Hello yogis,
My name is April and welcome to the Yoga Ranger Studio and welcome to our practice today.
I'm so grateful that you're joining me for this yin yoga practice where we're focusing on emotional release.
We know that sometimes connective tissue holds emotional memory,
Or at least that's a theory.
And part of that is really kind of moving that out of the connective tissue in order for the body to process it and move on.
That may mean in small amounts or large amounts.
Moving the body in any way in any yoga practice or movement will help work some of that out but i really feel that yin is particularly suited to this because we're working really and focusing on connective tissue itself So the densest areas of connective tissue are between about the mid-thigh and a little bit of the navel.
That space of the hips and pelvis is a lot of connective tissue here.
And so we're gonna be focusing on this area to sort of help.
Unwind some of that and clear some of that out or at least get it to the point where it can process through our bodies and move out.
It may mean that you do it multiple times.
Sometimes it takes a lot to get emotions kind of moving out the door.
This is a place to start to really kind of help.
Clear out some of that weightiness of emotions that are sort of residing from something that's happened in your life,
A trauma,
A situation,
Someplace where you're grieving or struggling or relationships have shifted or changed.
Great one for anybody that has been sort of needing to move some of that emotion out.
For our practice.
I have two blankets,
But you can just work with one or actually in this class,
You could theoretically have none.
But I do love to have some cushioning because the ground is hard and the body is soft.
And I like a little support.
So a blanket nearby might not be.
Something that would be useful to you,
But if you want it in your practice,
Go ahead and have it nearby just in case you want a little bit of comfort,
Even if you just want it for shavasana at the end.
So we're gonna start in shoelace pose.
I'm gonna offer you a couple of suggestions here for this pose.
If crossing the right knee over the left a little too much.
Take your left leg out straight and cross your right knee over and fold in this.
Half shoelace does the same things full shoelace does.
It just makes it accessible for everybody.
If you want to go ahead and cross over.
And your.
Hips do not always reach the ground and mine do not.
You can take a blanket and give yourself a little bit of propping or a block to lift you up a little bit.
That might make it a little easier.
If you have the space to take your feet a little wider,
Take them wider or tuck them behind you.
There is no perfect shape in shoelace.
It is just your shoelace.
So sitting up tall,
Starting here for a couple of breaths.
You want to feel like you're grounding down through the hips and you're not off center one way or the other.
You want to find a little centered space in between.
Feel your exhale start to really ground and center your body so that you feel yourself really settling into the ground.
Part of emotional release is finding that grounding energy and really sinking into it.
Go ahead if it feels okay for you start to fold yourself forward So maybe you have more range of motion and you can sort of readjust.
You can maybe come all the way down to the floor if that's accessible for you.
Or wherever you are,
You may just stay upright.
And this is enough for you.
We're moving into the space here.
Wherever you want to go,
Fold in.
Check in with your breath,
Noticing.
Maybe you're holding your breath.
Or it feels a little restricted because this pose is a lot.
And come into that three-part breath,
Belly,
Chest,
Collarbones.
Collarbones,
Chest,
Belly.
If at any point in time you feel you can sink in a little bit deeper or shift or you need to come out a little bit,
Make that adjustment here as we move into our last minute.
Gently start to walk yourself back up and without unwinding,
Go ahead and take your left hand over to the left.
Lean your body and kind of open up that right side body and take the right hand up overhead.
Maybe resting it on your head.
Keeping your hips firmly planted here.
Wow.
Taking with your breath again here and breathing into that right side body.
Sweeping your right hand back over.
And very slowly,
No rush here.
Coming out of this pose.
Unwinding taking your feet out Maybe wiggling your toes a little bit.
And shifting your ankles side to side,
Shaking them out,
Maybe bouncing your knees.
After a forward fold,
I like to take my hands behind me and lift my chest,
Drop my head back a little to open up the chest.
And then coming back to center,
We're gonna switch to our other side.
Same thing here,
You can take that right leg out straight and wrap that left over or.
.
.
You can tuck that right leg back behind you.
Step your left foot over.
Kind of tie yourself in a little pretzely knot here.
Sit up for a few breaths.
Find that balance and whatever support you may need,
A blanket,
A block.
Or anything that will give you some stability.
Feel your exhale start to really sink your hips down into the floor,
Really connecting to that ground,
That earth energy.
And then either remaining here or starting to fold yourself forward,
Finding that place where you're about.
65 to 70% of your maximum pose knowing that as we hold it is going to deepen the pose.
Maybe making any adjustments here.
Slowly starting to come up,
And here again,
Keeping that wrap,
Walking this time your right hand over to the right,
And maybe you come up on fingertips like I am,
Or your palm can be flat.
Reaching that left arm up and overhead and resting it on the side of your head.
Stretching out through that left hip,
Left side body.
