Grounding Flow

(waves crashing) Okay, yogis, so good to see you. Please come up to standing, we'll be flowing through a grounding practice today. So separate your feet at least hip distance apart, even a little bit wider if you would like and then bring your palms pressed together at your heart and just shift forward and back a few times as you close your eyes, feeling the pads of your toes, the balls of your feet and the fronts of your heels, the backs of your heels, and the sides of your heels. So just do this a few times, shifting forward and back. And then start to shift side to side.

So, feeling through your inner foot, your outer foot. And start to establish through the very center of each foot and bring your arms by your sides, turn your palms to face forward as you ground into Tadasana, Mountain Pose. So as you press down evenly through both feet, lift your kneecaps, firm your thighs, direct your tailbone down as you hug your belly in. Find length through the crown of your head, shoulders softening away from your ears. Take a deep breath in (inhales loudly).

A deep breath out (exhales loudly). A deep breath in (inhales loudly). A deep breath out (exhales loudly). A deep breath in (inhales loudly). And a sweet sigh out (exhales loudly).

Fold your palms together at your heart in prayer and bow your head, solidifying your focus, your intention for your practice. What are you grounding into today? You open your eyes, soft gaze. We'll transition to the top of our mats. Keep your feet hip distance apart.

Inhale to stretch your arms up. Exhale to fold forward. Hands to your shins as you lift to a flat back. Sigh out of your mouth as you fold (inhales loudly). Bend your knees a bit as you round up to standing.

Sweep your arms overhead, inhale. And fold right away as you exhale. Hands to your shins, lift to a flat back. Exhale out of your mouth as you fold. Bend your knees and round up to standing, sweeping your arms up, feel your feet.

And fold as you exhale, hands to your shins. Lift your chest. Exhale as you fold. Bend your knees, round up to standing, sweep your arms up. Arms by your sides, Tadasana.

Feet together. Inhale to stretch up. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale to lift your chest. Step back to plank pose.

Lower slow, Chaturanga. Inhale to Cobra or upward facing dog, shoulders soft. Pull back with your exhalation Downward-Facing Dog. A full breath in (inhales loudly). A full breath out (exhales loudly).

Two more breaths, let your drishti rest between your feet. Feel grounded here in this space. You're right where you're meant to be, right where you're supposed to be. Hop or step forward. Chest lifts, breathing in.

Fold forward, breathing out. Inhale to rise up. Exhale to your heart. Inhale to stretch up. Exhale to fold forward.

Inhale to lift your chest. Step back and lower slow. Inhale to upward facing dog. Exhale to Downward-Facing Dog. A full breath in (inhales loudly).

A full breath out (exhales loudly). A full breath in (inhales loudly). A full breath out (exhales loudly). One more inhale. More soft exhale.

Step or spring to the top. Chest lifts, fold forward. Inhale to rise. Exhale to your heart. Once more, inhale to stretch out.

Exhale to fold forward. Inhale to lift your chest. Step back to Plank Pose. Lower, inhale to upward facing dog. Exhale to Downward-Facing Dog.

A full breath in (inhales loudly). A full breath out (exhales loudly). And twice more. (breathing loudly) Hop or step top of your mat. Chest lifts and fold forward.

Inhale to rise up. Exhale to your heart. And just to make your way to Down Dog. Inhale to stretch up. Exhale to fold, lift to a flat back.

Step to plank. Lower halfway, lower to Up Dog. And exhale to Down Dog. From Down Dog, lift your right leg and open your hip. Take a moment, press the top of your left thigh bone back and see if you can ground the front of your left heel down.

Then coil your knee toward your nose. Step to your right thumb. As you drop your back knee this time, you'll keep your back toes rolled under and stretch up to Anjaneyasana. Hug your outer hips in, hug your belly in. Breathe in as you lengthen up, then lift your back knee as you run your arms alongside your hips, Dekasana.

Rise to Crescent, just with your hands at your heart. Establish your drishti, your gaze, on something that is not moving and then rise all the way up. Left knee to hip height, flex your foot. Reach down, bring your foot to the inside of your ankle if you're extra wobbly today or to the inside of your thigh. Hands to your heart in prayer.

