Allow yourself to find a comfortable position,
One that permits you to feel upright and alert,
Yet also relaxed.
Imagine lengthening through your spine.
Dropping your shoulders away from your ears.
And dropping the chin ever so slightly to feel the extension through the back of your neck.
It's as if there's a string from the top of your head being pulled upward.
As your sitting bones are being grounded into the earth.
Noticing the lengthening of each vertebra.
From the base of your skull all the way down to your tailbone.
Taking a moment to bring your attention to your breath.
Allowing the breath to deepen and lengthen.
Releasing any tension that may be inhibiting the easy flow of the breath.
And as we move through these postures,
Is it possible to let your breath be in the foreground of your awareness?
The first pose is our sun breath.
With our eyes closed or a soft gaze.
Gently open your hands out to the side.
Your arms extended down at your sides.
And as you inhale,
Is it possible to draw the arms out to the sides as you reach up overhead?
Bringing the fingertips and palms together in prayer position.
And as you slowly exhale,
Drawing the hands down through the midline of the body.
Ending the exhale with your arms out to the sides.
Palms facing upward.
Inhaling those arms out to the sides and up overhead again.
Allowing your palms to meet above your head.
And gently exhaling them down through the midline of your body.
Over your eyes,
Over your heart.
Until they separate at your sides again.
Before repeating this sun breath a few more times on your own.
Allowing the breath to be full and deep.
Noticing your arms as they lengthen out to the sides.
Meeting overhead.
And perhaps the calmness with every exhale as you bring them down through the midline of your body.
Gently in your own time letting the arms come down and rest by your sides.
Releasing all control,
All tension.
And simply noticing any sensations in this stillness.
Notice the breathing once again as we prepare for the side stretch.
Bringing your right hand down to clasp the side of your chair.
Or touching the ground by your right hip.
You can bring your left hand out to your side.
Palm facing up.
Feeling your body sit here.
Strong,
Upright.
And on the next inhale extending that left palm,
Left arm out to the side.
Lengthening through the left arm as you bring your arm up overhead.
And gently stretching to the right side.
Noticing the contraction on the right side of your body.
As the left side of your body gets lengthened.
Holding this position as you continue to breathe.
Make sure you're not extending too far in this direction.
Noticing with every exhale the ability to lengthen ever so slightly more.
On the next inhale bringing that left arm back up overhead.
Stretching high into the sky.
And exhaling your left arm back down to your left side.
Taking a moment to sit here.
Feeling any sensations in the body.
Noticing and witnessing the movement that just happened.
Allowing your left hand to clasp the left side of your chair.
Breathing down to touch the ground at your left hip.
Bringing your right arm out to the side.
Palm facing up.
On the next inhale lengthening that arm as you reach out to the side and up overhead.
Exhaling as you bend to the left side.
Breathing through your right side and feeling the contraction of the left.
Allowing yourself to feel this stretch as you breathe.
Feeling the lengthening that occurs as you exhale.
On the next inhale raising that right arm back up overhead.
Reaching high into the sky.
And on the exhale dropping your right hand and arm down to your right side.
Taking a moment to notice.
To witness.
And to breathe.
Continue to focus on your breath.
Deepening and reestablishing that natural rhythm.
As we prepare for this sitting twist.
Extending your right hand out in front of you.
And bringing that hand to the outside of your left knee.
As you place your left hand on your left hip.
Facing forward.
Taking notice of the breath continuing to be full and deep.
Pressing down through the floor of your pelvis.
Gently draw in the belly button.
Lengthening through the spine.
Very gently track the horizon with your eyes as you draw your chin towards your left shoulder.
Continue being in the twist with each inhale and exhale.
Noticing what feels lengthened.
Allowing your body to relax in this left twist.
On the next exhale,
You can gently release and return to center.
Closing your eyes.
Feeling any sensation.
Witnessing all that is here.
On the next breath,
Extending your left hand and placing it on the outside of your right knee.
As you move your right hand to the right hip.
Taking a moment to notice your breath.
Pressing down through the pelvis and bringing in your belly button.
As you track the horizon and twist over to the right side.
Feeling the lengthening and contracting of muscles.
Allowing the inhale and exhale to continue deepening.
Breathing into this right side twist.
And on the next exhale,
Gently releasing and coming back to center.
As you take a moment to witness and simply be.
Allowing your attention to go to your breath.
The full and slow,
Deep,
Natural rhythm of each breath.
Reconnecting with this strong upright posture as you push your pelvis into the floor.
Lengthening through the back of your neck.
As we prepare for the chest opening stretch.
Inhaling your arms out to either side and turning your palms to face forward.
Inhaling your arms simply out to the side so they're in line with your shoulders.
Lengthening and extending through your fingertips.
Take a moment to feel the breath from this open posture.
Pulling the shoulder blades down and back ever so slightly.
As you breathe,
Is it possible to imagining your opening your heart?
Opening your heart forward.
If it's comfortable,
Lift the chin ever so slightly as you breathe a little bit fuller,
A little deeper.
Noticing the muscles engaged in your outstretched arms.
Noticing if anything can lengthen more on the in-breath.
Noticing any relaxation that happens on the out-breath.
In these final moments,
Noticing everywhere you feel holding and contraction.
And on the next exhale,
Bringing your arms back down to your lap or the sides of your body.
Letting go of any sense of holding.
Relaxing all control of the breath.
Feeling and feeling.
Allowing yourself to witness anything and everything that might be present.
Namaste.
