Intentional Flow

Namaste, friends. Welcome to your practice. Let's start on the back in Supta Baddha Konasana. Bring the soles of your feet together and lie back. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. And just feel the length of your tailbone, maybe scoot your hips towards your heels an inch. Draw your shoulders away from your chest. And then take a full breath into your belly and into your heart. Gently let it go. Again a full breath into your heart. Even feel the backside of your heart expand and softly let it go. Take one more breath like that and release. And then ask yourself the question as you lie here, what do I need to receive from my practice? See if you can start to form a bold, deliberate intention. Something that when you stated in your mind, it resonates through your whole being. One more breath. Draw your knees together. Place your feet on the floor, hip distance apart, arms just alongside your body, palms flat. Inhale, lift your hips up for bridge. And as you exhale, just slowly lower down. Again inhale, push into your arms, lift your hips, open your chest. And exhale as you slowly lower down. Do one more. Inhale, lift your hips. And exhale, slowly lower. Let's start to build some heat in the core. Bring your knees directly over your hips. Knees will be at a right angle. Flex your feet and take your hands behind your head, interlace your fingers. Take an inhale here. As you exhale, extend your right leg and take your right shoulder to your left knee. Inhale, bring both knees to center. Exhale, switch. Left leg extends, left shoulder to right knee. Inhale to center. And just stay with that pattern. Exhale as you twist. Inhale to center. Maybe both shoulders are lifted the whole time here to challenge yourself. Inhale to center. And then if you want to make it a little more dynamic, maybe just start to go side to side. Maybe you really feel like you need to burn some energy right here at the beginning of your practice. Just releasing what no longer serves you, starting to create some space for your intention. Stay with your breath. Maybe close your eyes. We'll be here for another 10, 9, 8, 7, belly in, 6, soften your face. 5, strong legs. 4, 3, 2, 1. Hug in. Draw your knees into your chest. Lift your chin towards your knees. Take a deep breath in. Hold it. And then let it go. Roll over to the right side. Press yourself up to a seated position. Extend your left leg straight out and bring the sole of your right foot in towards your groin. And you can stay here or you can even go deeper into the hips and swing your right heel behind your right hip.

And then just some pelvic rocks here. So come to your fingertips. Flex your left foot. Your left leg's pretty active. Inhale. Chest forward. Exhale and round back. Inhale. Chest forward. And exhale. Round back. One more. Inhale. And exhale. Take your left hand to the inside of your left leg. Sweep your right arm up and over. And then inhale. Come all the way up. Take your right hand to the floor and lift your left arm up. Lift your hips. And sweep it back. So any breath that serves you here, just starting to find some dynamic movement through the side body. Starting to open the hips and the heart. Do a couple more. Try to find some softer, maybe more graceful heart energy here as you move your body. One more lift. And come down. Gently switch your legs. Right leg extends. Maybe that left heel is behind your hip. Keep your right leg active. Pelvic rocks. Fingers on the floor. Inhale. Switch your chest forward. Exhale as you round back. Inhale. Heart forward. Exhale. Round back. Two more. Just feel the movement of your shoulders. Nice. And then take your right hand to the inside of your right leg. Sweep your left arm over. And then bring the left arm up all the way back. Push into your left hand. Lift your heart and your right arm. Inhale. And exhale. Come back. So again, just finding a pace that serves you here. Moving dynamically through these two shapes. Moving a little bit more gracefully. Perhaps like you're moving through water. Something yummy that's liquidy. Chocolate perhaps. Like Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory. I love that scene with the river of chocolate. Okay. That's enough of that. Let's come back and come onto your hands and knees. Take a few cat-cows for a moment. Heart forward on your inhale. Exhale and round. Inhale. Heart forward. Exhale and round. One more. Inhale. And exhale. Heart opening pose. Climb your palms forward. Maybe even tippy your hands to your fingertips and let your heart melt. Maybe the chin rest. Maybe the forehead rest. Breathe into your heart. Slide onto your belly. Wide cobra rolls.

