Everyday Flow

(waves splashing) Good morning and welcome to your everyday flow. So in this practice, we're gonna move through Sun Salutations and some standing postures, and I wanna remind us that as we move through the transitions, lowering down into plank, inhaling up into Cobra or Upward Facing Dog, that we do it very slow and mindfully to just really keep the integrity through the shoulders as we move. So, join me at the top of your mat and we'll just take a few moments, spread the feet a little wider apart, interlace your fingers and together inhale. We'll reach the arms up towards the sky, spreading the toes and begin to lean a little bit from side-to-side. Beginning to find some length through the side body, through the hips, through the ribs.

Just checking in with your body. Eventually coming in to what feels like the center for you. Inhale, lengthen the spine. And then just as you exhale, release the arms down. Together let's inhale and draw the shoulders up around the ears, and then exhale, soften the shoulders down the back.

Bring the feet about underneath, the hips are together, and taking a few moments to feel our feet ground on the earth, and invite our breath to begin to deepen here. And getting a sense of lengthening up through the spine, lifting up through the pelvic floor to the heart, right to the base of your skull. And as you deepen your breath, can you find, can you feel this three-dimensional breath, where you're not only breathing into the front body, but the side body and the ribs as well as the back body. And just a few moments here, deepening the breath. And then drawing our hands together at our hearts, and beginning to move with our breath here.

On an inhale, circle the arms up towards the sky, lengthening, and on an exhale, maybe a soft bend through the knees, forward fold, releasing your head and your arms. On an inhale, half arch, lengthen your spine. On an exhale, bend your knees, plant your hands, step your right foot back. Step your left foot back. Take a moment to pause in your plank, so this first plank, spreading the fingers wide, drawing the shoulders down the back, and super active through the legs.

So we're drawing our belly up into our spine. Lower the knees and lower all the way onto our bellies for Cobra. On an inhale, begin to peel and lift the heart up, drawing the shoulders down the back, and on an exhale slow, lower down, tuck the toes under, press up, and back to Downward Facing Dog. And let's take three breaths here in our first Downward Dog, spreading the fingers. You might offer a bend through the knees as you reach your sit bones up towards the sky, breathing.

When you're ready, bend your knees and step your right foot forward between your hands. Left foot follows. Inhale, lengthen the spine. And exhale, soft bend through the knees, forward fold. Inhale, circle the arms up to the sky, lengthening.

And exhale, release your arms down. Let's find that again, inhale, circle the arms up. And exhale, navel to the spine, forward fold, releasing the head and the arms. Inhale, half arch, lengthen. Exhale, bend the knees, step your left foot back, right foot back, come into plank, and take a moment to pause in plank, really feeling that integrity through the shoulders, the core, and the legs.

From here you might lower the knees or slowly lower all the way down to your belly. Inhale up to Cobra, peeling the heart up, pressing down through the palms, lifting up. Wide through the collarbones. And exhale, release. Tuck the toes under.

Press up and back to Downward Facing Dog. Again five breaths here as you root through your fingers. Lengthen through your spine. You might come high up onto the balls of your feet this time and then play with letting the calves stretch towards your heels, breathing. When you're ready, bend the knees, step the left foot forward.

Step the right foot forward. Inhale, half arch, lengthen. Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, circle the arms up to the sky, reach up and lengthen. And exhale, release the hands, taking a moment to pause, just feeling your feet, feeling your breath, the heat build.

So moving through a variation of B, when you're ready, bend your knees for Chair Pose. Press the palms together, wrap the upper arm bones, draw the belly towards the spine. Take a nice, full breath in. And exhale, forward fold, releasing the head and the arms. Inhale, half arch, lengthen the spine.

Exhale, bend the knees, plant the hands. Step your right foot back. Step your left foot back. Come into plank and pause here. So in plank you might lower your knees or go through Chaturanga.

Inhale to Cobra or Upward Dog, taking a moment to pause. Draw the shoulders down the back. Lengthen the spine. And exhale, press back, Downward Facing Dog. So from Downward Dog, inhale your right leg high to the sky, square the hips.