Press your foot into your thigh, your thigh into your foot. Maybe stretch your arms overhead. And then hands back to your heart as your last knee comes forward. Come through Warrior III, press back through your heel, crown of your head forward, heart forward. Step back to Crescent, reach up as you inhale.

Open to Warrior II as you exhale, drop down into your right thigh. Flip your right palm, tip your Warrior back and circle your hands down. Step to Plank. Lower, inhale to Up Dog. Exhale to Down Dog, take a deep grounding breath in.

(inhales loudly) A deep grounding breath out (exhales loudly) lift your left leg up. Open up your hip. Press the top of your right thigh bone back, melt your heel toward the earth. Coil knee to nose, step to your left thumb. Keep your back toes under as you drop your knee.

Rise to Anjaneyasana. Gather all the length you possibly can here. Then Dekasana, run your arms back by your hips, lift your knee. Crescent Pose, hands at heart. Find an upright position, establish your drishti and then slowly come up to standing, right knee to hip height.

Reach down, foot to the inside of your thigh or ankle. Hands at your heart in prayer. (breathing loudly) Begin to stretch your arms all the way up if you like. (breathing loudly) Hands to heart as right knee comes forward. Come through Vira III, Warrior III.

Stand back through your right heel. Step to Crescent, inhale. Open to Warrior II, exhale, drop down into your left thigh. Flip your left palm, stretch up and back, breathe in. And hands down, step back to Plank, lower.

Inhale to Up Dog. Exhale to Down Dog. Step or spring top of your mat, lift your chest. Exhale to fold (exhales loudly). Inhale to rise.

Exhale to your heart. Root down through your right foot. Left foot to the inside of your ankle or thigh. Arms reach up right away for Tree. Invite in the signs of stillness but at the same time, embrace your wobbliness if it's present.

If you can, keep your arms extended, left knee forward, come back through Vira III. Reach through your arms, stand back through your heel. Step to Crescent Pose, just as we did before. Stretch up, inhale. Warrior II as you exhale.

Drop down into your right thigh. Soften your gaze out of your middle finger and pause here. (breathing loudly) Straighten your right leg. You can heel-toe your back foot in a couple of inches if needed, then stretch forward, hand to your shin or the earth, left arm stretches up. (exhales loudly) Ground through the four corners of each foot.

Left hand to your hip, look down and float up. Ardha Chandrasana. Reach your left hand up. And then option to play with hovering your right hand above the earth or even drawing your hands to your heart in prayer. Simply playing with your balance.

Step back to Warrior II. And hands down. Either move through a slow Vinyasa or step right back to Down Dog and rest. (breathing loudly) Stand to the top of your mat. Chest lifts.

Exhale to a fold. Inhale to rise up. Hands to your heart. Shift your weight into your left foot. Bring your right foot to the inside of your ankle or thigh and then arms stretch up right away.

Stand tall. (breathing loudly) Now stay within the breath, when we're feeling wobbly or we're feeling that our nerves get the best of us, the first thing to go is the breath so see if you can stay grounded in the breath as the right knee comes forward. Extend your leg all the way back through Warrior III. Stretch your arms forward, stamp back through your heel and then step to Crescent, inhale. Open slow Warrior II.

Exhale, breathe deep as you drop down into your thigh. (breathing loudly) Straighten your left leg, heel-toe your back foot in if you need to, stretch forward. Hand to your shin or slide it behind your left calf. Length through both sides of your waist. (breathing loudly) And then hand to the hip, float into Ardha Chandrasana.

And extend your arms away from one another really evenly, maybe hover the left fingertips, maybe draw your hands to your heart in prayer. Step back to Warrior II. And hands down, either a Vinyasa or right back to Down Dog. We'll meet in a Child's Pose. Stretch your arms forward.

Lift back to your Downward-Facing Dog. Make your way to the top of your mat. You can step or hop. Lift your chest and fold. Inhale to rise up.

Hands to your heart. One more Tree Pose, so shift your weight into your right foot. Left foot to the inside of the ankle or thigh. Bring your hands to your hips to just establish the hips are level, then circle your hands behind you. So interlace your fingers, roll your shoulder, hands back and draw your knuckles down, your hands away from your sacrum.

