Allow your sitting bones to sink into the earth as if they were roots of a tree.
Lifting and lengthening through your spine,
All the way into your crown.
Feel your earlobes align to your shoulders.
Notice the scapula draw in toward the spine as the heart opens.
And through your pelvis,
Your legs and your feet,
You are grounded,
Weighted,
Connected to the earth.
And from your solar plexus,
All the way up through the crown,
You have a sensation of buoyancy.
The eyelids softly closed.
Noticing the breath as it flows in and out of your body.
And thoughts in the mind dissolve into clouds that float away.
Slowly moving into the full yogic breath of dirgha pranayama.
Filling your lungs from the bottom to the top.
And emptying from the top to the bottom.
Your tongue and jaw are soft.
The mind relaxed.
The lower body grounded.
The upper body buoyant.
And as you draw the air into your body,
Allow it to energize you.
The out-breath,
A release,
A letting go.
The in-breath nourishing your body.
The out-breath cleansing,
Expelling all of the old,
Stale air.
Noticing the sensations in your body.
And anywhere you have tension or discomfort,
Perhaps an injury,
Old or new,
You can send the breath into these places.
Draw the air in.
Visualize the breath moving into these spaces.
And on the out-breath,
Melting tension and discomfort away from your physical being.
On the out-breath,
Pain dissolves.
Allow the in-breath to create a deeper awareness of the sensations in your body.
Preparing for a moderate level practice.
A practice to invigorate and energize.
And a practice to help cleanse the body.
Connecting to your radiant self.
Again,
The mind is relaxed as thoughts dissolve into clouds and float away.
Maintaining your full yogic breath during the practice.
Draw your palms together in front of your heart center.
Setting an intention for your practice.
And sealing the intention by chanting the sound of Aum.
And draw the breath in.
And as you're ready,
You can open your eyes to a soft gaze.
Transitioning to your hands and knees.
Be sure that your wrists are aligned to your shoulders and your knees with your hips as you find yourself in tabletop position.
Spread your fingers nice and wide.
The feet are relaxed.
Again,
The knees under the hips.
The wrists aligned to the shoulders.
And as you inhale,
You'll allow your belly to drop to the earth and you'll draw your tail and crown toward each other,
Creating a U-shape with the spine.
And as you exhale,
You'll flex the spine,
Creating an N-shape.
So inhale,
Extending the spine.
And exhale,
Flexing the spine.
And move in and out of these both.
Both of these shapes at your own pace.
The mind is relaxed.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
The breath is full.
Inhaling,
Extending the spine.
And exhaling,
Flexing the spine.
Blowing in and out.
And we'll do that three more times.
Inhale and extend.
Give a good squeeze here.
Exhale and flex.
Inhaling,
Extending.
And exhaling and flexing.
One more time.
Inhale and extend.
And exhale and flex.
Inhale to neutral tabletop.
Curl your toes under.
And as you exhale,
Pressing back for downward facing dog.
Lifting the hips high.
Let the skull drip to the earth.
And here you can slowly pedal your feet in place.
So one heel will lower toward the earth as the other heel peels away.
And you're just casually pedaling the feet in place,
Mindful of the sensations as you warm up the joints,
As you're warming up the muscles.
Make sure your neck is relaxed as your skull drips to the earth.
Full breaths flowing in.
Complete exhalations.
And as soon as you're ready,
You can just settle into a nice lengthened downward facing dog.
So by lengthening,
Your spine is long.
The skull is dripping to the earth.
The heels are pressed toward the earth.
Big breath in.
Lift the sitting bones to the sky.
And as you exhale,
Draw the ribs closer to the thighs as you release down through the skull.
Good.
Notice your tongue and jaw.
Make sure they are relaxed.
Inhale.
Lift the right foot high up to the sky.
The right foot high up to the sky.
Reach it higher and higher.
Good.
Now as you exhale,
Bend the right knee and bring the foot over to the left side of your body.
So your leg is still lifted.
The knee is bent.
The foot is over to the left side of the body.
Good.
Look under your left arm and see if you can find your foot.
Beautiful.
Inhale.
Lengthen the leg back up to the sky.
Good.
Really reach.
And as you exhale,
Bend the knee and bring the foot forward between your hands,
Moving into a nice high lunge.
