Heart Opening Yoga Flow & Meditation

Hi friends!

Welcome back to Your Journey Yoga.

My name is Natalia and today we have a yoga and meditation practice to open the heart.

If you would like to have some props with you for support,

Feel free to grab those.

Otherwise,

Just get into something comfy and I'll meet you on your mat.

We're going to begin today's practice lying down on our backs.

If you want to bring a block or a pillow underneath the head or underneath the hips for some extra support,

You can do that.

Otherwise,

Just come to lie flat on your spine with the arms and the legs extended.

Let yourself settle in,

Maybe snuggling the shoulder blades underneath the heart space to open up a little more through the chest.

Let the arms and the legs be heavy and bring softness into the face,

Letting the jaw unclench and the brow unfurrow.

And allow yourself to take three super slow,

Super full body breaths.

You can continue to breathe in this full body way or you can let the breath soften back into its natural rhythm or find something different,

Maybe an ujjayi breath or playing around with counting your inhales and exhales.

Whatever feels most supportive for what you want out of this practice,

Relaxation,

Focus,

Clearing,

Let your breath be an intuitive piece of that.

And begin to attune to the space that you're in,

Observing sound,

Temperature,

Even energy.

Just drop a pin into where you are in time and space.

Feeling the way that you are connected to this space,

Physically where the body is connected to the ground.

The way that you are drawing breath in from the space and sending it back out.

And also the way that your energy is connected to where you are.

Just take a moment to feel a sense of wholeness and oneness with your surroundings.

From here you can begin to bring a little movement into the fingers and toes,

Maybe rock the head a little bit side to side.

If you are using a prop under the head or your hips,

Go ahead and set that off to the side and begin to hug your knees up towards your chest.

Finding some circles or rocking a little bit side to side,

Whatever feels best on your low back.

If a happy baby is calling out to you,

You can find that here as well.

Just let your movement be fluid and intuitive.

From here we will melt the knees over to the left side and extend the right arm over to the right,

Bringing your gaze over your right fingertips.

Really allowing the legs to be as heavy as they can be.

And find another full body breath here,

Letting it expand down into the low belly and to either sides of your ribcage.

And then make a slow transition to the other side.

Legs are heavy,

Extending that left arm and finding some big body breaths,

Filling the torso,

The ribcage.

And then transition back to center,

Bringing the feet down to the earth about hips distance apart.

Bring your hands down by your sides,

Pressing them into the earth.

Press equally into the feet and slowly roll up into a bridge pose,

One vertebra at a time.

And when you reach the top of your bridge pose,

Lower back down one vertebrae at a time.

And we're just going to continue with this articulation of the spine,

Lifting the hips up to the sky and slowly lowering them back down,

All at your own pace.

Notice how the spine feels here.

Maybe there's some sticky spots,

Just start to notice.

The next time you come up to the top of your bridge pose,

Interlace your fingers underneath the tailbone to open the heart a little bit more.

Pressing the earth away from your feet here,

Think about your shins drawing towards the front of your mat.

Chest coming towards the chin and the chin pointing up to the sky.

Take three rounds of breath here.

And on your third exhale,

Begin to lower back down one vertebra at a time.

And make your way into a seat.

You can rock and roll on the spine or press your way up.

We're going to meet in Sukhasana with our legs crossed.

And as you arrive in your seat,

Just take a moment to anchor down through both of your sit bones.

Sit up a little bit taller,

Keeping the shoulders drawn away from your ears.

Let your hands rest on your knees.

And on an inhale,

Draw the heart space forward,

Lift your chin up to the sky.

Exhale,

Round through the upper back,

Chin to chest,

A little seated cat-cow as you inhale,

Open the heart,

Lift your chin.

Exhale,

Round chin to chest.

Inhale,

Open heart,

Lift the chin.

Exhale,

Round chin to chest.

Come back to a neutral spine,

And on an inhale,

Reach your arms up to the sky.

Exhale,

Cactus.

Arms reach up to the sky.

And bring them into a cactus.

Arms reach up high.

Last cactus here.

Arms reach up,

And bring hands to heart center.

Inhale,

Arms high one more time.

This time,

Hands through heart center as you come forward onto all fours,

Bringing shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.

Start to move through some cat-cows.

Or maybe even jump roping the spine,

Moving your hips around,

Whatever feels best for you.

But again,

Pay attention to that articulation of the spine,

Starting to build a little more fluidity there.

Check in with how the breath is being woven into your movement.

How can it serve you here?

We'll do one more round of breath,

Whatever movement you're finding.

And then we'll come back to center in our tabletop.

From here,

Walk the hands forward.

Melt the heart,

The head,

And the elbows to the earth for puppy pose.

Tailbone rocks up towards the sky.

You can have the elbows connected with the ground,

Or you can have them lifted off of the earth,

Whatever feels best for you.

And just breathe into the shoulders and into the heart space.

One more round of breath here.

And if the toes aren't tucked behind you,

Go ahead and tuck them.

We're going to walk the hands back towards the knees,

Coming into a seated monk's pose.

So hips are sitting on top of your heels,

Stretching through the soles of your feet.

