Dynamic Flow

Welcome to the dynamic flow practice. This practice is designed to build heat in the body and to strengthen the cardiovascular systems and the respiratory systems of the body. I would encourage you to listen to your breath throughout the whole practice and try and maintain this idea of a slow rhythmic breath with the sound of your breath soft and the texture of your breath smooth. So let's begin in Tadasana with the right foot forward. So the feet line up like you're walking on a tightrope. Shift your weight forward just a little so the weight is even on your feet front to back. Release your collarbones, feel the shoulders drop, extend down through your fingertips. Pull the chin slightly in towards your throat, lift the spine from the back of the skull. Fix your gaze on a spot on the floor in front of you eight to ten feet and when you feel your balance steady close your left eye then move your attention to your navel. The feet will wobble here and as you move your attention to the navel and you feel the navel steady try closing both eyes. Keep returning your attention to your navel and release. Change feet. Left foot in front of the right, look down make sure your feet line up. Shift your weight forward a little. Release your collarbones, extend down through the fingers. Pull the chin in slightly towards your throat lifting the spine. Fix your gaze on a spot on the floor. When your balance is steady close your right eye. Move your attention that inner gaze to the navel and when you feel steady in the navel close both eyes. Keep your attention on the navel. Good and release. Feet together. So you can see how there's this kind of balance in present time where the wobbling becomes something that you settle into and if you can maintain stillness awesome but otherwise you're just responding. With feet together it gets a little bit easier so to start tadasana feet together move the hips back a little. Feel the legs engage. Release the collarbones, extend through the fingers. Lift the spine from the back of the skull and then close both eyes. Keep your attention on the navel. Try to feel the texture of the mat with your feet. So the skin on the feet are soft, the body heavy grounding you into the mat. The spine light and lifting from the back of the skull and then eyes open. Inhale the arms up. Palms together. Hold the breath. Touch the back of the heart. Touch the front of the heart. On the exhale drop the head, arms and shoulders. Curl the spine down. Inhale gaze forward. Right leg reaches back. Front leg bends. Top of the back foot lands first. Look up. Exhale roll over the toes of the back foot. Step back into dog pose. Inhale slowly through the back body. Let the fullness of your breath round your spine. On the exhale hips and shoulders soften, arms and legs lengthen. Slow inhale try to stay with this breath rhythm. Slow exhale. One more inhale coming out of the pose slightly. Exhale release the sphincter muscles and the skin below your navel. Holding the breath out come forward into plank. Still holding the breath out halfway down. Inhale roll over the toes. Upward facing dog. Exhale halfway down. Roll over the toes. Press back downward facing dog. Inhale lunge forward with your right foot. Roll over the toes of the back foot.

Look up. Exhale back foot steps forward. Straight legs release your head and shoulders. Inhale standing head last. Curl the spine up. Arms up. Gaze up. Exhale lower the hands. Other side. Inhale arms up. Palms together. Hold the breath. Touch the back. Touch the front. Exhale drop the head. Curl the spine down. Inhale gaze forward. Left leg back. Front leg bends. Top of the back foot lands. Look up. Exhale roll over the toes of the back foot. Step back into dog pose. Three breaths here. Inhale slowly. Spine rounding. Exhale hips and shoulders soften. Arms and legs lengthen. Inhale slow. Exhale slow. Last one. Inhale. Exhale till you're empty. Holding your breath out come forward into plank. Still holding the breath out halfway down. Inhale up dog. Exhale halfway down. Roll over the toes. Press back down dog. Inhale left foot forward. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Look up. Exhale back foot forward. Straight legs. Release your head and shoulders. Inhale standing. Head last. Arms up. Gaze up. Exhale lower the hands. Take your feet hip-width apart. Inhale take the arms up. Right hand grabs the left wrist. Pull the left arm straight. Shift your hips to the right and with an exhale side bend to the right. Breathe into the left lung, left shoulder and left side of the neck. On the exhale soften the right ribs. Sink lower. Pull the left arm straighter. Inhale coming up. Change arms. Shift your weight. Exhale to the left. Pull the right arm straight.

