Day 1: Lets Begin

Welcome to day one of the pain-free challenge. This will be the beginning of a practice of seven days and let's begin. We'll start in child's pose, knees together and if you're working with any kind of knee discomfort you can use a bolster to cushion and support so you're not compressing the knees too much and folding forward. If it's too much on your lower back you can stay on your forearms consciously slow your breath down. You'll feel the obstruction that your thighs create for your belly in breathing so let the breath move into the back following the sensation of your breath into the back of the throat, back of the heart, back of the belly, into the pelvic floor. With each exhale soften where your ribs and belly meet your thighs and let gravity press you down more, sliding your elbows out a little wider as you feel that sinking through the ribs. Each inhale as if you're coming out of the pose slightly, breath through the back. Each exhale re-release through the belly, through the ribs, even the shoulders releasing the head. As you feel fully supported by your legs you can take your arms behind you just resting them on the floor beside you. Let your forehead rest on the floor. Keep your breathing slow. Three to four second inhale, three to four second exhale. Each exhale as you feel that softening through the front body, gravity presses you flatter your spine naturally lengthens, sliding your forehead a little forward on the mat. One more slow inhale, slow exhale and now take the arms straight out to your sides in line with your shoulders. Walk the hands as far apart as you can. When you feel the arms fully extended gently press your palms flat. Same breathing through the back body, the full length of your torso. Each exhale soften through the front body, soften through the shoulders, collarbones drop a little, inch your hands wider. One more slow inhale, slow exhale and now bending your right arm like a push-up, turn your face to the right and slowly drop the right hip to the floor beside you. You can move the bolster out of the way as the hip reaches the floor. Breathe through the back following the breath into the right buttock. Each exhale soften where the ribs meet your thigh. Simultaneously lift your right shoulder a little higher, press the left shoulder a little lower. Each exhale diaphragm softens, feel your abdominal organs recede a little and simultaneously turn through the shoulders, turn through the waist. With an inhale come back to the center and then bending your left arm straight in your right, drop the left hip to the floor beside you. Lift your left shoulder away from the floor, release the right shoulder down towards the floor. Keep your breathing slow following the sensation of a breath into the left buttock. Each exhale softening where the belly and ribs meet your thigh. Simultaneously lift the left shoulder higher, right shoulder a little lower. Inhale back to the center and again to the right. Each inhale following the breath into the right buttock. Each exhale softening through the front body turning through the shoulders. Inhale back to the center and last one to the left. Keep the sound of your breath soft, the rhythm of your breath slow. With an inhale back to the center, walking the hands forward, releasing your head and walk the hands as far forward as you can, elbows off the floor. Breathe through the back, the full length of your torso. Each exhale soften your collarbones, armpits drop a little, inch the fingers forward. Each exhale you'll feel the front body softening, gravity pressing you flatter, shoulders releasing and simultaneous effort lengthening the arms. Inhale slowly sit up and then sitting cross-legged. As you sit cross-legged, most of us start here. I want you to push your feet away from you a little bit. With your hands on the knees, press the knees in and slide the feet apart so your feet and knees line up. Pull the flesh of the buttock away from your sit bones a little and place your hands on the floor in front of you, arms straight. Keep your head in line with your neck. So even if you're flexible here, start up and just feel the breath like you're still in child's pose. Moving through the back, spine rounding, skin spreading a little. On the exhale releasing the collarbones, armpits sink a little, simultaneously extend the spine from the back of your skull. Each inhale like you're coming out of the pose slightly with the breath, spine rounding, skin spreading. Each exhale releasing through the shoulders, extending through the back of the skull and if you want to go a little deeper, inch the fingers forward. Each inhale is like a pause assessing if you feel intense sensation anywhere in the body moving your breath into that spot. Each exhale softening into that spot, see if it creates any space. Releasing through the shoulders, extend through the back of the skull, inching the hands forward if you're going deeper. Only go as deep as you feel called to move in. If you've reached your max, you'll pause there and wait until the end of the pose. Those of you that have the range, keep walking the hands forward until your chest is resting on your legs and if you want with your chest supported, let your head drop. Each exhale re-releasing the collarbones, inching