Rise and Shine

(surf whispers) Good morning. Thank you for joining me. So, we'll start our practice this morning, similar, with some surya namaskar A and B, finding some variations, and then playing towards a twisting lunge, finding bow and arrow action with the arms, surya vinyasa, and then making our way down towards the floor, and towards a seated meditation, okay? So, as you're ready, making your way towards the top of your mat. And, feet about hip distance apart, interlacing the fingers, and go up.

Just taking a few moments to lengthen out of the waist. Begin to invite your attention towards your breath, letting the breath deepen, finding that ujjayi breath, and engaging the bandhas. So, drawing up on the floor of the pelvis, navel up towards the spine, uddiyana bandha, and that widening for the base of the skull, jalandhara bandha. (exhaling) And then, to find some opening for the shoulder, let's interlace our fingers. And then, reaching the hands towards the floor, letting the heart lift, and then, it might feel nice to bend the knees, and come into a forward fold, releasing the head, and then, reaching the arms up, out and over.

Breathing, and drawing the navel up towards the spine, as you fold over. (inhales) A few breaths here. And then, as you're ready, bend the knees, release the arms. Usually, it feels good, first thing in the morning, to just shake the head out, keeping the back of the knees soft. And then, as you're ready, keeping the chin into the chest, and just gently rolling up towards standing, inhale, reach the arms up.

And then, exhale, releasing the arms. Ah, I feel better already. (laughs) Okay, and then, squeezing the shoulders up, and then exhale and release. And then, together, finding surya namaskar A, sun salutation, two rounds. Deepening the breath, ujjayi. (breathing deeply) And, as you're ready, inhale, circle your arms up, reaching.

And exhale, forward fold, releasing the head. Inhale, half arch. Exhale, step back, downward-facing dog, adho mukha shvanasana, and take about three to five breaths, here. And, in this first one, I like to come up on the balls of my feet, and then stretch it out a little bit. Let one leg lift, hips open and close.

(breathing deeply) And then, as you're ready, step your right foot forward between your hands, let the left foot follow, inhale, half arch, and exhale, forward fold, uttanasana. And, as you're ready, circle the arms up. Exhale, release. We'll find that one more time. Inhale.

And exhale, dive forward, and in. Inhale, half arch, and exhale, step the left foot back, into downward-facing dog. Breathing. (breaths deeply) And then, as you're ready, step the left foot forward, let the right foot follow, inhale, half arch, exhale, forward fold. And, inhale, circle the arms up.

Exhale, release. Moving towards surya namaskar B. Bending the knees, inhale, circle the arms up. Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch.

Exhale, step back into plank. Now, you might find a variation in the previous episode. You might begin to lower down into chaturanga, and inhale into upward-facing dog, and then exhale, downward-facing dog. Inhale, the right leg, exhale float the right foot between the hand. Inhale, at virabhadrasana one, warrior one.

And, exhale, release. Lowering down, inhale, upward dog. Exhale, downward dog. And then, float the left foot between the hands. Inhale, warrior one.

And, exhale, release. Lower down, chaturanga, inhale, upward dog. Exhale, downward dog. And, about three to five breaths here. (breathing deeply) And then, as you're ready, walk or jump forward.

Inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold... And bend the knees, utkatasana, inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, hands at the heart. We'll find one more round together.

As you're ready, bend the knees, utkatasana. Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch, exhale, step back into plank. Again, you might find a variation of lowering onto the knees, or come down into chaturanga. Inhale to cobra or upward facing dog.

Exhale, downward-facing dog. Inhale, float the right foot forward. Inhale, warrior one. Exhale, release. Lower down.

Inhale, upward dog. Exhale, downward dog. Inhale, float the left foot forward. And float up, warrior one. Exhale, release.

Lower onto the knees, or lower down, chaturanga. Inhale to cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward-facing dog. And, breathing, here. (breathing deeply) And then, as you're ready, take look forward, jump or walk your feet to your hands.

Inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold. Bend the knees, utkatasana, inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, (exhaling) release. And, taking a moment to catch your breath, your heart.

(breathing deeply) Good, and I'm stepping the feet wide. We'll find bow-and-arrow arms. So, with the feet wide, reaching the arms out. From here, begin to draw the bow back. And then, reaching the arms out to the side.

