This is a guided yoga session.
Let those around you know you wish to be left to yourself for about half an hour.
Turn off your phone and arrange to be in a warm,
Quiet place.
Wear loose,
Comfortable clothing.
Begin with the corpse or resting pose.
Lie on your back on plush carpet,
Two or three beach towels,
Or a yoga mat.
Let your arms rest alongside your body and turn your palms up.
Straighten your legs and let your feet fall away from each other,
Little toes toward the floor.
If you feel comfortable,
Allow your eyes to close.
If not,
Focus on a neutral spot on the ceiling.
Bring your attention to your breath,
The rising and falling of your belly.
Follow the instructions to the best of your ability.
Work with gentle rigor at your limits and remember that your limits may change from day to day and moment to moment.
Trust your experience of your body.
During this exploration,
Really listen to your body.
Follow its suggestions to release a pose,
Hold a pose,
Or modify a pose.
If there is a posture which you feel might aggravate your condition,
Simply visualize doing it.
Be satisfied with your best effort with any given posture,
Including simple visualization.
Experiment working with your eyes open to improve your balance and close to focus your attention.
Use the stillness between poses to come home to the present moment.
Also note your internal posture and dialogue.
Be as gentle and as encouraging as you can.
Work without striving and cultivate an attitude of curiosity and compassion.
Continue to attend to the rising and falling of your belly.
At your own pace,
Gradually expand your attention to include your entire body.
You may wish to do a brief body scan,
Beginning at your toes,
Moving kind attention slowly up through your body.
Simply note the quality of sensation in each region of your body.
Note areas of tension and discomfort,
Areas of neutrality or numbness,
And areas of relaxation and ease.
Take your time.
As you begin to move,
Do your best to maintain this level of attention and engagement.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor,
6 to 12 inches from your buttocks,
With your knees pointing toward the ceiling.
On an out-breath,
Press the small of your back into the floor.
Sense each vertebra from your sacrum to the base of your neck,
Making contact with the floor.
On the in-breath,
Arch your low back away from the floor,
Creating a space between your lower back and the floor.
Allow your shoulders,
Upper back,
And sacrum to rest on the floor.
With the next out-breath,
Again press your low back into the floor.
Continue at your own pace,
Gently arching the low back with the in-breath and flattening it with the out-breath.
Relax muscles not involved in the movement.
Release any tension in the lower legs,
Arms,
And face.
Return to stillness.
Below the breath,
The familiar rising and falling of the abdomen.
On an out-breath,
Move your knees toward your chest.
Wrap your hands around your knees.
Note the sensations in your hips,
Your back,
And your neck.
To enhance the stretch,
Move your head toward your knees.
Allow the movement to stop at your limit,
Wherever it may be in this particular moment.
Your head may remain on the floor,
Or your nose may be touching your knees.
Note your internal posture.
Cultivate a willingness to engage with your body and mind in whatever state you find them.
Breathe here.
Release your head and arms.
Slowly allow your feet to return to the floor.
Note the moment of contact and the accompanying sensations.
Slowly extend your legs and return to corpse pose.
Rest here now.
On an exhalation,
Bring your left knee toward your chest.
Wrap your hands around your knee and pull the knee gently toward your chest.
Breathe.
Store the sensations in the hips,
Hamstrings,
Buttocks,
And back.
Allow the right leg to be relaxed.
If it feels comfortable,
Move your head toward your knee.
Let the movement stop at your limit of tension without pulling or straining.
Breathe.
Release your arms,
Return your head and foot to the floor,
And extend your left leg.
On an exhalation,
Bring your right knee toward your chest and wrap your hands around your knee.
Pull the knee gently toward your chest and breathe.
Again,
Investigate these exquisite sensations.
Move your head toward your knee,
Stopping at your limit of tension.
Note without preference the different sensations and limits on the right and left sides.
Release your arms and return your head and foot to the floor.
Breathe.
Gently roll over and position yourself on your hands and knees with your back flat.
Take your time and notice how you maneuver into this position.
Dwell in the moment.
Breathing out,
Arch your back up toward the ceiling.
Imagine a stretching cat or an arched bridge.
