Mindful Morning Movement & Gentle Meditation

Hi,

I'm Caroline and today I've prepared for you a quick yoga flow that you can do right from your bed if you're just waking up or right from your chair if you've already started enjoying your coffee or breakfast.

If possible,

Try to position yourself near a window so that you can see the sky outside.

If that's not possible,

Don't worry.

You can practice this anywhere that you like,

So grab a comfy chair or jump back into bed and let's get started.

Come to a comfortable seat either in your chair,

On your bed,

Or even on the floor if that's comfortable and available to you right now.

If you're sitting in a chair,

Allow your feet to be gently but firmly planted onto the floor.

If you're on your bed or on the floor,

It might be more comfortable to cross your legs,

But choose whatever seat feels best for you right now.

Allow yourself to settle into your seat for one or two deep breaths.

Start to create a long spine here without pressing your chest forward or arching your back,

But rather having a gentle tuck to your chin and aligning your shoulders back over your hips.

If you're like me,

I tend to sit leaning forward,

So I have to continually remind my shoulders to relax and lean back so that they're in alignment over my hips.

Allow your eyes to close if you feel comfortable doing so.

In the mornings,

Our inhales may tend to come a little bit more difficulty than our exhales.

Start to try to match the length of these in and out breaths as you settle.

I'll begin with a short meditation and also a gentle forehead massage here.

So choosing whichever hand you prefer,

Right or left,

Bring this thumb to the space just above and between your eyebrows.

This is known as your third eye or the energetic location of your dreams,

Intuition,

And knowledge.

With your opposite hand,

Whichever one is still in your lap,

Rotate this hand so that your palm is facing up and bring the tips of your thumb and index fingers together,

Creating a circle.

This is called dhyana mudra,

Which is a hand seal helping you to channel your inner wisdom and clarity.

With the thumb that's on your third eye,

Begin to slowly rub your forehead gently in a small circular motion in one direction,

Keeping your thumb connected to your skin the whole time.

Keep breathing smoothly and deeply as you massage your forehead and soften throughout your entire face.

Notice if your teeth are clenched tight and try to relax through your jaw.

Notice if your eyes feel tight or strained and focus on relaxing them in their own sockets.

When you feel ready,

Begin to change the direction of your small circles and now massage in the other direction.

Whichever thumb you intuitively chose for your forehead massage,

Right or left,

Can help you channel more specific energy this morning.

If you're massaging with your left thumb,

Try to focus more on your quiet and grounding energies.

If you're massaging with your right thumb,

Focus on your more active and assertive energies.

There is no right or wrong energy to feel in the morning.

Simply use these last few breaths to reflect on whether this mood suits you right now based on whichever hand you chose.

Whenever you feel ready,

Gently stop your circles,

Release both hands gently back to your lap.

Inhale to reach your arms up overhead.

Option here to also stretch through your neck by looking up at your hands.

On your exhale,

Engage gently through your core by pulling your belly button in toward your spine and then fold forward over your legs,

Allowing your upper back to round forward and your arms to relax down by your legs.

Inhale to bring your hands to your knees or thighs,

Creating a flat back and reaching the crown of your head forward.

And on your exhale,

Keep pulling your belly button into center and fold back over your legs,

Allowing your back to round and your arms to relax in a deeper bend.

We'll take this two more times with our breath.

On your next inhale,

Extend your arms back upward.

Gaze up as you imagine that your arms are reaching out directly from the middle of your heart extending up and out.

Exhale to firm through your belly as you keep extending your arms forward then down until you're folding over your legs.

Allow your arms to relax.

Inhale,

Bringing your hands to your knees as you lift your chest off of your legs and extend the top of your head forward,

Lengthening through your spine.

Exhale,

Keep extending through the crown of your head as you engage your core and fold back forward over your legs.

One more round.

Inhale as you roll and extend back up,

Reaching your arms overhead,

Giving your chest and lungs lots of space to invite in more oxygen.

Gaze is upward.

Exhale,

Activate your core and fold forward,

Allowing a gentle opening through your upper back and shoulders.

Relax your arms down.

Inhale,

Hands to your legs as you flatten and lengthen your spine,

Sending the crown of your head forward and keeping your chin slightly tucked under.

And exhale to release your arms once again.

Extend and fold forward as you keep engaging your core and relaxing through the upper back.

We'll take two more breaths right here in this fold.

When you feel ready,

Inhale to come back up to your comfortable seat.

Reach your arms back overhead and then exhale to release them back down to your lap comfortably.

Now,

Bring your hands either down to the tops of your thighs or to your hips,

Whichever feels more comfortable for you right now.

On your inhale,

Lift the center of your chest upward.

Feel the lift come from the middle of your upper back between your shoulder blades.

Allow your gaze to tilt upward as well as you slightly arch your back and point up.

Exhale to release this backbend.

Pull your belly button into your body,

Fold over just a little bit and tuck your chin into your chest.

We'll take two more rounds.

Inhale as you lift your chest back up.

Imagine here that a string is pulling your heart directly upward toward the ceiling or the sky.

Try not to bend your neck and look directly upward,

But rather allow your gaze to naturally lift as your spine starts bending back.

On your exhale,

Release and engage your core as you gently lean forward and gaze down toward your legs or the floor beneath you.

Next round.

Inhale.

Really imagine your entire torso growing longer as your hips stay grounded,

But your chest continues to lift up toward the sky,

Shoulder blades down your back.

Gently gaze upward.

Exhale to release.

Keep your belly button pressing in as you fold in slightly,

Tuck your chin and gently gaze down.

On your next inhale,

Release your hands from your hips and find your long spine once again in a neutral position.

Allow your eyes to close if you feel comfortable doing so.

Keep creating your long spine by imagining that the crown of your head or the very top of your skull is reaching upward while your tailbone is reaching downward.

Allow your arms to be totally relaxed and do your hands to rest wherever feels good for you right now.

On your next inhale,

Shrug your shoulders up toward your ears.

Keep reaching them up,

Up,

Up,

And on your exhale let them drop down like heavy weights back in place.

And we'll do that twice more.

Inhale to tense and lift up your shoulders.

Keep your arms heavy and keep your entire face relaxed.

This movement is only in the shoulders as they reach up,

Up,

Up until you exhale and drop them straight down.

Last one.

Inhale and lift your shoulders.

Keep that long spine.

Keep reaching toward the sky with the top of your head.

Keep shrugging your shoulders up and exhale.

They drop down into place.

Whatever comes your way today,

I invite you to notice how your body reacts to what you're feeling or experiencing.

If you feel frustrated or forgetful,

Try bringing your thumb gently to your forehead and perhaps start to channel your energy in a more positive direction for you.

If you feel angry or stuck,

Give yourself permission to take a deep breath in,

Extend your arms overhead,

Open through your chest,

And allow a wave of fresh air to lift your spirits.

If you feel tense and like your shoulders are creeping up toward your ears,

Give them a conscious squeeze up and then let them fall down on your next exhale.

Whenever you're ready,

Allow your eyes to gently open.

Give yourself a smile and have a great day.

Thank you so much for practicing with me today.

May you always see your inner courage,

Speak your strengths,

And hold joy in your heart.

Namaste.