Flowing with Ease

(water swooshing) Welcome yogi, good morning. So, this morning we'll do a variation of Surya Namaskar A and B, sun salutations, some standing asanas, and then make our way to the floor, and close with a seeded meditation. Okay, so, let's make our way towards the top of our mat. And take a few moments to bring some attention down towards your feet, spreading your toes. And then, interlacing the fingers.

Bend the knees, and begin to go up. And take a few moments to lean a bit from side to side. So, your lengthening out of the waste. And then, eventually coming into the center, and then, lifting from the inner arches of the feet, up through the pelvic floor. So, beginning to tap, Mula Bandha, drawing up on the floor of the pelvis.

And as you do that, engage Uddiyana Bandha, drawing the navel towards the spine. And then, a widening through the base of the skull, feeling the essence of Jalandhara Bandha. Inhale, and then, exhale, release the arms. Joining the hands together at the heart. And we'll find a variation of Surya Namaskar A, half sun salutation.

So, beginning to deepen the breath, finding Ujjayi breath. (breathing) Feeling the tailbone drop. Lifting up through the pelvic floor. And as you're ready, we'll inhale, circle the arms up. And then, exhale, forward fold, navel towards the spine, releasing the head, Utkatasana.

Inhale, half arch, lengthening. And then, exhale, bend the knees forward fold. Keeping the knees soft. We'll slowly roll all the way up the standing. Inhale, circle the arms up.

And then, exhale, releasing the arms down. Hands together. We'll take that one more time together, breathing in. And exhale, release. Inhale, half arch, lengthening, and then exhale, forward fold, bending the knees.

Keep the knees soft. Slowly roll up the standing. And reach the arms up. And then, exhale, release the arms. Join the hands together.

And just take a moment to pause here. Clearing breath. And then, moving towards Surya Namaskar A as you're ready. We'll breathe in, circle the arms up. Exhale, forward fold.

Releasing the head Utkatasana, inhale half arch. And as you exhale, bend the knees, step back downward facing dog. And take about five full breaths here in downward facing dog. And I like to come up under the balls of the feet, stretch the toes out. And it might feel good in this first downward dog to lift one leg up towards the sky, let the hip open and close.

And do that on the other side (breathing). And then, continue breathing, Ujjayi. (breathing) After about five breaths, take a look forward, and step the right foot forward between the hands. Let the left foot follow. Inhale, half arch, and then, exhale forward fold.

You might keep the knees soft. And then, inhale, reach the arms towards the sky. Exhale, release the arms. We'll find that three more times. Tadasana.

And as you're ready, inhale, circle the arms up. And exhale, navel towards the spine, forward fold. Inhale, half arch, exhale, bend the knees. This time, step the left foot back, and step the right foot back coming to downward facing dog, Adho Mukha Shvanasana. And five breaths here.

(breathing) Then, as you're ready, take a look forward. Inhale, the left leg between the hands, let the right foot follow. Again, inhale, half arch, and exhale, forward fold. Inhale, circle the arms up. And exhale, releasing the arms two more times, as you're ready, inhale, and exhale, dive forward and in.

Inhale, half arch, exhale bend the knees, step the right foot back, step the left foot back. Come into downward facing dog. Find your breath. (breathing) And then, stepping the right foot forward, let the left foot follow, inhale half arch. Exhale, forward fold, and then, inhale, circle the arms up.

Exhale, release the hands. One more time, inhale, arms up. Exhale, forward fold, Utkatasana, inhale, half arch. Exhale, bend the knees, step the left foot back. Step the right foot back, downward facing dog.

Five breaths or so. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, stepping your left foot forward between your hands, and the let the right foot follow. Inhale, half arch, and exhale, forward fold. As you're ready, circle the arms up, reaching, and exhale, releasing the arms. Taking a moment to pause in Tadasana.

Feeling your heart, your breath. Dropping your awareness down into your feet. And here, we'll find a variation of Surya Namaskar B, so we'll add on. Spreading the toes, and as you're ready, bend the knees. Inhale, reach the arms up.

And then, exhale, forward fold, releasing the head. Inhale, half arch. This time, as you exhale, step the right foot back, and then, step your right left foot back. Come in the plank pose. Pause here in plank.

Keep the elbows in, we'll lower onto our knees, lower onto our belly, and then finding a cobra. As you draw the elbows in, lengthen through the crown of the head, lift the heart. And then, exhale, release. Tuck the toes under. Find downward facing dog.

(breathing) From here, I'll inhale, the right leg high. And then, exhale, step the right foot between the hands. Pivot on to the outer left edge of the foot in preparation for Virabhadrasana I, warrior one. Breathing. Exhale, release, stepping into plank.