So the foot is between the hands.
The knee and ankle are aligned.
The tongue and jaw soft.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Good.
To help facilitate detoxification,
We'll add a twist here.
Grounding down through the left hand,
Inhale.
Lengthen through the crown.
And as you exhale,
Spiral to the right.
Bring that right hand up to the sky.
Good.
Really reaching.
Steady with the breath.
The mind is relaxed.
The tongue and jaw soft.
Inhale.
Reach through the fingers.
Exhale.
Untwist.
Take the hand to the floor and step the right foot back.
Downward facing dog.
You can rest in downward facing dog.
Or if you need a modification,
You can rest in child's pose,
Lowering to the knees and taking the buttocks to the heels.
If you want to be more vigorous in your practice,
Inhale to high plank.
And exhale,
Lower all the way down through chaturanga.
Inhaling,
Scoop forward and up.
Upward facing dog.
And exhale,
Folding back,
Downward facing dog.
Full breath in.
And exhaling,
A sigh.
Letting go.
Notice the tongue and jaw.
Thoughts dissolve into clouds that float away.
Inhale.
Reach that left foot high up to the sky.
And then bend the knee and drop that left heel over toward the right side of the body,
Looking under the right arm.
Try to locate the foot.
Good.
Keep breathing.
Warming up the body.
Connecting to your radiant self.
Inhale.
Lengthen the leg.
Lift it high up to the sky.
And as you exhale,
Bend the knee and bring the foot forward between your hands.
Be mindful to align your knee with your ankle.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
And if you're adding on here,
You're going to ground down through that right hand.
Inhale,
Lengthen through the crown.
And exhale,
Spiral to the left,
Reaching the left hand up to the sky.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Notice the sensations.
Do not work beyond your edge.
Inhale,
Reach the fingers.
And as you exhale,
Take the palm to the floor,
Stepping the left foot back for downward facing dog.
Once again,
You have those same options.
You can rest in child's pose or to be more vigorous,
Inhale to high plank.
Exhale,
Lower chaturanga.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
And exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Take a full breath in.
And exhale,
A sigh,
Letting go.
Good.
Slowly walk your hands back towards your feet.
You're now in what's known as ragdoll.
Ragdolls are soft and floppy.
Your feet are grounded into the earth.
The legs are lengthened.
However,
The knees are soft.
The arms dripping to the earth.
The skull dripping to the earth.
Be sure that you're not sinking all of your weight into your heels.
But rather,
The weight is evenly distributed between the front and back of your feet.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
The neck is relaxed.
If the backs of your legs feel very tight,
I suggest that you take a few moments here to massage them,
Using the hands to gently massage the hamstring and calf muscles.
You can cup your elbows with your hands and then rest your head in the box shape.
And for those of you who prefer a more vigorous practice,
Hug your arms around the legs,
Drawing your torso very close to the thighs.
Notice the tongue and jaw.
Make sure they're relaxed.
The forehead is relaxed.
Inhale and exhale.
And with your next inhalation,
Reach the sitting bones high up to the sky.
And as you exhale,
Draw the torso closer to your thighs.
Inhale,
Soften the knees,
Tuck the chin,
And roll up to the sky.
Rolling up to standing position.
Circle your shoulders up and back.
And circle your shoulders up and forward.
And now circle your wrists clockwise and counterclockwise.
Step to the front of your mat.
Bring your hands back in front of the heart.
The palms are together.
Remember your intention.
Be aware of the sensations in the body.
Do not work past your edge.
We'll now move into Surya Namaskar A,
Sun Salute A.
Inhale the hands up and gaze at the thumbs.
Exhale,
Diving forward.
The hands come to the floor.
Inhale,
Gaze to the horizon and step the right foot back.
Next inhalation,
Step the left foot back.
And as you exhale,
Lower all the way down,
Hovering over the mat.
Inhale,
Forward and up,
Lift the heart.
And exhale,
Folding back,
Downward facing dog.
Good.
Inhale,
Softening gaze.
And as you exhale,
Bring your right foot forward.
You're in high lunge.
Good.
Next inhalation,
Bring the left foot forward.
Lengthen through your spine.
And as you exhale,
Fold all the way over.
Spread your wings and inhale.
Lift all the way up.
