And once you're seated comfortably,
Take an easy breath in.
Easy breath out.
Can allow the eyes to close.
Just feel yourself fully arrive into the space that you're in.
Any distractions that arise.
Allow them to float right through to the best of your ability.
So you're giving yourself this time to.
.
.
Really tune in to your internal compass.
To set your foundation for your week.
To support your own upkeep.
Physically,
Emotionally,
Energetically.
Feel yourself physically settle.
Evenly weighted across the sitting bones.
And then from there,
Extending up through the crown of the head.
Holding this posture,
Soften the edges,
Soften the skin,
Relax the eyes.
And feel yourself breathing.
On the inhale,
The navel drops forward.
On the exhale,
The navel gently pulls back.
And have the breath deepen.
At the next inhale,
The navel drops forward,
The breath builds into the ribs and up to the heart space.
And as you exhale,
The chest,
Ribs,
Belly gently draw in.
And if it's comfortable for you,
Floating the palms together at the heart space.
Anjuli Mudra.
And then opening the hands into lotus mudra,
Separating the fingers,
The base of the palms are touching,
And the tips of the pinkies and outer edges of the thumbs are touching.
This is a hand position.
Yoga of the hands that's associated to the heart space.
And still feeling the breath moving.
As you inhale,
The navel drops forward,
The breath builds into the ribs up to the heart space.
And this time as you exhale,
Feel the heart remaining buoyant,
Lifted,
Even as you let the breath go.
Into your lotus.
Placing a word today that you want to bring into your practice.
Maybe it's a word that you're working with.
Maybe it's part of your own.
Intention or affirmation.
Maybe it's something that you're aspiring for or bringing into your life.
Place that word at the altar of the heart.
And we seal it into our practice,
Bringing the palms together.
Take a full breath in through the nose.
And softly let it go.
You can stay here in meditation for as long as you need.
If you feel ready to move,
Release the hands down to the lap,
Palms down.
Inhale,
Tilt the pelvis forward,
Lift the heart,
The gaze,
Even if the eyes are still closed.
Exhale,
Tuck the tailbone around the spine,
Drop your chin to chest.
And do this a few more times.
Inhale,
Pelvis tilts forward,
Heart gaze lifts.
Exhale,
Tuck the tailbone round through the back,
Drop the chin.
Try to keep the shoulders stacked over the hips.
One more.
Next inhale brings you up to a neutral spine,
Arms heavy by your sides,
Shoulder rolls,
Inhale the shoulders up,
Exhale them back and down.
Two more.
And let the shoulders remain broad.
And place your right hand to the floor or to the block.
And I'm mirroring you,
Left hand to the hip.
And inhale,
Lengthen.
Exhale,
Hinge to the right.
Maybe your left arm goes up overhead.
Another breath here.
Inhale floats you up,
Exhale over to the other side.
Again,
Hand can be at the hip or up overhead.
It's okay if one side needs something different than the other.
Next,
Inhale floats you up.
Exhale,
Release the arms heavy by your sides.
Three shoulder shrugs.
Inhale,
Squeeze the shoulders up to the ears.
Let them drop.
Two more.
And if you're seated cross-legged,
Change the cross of your legs,
Readjust on your sitting bones,
Lengthen the spine,
Hands land to the thighs or knees,
Palms down,
Seated,
Flexion extension,
Inhale,
Tilt the pelvis forward,
Lift the heart,
The gaze.
Exhale,
Tuck the tailbone around the spine,
Drop the chin.
These are also known as seated cat cows.
About two to three more.
And next time that you inhale,
It brings you up to a neutral spine.
Arms can relax,
Shoulder rolls,
Inhale up.
Exhale,
Back and down.
Matching your breath and movement.
One to two more.
And then side stretch to the left,
Right hand to the hip,
Left hand to the floor or block.
You can stay here or top arm reaches up and over.
Maybe this time the top hand rests at the base of the head,
Adding in a gentle twist,
The heart gaze,
Elbow point upwards.
Next inhale floats you up and then exhale over to the other side.
And again,
Take the variation for this side that works for this side.
It's okay if it's different.
Inhale brings you up.
Exhale,
Release the arms heavy by your sides.
Three shoulder shrugs,
Squeeze them up even more.
Let them drop.
Two more.
Great,
And then use your hands to help extend the legs out in front of you.
Bounce the knees.
You can make gentle fists with the hands.
Let the fists kind of bounce,
Tap on the front of the thighs,
The tops of the thighs,
Sides.
Inner thighs.
