Circular Vinyasa

(waves gently crashing) So this is a circular flow, and it's great if your mind is spinning. It will help kind of tune you back in and center you. Great for getting started in the morning. Also to wind you up and get you powered up for the day. I love it 'cause it grounds me, and it gets me into my hips and releases my low back, so let's do this.

So we're gonna start on our backs. And as you recline, just start to sink into the mat. Bring the soles of the feet together, like a butterfly. I just like saying that. And let's place the hands on the belly, so that you can really tap into your center.

And, take some deep, grounding breaths. Just feeling the arms of the earth open up and cradle your energy, your, and you start to slow down. Feeling the belly expand as though your energy was radiating out from the center, and then contract, and bringing you a little deeper into the center of yourself. As you feel the breath moving, it's almost as if it's moving from a pinpoint of light and then radiating outward like rays of sunlight. Then scan the body for any peripheral stress, and just kind of give yourself permission to relax a little deeper into the grooves of the mat.

And then feeling the energy radiating out from the center, sweep the arms out like a big yawn. (hearty yawning) I always like to make sound effects. As (laughing) you exhale, scoop the knees in towards your chest. Now we start to feel the back of the navel. Digging a deep well into the earth here.

And then as you start to breathe, circle the pelvis, and feel that you're digging this deeper and deeper well, in the sand, maybe. Just sensing, this easy massage. And then, super mellow, just switch the direction of your circles. I'm checking in to make sure you're breathing. And then draw the knees in, give it a little cuddle.

A little self-love goes a long way, so, take that opportunity. And then plant your feet on the floor. And again, big inhale, exhale, navel, center, drains down into the earth. Empty, empty, empty it all out. Root through the soles of the feet, curl up.

Sweep the arms up and overhead. And then as you exhale, just pour back down one vertebrae at a time, feeling the navel sink. And then just take it out twice more. Inhale, rooting through the feet, rising, rebounding up and out of the heart. And then exhale, dripping back down, one vertebrae at a time.

This last one, we'll lift up, and press the backs of the hands into the earth. Glide the shoulders down the back, and then it gets groovy. We're gonna circle the hips. Oh, now it begins. So you start to scoop down, shift the hips to the right, up to the sky, to the left, and just easy massage.

And then switching directions, taking a couple in the other direction. And you start to feel your glutes kind of turn on a little bit here, the hamstrings start to wake up. Come back to center, and float back up one more time. Palms by your side. Maybe interlace the hands and carve the shoulder blades around the back of the heart.

Press into the heels. Take the deepest breath of the day. Inhale. Exhale. Drain it all into the back of the navel, and then release the arms, lift the heels, and massage back down.

Here's another chance for that hug as you draw the knees into your chest. And then gently, plant yourself, and roll over to your side. A little fetal position moment. And then pull your heart into your hand and press up towards the seated. I feel better already, so (laughing) from here, we'll come to all fours.

Just crawling your way. Hands underneath your shoulders. And then on an inhalation, glide the heart forward. Shrug the shoulders down the back. And as you exhale, scoop, hug, and hollow, drawing the navel into the spine, scooping into that well of the back body.

And then inhale again, just gliding forward, starting to sense the spine flow. So the spine just flows like a river, just nice and easy. And then from here, scoop and hollow it out. Find neutral. There really is no neutral, right?

It's all (laughing) so hard. Find neutral as much as you can here, and as you lengthen, start to stir the head and the tail in opposite directions. This is when it gets weird, right? So you just start to stir it up a little bit, and the body and the mind, kinda swirl. After you take one more, just switch the direction.

Just a little tricky to kinda orient at first. We can do that all day 'cause it feels good. Shrug the shoulders. Exhale, hollow back into child's pose. Come to your fingertips, and then bow.

And settling the hips down towards your heels. Feel like you're pulling the shoulder blades into the body a little. And then feel the belly on an inhalation swell towards your thighs. And then as you exhale, soak the belly into the back body. Let the tail drop like an anchor.

Release the palms, feeling the flow of the heart into your hands, and just start to let this sway side to side. Just like a, you're flowing in a tide pool here. Massaging the third eye, and just grounding your thoughts when you start to feel like you're spinning out. And then the next time you shift to your right, let that inspire a weight shift back towards all fours. And then you'll scoop on down towards cobra, and open the heart.

As you exhale, shift the hips to the left, and press back towards child's pose. Inhale, sensing the path of the navel as you shift right. Lowering, and just kind of scooping on through. Easy cobra, and then shift left, and massage back to the child's pose. Taking that twice more, inhale.

