Alright,
So sitting comfortably,
However that looks for you.
Letting the eyes close or take.
A soft gaze.
An easy breath in through the nose.
Drop it out through the mouth.
Let yourself settle.
Settle in the space that you're in.
Letting distractions float through.
Evenly weighted across the sitting bones feeling.
The earth holding you,
Supporting you,
And from that support,
Grow a little taller.
And then soften the edges,
Soften the skin.
And feel yourself breathing.
On the inhale navel drops forward.
And on the exhale,
Navel pulls back.
Gently deepening the breath so that on the inhale the navel drops forward.
The breath expands into the ribs and the chest.
And as you exhale,
Chest,
Ribs,
Navel gently draw in.
Today will be.
.
.
Focusing on the lower body.
Both physically and energetically.
When we work with the lower body,
It also has an association to the root chakra.
Root Energy Center.
This has to do with the earth element,
With our feeling of safety,
Of groundedness.
If there's anything else that you'd like to weave into your practice here,
Take the next two to three breaths to bring that in.
On the next inhale lengthen up through the crown of the head and exhale hinge at the hips and then begin counterclockwise torso circles so we feel this movement through the entire spine And reverse direction.
And bring yourself back to neutral spine,
Seated cat cows.
Bring your attention to the tailbone.
And as you inhale,
Tilt the tailbone back.
Lift the heart,
The gaze.
When you exhale,
Tuck the tailbone around the spine and drop your chin to chest.
Inhale tailbone on tucks we tilt it back Lift the heart,
The gaze.
Exhale,
Tuck the tailbone and then round the spine,
Chin to chest.
About three more.
And the next time that you inhale,
Return to a neutral spine.
Take a few shoulder rolls.
Inhale them up,
Back,
And down.
And when that feels complete for you,
Change the cross of your legs.
If you're seated cross-legged,
Readjust on the sitting bone so that we feel the support.
Beneath us,
Evenly weighted across the hips.
And inhale,
Sit tall,
Exhale,
Hinge forward,
Counterclockwise torso circles.
And reverse direction.
We turn to a neutral spine seated cat cows as you inhale the pelvis tilts forward the tail untucked Heart gaze lift.
Exhale tuck the tailbone a lot round through the whole back chin to chest A few more on your own.
And as you continue,
Making sure that your shoulders remain stacked over the hips so that we get this whole movement.
From the tailbone all the way up to the neck.
Not one more.
Return to a neutral spine shoulder rolls bring them up back and down about three more You can use your hands to help extend the legs out in front of you,
Gently bounce the knees.
You can even make fists with your hands and then just have the hands kind of bounce on the front of the thighs,
The top of the thighs,
Getting into the outer edges of the legs.
The inner thighs.
This helps to release surface tension behind the thighs.
The hamstrings.
Good,
Arms can go out by your sides.
You can be on blocks or on the floor with your hands and then point flex the feet a lot.
So you feel this all the way to the toes.
Draw circles leading with the big toes so you get into the ankle Reverse direction.
Then rock the leg side to side so you feel this movement all the way into the hips i like to call this extended leg windshield wipers but however that translates for you that the legs are moving So you feel it all the way into the hip joints,
Keep the spine long.
About two more to each side.
Great,
And then readjust on your seat if needed,
Untuck your tail.
Bend the knees feet go wide seated windshield wipers one-legged windshield wipers to start dropping one knee in and down at a time so if you're seated up higher you'll notice that then the stretch goes a little bit more into the outer hips you can always explore that Once more with each flag.
And then heel to the feet and towards each other soles of the feet touch knees drop open untuck the tail that you're evenly weighted again across the sitting bones.
Butterfly,
Soles of the feet touch,
Knees drop open,
Maybe blocks in the outer edges of the leg.
Sitting up tall.
Check in with your breathing.
Now a little addition here for your feet for your ankles if you have a blanket that you're seated up on the outer edge of your heel can land on the blanket but the outer edge of the pinky toe side can land on the floor And then bring your arms out to letter T.
Float the palms up and then fingertips to the shoulders.
Inhale,
Elbows forward and up.
Exhale them back and down.
A few more.
Next time at the elbows go back drop them down towards the ribs release the hands to the legs you can land at the base of the knees at the shins at the ankles keep the shoulders gently drawn back ribs draw back lengthen up through the crown of the head Now stay here or hinge at the hips and have your hands go to the floor and stop naturally where your breath and your body stop and then stay there and breathe.
So you're going right to that edge.
Soles of the feet can press into each other as the knees press away,
Adding a little bit more stretch for the hips.