Finding the variation as you come onto your knees, lower on to your belly for cobra. Inhale at the heart, lift. Exhale, release, stuck the toes under. Downward facing dog. Inhale, the left leg high, exhale, stuff the left foot between the hands, pivot onto the outer right edge.

Inhale, warrior one, Virabhadrasana I. (breathing) Breathing. Exhale, release the hands. Step back into plank. Lower down to cobra.

Inhale, lift the heart. Exhale, release, stuck the toes. Downward facing dog. About three to five breaths here. You might rest in child's pose.

(breathing) And then, as you're ready, step the right foot forward, step the left foot forward, inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold, Utkatasana. Bend the knees, Utkatasana, inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, press down through the feet. Hands together at the heart.

Okay, taking our second round Surya Namaskar B variation. As you're ready, bend the knees, inhale, circle the arms up. Exhale, forward fold, inhale half arch. Exhale, step the right foot back. Step the left foot back.

Bend the knees, lower down. Inhale to cobra. And then, exhale, tuck the toes under. Find downward, facing dog. As you're ready, let the right leg lift.

Exhale, float the right foot between the hands. Inhale, come up, Virabhadrasana I. (breathing) Exhale, release, plank. Lower down, cobra, lifting the heart. And then, exhale, downward facing dog.

(breathing) Inhale, lift the left leg. Exhale, float the left foot between the hands. Pivot onto the outer edge of the back foot as you come up. Warrior one. And then, exhale, release into plank.

Lower to the knees, inhale, cobra. And then, exhale, tuck the toes under, downward facing dog. And about five breaths here. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, step the left foot forward. Step the right foot forward, inhale, half arch.

Exhale, forward fold. And bend the knees, Utkatasana, inhale. Exhale. (breathing) And then, we'll add on moving towards the flow. As you're ready, inhale, bend the knees, circle the arms up.

Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch. Exhale, step back into plank. Now, you might find that first variation of lowering down onto the knees. Some of you might play with lowering down into Chaturanga.

And then, inhale, into upward facing dog or cobra. And then, exhale, downward facing dog. (breathing) Breathing. And then, inhale, the right leg. Exhale, float the right foot between the hands.

Inhale up towards warrior one. This time, we'll open to warrior two. So, opening up to the left. Sinking down into the hips and breathing. (breathing) I'm taking about three to five breaths here just to land and drop into the posture.

And then, from here, we'll find reverse warrior sliding the back hand down the back leg. Reach the top arm up lengthen. And then, moving towards Trikonasana in a triangle pose, press into the ball of the front foot. Lengthening through the side, let the bottom hand find the shin, the ankle, the floor, and reach the top arm up, Trikonasana, and breathing. And some days, I like to look up towards the hand.

Some days, I like to look straight, or towards the floor. It just depends on my neck. (breathing) And breathing into the shape. (breathing) And then, bending the knees. Finding Parsvakonasana.

So, the forearm might find the thigh, or you might bring the hand towards the floor, on the outer edge of the front foot, reaching the arm up, and breathing. (breathing) As you're ready, reach the top arm down. Spin onto the ball of the back foot, find the shape of the lunge, stepping back into plank. And you might find the variation of drawing the elbows in onto the knees, or lowering down into Chaturanga. And then, inhale into cobra, or upward facing dog.

And then, exhale, finding your way into downward facing dog. (breathing) And we'll find that on the other side, lifting the left leg, stepping the left foot between the hands. Pivot onto the outer back edge of the foot. Inhale, find warrior one. And then, opening up to warrior two.

Sink down into the hips, dropping to the sip bones, and breathing into the shape. (breathing) And some morning, I like to keep my hands grounded towards the floor. Some morning, the palms up, lifting the heart. And then from here, finding reverse warrior sliding the back hand down the leg, lift the top arm up. And then, as you're ready, press into the ball of the foot, Trikonasana triangle pose, lengthening.

Again, the hand might find the shin, the ankle, the floor. Reach the top arm up. And breath. (breathing) Then, as you're ready, bend the knee. Okay, and the forearm might find the thigh..

Or perhaps the floor. Reaching through the outer edge of the foot, towards the fingers, and breathe to sink down into the hip. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, release the arm down. Come back into the shape of the lunge. As you're ready, step back into plank.

Again, you might lower on to the knees, finding cobra, or lower into Chaturanga. And then, inhale to upward dog. And then, exhale, make your way back to downward facing dog. Breathing here, three to five breaths. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, step your feet to your hands.