Now, for me, my left hip wants to open, and I'm gonna play here, with drawing it forward, so I'm squaring the hips forward. And, as I reach from the heart into the hands, find a place where the head feels connected, the neck feels at ease. Inhale, and reach, lifting. And then, exhale, releasing the arm back. I'm gonna release the arms, and just shake it out.

(exhaling) Okay, finding our way to the other side, reaching the arms up. And, finding bow and arrow with the other arm, it might rest at the heart, or you might reach the arms out, inhale, reach from the heart into the hands. And here, I'm gonna draw my right hip forward, squaring the hips. And then, find a place where the head feels connected. Inhale.

Exhale, release the arms. Inhale, squeeze the shoulders. And then, exhale, release. Bringing the feet together, in tadasana, and moving through a vinyasa, so hands at the heart. As you're ready, inhale, circle the arms up.

Exhale, forward fold, releasing. Inhale, half arch. Exhale, bend the knees, step the left foot back into a lunge. Bring the left hand under the face. Bring the right thumb into the hip crease, lengthening.

Inhale. And then, exhale, twisting open. Reaching from the heart into the hands. Back leg strong. Inhale, exhale, release the top arm back into the lunge, and then, I'm gonna walk my hands over to my left, coming into a wide-leg forward fold, and bringing the arms out in front of me, so a variation of prasarita padottanasana.

Finding hammock. As I spread my fingers, I'm reaching my sit-bones, my hips, away from my hands... And then rooting through the outer edges of my feet. Breathing. (breathing deeply) And then, walking the hands underneath the shoulders, you might toe-heel your feet closer together, and finding a variation of prasarita padottanasana A, drawing the head towards the floor.

Breathing. (breathing deeply) And the shoulders are lifting away from the ears. And then, as you're ready, lift up, and walk the hands back into the shape of the lunge. And, lower than left knee down, coming into a low lunge. And, I'm gonna draw my hips back, and say good morning to the hamstrings.

(exhales) And then, bend the front knee and sink in. You might bring the hands around the inside of that foot, and just find a low lunge, opening the hips. (breathing deeply) And then, both hands around the front foot. Stepping back into plank. Again, you might lower the knees onto the floor, you might lower down into chaturanga, and then inhale to cobra or upward-facing dog.

And then, exhale, downward-facing dog. Again, about three to five breaths here, evening out your dog. I like to look up at my fingers, and then lengthening through the sit-bones, drawing the navel up towards the spine, and releasing the gaze. (breathing deeply) And then, as you're ready, jump or walk forward between the hands, and inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold.

And then, inhale, circle the arms up, reaching. And, exhale, release the arms, hands join together. (exhales) I'm taking a clearing breath. And we'll find that on the second side. As you're ready, inhale, circle the arms up.

Lifting, exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch. Exhale, I'm gonna step my right foot back this time. Left knee bends. Finding a twisting lunge, left thumb into the hip crease, lengthening from the heart into that back foot, and then, twisting, letting the heart gently open.

And, the arm reaching towards the sky. Inhale. And, exhale, breathing. In some mornings, my head is looking up towards my hands, some mornings, it's down towards the floor. And then, releasing back into the lunge, and then, walking the hands over, so for me, my hands are gonna walk over to the right, and, I'm gonna come into a hammock, walking the hands out in front of me, and then, reaching my hips away from my hands.

(exhales) And, breathing, head releasing. (breathing deeply) Walking the hands underneath the shoulders, and then, I'll toe-heel my feet in closer, and bring my head towards the floor. Breathing. Shoulders away from the ears. (breathing deeply) And then, walking the hands back to the shape of the lunge.

Letting the knee lower down, coming into that low lunge. And then, I think it feels pretty nice, at this point, to draw the hips back and stretch the hamstrings. And then, bend the front knee, and sink low. You might walk your hands around the inside of that front foot... Stretching the hips.

And then, bringing the hands around the front foot, stepping back into plank. Lowering down. Inhale. And, exhale. (breathing deeply) And then, as you're ready, jump or walk your feet to your hands, inhale, half arch.

Exhale, forward fold. And then, inhale, come all the way up. Exhale, release the arms. From here, making our way down to the floor with the sun salutation. Deepening the breath.

And, as you're ready, inhale, circle the arms up, reaching. And, exhale, forward fold, releasing. Inhale, half arch. And, exhale, step back into plank. Again, you might lower the knees, or lower down into chaturanga.