And then exhale, draw the right knee towards the nose, get round through the upper back. Inhale, lift the right leg high. And exhale, round and step it all the way through into a lunge. You kinda help it along. And then pivot onto the outer back edge of the left foot.

Inhale up, Warrior I. Pressing the palms together, wrapping the upper arm bones. Take a nice, full breath into the side body, the back body. And then as you exhale, release the hands, spin onto the ball of the back foot. Lower the back knee into a low lunge.

As you inhale, draw your hips back, come onto your right heel. Exhale, bend the front knee and sink into your lunge. Inhale, draw your hips back. Come onto your right heel. Find the hamstrings.

Exhale, bend the front knee, sink in. One more time, inhale. Draw the hips back. Exhale, bend the front knee, sink in. Taking a moment.

You might tuck the back toes under. Inhale the arms up to the sky, hooking the thumbs, and then lifting from the lower belly up through the spine as you pull the thumbs apart, drawing the shoulder blades down the back and brightening up through the front of the chest. Take a nice, full breath in. Exhale, release the hands, plant the left hand, and then open out to the right. You might keep your left knee on the floor or tuck the back toes.

Lift the back leg and find a twisting lunge. Take a nice, full breath here, reaching from the heart into the hands. Back leg is active and alive. One more inhale. Exhale, release the right hand down.

Come back onto the knee and then slow draw your hips back, flex the foot, lengthen the right leg. Inhale here. And exhale, you might fold over the right leg. Taking a few breaths, digging the right heel into the floor, softening through the eyes and the jaw. And then slow as you're ready, bend the right knee, plant the hands, tuck the back toes, lift the back leg and step back, Downward Facing Dog.

Here you might walk it off for a moment, catch your breath. On an inhale, come forward into plank pose. Shoulders over the wrists. You might stay here, lower the knees or through Chaturanga, keeping the elbows in. Lowering down, inhale up, Cobra or Upward Dog, taking a moment to pause.

Draw the shoulders down the back, lift the thighs, and exhale, press back, Downward Facing Dog. Spreading the fingers. Lengthening the spine. As you're ready, inhale the left leg high to the sky. Exhale, knee to nose.

Get round through the upper back. Inhale, lift the left leg high. And then exhale, get round, step it all the way through. Pivot onto the outer edge of the back foot. Inhale up, Warrior I.

Pressing the palms together and wrapping the upper arm bones, sinking down as you draw the left belly back a bit, breathing. Inhale. Exhale, release the hands. Spin onto the ball of your back foot, lower the knee. Again, we'll inhale, draw the hips back.

Come onto the left heel. Exhale, bend the front knee and sink in. Inhale, drawing the hips back, come onto the left heel, toes towards the face. And exhale, sink in. One more time, inhale, draw and lengthen.

Exhale, sink in. Stay here, inhale the arms up, hooking the thumbs. Inhale, lift from the low belly. Pull the thumbs apart. Draw the shoulder blades down the back.

Press into the ball of the big foot as you inhale. Exhale, release the hands. Plant the right hand and open the left arm up. Stay here, lift the back right leg. Inhale, reach from the heart into the hands.

Take a nice, full breath here. Strong through your back right leg. Inhale, exhale, release. Lower the right knee. And then slow draw your hips back.

Come onto your left heel. Inhale, lengthen your spine forward. And then as you exhale, you might fold forward or round the spine. Digging your left heel into the floor a bit. And then saying good morning to your hamstrings.

When you're ready, bend the knee. Plant the hands. Step back, Downward Facing Dog. Again taking a moment to pause, lengthen your spine. Take a nice, full breath.

On an inhale, come forward into plank pose. Shoulders draw over the wrists. Right, from here, lower the knees or through Chaturanga. Nice and slow. Inhale to Cobra or Upward Dog.

Pressing down through the palms. Drawing the heart up. Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Taking a nice, full breath here. When you're ready, step forward or bend the knees and play with hopping forward to your hands.

Inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold. Bend the knees for Chair Pose. Sink down into the heels. Press the palms together.

Wrap the upper arm bones, inhale. Exhale, press into your feet. Come all the way up to stand. And take a moment to pause. Again, feel the feet.

Feel the heartbeat. Temperature. When you're ready, second round, bending the knees, Chair Pose, palms press, upper arm bones wrap. Exhale, forward fold, releasing the head and the arms. Inhale, half arch, lengthen.