Head over heart,

Heart over pelvis.

On an inhale,

Reach your arms up high.

And as you exhale,

Interlace your fingers behind your back.

Draw the knuckles down to the earth as you lift the chin to the sky.

Exhale,

Chin to chest.

Bring the left ear over the left shoulder,

And just pause here,

Breathing into the right side of the neck as you draw the right shoulder down and away.

Bring the chin back to the chest and take it to the other side,

Breathing into the left side of the neck as you draw the left shoulder down and away.

Bring your chin back to the chest.

Inhale,

Lift the chin to the sky.

And exhale,

Release the bind,

Come back to all fours.

You can pat the tops of the feet out on your mat,

Or you can roll over onto the tops of your feet,

Lifting your knees for a deeper stretch in the top of the foot.

And then we will meet in downward facing dog from here.

And let fluid movement guide you into this downward facing dog.

Starting to explore your foundation.

Maybe playing around with the spread of your fingers,

The placement of your hands and your feet.

Moving the hips a little side to side.

And then begin to come into stillness.

Let your tailbone lengthen up towards the sky.

Let your heels be super heavy and take a big breath in.

Exhale through your mouth.

Inhale up onto your toes and tiptoe your way all the way up to the top of the mat.

Inhale to find a halfway lift.

Exhale to fold.

Anchor into your feet,

Bend your knees softly,

And articulate through your spine nice and slow as you start to roll up to high mountain pose.

Arms reach up to the sky.

Inhale to lift your chin.

Exhale,

Cactus the arms.

Inhale,

Arms high.

Exhale,

Hands to heart.

Inhale,

Chest to the thumbs.

Exhale,

Tadasana,

Hands at your sides.

Inhale,

Reach it high.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Inhale,

Lift halfway,

Fingertips on the mat.

And gently step your right foot back into a low lunge,

Keeping that right knee lifted.

And just pulse a little forward and back here as you start to lengthen through the spine.

Get a little lighter in your fingertips as you engage through the legs,

Engaging in your core.

And then plant your right palm,

Reach your left arm up towards the sky.

Take a round of breath in this twist.

And then bring those left fingertips down.

Pivot your right foot down to the earth and rise up into a warrior one.

Arms are reaching up towards the sky.

Shoulders and torso square towards the front of your mat.

And maybe your hips naturally follow as you do this.

Really anchor down into your back foot so you can bend a little more deeply in your front knee.

Keeping that left knee stacked directly over your left ankle.

And then interlace your fingers behind the back as you open up through your heart.

And stay grounded in your legs as you slowly come forward into a humble warrior.

You might hover the torso over the thighs with the knuckles reaching to the back of the mat.

Or you can bring your left shoulder to your left knee,

Reaching the knuckles up and overhead.

As you come into this shape,

Notice if you've lost any engagement in your back leg.

And try engaging through the quad and pressing into the edge of your back foot.

Take a couple more breaths here.

And then ground down through both of your feet.

Lift up through your knuckles as you release the bind and open into a warrior two.

Again,

Really grounded through that back foot so you can stay bent in that front knee real deep and strong.

And then check in with your arms.

Get them level.

Take an inhale and exhale as you are.

And on your next inhale,

Straighten the front leg,

Reverse trikonasana,

Reaching the left fingertips up high.

And then cartwheel your hands down into a wide-legged fold,

Walking the hands over to the right.

Toes turn in just slightly as you press into the edges of both of your feet.

Maybe shifting your weight a little bit more into the balls of your feet so you can lift the hips a bit higher.

And then we'll walk the left hand over to the right ankle and reach the right arm up high.

Take a couple rounds of breath here in this twist.

And then bring that right hand back down,

Walking the right hand to the left ankle as the left arm reaches up high.

A couple rounds of breath here as well.

And then close that left hand back down.

Hands come underneath your face as you inhale into a half lift.

Exhale,

Fold a little deeper.

This time,

Lift halfway with your hands on your hips and very slowly begin to rise all the way up,

Reaching your arms up to the sky,

Lifting your gaze as you inhale.

And exhale,

Float the arms down.

Inhale,

Reach them high.

Exhale,

Float them down.

Inhale,

Reach the arms high.

This time,

Turn the heels in,

Toes out,

And settle into a goddess pose.

The arms could be in a cactus position,

Or you can rest them at heart center,

On top of your thighs,

Or you could find eagle arms,

Wrapping one arm underneath the other,

Pressing your forearms forward.

We're going to breathe here for a few breaths,

Connecting with our strength.

You can move a little side to side if that feels good.

Sink a little bit deeper.

And then press into your feet,

Straighten your legs,

Arms reach up to the sky.

And then find your warrior one to the back of the mat.

Arms are up towards the sky,

Anchoring into your back foot as you bend more deeply into your right knee.

Shoulders and torso square towards the front.

And then interlace your fingers behind you to open up your heart and stay grounded in your feet and connected to your core as you come forward into your humble warrior.

Again,

You can stay hovering over the thigh with the torso,

Knuckles reaching back,

Or you can bring the right shoulder down by the right knee with the knuckles overhead.