the hands forward, elbows off the floor. And inhale, sit up, change the crossing of your legs. Once again, making sure that the feet and knees line up and your shin bones are roughly parallel. If you're not used to sitting cross-legged like this, you may find a new relationship with your hips. Keep your breathing slow through the back body, feeling the skin spread, spine round. Each exhale, shoulders soften, armpits drop, diaphragm softens, abdominal organs drop, simultaneously spine extends from the back of the skull. As you feel your belly meeting the legs, each exhale soften where that connection is. Soften belly into legs, soften collarbones, armpits drop, inch the hands forward. If you're flat on your legs, let your forehead rest on the floor. With an inhale, sit up and if you're feeling if the hips are extreme, you can get a little elevation for your hips here and that takes a little bit of heat out of the hips. Also for this next pose, you may decide to use a block and we'll explore how to place the block in the post. Place your hands on the waist above your hip bones below the ribs and gently squeeze the side waist with your hands. Let your head fall forward and gently press your elbows forward. Breathe into the back of the heart, feel the skin across your shoulder blades spread. On the exhale, soften the top of the lungs, feel your heart drop a little. Notice as the heart drops, your head sinks a little further. Three to four second inhale, feeling the skin spread across your shoulder blades. Three to four second exhale, consciously softening the top of your lungs, heart sinks, throat softened, chin sinks. With an inhale, lift your head upright. Press your right hand in strongly and with an exhale, side bend to the right. If this is too extreme, you have a block now to support and take some of that intensity out of the pose. Let your head drop to the side, right ear dropping towards the shoulder. Breathe into the left lung, left shoulder and left side of the neck. On the exhale, soften the right ribs, gravity takes you lower. If the block needs adjusting, just flip it onto its side. It gives you a little more space to move. And as you feel comfortable there and you want to challenge yourself a little more, move the block out of the way and may take the elbow all the way to the floor. So wherever your elbows supported, block or the floor, pull the head back an inch. Release the left hand, extend the fingers down towards the floor. Pull the forehead back another inch. Slowly extend your chin forward. Slowly lift your head in line with your neck, turn your face, look up at the ceiling. Then slowly pull the chin in towards your throat, extend the back of the skull. And now take your left arm up, reach for the ceiling. If you want more, take the straight arm next to the ear, palm down. Each exhale, soften into the right ribs, feel gravity taking you lower. Bending your left arm, touch the back of your heart, pull the elbow back behind you. Then with the hand, cup the back of your skull, pull the head up, chin drops towards your throat, and release the full weight of your head into your hand.

Releasing the hand, clench your fist strongly, extend the elbow over the crown of the head, looking straight up at the ceiling. Then slowly turning your head, look straight down at the floor, extend the elbow more. Last, sweep the left arm behind your back, reach for the right wrist. Doesn't matter if you grab. As you look straight down at the floor, turn your heart up towards the ceiling. With an inhale, come back to the center. Readjust your hands on the waist, shoulders down, elbows forward. Pressing the left hand in strongly, exhale to the left. If you need the block, move it to the other side. Resting the elbow on the block, left ear dropping towards the shoulder. Breathe into the right lung, right shoulder, and right side of the neck. Exhale, soften the left ribs, gravity press, pressing you lower. If you need to adjust the block, adjust the block. And if you can go for the floor, move the block, elbow to the floor. Keep releasing your ear, left ear towards the shoulder. And pull your forehead back an inch. Release your right hand, extend the fingers down towards the floor. Pull the forehead back another inch. Slowly extend the chin forward. Slowly lift your head in line with the neck, turn your face, look up. Slowly pull the chin in toward your throat. Extend the back of the skull. Sweep the right arm up, reach for the ceiling. If you're going for more, arm next to the ear, extend through the fingers, palm down. And now bending your arm, touch the back of your heart, pull the elbow back behind you. With your right hand, cup the back of the skull, pull the head up, chin drops toward your throat. Release the full weight of your head into the hand. Releasing the hand, clench your fist strongly, extending the elbow over the crown of the head, looking straight up at the ceiling. And then slowly turning your face, look straight down at the floor, extend the elbow more. Last, sweep the arm behind your back, reach for the left wrist. As you look down at the floor, turn your heart up towards the ceiling. With an inhale, come back to the center. Re-adjust your hands on the waist, shoulders down, elbows forward. Head upright, tiny