Hi yogis,
I'm Nicole.
Thanks for joining me today.
If you are feeling scattered,
Overstimulated and are in need of a quick reset,
This practice is for you.
Very soothing for the nervous system and will help to undo tension in the body.
I will use the wall for the first posture,
So make sure you're nice and close to the wall.
I've got a block there that I will sit on at the end of practice for our pranayama.
If you don't have a block,
A pillow will be fine as well.
So when you're ready,
Come up to stand for me.
We're going to place our hand against the wall at about shoulder height fingertips pointing down spreading out why.
So when you're ready,
You'll position yourself about arms distance away from the wall.
Hand at shoulder height.
And as you press into those fingers,
Let's gently bring an upper back bend in.
Curl back.
Look back towards your heel if you can.
Let's relax the jaw.
Let go of any holding in the mat.
And feel as though you're breathing down that right arm.
Breathing into any tension or sensation.
Let's release we'll change sides So this is especially therapeutic if you've been typing or using your hands all day.
Also therapeutic for tennis elbow as well.
As soon as we come into a position.
Bring your awareness back to the breath.
The quickest way to quieten the mind is to witness the breath.
The volume on the mind chatter.
Toes down.
That's released.
Give the shoulders a roll,
Well done.
So from here,
Take the hands behind you if you can interlace the fingers.
My feet are hip width apart.
Gently inhale,
Expand the chest.
Then bend the knees,
Exhale fold forward.
If this is too intense you can hold the elbows.
You don't have to interlace the fingers.
Let the head hang here.
Let's inhale through the mouth.
And then holler out the breath.
See one more of those.
Release the hands down,
Hold the opposite elbows and gently sway.
Maybe figure of eights or small circles.
Then release those elbows gently roll back up to stand.
Coming to stand at the top of the mat.
Little movement now.
Let's inhale lift the arms and the left knee,
Step back and lunge.
Pivot the feet,
Face the back of the mat,
Right arm forward,
Left arm back.
Little twist.
Let's do another lunge to the front,
Left arm forward,
Right arm back.
Windmill that left arm back,
Warrior two,
Ground down through the left.
Right toes pointing straight ahead.
It's straight in the right leg now.
Bend the left knee.
Return to Warrior 2.
Slowly inhale reverse the warrior.
And exhale triangle pose,
Straighten the leg,
Keep your left hand on the low back.
As you inhale,
Bend the right knee,
Reverse the warrior,
Lean back.
And exhale,
Triangle pose.
Pressing evenly into both feet.
You can keep the drishti on the ground,
Keep the head low.
Inhale,
Reach back.
And last one,
Exhale,
Triangle pose.
Inhale,
Left arm up,
Reach the arm overhead.
And let's lower down into a lunge with a twist.
So lift the back heel.
You can use the block here if you need to.
Right arm up.
Press into both.
Gently turn that left shoulder in towards the right knee.
Inhale.
And exhale,
Bring the hand down.
Let's roll back,
Step up to the top of the mat.
Inhale halfway up,
Look forward.
Hands can be on knees or the floor.
And exhale fold.
Let's reverse swan dive to come all the way up.
Hands coming to the heart.
Practicing that on the other side when you're ready.
Hands to shoulder height,
Right knee lifts.
Step back and lunge.
Pivot to face the back of the mat,
Left arm forward.
Lunge one more time.
Warrior two,
Windmill that right up back.
Press into both feet so you're stretching the mat.
And the right knee bends,
Left leg straight moves.
Warrior two.
Inhale,
Reverse.
Slowly exhale,
Triangle pose.
Inhaling.
Exhaling Staying down this time.
Right arm.
Circles up and overhead.
Lower down,
Lunge with a twist.
And left hand down,
Downward facing dog.
Gently send your chest towards your thighs.
Make sure those hands are mat width apart.
Gently squeeze the heel or the palms in towards one another.
Let's hold as we inhale And then slowly exhale,
Knees to the mat.
Little back bend as you inhale.
We'll exhale,
Child's pose,
Tuck the tailbone under,
Lift the palm,
Sit back.
We're not staying.
Inhale,
Return,
Tabletop,
Back bend.
Downward facing dog.
Hold as you inhale.
And last round,
Exhale,
Knees down.
Little back bend.
Modify child's pose.
Downward facing dog,
Last one.
Hold your down with a single.
Inhale,
Right leg up.
Pigeon pose,
Right knee behind the right wrist,
Lengthen the left leg behind you.
