Gentle Shoulders

Hi, thanks for being here. Lie down on your back. Feet flat on the floor, knees point towards the ceiling, and relax with your hands by your sides. Find your breath. Take both arms up, reach them straight towards the ceiling, and relax your shoulder blades down into the floor.

Move with the breath, and reach your right arm up towards the ceiling, as high as it can go, and exhale back down. Left arm up, inhale, exhale down. Right side again, then left. Two more on either side. Relax for a cycle of breath, and both arms up together, inhale, exhale, in, and exhale.

Three more. Keep your arms raised towards the ceiling. Stay with your breath. As you inhale, draw your right shoulder blade towards your right hip, and exhale to the neutral position again. Inhale your left shoulder blade towards your left hip, and exhale to neutral.

Right side again, inhale, exhale, inhale, and exhale. One more round, inhale, and exhale, and left shoulder blade, inhale, and exhale. And rest. Soften your arms as if you're holding a ball. Take a cycle of breath.

As you inhale, take your left hand above your head, and your right hand down towards your hip. Pause at the top of your inhale, and exhale, bring both hands to point towards the ceiling again. Soft elbows, relax fingertips, and inhale, right hand up overhead, left hand down by the hip. Pause at the top of your breath. Follow the exhale back to both arms reaching up.

Inhale again, right hand down, left hand up. And exhale, both hands to the ceiling. Other side, inhale, and exhale, both hands up. One more either side, inhale, left arm up, right hand down. Pause at the top of your breath, and exhale, both hands towards the ceiling.

Last one, inhale, right arm, overhead, left arm down, and exhale. Both arms again to this neutral position, both hands towards the ceiling, soft elbows, soft wrists. Exhales wide on an inhale, elbows, wrists, and fingertips down to the floor. And exhale, curl your fingertips towards each other, raise your arms so they come back to this elevated position. Exhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, and exhale.

And bend your elbows, take your hands on the floor, full arms on the floor, open wide. Take a breath in, exhale completely. Draw both shoulder blades down your back as you inhale, and exhale, release. Not a huge movement, little draw down your back, inhale, and exhale. And again, inhale, and exhale.

Take your hands to the side of your body again, curl your fingertips in, and thumbs up as if you are thumbing a lift. Follow the movement of the breath, as you inhale, tip your thumbs back to touch the floor. Pause at the top of your breath, and exhale, turn the thumbs the other way, top the floor. Pause and inhale again, and exhale. Feel the rhythm of your own breath.

Do more rounds. And bring your hands back to neutral, and relax. Bring your hands down so they are closer to your hips, about 6 inches away from your hips. Follow your breath with the movement of taking your arms overhead, palms face up. When the hands are at the ceiling, turn your palms, continue the inhale so they come over your head to the floor.

Pause and exhale. When the hands are towards the ceiling, turn your palms to the back of your hand, comes to the floor at the bottom of your exhale, and inhale. Last one, inhale, arms up, turn the palms when they are vertical, all the way behind your head. And exhale, come to rest again at the side of your hips. Take your arms wide again, take a full breath in, full exhale.

And find a spot for you between arms wide or a little closer to your hips, where you feel you can completely rest. Stay here for at least 10 full cycles of breath. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, eight, nine, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten. Take breath in again. As you exhale, curl your fingers, wrist, elbow, and shoulder across, slide your right hand down towards your left, and roll.

Start your inhale and move all the way back out. And exhale, curl up the left hand. Come across your body and roll, inhale wide again, exhale, right hand across the left. Allow your right hip to lift up, inhale, open wide, exhale. Next time lie right over on your right side, and rest.

Keep your hands on the floor, and use the strength of your arms to push yourself up to sitting with a soft neck. Slowly come up straight. Push your hands by your sides, and inhale, arms up. Exhale down. So the breath moves first.

Nobody follows. Rest on the midline as you exhale. Thank you for joining me in the practice, namaste.