The palms are together.
Interlace your fingers and extend the spine backward.
Exhale to vertical,
Hands to the heart.
Inhale,
Up and gaze.
And exhale,
Diving.
Inhale,
Gaze to the horizon.
Take the left foot back.
Next inhalation,
Bring the right foot back.
And exhale,
Lower down through chaturanga.
Inhaling,
Upward facing dog.
And exhaling,
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
Softening gaze.
And as you exhale,
Bring the left foot forward.
Inhale,
Bring the right foot forward.
Lengthen through that spine.
And exhale,
Fold over.
Spread your wings.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
Interlacing those fingers as you lift the heart.
And then exhale to vertical,
Hands to the heart center.
Second round with a jump back.
Inhale,
Up and gaze.
And exhale,
Swan dive.
Inhale,
Gaze forward.
Retain your breath.
And step or jump back to high plank.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale,
Forward and up.
And exhale,
Folding back.
Good.
Inhale,
Softening gaze.
And as you exhale,
Step or jump to the front of your mat.
Breathe in,
Lengthen through your spine.
Exhale,
Fold over.
The skull drips to the earth.
The sitting bones lift up.
Spread the wings.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
Palms together,
Lifting the heart up,
Up,
Up.
Exhale to vertical,
Hands to the heart center.
Surya Namaskar B.
Sun salute B.
Inhaling,
Utkatasana,
Sitting the buttocks back in a nice squat.
Modification,
Arms parallel to the floor.
Exhale,
Diving.
Inhale,
Gaze to the horizon.
Retain the breath.
And step or jump back to high plank.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale,
Forward and up.
Exhale,
Folding back,
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
The right foot high up to the sky.
Bend the knee as you exhale,
Right foot forward between the hands.
Look at your left foot.
Rotate on the ball of the foot.
Take the heel down.
And then inhale,
Forward and up for warrior one pose,
Lifting the heart all the way up.
And exhale,
Fold forward.
Good.
Bring that right foot back as you exhale,
Lower down through chaturanga.
Inhale,
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.
Exhaling,
Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Inhale,
Left foot high up to the sky.
Reach it up,
Up,
Up.
Exhale,
Bend the knee.
Bring that left foot forward between the hands.
Look at your right foot.
Rotate on the ball of the foot.
Bring the heel down.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
Virabhadrasana one.
Lift the heart up,
Up,
Up.
Exhale,
Folding forward.
Bring that left foot back,
Downward facing dog.
Big breath in.
Exhaling.
Inhale,
Softening gaze.
And as you exhale,
Walk or jump to the front of the mat.
Breathe in.
Press through the crown.
Exhale,
Folding over.
Spread your wings.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up,
Lifting the heart up,
Up,
Up.
Exhale,
To vertical.
Hands to the heart center.
Inhale,
Utkatasana.
Bending the knees as you sit the buttocks back.
Remember,
We're engaged through the root.
So we're pulling up through the pelvic floor.
The abdominal muscles are engaged.
Utkatasana,
The squat.
The arms are reaching up to the sky or the arms can be parallel to the floor if the neck and shoulders are uncomfortable.
For those of you who like a more vigorous practice,
You can peel the heels off the mat.
Good.
Inhale,
All the way to vertical.
Maintain the toe balance.
And as you exhale,
Diving forward.
Inhale,
Gaze to the horizon.
Retain the breath.
Step or jump back.
And exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale,
Forward and up.
Exhale,
Folding back.
Inhale,
Take the right foot high up to the sky.
Bend the knee as you exhale.
The right foot's forward,
The left heel's down.
Inhale,
All the way up to warrior one pose.
The arms are in a wide V.
The heart is lifted.
The shoulders are dripping down.
If your neck or shoulders feel uncomfortable,
You can rest your hands on your hips.
For those of you who want to be more vigorous,
Draw the palms together.
Lift the heart up as you gaze to the thumbs.
The front knee is bent.
Both feet are grounded down.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
Inhale,
Take the left arm and hand up and back.
And as you exhale,
Float to warrior two.
Gazing over that middle finger of the right hand.
Tongue and jaw soft.
The breath is steady.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Good.
Inhale,
Reach forward.
Open the palm.
And as you exhale,
You're going to lift up and back.