Staying engaged in your back leg,

Take a few rounds of breath here.

And then lift up through your knuckles,

Rising up and opening into your warrior two.

Grounding through that back foot again,

So you can bend deeply in the front knee,

Level out your arms,

And take a round of breath here.

And then press into your front foot,

Straighten the front legs,

Send those right fingertips up and back,

Reverse trikonasana.

And then cartwheel the hands down into your low lunge,

Bending back into that front knee,

Back toes pivot forward.

You can pulse a little forward and back here,

Staying light on your fingertips as you engage through the legs and the core.

And then we'll plant the left palm and reach the right arm up towards the sky,

Taking a round of breath in your twist.

And then bring that right hand back down,

Walking the hands over to the left,

Coming into a second set of wide-legged fold.

Inhale to lift halfway,

Hands on the hips.

Slowly rise all the way up,

Arms reach up to the sky,

Lift your gaze.

Exhale,

Float the arms down.

Inhale those arms up high.

Exhale,

Warrior two to the front of the mat.

Now stay connected to your core here.

We're going to pivot into a crescent lunge,

So back toes pivot forward,

Arms reach up high.

Take an inhale here.

Exhale,

Step up to the top,

Hands at heart center in anjali mudra.

Inhale in as you are.

Exhale,

Tadasana,

Hands at your sides.

Inhale,

Arms reach up high.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Inhale to lift halfway.

Exhale to plant the palms,

Step back to your downward-facing dog,

Maybe finding a little bit of movement here.

Take one more round of breath.

And lower the knees down to the earth as wide as the mat.

Big toes touch for extended child's pose,

Reaching your fingertips forward.

Allow your belly to fully soften here.

And take a few rounds of breath,

Just relaxing into the earth.

We're going to rise up onto all fours and make your way into a seat.

We're going to transition into the meditation portion of practice now.

If you would like to do this meditation lying down,

You absolutely can.

And if you're doing it seated,

Feel free to bring a cushion or a block underneath your seat to lift your hips higher than your knees.

You could also move over to a chair or a couch.

Just take a few moments to find what feels most supportive for you for this meditation.

As you settle into your meditation shape,

Let your eyes close.

Let the muscles of your face relax again.

Soften the shoulders and the arms.

Finding a sense of groundedness through the lower half of the body.

And connect with three more full body breaths to ground here.

You can continue to breathe as deeply as you'd like,

Or if it feels better to allow the breath to soften into a more natural rhythm,

You can do that.

Let yourself re-ground into the space that you're in.

Remembering that feeling of wholeness and interconnectedness that you found at the beginning of practice.

Acknowledging yourself as an integral part of everything happening right now.

If there are sounds that are present around you,

Just allow them to be there.

Instead of viewing them as distraction,

Can you instead allow them to be a reminder of where you are in time and space.

A reminder of the present moment.

And reconnect with what feels alive in your body now.

Maybe that's changed for you through the asana practice.

Perhaps you feel more relaxed and open or strong.

Maybe there's more heat and prana in the body.

Your only job is to observe,

Not to label.

Just feel.

If you'd like to,

You can bring one or both hands to rest on top of your heart now.

Feeling the warmth of your hand as it rests over this energetic space.

And begin to notice the way that the breath and your heart rate are connected.

The subtle increase in your heart rate as you inhale.

And the subtle decrease in your heart rate as you exhale.

And begin to direct your breath into the heart space.

Maybe even a little bit more.

Imagining that the breath is originating here.

If the heart had its own set of lungs.

Notice if any visuals come to your imaginal space.

Perhaps you can see some sort of light on the inside of your heart.

And just notice what's present for you in this heart space.

Physical,

Energetic,

Emotional.

What do you notice as you connect with your heart?

If there's any physical tension,

Allow the breath to cleanse and clear,

To soften,

To relax.

If connecting with your heart space feels tender or even difficult,

Again allow the breath to be your ally here.

Trust in what you feel.

Trust in what you're sensing.

And just let it be there.

If your heart had one thing to say to you right now,

What would it say?

Trust in the first thing that comes to you.

How does it feel to receive this?

If you had one thing to say back to your heart,

What would you say?

Trust in whatever comes up first.

You can continue to be in dialogue with your heart.

Perhaps a conversation unfolds.

Or perhaps you just build a connective energy here.

Bringing the mind into the heart.

Allowing any narratives from the mind that may be filled with fear,

Distrust,

Worry,

Anxiety.

Let all of that come down into the heart space to be transmuted and alchemized.

Let the warmth and the love of your heart radiate through any fear or worry.

That may be present in the mind.

Continue to allow any dialogue,

Any visuals,

Any alchemization that wants to happen here to unfold fully.

And just trust in your process.

You can begin to allow any sort of visualization to dissolve,

Any dialogue to fade.

Maybe you gently massage the heart space with your hand.

Thanking the heart for all that it does physically,

Energetically,

Spiritually.

And bring both hands into prayer in the center of your chest.

You can bow chin to your heart and take a big breath in.

Exhale to bow to your practice.

Thank you so much for choosing to show up.

I'll see you in the next one.

Namaste.