Mindfulness in the workplace - Yoga Lying Down

Mindfully being present is a trainable skill. This mindful yoga (lying down) helps you train that skill.

Transcript

Mindful yoga lying down.

So now let's begin by lying back on our backs in a comfortable position on a mat or pad on the floor.

Something that will protect you from the hardness of the floor.

Allow your body to settle into what we call the corpse pose.

You're just lying on your back with your feet falling away from each other and your arms alongside your body.

With the palms open towards the ceiling if that feels comfortable for you.

Just bringing your attention to your breathing at your belly.

The abdomen expanding on the in-breaths and deflating on the out-breaths.

As if you had a little balloon in your belly and it's just expanding and deflating gently on its own accord and you're not forcing it.

Allowing the eyes to be gently closed at this point if you feel comfortable with that.

And just letting your body sink into the mat each time you breathe out and as your muscles let go.

So now let's bend both knees so that the feet will be flat on the floor and spread approximately a foot apart.

Your knees are pointing up towards the ceiling.

Your arms are still relaxed alongside your body.

And we'll do our pelvic tilt by first contracting your belly and just lifting your tailbone slightly off the floor.

And pushing the base of the spine and the lower back down into the floor.

Then tilting the pelvis the other way so that you make a space between the floor and your back.

And there's a nice little archway there that could put your hand underneath.

And then if you can keep your hand there once again tilting the pelvis the other way so that you're pushing down on the hand.

And just the tailbone is slightly coming up off the floor but not the pelvis.

Just gently rocking back and forth.

A nice oscillatory motion.

Moving the pelvis.

Tilting the pelvis back and forth.

Just doing this at your own pace as you breathe naturally.

And then when you're ready slowly coming to a stop.

Then try just shifting so that you are holding on to one knee and stretching the other leg out.

Starting perhaps with the left leg and just stretching it out on the floor.

You squeeze the right knee down towards the chest holding on with both hands.

One to the knee and one to the shin.

If you want bringing the head up in the direction of the knee and perhaps if you can putting the forehead on the knee or just stopping wherever you wind up.

Just experiencing this as your limit at this particular time and not immediately backing away from it but just breathing with it.

So let's just breathe here and now.

If you notice some intense sensations at any point just direct your breast to those regions in particular each time you breathe in.

And on the out-breast just letting go of those sensations or if you will imagining them to flow out with the out-breast.

Now switching so that with the head down on the floor you're drawing the left knee up towards the chest and stretching out the right leg all the way.

And again if you want raising the head up and breathing here wherever you happen to stop.

Listening to the messages that your body gives you about what your limits are or where you need to stop or even have to back off.

But if you can just staying at these limits and experiencing them a little bit more deeply than you might ordinarily.

And then when you're ready just stretching back out lying back down on the floor resuming the corpse position and bringing your attention back to the breathing.

The abdomen expanding gently on the in-breast and falling back towards your spine on each out-breast.

When you're ready seep out rolling over and coming up on to your hand and knees.

In this position we're going to breathe out and arch the back letting the head come down and do our cat stretch.

We are really arching the back as high up as it will go as the head comes down between the arms.

And then after a moment or two reversing it letting the belly come down the pelvis tilt down and the head come up as you breathe in.

And feeling that stretching up with the head looking back exhaling again and arching the back once more.

And then once again breathing in lowering the belly making a curve in the back the other direction looking up and then exhaling once more arching the back lowering the head.

And then this time as you breathe in and lower your belly stretching the right leg up in the air lifting it up behind you.

As well as raising your left arm and stretching that out so that you're basically breathing and balancing.

The head lifted up and the left arm and the right leg just stay here breathing.

It takes some muscle strength in the back and shoulder to do it.

You're working at strengthening your back when you're ready lowering the knee into the floor and the hand.

And again exhaling and arching the back up feeling the stretch.

Reversing what we just did stretching those muscles now in the back instead of strengthening them.

Letting them relax and lengthen.

And then again on an in-breath lowering the belly raising the head.

This time the left leg and right arm when you're ready.

And breathing here it requires a certain amount of balance.

And just breathing as you do this feeling the sensations experiencing your body in this particular posture strange as it may seem.

Just accepting you're as you are with your limits as they are at this particular moment and breathing in and out with them and with your experiences.

When you're ready once again lowering the knee and arm hands and knees on the floor and arching the back as before.

Head down and really getting a good stretch in your back without overdoing it easing up just to your limits.

And when you're ready lying back down once again on your back.

And for a moment with your hands lying alongside your body and your feet falling away from each other.

Just feel what the consequences of having done this are.

Just feeling the stretch across the chest and into the left armpit or wherever it is that you feel it.

Breathing in and out with this posture as you try to relax into it.

