Mini-Massage Flow

Namaste friends, welcome to your mini massage flow. This is such a yummy, yummy practice and I'm so excited to do it with you. So come into child's pose to start and you can either have your arms forward or alongside your body. I like alongside the body because it really lets the shoulders drop down and then just gently move your head side to side, massage your forehead, your temples, really feel the weight of your head as it settles into the mat. You can even rock the hips a little side to side as well.

Start to send some deep, slow breaths into your spine and into the shoulders, the backs of your shoulders, just a few more times. Continue to rock your forehead side to side and then slowly roll yourself up, coming into vadasana sitting on your heels. We'll move into something called Shakti Bandha. Let me demonstrate it first just so you can see the visual. You'll interlace your hands and then your forehead comes to the mat.

Your hips might lift, that's totally fine and your shoulders are going to dip right and left. So I'm not moving my head, just my shoulders and this can be fast or slow. So we'll do it together and you have the option to hold your breath in for an energy lock. Really helps break down tension in the thoracic spine, the shoulders, the neck, the upper back. So let's do it.

Take a deep breath in, hold your breath in, forehead to the mat, shoulders right and left. Keep holding your breath if you can. Try to get each shoulder head towards the floor, it won't touch but just feel that. And then when you're ready to exhale, slowly come up first and then exhale and release your arms. Take a full breath here, let's do it again.

Interlace other pinky on top, take a deep inhale, hold your breath, forehead to the mat. Again, shoulders right and left, just feel you're breaking stuff down. You might even hear some crunching in there. Keep going, hold your breath as long as you can. Try not to move your head or your hips too much.

And when you're ready to exhale, come up first and exhale, release. Take a full breath and then make your way onto your hands and knees, coming into puppy pose on a hastasana, climb to your fingertips, walk your hands forward, keep your hips right over your knees and keep active arms as you melt your heart towards the floor. Maybe your forehead rest, maybe even your chin rest. Take three deep breaths into your ribs. Active arms, draw your shoulders into the back.

And slowly come up and walk your hands back and let your hands be a little bit in front of your shoulders here. We'll move into a half dog twist, making it dynamic with the breath. So sweep your left arm open towards the left, take an inhale. As you exhale, sweep the left arm underneath the right arm so the back of the shoulder comes towards the floor. Then inhale the left arm back up, push into your right hand and exhale, sweep it under.

Inhale, lift back up, exhale, sweep. One more, inhale, lift. Exhale, sweep and hold this one. Take couple breaths into the back of your left shoulder, really push into your right hand. You could extend your right arm forward if you'd like.

Press into the back of your left arm, your forearm, and then slowly come up. Let's do the other side. Right arm up, inhale, and exhale, sweep it under. And inhale, right arm up, exhale, sweep under. Two more, inhale, also working your core quite a bit, exhale.

One more, inhale, exhale, full twist, hold here, push into the back of your right arm, press into your left hand, spin your chest open, maybe extend the left arm out. And slowly come up, make your way into downward facing dog. And it might feel nice here to just shorten your down dog just a little bit, maybe widen your feet and take your left hand to the outside of your right leg and just pull yourself into your right leg. Bend your left elbow, take a full breath there. And release other side.

Right hand grabs the outside of your left leg and pull in, bend the right elbow, take a full breath there, and I'm going to do lots of sighing in this practice, and then come back to downward dog. As you're ready, take your feet to the front of the mat, you can hop, you can walk, and then come halfway up, inhale, and fold, exhale. Take your hands behind your back, interlace your fingers here, and then take your feet a little bit wider, about hip distance, draw your interlace hands away from your tailbone, and feel your shoulders away from your ears. Then dip your left shoulder towards the floor and bend your left knee, and switch. Dip the right shoulder and bend the right knee.

And then just go side to side and let your head be nice and heavy here. You might feel some releasing in your neck, soften your face, and sometimes when we get into the shoulders and neck, you feel this also in your jaw, so you could open and close your mouth a few times. And then just release your arms down, heavy arms, take a full breath, release your head. From here, step your right foot back into a lunge. Keep your right hand down and sweep your left arm up.

Find a simple twist, opening your chest, reach your left fingers towards the ceiling, maybe even gaze up just to feel your neck starting to get a little more space, just the movement of the neck alone can offer some softness. And then take an inhale here, exhale, sweep your left arm under your left thigh and just round your spine, dome your back. Inhale the left arm back into the air, and as you exhale, sweep it under, really lift your belly and dome your back. Inhale the left arm back up, and two more, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, lower the left hand down, and lower your back knee down, flatten your foot. Inhale, sweep your arms forward and up for Anjaniasana Crescent Moon.

And just pause for a moment here, drop your shoulders down away from your ears, maybe the palms come together and you can interlace into steeple mudra, draw your shoulders back, feel your legs hug towards each other, take an inhale, and then as you exhale, take your hands down to the floor, even just sweep them back for a half split. And then again, just kind of round your back here. So if you're feeling like you don't have the balance, fingers to the floor, otherwise you can reach back. Okay? And then we'll just move through that, inhale, sweep your arms all the way up, lift your heart, exhale, sweep the arms back, straighten your left leg, inhale, reach your arms up, and exhale, sweep back.