Reverse warrior two.
Breathing in through the nose.
Breathing out through the nose.
Good.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
And as you exhale,
Travel back to warrior two.
Swing the left arm and hand up and over and bring both hands to the floor on either side of the front foot.
Good.
Adjust your back foot so that you're in that high lunge once again.
Beautiful.
Now,
You're going to inhale and lift the torso up away from the front thigh.
You're going to take your left elbow outside the right thigh.
The palms are together and the thumbs to the sternum as you twist the body.
Beautiful.
Long line of energy from the back heel all the up through the crown.
Holding your twist.
Feel the feet ground down.
Engage through the core.
Cleansing.
Detoxifying.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Breathing.
Inhale.
Lift all the way back up.
That left arm and hand comes back and down.
The left heel comes down.
You're in warrior two.
Bend the front arm,
Bringing the arm down to the right thigh and take the left arm toward the ear as you reach the fingers forward.
Extended side angle.
Good.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Notice the sensations in your body.
Feel the energy building.
Notice the heart beating.
Beautiful.
Inhale.
Lift all the way up.
And as you exhale,
Float to warrior two.
Windmill.
Left arm and hand up and over.
Both hands are down to the floor.
The right foot is back.
Downward facing dog.
You can rest here in downward facing dog.
To be more vigorous,
Inhale,
High plank.
Exhale,
Lower chaturanga.
Inhale,
Upward facing dog.
Exhale,
Downward facing dog.
Once again,
Inhale,
High plank.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale,
Forward and up.
And exhale,
Folding back.
Same sequence,
Other side.
Inhale,
Left foot high up to the sky.
Bend the knee as you exhale.
Bring that left foot forward,
The right heel down.
And inhale,
Lift up,
Warrior one.
Remember,
If the neck and shoulders are uncomfortable,
You can bring your hands to your hips.
For those of you who want to be more vigorous,
Draw the palms together,
Lifting the heart up,
Gazing to the thumbs.
Relax the tongue and jaw.
Stay connected to the breath.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Inhale.
Take that right arm and hand up and back.
And as you exhale,
Float to warrior two.
The shoulders are down.
The heart is lifted.
Gaze over the middle finger of the front hand.
The feet are grounded.
You're pulling up through the pelvic floor.
The abdominals are engaged.
Inhale,
Reach forward.
Open the palm.
And as you exhale,
Lift up and back.
Reverse warrior two.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
Take both hands forward on either side of the left foot.
Find that nice high lunge as you adjust the back foot.
Good.
Inhale,
Bring the torso up.
As you exhale,
Spiral to the left,
Bringing the right elbow outside the left thigh.
The palms are together,
Thumbs to the sternum.
Breathing in through the nose.
Breathing out through the nose.
The mind is relaxed.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
Inhale.
Inhale.
Press through the crown.
And as you exhale,
Take both hands to the floor.
Good.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
Adjust that back foot.
Bring that right arm and hand back in the space,
Warrior two.
Full breath in.
Exhale,
Bend that left arm.
Bring it down to the thigh.
The right arm to the ear and reach the fingers forward.
Extended side angle pose.
The mind relaxed.
The tongue and jaw are soft.
Breathing in through the nose.
And breathing out through the nose.
Inhale,
Lift all the way up.
As you exhale,
Float back to warrior two.
And now windmill that back arm and hand up and over.
Both hands on either side of your front foot.
Step the front foot back,
Downward facing dog.
Good.
Inhale to high plank.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Beautiful.
Inhale,
Forward and up.
Lift the heart.
Drop the shoulders down.
Exhale,
Folding back,
Downward facing dog.
Inhale,
Softening gaze.
And as you exhale,
Walk or jump to the front of your mat.
Lengthen through the spine on the in-breath.
And exhale,
Folding over.
Either cup the elbows,
Creating the box shape and resting the head.
Or you can hug your arms around the legs,
Squeezing the torso close to your thighs.
Feel your skull dripping to the earth.
The sitting bones lifting to the sky.
Inhale,
Bend the knees.
Spread the wings and lift the arms up so the buttocks are sitting back.
The torso is lengthened.
Arms reaching up is more vigorous.
Modification,
Arms parallel to the floor.
Core engaged.
The mind is relaxed.