circles with your head. And now slow the head down, make the circles bigger. Go even slower if you meet any resistance in the neck, any stiffness. One more. Finish with your head falling forward. When your head is forward, re-release your collarbones, armpits drop a little, gently press the elbows forward, breathing into the back of the heart, spread the skin. Exhale, top of the lungs softens, heart drops, throat softens, chin drops, lean back a little. With an inhale, head upright, other direction, tiny circles. And then slow the head down, make the circles bigger. Mindful of any place of stiffness or resistance in your neck, going even slower. One more. Finish with your head falling forward. When your head is forward, re-release your collarbones, armpits sink a little, gently press the elbows forward. Each exhale, top of the lungs softens, heart drops, throat softens, chin drops. As you feel the head falling forward, lean back a little. With an inhale, release, head upright, place your hands on the thighs, palms down, and roll your shoulders. Inhale, coming up, exhale down. Inhale up, exhale down. One more, inhale up, exhale down. Turn the palms up, curl the wrists, pressing the top of the wrist into the top of the thigh, roll the shoulders back to front. Inhale up in the back, exhale down in the front. Inhale up, exhale down. One more. Up and down. Keeping your hands as they are, try to straighten your arms. Shoulders shrug up around your ears, pressing strongly into your legs, then slowly roll your head and change direction. And release. Arms straight out to the side, shoulder height, head upright. Release your collarbones, extend out through the fingers. Breathe into the front, side, and back of the lungs, the full length of your torso. Each exhale, re-release your collarbones, extend out through the fingers. You can lower your arms a little if it's too intense in your shoulders and just find that level where you can manage. And slowly turn your palms to face up, check your hands, make sure they're flat. Re-release your collarbones, extend out through the fingers, head upright.

Top of the hip bones gently, pressing forward without leaning forward. And now slowly pull your fingers down, press out through the heel of your palms. Re-release your collarbones. Slowly turn the fingers up, pull the tips of your fingers in towards your ears and press out through the hands. Shoulders passive, arms engaged. Slowly pull the arms back about a foot, spreading the skin across your chest. Slowly curl the wrists, curl the fingers like you could touch the underside of your forearms. And swing the arms forward till they're parallel. Re-release the shoulders, press through the wrists, breathe into the back of the heart, feel the skin spread across your shoulder blades. Each exhale, re-release your collarbones, press the wrists forward, simultaneously lift the back of the skull through the crown. Then slowly extend the fingers forward, turn the palms up, bend your arms, touch your shoulders, lift your elbows, walk your fingertips down the spine. And right hand grabs the left elbow, pull the left arm behind your head, sweep the right arm behind your back. Doesn't matter if you grab. If you're not binding, just extend your fingers, try to touch the fingertips. With an inhale, release forearms together again and then left hand grabs the right elbow, pull the right arm behind the head, sweep the left arm behind the back. If you can, binding. If not, fingertips extend. With an inhale, release forearms together again. See if you can walk your fingertips one vertebrae lower on the spine, try and press your elbows one millimeter closer behind your head. And now elbows out to the sides and as far back as you can, spread the skin across your chest. Curl the wrists, pump the fists and biceps. Interlock the fingers, press the palms up. With each exhale here, relax your diaphragm, feel your abdominal organs drop and simultaneously press the pans higher. Keep your breathing slow. If this is too much straight overhead, bring the arms forward a little. Keep releasing your collarbones, pressing out through the hands. If you want to take this into a back bend, slowly draw the hands back, whatever distance you can without exceeding that threshold of discomfort. Each exhale, focus on softening the top of your lungs. Feel your heart sink a little and simultaneously see if you can move the hands one millimeter back further. Only moving the hands if you feel the release in your chest. Releasing your hands now back to your shoulders, squeeze your elbows together in front of your nose. Squeeze them strongly. And then slide your fingers under your shirt. Curl the tips into the trapezius muscles. Keeping the elbows together, pull them down toward your navel. Raking the trapezius forward, slide the chin in toward your throat. Neck supported in the trapezius. Head at rest. And then slowly extend your chin up. With an inhale, bring your elbows up. Exhale the hands forward, palms up. Inhale the arms apart. Exhale, right arm crossing over the left, palm down. Inhale, arms apart. Exhale, left arm crossing over the right. Inhale, arms apart. Exhale, right arm over, left arm bending. Hug the arm into your chest. Inhale, release. Exhale, left arm over, right arm bending.

