Grounded Ease

Namaste and welcome back. Let's get started today on our backs. Moving into Constructive Rest Pose, bring your feet slightly wider, in fact quite a bit wider than your hips, so that you can knock your knees in to the midline. Settle in to your support and close your eyes or keep your eyes soft with a soft gaze. Just take a moment to feel your body on the earth. Sense its heaviness, its weightedness as you commit to your practice today. Feel your feet on the floor, feel the back of the head, the spine, and the sacrum. And then go ahead and bring your hands to your belly. Where the hands go, the mind will follow. Just simply inhaling and exhaling out of the belly with gentle, loving attention. Feeling the gentle rise and fall of the breath. Noticing any reluctance in the body to settle onto the earth. Perhaps any places in the body that feel tight, maybe some places in the body that feel more open than usual. And notice your mind. Often when we're depressed it's really hard to be supported, welcomed, and nourished by someone else. So this practice is so lovely because just let the earth hold you. Just let the earth support you and you feel steady and connected. And when you're ready just bring your hands up to your, it's up to the rib cage. And again with the support of the earth just gently inhale, expanding the rib cage and exhaling and releasing. Like one of those bellows in a fireplace, right? Inhaling to expand and exhaling to release. Gentle, no forcing allowed.

Nice. And finally just bringing your hands to your heart for a moment. Inhaling and exhaling out the heart as though the heart had a nose all of its own. You may feel a different quality of the breath perhaps as you inhale and exhale out of the heart. First within this space where your true nature lives, which is healing, good, and joyful. And now maybe I invite you to set an intention or a goal. We like to call those sankalpa in Sanskrit. That simply means to think of a goal, something that you would like to attain in the next six to twelve months. And voice it in your mind very specifically, but as though it has already happened. So instead of perhaps saying, I want to be, or I plan to be, or I hope to be, this is an I am statement. Repeating it to yourself three times with complete conviction. And very slowly release your hands. And this time we're going to roll on to the right side of the body and extend your arms long so that they meet. It's gonna be a very gentle spinal twist. I'd like for you to just kind of feel the body as you inhale to open and you exhale to release. So enjoy the journey just moving the arm, the hand all the way up the arm, all the way up the chest and open and close up. And again just inhaling to open and this time just rest here. If your shoulders a little cranky and not willing, go ahead and just bring that arm down a little bit or bring your knees up. Gazing up at the ceiling is sweet or moving your head toward your outstretched arm. Yogi's choice. Then opening up into butterfly pose for a moment adjusting your hips and taking a couple nice sweet breaths here and then moving to the other side. And again stacking the hands and as you're ready inhaling to open and exhaling to close. Really luxuriate this movement. Just opening up and closing on the exhale. One last time. Slow and luxurious. Keep it open now and again listen to the needs of your shoulder either taking it out straight with that arm or bringing it down a little bit more toward your body. Facing up toward the ceiling or moving towards your outstretched hand. And then on your next inhale just adjust your hips and then exhale into butterfly pose for just a couple of breaths. Nice. So what we're doing here is we're just beginning to just move the body in all different ways to bring the intention the mind and your support into the body itself. So now just bringing your heels a little bit closer in so that they're in line with your sitting bones. Really small movements. On the inhale go ahead and arch your back so you have a nice little space between your lower back and the mat and then exhale and softly round and curl up. Tiny little movements. Yeah inhale. Little cat cow on the mat. Keeping the knees in alignment and as you curl up the knees will go toward the center of the room. Nice. And if it feels interesting you can go ahead and go up a little bit higher and curl down and arch. I like to exhale on the round and inhale on the arch. One last time and hey exhale up and gently come on down. Lovely. And then just bringing your knees into your chest. Let's rock and roll side to side for a moment. Feeling the sacrum on the floor. And now just getting a little bit more energy into that spine. Bringing your hands behind your thighs to start to rock and roll up. Little by little. As much fun as you want. And on this last one coming into Sukhasana and gently dropping the head. And a feeling. Those hips. Feeling the hands on the floor as you press back onto the sitting bones. And one last time. Tell me if this doesn't get the energy going. You don't know what. It'll cross the other leg. And move forward again. Nice. Nice. And then very slowly find your way onto your hands and knees. And so from all fours just go ahead and press back onto your heels. Taking a blanket for your knees if that feels appropriate.

