Let's begin our balance practice on hands and knees,
Starting with some cat cows to gently warm up.
Rounding the spine,
Pushing the earth away and then shining your heart forward,
Lifting your hips.
Take any movements of head,
Neck and shoulder here too.
We're coming into our first balance,
We're extending the right leg,
Roughly hip height and extending the left arm.
So opposite arm and leg,
Drishti gaze is down,
Foot is flexed,
Send your energy through your leg to your foot and through your arm to your fingertips.
And change sides,
Opposite arm and leg,
Left leg,
Right arm.
Engage your core to hold your balance.
Proceed with caution now as we are coming into an advanced balance,
Same arm,
Same leg.
Rooting into the right hand on the shin of the right leg,
Extend your left leg and your left arm.
Very carefully and slowly we are taking that to the other side.
Same arm,
Same leg,
This time on the right.
Extend the right leg,
The right arm.
Engage your core to find your balance and keep breathing.
Well done.
Gently and mindfully coming out of the balance and taking some movements of the hips.
So wagging your tail,
Moving your hips,
Looking over your shoulder,
Moving head,
Neck and shoulders and taking a couple of cat cows to reset yourself here.
Go ahead and make your way to standing for Vrikasana tree pose.
Rooting deeply into that right foot and choosing your position of your left foot and left leg,
Whether that is to your ankle,
Your calf or your thigh.
Bring the hands into Anjali mudra,
Engage the core and be as tall and strong as you can here in your tree pose.
You have roots,
You are rooted,
You are strong,
You are grounded.
We are taking that to the other side now.
Choose your foot option,
Which does not have to be a mirror image of what you did on the other side.
Rooting down through your foot,
Rising up through your crown,
Pressing the hands together firmly at the chest,
Engage the core and be strong.
And gently release.
We're coming to our second standing balance here.
So making a figure four,
Rooting into your right foot and crossing the left over just above the knee to make a figure four,
A standing pigeon.
Bringing the hands together in Anjali mudra and then you have the option of staying here or as you exhale,
Bending the knee of the standing leg and dropping your hips.
Over your next couple of exhales,
You can sit down into this imaginary chair as low as your hips will allow and hold your balance.
Gently and carefully release.
We're taking that to the other side.
So repeating the process just on the opposite side of the body and choosing whether you want to remain standing or whether you want to start to drop the hips on your exhales.
And gently release,
Shaking out the legs if they need it.
Taking a moment to find your breath.
Close your eyes as you stand here in Tadasana mountain pose and gently shift your weight forward and back and left and right in your feet.
This is also a balance practice.
Come to a comfortable seated position,
Gently closing your eyes.
Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing helps to balance the energies in the body and calm the mind.
Bring your right hand towards your face.
Use your thumb to close off the right nostril.
Inhale slowly through the left nostril.
Pause.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right.
Pause.
Close the right and exhale through the left.
Continue in this gentle rhythm.
Inhale left.
Exhale right.
Inhale right.
Exhale left.
Let the breath be slow and steady,
Soft and easeful.
Allow the body and mind to come back into balance.
As we come to the end of our balance practice,
Allow your hand to drop to your lap and breathe normally through both nostrils,
Just noticing how you feel in your body and in your mind.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Namaste.