And exhale. Inhale. Diving through, exhale. And then pause. Come back to your fingertips.

Anchor your mind. Notice the difference in the hips. Empty it all out as you exhale. Then shift the tide to the left. Scoop and splash on through.

Mellow cobra, easy through the neck. And then shifting off to the right, and back. And just three more, easy circles. Left. Slither.

Right. Ground. Left. Slither, it's just fun to say. And right.

And ground. And then pause. Take the elbows forward. Offering up an intention here just to really like you're smoothing everything out. And then, rather than spinning out, you're centering, consciously.

Expanding from the center, radiating energy out. Circling the wrists. Offering up that prayer. And then crawling back forward. Pressing into your strength for plank pose.

And then from plank, pedal back into downward facing dog. Then just giving yourself full permission to use your paws, and just kind of tread through the hands. Tread through the feet. Spread the energy out. Deep breath in.

Exhale, smooth to empty. And then feeling the river of the spine flow, you'll push up and out of the balls of the feet. Ripple through a wave, come to the top of one foot, top of the other food, shrug the shoulders, and just reconnect here. And then as you exhale, hollow through the navel, scoop back one foot, the other foot, downward facing. We'll try that a couple more times.

Just easy flow rising up onto the balls of the feet. One foot, other foot. Let the hips soften and the heart rise. And then exhale, scoop it back. One more, inhale, rising up.

Massaging through the spine, flowing it forward. And then exhale, scoop it back. Inhale. Exhale, child's pose, empty it into the earth. Surrender, walk your elbows forward.

Bow humbly. Circle out the wrists. Breathe. Inhale, extending forward, building back into plank. And then we'll let this circle as well, so sense the navel, and the path of the navel here.

As you shift the hips to your right, you'll roll over the knife edges of both feet. Then you'll scoop forward into upward facing dog, so the thighs don't touch the floor. This is where it gets tricky, and (laughing) as you exhale, you'll scoop the hips to the left. Just kind of wag your tail back, and come to downward facing. So try that three more times.

Inhale, you'll shift right. Hips go right, topple one foot. Other foot. Upward facing, and then shift sway left, and swing it on back, downward facing. Inhale, shift the hips to the right.

Roll over the knife edges of the feet. It's a nice warmup for the feet as well. And then reinvent yourself in your upward facing dog. Shift to the left, and swing it on back. Last one in this direction.

Inhale, seamless. Sort of sweep forward. Exhale, back. Take one big breath. Roll the shoulders, wrap outer arms down.

Reconnect navel to the spine, and then sway left. It feels really nice on the outer hips. Nice little release through the low back as well. Inhale. Shift left.

Scoop through, feeling this current of energy underneath the whole body that presses you back. Last one. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale, float back to downward facing dog.

Shrug it off. Bend both knees, and then, nice and easy, step one foot. Oh, that's a big step! The other foot forward! And then exhale, ragdoll, bend your knees. Hips width through the feet, and then let the navel kind of circle here, and just dangle. Let the spine just pour.

Let your arms go. And then allow the next wave of breath to just wash over your mind. Pour it all out. So, slow and easy, press down through the feet. Really anchor through the roots of the feet.

Drop the tail, and then ripple up like a wave. Belly, then ribs, and then chest, slowly arriving, uttanasana. Inhale, sweep the arms out and up, like a big yawn, and then as you take your exhalation, the right arm's gonna soften down by your side. Just tilt up and over to the right, easy side bend. Take the left hand to your right ear, and then you come across in this lovely little release through the upper trapezius.

Let all this melt away, and then circle down, bending the knees, emptying back into the earth, forward fold. Roll up belly, ribs, chest, igniting through the center. Inhale, like rays of sunlight. Plug into the sun, and then drip the left arm down the side body. Little side bend.

Right hand, left ear. Tilt up and over to the right. Let the stress go. Bend your knees. Melt down, right side.

Round, forward fold. And then roll it up. Inhale, sweep the arms out and up right away. And then exhale, side out. Forward fold, bending the knees.

Empty. Come to your fingertips and then launch your heart forward, straightening through the legs. Uttanasana. Exhale, forward fold, step back. Plank.

Downward facing dog. So then using the sort of essence of this circular pattern here, we're gonna ripple forward, and come through to upward facing dog. Then, roll over your left shoulder, sit off to your left glute, and then sweep across, and then, ta-da! You're sitting, it's exciting. The right leg is on top of the left. Inhale for this asymmetrical paschimottanasana variation, and then just empty it all out.