Closing your eyes or keeping your eyes soft. Relax. And now here we go. Inhale those arms up. Coming up to kneeling. Exhale. As you come back down. Inhaling up. Raising up above. And then exhale home as you release back down to your heels. Last time. Inhale. Really look up. A gentle back bend as you raise those arms overhead. And exhale home as you come down. Lovely. Let's add on to that. Slightly different. We're going to inhale those arms up. Coming up to kneeling. Exhale home into child's pose. Inhaling to a little upward-facing dog. Just gently up and hum it all the way back down. And lift. And release. Lovely. Let's do that again. Inhaling up to kneeling. Hum it down into a child's pose. Coming up to upward-facing dog. And hum it right back down. And lift. And release. Last time. Really big movements now. How big can you be to hold all that you are humming? Inhaling. Exhaling. And lift. And release. And breathe. Just feeling the energy from the little sun salutations. Feel your skin. Feel what's moving in the body. Lovely. Then releasing. Let me move the blanket now. And coming back to our hands and knees. Simply take the right foot between your hands. Gonna move it around a little bit until you're comfortable. Curl the back toes under and come to Uttanasana. Standing forward bend. Holding onto your elbows if you like. Kind of moving. And release the hands. Drop the head. And now on your next inhale.

Just take a nice deep inhale. Exhale the sitting bones down toward the ground. Bring one hand to one thigh, one hand to the other. Inhale again. Exhale as you come up to standing. And keep just inhale the arms all the way up to the sky. And exhale into Tadasana. And notice. And here we are upright. So we're gonna keep going. And this time we're just gonna inhale. We'll exhale with sound. So the inhale comes. You take those arms up to the sky once again. Exhale and float down to Uttanasana with a nice mmm. Inhale halfway up. Exhale down once again with an mmm. And inhale all the way up to Tadasana. All the way lifted with those arms up up up. And exhale hands to prayer. Lovely. Let's do that again. Just inhaling all the way up. Exhale swan dive over with a big mmm. Lift the chest a little bit on that. Inhale as you come halfway up. Exhale all the way down with a mmm. And inhale one more time. Up up up up up up up. And exhale hands to heart. And last time now inhaling up. Arms up overhead to a nice little backbend this time yeah. And exhale up and over with a nice mmm. Inhale halfway up. Really finding that length between the crown of the head and that tailbone. And one more big old mmm as you take it down to Uttanasana mmm. Inhaling all the way up up up up up. And exhale and release. They just feel the energy of the body. You can feel from the foot feet all the way up through the crown of the head. Ground down into your feet as you raise your hands. Just the back of your head. Just raise it a little bit higher. Opening the clavicles. See them smiling. And open your eyes. Let's just go ahead and get a nice wide stance here. Kind of own our space. Yeah. Once again how big can you get to hold everything that you feel? We'll turn the right foot out and the left foot much where it where it stands. Take a look at that left foot and invite her in. Really feel the strength of those legs. And from here from that strength from the back of your heart just float those arms up. And exhale and bend right into warrior. And do that again inhaling up. Now dance those arms long. Inhaling up and dance them long. Last time inhaling them up. And this time just kind of wimp out the arms a little bit. Now feel that and now expand your reach. Expand your worth. Nice.

Nice. And come on up. Let's do the other side. In and that left foot out. Yeah. Again take a look at that right leg. Really invite her into the equation. Strong. Beautiful legs holding you up. Take those arms up from the back of your heart. And this time exhale them into cactus pose. Nice. Really press into that back leg. Do that again. And ah just for fun let's lie in it. Take it up. Yeah get those. Bug out those eyes. So attractive. Do it again. Oh I love it. And then just grow those arms. Wimp wimp wimp. No. Expand expand your reach. Yes. You're no longer in the past. You're not craving the future. You are here in your power as we come up. Lovely and just pigeon toe those feet. Take a look up and very very slowly come on down. You can turn out your feet a little bit as you just move the energy from side to side. Nice. And then committing to the pose. Really pressing through your feet. Lift up halfway. And how about a big yes. Nice. Release. And then really bend the knees as you turn the toes out. One hand on one thigh. One hand on the other and come on up. And move to the top of your mat. Ah and feel beautiful. Take those arms up once again. We're so into sound. Just hum it all the way down. Lovely. Halfway up. Take it all in. Exhale all the way down. And just take your right foot straight back. Your left foot straight back and come in to a plank. Really feel your strength. Feel your support. Take an inhale and exhale into downward facing dog. Ah. And again inhale to plank. Lift those collarbones smiling and exhale downward facing dog. Oh and one more time to plank. Commit to this pose. Pressing the heels back. Knees down. Knees up. Come all the way down and relax. And then let's prepare for Shalabhasana which is a nice back bend. Just extend your arms long. Extend your legs back toward the back wall and bring your forehead to the mat. Taking a deep breath in. Exhale and lift your left leg and your right arm along with your head. Exhale down. Let's do that on the other sides. The left hand, the right leg, and your head. Release down. And let's kind of get moving here, yeah? Alternate on your own. Back and forth. One more on each side. And how about both? Why not, right? Take it up and swim. Ah. And release. Is there any part in your body that is saying yes or perhaps nodding? Go there now.

