Hi friends,
Welcome to this Christian yoga practice for anxiety.
So this practice is good for you if you're in the midst of feeling anxious because we're gonna start with just some complete body release and then settle into stillness and meditation for you to find ease.
This is also a good practice to have like just in your toolkit,
Just to build that resilience in your body.
And we're gonna get started standing up.
So just coming into a standing position,
We're going to start with a breath of release.
So essentially,
We're going to move our arms with our breath and then find release.
So you're going to inhale,
Bring your hands up.
Inhale,
Bring your hands to the side.
Inhale,
Bring your hands up.
And then take a long exhale as you fold forward.
So thinking inhale,
Inhale,
Inhale,
Release.
And we're going to just take that for five times.
So when you're ready,
Let's breathe.
Last time.
And as you fold,
Stay down.
So just allow yourself to hang heavy.
Maybe shake your head yes and no.
Notice how you feel in the body.
In the head.
Maybe fingertips touching the mat to ground you.
And slowly begin to walk out to a plank pose.
So wherever you are,
Just extending the feet behind you.
And we'll lower down to our bellies into sphinx pose.
So coming down to your forearms,
Elbows underneath your shoulders.
Take a moment to pull the heart forward.
Shoulders release away from the ears.
Allowing your breath to naturally slow.
Creating some space in the chest.
And we'll take one more breath here.
And then gently release down.
You can bring your hands under your shoulders as we press up to table top position.
So having your toes tucked under,
We're gonna keep them tucked under as we allow the hips to rest back on our heels.
So when you come in this position for a toe stretch,
This may feel really intense.
Option to keep your hands grounded on the mat or you can begin to lift your hands onto your knees or bring your hands together at heart center So the key here is to just distract your mind from whatever you're ruminating on and get out of your mind and into your body.
You may notice that your focus automatically goes to the intense feeling in your feet.
Let's shift that now to our breath.
Taking slow.
Breaths.
Option to come out at any time.
We won't be here too long.
Take another deep breath in.
And gently release,
Bringing the hands down to the mat.
You can untuck the toes and just tap the tops of the feet on the mat.
You Find a couple of rounds of cat and cow while we're in tabletop.
So drawing the chest forward.
And then rounding through the spine.
We really want to focus on tuning into our breath today.
Notice if you can be intentional about matching all of your movement with breath.
Inhaling exhaling And as you move through these cotton cows,
I invite you to round and round all the way back to cat.
And then as you pull forward,
Gaze goes forward into cow.
So exhale,
Rounding back to a child's pose like position before pulling forward back into cow.
Just flowing with your breath,
Rippling through your spine.
We'll take one more round here.
And the next time you land in child's post,
Stay there for a breath.
So settling in.
Forehead comes to rest,
Maybe bring your hands back to frame the feet.
Take another breath here.
Bring the hands back out in front of you.
Tuck the toes.
Lift the hips.
We're downward facing dog.
So option to start off with some movement before settling into stillness.
Lifting the hips high to the sky.
Settling in here.
On your next inhale,
Rise high onto the toes.
Walk your feet to your hands.
Roll one vertebrae at a time all the way up to stand and once you arrive take a big shoulder roll at the top landing in your mountain pose take a moment here to ground through the feet so maybe you lift up the toes and set them down one by one relaxing the shoulders away from the ears,
Palms facing forward.
On your next inhale,
Sweep both hands high to the sky.
Exhale,
Forward fold,
Hinging at your hips.
Inhale halfway lift finding a flat back Exhale,
Fold.
Plant the hands.
Step the right foot back.
Soften the knee down for a low lunge.
Untuck the toe.
Both hands reach high to the sky.
Breathe in.
Breathe out hands come to frame the foot step back to plank pose Option to lower knees,
Chest,
And chin or fine chaturanga.
Inhale for cobra or upward dog.
Exhale,
Send it back downward facing dog.
Breath in.
Breath out.
Inhale,
Right foot sweeps high.
Exhale,
Step it forward,
Low crescent lunge.
Inhale,
Both hands reach high.
Breathe out.
Hold for another breath in.
Exhale hands frame the foot lift the knees step feet together at the top of the mat Halfway lift.
Exhale fold.
Inhale,
Rise to stand,
Reach high.
Exhale,
Hands down to your side.
Other side.
Inhale,
Reach.
Exhale forward fold.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Exhale,
Plant the hands,
Left foot steps back,
Low crescent lunge.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Hands down.
Step back to plank.
Move through your flow.
Option to lower knees down.
Find your half push-up.
Cobra or upward dog.
Exhale downward facing dog.
And breathe in.
Breathe out.
Inhale,
Left heel sweeps high.
