Core Fire Rising

So Namaste, Namaskar. Thanks for joining me today. So today we are going to start with the feet, open out wide, really opening the base. We're going to feel this fire rising today, really focusing in into the core, feeling that third chakra, right? Manipura chakra, the third chakra, really that place of decision coming forth here. So opening the hands, palms face up in Hastamudra and let the eyes soften, feel the internal gaze awaken and just take a moment as you pause. As you inhale, let the hands rise up softly towards the shoulders. And then as you exhale, let them press and float down to the earth. In breath, drawing the energy up, feel it rise and exhale, let it soften floating down, feeling these two movements of prana. So we feel the rising energy lifting up the prana vayu and then from heaven down to the earth upon a vayu. And we're going to feel this movement. I want you to not only feel it here in the breath and in the hands, but feeling it in your body, in your practice. We connect the Apana energy, rooting us down into the earth and then from the earth, drawing up, rising, feel that fire lifting up. So we're going to offer the sound of Aum to these two movements of prana. The first chant will be to the Apana vayu as the hands are floating down. There'll be a pause and the more chant as the hands rise for the rising energy, the prana vayu. So as you inhale, feel the breath rising, lifting up, chant as they float down. Aum. Let the hands pause, inhale, and chant as they rise. Aum. Then drawing into the heart as you allow the eyes to just softly open. Stepping to the top of your mat, coming to Tadasana. Big toe mouth, heels slightly apart, feel that drawing up through Padabandha from the soles of the feet rising, hands release, inhale, let it lift up, gaze up going up. Exhale as you fold, coming down to Tadasana. Inhale halfway, lengthen the spine and exhale as you fold. Two more cycles flowing up. Inhale, rise. Exhale as you fold all the way down. Inhale halfway, lengthen. Exhale and fold. Sweep out, rise up, go up, reach up. Exhale and fold. Heels, the spine lengthens halfway. Now your choice here. Floating back or stepping back, start with a step back. If you need to stay a little bit more grounded, right? If you're feeling very fiery, then float. We'll get into that. You now feel that length, the Danda from heel to crown, Chaturanga Dandasana, high to low and then heart rising, up dog or cobra and drawing it back into down dog. So feet together, right leg, inhale, let it rise into the sky. Exhale, step the right foot forward. Let your hands move wide coming off the mat. Keep the right foot flexed. Gaze out first and as you bend the elbows, turn your gaze to the left as if you're listening to the earth, breathing down into the hip. Inhale, press up, turn your gaze to the right, bend the elbows. Inhale, press up, looking out and then exhale. As you press up, resetting, step back into plank and then chaturanga half or full of dog or cobra rising and drawing it back into down dog. Feet together, left leg, inhale, let it rise. Exhale, left foot steps through. Hands moving wide, flex the left foot, lengthen out and as you bend the elbows, knee to the side, gaze to the left. Inhale, press up, exhale, elbows bend, looking to the right.