Inhale right lung, right shoulder and right side of the neck. Exhale soften the left ribs. Sink lower. Inhale coming up. Exhale lower the hands. Inhale the arms out. Sweep the arms behind you into reverse namaste and there's alternates here. You can, if it's too much on the wrist, turn the fingers down and press the back of the wrist together. If that's too much you can grab elbows but if you can hands in reverse namaste. Palms together. Press the elbows gently forward. Release the collarbone, shoulders drop and then hips coming forward. Rest your back ribs on the forearms. So you're literally feeling the back ribs supported on the forearms. Keep the belly and butt soft. Breathe through the back body into the pelvic floor. On the exhale top of the lung softens, heart drops, hips come forward. If you're feeling it, head drops back. Look up. Each inhale, following the fullness of your breath through the back into the pelvic floor. Each exhale release through the chest, belly and butt. Hips come forward, head looks back. Elbows press forward. With an inhale coming up, place your hands on the butt cheeks, drop your head forward and slowly slide the hands down the backs of the legs. Resting the forearms on the back of the calves. Release your head and shoulders. Breathe through the back into the pelvic floor. Spread the skin across the buttocks. On the exhale release the sphincter muscles and the skin below your navel. Organs recede, waist lengthens. Lean your hips forward. Re-release your head and shoulders. With an inhale gaze forward, sweep your heels together. Feet turned out 45 degrees. Grab the elbows behind your legs and gently squeeze the knees together with your arms. Again release your head and shoulders. Each inhale following the breath through the back into the buttocks. Feel the skin spreading. Each exhale, re-release the sphincter and the skin below the navel. Feel the waist lengthen, sliding the forearms a little lower down your calves. Releasing the arms, sweep the heels apart. Bring the big toes together so they touch. Clasp your wrists behind your legs. Slide the forearms down the back of the calves. Here breathing through the back into the outer hips. Try to feel your pelvis spreading. On the exhale, re-release the sphincter and the skin below the navel. Waist lengthens. Re-release your head and shoulders. And coming up a little, walk the feet wide. Just off the sides of your mat if you're using a mat. And bending the knees, take your arms between the legs. Sweep the hands around. If you can, hook the fingertips into the inner arch of the foot. If that's too much for the wrist, hands rest on the top of the feet. Then press your elbows forward and sit on your triceps, gazing forward. Slowly lean to your right. Back to the center. Slowly lean to your left. To the center. And again to the right. To the center. Again to the left. Inhale back to the center. Lift your hips up. Take three steps forward. One, two, three. Three steps backwards. One, two, three. 360 degrees spin to your left. Try to do it in quadrants. Keep breathing. Then 360 to the right. Keep breathing. Now with a little spring in your hips, three hops forward. Get air. And three hops backwards. And again sit on your arms, gaze forward. That should get your heart rate up. Consciously slow the breath down. From here, arms forward into dog pose. Keep slowing the breath down. Slowing the heart rate down. Each exhale. Release the hips and shoulders. Lengthen the arms and legs.

And now lunging forward with your right foot. Spin to the left. Heels wide, toes turned in. Gaze forward. On the exhale, fold. Walk your hands in line with the feet shoulder-width apart. Release your head. Each inhale coming out of the pose slightly with the fullness of your breath. I'm going to pause here. With each inhale, let the fullness of the breath lift you slightly out of the pose. Each exhale, we release the sphincter in the skin below the navel. Walk the hands back as you lean the hips forward. If your head is on the floor, shorten your stance a little so the head hovers just above the floor. With an inhale, straight arms gaze forward. Pull your heels in 45 degrees and shorten your stance a little. Take your hands onto the tops of the feet. Inhale slowly. On the exhale lunge to the left. Keep the right leg straight. Inhale to the center. Straight legs. Exhale to the right. Left leg straight. Use the elbow against the inner shin bone to push that bent knee wide. Inhale to the center. Straight legs. Exhale to the left. Push the elbow against the inner shin. Keep your feet flat. Inhale center. Straight legs. Last one to the right. Inhale to the center. Bent legs. Keep both arms bent. Press the elbows out against the inner shin bones. Knees wide, hips sinking. Soften the groins. Feel the inner thigh lengthen. Inhale slowly. On the exhale, lunging to the left. Inhale center. Exhale, lunging to the right. Inhale center. Exhale to the left. Right leg straight. Inhale center. Exhale to the right. Left leg straight. Inhale to the center. Take your hands up onto the knees and grip the knees strongly as you raise your torso upright and take weight on your hands. Shoulders shrug up around the ears. Pull the navel in a little, tailbone down a little. Turn to your left. Turn your left foot straight. Step the back foot up a little, lifting the heel.

Raise your torso upright. With each hand on each thigh, drop the back knee one inch off the floor. Release your collarbone, shoulders drop. Then inhale, come back to the center. Again, grip your knees. Take weight on your hands. Sink your hips. Knees wide. And then turning to the right. Turn the right foot straight. Step the back foot up a little, lifting the heel. Torso upright and drop the back knee one inch off the floor. Pull the navel in, tailbone down. Release your collarbones. Then inhale back to the center. Again, grip your knees. Take weight on your hands. Slow, even breathing. And keeping your feet and legs as they are. Inhale the arms up, palms together. Head back. Gaze at your thumbs. Release the chin down into the throat. Feel the neck resting in the trapezius. Release your collarbones. Press the hands higher. In hands at your heart, head upright. Elbows up. Squeeze your palms. Release your collarbones. Navel in, tailbone down. Keeping your legs as they are, drop the hands to the floor. Lift your heels up and roll onto the balls of the feet. Knees wide, hips sinking. And then straightening your legs. Heels wide, feet flat. Straight arms. Gaze forward. On the exhale, fold. Grab the backs of your heels. Release your head and shoulders. Slow your breath down. Each inhale coming out of the pose slightly. Each exhale, re-release the sphincter and the skin below the navel. Hips coming forward, head and shoulders dropping. Keep the weight even on your feet, side to side, front to back. And feel the texture of the mat with your feet. If you want to try tripod headstand, going deeper, place your hands flat on the floor. Lower the crown of the head to the floor. Then lift your collarbones away from the floor. If you're new to this, try balancing on the tips of your toes. Don't lift the legs up. If you're steady here on the toes, see if you can just pick the feet up off the floor in the side splits. Keep lifting your collarbones. Flex through the heels.