The tongue and jaw soft.
Good.
Inhale,
Draw the palms together.
Gaze to the thumbs.
Exhale,
Thumbs to the heart.
Inhale,
Sit back.
And as you exhale,
Spiral to the right.
The left elbow goes outside the right thigh.
Feel the twist.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
To be more vigorous,
You would take your left hand to the floor and reach the right arm and hand up to the sky.
Strong and flexible.
Mindful.
Aware of the sensations in your body.
Connected to your radiant self.
Inhale,
Reach the fingers.
Exhale,
Untwist.
Straighten those legs.
Give your head a little shake and a gentle nod.
Inhale,
Spread the wings.
Bend the knees.
Utkatasana.
More vigorous.
Arms are up.
Modification,
Arms parallel to the floor.
The shoulders are down.
The heart's lifted.
Inhale,
Palms together.
Exhale,
Thumbs to the heart.
Inhale,
Sit back.
And as you exhale,
Spiral to the left.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Feel the twist.
Connect to the sensation.
To be more vigorous,
Bring the right hand to the floor,
Left arm and hand up to the sky.
Relaxing the tongue and jaw.
Inhale,
Reach the fingers.
Exhale,
Release.
Untwist the legs or lengthen.
The skull is dripping down.
Full breath in.
Exhaling,
A sigh.
Give your head a little shake and a gentle nod.
Inhale,
Spread the wings.
Bend the knees.
Utkatasana.
To be more vigorous,
You would move into the toe balance,
Peeling the heels off of the mat.
Inhale,
Lengthen all the way up.
As you exhale,
Release the arms to the sides.
And now take the palms down over the heart center,
The eyelids softly closed.
Feel the beating of your heart.
Notice the energy within.
Moving into backbending.
Palms are together.
Thumbs to the sternum.
Fingers lifted up to the sky.
Inhale,
Up and gaze.
Gaze to those thumbs.
Exhale,
Swan dive.
Inhale,
Gaze forward.
Retain the breath.
Step or jump back to high plank.
And exhale,
Lower all the way down onto your belly.
Good.
Moving into Bhujangasana,
The Cobra.
The legs are close together.
The fingertips aligned with the tops of the shoulders.
The forearms are off the mat.
Your elbows are bent.
The arms are drawn in.
Engage your quadricep muscles.
Notice how the kneecaps hover off the when you do that.
Pull up through the root.
Engage the abdominals.
And now imagine you're rolling a marble away from your space.
And as you roll that marble,
Your spine lengthens.
And then your heart lifts up as you extend the spine.
Bhujangasana,
The Cobra.
Focused.
You can stay here or if you want to lift higher,
Bring your hands closer to your ribs and on the in-breath,
Press that heart forward.
Drop the shoulders down the back,
Squeezing into the kidneys and the adrenal glands.
Stretching the front of the body.
Good.
Inhale,
Lift slightly higher.
And as you exhale,
Lower down.
Let your body melt on your mat.
And as you exhale,
Let your body melt on your mat.
Stack your hands together and rest one cheek on your hands.
Bend your knees and windshield wiper your legs side to side.
Resting on the other cheek,
Lower the legs down and just let the body relax.
Take a full breath in.
Exhale.
Inhale,
Bring your forehead back to the stacked hands and just rest this way,
The forehead on the hands,
The spine aligned.
From here,
Roll onto your back.
Moving on to Setu Bendhasana,
The Bridge.
Bend your knees.
Your feet are on the mat and they are parallel.
The knees are stacked above the ankles.
Your shoulders,
Arms and hands are grounded down.
As you inhale,
Slightly tuck your chin.
This elongates your spine.
The head stays down.
The chin is just slightly tucked.
As you exhale,
Tilt your pubic bone toward the nose and then breathe in and peel your spine up and off the mat.
The Bridge.
Retract your scapula.
Interlace your fingers and press your knuckles toward your heels.
The breath is steady.
Inhale,
Lift the pelvis higher.
Peel your heels off the mat.
Release the bind with the hands.
Now reach your hands up to the sky.
Draw the palms together.
Look at your thumbs.
And as you exhale,
Slowly roll your spine all the way down,
Releasing to the mat.
Good.
Beautiful.
Once the buttocks touch the mat,
Lower the heels and relax the arms and hands.