Exhale, find your plank. From plank, lower the knees or nice and slow, Chaturanga, keeping the elbows in. Inhale to Cobra or Upward Dog. Pause, lengthen. Exhale, press back, Downward Facing Dog.

Rooting through the fingers, we'll inhale the right leg high to the sky. Square the hips. Exhale, knee to nose, get round. Inhale right leg to the sky. Exhale, knee to nose, step it all the way through.

Now this time as we rise up into a high lunge, take a few moments to really dial in your feet, dial in your legs. And on an inhale, slowly begin to rise up. Strong through the back leg, lengthening the spine. Inhale, and exhale, twisting to your right, high twisting lunge. Left elbow, right thigh.

Drawing the belly towards the spine. Strong through the back leg. Press into the ball of the right foot as you inhale. Lift the arms up to the sky. And exhale, lower the hands down.

Step back, Downward Facing Dog. As you inhale, come forward into plank pose. Shoulders over the wrists. Exhale, lower the knees or through Chaturanga. Inhale to Cobra or Upward Dog.

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Taking a moment to pause here. Rooting through the fingers. Lengthening your spine. When you're ready, inhale, lift the left leg high, square the hip.

Exhale, knee to nose, get round. Inhale left leg to the sky. Exhale, knee to nose, step it all the way through into your high lunge. So before you come up, dial in your feet, draw the navel into the spine. And on an inhale, woo, rise up, high lunge.

? Aaaahhh Breathing. Stay here, draw the hands together and twist to your left. Right elbow, left thigh. Breathing. When you're ready, nice and slow, rise back up, feel your legs and then release the hands.

Step back into Downward Facing Dog. Beautiful work. On an inhale, come forward into your plank. Exhale, lower to your knees or through Chaturanga nice and slow. Inhale to Cobra or Upward Dog.

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. We'll take about three breaths. Just smoothing the breath out. When you're ready, walk or hop forward to your hands. Inhale, half arch.

Exhale, forward fold. Bend your knees for Chair Pose. Strong legs, sink down into your heels. Palms together. Nice, full breath in.

And exhale, come to standing. And taking a moment to pause here in Mountain Pose. Okay, so from here we're gonna open out on our mat. So bring your feet wide for Warrior II. Bring your left foot and your right foot out and take a moment to look down at your feet.

Right heel, left heel in alignment. And then bend your right knee and see what happens. Kinda feel that external rotation through your right hip and then stretch your arms out to the sides. And just take a moment here in this first Warrior II to kinda play in and out of it and sink into your hips, feeling that work through the legs. Kinda drawing the heart over the pelvis and then flip the palms up for a Warrior II dance, so on the inhale we'll press into the ball of the right foot, right leg towards straight, circle the arms up and lift.

And then exhale, bend the right knee and open, Warrior II. Again we'll inhale, circle the arms up. Exhale and open. Ground through the outer edge of the back foot. One more time, inhale.

Arms come up, lift. Exhale and open. Take a moment to pause. Reverse Warrior, slide the left hand down the back leg. You might wrap it behind the back.

As you sink into your right hip, feeling that length and reach through the right side. Take a nice, full breath into the back body. Ah, and then as you exhale, press into the ball of the right foot. We're moving towards Triangle Pose. Bring the top arm overhead and play with lengthening the arms.

Press through the outer edge of the back foot and see if you can feel that length through the underside. Ah, you might stay here. You might bring the right hand to the shin, the ankle, the foot. And then reach the left arm up to the sky. Taking about three full breaths here in your Triangle Pose.

You might play with beginning to rotate that top shoulder and arm, finding the internal rotation, and then wrapping it behind the back and maybe that right thigh, spiraling the heart up, lengthening the spine, and enjoy your breath. From here as you're ready, inhale the top arm up to the sky. We're gonna come up to standing, strong through the legs. Inhale, reach all the way up. Bring your feet parallel.

Let's come into a forward bend. Releasing the hands, and then walk the hands out in front of you for hammock. So in hammock, we're finding length and extension in the spine as we reach the hips away from the hands. Yeah, and then rooting through the outer edges of the feet, taking a few breaths here. Then can you get a sense of breathing into the back of your body.

