Listen to Your Heart

(water flowing) So namaste, namaskar. So welcome. Thanks for joining me today. If you have a strap, please grab it. If you don't have a strap, you can always use a tie, you can use a towel, towels work great, but we will be using something later to help support us as we come into this big heart opening today.

This practice here is one that I truly love and truly connected. I feel that all of us need more of that heart energy, right, and it's that place where we connect together. It's that place of joining. And when we come from our heart, you know, you can never go wrong. The heart is a place of love, compassion, and understanding, and right now, isn't it what the world needs?

It's just more love, more compassion. So today as we come into this practice, really letting this flow come from your heart, and whatever calls to you, whatever draws to you, right, I'm often reminded as I do this practice, right, and just a little bit as we come. We get so caught up in the practice of yoga and we have to be very serious and quiet and everything like this and we often look like we're sad in our face, right, but today this practice of your heart, right, is when you're in love and you're feeling that love of the heart, your face should shine. It should be like (sighs happily). It's like you are in love with the life and the flow of prana.

So let it come from your heart and let the face shine. So as we come together. Just allowing to come from your heart. Allowing the eyes to soften. And bring in your hands into the heart's center.

And what is your intention? What is it that speaks to your heart today? And we're gonna feel this great expansion and these movements of prana. So as you inhale, let the hands expand as if a great ball at the heart was opening up, feel it radiate out, this movement of prana. And as you draw back, coming into the center, exhale.

And just taking your time, inhale, feel that expansion, right. Exhale, drawing to the center and you bow slightly to the heart. You're tuned in. When you feel this movement of prana, right, the expansion, vyana vayu. And drawing in to samana vayu.

And this flow of the divine current, this divine oneness. And every time the arms are opening as they expand, feel that offering of your heart. That intention, your mantra. This sense of compassion, this place of love. Place of devotion.

Inhale, let it expand. And now exhale and drawing to the heart as we offer together the sound of om to these two movements. Inhale, feel it expand as you draw to the heart chanting. Om. Breathing here at the heart inhale.

Chant as you expand. Om. As you're drawing back within, bowing to that divine source, that divine teacher. As you turn, coming onto all fours, coming into table. As you drop the belly, lift the head, curling the toes under, and as you exhale, pressing up and back, rising into down dog.

And just take a moment as you pause. Peddle the feet. Feel the bowing of the heart and again, just this moment, really letting your down dog be a little bit over exaggerated so you can feel the heart melting some. Really allowing to feel that opening through the under arm, through the heart. And now take your time just walk the feet forward, coming to the top of the mat.

And as you come to the top, let the feet be hip distance. Interlace the fingers behind your back. If you need your strap, use your strap, taking hold here. If not, interlace the fingers and letting the arms come up and over. Let the head hang.

Letting yourself let go. Again, forward folds are just about releasing surrender. There's nothing you have to do. Don't worry how deep you're folding. Don't get caught up in the brain.

Let the brain quiet. Let it slow down. This practice is one a really deep rooted into the Earth and feeling the heart shining forth. And as the hands release down, soften the knees, roll the body just all the way up. And as you come, feet still hip distance, right hand onto the heart and left hand on top.

Let the eyes soften. And we're gonna here right smile. Just feel the beat of the heart. And if it helps as you flow into this practice today, visualize someone, somethings, something that is drawn to your heart, something you love. Maybe ice cream, whatever, chocolate.

Just something that makes you smile. Something that brings joy to your life. It may be a loved one. Maybe your partner, whatever it is. Just feel them resting here at the heart center.

Take a moment and just pause. Let this be an offering of love sending it out to the world. And from the heart, let the hands expand out in front of you and opening out, and then circle them around, coming through the center. Moving meditation, right. The flow of life is a meditation.

The flow of the divine, that current. Let it expand like the heart, like the sun shining. This time as the hands come around to the sacrum, feel the feet root down, lifting the heart, lengthen, and as you exhale, folding back, heart shining upwards. Inhale as your body rises root to rise. And then massage your legs, right.