Take your fingers out off your mat. High to the fingertips. Elbows point up. Inhale to lift your chest. Shoulders roll back. Exhale as you slowly lower down. Two more. Inhale. Lift your chest. Shoulders back. Slow lower. Exhale. Again. Inhale. Lift. And slowly lower. Exhale. Press into your palms right by your rib cage. Tuck your toes. Maybe come to plank as you inhale. And eventually back to downward dog. Take about three breaths here. Feel free to pedal out your feet. And then look forward. Either walk or light hop front of the mat. Inhale. Half lift. Exhale. Fold. Inhale. Rise up through a flat back. Reach through your arms. Exhale. Bend your elbows like goal posts and lift your heart. Inhale. Reach back up. And exhale. Dive forward. Fold. Inhale. Halfway lift. Exhale. Folds. Inhale to rise back up. Root through your feet. Reach through your heart. Exhale. Bend your elbows. Shoulders down the back. Inhale. Lift back up. Just continue to move with your breath. Fold. Exhale.

Halfway lift. Exhale. Folds. Inhale. Rise up. Reach. Exhale. Bend your elbows. Lift your heart. Inhale. Reach. Exhale. Dive forward. Inhale. Halfway lift. Exhale. Fold. One more. Inhale. Rise up. Exhale. Bend your elbows. Lift your heart. Inhale. Reach back up. Exhale. Dive forward. Inhale for a half lift. Exhale. Step or float. Chaturanga. Inhale. Lift your heart for cobra or up dog. Hold for an extra breath. Push into the tops of the feet. Lift your heart. Downward dog. Exhale. Find your breath. Sweep your right leg back in the air. Inhale. Exhale. Bring your knee to your chest and round your back. Inhale. Right leg back in the air. Again. Knee to your chest. Engage your belly. Inhale. Right leg back. This time step your foot forward just next to your right thumb and rise up to crescent. Inhale. Exhale. Bend your elbows. Lift your heart. Inhale. Reach your arms up. Maybe a little bend in the left knee. Exhale. Bend. Inhale. Reach up. Exhale. Bend. Nice. Gently lower the hands down to the floor. Lower the back knee and shift your hips back for Ardhanuman. Flex your right foot here. Inhale to a half lift. Exhale as you round. Inhale. Half lift. Exhale as you round. One more. Inhale. And exhale. Beautiful. Start to step back into your right foot. Flatten your palms. Three-legged dog. Tuck your left toes. Lift your right leg into the air. Open your hip. Maybe flip your dog. Sweep the right arm up. Lift through your heart. Lift through your hips. And then come back through. Take a vinyasa if you'd like. Exhale to lower.

Inhale. Cobra. Upward dog. And exhale. Down dog. Left leg reaches back. Inhale. Exhale. Knee to chest. Inhale. Sweep it back. Exhale. Knee to chest. Inhale back. Exhale. Step forward. Rise to crescent. Inhale. Exhale. Bend your elbows. Lift your heart. Inhale. Reach back up. Exhale. Bend. Inhale. Reach. One more. Exhale. And inhale. Up. Take your hands to the floor. Lower your back knee. Shift your hips back. Half split. Inhale. Lift your heart. Inhale. Round. Inhale. Lift your heart. Exhale. And round. One more. Inhale. And exhale. Bend your left knee. Flatten your palms. Three-legged dog. Tuck your back toes. Lift your left leg in the air. Open your hip. And maybe flip your dog here. Push into your right palm. Lift through the chest. Lift through your hips. And come back through. Left hand down.

Optional vinyasa. Firm your belly. Inhale into your back bend. And down dog. Exhale. All right. Feel that heat. Feel your breath smooth and even. From here, look forward. Hop or walk feet to hands. Inhale. Half lift. Exhale. Fold. Inhale. Rise up. Reach through your arms. This time prayer to heart. Let's keep building some heat. Inhale to chair pose. Surya namaskar B. Exhale as you fold forward. Inhale for a half lift. Exhale. Chaturanga. Exhale. Heart lifts. Cobra up dog. Exhale. Down dog. Right leg back. Inhale. Exhale.