Hug. Inhale, release. Exhale, sweep the arms behind you. Palms face each other. Lift your hands. Lift your chest. Head upright. Turn the palms up. Curl the wrists. And then releasing the arms. Close your eyes. Hands in front of you like you're holding a beach ball in your lap. Fingers gently extending forward. Hands soft. And then slowly pressing the hands in like you're squeezing the ball between your hands. As the hands get closer, there's more resistance from that virtual ball pressing back. And as the hands get about an inch apart, you actually feel something pushing your hands apart. And then letting the hands come apart. Open your eyes. Hook your fingers strongly. Clench your fists strongly. Circle the wrists. Change direction. And release. And now let's move up onto our hands and knees. Have your knees wide near the edges of your mat. And arms straight, hands directly under your shoulders. And you can drop the hips forward. This is too much on your lower back. You can use a bolster and a blanket to rest your thighs for support. So you feel a little support on your lower back. Breathe through the back into the pelvic floor. Feel your hips lift a little. On the exhale, release the sphincter muscles and the skin below your navel. Feel your hips sink into the bolster. Press down into your hands. Lift up through the back of the skull. And now turn your right wrist over. Arms straight. If this is too intense on the wrist, move the hand closer to the bolster. Keep the arms straight. Weight even on both hands. And then curl the wrist. And release. Left hand. Turn the wrist over. Palm up. Arms straight. Hips sinking into the bolster. If it's too intense, move the hand closer to the bolster. And release. Remove the bolsters. Bring your knees in hip-width apart. Turn your palms down. Fingers pointing towards your feet. If you can, bring your hands together. If that's not happening for you today, you can work with the hands apart. Tuck your toes forward. Walk your knees back a little. And very slowly, sitting back, peel your palms off the floor. Fingers flat. Even if it's here. Just stop where you meet resistance. And anxiety is created if you go beyond. Stay here. Breathe through the back. Each exhale, release your collarbones. See if you can sink a little deeper. And now bending your arms, peel the fingers off the floor. If your knees are in the way, walk your knees back a little. Until the elbows hit the floor. If the elbows don't reach, remove the fingers. Drop the elbows and hook your fingernails into the mat. Gently press your wrists forward. Good. And release. Coming forward now with the hands, move into plank pose. Straight arms, straight legs. Hands directly under your shoulders, head in line with your neck. Keep your breathing slow. Pull the navel up a little, tailbone down a little. Slowly press back into downward dog. Walk the feet forward a little. Release your head. Each inhale, let the breath lift you out of the pose slightly. Spine rounding, skin spreading. Each exhale, hips and shoulders soften, arms and legs lengthen. And now slowly walk your hands back to your feet. When you're standing on your feet, grab your elbows and hang. Each inhale, let the breath lift you slightly out of the pose. Breathing through the back body. Each exhale releases sphincter muscles in the skin below your navel. Feel your internal organs recede a little, waist lengthens a little. If this is too much, you can use your hands on your feet. Keep your head released. If you can't reach your feet, hands on the shins. With an inhale, slowly stand, curling the spine up, head last, straight legs. When you're standing upright, move forward a little on your mat. Place your right foot in front of the left, line your feet up like you're walking a tightrope. Feet together. Head upright. Release your collarbones, extend down through the fingers. Lift the spine gently from the back of the skull. Close your left eye. Move your attention to your navel. The feet will wobble a little. If your bounce is steady, try closing both eyes. And release. Change feet.