Inhale, half arch, exhale, forward fold. And bend the knees, Utkatasana, inhale, circle the arms up. Exhale, press down through the feet, release the arms. (breathing) Nice. Bring the feet wide, making our way down to the floor, towards Malasana now what we're warmed up.

As you're ready, bend the knees, and sink down into the hips. You might bring the forearms to the elbows, onto the inner thighs, pressing in, lifting the heart. And taking a few breaths here. Dropping down through the sip bones. (breathing) Nice.

So, from Malasana and then, making our way down to the floor in your own creative fashion. I'm gonna release my hands and come onto my sip bones. And from here, we'll find a seated spinal twist. So, Ardha Matsyendrasana. I'm gonna bring my bottom leg, my left leg underneath me, and my right leg over.

I'm taking a few moments to really root down through my sip bones. And then, I'm gonna inhale my left arm. And then, wrap it around the right leg. And then, lift the heart, and then, exhale. Gently twist towards the right.

Breathing. Here's a reminder to lift up through the pelvic floor a bit. Lifting up through the heart. Finding that ease through the base of the skull. And I'm rooting through that right toe.

(breathing) And releasing the spine. Good, and then, as you're ready, releasing the gaze back. (breathing) And then, I'm gonna lean back and find Upavistha Konasana bringing the legs wide. I think that feels nice after the seated twist. And working actively here, spreading my toes.

And you might stay here, you might begin to walk your arms out in front of you, and softening the jaw, it's like an endless task. And then, beginning to perhaps lean forward for a few breaths. I like to stay active in my toes. (breathing) And then, walking the hands back up. Finding our way to the second side.

So, I'm gonna slide my right leg underneath me. My left leg, over, and have my right arm up. And then, exhale, wrap. And then, inhale lifting the heart. And then, exhale, gently twisting towards the left.

And breathing. I'm finding a place where the heads feels light and connected. (breathing) Continuing to find length up through the spine and the heart. Softening the belly. And then, slowly releasing.

Coming back into the last time, Upavistha. Wide leg, forward fold. You might stay up right, you might begin to walk your hands down and perhaps releasing, breathing. (breathing) Softening the jaw. (breathing) And then, walking your hands back up, okay.

And then, from here, finding a bridge pose. So, coming on to your back. Then, drawing your knees into your chest. Adjusting your pony tail if you have one. (breathing) And taking a moment here, knees into the chest.

And then, releasing the feet down to the floor. Bringing the heels in line with the sip bones. I like to bring my awareness down to the tailbone. Arms along my side, I'll inhale, and then exhale. Curl the tailbone under, press down to the feet, and lift, and then reaching the hands towards the ankles.

Or perhaps interlacing the fingers around the sacrum. Lengthening through the thighs and breathing. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, you're to release, I'll come high under the balls of me feet. Reach the arms up, and then slowly releasing the spine down, feeling the upper back, eventually the low back in the sacrum, and just taking a moment to pause and rest. (breathing) I'm gonna take one more round.

You're welcome to join me. As you're ready, curl the tailbone under, press down through the feet, lift the hips. And you might reach the hands towards the ankles, or perhaps interlacing the fingers. And then, lifting the hips, lengthening through the thighs, and breathing. (breathing) And then, as you're ready, come up under the balls of the feet, and then, slowly releasing.

I'm gonna hug my knees into my chest. It'll feel nice to engage the belly and curl up. Draw the forehead towards the knees. And then, releasing. And then, from here, rocking up towards the seat.

Come into a seated forward fold, Paschimottanasana. I like to inhale my arms up. And then, exhale, bringing my hands towards my toes or around my feet. And then, inhale lengthen. And then, exhale, draw the navel towards the spine, finding that Uddiyana Bandha, as I lengthen over the legs.

Drawing the shoulders down the back. And for me, it's not so much about how far I go in the asana, but really the quality of my attention, noticing the thought patterns, the quality of the breath, moving through the shapes. (breathing) And then, releasing. (breathing) And so, I could be here all day, but I'm gonna slowly come up. Taking a moment to pause.

(breathing) And then, from here, finding our way towards the seated meditation to close our practice. So, finding a comfortable seat, you might sit up on a blanket, or a cushion. I'm sitting in a simple Sukhasana. And taking a few moments to lengthen up through the spine. And softening the gaze.

Releasing the shoulders down the back. Consciously softening any tension in the body, any effort. For the last few moments, notice what might have your attention, if there's a thought or a sensation. And then, resting, and the space you've created in your practice. Guiding your awareness now towards the heart center.

Finding the mind into the heart as the hands join together. Namaste. Thank you for your practice this morning.