Hug your ribs into your core, navel to your spine so you're simply opening the shoulders not back bending. The last knee comes forward and you'll step right back to Vira I, keeping your fingers interlaced. Draw your knuckles down and lift your chest and then fold forward to the inside of your right leg for a Humble Warrior, drop your head. Take a few deep breaths. (breathing loudly) As you surrender here, hug your right hip back toward your left heel.

(breathing loudly) And stretch your arms up as you inhale. Warrior II as you exhale. Right hand forward to the inside of your ankle. Left arm stretches up. A full bind if you have it, reaching through, catching your wrist or your fingertips, rolling your left shoulder open.

A half bind is perfectly fine here. Just opening the chest, finding a little twist. And then left arm up, left hand down as you spin onto the ball of the back foot and tap your knee to the earth. Pull back, straighten your right leg and flex your foot. Pull your chest forward and then fold over the right leg.

Just drop your head. (breathing loudly) Bend back into your right knee. Step your left foot forward to meet your right. Chest lifts. Exhale to fold.

Inhale to rise. Exhale to your heart. Shift your weight into your left foot. Right foot to the inside of your ankle or a thigh. Hands to your hips, level the hips.

Then circle behind you. Draw your hands away from your sacrum. Engage at your navel. Hug your ribs in toward your core. Right knee forward.

Step to Vira I, so angle your right toes toward the upper right corner of the mat, ground, then lift, then fold. Drop your head. (breathing loudly) Inhale to stretch your arms up. Open to Warrior II. Stretch forward, hand to the inside of your ankle.

Right arm stretches high. Full bind if you have it. And open the right shoulder, gaze past your right shoulder. (breathing loudly) And as you unwind, hands to either side of your foot. Tap your back knee, pull back.

Straighten your left leg, flex your foot and then fold forward, dropping your head. (breathing loudly) And slide your left knee back to meet your right knee. Come into Balasana, reaching your hands back by your heels once again. And take a few breaths here, maybe a soft exhale out of your mouth. (sighs) And as you come on up, if you have a block, grab your block, if not, you could always use the support of some pillows or even hardcover books underneath your sacrum.

I'm going to scoot around here so you can see me better and as you come down onto your back, separate your feet hip distance as though you're coming into a traditional Bridge Pose and then place your block underneath your tailbone. So I like it at this level. You might want it flat. Some of you might stack two blocks if you have them underneath the tailbone but take a moment here, maybe place your hands on your belly for some extra grounding or arms by your sides. And close your eyes, soften the muscles of your face.

And take a moment to access stillness, to check in. You can begin to lift your legs up for a Viparita Karani. Now this might be my favorite post in the entire world. So if you have five minutes, perhaps pause and take those five minutes to ground here in this posture. You wanna make sure you feel supported so that could take a little play with the placement of the block, so you feel really grounded.

You can bring your arms by your sides. You can have your hands on your belly once again and then let go of any effort. So we take a few deep breaths here. (breathing loudly) As you breathe, see if you can make your breath more full, more expansive and use the breath as a way to lean in a little more into the present moment. So taking the time to ground is really about being responsible for our energy and the replenishment of that energy, caring for that energy and being mindful of what we need.

So take three more deep breaths. Good, and if you're not staying here for a while longer, bend your knees and slowly, slowly, slowly bring your feet back to the earth, using the strength of your belly to control this landing. Lift your hips up off of your block and slide your block out of the way. As you lower your hips down, heel-toe your feet a little wider and knock your knees together for a breath or two. (breathing loudly) You could roll to your side or simply rock up for a Paschimottanasana.

Place your palms on your thighs and ground your thighs down into the earth and slide your hands down your legs as you reach toward the outer edges of the feet and drop your head. (breathing loudly) Find the spaces that can soften a bit more, the shoulders, the jaw, the brow. Then you come on up. You'll roll all the way back down your spine. Separate your feet hip distance apart.

Arms by your sides, palms face up, and rest here in Savasana. And start to deepen your breath. And roll on over to your right side and rest your head on your bicep for a couple of breaths. And press on up to a comfortable cross-legged seat. Hands at your heart and bow your head, truly honoring your body, breath, and practice.

A deep breath in. (inhales loudly) A big sigh out. (exhales loudly) May there be peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in our world. Namaste.