Hello my friend and welcome to this full body yin yoga session designed for a deep fascial stretch.
Today we are going to focus on improving your flexibility,
Releasing built up tension and nourishing the health of your joints.
Let's begin.
Go ahead and come to sit on the floor with a long spine and bring the soles of your feet together in front of you.
Allow your knees to fall open to the side.
Creating a diamond shape with your legs.
Hold gently onto your feet or your ankles.
If your knees are sitting quite high or you're feeling a lot of tension Feel free to place blocks or folded blankets beneath your thighs for support.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And as you exhale let your shoulders soften Release any tension in your face.
And smooth out the space between your brows.
Throughout this practice,
I'd like to invite you to shift from doing to simply being.
We are going to practice letting go of striving,
Of trying to achieve anything and instead just witness your body exactly as it is.
Right here,
Right now.
Gently turn your attention to your breath Feel the air moving in through your nose and softly leaving through your nose.
Notice all the subtle sensations arising in your body as it begins to open.
And create more space.
Gently release the bows and come onto your hands and knees.
On your inhale let your belly drop toward the earth arching your back and softly casing forward.
On your exhale press into the floor,
Round your spine up toward the sky.
And draw your chin toward your chest.
Let's move through this a few more times,
Warming up the whole length of your spine Beautiful.
Bring your right foot forward between your hands and then rise up through your torso and allow the weight of your pelvis to sink gently toward the earth.
Rest your hands lightly on your knee.
Inhale and left hand through your neck and exhale.
Let your shoulders melt away from your ears.
As we settle into this stillness I want to gently remind you that fascia is a vast interconnected web that holds your whole being together.
It only releases when we stop fighting against the body.
So rather than seeking your maximum edge,
Find that middle ground.
Place of about 50% of your capacity.
That's where the tissue can truly hydrate and open in its own time.
Naturally and without force.
And if at any point during the practice you notice your mind drifting toward thoughts,
Or emotions begin to surface.
I invite you not to judge them.
Simply watch them like clouds drifting across the sky and gently return again and again to your breath.
Letting each exhale be an open invitation to release control.
Wonderful bring your hands down to the floor begin to walk your front foot across toward the opposite hand Lower your knee toward the mat.
Close to your wrist and let the leg rest on its outer edge.
Keep your back leg long and press the top of your foot into the floor.
You might stay upright here for the first minute or so,
Simply breathing.
When it feels right,
Begin to bow your torso forward.
Listening closely to your body.
You can rest on your forearms or bring your forehead all the way down to the mat.
Release your full weight surrendering yourself completely to gravity We are not looking for depth through effort here.
We are finding it through passive surrender.
Let gravity be your guide.
Tently and tenderly.
No pushing.
No muscular effort.
Just let go.
Slowly and gently begin to come out of sleeping swan and make your way to sitting with your left leg extended long in front of you.
Bend your right knee and place the sole of your foot against the inner thigh of your left leg.
Let that bent knee relax open toward the floor.
If it doesn't quite reach,
Place a block or a blanket underneath it to let it rest.
Then begin to fold your torso forward.
Over your extended leg allowing your back to round naturally and your hands to rest softly alongside you.
Let your head be heavy allowing it to hang toward your knee Always remember to find your edge,
Your own personal threshold.
That place where the stretch is present.
And clear that there is no burn.
No sharp sensation,
No pain.
Allow each exhale to be an invitation for your body.
To open a little more in its own rhythm and in its own time.
And gently begin to rise back up.
Extend both legs out in front of you.
Walk your hands back behind you.
Take a deep inhale,
Open your chest,
Look up.
And exhale.
Lovely,
Well done.
Now let's move to the other side.
From all fours bring your left foot forward this time,
Placing it between your hands.
Slide your right knee back until you feel a gentle opening in the hip.
Rise through your torso and allow your pelvis to melt toward the earth.
Rest your hands on your knee and return to your breath.
Continue breathing deeply in this stillness.
And feel how the web of fascia is supporting your entire body.
This deep connective tissue is where the energetic meridians live and where our most persistent tensions and emotions often take up residence.
So by holding these passive shapes we are gently inviting all that accumulated stiffness to begin to yield.
And revealing inner layers we perhaps hadn't heard from in a long time.
Slowly you allow the body to hydrate.
Cleanse.
And let the energy flow freely once again.
Gently make your way into Sleeping Swan once more.
Lower your hands to the floor and walk your front foot across toward the opposite hand.
Lower your knee toward the mat close to your wrist Stretch your back leg long and press the top of the foot.