Take a deep breath in. And then you just take a little turn over your left shoulder, diving back down through a wave to cobra to up dog, and then, oh, it's back, other side. You're gonna sit off to your right hip. Legs are stacked. Left leg sucks back in a little bit, and then inhale, exhale, forward fold.

And your forward fold might be more of a forward tilt, but goose the hips back, and really see if you can bow into this any amount. Deep breath, and then rinse back over your right side. Dive on in cobra, walk up into up dog, and then scoop back downward facing. Inhale, step your feet together at the back of the mat. Extend the right leg high to the sky, and then massage it forward, knee to nose, and step it on through.

Coming into a low lunge, so take the back knee down. Inhale, lengthen up, big circle. Arm sweep down, fingertips on the floor, and then you're gonna scoop back, hollow out, hamstring stretch. That felt so good, we're gonna do it a couple more times, so shift forward into your lunge. Big breath, exhale, hollow it all out.

Inhale, shifting. Big sweeping circle. Use your fingertips. Lift through the upper back, and then dive back down, plant your palms. Plank, right to down dog.

Inhale, ripple through a wave, upward facing. Shrug it off. This time, we're gonna roll to the left hip. It gets fancy. The right leg's gonna bend, and now we just twist it out.

Flexing through, nice strong, straight left leg. Try not to sink back but to really motivate a nice, long line through the spine, and then just shrugging over that right shoulder. Deep inhale. Exhale. And then turning.

Diving back in. Cobra or up dog. And then you'll shift to the right. And sweep across. Draw the left leg in.

Sit nice and tall. Turn and look around the left shoulder. Breathe it all in. Lengthen. Scan the neck and shoulders for any extra drama.

There's always drama. And then gently dive back through. Upward facing. Downward facing. Pause.

Shrug the shoulders, gather the feet together. Inhale, left leg paints the sky. Massage it forward and through. Plant your right knee. Inhale, sweep up.

Exhale, flex back, hamstring stretch, bow. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

And then thread it back. Push off, step back, downward facing. Look forward, bend your knees. Then it's a light step, right foot to the top of the mat. Left foot to the top of the mat.

Halfway up, bring your feet together, bow. Sweep the arms out and up. And then exhale, ha. (hearty exhaling breath) Bringing the hands back to heart. One more round.

Little variation here. Sweep it out, reach up. Exhale, haaa. Pour like a waterfall forward. Inhale, offer your heart.

Exhale, plant your palms, step back, left leg, right leg. Top of a push-up. Pike back into downward facing dog. Inhale, right leg lifts. Bend your knee, open your hip.

Maybe circle out your ankle. Like you're just high-fiving the sky there. And then square it all off. Step the right leg forward and through to a high runner's lunge this time. Sweep out, and up.

And then circle the arms down. Find the floor with your fingertips. Maybe flex through the front foot. Inhale, hips width. Reach out and up.

Exhale, circle like a big yawn. Fingertips. Hollow out the low belly, flex through the right foot. And then weight shift it forward. One more big lift.

Sweep back. Flex through. Square it off. And then bow forward high on your fingertips. Spin the left toes in and flat.

Heel to arch alignment. And then I'm gonna cartwheel up. Oh, warrior two feels so good! Reverse your warrior. Ah, so nice. Circle on down to parsvakonasana.

That's fancy talk for place your right elbow on your right thigh. And then we're gonna drop swing the left arm and do that three more times, reverse. Scoop it in, navel extends out into the limbs. And I'm drop swinging, warrior two. Reverse.

Circle, right elbow, right thigh. Last one. I think. (coyly laughing) Circle. (strained grunt) Back to warrior two.

And then cartwheel the arms, right arm, left arm. Right arm swims over again, and then our big finish. The right left lifts high. Bend your knee, open your hip. From here, pull forwards towards the top of a push-up, and just as we are rolling off to the side before, roll on off, and you could even sit down, and that is really relaxing, actually, so maybe sit it down, and then pick it back up as you anchor through the knife edge of the left foot.

Circle back through. Downward facing dog. Splash on through upward facing dog. I don't know if you noticed, but we're skipping chaturanga today. That's nice.

Exhale, hollow back to downward facing dog. Inhale. Exhale, three breaths. Let your hug go. Feel the front body lifting into the back body a bit, so you're not collapsing.