Touch your hamstrings, fold with a flat back. Go all the way down. So we're gonna do this a couple times. Hands come up the front of the legs. Rise with the flat back.

Massage the legs. It's okay to touch yourself, right. It feels good. Exhale, going back. Inhale while rising.

And then massage it, right. And for those of you who love the arya vedic practice of abhyanga, right, you're oiling the body, right. You're skidding that flow through the skin, through the body, exhaling back. You're anointing the body. Exhale as you fold.

Now this time as the hands release down, inhale and let your spine lengthen halfway. And exhale as you fold. Take the left leg, extending it up and back. Standing split. Don't worry how deep you go.

Just lifting up out. Step the left foot back into your lunge. Lower the left knee down to the Earth and bring in your hands to the hips as you inhale, come up, lift up from the root, and then exhale, sink the hips forward and down. Now I know my friends, some of you, in all your yoga practice have been told knee over ankle but today I invite you a little we'll break the law. Shh, don't tell anybody, all right, and we're gonna break a little rule.

Don't worry, you won't go to hell for it. So let the knee come over the ankle, right, so that you can feel more of the quad and psoas starting to open, right. Take your left arm. Let it come out to the left. Let it rise up.

Then as you lift up, crescent over to the side. Bring the left arm down. Left hand to the hip. Right arm sweeps out to the right, and you can even follow it, right, like the moon lifting. And as you crescent, bringing it around.

Right hand will come to the sacrum. Support the lower back. Left arm comes out in front of you, lifted up, reach up, go high, and then reach it back, way back. Circle it around. Hands come to the Earth.

Bring your right knee now to meet the left knee, right, and that hip that so it says oh yes, and then we lead with the heart coming down anahatasana. Anahata is the fourth chakra, right. We're gonna be in the heart. So whether you're resting onto the forehead, over time you'll be resting to the chin. And then let the body slide forward onto the belly.

Bring your hands by the ribs. Tent the fingers and like a wave, right, feel that internal wave of the heart rising bhujangasana. Exhaling to the Earth. Let the hands and the tops of the feet press in. Either take cobra or your choice, lifting high but lift from the heart, and as you rise, smile, and join it back into down dog.

Feet coming together. Left leg inhale, let it rise to the sky. Exhale as you step the left foot forward between your hands. Lowering the right knee down, and again, first start notice where the ankle and the knee are, and then hands to hips come up. And if you need to, pull the foot back in a little, and as you exhale, sink down, but keep the heart lifted, right.

So we're moving, rooting towards the Earth. Take the right arm, let it come out to the right. Feel as it rises. Let yourself crescent and bring it around. Left arm out to the left, feel as it rises.

Crescent and bring it around. Now left hand to the sacrum. Right hand comes out in front of you. Let it rise up, and as you go up, reach back, way back. Circle it around.

Hands come down to the Earth. Lift the right knee, lift the right foot. Take this giant step for your heart today. And then bring in the right foot hip distance down by the left. Inhale lengthen.

And exhale fold. Hands come up the front of the shins. Rise with the flat back. Hands move right to the sacrum. Exhale, bowing back.

Root to rise, inhale. Massage the backs of the legs and fold. Inhale, lengthen halfway, and exhale, fold. Now send the right leg up to the sky, standing split. Step the right foot back, knee to the Earth.

Hands to the hips, come up. And then let that exhale take you down, root in. And you can already start to feel you're getting rooted. You're feeling a little deeper. You're like oh yes, it's awakening.

Right hand out to the right, let it rise. Crescent and bring it around. Left arm inhale to the left. Let it rise. Exhale, bring it around.

Left hand to the sacrum, right arm sweeps out in front of you, go up, reach back, way back, and around to the Earth. Bringing your left knee to meet the right knee. Keeping the hips high but lead with the heart. Anahatasana. And now let the body slide forward onto the belly.

