Twisting Fire Flow

Namaste. Namaskaram. Welcome to the practice this afternoon. So we're going to begin actually flowing into a deep twisting flow practice, but really igniting the fire. And so we'll be playing, really getting in touch with Hasta Bandha and the hands. So we're going to start coming into Hasta Mudra, just allowing the palms of the hands to face up, allow the eyes to soften, feeling that balance here in Hasta Mudra, balance between heaven and earth. Feels an offering of your practice today. As you exhale, let the hands release down by your side. As you inhale, deep breath lifting up, rising to the sun. As the palms come together, draw down through the center line. As you inhale, feel the arms rising. Feel the space around you lifting from the earth to the heavens. Feel now as you draw heaven down. This time together, we're going to offer as we begin our Sadhana with the sound of Om. Inhale, feel as you rise. Om. Just continue. As you this time rise, feel the body turning to the right. Lift up, lengthen, reach up. As you come center, again drawing down through the center line, eyes can be softly open now. Feels you turn to the left, let the arms lift up, reaching, feel the space. Exhaling completely. Let's take two more like this and each time as you turn, feel from the base, rising up. Each cycle go a little deeper. Exhaling completely. Again to the left, feel as you rise and drawing down. One more time, biggest breath in, feel as you turn to the right, lifting full lungs, open out. You might even start to turn behind and drawing down. This last one to the left, biggest breath in, feel as you rise, keep turning and coming down center. Hands pause at the heart, setting your intention. And as the feet come together here, stepping to the top of the mat, big in breath, sweep out, rising. Exhale, draw down through the center line. Inhale, feel the spine lengthen halfway and exhale as you fold. Two more. Inhale, just lengthen halfway. Feel the heart rising. Exhale as you fold. Inhale, halfway and exhaling fold. Planting your hands, step your right foot back into your lunge. Press through the palms of the hands as you pull to the center and back into plank. Taking your time, tuck the tailbone, lengthen the spine, gaze out slightly, either with knees down, maybe as we begin, start with half chaturanga, coming down to the belly. Inhale, cobra, bhujangasana and exhaling down. No feeling that rise, press down. Inhale, up dog or take cobra, up to you. Stay low or go high. And exhaling back into down dog. The feet come together now. Right leg, inhale, let it rise, press through the ball of the foot. Exhale, step the right foot forward between your hands, keeping the back heel lifted. Let the body rise up high, crescent, anjanaosana. Sit a little deeper, pressing the right hip back. Exhale, bringing your left hand down to the right thigh and reach up through your right arm, go up. Exhale, now lift, reaching back, circle the right arm around and just follow it. Inhale, center rising. Exhale, reaching back, extending. Inhale as you rise. And exhale, extend. Gather the breath, bringing the left hand right together. Inhale, up to the heavens and exhaling down. Stepping back into plank, half or maybe now full chaturanga dandasana. Letting the heart rise, cobra or up dog, lifting high and then drawing back, downward facing dog.

Feet together, left leg, inhale to the sky. Exhale, set the left foot forward. Keep the right heel lifted, charge your legs, rise up. Taking now the right hand to the left thigh, press back, reach out and as you turn to the left, reach your left arm back. The left hand down by your thigh, circle it up and just following it. Exhale, back. Inhale, let the breath belong full and exhale. Gather in the right hand, both arms rise, exhaling down, stepping back, your vinyasa, half or full. And now rising up dog or cobra and drawing it back into down dog. Breathing here, inhale here and exhale, just soften. So we're going to do two more cycles. This time just with one circular motion through the arms. So right leg, inhale, let it rise. Exhale, you step. In breath, let it lift you up high, crescent. Exhale, left arm to the thigh, reach up, inhale, go long. Exhale, reaching back, circle it around, gather the left arm, inhale, rise and exhale to the earth. Stepping back through your vinyasa, heart rising, cobra or up dog and drawing it back into down dog, feet together, left leg, inhale, let it rise, take your time, feel that extension. Exhale, stepping through, inhale, lift high. Exhale, right hand to the thigh, feel that extension, lift up, go up, exhale, reaching back, follow it around, inhale, rise and exhale to the earth. Stepping back, your vinyasa, one breath, one movement, rising and drawing it back down dog. Last cycle. Now that we have it, just letting the breath guide you, inhale, right leg, exhales, you step. In breath, lifting high, exhale, inhale, lift and reaching exhale, follow it around, let it rise up and down to the earth. If you're feeling at all, you need to pause, skip the vinyasa, don't force it. If you're feeling that power, then really dive deeper into it. Feet together, left leg, last time, inhale, exhale, let it rising up and exhale, extend in breath, go up, exhaling back, circle it around, let it rise and down to the earth with intention, chaturanga, high or low, and let it rise and drawing back into down dog. Take a moment and just breathing here. Let yourself settle, let yourself calm, pausing in this moment, breathing.