Now,
If this is not an option for you due to knee or hip injuries,
Just lean over to the right and bend both legs.
So you've got a right ankle through the backs of both legs and you'll fold off over that right knee off to the side.
Otherwise,
Let's keep the back leg straight.
When you're ready,
Fall forward.
Just for a few breaths.
Walk those elbows out as far as you can.
Make a pillow with your hand.
Once again let go of any holding in the mouth.
Feel the breath spread across the back.
Inhale,
Gently coming up.
Let's return to our downward facing dog.
And we'll change sides straight away,
Left leg.
Pigeon Poe or your variation bending both knees.
Settling down when you're ready.
Take a deep inhalation into the back.
And hymns.
And then pause,
Hold the breath for just a moment.
Before exhaling slowly.
Softly.
Let's gently bring ourselves back up.
We'll stay seated from here.
You can lean over to the left as you bring that right leg around and we'll take both legs out in front.
Let's bend the left knee,
Cross it over the right leg.
Hold on to the left knee with the right hand.
Firm down through the foot as though you're trying to stand up and feel as though you're dragging that right heel back.
We'll take a few circles with the left arm.
So as you inhale,
Reach the arm up in front,
Take it above the head.
And exhaling out to the side lower down.
So at this point,
We want to slow the breath,
Slow the movement.
Be with every part of the breath.
Well done.
Last time inhaling the arm.
And then we'll place the hand behind you,
Either on the mat or if you need the block.
Gently press down and try and slide that hand away.
If you're able to,
Hook the arm around the thigh.
Let's look over the left shoulder as we inhale.
Sitting tall.
And as you exhale,
Bring the head only back to the front and draw the belly in towards the spine.
Then as you inhale,
Head turns left,
Breath descends.
Let the belly expand.
And exhale gently drawing in head back to the front one more time.
Well done.
Let's take an open twist now.
Take your right arm behind you.
Left arm on the inside of the left leg and left buttock off the mat.
So I'm sitting only on the right leg.
Firm the left arm into the inner knee and take a nice deep breath into the lower belly.
And let's change slides.
Holding the knee,
Begin with your sweeping circle.
Slow the breath.
And the movement.
No doubt you're.
.
.
Body and mind have been rushing all day.
Moving through your last circle now,
Placing the hand behind you on the mat or the block.
Inhaling to look over the shoulder.
Exhaling back to the front.
You next time you return to the front.
Coming out of the pose,
Left hand down,
Right arm to the inside of the inner knee.
And release.
So if you're able to now come into a cross-legged position if your knees permit.
If not,
You can make a diamond shape with your legs or you can straighten out the legs.
We're just here for a couple of pelvic rocks.
I just want you to feel into your low back and hips.
Hopefully you've created a little more space.
Have unwound some tension.
We can change directions when you're ready.
And coming back to center.
I'm going to sit myself up on the block now just as we do a little pranayama,
A little mindful breathing.
So very helpful here if you can elevate the hip.
It doesn't matter what the legs are doing,
Just make sure they are comfortable and they're not going to distract you.
So you can kneel,
You can straighten the legs,
You don't have to cross.
Let's turn the palms up to face the ceiling and connect the index finger and thumbs for chin mudra.
And then lifting the crown of the head a little taller,
Slightly tuck the chin.
And feel as though you're leaning back just a little.
The heart is high.
Shoulders relax.
Softening the forehead.
Gently placing the tip of the tongue where the teeth meet the roof of the mouth.
Feeling a little space between the top and bottom teeth.
And as you inhale,
Feel the breath gently descend.
Your navel expands.
Take a little pour.
And then gently exhale,
Draw the navel in just a little.
Let's inhale,
Be soft,
Let the belly expand and the breath descend.
This time as you pause and exhale a little tone at your base.
Ladies can lift the pelvic floor.
The gents,
The perineum muscles.
So toning at your base just as you exhale.
And then relax these muscles as you inhale,
Breath,
Descend.
Little pause,
A little tone.
And the out breath.
Ascend.
Can you be with the next few breaths?
Without the mind chatter distracting you.
And let's bring our hands to prayer position.
The heart center.
Raise the hands to the forehead.
For clarity of thought.
Lower the fingertips to the lips for purity and honesty.
In our speech.
And hands to the heart centre.
And compassion.
In all that we do.
Thanks for practicing with me,
Yogis.
I hope you enjoyed that quick reset.
Wishing you a wonderful day.