Shift your weight forward a little so the weight is even front to back. Release your collarbones, extend down through the fingers. When your bounce is steady, close your right eye. Move your attention to your navel. If you feel steady at the navel, close both eyes. Keep your attention forced back at the navel. The feet will wobble. And release. Feet together. With an inhale, take your arms up. Palms together. Hold your breath. Touch the back of the heart. Still holding the breath. Touch the front of the heart. Exhale. Drop the head and arms. Curl the spine down. Hands to the shins, the feet, or the floor. Inhale. Gaze forward. Right leg points back. Front leg bends. Top of the back foot lands on the mat. Look up. Exhale. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Step back into dog pose. Slow. Inhale. Feel the breath lift you. Slow. Exhale. Hips and shoulders soften. They sink a little simultaneously. Lengthen the arms and legs a little. Doesn't matter how straight your legs are. Working the legs towards straight. One more breath. Inhale. Slow. Exhale. Slow. Holding the breath out. Come forward into plank. Still holding the breath out. Halfway down. Inhale. Roll over the toes. Upward facing dog. Exhale. Halfway down. Not all the way. Roll over the toes. Press back downward dog. Inhale. Lunge forward with your right foot. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Look up. Exhale. Back foot steps forward. Straight legs. Release your head and shoulders. Inhale. Standing. Curling the spine up. Head last. Arms up. Gaze up. Exhale. Lower your hands. Again. Inhale. Arms up. Hold your breath. Touch the back of the heart. Still holding the breath. Touch the front of the heart. Exhale. Drop the head and arms. Curling the spine down. Hands on the shins feet or the floor. Inhale. Gaze forward. Left leg reaches back. Front leg bends. Top of the back foot hits the mat. Look up. Exhale. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Step back. Dog pose. Inhale slowly. Exhale slowly. Hips and shoulders soften. Arms and legs lengthen. Release your head. One more. Inhale. Exhale. When you're empty, hold the breath out. Coming forward in the plank. Still holding the breath.

Halfway down. Inhale. Roll over the toes. Upward dog. Exhale. Halfway down. Roll over the toes. Press back. Downward dog. Inhale. Lunge forward with your left foot. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Look up. Exhale. Back foot steps forward. Straight legs. Release your head and shoulders. Inhale. Standing. Head last. Curling the spine up. Arms up. Gaze up. Exhale. Lower the hands. With an inhale, take the arms up. Palms together. Hold the breath. Touch the back of the heart. Touch the front of the heart. Exhale. Drop the head and arms. Curl the spine down.

Inhale. Gaze forward. Right leg back. Front leg bends. Look up. Exhale. Roll over the toes. Step back. Exhale until you're empty. When you're empty, hold the breath out. Coming forward into plank. Halfway down. Inhale. Roll over the toes. Up dog. Exhale. Halfway down. Roll over the toes. Press back. Down dog. Inhale. Lunge forward with the right foot. Roll over the toes of the left foot. Look up. Exhale. Back foot steps forward. Straight legs. Release your head and shoulders. Inhale. Standing. Head last. Curling the spine up. Arms up. Gaze up. Exhale. Lower the hands. Last one. Inhale. Arms up. Hold your breath. Touch the back. Touch the front.