We're here for about five to eight more breaths.
So what you might find is as you hang out at your edge,
Maybe it softens,
Maybe you wanna bring in a little bit of movement with the upper body side to side,
Pausing at any.
Areas or edges that feel dense or constricted.
And just giving a breath.
About three more cycles.
Hailing the inhale and the exhale.
For the last cycle of breath here,
Return to center,
But stay folded.
Then use your hands to bring yourself upright walking them in towards the body and then close your knees as if closing a book and extend the legs straight out in front of you and again bounce the knees Now,
If you're seated up high,
You might choose to drop down to one blanket or no blankets and open the legs out to letter V.
And again,
Untuck the tail.
So your sitting bones can be evenly weighted.
Hands can go out in front of you.
They can be out by your sides like kickstands and then point and flex the feet again at the angle of the leg.
So we're keeping that same line.
If you've never done this before,
It takes a moment for the body and brain to connect.
Good,
And then take a bounce with the knees.
And keep your spine upright,
Top of the head,
Over the pelvic floor,
Relatively between the sitting bones here.
And then roll your legs in and out,
Internal,
External rotation.
You're only going as far as feels available to your body.
No force here.
No pushing.
And the next time at the toes point up,
Pause,
Readjust on your sitting bones if you need to,
Sitting up tall.
Check in with the quality of your breath.
Now blocks can come with you.
Inhale sit up tall and as you exhale hinge at the hips Fold forward hands can go to the floor to the blocks right to your edge and then ease off the edge just a little bit Now take a slight bend in the knee.
And pull the heels back towards the hips.
So you feel a little bit more of a tilt in the pelvis.
Keep that tilt maybe you're able to sink down further remember no force here no pulling can stay here or maybe you again extend out through the heels toes stay pointing up Breath is happening on purpose.
About five more cycles.
Feel the breath moving.
Can explore a gentle sway of the upper body side to side from midline.
It's really subtle.
When that feels complete for you,
Return to center.
Inhale,
Floats you upright.
Walk the hands in towards the body.
Blocks can move off to the side.
Release the breath.
And now twist over the right leg.
I'm marrying you.
Lengthen the spine this might be enough for you can stay here or slowly fold over the leg Keeping both sitting bones rooted down.
Breath is happening.
On purpose.
Two more breaths.
Next inhale floats you up.
Keep yourself at this angle until you're upright and then unwind to midline.
Take a breath.
And other side from an elongated spine we twist over the other leg And then slowly fold over it with your outgoing breath.
And go to the edge where your body and your breath naturally stop.
And then breathe there.
Relax the joints of the jaw,
The muscles of the face.
Another moment here.
And walk your hands in towards the hips.
Remember,
Once you're upright,
Then unwind face forward,
Release the breath.
Full cycle of breath here.
Actively point the toes,
Keep the back of the heels connected to the floor,
Keep pointing,
Keep breathing.
Then relax the feet toes point out back of the heels touching the ground inhale lengthen the spine exhale and again hinge forward fold blocks are always an option an opportunity here in this fold to continue to weave in any intentions that you're working with.
And also take a moment to notice how it feels for you in this grounding practice.
What's the state of your mind right now?
How does it feel for your body?
What's your breath doing?
Is observing with curiosity.
Remaining folded.
Next inhale suspend the breath at the top.
And then drop the mouth open.
Let the breath leave without pushing it out.
Feel the body empty from the soles of the feet all the way up.
And the breath returns to moving in and out of the nose.
In your time,
You'll walk your hands in towards the hips.
Return to an upright position.
Hands can go behind the knees to support.
Then readjusting,
Bending the knees,
Extend the legs out in front of you.
Untuck the tailbone.
And then point and flex the feet.
Draw a few circles with your feet,
Bounce your knees.
Transition to table you can grab your blocks place them at the front two corners of your mat maybe a blanket for underneath the knees.
Landing your wrists underneath the shoulders.
Your knees underneath the hips.
Tuck your toes under and extend the right leg straight behind you.
Keep the feet on the floor.
Inhale.
And then exhale,
Press the mat away from you.
Glide the hips back so you feel the stretch in the back of the leg.
Inhale brings you forward,
Shoulders over wrists.
Exhale,
Press it back.
Shoulders return over the wrist bend the right knee out to the side into the air and draw really big circles with the right knee reverse direction then extend the right leg long behind you in the air now toes point down level the hips gently draw in the lower abdomen to support the low back Keep pressing out through the lifted heel.
With your exhale,
Release the right leg down.
Settle back into table and then other side left leg extends.