Inhale, pressing up, gazing forward and exhale. Pressing up, resetting your lunge, stepping back into plank, chaturanga half or full, rising up dog or cobra and drawing it back into down dog. Excuse me. Breathing here, taking a moment, hands pressed down and now let your feet come in about an inch or two. Let the heels come together, bend your knees and sit back onto the heels, arms extend forward in this variation malasana, looking out. So using hasta bandha, the hands pressed down and then spring up, pull the heels in and softly land back. Press down, pull up, softly land, learning to float, learning to engage the core, press and reset. Coming into down dog, take a big inhale, open the mouth. Now using that same action, floating or step the feet forward, so spring up and fold. Inhale, rising and exhale, hands to the heart. Let's pause a moment, feel that fire rising, awakening within. So coming into our namaskar, inhale, lift up, exhale as you fall. Inhale, halfway now, floating or stepping back, rising up dog or cobra and drawing it back into down dog. Feet together, right leg inhale, let it rise. Exhale, stepping through, back heel ground zero one, sweep out, lift up and then heaven to earth, coming back down, stepping into plank, chaturanga, let it rise up dog or cobra and drawing back into down dog. Feet together, left leg inhale, let it rise, one breath, one movement. Now exhale as you step, exhale rise up, exhale down. Feel the in breath, take your time, plank, chaturanga, exhale, inhale and exhale back, pause a moment. So we're going to take two more, just like this, coming together, here is one, so feet together, right leg, inhale to the sky, exhale as you step, inhale rise, exhale down, stepping back, your vinyasa, heart will rise and drawing back. Feet together, left leg inhale, exhale, zero one, sweep out, rise, so feel the prana vayu and then apana, step it back, your vinyasa, rising and back, down dog, excuse me, one more cycle, feet together, right leg inhale, exhale starting to feel the heat awakening that fire lifting, exhale moving into the flow, exhale, inhale and exhaling, feet together, left leg inhale to the sky, exhale as you step, inhale rising and exhale, feel the in breath stepping into plank, take your time and chaturanga, rising up dog or cobra and drawing back into down dog, take a moment pause, we're going to feel those fireballs of jumping once again, so feet come in just a little, heels together, knees play out, sit back, gaze forward, really active, spread the fingers wide and as you spring up, pull in, softly land, gaze forward, pull in and softly land, so you get a little hang time each time, gaze forward, spring up and reset, coming into your down dog, take a moment, come down to the knees and coming down into child's pose, pause, inhale, take a big inhale and exhale, so walk the hands back, rolling the body up, so I forgot to mention at the beginning of this practice, if you have a towel, we're going to be using a towel, if you need a blanket or anything that you can use, coming on to the floor, so I'm going to place the towel here off to the side of the mat and we'll be using it to really finding that lift that takes us into handstand, will take us up into arm balances, different places that we really need to engage at the core, lower part of the belly, so as we come together here, you're going to feel this activation at the center, the fire rising, yay, so again this being a fire practice, don't be afraid to get into the core, get into the fire, third chakra, so placing the towel, it's nice if you have a wood floor, if you have the carpet, you could also do this on the carpeting, not a big deal but we want to protect the tops of the feet, towel right alongside at the back, coming, putting your tops of the feet on to the towel, because we're going to slide, walking the hands out and then lifting the knees coming into this up dog, and so pressing down through hasta banda, really engaging, press down, pull the hips up and then press back, yeah, so we're going to do this four more times, right, so press down, lift and press back, press up and press back, yeah, press up and back and then press up, lift, lift, lift and back, ah, and then pressing back and just pause into child's pose, yeah, rolling the body up, so you can take your towel and press it off to the side, it's also there in case we start to sweat a little right, leaving it there, so coming seated, take hold back to the thighs, right, and we can't be talking about the fire without doing a little fire or core work, right, so one way of getting through core work, it's probably the only way of getting through core work, is smiling, right, because if you don't like it, you're going to never like it, so you might as well enjoy it, you're here, you've chosen to be here, let's be here, so lift up, press the heels away and then coming down, ardenavasana, ah, taking the hands to the back of the head, now the same action, we just felt it there, right, pull the right knee in and then reach forward, oh yeah, change the legs and then reach, big smile, or stick out your tongue at me, legs come out, hands extend, now use that same action, we just felt it, right, rise up, oh, navasana, yeah, alright, a few more cycles, right, so ardenavasana