Step forward. Rise to warrior one. Spin the left heel down. Both arms up. Inhale. And exhale. Hands sweep down. Optional vinyasa flow. And left leg reaches back. Inhale. Exhale. Step forward. Warrior one. Raise your arms up. Inhale. And exhale. Hands down. Take a vinyasa here if you'd like. Feel each breath. And pause and downward facing dog. Three breaths. Let something go. Something that maybe is standing in your way of your intention. Walk or float. Feet to hands. Inhale. Half lift. Exhale. Fold. Inhale. Chair pose. And exhale to stand prayer at your heart. Feel the vibration within you. And from here with all that yummy heat shift the weight into your right foot. Bend your left knee and reach back for the top of your left foot or your ankle. Take your right arm up. Moving into dancer pose. You're certainly welcome to stay here. Work on your balance. Feel the quad stretch in your left leg. Or hinge at your hips. Kick your left foot into your hand. And start to reach your heart forward. Maybe take yana mudra with your right palm. Keep your gaze slightly forward. And down. And lift your heart. And breathe. Kick your left foot into your hand. Two more breaths. Slowly come up. Keep your left leg lifted. Bring your hands to your heart and cross your left ankle over your right thigh as you bend your right knee. Coming into a figure four chair. Stay with your balance here. You're welcome to start to hinge at your hips. Go a little deeper. Feel the yummy outer hip stretch here. Some of you might take gallavasana flying pigeon. Hands to the floor. Hook your left foot around your right upper arm and lift your right foot into the air. So really hug your arms in.

Breathe. Maybe the right leg comes back. And come back up into two-legged chair. Inhale. And exhale to stand. Hands to your heart. Switch sides. Root down through your left foot. Bend your right knee. Reach back. Grab the top of your foot or ankle. Extend the left arm up. And either stay here again or hinge at your hips. Kick your right foot back into your right hand. Reach your heart forward. Maybe take yana mudra with your left thumb and index finger. And this really helps seal your energy inside your body. Stay with your breath. Extend your heart forward. Offer up your intention. Strong left leg. Root through your left foot. One more breath. And slowly come upright. Keep your right leg in the air. Bend the left knee and cross the right ankle over your left thigh. Sit into your figure four chair. The weight is back in your left heel. Stay here. Maybe take the hands to the floor. Maybe play with flying pigeon. Wrapping the right arm around your left shoulder. Make a shelf with your arms. Look forward. Lift your left leg. And maybe send it back. Come back upright. Both feet on the floor. Bend your knees. Chair. Inhale. And exhale. Hands to your heart. Let's flow through a vinyasa. Reach up. Inhale. And exhale. Fold. Inhale to a half lift. Exhale. Step back or float back to chaturanga. Inhale, cobra or upward dog. And exhale back to downward facing dog. Full breath in. Full breath out. And then from here, let's just tie up this really heated sequence with some yummy core.

So shift forward into plank. Shoulders just directly over your wrists. Pause here and see if you can hover your right leg. So if this is too much or you're feeling fatigued at this point, you're welcome to just lower your knees and hold right here. Otherwise, keep your right leg hovering and see if you can bring your right knee to top your right tricep. And then bring it back. And do that two more times. Tap. And back. Belly in. Tap. And back. And other side. Left leg lifts. And tap. And back. Stay with your breath. Tap. Hug your arms towards each other. And back. One more. Tap. And back. And downward facing dog. Lower your knees. Come to child's pose for a moment and rest. Breathe into the back side of your heart. Roll yourself up and sit on your heels. Let's move into some dancing camels. Lift your hips up and sweep your right arm all the way around and up. And then sit back down. And then hips lift and the left arm sweeps around and up. And sit back down. Again, right arm up. Inhale. Just really finding that graceful movement again. Inhale. Left arm up. And exhale it down. One more each side. Right arm. Inhale. Rest through your heart. And lower. Left arm. Inhale. And exhale. Now both arms sweep up.