Keep your breathing slow. Keep the collarbones lifted. Pull the navel in a little. And those of you in headstand coming down now slowly. With straight arms, gaze forward. And exhale, fold. Inhale, turning to the left. Both legs straight. Line your heels up. Back foot turned forward 45 degrees. Palms flat if you can. If that's too hard, try the knuckles. And if the knuckles don't reach, use a block. Release your head and shoulders. Move the left hip in, medial, right hip forward. Breathe through the back into the pelvic floor. Press down into your palms. On the exhale, release the collarbones. Release the head. Walk the hands forward a little. Okay, inhale, gaze forward. Walk the back up front foot forward. Lift up into warrior three. And three squats. Half squats. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Hands at your heart. Three more. Exhale down. Inhale up. Down. Up. Last one. Exhale down. Inhale up. Hands to the floor. Last three. Exhale down. Inhale up. Down. Up. Last one. Down. Up. Then lift your right leg as high as you can. Big toe reaching for the ceiling.

Walk your hands back. Drop your head. If you want to go a little deeper, hand grabs the back of the ankle. And if your balance is steady, both hands grab. Reach the lifted leg higher. Then hands return to the floor. Keep the upper leg up and bend the knee. Reach up with the hand and grab the ankle. Flex the heel. Try to straighten that back leg. Turn the navel up. Turn the heart up. Then releasing the ankle. Arms reach forward as you stand. Go slow. Then slowly lower the hands. Lower the foot. And then look down. See if your feet line up. Not so good today. It's really interesting to see when you don't look and drop the foot any distortion that arises in the pelvis. Okay. Other side. Left foot forward. Inhale the arms up. Exhale going forward. Half squat. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Hands in namaste. Exhale down. Inhale up. Down. Up. Last one. Down. Up. Hands to the floor. Last three. Exhale down. Inhale up. Down. Up. Last one. Down. And up. Lift the back leg as high as you can. Big toe reaching for the ceiling. Walk the hands back. Release your head and shoulders. If you're going for more, one hand grabs the back of the ankle. If your balance is steady, both hands grab. Lift the top foot higher. Then returning the hands of the floor, bend your top leg. Grab the ankle. Flex the heel. Turn your navel up. Turn your heart up. Try to straighten that back leg more. Releasing the ankle.

Arms come forward as you stand. Without looking, lower the feet. Lower the hands. And now moving into utkatasana. Bending the knees. Fingernails to the floor. Inhale. Take the arms up. Palms together. Head back. Chin sinking toward your throat. Release your collarbones. Press your hands higher. Sink your hips lower. Keep your breathing slow. Each exhale. Re-release the collarbones. Press the hands higher. Sink the hips lower. With an exhale, drop your chest onto the thighs. Keep the legs bent. Releasing the head and shoulders. Slowly straighten the legs. And lifting your head. Place your hands flat. Walk your feet back a little.

Bending the arms out. Lower the crown of the head to the floor. Keep half the weight on your hands. Half the weight on your head. Inhale slowly. On the exhale, soften your throat. Use your head like a wheel. Summer salt forward. Lying down on your back. Relax your legs. Relax your arms. So if you're going on, you can move into the closing sequence. If this is the end for you, sitting in Shavasana. If you're moving into the closing sequence, you can move into that. If you're staying here, releasing all effort in Shavasana. Consciously slow your breath down. Breathe through the back body like the floor was part of your lungs. The full length of your torso. On the exhale, soften the diaphragm. Feel the abdominal organs drop. Keep the sound of your breath soft. The texture of your breath smooth.

Three to four second inhale. Three to four second exhale. And slowly turn your palms down. Try to move just your hands. So as your hands rest on the floor palms down, the work is to start with trying to feel the texture of your mat with your hands. Not by extending the fingers, but by softening the skin. As your hand softens, feel the warmth literally coming from the center of the earth beneath you. If you think about this planet, the core is molten lava. And that radiation, let's say, from that warmth, from deep stillness, you can feel very subtly into the hands. And as you've received that warmth from beneath, let it feed into your hands, into your arms, and finishing in the heart. Feel your heart warming. And now taking the arms over the head, extend through the fingertips, and then sliding the arms apart about double shoulder width, turn the palms over flat into the floor. Keeping your eyes closed, lift your head like you're looking at your belly. Press down into your hands and curl the spine to sit up. Keep your eyes closed and just sit in a simple cross-legged position. Allow yourself to feel the effects of this dynamic sequence. Slowly bring your hands together at the heart. If you have a touch of the skin light, shoulders passive, arms heavy, spine lifting gently from the back of the skull. Breathe into the front side and back of the lungs. Thank you for your time practicing. Namaste.