Windshield wiper your legs side to side.
And come back to neutral.
The third and final backbend of the sequence.
Inhale,
Lengthen.
Exhale,
Scoop and inhale.
Peel the spine up.
If you practice Wheel Pose,
Urdhva Danyarasana,
You can bring your hands by the ears and inhale,
Press yourself up.
Steady with the breath.
The mind is relaxed.
Use any variation in your Bridge Pose.
Be in your body.
The choreography is a guideline.
Keep breathing.
Do not work beyond your edge.
For Wheel Pose,
Tuck the chin to release and lower down.
Bridge Pose,
Release the bind.
Bring the palms together.
Gaze at the thumbs.
Peel your heels up and exhale,
Lower down.
Windshield wiper your legs side to side.
Hug your thighs into your belly.
Circle your ankles clockwise and circle your ankles counter-clockwise.
Take your hands to the blades of your feet.
The knees stay toward the armpits and the feet reach up to the sky.
Here,
You're in Happy Baby Pose and you're going to rock gently side to side,
Neutralizing the sacrum and massaging the back.
Just like a joyous happy baby,
Rocking side to side.
And bring yourself to stillness,
Moving into another spinal twist.
If you are tight through the hips,
It is important that you just keep your thighs next to each other.
If you are more experienced in your yoga practice and you prefer a more vigorous practice,
You will cross your right thigh over your left thigh.
Your arms are down on the floor in a T-position,
Straight out from the shoulders,
Palms facing down.
Take a full breath in and as you exhale,
Lower your legs to the left,
Gazing to the right.
It is important that you focus on grounding the shoulder blades down.
You may have to adjust your arms slightly.
Keep breathing.
The body is rejuvenating and relaxing.
It is important that your breaths stay full.
You can increase the sensation of this posture by bringing the left hand to your right thigh.
Here the arm and hand act as a weighted anchor,
Helping you to stretch more deeply through the IT band,
Over your hip and down into the back.
Your gaze is to the right.
You have a full spinal twist.
If your knee is on the floor,
You can extend your right leg all the way to the left,
Straightening that leg,
Taking your hand to the ankle or to the foot.
Breathe into that nice deep stretch,
Relaxing the mind,
Relaxing the tongue and jaw.
Notice the tongue and jaw.
Offer them a little wiggle.
Make sure they're relaxed.
If your leg is extended,
You're now going to release that.
Release any variation you have.
The legs are stacked together.
Re-engage your core.
Inhale,
Untwist.
Lower the feet down,
Arms along the sides of the body.
Inhale,
Peel your spine up.
And exhale,
Lower the spine back down.
Once again,
Hug your thighs into your belly.
This time,
If you're crossing your legs,
The left thigh will cross over the right.
Arms are in T position,
Tongue and jaw soft.
And as you exhale,
Lower your legs to the right,
Gazing to the left.
Take your time.
Settle in.
Remember,
It's important that your shoulder blades are grounded down.
Make any slight adjustment you may need to be fully relaxed and comfortable in the posture.
And as you are ready,
You can use the same variations on this side,
Bringing the right hand to the left thigh,
Allowing that arm and hand of yours to be a weighted ankle.
Or,
If your knee is on the floor,
That's the left knee,
Or it's almost on the floor,
You will extend the leg all the way to the right,
Binding your hand around your ankle or foot.
Remember,
Your gaze is to the left.
Breathing in through the nose,
And breathing out through the nose.
And notice the tongue and jaw.
Remember,
You can wiggle them slightly to be sure they are relaxed.
Inhaling.
And exhaling.
And if your left leg is extended,
Release that now.
And releasing any variation,
Re-engage the core.
Inhale,
Untwist.
Lower the feet down.
Arms along the sides of the body.
Inhale,
Peel the spine up and off the mat.
And exhale,
Lower the spine down.
Hug your thighs into your belly once again.
We'll be moving into shoulder stand next.
You can rock along the length of your mat.
So rather than rocking side to side,
You're rocking along the length of your mat.
This massages the back body,
And it builds momentum for you to get your pelvis up and off the mat.
Anchoring the hips with the hands as you lift the legs up to the sky.
Sarvangasana,
The shoulder stand.
Steady with the breath.