Inhale. Now bend your elbows like goal posts and pause. So all that yummy core work we just did in plank, feel it here. Feel your belly squeeze tightly in towards your spine. Squeeze your inner thighs towards each other. A couple options for our camel today. So you might just interlace your fingers here and lift your heart. You might take your hands just right above your buttocks. Push down to lift up. Hug your elbows towards each other. Or you might come into the full version. Hands come towards your heels and lift your heart. See the head hangs back. Offer up your intention. Breathe. Two more breaths. If you're in full camel hands back to your hips and use your belly to slowly come up. Sit on your heels. Hands up on your thighs. Close your eyes. And just feel the receptive space that you've created in your heart. Maybe some emotions arise. Maybe you feel slightly vulnerable with all this space, but let yourself feel it. Experience everything that comes up. From here, link your eyes open. Come on to your hands and knees. And sweep your right leg over your left leg so the knees are directly one in front of the other. And then bring your left foot out to the right. So we're coming into Gomukhastha to sit your hips back. You may want to sit on a block or a blanket here if your hips are kind of tight. And then flex your feet. Take your left arm up. Bend your elbow so the hand touches your spine. And reach your right arm behind you. See if you can grab your fingers or you might just kind of give yourself like a little high five here on your back and just touch your palms together.

Lift through your hearts and your tailbone down. And just breathe here. Find the length in your spine, the lift in your chest. Breathe into your shoulders. Even feel the sides of your neck get longer. And just feel the energy from your practice start to slowly settle. You're welcome to stay here with the shoulders. You could hinge forward or you could even release your hands and fold forward. Just about three more breaths. Let your head relax. And start to come up. Shift back onto your hands and knees and bring your right knee behind your right wrist coming into single pigeon. Send your left leg back. Lift your heart on your inhale and exhale completely fold. Maybe to the forearms or maybe all the way down. Three breaths here. And start to slowly come up. Walk your hands back and shift back to your hands and knees. Other side. Swing your left knee in front of your right. Wiggle your feet slightly apart more and sit your hips back. And flex your feet here. Take your right arm up. Bend your elbow. And then reach back behind with the left arm. See if you can bring your fingers together. Just reach them as close as you can towards each other. Belly in. Bottom ribs in. Lift through your spine. And breathe into the stretch in your shoulders. Feel the sides of your ribs expand as you inhale. Stay here if you'd like. Maybe keep the arms as they are and hinge forward. Or maybe release your hands down and fold completely. Three breaths. So smooth. So soft. And you'll slowly come up. Back to your hands and knees. And bring your left knee behind your left wrist. Coming into single pigeon. Puff up your chest as you inhale. And exhale.

Further forward. So one more time. Just think of anything that may be blocking your path towards your intention. Any doubts? Any insecurities? Any drama? Let it go. Push it off to the side. One more breath. And slowly come up. Make your way onto your back. Hug both knees into your chest. So take a deep breath in. And maybe come into a little tight ball. Hold your breath in. And let it go. Out your mouth. Let your body just melt into the earth. Your final rest. Let your body just splay out into the earth. Let your head settle. Relax every muscle and every bone. Feel the inner space. Relax every muscle and every bone. Softly start to come back into your body. Knees and toes start to move.

Bend your knees and gently roll over to your right side. Use your hands to press yourself to a comfortable seat. Find a comfortable cross-legged position here. Bring your hands to prayer at your heart. Keep your thumbs and your pinky fingers together and let the other three fingers open up into lotus mudra.

Let yourself receive your intention. Visualize it coming into your heart and into your life. Seal your palms together. It's already happening. Make your eyes open, namaste.