Slow from here, walk the hands back underneath your shoulders. You might toe-heel your feet slightly closer together. Hands on your hips, strong through your legs. Inhale, come all the way up with a flat back. We'll set up for the second side, bringing the right foot in, the left foot out for Warrior II.

Check out your alignment of your feet, your left heel, your right heel. Bend the right knee. Arms reach out. And take a few moments, you can kind of pulse in and dance a little bit. Really feeling the legs here, drawing the heart over the pelvis.

Softening a bit through the jaw and the eyes. On an inhale, press into the ball of your left foot, circle the arms up. Exhale, root through the outer edge of the foot, Warrior II. Inhale, press and lift. And exhale, open.

Again, inhale, rise up, lengthen. Exhale and open, taking a moment to pause. Draw the right hand down your back leg. Inhale the left arm up to the sky. Reverse Warrior.

Oh this feels nice. Take a nice, full breath into that left side body. You might wrap the right hand back behind you. One more inhale here. Bending the left knee and then exhale, press into the ball of the left foot.

Lift your top arm. And as you move towards Triangle Pose, play with really lengthening your torso. Finding that nice, long length through the side body. Eventually the left hand might find the shin, the ankle, the foot as you reach your right arm up towards the sky. Now this is a pretty long triangle.

Notice what feels good for you. Breathing. Finding a place where your neck and head feel comfortable. You might stay here. You might play with the rotation of your arm and your shoulder.

On wrapping it around the thigh. Lifting up and lengthening through the heart. And see if you can really feel and maintain this smooth, even breath. When you're ready, release the right arm up to the sky. On an inhale, reach all the way up to standing.

Bring your feet parallel. If they're super wide, you might toe-heel them slightly closer together. We'll inhale the arms out to the sides. And then find the internal rotation. Interlace your fingers.

Inhale, go up through your heart. Wide across the chest, you might stay here. You might begin to hinge at the hips and fold forward, head towards the floor. And the arms might stretch up out and over. Nice, taking a few moments.

Again, feeling the breath in the back body. On an inhale, come all the way back up to standing, using the legs, the arms. And then we'll bring our feet together and you might play with bending your knees and hopping your feet together. And we'll take a moment to stand in Mountain Pose before we come into Tree. Just taking a few moments to feel your feet ground.

Lengthening up through the spine. So from here moving into Tree Pose, we'll start by grounding through our left leg and open the right hip. Now you might bring your heel towards the inner ankle, the calf, or the upper thigh, taking a few moments to really feel and commit down through your standing leg as you draw your right foot in. And finding your balance here. Nice.

Feeling your right hip open. Now you might bring your hands to your heart or reach your arms out to the sides or over the top of the head. And just taking a few moments to really feel your balance here, feel your breath as your right hip opens, feeling that integrity through your standing leg. Breathing. The wobbling is strengthening on the muscles, so the foot and the ankle.

We can play with it. Inhale, and then exhale, release, and take a moment to shake it out. For me that's a nice practice in non-attachment, to just let the energy move through the body, spreading the toes of the right foot, standing leg, drawing that right hip in as you open your left hip. Bringing the heel towards the inner ankle, the calf, or the upper thigh. And this side might be totally different depending on what you're working with in your knee, your hip, your foot.

Play here as you catch your balance. Hands might rest at the heart, to the sides, over the head. Breathing. Kinda moving towards a dynamic stillness here in Tree. Yeah.

Nice. Allow for another inhale. Wherever you are, exhale, release, taking a moment to appreciate both legs. We'll make our way towards the top of our mat and come into a squat pose. So bending your knees, sink down into your hips.

Now depending on you, your heels might be lifted, they might be grounded, and then you might begin to draw your elbows towards the inner legs as you press the palms together, lengthening up through the spine. Getting a sense, a feel of lengthening out of your lower back. Nice, breathing in. And then to release, we'll come onto our sit bones. Finding your own creative way, you might bring the hands behind you, and then make your way down.