Inhale, feet together, left leg paints the sky. Exhale, step it on through. High lunge, hips width. Press into that back leg, inhale, reach up. Exhale.

Square it all off, fingertips, flex through the front foot. Inhale, shift it forward. Like a wave, exhale, up and over. Flex through. Inhale.

And exhale. And then shift it forward, come into your lunge. Adjust your stance for warrior two. Front heel back arch, and then scoop that left cheek in as you cartwheel up. Inhale, virabhadrasana two.

Flip the palm, reverse your warrior here. Scoop and hollow it all out, anchor it in the back leg. Left elbow. And I drop swing, sweep up. Reverse.

Parsvakonasana, breathing. Extended side angle. Sweep. warrior two. Reverse.

Circle. Breathe in. Breathe out. Reversal, cartwheel back down. Take that left arm back up and over again.

Step back through your plank to down dog, and then sweep the left leg up. Inhale. Bend your knee, open your hip. Circle it out. Breathe.

From here, pull and shift the weight forward. Come to the knife edge of the opposite foot, and you just roll off to the side. Again, if you just need to sit down, sit down. And then kick it back up. Gather from your center.

And then circle it back around. Downward facing. Inhale. Upward facing. Exhale.

Knees. Child's pose. Let it all go. Circle out the wrist. Let the body sway.

And just feeling all that energy you've been building. And slow and easy, roll up. Take a deep breath in. Feeling the energy just shifting from the center and radiating outward as though the energy can't be contained by your skin. So draw the hands to the belly, and just take a couple deep breaths.

Feeling all of that energy now grounding you back into the center of yourself. Gently twist and open to your left side. You could stay here, nice and gently breathing, or you might come to the fingertips of the left hand, and then scoop up towards a little camel variation, and then, ohhh, massage it forward. Twisting to the right. Staying, or perhaps, suction cup fingertips with the right hand, and then sweeping across, hinging at the hips, and carving the shoulder blade into the back body.

And then this just rinses. Side to side inhale. And exhale. Inhale. Little rebound.

One more. Let it breath you back to center, curling the toes under, sitting on the balls of the feet, 'cause that's always a really good time. Everyone loves this part, yeah? But not for long, so we'll come on up, inhale, hips width. When walking the hands, and I like just to massage here, using hands as fists, and kind of kneading down the back body as you gather the inner thighs together.

Kiss the elbows together, and then maybe keeping the gaze forward, or continuing this full circle of energy as the navel lifts upward and inward, and you start to drop back. Fingertips to the heels. And we'll be here about 30 minutes. We won't. Four days, we're gonna be in this pose for four days, so stay with it.

Stay focused, deepest breath of the day, right here, right now. And then exhale, zip it up, right up from the center. Enjoy the head rush. That's a good crack I got. I hope my leg doesn't fall off.

I might be broken. From here, shrug the shoulders. Empty it back into the earth. And we'll slow and easy come onto our backs. So it's similar to how we began.

Just drawing the legs in. Oh, and noticing what has shifted, what has changed. Circle it out. What is present. And switch the direction of your circles.

And give yourself a big hug. Threading the arms through the legs, holding on to the knife edges of the feet, for happy baby pose. And I like to rock my baby a little bit here. And all happy baby sounds are welcome. (gleeful baby-like crying) As you shift side to side.

Bringing the soles of the feet together, like a butterfly, just pause here. (hearty exhaling breath) Kinda gently. Drawing the feet back down to the floor. Hands on the thighs, tractioning the thigh bones away from the hips. Just feeling all that space you've created in the back of the body and low back so open.

Heel-toe the feet together, and we've come full circle. As you come to bhadda konasana, butterfly position, take one hand to your heart, and one hand to your belly, and sense the circle, from your center, to your heart. Breathing into the vibration. As you take the deepest breath of the day, imagine this pinpoint of light at the navel center expanding outward. And then as you exhale, feel that radiance coming back into the center of yourself.

At the bottom of the exhale, be still. As you gently start to reawaken, lay your feet on the floor. Then roll over to your right side in fetal positions. Reconnecting. Nobody really wants to get up.

I don't want to get up, either. You never want to get up. This should be the longest part, you know? Press on up, 'cause you can do it. Come to sit with the legs crossed.

Take your hands back to your belly, and close the eyes for another breath or two. As you are seated in acceptance, grounded in the healing quality of your breath, centered in an open heart. Bring the hands to your heart in prayer and this offering, namaste.