coming down, hands to the head, neck is long, right knee pulls in and then reach, oh yes, change the legs and then reach, yeah, and then extend from the navel, rise up, oh yes, I know you got one more in you, right, hold the backs of the thighs, lift the heart, as we're ready, feet are active, arms out and lower down, hover, hover, right, hands to the head, right knee in, reach, oh yeah, it feels good, some of you are like, no it doesn't, well imagine it feels good, left knee in and reach and extend, rise up, alright, almost there, gonna come down, ardenavasana, pause, pause, let yourself like tremble, right, it's like shaking, you're like, oh stop, stop, stop, we're not there yet, tremble for world peace, right, you're like, okay, here it is, last few breaths and release, you can let the hands just come to the belly and just pause a moment, just breathing here, alright, and that intention here, resting at the third chakra, manipura, feel the fire rising, it's awakening that great life force, and so hugging the knees in, rolling off to the right and then pressing yourself up, nope, not shavasana yet, I know after the core work everyone's like, can we do shavasana, not yet, we'll be there soon, so coming back in, down dog, and now noticing how you feel, right, the life force awakened, right, deep in the third chakra, deep in the belly, so gaze forward, now use that same energy, lift and float and fold, ardenavasana, sweep up, rising and drawing the hands down to the heart, pause in a moment here, the hands release, now inhale, let it lift up, rising, exhale as you fold, coming down, inhale, feel the spine lengthen, and exhale, fold, planting hands, step back, you plank, chaturanga half or full, so skipping the floating back there, because we've done lots of core work, so really allowing to take your time, and we'll all meet into down dog, so just coming into this one solar wave, so feet together, right leg, inhale to the sky, exhale, step the right foot through, back heel ground, feel the body rising up, into vira one, let the arms float down, so feeling that apana vayu, right, and then let it lift, prana rising up the energy, and this time exhale apana, right arm on the bottom, left arm on top, take eagle arms, lift up, now as you bring forward, lift your back heel, gazing out, you can step in just a little, and then spring up, rise into vira three, so we just did this on the core, now we're gonna do it, just balanced here on the right leg, so lift up, and then pull the right knee in, left knee, send the left foot back into vira three, and then lift up, pull the left knee in, so you're moving from your center, send it back, and on our third cycle now, coming in, bend the right knee, take the left foot, wrap it around, garudasana, as you lift up, reach up, extend all the way out, and floating back into vira three, soften the right knee, stepping back, high crescent, yes, and taking it down to the earth, lower the left knee, straighten the right leg, flex the right foot, and bowing our dhanuman, feel that little ripple, lengthen, and fall, now coming back forward, so you may need to see this first, I'm gonna talk you through it, come into our lunge, and that opening movement that we had, and also the core movement that we work, so take your right arm, wrap it around the right shin, and lock it in there, so as you bend the elbows, press down, and then as you come up, pull the right foot in, now guide the hips forward, roll over the toes, keep dragging the foot, and then as you press down, lift up, step back, float back, and your vinyasa, nice, ekapada bhakasana, one leg, and drawing back, down dog, nice, and breathing here, so all that movement, the apana energy, the prana movement, rising up in you, feeling at the fire, so feet together, left leg, inhale, let it rise, exhale as you step it through, back heel ground, rise up virovana, exhale root down, inhale rise up, exhale apana, root into the earth, inhale prana, and as they come down, left arm on the bottom, right on top, take eagle arms, pull the elbows in, lift the back heel, square off, gaze forward, and then rise up, virov 3, now that same action, you can do it, pull the right knee in, come up, send the right foot back, so this is the action happening as we come into ekapada, one legged crow, and then send it back, this time as you come up, coming, bending the left knee, wrapping the right foot, and as you press down, lift up, reach up, go up, send it back, virov 3, come back, high crescent, rise up, and then down to the earth, lower the right knee, straighten the left leg, and fold, inhale, feel that little ripple lengthening, and now you get to play one more time, so each stage, don't worry if you're not coming all the way up, come into your lunch, and as you bend the elbows, right, get the left arm wrapped around, right, so you feel the opening in the hip first, that's the apana, press down and hug the left knee in, come up, now reset, draw the right foot in, start to lean, yeah, and float, alright, and wall me back into down dog, big inhale, and exhale, big breath, slowly coming down onto the knees, and just pause into child's pose, so we're going to set the body up, coming in for headstand, so here, come in again, take your time, do it in stages, right, don't race