Allow your head to drop so that if your eyes are open,
You can see your thighs.
Explore the various sensations in your wrists,
Forearms,
Neck,
And back.
Breathing in,
Drop your pelvis toward the floor and allow the rest of your spine to follow one vertebra at a time,
Dropping your low,
Mid,
And upper back in succession.
Imagine a suspended rope bridge,
And finally raise your neck and head in a gentle arc toward the ceiling.
On the next exhalation,
Arch your back toward the ceiling again.
Continue with the pace of your breathing,
Sinking toward the floor with the inhalation and pressing toward the ceiling with the exhalation.
Attending without expectation or judgment to the physical sensations,
Thoughts,
And feelings that accompany this rhythmic movement.
And now return to the table position,
Resting in stillness.
Remember this is a time to listen to and nurture your body.
You may visualize a pose or modify a pose as your body suggests.
Be satisfied with your experience exactly as it is.
Align your neck and head with your flat back parallel to the floor.
Gently shift your weight toward your right hand and knee.
When you feel balanced,
Extend your left leg and raise it so that it is aligned with your back.
Breathe and balance.
In your own time,
Shift your weight to your left hand and extend your right hand out in front of you.
Look out over your right hand to a fixed point on your horizon.
Balance on your right knee and left hand,
With your left leg and right hand extending in a line with your back.
Breathe into the sensations in your arms,
Your back,
And your legs.
Observe the subtle corrections you make to maintain your balance.
How does it feel to balance in this way?
What is the nature of your internal dialogue as you attempt this posture?
When you are ready,
Gently lower your right hand and left leg toward the floor.
Return to the flat back position,
Noting the adjustments you make to find your balance.
Investigate the sensations on the left side of the body and the right side.
Now reverse the posture.
Again align your neck and head with your flat back parallel to the floor.
Gently shift your weight onto your left hand and knee.
When you feel balanced,
Extend your right leg and raise it.
Breathe and balance.
In your own time,
Shift your weight to your right hand and extend your left hand out in front of you.
Look out over your left hand to a fixed point on the horizon.
Balance on your left knee and right hand.
Breathe and allow your experience.
Are you willing to meet yourself in this moment,
Not struggling to get it right?
Can you work at your current limits with gentle rigor and perhaps even a sense of humor?
When you are ready,
Gently lower your left hand and right leg toward the floor.
Sink back so that your buttocks rest on your heels.
Allow your forehead to rest on the floor.
Feel the stretch in the upper back.
Lean gently to the left and feel the opening in the chest and the stretch in the back.
Lean gently to the right.
Gently curve your arms around toward your feet and rest here in Child's Pose.
Relax.
Feel the pull of gravity and the support of the floor.
Then return your attention to the present,
This moment.
Return to the flat back position.
Curl your toes under your feet and straighten your legs.
Raise your buttocks toward the ceiling,
Moving toward an inverted V position.
Rest at your limit,
Allowing your knees to remain bent if necessary and straightening your legs if possible.
Feel the sensations in your hamstrings,
Warmth,
Lengthening,
Tugging.
If your legs are straight,
You may intensify the stretch by pressing your heels toward the floor.
When you are ready,
Gently bend your knees and return to the flat back position.
In your own time,
Roll over onto your back,
Rest and breathe in this stillness.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor,
6 to 12 inches from your buttocks.
Raise your arms above your head and allow them to come to rest on the floor extended above your head.
Raise your pelvis and mid-back off the floor,
Creating a sloped bridge suspended between your knees and upper back.
Feel the expansion and contraction of the breath in the back as well as the abdomen.
Feel into the large muscles of your legs as they support you and allow your face and arms to relax.
Bring your attention into the here and now.
In your own time,
Gently lower yourself to the floor,
One vertebra at a time.
With your knees bent and feet on the floor,
Rest and breathe.
Bend your arms perpendicular to your body,
Forming a T.
On an out-breath,
Allow your knees to fall to the left.
Your right foot may come off the floor.
Turn your head gently to the right and feel into your back and neck.
Rather than thinking about it,
Attend directly to the sensations.
Note the subtleties and specifics – pulling,
Contraction,
Release,
Popping.