Exhale,
Step it forward,
Low crescent lunge.
Hold for another breath in.
Exhale hands down step feet together at the top of the mat halfway list.
Exhale full.
Inhale,
Rise to stand,
Reach high.
Exhale,
Hands down to your side.
Inhale,
Reach hands high.
Exhale forward.
Inhale,
Halfway lift.
Exhale,
Fold.
Plant the hands.
Step your left foot back.
Lower down for low lunge.
Inhale,
Right hand sweeps high for a twisted lunge.
Option to stay here or you can reach back,
Grab a hold of the left foot for a bind.
Just simply drop the hips down.
Creating.
A little more space.
Take another breath in.
And a breath out.
One breath to hold.
Exhale,
Release your bind,
Hands come to the inside of the left foot.
So you're walking that right foot to the side for lizard pose.
Softening through the hips,
Option to come down to your forearms if that feels good or you can stay lifted.
Can also create a little more space opening through that right knee.
Just remain connected to your breath here.
We'll take another breath here.
For heel toeing that foot across the body coming into a pigeon pose.
So releasing the hips down,
Option to stay lifted,
Or you can release.
Upper body down to rest on your hands as a pillow.
Just take about five grounding breaths.
In this hip opener.
Creating some space.
When you're ready,
Gently press yourself back up.
We'll rock over to that right hip,
Extend through the left leg for a half butterfly fold.
So flexing through the left foot,
Inhale your right hand sweeps up and over,
Spiraling the chest open.
Create space in the sun.
Take another breath here.
Lift yourself up.
Hand comes behind you.
Find a baby wild thing.
So you're lifting up onto that right knee.
Left hand reaches up and over.
Create some space.
And gently release hips back down.
Return to your tabletop position and we'll lift up for downward facing dog.
Breath in.
And breath out.
Rise high onto the toes.
Walk your feet to your hands.
Halfway lifts that path.
Exhale,
Fold.
Inhale,
Rise to stand,
Reach up,
Gaze up.
Exhale,
Hands down to your side.
Take a full breath in.
Release it out.
On your next inhale,
Reach your hands high.
Exhale forward fold.
Plant the hands and step the right foot.
Coming into your low lunge.
Planning the right hand down,
Left hand sweeps high.
Easy twisted lunge.
Make an option to stay or you can reach back,
Grab a hold of the left foot.
Soften the hips down to create space.
We'll take another breath here.
Before gently releasing,
Hand comes to the inside of the left foot.
You can heel toe it out to the side.
For lizard pose.
Again,
Option to come on the knife edge of that left foot allowing the knee to fall open.
Take another breath here.
And then begin to walk the foot across the body,
Coming into pigeon pose.
So resting that shin down,
Squaring off through the hips,
Option to stay lifted,
Or you can release down here.
And we'll just take another breath here.
Before slowly lifting yourself back up.
Rocking over to that left hip this time right leg stays extended for your half butterfly pose so bringing the hand out to the side left hand sweeps up and over create space in the side body And then find your baby wow thing.
Lifting up,
Hand comes behind you.
Rock onto the left knee as you lift the hips.
Open through the front of the body.
And gently release.
Coming on down to our backs.
So once you're down,
Squeezing the knees into the chest,
Gently rocking side to side.
Finding a massage for the low back.
Let's keep the right knee hugged in as you extend the left leg long.
Find a supine spinal twist.
Pull the knee across the body,
Left hand reaches out to the side.
And return to center.
Switch sides.
So left knee draws in.
Give it a squeeze.
And then pull it across the body for your twist.
Left hand can extend out to the side as you take the gaze in that direction.
And gently unwind,
Returning to center.
Option to find reclining butterflies,
So soles of the feet come together,
Knees fall out,
Or extend your legs long for a resting position as we move into a short meditation.
So whatever position you land in,
Just take a moment to return to your breath.
Notice.
The pattern of your inhalations and exhalations.
Notice any changes in the body after movement.
And just preparing your heart and mind to meditate on Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk.
Through the darkest valley.
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me.
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me.
In the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me.
All the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
And just take another moment of stillness.
To invite in God's peace.
And presence.
Knowing that you're not alone.
This journey.
He's with you.
And you got this.
Slowly begin to invite movement back into your body,
Wiggling fingers and toes.
Maybe rocking the head side to side.
Drawing the knees in towards the chest,
Give yourself a squeeze,
Just thanking yourself for stepping onto the mat.
And leaning into a little bit of self-care.
In moments where you're feeling anxious.
And gently press yourself up to a easy seated position.
On your next inhale,
Reach both hands high.
Press the palms together and exhale them down to your heart center.
Filling in your practice.
Thank you so much for joining me in today's practice.
I will see you in the next one.
