

And then again return to Tadasana.