Hands by the ribs. Tent the fingers, ride that wave, bhujangasana. And exhaling down. Press and rise, take up dog or cobra, up to you. Lift high or stay low.

And drawing back into down dog. So feet together. Right leg, inhale to the sky. Exhale, step the right foot through. Left knee to the Earth, hands to the hips.

Inhale as you lift up. Exhale. Left arm out to the left, let it rise, inhale. And exhaling. Right arm out to the right, let it rise.

And exhaling. Right hand to the sacrum. Left arm sweeps out, let it lift up, go back. Circle it around. Hand to the Earth.

Lift the left knee. Lift the left leg standing split. And bring your left foot hip distance by the right, inhale, lengthen. And exhale, fold. Hands up the front of the legs.

Rise with a flat back. Move right to the sacrum. Exhale back. And inhale rise. Bring your hands, right hand onto the heart, left on top.

So my friends, that was just one cycle, and we're gonna take two more so we'd feel this, and this is gonna be the practice today. It's so beautiful. It's so simple yet it's just such an amazing feeling when we come from the heart to really experience that joy that arises. So I'm gonna do less guiding for you and really letting you start to feel, start to embody the practice. So we'll just flow through it together.

Let the heart open. Hands open out in front, bringing them around to the sacrum. Root to rise, inhale, lengthen. Exhale, letting the heart shine. Inhale as you rise.

And then massage fold, lead with the heart. I want you to feel the heart as if it was shining in every flow here today, inhale, lengthen. Exhale, fold. Left leg, let it rise into standing split. Stepping the back knee to the Earth.

Hands to the hips. Feel that lift up from the Earth, from the root, and then coming down either hands at the hips, and if you know now you're going deeper, hands can touch the Earth. Left arm out to the left, let it rise, and then crescent. And you'll feel this flow right on like a wave. It lifts up, and you're rising to the heavens, and then you're coming to the shore, right, and we feel this oneness of the breath.

Left arm and rising. And you expand. And so for any of my brothers out there with the tight shoulders, right, and the tight quads, this is a beautiful practice for everyone but really letting yourself really expand, letting the flow just come from within. And you're just gonna ride in the wave of the breath. Bhujangasana, so feeling the heart.

And then when it comes up, right, let it shine. Let the smile come upon you. And returning that wave to the Earth, and then deeper, you either stay slow or go high rising, and drawing it back. Feet together, left leg inhale to the sky. Exhale, left foot stepping through.

Right knee down. Hands to the hips, come up. And feel from the Earth, draw the energy, and then Earth, right at the heart shines. Right arm, let it rise. Exhaling.

Left hand, let it feel the space, feeling every inch. Exhaling around. Left hand to the sacrum, right arm reaches out. Go up and then reach back. And as you come around, lifting standing split, take this giant step for your life.

Right foot by the left. Inhale as you lengthen. Exhale as you fold. Hands up the front of the legs. Rising with a flat back to the sacrum, exhaling back.

In breath to lift and we'll continue now. Right in the flow, exhale. Inhale, lengthening. Exhale and folding. Right leg will rise standing split.

Step it back. Knee to the Earth, hands to the hips, come up. And then root down. Right arm out to the right. And if you're collapsing, keep your hand at the waist.

It's okay to modify. Never go deeper than the body can handle. Always listen and feel. This practice is listening to the heart to know what the heart, listen to your heart, what it says to you. Right arm circles around.

And the heart, if we follow our heart right, it can never go wrong. Heart leading us in love and compassion and sometimes we need to follow the heart and listen deeper. Letting yourself slide through. Coming to the belly, bhujangasana. Feel that rising and then returning back.

And this practice is like surfing. The surfing, the vinyasa, the wave of your self, all right, every breath lifting, and then returning to the shore riding within. Feet together, right leg inhale. Exhaling. Knee to the Earth, hands to the hips, come up.

And again, feel that rooted down but the heart is lifted shining. Left arm out to the left, let it rise. Exhale. Ride on. Exhaling.