Then arms released to the sides on blocks,
On the floor or behind you.
Rock the legs side to side.
Keep the heart buoyant.
Chest lifted.
Point flex your feet.
A lot.
Draw circles with the big toes.
So we're getting into the ankles,
Reverse direction.
And again,
Balance the knees.
And from here,
Transition to table.
Blocks can go to the front two corners of your mat.
You can place a blanket for underneath the knees,
That's an option.
And then landing your wrists underneath the shoulders,
Pointer fingers point forward.
Knees underneath the hips,
Toes can tuck under.
And if you have the blanket,
It can also be nice that you align it so that the back edge of the blanket lands underneath the ankles.
Again,
Flexion extension,
Your cat-cows.
Inhale,
Tailbone reaches up.
Heart gaze lifts.
Exhale,
Tuck the tailbone,
Round the spine,
Relax the head.
A few more.
And even though we're involving.
The entire spine.
See how it feels for you today to lead from the heart.
And then bring yourself back to a neutral spine child's pose.
Untuck the toes.
Legs come in to touch at midline.
Or big toes can stay touching.
Knees go out wide.
Sit back to the heels.
Maybe your other extra blanket goes between your hips and heels to give a little more space for the knee joints.
And then lowering down so your forehead touches down to the floor,
A blanket or a block.
Full deep breathing here.
Taking a moment to revisit your word.
That you brought into your practice today.
Child's Pose offers us the opportunity to bow to our own heart space.
What we're offering to ourselves and our practice.
What we want to bring in.
How we want to move forward.
Other breath.
Stay here for as long as you need.
If you feel ready to move,
Land the palms down,
Bring yourself back up to table.
Readjust again so your knees are underneath the hips.
You can tuck your toes under and wrists are underneath the shoulders.
And I'm working on the same side as you now.
Move your right hand a little bit more in towards midline.
You can readjust as we move into this.
Taking an open twist here,
Left hand goes to the left hip.
Start to twist open to the left.
Keep the right hip over the knee.
Maybe the left arm reaches up.
Gaze can be down.
The direction the heart is facing or up towards the top hand.
Breath keeps moving.
Open,
Close the top hand.
You can draw a few circles with it.
Reach out through the fingertips.
And then exhale,
Release back down to table.
Readjust for the other side.
Left hand can go in a little bit more towards midline,
Checking that your hips are over the knees.
Right hand goes to the hip and start to twist open.
Maybe the arm reaches up.
Breath keeps moving.
You can draw circles with a closed fist.
Open,
Close the top hand.
And then reach out again through the fingertips,
One more breath.
And then slowly release.
Return to table,
Take a full breath in and out through the nose.
And now extend the right leg long behind you,
Level the hips,
Level the spine.
Relatively parallel to the floor,
Inhale.
And then exhale,
Press the hips back so you stretch into the extended leg,
The back of the extended leg.
Inhale,
Shoulders over wrists.
And then exhale,
Press back.
Two more.
Great,
Keep the leg extended.
Shoulders return over the wrist.
If you need more space,
You can always be on blocks here as well with the hands.
Lift the right leg off the floor.
Engage the lower core.
Right,
So lower abdomen draws in.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Knee to nose.
Really round into the back.
Inhale,
Extend out through the heel.
Reach the heart forward.
Exhale,
Bring it in.
Extend and then lower the foot down,
Lower the knee down.
Bring your hands back to come into a kneeling position and then shake out the hands.
Roll out the shoulders.
And then other side,
Return to table.
Extend the left leg long behind you,
Level the hips,
The spine,
Take a breath.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Glide the hips back so you feel the stretch in the legs.
Inhale brings you forward.
Exhale press it back.
Great,
Shoulders return over the wrists.
Lift the left leg off the ground,
Engage the lower abdomen and toward the spine.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Knee to nose.
And I'll extend.
Exhale,
Bring it in.
And extend,
Lower the foot down,
The knee down,
Walk the hands in again towards your kneeling position.
You can sit back on the heels and have the toes tucked under if you'd like,
Or bring yourself into the full kneel and then shake out the hands.
Roll out the shoulders.
And I'll face you here for a moment so it's easier to follow along.
And then bring the hands together at the heart space.
Interlace the fingers,
Right thumb on top,
Inhale.
Exhale,
Press the palms down.
Stay here or inhale,
Reach the arms up.
Exhale to the right,
I'm mirroring you.
Inhale,
Bring it up.
Exhale,
Other side.
Inhale,
Bring it up.
Exhale,
Cactus the arms,
Drop the tailbone,
Lift the heart.