Lovely. And very, very slowly find your way onto your back. Just take your knees into the chest and a little squeeze. Nice. Rotate them around for a moment and bring the feet flat on the floor. And then raise up that right leg. Pressing down into the floor as you raise the foot right up toward that ceiling and then cross it over for thread the needle. So without using your hands, go ahead and just raise the legs up toward the face. You can move them around again if you want. If that feels good, see in with there. And then once you commit to the pose, stay. Inhale. Exhale your head up towards your legs. Put your hands around your thigh if that feels okay. And then just come, release it. Flexing that foot for a good three or four breaths. How about one more deep breath. Exhale. Foot down. Right foot down. And take the left foot, the left knee into the chest. Raise that foot up. Really feeling the connection from the sitting bone all the way up to the pad of the foot. Cross it over on top of your right knee. Flex that foot. And once again, without using your hands, inhale. Exhale everything toward your face. Nice. I'd experience a different sensation on this side than you did on the other. Inhale. Exhale. Your face up if that feels okay. And release back down. And the invitation is, can you meet both sides with the same friendliness and perhaps the same patience. Just a few breaths here. Nice. And nice. Inhale. Exhale that foot down, the left foot down. And come into constructive rest just for two breaths. Nice.

Coming into constructive rest now, knocking the knees in and allowing the feet to be almost as wide apart as the mat. Closing your eyes. And once again, come back. Come back home. Come back home to the earth who supported you at the beginning and nourished you and held you and see if there's any difference in the way that you accept that offer. Noticing your breath. And notice your mind. Where does she go as you invite her in to the body right now? And then whenever you're ready, let's prepare for Shavasana. Simply staying right here is a beautiful option. If you would rather extend your legs long, do that and I invite you to open them up maybe a little bit wider than you normally would. Inhale completely and exhale, decide on out. And bring your attention to your forehead. And as your forehead softens and attention melts away, just notice the brightness that might be peaking right through there as the tension begins to soften. Yeah. Release the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and allow the eyes to move inward, remembering that this is an internal investigation, hopefully with great love and affection. Release the upper jaw and the lower jaw and the tongue. And with a nice inhale and then exhale once again into the embrace of the earth as you move into your rest. Not trying to change the breath, not trying to be anything other than you are. Keeping the brightness of the chest, the brightness behind your eyes. Release the effort, the tension and simply receive. Bringing your hands to your heart, continue to keep the body very, very relaxed and turn your attention to your heart space. Once again inhaling and exhaling out of your heart. It is within this place what the yogis love to call the cave of the heart where your true nature lies, which is joy, goodness and ease. And in that heart space come back to your song kalpa now, remembering and reciting it to yourself three times as though it has already come true.

And now in keeping with the ancient tradition of yoga, the ancients say that we receive the gifts that our practice offers but then we cannot own them, we must then give them away. So thinking of someone, bring that someone in your heart who might need a little extra help today and as you inhale whatever gift that is, exhale that out now to the person in your heart. Brings us joy to do for others, do that one more time. Inhaling whatever gift it is that you have from your practice and exhale that now. Very slowly release your hands. If it feels nice to stretch one last time overhead from toe tips to fingertips and exhale bring the knees into the chest and very gently roll to the right side as you continue to receive the gifts of your practice. On your next inhale, inhale your way up to sitting, finding that seat that allows the front body to enjoy as much length and freedom as the back body. Closing your eyes one last time, feeling the ground underneath you, feeling that support of the ground as you rise up through the crown of your head. And on your next inhale, inhale your hands to your heart in gratitude for your joyful patient and generous heart. Namaste.