Take a deep inhale through the nose, open the mouth, let it out. Ah, gazing forward, step or float to the top of the mat, and as you exhale, fall. Now bend the knees, sit deep, sweep out, rise, ukatasana, and then reach your arms out, sit a little deeper, pause, feel from the soles of the feet, shoulders draw down the back, keep the feet nice and active, sitting to the heels, and coming in, navasana, yay. Ah, a little core work, right? Waking up the fire, waking up the third chakra, waking the belly, so extending out, and if you need, hold the backs of legs, being nice and connected right at the center. So as you're ready, arms extend, press through the balls of the feet, coming down, taking the hands to the back of the head, and pause. So there's no pressure on the neck, elbows out, legs rise, and feel that activation. Now, if there's any pressure in the sacrum or in the lower back, you can always bend the knees.

If you're feeling a little bit more active and fiery, keep the legs straight, right? So first cycle, we'll start with bent knees, and then we'll do with straight legs. So extend the left leg, press out, take your left elbow across, and then reach out through the left hand, and come back center. Extend the right leg out, take the right elbow across, reach, and come back center. Now, for those feeling a little bit more fiery, take the legs straight up, again, same action, right from the center, left leg comes down halfway, left elbow across, and then reach out, and back center, right leg comes down halfway, right elbow across, and reach, go for it. Yes, center. Keep the feet active, press up one more cycle, left leg, left elbow, left hand, center, right leg, right elbow, and right hand. Yes. Ooh, it's getting hot. Come back center, and then letting the arms come forward, legs coming down halfway, again, length through the neck, not collapsing down or in. Feel from the center, rise up, navasana, and coming down, hover, hover, hover, and then let's just let go. Ah, you can let your hands, just take a moment, pause here at the belly. Just feel now, right at the third chakra, feeling that awakening of the inner fire, right? The life force, that great prana shakti. So, hugging the knees in, take a few moments and just rock a little, rocking up as we're working the spine today. So, we want to just be nice and massage the spine. Our spine gets us through our day, lots of action, lots of movements. So, rocking, massaging, and then gain some momentum, plant the feet, rise up. Yeah. And as you draw to the heart, just a moment, pause.

Let the arms release, reconnect to that intention, and feel the soles of the feet, drawing up that life force from the earth, right? So, as you inhale, bend the knees now, sit deep, sweep out, rise up, ukatasana, drawing down to the heart. Take a moment, really feel from the soles of the feet, activation, pressing it out, take that left elbow across the right thigh, pressing in, in breath, lengthen, exhale, just soften to the earth. Add a little movement, inhale, take the right arm up, and exhale, gaze to the earth, bringing the right hand in. One more time, inhale, and exhaling. Now, both arms rise, lift, right up to standing, reach high, go up, exhale as you fold, uttanasana. Inhale halfway, and exhale, fold. Left side, bend the knees, sit deep, rise up, ukatasana, drawing to the heart, taking that right elbow across, left, pause, take a moment, and as you sit here, inhale, look up, then exhale, just gaze down. Now, follow that movement, inhale, lift the left arm, exhale. One more time, inhale, and exhale, let it lift, inhale, ukatasana, and exhale, fold, lengthen the spine, feel the heart, exhale as you fold, plant your hands, left foot steps back, right foot to meet it, and again, your choice, either go through the vinyasa, half or full chaturanga. If you're feeling it all tired, I'm going to skip it this one, take it back, honor the practice of just going into down dog. You don't have to always do the vinyasa, right? So honor where your body is this morning. Most important teacher is listening within you. So feet together, right leg, let it rise, exhale, stepping through, view the body now, lift up high, crescent, and now that motion of opening, expanding out, circle the arms, bringing them into the heart, hands to prayer, and exhale, again, twisting, taking your twist now a little deeper, a little more activation, pressing down, lengthening, sending that right hand, same motion, up to the sky, gazing to the earth, lean forward, find a spot out in front of you, about a foot, maybe a little more, and reach to that spot, lifting up, revolved half moon, stay in the twist, keep lifting up and out, and then with control, as we fired up the core, use that activation, softly step back, rise up, high crescent, exhale down to the earth, lower the left knee, and then we'll give the hip a huge break, half split, right? So after we've been bouncing on the leg, beautiful to let yourself, just pause, as you come back forward towards your lunge, bring your left knee behind the right ankle, and then pause, feel right here, that control as you sit to the earth, coming into a seated twist. Now for any reason, if that right hip's a little tight, you can always extend the left leg straight out, or keeping the right foot in, lengthen up, cartwheel the right arm back behind you, and now inhale the left arm, lift, exhale, bring the left elbow across, and then finding that same motion, inhale, lengthen, exhale as you twist, inhale, lengthen, and exhale. You come back center, take a little counter twist just to let the spine reset, and coming forward, lean in, pull the left knee in, step back to your lunge, step back to plank, and again, listen to how you feel chaturanga, or skip it, up dog or cobra, and we'll all meet back into down dog. So completing this wave, coming to the left side, inhale, left leg, let it rise, exhale as you step through, high crescent, in breath, takes you up, let it expand, opening out, hands into the heart, and then taking right elbow across, breathing here.