Take a moment to stretch your legs out. From here, we'll bend our knees and move towards Boat Pose, taking a moment to draw your hands behind your thighs. Lengthen up through your spine. Draw your shoulders down your back. Now you might stay right here or you might begin to play with coming onto your sit bones, lifting your legs up a little bit.

Stay here or extend the legs towards straight, pointing the toes and breathing. Nice, inhale, lift. And then exhale, cross your legs and bring your hands onto your shins. Inhale, roll the pelvis forward, lengthen up through your spine. And releasing the spine here.

And then we'll do that again. Come onto your sit bones. Bend your knees. Hands behind your thighs. You might begin to play with leaning back, drawing the belly into the spine as you draw the shoulders down the back.

You might stay right here with your knees bent or extend your legs, extend your arms, breathing. Taking about three full breaths here. Pointing the toes. One more inhale. Exhale, cross the legs again.

Bring the hands onto your shins and then roll the pelvis forward, lengthen the spine. Good, and then release the hands behind you. Release the feet about hip distance apart. Press down and begin to lift into a reverse tabletop, so just scoop the tailbone under and up. Press down.

You might keep your chin into your chest as you lengthen through your thighs. Or if appropriate, you might begin to drop your head back, pressing into your hands, pressing into your feet. Drawing the inner thighs towards each other. Inhale. And then exhale, if your head is back, draw your chin into your chest and slowly roll down.

Bring the hands underneath you and sit up. And then we'll roll onto our backs. And I'm just gonna turn so you can see me. So rolling your way onto your back, draw your knees into your chest. Just allow yourself to rock a little bit here from side to side.

Feeling your back body, your spine on the floor. And we'll move into a round of Bridge here. Setting your feet about hip distance apart, releasing your arms down along your sides, bring your heels in line with your sit bones. Allow for an inhale. And as you exhale, begin to draw your tailbone under.

Press down through your feet. Lift your hips. You might reach your arms towards your heels or play with rolling the shoulders under the back as you interlace the fingers. Drawing the inner thighs towards each other and spacious around the throat. Breathing.

Soft through the face. Allow for another inhale. And exhale, slow, release the hands and slowly release your spine down, feeling your upper back, your middle back, and your lower back. Taking a moment here to relax the effort, maybe a clearing breath. Inhale.

And exhale. We'll take one more round as you're ready. Inhale, exhale, curl the tailbone under, press down through the feet, lift the hips. Again your arms and hands might reach towards your ankles or you might roll and tuck the shoulders under your back as you interlace. And then lengthening through the spine, softening through the eyes.

Breathing. See if you can really feel the feet here. Allow for another inhale. And then slow on the exhale, release down, feeling your upper back release first, your middle back, and then your lower back. Clearing breath, inhale.

And exhale. From here, stretch the arms up over the top of the head, taking a few moments to lengthen here. Bring the soles of your feet wider than your hips, maybe as wide as your mat as you inhale. And then exhale, let your knees fall to the right for windshield wipers. Inhale, knees up.

Exhale, over to the other side and continue a few rounds, moving with your breath. Just releasing the hips, the back. You might find your head wants to move with your knees or away from your knees. Feeling the length through the side body as you reach and lengthen through your arms. As you come over to your right side, this time you might bring your left foot on top or your right foot on top of your left thigh as you gently lengthen the left side body, taking a breath here.

Letting the right knee fall towards the floor. And then releasing the right foot back down to the floor, inhale the knees up. Exhale, over to the left, bringing the left foot on top of the right thigh as you gently pull and lengthen the right side body, the thigh breathing into the right side. As the left hip opens, the knee falls towards the floor. When you're ready, release the left foot down to the floor.

Inhale the knees up and bring the soles of the feet together, let the knees fall wide. Right hand might rest on the heart. Left hand on the belly. And letting the knees fall towards the floor, long through the back of the neck, wide between the eyes. Softening the jaw.

Letting the eyes soften. And then slowly guiding the knees towards each other, hugging the knees into the chest and let yourself rock a little bit from side to side. Now from here, you might stretch out into your Shavasana, your final relaxation. You might join me on your side and pause. When you're ready, pressing your way up towards a seat.

And taking a few moments, we'll sit together. And joining the hands together, let's find a clearing breath. Inhale. Exhale. Breathing in.

Namaste.