Right hand to the sacrum. Left arm sweeps out, rise up, go back. And bring it around. As you lift the left leg, lift it, this giant step for your heart today. Left foot by the right.

Inhale, lengthen. One more cycle and fold. So rise up with a flat back. So we'll do a right and a left. Exhaling back.

Inhale rise. And let it flow. Release lengthen halfway. And then bow. Left leg to the sky.

Stepping it back, knee to the Earth, heart lifted, rising, and then rooting down. Left arm feel that rising. Let it shine. I'm letting it come around. Right hand circle like the shining of the moon moving through the heavens.

Right hand to the sacrum. Left arm circles in front, goes back. Opening. And then come around bringing your right knee to meet the left knee. Walk the hands out.

Heart towards the Earth. And I'm sure by this time now you can feel, right, the shoulders open, the spine awakening that soul as the quad, right. These elements that take us deeper into the heart rising. Not just a back bend but a rising of the heart. That lifting, right, the current of the heart is shining up and out.

Like that movement of prana, samana, and vyana vayu, we draw in to expand, now feet together. Left leg inhale. Exhale as you step it through. Knee to the Earth, hands to the hips, yes. And then letting it root.

Right arm. And just let yourself let go. This is one of those practices we don't need to be guided. I want you to just feel. This is the practice where I'm reminded of a song.

Right arm rises. Right, it can't be wrong if it feels so right, and those of you who are old enough, remember Debby Boone who sang that. It can't be wrong when it feels so right. And opening of the heart always feel so right. You just can't be wrong when we lead with love.

Inhale, lengthen. Exhale, fold. We'll complete the left side. Inhale, rise with a flat back. Hands to the sacrum, exhale.

Inhaling. And exhale. Inhale halfway. And then bowing. Right leg will rise, standing split.

Stepping back, knee to the Earth. Feel that lifting and then rooting down. Right arm, and then letting the current flow throughout. Left arm inhaling. If the left hand comes to the sacrum, right arm sweeps out, rise up.

And around to the Earth. Left knee meets the right knee. Hands walking out. Heart towards the Earth. And then letting it slide forward onto the belly.

Hands by the ribs, tent the fingers. Bhujangasana, feel that rise. And down. And pressing up dog or cobra, lift higher up. And join and back into down dog.

Feet together completing right leg rise. Exhale. Knee to the Earth. Yes, and just feel that here. Left arm.

And then the right. And you'll feel that pulse lift up, rise up if you need, and then root back down. Right hand to the sacrum. Left arm in front. It comes around.

Take this final giant step, standing split. And the left foot will meet the right. Hip distance, inhale, lengthening. Exhale. Rise up, flat back, hands up the shins.

Move to the sacrum. And then coming up right hand onto the heart. Left hand on top. And just take a moment and just pause and breathe. This practice of heart, this oneness of life and breath, letting it just shine.

So as we move now, let the arms, releasing out, hands come around, feel that length as you lift. Exhale. Rising up last time. Massaging down. And then open the feet out a little wider as you sit towards your heels, and for some of you, you might be feeling this in the lower back.

So we'll feel this yoga squat malasana to really help release the sacrum here. So letting yourself just pause a moment, breathing in. Hands to the Earth, lift the hips. And this time you're just gonna take your time, walk the feet back into down dog. And no, my friends, I didn't forget we're using a strap.

We're coming to it. So the feet come together now. Right leg inhales to the sky. Exhale as you step the right foot forward, and the knee to the Earth, right. So you can have a couple things here.

Having your strap ready. So we're gonna come in up, bring in both hands to that right thigh, sink forward, and press away. It's giving you that lift, right. You can feel the quad, the psoas, yeah. All the runners in the house are like (sighs).

And then just feeling that length here, right, and then take a moment. You can bring your right form to the thigh. Bend, you gotta kind of back off a little, bend the left knee, and then draw the foot in, right, and sink down. We're getting that nice little open for the quad, if you like, right hand coming out. And so this time I love to use the strap.