Now again, hands can stay at the heart, or you can extend the left arm up. If you're feeling it all, needing to stay here, stay here, honor where your body is, gaze out in front of you, start to lean forward, find that spot, right hand to the earth, and if you're ready, take the left arm up, keep the right foot really active if you're pressing the wall away, and then softly step back, high crescent, hey, and down to the earth, right knee coming down, left leg straightens, and folding over, just that release for the hip, opening for the hamstring, and as you come back forward, pull the right knee in behind the left, pause a moment, and then seated, yeah. So again, if you're leaning too much, again, take the right leg out this time, if it's here, lengthening, lift up, cartwheel your left arm back behind you, press in, right arm rising, yes, and take that right elbow across, and sometimes as we begin to twist, you can feel the shortening of the breath, so slow down, let yourself lengthen, and coming back center, now press the hands, take a little counter twist, neutralize the spine, and coming forward, now pull into the core, send it back to lunge, back to plank, your vinyasa, or we'll all meet back into down dog, as you're breathing here, inhale, take a moment, inhale, and exhale. So walking the feet now, coming to the center of your mat, inhale as you lengthen, and exhale as you fall, so as we rise up, drawing down through the center, going to turn to the side, so you can see this, so finishing up, inhale, lift, and exhale as you fall, let the body rise halfway, and folding here, now bend the knees, sit deep, hands coming to the heart, and again taking that twist, now pause, for some this is your end of your practice, just being here can be challenging enough, so this could be for beginners, those who have a more advanced practice, feel that extension of the right arm, those who want to go deeper, extending the left arm, and now if you're up for it, coming down, you can you can stay here, hands at the heart, or lean to the side, keeping that leg pulled to the center, press down, and pull the heels in, smile if you're coming up, all our mouths should be done with a smile, pull back, and right we come back, and those of you who paused here, just breathe, come back, center rising, hands to the heart, so we have the left side, one more time, inhale, lift, exhale, and fall, inhale halfway, and fold a little deeper, take it to the left, bend the knees, rise up, hands to the heart, as you pause, take a moment, come across, and so again, if you're new to the practice, stay here, there's nothing that says you need to go deeper, no one's gonna make you, I promise you won't get a ticket, those who want to go maybe further, coming down, and maybe here, maybe the hands come to the earth, leaning to the side, and pull up, and the feet will come back, we come back center, rising, and fold, so stepping the feet out, just distance of the mat, we'll turn to the side again, and then letting yourself coming down, and taking that right arm out, extending shoulders on the inside, adding a little twist here, reach up, one more cycle, changing sides, left arm down, shoulder to the inside, and the right arm rise, coming back center, pause, breathe, let the hands come down behind, sitting to the earth, slightly, bringing your legs out, making sure sit bones are grounded now, feet are active, and all that rising energy, so your spine should feel nice and awake, so press down, lift up, inhale, rise, hinging at the hips as you fold, now take hold, whether the ankles, the feet, draw the heart forward, lengthen, feel as your spine grew now today, and then lead with the heart as you fall, take a moment here, just pause, and slowly roll the body up, and gently drawing the knees in, as you roll now down onto your back, keeping that drawing in, open the arms out, let the knees drop over, let's take it to the left first, and if you have any neck issues, keeping the head neutral, let your gaze softly turn to the right, coming back up center, the knees drop over to the right, keeping the head centered or neutral, letting your gaze turn to the left, and then coming back center, hugging in, give yourself a big hug, and letting the legs extend out, arms release, final rest, shavasana, just letting yourself now, just pause, just feel the breath growing softer, feeling that radiance of the divine, letting yourself let go, and these final moments here, just for you, before the rush of the day, just allowing yourself to breathe, to surrender, feeling these quiet moments just for you, as you take a deep breath now, inhale, exhale completely, as you draw the knees in, giving yourself a big hug, and gently rolling off to your right, let your right arm just make a little pillow, just pause a moment, as you press down into the earth, feel the body rising, and just come in seated, whatever is comfortable, let the spine lengthen, and like we began taking hasta mudra, palms of the hands balanced between heaven and earth, and the softening of your practice, these moments here, to witness, to feel, allowing just to be, as you draw to the heart center, offer and closing the sound of own, inhale, as you honor the god, goddess within, satguru, namaste.