Hello my friend.
Today we are going to focus on stretching and opening the hips.
A place where we often store physical tension and stagnant emotions.
Let's begin.
Wonderful.
Welcome into our first pose.
Step your feet a little wider than hip width apart.
And let your toes turn out naturally And begin to lower your hips as if you were sitting down into the air.
Coming into a squat.
Bring your palms together at your heart and use your elbows to gently press your knees out to the sides.
If your heels don't quite reach the floor,
Feel free to place a folded blanket beneath them or sit up on a block.
Keep your spine long and let your shoulders soften down.
Take a deep inhale through your nose And exhale slowly.
Begin to gather all of your senses.
And bring them here.
Into this present moment our hips tend to be the place where we hold on to all the motions feelings that have gotten stuck We don't always know how to put into words As you hold these kinds of poses,
It's completely normal for unexpected sensations or thoughts to arise.
So be patient and very gentle with yourself.
Don't worry about how deep you go physically or how the pose looks from the outside.
True yoga is about being fully connected to the sensations as they arise within your body.
Okay gently release and make your way to all fours and from here step your right foot forward and place it between your hands slide your left knee back until you feel a soft stretch in the hip and press your hands firmly into the ground.
Either inside or alongside your front foot.
Let the weight of your pelvis release down toward the earth If your hands don't comfortably reach the floor,
You can rest them on your front knee or on blocks.
Inhale.
Open your chest.
And exhale.
Soften your neck and let your gaze be easy.
In this yin practice we are looking to find our personal edge.
That point where the sensation of stretch is clear and deep,
But never sharp or painful.
If you feel like you're fighting the floor or fighting the pose,
That's a sign you've gone a little too far.
So back off about 20 percent And remember,
Yin Yoga isn't about conquering a perfect position.
It's about being able to surrender into it.
From here we'll make our way into swan.
Walk your front foot across toward the opposite hand and lower your knee to the ground,
Close to your wrist.
Letting your leg rest on its side extend your back leg fully and rest the top of your foot on the mat Listen closely to your body.
You can stay up here for a few breaths and when you feel ready slowly begin to fold your torso forward and come to rest on your forearms.
Or bring your forehead all the way to the ground.
And once again bring all of your attention back to your breath.
Allow every bit of weight in your body to soften into the earth.
As you stay here in this pose.
I invite you to cultivate an intimate connection with yourself.
Feeling.
Every sensation that arises without any judgment.
Notice how the simple act of being present and breathing into your hips helps restore your body's natural sense of balance.
By offering yourself these few minutes of stillness.
You are giving yourself an immense gift one of clarity and deep self-care.
Begin to slowly rise and unwind from the pose.
Come to a seat with a long spine and begin to cross your shins left shin stacked over the right working toward having your ankles and knees roughly aligned one above the other If your top knee floats up high you can place a block or a folded blanket in the gap beneath it for support.
You can stay upright with a tall back or if it feels comfortable.
Begin to walk your hands forward and let your chest gradually soften and drape toward your legs.
With each conscious exhale,
Allow everything that no longer serves you to melt.
Into the ground beneath you.
Releasing it from your body,
Your mind and your soul.
And as you let go of these old burdens,
You are creating fertile ground for peace.
Love and acceptance to take root in your life.
Be patient and gentle with yourself in this process of opening,
Trusting that every breath is guiding you toward a deeper source of inner serenity.
Begin to gently rise and ease out of the pose.
Extend your legs out in front of you and simply pause here.
Noticing the sensations in your body.
What differences can you feel between one leg and the other?
Okay,
Let's repeat this sequence on the other side.
Come back to all fours and this time bring your left foot forward sliding your right knee back.
Until you find that soft,
Pleasant stretch in the hip.
Rest your hands on the ground or if the sensation is very intense stay more upright with your hands on your knee.
Let the silence and the stillness do the work so that when you step off your mat,
You can see your reality with so much more clarity and wisdom.