Drop down into a state where you're just allowing gravity to pull you down and you're not resisting.

Every time you breathe in you feel the abdomen stretch and contribute to the feeling of being stretched in the chest and belly.

And every time you breathe out just sinking a bit more into the stretch as you relax and let go.

As your muscles let go and lengthen.

And then on an in-breath bringing the knees up to the vertical and then letting them go over to the floor in the other direction to the left.

That will bring the right foot of the floor on top of the left.

The right knee now over the left and perhaps touching it and turning with the head and looking to the right arm.

And again just settling in and with each out-breath letting your body fall into the floor straight down.

Each point going straight down.

As you accept the stretch and accept the body being in this position.

Full awareness in each moment.

Full awareness of your breathing and of the sensations associated with being in this particular position.

And when you're ready again bringing the knees up to the perpendicular.

Releasing the hands and stretching back out in the corpse posture.

Now let's bend the left knee so that the foot is on the floor alongside the right knee.

And we will just take a deep breath in and as we breathe out letting the right leg come up with the knee straight as far as it will go.

If possible all the way up to the perpendicular so that it's up towards the ceiling.

But if not just wherever you wind up is fine.

That's exactly where you're supposed to be right now.

Maintaining this posture and breathing and if you notice your arms getting involved or pushing on the floor or your shoulders are tight.

Or your face is tight and just letting these parts of your body completely relax since they're not involved in what you're doing.

Focusing the attention on your belly.

And then even though your belly is somewhat contracted being involved in lifting your leg like this.

It can still expand on the in-breast and deflate on the out-breast and notice whether that in fact is true for you at this time.

If you like you can move the foot.

Just crank the foot around the ankle a few times in each direction.

And feel the muscles involved in moving the foot as you breathe.

And those of you who choose to can intensify this a little bit more by stretching out the left leg if you like.

Or by taking some time and lifting the head up towards the knee.

As you take hold of the leg beyond the knee.

That will stretch the back out a little bit more.

Then when you're ready slowly letting the leg come back down.

Taking your time letting it come back slowly and totally,

Mindfully.

So that you're really aware of it all the way down.

And when it does make contact with the floor,

Experiencing the wave of relaxation that flows through the leg.

And flows through your body and ultimately leaves with the out-breath.

As the muscles let go from having done some lifting,

Contracting and they release and lengthen.

Then reverse the position of the legs now so that the right knee is bent.

The foot is alongside the left knee.

And when you're ready taking a deep breath in and allowing the left leg to come up as far as it will go.

And then settling in here experiencing the leg being up.

Letting your back relax,

Your shoulders,

Your arms and your face.

And if you like cranking the foot around,

You can do that.

When those of you who were doing the more intense stretches just go ahead and do that at your own pace.

Whatever it is that you're doing,

Just be totally present.

Experiencing the sensations and the feelings in your body as you have this leg up here.

Notice the belly and the contractions of the abdominal muscles that do part of the lifting.

When you're ready,

Slowly inch by inch letting the left leg come back down.

You may have your eyes closed at this point or open.

But just without seeing the leg,

Experiencing it as it comes down.

And when it does make contact with the floor,

Again experiencing the wave of relief as the muscles let go and as you sink deeper into the floor.

Just stretching out the other leg,

Coming back to your belly and to the flow of your breathing.

Full awareness in each in-breath for its entire duration.

A full awareness of each out-breath for its entire duration.

A willingness to be totally present right now with what you're doing,

With what you're experiencing and feeling at this moment.

Allowing yourself to really fully experience being.

When you're ready,

We'll now roll over to your left side and prop your head up using your left hand.

And put the right hand on the floor in front of your belly.

Now we'll get settled for a moment,

Just breathing.

And when you're ready on an in-breath,

Slowly lifting up the right leg up to the side,

Straight up and just holding it here wherever it winds up.

And breathing perhaps closing your eyes so that you can really experience in a concentrated state what this feels like.

If you want,

You can even take your fingers and probe the muscles along the right leg and in the hip and into the side to see what's working and what's not.

Notice the buttock is not involved in this.

And again,

If you like,

Cranking the foot a few times around the ankle in both directions.

Rising up,

Perhaps a little higher and a little higher.

Breathing,

Experiencing the intensity.

But asking yourself whether you can handle this in terms of your own body and your own limits at this particular time.

And if it's too intense,

Back off.

And if it's okay,

Just breathing through the intensity.

When you're ready,

Slowly letting it come down,

Taking your time.

And when it does come down again,

Experiencing the wave of release.

And if you like,

When you're ready on another in-breath,

Raising the left leg back up once again and just breathing it with it here.

And just slowly letting it come down.

And then rolling over onto your other side,

Rubbing your head up with your right hand now,

Lying on the right side.