Inhale,
Bring it up,
Palms touch.
Exhale to the heart space and pause.
Breath keeps moving.
Once more,
But this time interlace the fingers,
Left thumb on top for the clasp,
Inhale.
Exhale,
Press it down.
Shoulders stay down,
Inhale,
Arms up.
Exhale to the left.
Inhale it up to center.
Exhale to the right.
Inhale it up.
Exhale,
Cactus the arms,
Maybe a gentle backbend,
Heart open.
Inhale,
Reach it up,
Palms touch.
Exhale the hands down to the heart space.
Take a breath.
And then hinge at the hips and slowly return to table.
And you can stretch out one leg at a time.
Getting in another calf stretch on each leg.
And then taking child's pose,
Any variation that speaks to you.
Now,
If you want to add in a little bit more of a stretch for the arms,
Grab your blocks,
Place them on the flat setting,
Have them to be wider than your shoulders,
Outer shoulders.
Or outer edges of the shoulders.
Sit back to your heels for the child's pose base.
And then bring your elbows onto the block so they point forward.
Not out,
Forward.
Palms touch.
Forehead down to a blanket or the floor,
And then hands rest at the base of the head.
So take the variation that works for you.
Check in with the quality of your breathing.
How your word is showing up in your practice.
So for example,
If your word is kindness,
Are you being kind to yourself and what you need here today?
And how else it translates for you in your life.
Two to three more breaths.
Full deep breathing.
And in your time,
You'll float yourself up to table and then find your way onto your back.
Have your blocks within reach.
You can place a blanket for underneath the head,
Maybe a slight roll for underneath the neck.
The other blanket you might choose to use a little bit later so just having it off to the side.
And then laying down onto your back.
Take a full body stretch,
Extend the legs long,
Reach the arms up overhead,
Sigh,
Yawn,
Clear the throat,
Stick out the tongue,
Move around the jaw.
And then release the arms alongside the body.
Re-bend the knees.
Place the feet as wide as the mat for windshield wipers.
Arms can go out by your sides.
Letter T,
Letter W,
Or cactus.
All those options.
Palms facing up.
Whichever feels better for your space and your shoulders.
And then drop the knees side to side.
Now your gaze can go opposite of the knee.
So we bring in a twist through the neck.
Continue this or hug the knees to the chest.
You can rock side to side.
You can bring in some knee circles,
Guiding the knees around the hips.
You can reverse direction of the knee circles.
You may be curling into a ball.
Knees hug in towards the chest.
Forehead floats up towards the knees.
Don't worry about whether or not they touch.
And then full body stretch,
Slide the legs long,
Reach the arms up overhead,
Wiggle toes and fingers.
Again,
Can make faces,
Scrunch and relax the face,
Move around the jaw,
Make some noise.
Release the arms down by your sides,
Readjust to a comfortable position for a twist.
Re-bend the knees,
Feet to the floor,
Press down through the feet.
I'm working on the same side as you now.
Scoot your hips to the right and then drop your knees to the left.
And let the hips stack here.
Blocks can go underneath or one block can go underneath the bottom leg to bring the floor closer to you.
Gaze can go opposite of the knees.
And we breathe.
Start to lengthen your exhale to help support calming the body,
Calming the nervous system.
Even more.
Another breath on this side.
Next inhale brings you up to center,
Readjust through midline,
And then we switch sides.
Scoot your hips to the left.
Drop the knees to the right.
And then have your gaze go opposite of the knees.
And a few breaths here.
Next inhale brings you up.
Readjust to midline and take any other stretches,
Movements that you need.
And allow yourself to.
.
.
Settle into a comfortable position.
For integration and for sound.
Once you're comfortable.
And once you feel comfortable,
Take a full breath in.
Audibly let it go.
And allow yourself to rest.
You I love you.
Awareness.
Slowly comes back to the breath first.
The breath brings awareness back to the body.
Only when you feel ready.
Bringing in gentle movements.
Enjoying a slow awakening.
Eventually rolling on to your comfortable side pausing.
There in a fetal position.
And bringing back with you.
Your awareness.
Around your word that you had weaved into your practice,
Any insight that might have come along with it.
Bring that back with you as you fully bring your attention back.
And find your way to a comfortable seat.
The eyes can stay closed.
The palms join together at the heart space holding Anjuli Mudra or Lotus Mudra.
I invite you here to join me in closing with an Aum.
Let's first inhale.
Side out.
And how for all.
Bowing head to heart,
Honoring yourself.
Each other.
And these teachings.
Namaste.