One more time, inhale, exhale. And then coming into full crescent, take your fingers down, tuck your back toes, lift your back knee, inhale to rise all the way up. Beautiful. Take your arms out to the side. Sweep your right arm under your left arm, eagle arms.

And then just start to make little circles with your elbows here, so like you have paint brushes on your elbows and you're making really pretty circles in front of you onto the wall. And then move the other direction, just getting a nice massage in your shoulders, press your forearms away from your face. Keep your legs strong here, and then take your arms back wide out and just pause for a moment like you're going to give a big hug, stretch through your fingers, broaden through your chest, and exhale coming into standing splits. And really bow over your left leg here. You can grab your ankle if you'd like to play with your balance.

Take one more breath. And then bring your right knee to the outside of your left foot to the floor for Ardham Atsiandrasana. Take your left hand behind you, inhale the right arm up, and exhale to twist. Start to gaze back and just keep twisting as you exhale, lift through your spine and lengthen as you inhale. And slowly unwind back to center.

Keep the weight in your left foot, take your right leg back in the air for a standing split, inhale, and exhale, forward fold. Step your left foot back, find your lunge, sweep your right arm into the air, inhale. Exhale here and just reach through the right fingers, energize your legs, suck your stomach in and broaden through your shoulders. Take an inhale, exhale, sweep the right arm onto your thigh, dome your back. Inhale the right arm back up, exhale, sweep it under, inhale, reach up, exhale, sweep.