And when you're ready,

Lifting the left leg up as high as it will comfortably go,

The left hand in front of the belly on the floor.

Cranking the foot around the ankle a few times in both directions.

And then lowering slowly and touch the whole weight down.

And feeling the release of the leg when it's lying down.

And then if you feel up to it,

Rising it up once again.

And slowly back down.

And then rolling over onto your belly.

And in this position,

Lying on one side of your face or the other,

With your arms alongside your body and your palms open towards the ceiling.

In this position you can feel the belly pressing against the floor each time you breathe in and relaxing away from the floor each time you breathe out.

Allowing your whole body just to sink into the floor on each exhalation.

The head,

Shoulders,

The arms,

The back,

The pelvis,

The trunk,

The legs,

They just fall into the floor.

Letting the floor or whatever you're on hold you up.

And then in this position we're going to move the head now so that the chin is on the floor.

Not using the hands at all.

And slowly as we breathe in,

Lift the right leg up with the knee straight and just holding it here as you breathe.

And if you put your hands back now and probe with your fingers on the legs and buttocks,

You'll notice that the buttocks on the right side is tight and is involved in lifting the leg in this way.

And that the whole back on that side is involved in lifting this heavy weight and just breathing,

Feeling,

Experiencing,

Lifting your leg.

And when you're ready,

Just slowly letting your leg come down and relaxing on the other side of your face now,

Sinking into the floor.

With your chin on the floor once again,

On an in-breath raising the other leg up as much as possible,

Keeping the arms completely relaxed,

The face completely relaxed and just letting the back muscles do the work.

And again,

Slowly down and relaxing.

And now when you're ready,

Putting the chin on the floor once again,

Just lifting the head up slowly and the neck and the shoulders and chest,

Keeping the feet on the floor and just lifting,

Not using the hands as high up as you can in what we call the lower cobra,

As if you were a snake and had no arms and just using your trunk muscles,

In particular the back muscles and neck and head muscles,

To lift you up.

Breathing as high up in the ribcage as you can get,

Feeling the belly rise a little bit higher each time you breathe in.

Just breathing,

Lifting,

Looking somewhat back over your head if you can.

And when you're ready,

Slowly,

Slowly,

Slowly coming down.

Resting on one side of the face or the other and again allowing your body to sink into the floor as the muscles release and let go and lengthen and soften.

And when you're ready,

Rolling over now,

Back on your back.

And we'll just finish up by simply becoming aware of lying here,

Allowing the eyes to close if we feel comfortable with it and becoming aware of the wave-like movements of our breathing at the belly and as we lie here just letting go of the thoughts and memories of what we've done,

Of what we've asked our body to do up to this point and just becoming aware of being right here,

Right now.

Centered and focused,

Riding the waves of each breath,

On each out-breath letting go,

Sinking deeper into the floor and into a state of relaxed stillness and awareness.

And in the stillness,

Aware of things as they are,

The experience of your body as a whole and of the sensations and feelings in your body as pure sensation and feeling.

And as this program comes to an end now,

You might want to take a moment and give yourself some credit and acknowledge having taken the time to do this.

I recognize that by doing it with care and attention as we've been practicing,

That complements and amplifies the natural healing processes of our bodies.

We're becoming more flexible and more creative in one's relationship to life itself.

In developing a deeper appreciation for one's life and the feelings and the limits associated with it and just now experiencing in this stillness the fullness and depth of each moment,

Lying here,

Completely relaxed and at one with yourself right now,

Centered and balanced in an intuitive knowing who you are as your life continues to unfold from moment to moment.

Reviews

Exhausting this first time but needed.

Wonderful relaxing. I will Do this one more often

Thank you 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♂️🧘‍♂️for this wonderful movement 🙏

Getting better every day :)

I found this relaxing and easy though at some points I found this agrivated my sciatica

Lovely gentle stretchy yoga. 🙏🏻🌺

I enjoyed this simple yoga session.

Thank you. Easy to follow the instruction!

Thank you perfect way to start today

I really enjoyed this. Thank you so much.

Perfect for a day when I am exhausted and in need of gentleness and movement to keep me focused

Really enjoyed it. My arms were sore from working out and this was easy and satisfying to do.

Amazing! Thank you David!

Really lovely. Thank you. Such a kind and gentle manner

Outstanding half-hour yoga postures/meditation that can probably be used by folks at any level—including those with no previous yoga experience. Love the instructor's tone, pace, & clarity. I intend to return to this one often.

Loved the pace of this! Very peaceful and calming..... thank you!

This meditation was very relaxing. I like how it combined gentle movement & breathing.

An excellent guided yoga practice. Creates a very mindful practice. I really appreciated your guidance. Thank you.