This time, we're gonna come onto our bellies, and find cobra. Pressing down through the feet, tractioning the heart forward, I'm drawing my elbows in as I lift the heart. Finding that ease through the neck. And then, the plank here, is from cobra to move towards locust. So, I'm gonna press down through the hands, lift the legs, and then begin to lift the arms, finding locust.

Reaching through the fingers, lifting. Inhale, lift. And then, exhale, release. Slide the palms underneath me, tuck the toes under. This time, I'm gonna press back into child's pose, balasana, drawing the hips back towards the heels, forehead softening towards the floor.

You might keep the arms overhead, or release the arms around the heels. Softening the belly, resting. (breathing deeply) And then, pressing the palms underneath you, coming up to mayurasana. And then, from here, making our way into a hip-opener, coming into pigeon. So, I'm gonna slide my right knee in front of me, and then sink back into the hips.

Now, I like to have my right heel closer. You might toe-heel it slightly wider. It just depends on what feels good for your knee. You might even tuck a blanket or a pillow underneath that right hip. And then, taking a moment to lengthen, and you might stay here, lengthening, or you might be perhaps invited to lean forward...

And soften the jaw, release the head. Breathing. And then, perhaps you might continue releasing. A few breaths here. (breathing deeply) And, as you're ready, walking your hands underneath your shoulders, gently lifting.

And, this morning, I'm gonna tuck my back toes under, and then, press back into a three-legged dog. Ah, let the leg lift, let the hip open and close, if that feels nice. Breathing. And then, I'm gonna come onto my knees, and find my second side. Sliding the left knee forward in the pigeon.

And for me, this side is very different, so I'm gonna approach it fresh and new. And, you might keep the heel closer in, or toe-heel it slightly wider, and perhaps tucking a cushion or blanket underneath left hip, taking a moment to lengthen up through the spine, if that feels nice. And then, eventually, you might be invited to lean a bit forward, and perhaps coming onto the forearms, softening the jaw, releasing the head, and breathing. (breathing deeply) And, for me, this morning, this side is quite sticky and intense, so I'm really softening the eyes and the jaw... And then, perhaps, releasing deeper into the posture. Softening the belly, and breathing.

So, I could stay here for about another 10 minutes, but I'm gonna walk my hands back up. And, then, tuck the back toes, lift the leg... And open up into a three-legged dog. Let the hip open and close. Coming back into downward-facing dog.

(exhaling) I'm gonna lower onto my knees, and again, press back, child's pose, slightly wider, with the knees wide, and then, release. (exhaling) Softening the jaw. And then, as you're ready, slide the palms underneath you. And, coming back up. And releasing the legs out to the side.

We'll close with a seated spinal twist, marichyasana three. So, I'm gonna draw my left knee in, and extend through my right heel. And then, inhale, the right arm high, and then exhale. Hug my left knee. Bring the left arm behind me as I inhale, lift the heart, and then, exhale, soften the belly, twisting towards the shoulder.

And here, I'm reminded to engage the pelvic floor, Mula bandha. Uddiyana bandha. And, breathing. (breathing deeply) And then, slowly releasing the gaze... And, releasing the leg. (exhales) And, you might shake it out.

And then, second side, drawing the right knee in. Inhale, the left arm, and then, exhale, wrapping it around the right knee. Bring the right arm behind me. Inhale, lifting the heart, engaging the pelvic floor, exhale, twisting towards the right... (exhales) And, breathing into the twist.

And see here, in the twist, if you can find some ease within the effort, so a softening of the grip... A widening through the base of the skull. And then, as you're ready, gently releasing the gaze. And, releasing the leg. Then, shaking it out.

Nice. And then, coming into a simple sukhasana, shin-to-shin. You might find another variation of a forward fold, and then, just begin to come into a forward fold, releasing the head. And this morning, I like to keep the palms up. And, gently softening into a forward fold, breathing.

(breathing deeply) And, fully releasing the head. You're welcome to stay here, as you're ready, slowly coming up. Taking a moment to lift the heart... And soften through the jaw. And then from here, closing our practice with a seated meditation.

You might sit up on a cushion or a blanket, this morning. Finding a comfortable seat. Lengthening up through the spine, feeling a gently rise through the heart. And, perhaps a mudra for the fingers... And then, a widening through the base of the skull.

And, gently aligning with your breath. And softening the grip through the hips. You might catch this spontaneous current... This spontaneous alignment. And, eventually, joining the hands together at the heart.

Namaste. Thank you for your practice, and have a beautiful day. Namaste.