Exhale. Drop the head. Curl the spine down. Inhale. Gaze forward. Left leg reaches back. Front leg bends. Look up. Exhale. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Step back into dog. Exhale until you're empty. Hold the breath out. Coming forward in the plank. Halfway down. Inhale. Up dog. Exhale. Halfway down. Roll over. Press back. Inhale. Lunge forward with the left foot. Roll over the toes of the back foot. Look up. Exhale. Back foot steps forward. Straight legs. Release your head and shoulders. Inhale. Standing. Head last. Curl up. Exhale. Lower the hands. Bending your knees. Drop down. Into Virasana. Knees together. Feet apart. If you need support, put the bolster and or the blanket if you need more. And sit. Sitting upright. Hands resting. Head balanced directly over the neck and you feel almost weightless with the head. Breathing into the front side and back of the lungs. The full length of your torso. Each exhale. Simultaneous release through the shoulders, chest, and belly. Gentle extension through the back of the skull. Arms passive. Shoulders heavy. Then take your hands to the floor behind you. Lean back a little. Shoulders press forward towards your knees. Kind of wiggle your butt a little bit so the flesh of their buttocks is free. Keep breathing through the backs. Especially the kidneys here. Each exhale. Soften the diaphragm. Abdominal organs drop. Soften the top of the lung. Heart drops. And if you feel gravity pulling you lower, walk the hands a little wider. If you want to take your head back, let the head rest in the trapezius. Neck supported. Chest dropping. Belly soft. Internal organs dropping. With an inhale coming up. Keeping your butt on the bolster or the floor, walk your hands forward. Straight arms. Pressing into your hands. Relax your belly. Organs drop. Extend the spine from the back of the skull. Each inhale. Spine rounding. Skin spreading. Each exhale. Call everyone. Soften. Arm pits drop. Inch the hands forward more. Keep your sitting bones dropping. Shoulders dropping. Spine extending. If your ribs are meeting your thighs, each exhale soften that connection between the rib and thigh. And if you feel the ribs fully supported, let your forehead drop. With an inhale, sit up. And now moving to the floor, move the bolster out of the way. And laying down on your back. Pull your knees to your chest. Wrap the arms around the legs if you can, grabbing the elbows. If you can't grab the elbows, just grab the wrists. Pull the chin down towards your throat. And gently rock your legs side to side. And releasing the feet to the floor, grab the bolster. And slide the bolster under the top of your leg where the front of the bolster meets your buttocks and the head of the hamstring is supported. The backs of the knees are unsupported. Your arms go out to the side, a foot away from your body with the palms turned up. Your eyes are closed. And if you'd like an eye pillow, grab an eye pillow. Adjusting the fill inside the pillow so it's heavy across the upper eyelids. And then releasing the hands of the floor, palms turned up. Pull the chin down a little towards your throat. Keep the neck long. And then completely release arms and legs. Feel your bones at rest. Feel your internal organs at rest. Breathing through the back body like the floor was part of your lungs, the full length of your torso. Each exhale, diaphragm, softens abdominal organs drop. Top of the lungs softens, heart drops. Keep your breathing slow. Three to four second inhale. Three to four second exhale. The sound of your breath should be soft. The texture of your breath should be smooth. When you feel your bones deeply at rest, notice how the space inside all the joints of the body open a little. With each exhaling breath as the bones get heavy, gravity pulling them down. You feel this subtle opening into the joints of your hands, the fingers, the feet, the toes, the knees, the elbows, the hips, the shoulders. Keep your attention with the breath, the rhythm, the sound, and the texture. With each cycle of breath, the connection you have with the floor gets even more intimate and the separation, the boundary between your body and the floor starts to get fuzzy. It's hard to tell where your body stops and the floor begins. Then turn the gaze of your eyes down as if you're looking under your cheekbones. As the eyes settle looking down, consciously soften the optic muscles behind your eyes and feel the weight of the eyeball dropping deep into the sockets. Each exhale feeling gravity pulling you, embracing the earth more intimately beneath you.

If you have any discomfort in your body now, let the sensation of your inhale move into it and feel the subtle expansion of your breath pressing into your discomfort gently. Each exhale soften into your discomfort, feel the space that subtly opens around it and visualize gravity pulling your discomfort down into the ground beneath you. Slowly bend your knees, slide the bolster out, roll to your right, let the eye pillow slide off your face resting your head on your right arm and grab the bolster and place it in between your legs in line with the shin bones so that upper knee and foot are supported, upper arm resting on your side body. Keeping your eyes closed, slowly make your way up to sitting. Use the bolster under your butt if you need it to sit comfortably. Hands resting on your knees, head upright, breathing into the front side and back of your lungs, shoulders heavy, arms passive. Keep the spine engaged lightly from the back of the skull. Find the same quality of stillness sitting as you had reclining in Shavasana. And then slowly bring your hands together at your heart. Keep the touch of your hands so light it's hard to tell if you're touching or not touching. Feel the warmth passing between the flesh and let the warmth of the hands feed your heart. Feel the warmth passing between hands and heart and back from heart to hand. Thank you for sharing your practice. Namaste.