Breathe and let gravity facilitate the stretch.
On an in-breath,
Center yourself,
Returning the knees to the upright position and your head to neutral.
On an out-breath,
Allow your knees to fall to the right and turn your head to look over your left arm.
Feel into this position.
Breathe.
On an in-breath,
Again center yourself.
Bring your arms to rest by your sides.
On an out-breath,
Raise the left leg as high as possible,
Keeping it straight.
Cultivate an attitude of kindness,
Whether your leg remains on the floor or is perpendicular to it.
Approach the limits of your ability with curiosity and gentle rigor.
Breathe and appreciate the workings of your body.
Draw circles with your toes,
First one way and then the other.
Slowly,
Very slowly lower your leg to the floor.
Note the descent,
The smooth movements while one muscle group is in control,
The bumps as another muscle group takes over.
Note the moment of contact with the floor and the natural release.
Bend your left leg,
Rest,
Breathe and be aware.
Extend your right leg along the floor.
Gently raise your right leg as high as possible.
Create this posture and these sensations.
Breathe and explore.
Allow your left leg and upper body to relax.
Draw circles with your toes,
First one way and then the other.
Again,
Noting the descent,
Slowly,
Sweetly lower your leg to the floor.
Note the moment of contact.
Bend your right leg and again extend your left leg along the floor.
Raise it as high as you can,
Keeping it straight.
Place your hands on your left thigh or calf,
Reaching as far as possible toward the toes.
If you wish to intensify the stretch,
Gently pull your leg toward you.
Bring your full attention into the sensations in your hamstrings,
Pulling,
Searing,
Releasing.
To further intensify the stretch,
Move your head toward your knee.
Engage with sincere effort without striving or judgment.
Gently release the head and arms.
Slowly lower the leg to the floor.
Extend the left knee.
Extend the right leg and raise it.
Place your hands on your thigh or calf.
If you wish to intensify the stretch,
Gently pull your leg toward you.
Direct the breath and attention into your experience.
Sensing your limits,
Move your head toward your knee.
Rest within the effort.
Gently release the head and arms and slowly lower the leg to the floor.
Extend your left leg.
Rest in corpse pose.
Investigate the quality of your body and your mind,
Simply noting what is so in this moment.
Roll onto your belly.
Bring your arms to your side and turn your head to rest on one cheek.
Rest here.
Feel the breath here as your belly pushes into the floor.
Bring your legs together and point your toes backward.
Anchor yourself by pressing your pelvis into the floor.
Place your chin on the floor.
Raise your left leg off the floor,
Keeping it straight.
Note the contraction in the hamstrings,
Buttocks,
And low back.
Feel the heaviness of the arms on the floor.
Breathe and explore this posture.
Gently lower the leg.
Rest your opposite cheek on the floor.
Again place your chin on the floor and raise your right leg.
Meet yourself with kindness in this moment.
Gently lower the leg.
With full attention to the sensations again raise the left leg.
Release.
Investigating the specifics of the experience this time,
Raise the right leg.
Release.
Turn your head to one side and rest in the stillness.
With your arms resting alongside your body again anchor your pelvis to the floor.
Turn your face forward and allow your chin to rest on the floor.
Gently arch your upper back,
Raising your head and chest off the floor.
Feel the breath and sensations here,
Now.
Relax your arms and face.
Slowly release,
Lowering your upper body to the floor.
Turn your head to the other side and rest.
In your own time face forward and gently raise your head and chest again.
Surrender to this moment.
And now lower your upper body toward the floor.
Roll onto your back,
Pull your knees to your chest.
Rock gently forward and back massaging your low back.
Release your legs.
Rest your body in corpse pose and your mind in the spaces between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Allow your eyes to close.
Bring your attention to your breath and body in this moment.
Acknowledge yourself for working with yourself in this way.
Your attention and sincere effort are a precious gift.
This practice cultivates strength,
Flexibility,
And steadiness of body,
Mind,
And spirit.
Allow these qualities to permeate your life.
Remember you can return to them simply by attending to your breath.
When you are ready,
Gently roll onto your left side.
Touch and move into your life.
May you experience the loving awareness that is your essential nature.