I'm working on the same side as you know.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Press it back.
And the next time that the shoulders land over the wrist,
Pause,
Bend your left knee and draw really big circles.
And the air with your left knee.
Reverse direction.
And extend the leg long behind you keep it floating in the air level the hips toes point down Lower abdomen engages.
Keep the breath moving.
And release the knee down.
From table,
Widen your hands,
Bring the legs into touch at midline as close as the body allows.
Hip release,
Drop your hip side to side,
Toes are untucked.
Few more.
So from the front if this is new for you,
It looks like this.
You're just dropping your hips side to side.
And then come to center,
Child's pose.
Legs can stay touching or big toes touch,
Knees go out wide.
If you're seated on,
Or if your knees are on a blanket,
Back edge of the blanket under the ankles can be really nice.
Sitting back to the heels,
If you need support for your knee joints,
Blanket between hips and heels or behind the knees.
And then forehead to the floor,
Block or blanket.
About five to eight breaths here.
Only when you feel ready.
Press yourself back up to the table and then find your way onto your back.
You can use one of your blankets for underneath.
Your head.
Other blanket can be within reach for later.
I like to roll the bottom edge of the blanket underneath my neck to support my cervical spine.
And then once you're on your back,
Bend your knees.
Have your feet land hip point width apart.
Arms can be by your sides,
Palms up,
Letter T,
Palms up,
Or cactus palms up,
Back of the hands to the floor to some elevated support.
Pause here.
Check in with your breathing.
Evenly weighted across the hips.
And then bend the right knee in towards the chest.
And you can stay like this or you can use one hand or both hands to draw it in closer.
Draw circles with your right foot.
Reverse direction.
And hamstring stretch.
Interlace your hands,
One hand or no hands,
Behind the right thigh.
Inhale,
Straighten up towards the ceiling with the foot,
Pressing the sole of the foot up and exhale,
Bend the knee.
Inhale extend up through the heel exhale bend the knee a few more if you want to drop your left knee open into half butterfly you can explore that as well And the next time at the right leg is extended,
Keep it there,
Point flex the foot.
A few circles in any direction can zigzag.
Now draw the right knee to the chest squeeze it in If that feels comfortable for you,
Realign the left leg.
So left foot is on the floor,
Left knee is bent,
Figure four,
Right ankle to the left thigh.
And you can drop the legs side to side in figure four windshield wipers.
You can also hug the left knee or behind the left thigh in towards the chest.
Maybe if you're doing the windshield wipers,
Gaze moves opposite of the knees.
A few more cycles of breath.
And stillness is yoga too.
So if you want to just remain still in your figure four,
Explore that.
And in your time,
Come back to center,
Squeeze the right knee in towards the chest,
Release the right foot down,
Pause,
Both knees bent.
Other side left knee floats in.
Remember you can stay like this or use your hands to hug it in.
Draw a few circles with your left foot.
Reverse direction.
And hamstring stretch.
Both hands or one hand behind the thigh or maybe no hands.
Inhale extend up through the heel exhale bend the knee down maybe the right knee drops open Next time if the leg is straight,
Up towards the ceiling,
Point flex the foot,
Draw circles.
And then hug the left knee in towards the chest,
Realign the right leg for figure four,
Left ankle to the right thigh.
Remain stationary,
Or you can bring in your figure four windshield wipers.
Head can move opposite of the knees.
Or maybe you hug the right knee in towards the chest by holding behind the thigh or around the right shin.
And come back to center,
Squeeze the left knee in,
Release the left foot down.
And take a full body stretch.
Slide the legs long,
Arms up overhead,
Wiggle toes and fingers,
Sigh,
Yawn,
Anything else that you need.
And then find your way to a comfortable resting position.
You can take traditional Shavasana.
Maybe put support underneath the knees.
You can take butterfly with blocks underneath the outer edges of the legs.
Take a moment to set yourself up.
And once you're comfortable.
Take a full breath in.
And side out to let go.
Awareness comes back to the breath first And the breath brings awareness back to the body.
Your time wiggling toes and fingers Moving hands and feet.
And taking the stretches that feel really good for you.
Enjoying a slow awakening.
And in your time,
Finding your way to a comfortable seat.
Eyes can stay closed.
Floating the hands together at the heart space,
Whether you're still laying down or if you're seated.
And deepen the breath.
I invite you here to join me in closing with a humming Aum.
Let's first inhale.
Side out.
And inhale to hum.
Bowing head to heart,
Honoring yourself.
Each other in this practice.
Jai Bhagwan.
Namaste.