You might breathe here for a moment,
Staying upright.
Giving your body time to open and inviting yourself deeper.
And when you feel ready Fold forward.
And let your forearms rest on the mat.
Or allow your forehead to rest on the backs of your hands.
Breathe in deeply filling your lungs completely and exhale releasing yourself fully toward the earth Let your mind settle into deep,
Deep rest.
Like a stone.
Sinking slowly and peacefully to the bottom of a still,
Quiet pond.
Gently begin to rise up out of the pose and return to sitting.
Beautiful.
Extend your right leg long,
Bend your left knee and rest the sole of your foot against your inner right thigh.
You might stay here for a moment with your hands resting behind you simply breathing and then when you're ready begin to fall forward.
Allow your pack to round gently.
Let your hands rest easy on the floor Release your head.
Soften your neck.
And remember,
Your breath is your anchor.
No matter how stormy the seas become no matter how rough the waves if you can come back to that breath moving in and out to all the sensations arising in your body all the tiny inner movements of each breath.
You can return to here and to now where you are always,
Always safe.
Gently release the pose,
Come back to extend both legs in front of you and you might stay still for a moment or maybe take one more inhale to open up your chest,
Look up and exhale softly.
All right let's continue come to lie on your belly with your legs long and relaxed behind you.
Bring your forearms to the floor.
With your elbows stacked directly beneath your shoulders.
Keep your arms parallel and your palms pressed gently down.
Press softly into the floor to lift your chest.
Drawing your shoulders away from your ears.
Relax your glutes.
And let the weight of your pelvis settle toward the earth.
You can gaze gently forward or let your head hang softly to release any tension in the neck.
As your forearms press into the earth,
Notice if you are clenching your jaw or creeping your shoulders up toward your ears unnecessarily.
We are not here to fight the floor.
We are here to notice how the earth holds us.
Imagine yourself as a mountain.
Steady.
And still.
.
.
Gazing out toward the horizon.
And gently let yourself melt toward the floor Allow your head to rest on your arms for a moment.
Begin to roll slowly onto your palm.
Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
Cross your left ankle over your right thigh.
And threading one arm through the space between your legs,
Take hold of your thigh or your knee with both hands.
Gently draw your legs in toward your chest until you feel the stretch blooming in your hip.
Keep your shoulders and your head completely relaxed on the mat and bring your full attention to your breath.
Release your legs.
Cross your left leg over the right and let both knees drift together to the right side,
Melting toward the floor.
If your knees don't quite reach the ground or this feels a little uncomfortable.
Feel free to place a blanket or bolster beneath them for support.
Turn your head softly to the left.
Close your eyes.
Relax your face completely.
Gently return to center.
Plant the soles of your feet and let your knees sway softly from side to side.
Alright,
Let's go to the other side.
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh.
Just below the knee.
And take hold of your knee or your thigh with both hands.
Draw your leg in toward your chest.
Noticing all the sensations in your hip.
Your head rests easy on the mat.
Notice if your shoulders want to creep up.
Or if your hands are gripping a little too tightly This pose works best when we stop trying to make it happen.
So,
Soften your jaw,
Release your neck,
And let gravity do the work for you.
Release your legs,
Cross the left leg over the right and let them fold gently to the left.
Stretch your arm out to the side and let your gaze follow it.
If there's any discomfort in your neck feel free to keep looking straight up at the sky.
And once more,
Come back to center,
Plant your feet near your hips and let your knees rock gently side to side.
Beautiful.
Let the movement settle and lie back completely.
We've arrived at Shavasana,
Our final resting pose.
Let your legs drift apart.
Allowing your feet to fall open naturally and heavily to the sides.
Extend your arms alongside you,
Palms facing up.
Let your fingers relax and uncurl.
Feel the places where your body touches the earth growing heavier.
As if you're softly melting into the ground beneath you.
Soften your forehead and smooth out the space between your brows.
Release any holding in your jaw.
And now we are not trying to control anything Not even your breath.
Let your body become completely still.
Completely loose.
Savoring this moment of total rest,
Where there is absolutely nothing left to do but simply enjoy being here in the present.
Begin to gently awaken your body by softly wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Stretch your arms overhead Take a yarn if you need one.
And slowly roll onto one side before pressing yourself up to sitting.
Come to sit with a long spine and your eyes gently close.
Take a quiet moment to thank yourself for showing up and giving this time to yourself.
Feel gratitude for your body which carried you through every shape.
And for your breath which was with you every single step of the way.
And when you're ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Thank you so much for sharing this practice with me.