You Beautiful.
From here,
Begin to walk your front foot across toward the opposite end and let your knee gently lower to the ground near your wrist.
Extend your back leg fully.
Rest the top of your foot down.
Inhale.
And exhale.
When your body invites you to go deeper begin to fold your torso forward.
You might rest on your forearms.
Or go a little farther and let your forehead come to the ground.
Don't seek depth through effort.
Seek it through passive surrender.
Let gravity be your gentle guy.
No pushing,
No forcing No muscular effort.
Remember,
In this practice real progress isn't measured by how far you go physically,
But by how deeply you can let go and surrender from within.
Slowly begin to come out of swan using your hands for support on to a seed and this time cross your legs with your right chin stacked over the left.
Once again working toward having your ankles and knees aligned,
One on top of the other.
Take a deep inhale.
You can stay here with your hands resting on the ground,
Keeping your back nice and tall.
When your body gives you the invitation to go deeper begin to walk your hands forward letting your torso drape your head hang heavy and find your personal edge Once again looking for that place where the sensation is clear but there is no pain at all.
Let your body open at its own pace.
Beautiful gradually rise back up to seat Extend your legs out in front of you.
You might want to shake them out a little wiggle your feet Notice all the sensations in your body,
In your hips,
In your legs And now gently make your way down to the floor.
Lie on your back and begin to draw your knees in toward your chest.
Take hold of the other edges of your feet,
Your ankles or the backs of your knees.
And open your knees wide out beyond your reed cage.
Pointing the soles of your feet up toward the ceiling.
Gently press your feet downward with your hands as if you are trying to guide your knees toward the ground on either side of your body.
Inhale and as you exhale soften your shoulders and keep your entire back connected with the crown.
Release your feet and let your legs slowly lower back down to the ground.
Now cross your right leg over the left,
Wrapping it as much as feels natural.
Open your arms out to either side like wings and let both knees fall together toward the left.
Keeping your shoulders grounded on the mat.
If your knees don't quite reach the floor feel free to slide a blanket or a cushion beneath them.
Gently turn your head to the right and let every bit of weight in your body release.
Imagine that with each inhale you expand like a balloon.
Sending the breath not just into your chest but all the way down into your belly and into your lower back.
And as you exhale,
Soften toward the earth,
Letting your breath be an anchor that draws you gently deeper and deeper into the pose.
Release the twist,
Bringing your legs back to center.
Plant both soles of your feet on the ground and begin to let your knees sway lazily from side to side.
Now we'll take the twist to the other side.
Left leg crosses over the right and let your knees fall toward the ground.
Softly turn your gaze to the left and let your arms rest heavy on the ground.
Close your eyes and with every exhale surrender completely to gravity.
Excellent.
We've arrived at our final relaxation.
Extend your legs and let your feet fall open to either side with total freedom.
Stretch your arms alongside your body,
A little away from your sides and turn your palms to face the sky.
Gently roll your shoulders back and down so your chest can open and your neck feels long and spacious.
And if you feel any discomfort in your lower back Place a blanket or bolster beneath your knees.
Relax your jaw.
Let your lips part slightly and your tongue soften away from the roof of your mouth.
Feel the full weight of your body surrendering to the earth,
From your heels all the way to the crown of your head.
And with each exhale,
Release any remaining tension.
In your fingers,
Behind your eyes.
Across your forehead.
Let the ground hold you completely.
And rest here in a deep restorative stillness.
Begin to gently wake your body,
Moving your fingers and your toes When you're ready roll to one side and slowly make your way up to close your practice.
Come to sit with your legs crossed and your spine tall.
Take a moment to notice how your body feels right now compared to when you first stepped onto your mat.
Feel the weight of your shoulders,
The openness in your hips,
The quiet within.
And when you're ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Thank you so much for sharing this practice with me.
I'm sending you so much love and I'll see you in the next class.