The mind relaxed.
Squeezing into the thyroid gland.
Remember,
We support the hips with the hands.
The legs are lengthened.
The feet are softly flexed.
Inhale.
And as you exhale,
Slowly lower the feet to the floor behind your head,
Moving into halasana,
The plow.
If you cannot comfortably do this posture,
You can slowly lower the feet to the floor away from the body.
Good.
An option,
Rather than plow pose,
Is to press the soles of the feet together,
Allowing the knees to open to the sides,
Opening the palms to the sky.
The heart rate is slower.
The body relaxing more and more.
From plow pose,
Bending the knees for ear pressure pose.
You can support the body by bending the elbows and taking the hands to the back.
If you're more advanced in the practice,
You will hug your arms around the backs of the legs,
Letting the arms settle into the crook of the knee.
From here,
Take your arms to the mat,
Palms down.
It is important to engage your core and slowly lower the spine all the way down onto the mat.
If you chose reclining bound angle as your option,
You can now extend your legs away from your buttocks.
The hands are anchored under the buttocks,
The palms are down,
The legs are close together,
And the feet are flexed.
If you have a whiplash injury,
You should not lift up onto your head.
Otherwise,
The rest of this posture is completely appropriate.
Inhale,
Press into your elbows,
Lift the torso up,
Open the heart,
Open the throat,
Bending through the neck.
This is a neck extension and the top of the head comes down onto the mat.
Matsyasana,
The fish pose.
Opening the heart,
Opening the thyroid,
Rejuvenating,
Relaxing.
Inhale,
Lift the skull off the mat,
Tuck the chin,
And slowly lower down,
Removing the hands from under the buttocks,
Moving into Shavasana,
Relaxation.
The legs are extended away from the buttocks,
The palms are open to the sky,
And the feet are relaxed.
Noticing the bony and fleshy parts of your body that are connected to the earth.
Noticing the curved parts of your body that are lifted away from the earth.
And with each exhalation,
Your body relaxes more and more.
The feet and legs are heavy.
The pelvis and buttocks melting like honey and hot tea.
And the whole torso,
Your shoulders,
Arms,
And hands are relaxed.
The neck and skull relaxed.
Your mind is relaxed.
And your spirit is completely relaxed.
Breath is soft.
Bringing your awareness back to the space.
Wiggling your toes and your fingers.
And on your next inhalation,
Slowly stretching your arms above your head.
Growing long through the body,
Continuing to move your body.
Inhale,
Lengthening through the right,
Softening the left.
Inhale,
Lengthening through the left,
Softening the right.
Inhale,
Grow long through both sides.
And as you exhale,
Swing your arms through snow angel,
Hugging your thighs into your belly.
Circle your ankles,
And rocking gently side to side.
And as you're ready,
You can roll onto your right side and rest there.
And when you are ready,
You can slowly press yourself upright.
Make sure that you are comfortably seated,
Your sitting bones once again sinking into the earth as if they were roots of a tree.
Your spine lengthened.
And the eyelids softly closed.
We'll move into three rounds of Nadi Shodhana,
The sweet breath.
It is an alternate nostril breath that will bring balance to your body.
With your left hand,
You will take your thumb and index finger together.
With your right hand,
You will fold your first two fingers,
Known as the peace fingers,
Down into your palm so that your thumb,
Your ring finger,
And your pinky are extended.
Seal the right nostril,
And inhale slowly and sweetly through the left.
Seal the left.
Exhale,
Right.
Inhale,
Right.
Seal.
Exhale,
Left.
Inhale,
Left.
Seal.
Exhale,
Right.
Inhale,
Left.
Seal.
Exhale,
Left.
Inhale,
Left.
Seal.
Exhale,
Right.
Inhale,
Right.
Seal.
Exhale,
Left.
Release your hand.
Relax your fingers.
Releasing all yogic breathing techniques.
Notice the fruits of your practice.
What feels different?
What could feel the same?
Noticing any new awareness you may have about your body and your practice.
Draw your palms together in front of your heart center.
And remember your intention.
We'll seal the practice by chanting the sound of Aum.
Draw the breath in.
Aum Shanti Aum.
Shalom Peace.
May the whole world live in peace.
May you have peace in your mind,
Your body,
And your heart.