to get up all the time, we race through life, we race through our practice, take your time, if you're doing one leg, do one leg, if you're doing both, doing both, so as we come down onto our forearms, take hold of opposite triceps, bring the hands out in front, interlace your fingers, and then lifting the hips up, resting on the crown of the head, now walk your feet in, and again, some of you today, this might be enough, both feet down, some of you are going to take one leg up, and that might be enough, and some are going to press down, feel the other leg rising, and coming up, breathing here, so take a moment, and just allow whichever stage you're in, if it's just one leg, be there, if you have one leg up, change legs, if both legs are up, pausing and breathe, and then coming down, pull the knees in, and resting back into child's pose, nice, take a big inhale, open the mouth, so as you extend out, and lift up onto the hands and knees, drop the belly, lift the head, and press back into down dog, beautiful, so feet together, right leg, inhales to the sky, draw the right knee towards the right wrist, turning the shin onto the earth, and now walk the hands, lifting the heart, and pigeon feels so good now, after all that core work, really resting, and just letting yourself just pause, just breathing in, taking these moments as you just slow down, and allowing yourself just to let go, feel the earth below you, big inhale, open the mouth, walk the hands in, body rising, so sitting to the right hip, bring your right knee to the center, and sweep your left leg around, and as you stack, roll forward, help to align the knees, come onto the hands and knees, open the feet out equal, and then coming back, sitting here, setting up for Gamakasana, so lengthen here, and now if you like, the right arm will rise, right hand behind, and the left arm can draw it down, get a nice release for the shoulder, if you want to take the full bind, take the full bind, left arm coming from the bottom, and again, just do a little shoulder opener, we don't need a lot, always don't have to go to your fullest pose every single time, and then release the hands, thumbs to the arch of the feet, lengthen, hinging forward as you fold, and just pause here, now roll the body up, yeah, so we're going to take this in a full circle, moving it in reverse from the way we came in, and you can handle it, it's a little right brain, you may get lost along the way, but don't worry, you can always come back, so turn to the right, lift your hips, pivot on the balls of the feet, walk towards the back, and then over to the left, keep spinning around, keep spinning around, keep spinning around, come back forward, knees down, and we'll be in Gamakasana, yay, on the other side, and if you got lost, just bring the legs around, right legs on top, left on the bottom, right, and lift up, so again, just the half shoulder opener, unless you like to go to the full, left arm on the top, drawing the elbow down, hand on the back, lift the heart, lift the chin, and then releasing, hands to the arches of the feet, lengthen, hinging forward as you fall, close the eyes, let yourself soften, and as you now roll the body up, so we're moving now into Pigeon, other side, then the top right leg comes out, left shin moves out, throw the back toes under, squaring the hips off, release the toes, inhale, lift up, and then lead with the heart, and you can come, again, down to the forearms, you can make two fists resting the third eye down, or making little pillow hands flat, and just letting yourself let go, let the body soften, releasing, as you breathe down, feel that fullness of the breath, softening within, and slowly walk the hands in, rising, curl the back toes under, lengthening the left leg out and back, in reverse, down dog, split, lower the left foot down by the right, lower the knees, and sitting back into child's pose, and slowly rolling up, sitting off to the side, and we're going to come down to the earth, taking the legs out, and just surrender, melting down, letting the hands rest on the belly, and just a moment here, feel your intention offered to the fire, feel the rise and fall, the prana vayu and the appana vayu, and then letting the hands release, just melting back into the earth, letting the body soften, letting yourself let go, giving yourself the permission just to be here, in these moments just for you, to feel the earth as it cradles your body. All right, now we're going to come down to the earth, we're going to come down to the earth, as you take a deep inhale now, exhale completely, start to bring movement, gentle awareness to the body, feel yourself slowly awaken, you gently roll off to your right, drawing the knees in, and pressing yourself up, rising to seated. Take a moment here in hosta mudra, the balance between heaven and earth, the balance between appana vayu and the prana vayu, the grounding energy and that rising, in these moments before the rush of the day, allowing to witness, allowing to be here, feel that radiance of the fire awakened within, as you draw to the heart now, honor your practice, honor your sadhana, your devotion, as we offer together in closing sound of om, inhales you feel the breath rising, om. You honor that God got us within, Satguru, Namaste.