Slowly start to take that left hand back down alongside your hip.
Very slowly and carefully unwind your body from this.
Twist,
Position.
Stretching your legs out.
Wind chilly,
Wiping the feet side to side,
Wiggling the toes,
Bouncing your knees.
Ever feels really good for you here.
And here again,
Hands behind you,
Lifting your chest,
Arching back,
Maybe dropping your chin back and looking up at the ceiling.
Then inhaling back to center.
I'm going to come into a deer pose with a little twist here.
Starting with your blanket.
I always like to have a blanket for this pose just because it gives a little support.
Bringing the bottoms of the feet together,
We're gonna swing over to the right,
Take that left leg back behind us.
And maybe you need,
So you can feel the ground beneath you,
A little propage underneath you to feel that hip contacting the floor.
And it's going to lift off a little bit and that's fine because we're going to take a deep twist.
So here start to fold a little bit out toward the right and then start to walk your hands around to wherever you feel a really deep twist down the center line and a nice stretch on the outside of your hip or lower back.
You might have to adjust and come closer to the center line so you can bring your elbows down or stay up on your hands or use a prop underneath to bring the floor a little closer to you.
You can start to shift.
That leveling back a little bit further if you want or you can keep it where it's at.
As we move deeper into the pose and the hold time.
You can adjust a little bit deeper or fold a little bit further.
Making adjustments to come out of the pose a little bit or go deeper into it,
Depending on how your body feels.
You gently beginning to make your way back upright leaning into that right arm and sort of swinging your left leg around.
And waving your butterfly wings.
And then shifting to our other side,
Leaning over to the left,
Sweeping that right leg back behind us.
Your foot can be in a 90 degree angle or folded over.
And then starting to fold over that left leg and then shift and walk your hands around wherever you can.
Maybe you make some adjustments to come back closer to the center line.
Or maybe you come back a little bit further.
Use props to bring the ground a little bit closer.
You can start to move that right leg back a little bit further behind you.
Make any adjustments here as we move deeper into the pose and the hold time coming out or moving in.
You Very slowly beginning to make your way up.
No rush,
No hurry.
Coming back to center,
Swinging that right leg around here again.
Just bouncing those knees,
Finding a little movement here.
Nice deep breath.
Perhaps.
Taking the shoulders back and shifting them forward a few times.
Unwind that twist.
And coming all the way down to lie on your back.
Making yourself comfortable here,
Knees toward the ceiling.
Feet as wide as your mat or even a little bit wider than your mat.
I'm going to take a little windshield wiper twist.
You can take the arms out to the side,
Elbows bent or arms straight,
Or even up overhead if that feels okay for you.
And then start to windshield wiper your knees side to side,
Super gentle and slow.
Each time maybe getting a little bit deeper Dropping the knees a little bit further.
And the next time you're dropped over to the left Let those knees drops down.
Or You can take your left heel on top of that right thigh.
A little bit more.
Lift your head and turn and look over your right shoulder.
Gently turn your head back to center if you have your left heel across that right thigh.
Take that off and slowly start to come back through the middle.
Dropping your knees together for a breath or two here and taking your hands to your belly or by your side.
Here changing maybe the positioning of your hands so it feels a little bit different,
Opening the chest and the arm.
Start to windshield wiper the knees side to side,
Starting toward the left and moving right.
Moving super slow and deepening it with each time you twist in.
When you next get over to the right drop those knees to the right you can stay here You can take.
That right heel on top of the left thigh.
Lift your head,
Turn and look over your left shoulder.
Gently turning your head back to center if you have your right ankle on your left thigh Slide that off.
Slowly come back to the middle.
Take your hands to your belly.
Drop your knees together for a couple of breaths.
And gently bring your right knee into your right shoulder.
Pull it in,
Deep,
Long stretch.
And switching sides.
Just lengthening.
The back lines of the body here.
And setting up for your Shavasana.
So that could be taking your feet wide and dropping your knees together.
It could be taking your heels out to the corners of the mat.
Finding your Shavasana for the next couple of minutes,
Just to settle in.
Connecting to your three-part breath,
Belly,
Chest,
Collarbones.
Exhaling collarbones,
Chest,
Belly.
Letting your breath expand out to the left and right.
Front and back.
Giving yourself a few breaths to Acknowledge that you are taking time to honor emotions in your body.
Helping your body process those emotions and move them through.
However fast your body is ready to do so.
And it was.
.
.
Processes emotions differently.
That's just how it is.
So honoring your process in and of itself.
Taking time and space to care and support for your mind and body.
And then wherever you're at go ahead and roll over to your right side.
And very gently and slowly make your way up to a seat.
Using props or sit it on the floor.
Bring your hands together at heart center,
Bowing your head softly.
Joining me and ending our class with one Alm together.
Inhaling together.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me.
I wish you all the best and have a wonderful week.