One more, inhale, and exhale, inhale back up, exhale the right hand to the floor, lower your left knee, flatten your foot, inhale crescent moon. Again, maybe take steeple mudra, draw your belly in, hug your legs together, bring your shoulders back to lift the heart. Take another deep breath in, exhale, arda hanuman, stretch your right leg straight, reach your fingers either back or to the floor, and then dynamic, inhale, come back up, and exhale, sweep it back, inhale, come back up, exhale, sweep it back. One more, inhale, and exhale, bend the right knee, coming into full crescent, tuck your back toes, rise up, inhale, nice, pause here, take your arms wide out to the side for a moment and bring the left elbow under the right elbow, find your eagle arms, start to make your circles again, just feel everything start to release in between your shoulders, move the other direction, strong legs, and then arms back wide out to the side, stretch open through your ribs, take an inhale, and exhale coming into standing splits, lift your back leg, maybe play with your balance, really let your head relax here, and then bring your left knee to the outside of your right foot, coming into arda matzindrasana, sit down, right hand back, left arm up, inhale, exhale as you twist, and just stay with your breath here, so you can always just hold the knee, or you can push the left elbow into your right thigh, lift through your heart, inhale, exhale twist deeper, one more breath, unwind, back to standing splits, right foot stays down, inhale the left leg up, and exhale, forward fold, inhale for a half lift, exhale fold, and really pull yourself into your legs, you can bend your knees as much as you need to, let your head relax, shoulders away from the ears, you might even grab your elbows here, and really pull yourself in tight, maybe take a sigh out your mouth. From here release your hands, bend your knees, sit down and roll onto your back, bring your knees directly over your hips, cross your right leg over your left leg, sweep your right arm under your left arm, finding eagle on the back, we'll do a little core sequence here to build more heat, take an inhale, exhale bring your elbows and knees together, inhale lower back down, maybe extend your legs a little out, and exhale bring it in, inhale reach back out, exhale bring it in, inhale back out, exhale bring it in, hug your navel to your spine, inhale back out, press your forearms away from you, exhale, inhale last one on this side, exhale make it count, inhale release, switch your legs, switch your arms, smile deep breath in, exhale elbow and knees together, inhale back out, exhale bring it in, belly in, inhale back out, exhale, inhale last three, exhale belly in, inhale exhale try to soften your face as you do this, inhale last one, exhale belly in, inhale release, grab your legs, hug your knees into your chest, start to rock forward and back, you can grab behind your knees, and then come all the way back to a forward fold, however you can get there, if rocking up felt good, great, so optional vinyasa, inhale halfway up, step or float back chaturanga, inhale upward dog or cobra, maybe hold for an extra breath, inhale your chest open, and then downward dog exhale, right legless inhale open your hip bend your knee, exhale step forward, warrior two, inhale come up, exhale to extended angle, pause, stretch through your left fingertips, and then keep energy through your fingertips but send your left hand towards the back of your space, and let your right ear hang towards your right shoulder, keep your left shoulder moving away from your left ear, feel this active neck release, one more breath, come back up warrior two, reverse your warrior reach back, pause there, energy through the right fingertips and then reach the right arm away from you towards the front of your space, let your left ear hang towards your left shoulder, oh my goodness, breathe, strong legs, keep reaching your fingers away from you, right shoulder away, one more breath, come back to warrior two, take a deep breath in, and exhale hands to the floor, optional vinyasa flow, maybe take that extra breath in upward dog or cobra, shoulders back, belly in, press back down dog, left leg rises, inhale open your hip, exhale step forward, inhale Virabhadrasana two, exhale to extended angle, come forward, send your right arm over your right ear, reach through the right fingers, and then send the right arm behind you towards the back of your space, reach through your fingers and let your left ear hang towards your left shoulder, right shoulder moves back and down, belly in, legs are engaged, breathe, slowly come back up warrior two, reverse inhale left arm up and back, energy through the fingers, and then send your left fingers towards the front of your space, reach the left arm away from you, let your right ear hang towards your right shoulder, strong legs, right shoulder moves away from your right ear, one more breath, come back warrior two, deep inhale and exhale hands down, optional vinyasa lower, inhale up dog or cobra, maybe take an extra breath, belly in, down dog exhale, deep inhale through your nose, flutter your lips, horse's breath, again deep breath in, horse breath, one more deep breath in and let it go, from here lower your knees to the floor, come all the way onto your belly, and then interlace your hands at your lower back, inhale for salabasana, lift your chest, reach your interlace hands towards your feet, maybe lift your toes, your feet off the mat, stretch through your chest, take a deep inhale and then exhale lower down, just rest for a moment, if you want to turn one cheek to the mat, feel free, and if and when you're ready, do another back bend here, maybe you want to do what we just did, or maybe you want to go deeper, bend your knees, grab the tops of your feet or ankles, inhale to kick up, lift your chest, dhanurasana, and just feel like you're shifting the weight a little bit more onto your belly, keep kicking the feet into the hands, shoulders draw back, breathe into your heart, maybe even gaze up for a little bit more in your throat, and lower, slowly down, turn the other cheek to the mat, feel your heart beating on the floor, and from here start to come up into sphinx pose, elbows right under your shoulders, energetically feel like you could pull your forearms and your palms towards the back of the mat to stretch your chest open a little more, shoulders are away from your ears, outer ankles hug in, you might just stay here, you might release your chin to your chest, or it might feel good to do some neck rolls, so maybe rolling like little half circles to one shoulder and then the other, maybe full circles, maybe little figure eights, just feel it out, gentle massage, one more breath here, and then come back to neutral, tuck your toes, firm your belly, lift your hips slowly, maybe stay on the knees here, eventually coming into maybe a full forearm plank, firm your belly, and let this be a counter pose for those back bends, so you just stretched your belly, now firm it, hug the navel towards the spine, press back through your heels, energy through your heart, and hug your elbows and palms towards each other, one more breath here, dolphin pose, walk your feet towards your elbows, and you may want to interlace your hands at this point, that's an option, otherwise you'll keep your forearms parallel to each other, palms flat, stretch your chest towards your knees, press back through your forearms, keep hugging your elbows towards each other, option to lift one leg in the air, maybe just play with this action, you might switch or you might start to kick up towards a forearm balance, maybe just taking some playful hops, some hovers, breathe, heart melts, come back to forearm plank, firm your belly, one more breath, and lower all the way down, let's come into child's pose, walk your hands back, and just let yourself melt, from here gently roll yourself up, bring your legs out in front of you, coming into a seated forward bend, maybe pull the flesh back away from your sitting bones, reach your arms up, inhale, as you exhale reach for your feet or your ankles, and then take a few rolls to get in here, inhale, lengthen your chest forward, and then exhale round, and again inhale chest forward, exhale round, one more inhale, exhale fold and completely relax your head, your neck, your shoulders, and just really feel the weight of your upper body draping over your legs, a subtle engagement in your belly to protect your hamstrings, to protect yourself from going too deep, but just feeling it out and with each exhale, soften part of your body, soften in your muscles, soften in your joints, soften in between each vertebrae, you might even completely relax your arms, your hands, keep a slow steady pace of breath, slowly one vertebrae at a time, roll yourself up, pause, let your shoulders drop down away from your ears, feel the length of your spine, make your way onto your back, bend your knees, lower, slowly down, and hug your right knee into your chest as your left leg extends along, take a deep breath in, as you exhale guide your right knee over your body towards the left, take your right arm up between your right shoulder and your right ear, palm faces up for a universal twist, you can keep that left hand on your right thigh, maybe gaze towards the right slightly, breathe into your back and feel the whole right side of your body being stretched, really let the right shoulder hang in its own weight, you might even press your right knee a little closer towards the floor, inhale as you come back to center, release your right leg out, even out your hips a little and hug your left knee in, take a deep breath in and exhale guide your left leg over, take your left arm up between the left shoulder and the left ear and breathe, really allow the left shoulder to just hang in its own weight, you might press your left knee a little closer to the floor, take one more breath, inhale as you come back to center, hug both knees in and come into a little ball, chin to your knees, tap your arms around your legs, deep breath in, hold it and exhale let everything go and find your shavasana, shoulders down, away from your ears, move your head side to side a few times and then find that perfect spot where the back of the head can rest and settle, let yourself just be here for a moment, completely still, feel free to stay longer if you'd like, otherwise gently start to come out, fingers and toes start to wiggle, bend your knees and roll to the right, come up to seated, use your hands, bring your palms to prayer at your heart, bow your chin down for a moment of gratitude, thank yourself for just being so nurturing to your body, softening any tension in the shoulders, the neck, the face, take all this space with you throughout the rest of your day, namaste.