Some of you might want to hang out here and breathe, and so just releasing, if you need to readjust, right. So finding your strap or tie or whatever you have with you, and you don't need the whole strap, just a little, just enough to get a nice little loop, right. So you're taking the strap into one hand, and again, right form an rest onto the thigh. Bend the left knee and hook the left foot. So again, start at the base of the foot 'cause you can always slide up the strap but you can't get back sometimes, it's harder to get back, and then sink down.

Bringing that left elbow into the ribs, right, and then as you take your left elbow out to the side, bring it out and up, and then letting the heart shine. And we're gonna just stay with one arm today, right. This opening of the heart, this rising of eccapada. And then let the straps slide through, releasing, and then down dog will feel so amazing as you step back. Everyone's like (sighs).

So again, letting it step back, take a moment. We're gonna come right into the other side. So left leg inhale. Exhale, step it through. Right knee to the Earth and again, hands to the thigh as you come up, and just pause a moment.

Left form coming down, hips sink down. Bend the right knee and draw the foot in, right, and this might be it. You're getting this big quad stretch. Take it out. Some of you are gonna stay here.

And again, using the strap, those of you who may not need the strap, right, your hand will come around, take hold, and you're just lifting up and back. And then releasing as you come down and stepping back into down dog. And let's take a moment. I'm gonna walk the feet forward just to the center of the mat. If you like, you can gently roll your straps up and placing them off to the side, and then turning.

We're gonna come down, open the feet hip distance, and coming into malasana. I'm just adding just another nice little hip opener and a little gentle twist, take the right arm down, shoulder to the inside. Extend the left arm out and up, rising. And my friends who like always welcoming a bind if it is there. Right arm in front of the shin.

Left arm behind the back. Coming back center. And then changing directions, left arm out. Right arm will rise. And coming around if the bind is there.

If it's not, no biggie. And coming back. Hands coming down behind you, sitting to the Earth. Make sure you're not sitting on your strap if it's there. And then taking the legs straight out in front, making sure the sit bones are grounded, feet are flexed, inhale as you rise, hinging forward as you fall.

And now draw in the heart, lengthening, and leading with the heart as you bow. And this time again, let the hands release, palms face up. Let the head be heavy. Let the toes relax. Bow into that guru, that great teacher within each and every one.

And gently roll the body up. I'm gonna come on down onto your back. And again, as you roll down, hug the knees in. Open your arms out like a T. Let the knees come over to the left.

And if there's any neck issues keeping the head neutral, we're turning the gaze to the right. You can let the eyes close. Let the breath soften. And as you come back up center, knees over to the right and gazing to the left. And let the head be neutral, neck is long.

And coming up center, hugging the knees in, giving yourself a big hug. And extend your legs out onto the Earth. Let the feet just drop off to the side, allowing the eyes to close. And just letting yourself let go. Just melt into the Earth.

Listen to the beat of the heart. The pulse of life, it is the pulse that connects us. It is the beat that unites us. It's that rhythm that draws us closer to the one, to the source, whatever that is for you, whatever you call the light, whatever you call that one. Letting it wash over you and letting it fill you, and let every cell of your being shine that radiance of the heart, that radiance of the inner light, the inner God, Goddess.

You just pause to feel, to listen. And then surrender. So my friends, for those who would like to stay here, feel free just resting in the divine. Those who are coming out, gently rolling to your right, and pressing as you find your way rising, coming up to seated. And again, bring your right hand onto the heart, left on top.

As you all know your sadha, your devotion, your practice here. Honoring the flow of the heart. That fourth chakra, anahata, connecting us, drawing us closer to the one, to the source, to those around you, to those in your life. Just feel the blessing, the gifts of the heart as they shine. And as we offer the sound of om in closing, allowing that sound, that vibration, to radiate from the heart center.

So let the hands open in front of you and feel it expanding out to the side and then offering. Let it radiate out in its fullness, inhale. Om. As you're drawing back in. Honoring that God, Goddess within satguru.

Honoring that light in each and every one. Namaste.