Inward Journey

Namaste friends, welcome to this softer, more lunar practice. We're going to go inward and let's just get right into the breath and the movement. Come onto your hands and knees. Spread wide through your palms, inhale, reach your chest forward, shoulders back, exhale and round your spine, inhale, reach your heart forward, shoulders back, exhale round your spine. Consider closing your eyes here and continue to move in this way, forward and back.

Prepare to soften every muscle in your face and release every thought in your brain. Just feel the rhythm of your breath guiding your body on the mat. The entire length of your exhale rounds your body, the entire length of your inhale lengthens the chest forward. So focusing just as much on each pose as you are on each transition. Maybe even feeling those subtle pauses at the top of the inhalation and the bottom of the exhalation.

If you want to add in anything else, feel free, just a few more rounds of breath, maybe make a circular pattern, and as you're ready, walk your hands forward a few more inches, tuck your toes for downward dog, lift your hips. It's up to you if you want to add in any movement here, maybe paddle through your feet or it might feel nice to just be still. Your knees could be slightly bent, as you lengthen your tailbone up and back, let your head feel relaxed and really commit to your breath. So it's through the breath that we start to bridge into this zone called Pratyahara, which is the fifth limb on the eight limb yoga journey. It's where we start to withdraw our senses and go inward, moving into meditation.

So kind of feeling that space between the breath and dropping into Pratyahara, the inner space. One more breath here. And walk your feet forward to your hips, half lift as you inhale, and gentle fold exhale. Gently bend your knees and roll your body all the way up to stand, bring the palms to prayer at your heart, close your eyes, bow inward. Take a full deep breath here.

Let's move through moon salutation, so they're a little bit slower. There's a few extra breath cues, so let yourself be guided by my words. Inhale, sweep your arms all the way up, and exhale, fold forward. Step your left foot to the back of the mat, and gently lower the left knee, flatten your foot. Inhale, sweep your arms forward and up, Anjaniyasana, and then slowly exhale, hands back to the floor.

Inhale, just lift your back knee, and exhale back to downward dog. Take a deep breath in here, exhale, slowly lower down your knees, chest, and chin to the floor. Inhale, slide into cobra, bhujangasana. Exhale back, downward facing dog. Inhale, step your left foot forward, and gently lower your right knee as you exhale.

Inhale, sweep your arms forward and up, and exhale, hands to the floor. Inhale, lift your back knee, step forward as you exhale. Inhale to rise up, reach through your arms, and exhale, prayer to your heart. That's half of a round. Stay with your breath, inhale, reach up.

Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, right foot steps back. Inhale, lower your knee, flatten your foot. Inhale, reach your arms up. Exhale, hands to the floor.

Inhale, lift your back knee, downward dog exhale. Hold for your inhale. Exhale, lower down knees, chest, and chin. Exhale as you slide into cobra, shoulders back. Exhale, downward dog.

Inhale, step your right foot forward, lower your left knee as you exhale. Inhale, reach your arms up, and exhale, hands to the floor. Feel each breath. Inhale, lift your back knee. Step forward as you exhale.

Inhale, rise up. Exhale, prayer to your heart. Find a moving meditation. Inhale, reach up. Exhale, forward fold.

Inhale, left foot steps back. Exhale, lower your knee, flatten your foot. Inhale, reach your arms up. Exhale, hands to the floor. Inhale, lift your back knee, downward dog exhale.

Take a full breath in. Lower exhale, knees, chest, chin. Inhale, cobra, shoulders back. Exhale, downward dog. Inhale, left foot steps forward.

Exhale, lower the right knee. Inhale, reach your arms up, and exhale, hands down. Inhale, lift your back knee. Step forward, exhale. Inhale, root to rise, reach your arms up.

Exhale, prayer to your heart. Simply close your eyes, inhale, reach up, and exhale, dive forward. Inhale your right foot back. Exhale, lower your knee, flatten your foot. Inhale, reach your arms up.

Exhale, hands down. Inhale, lift your back knee, downward dog exhale. Inhale for your inhale, exhale, lower knees, chest, and chin. Inhale for cobra, lift your heart, exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, step your right foot forward, exhale, lower your left knee.

Inhale, reach your arms up. Inhale, hands down. Inhale, lift your back knee. Step forward, exhale. Inhale, rise up, and exhale, prayer to heart.

Stay with it, inhale, reach up. Exhale, fold. Inhale, left foot back. Inhale, lower your knee. Inhale, sweep your arms up.

Exhale, hands down. Inhale, lift your back knee, downward dog exhale. Hold for your inhale, and lower as you exhale, knees, chest, chin. Inhale, slide into cobra, shoulders back, exhale, downward dog. Inhale, step your left foot forward, exhale, lower your right knee.

Inhale, sweep your arms up, exhale, hands down. Inhale, lift your back knee. Step forward, exhale. Inhale, rise up. Exhale, prayer to your heart.

Inhale, reach up. Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, right foot back. Exhale, lower your knee. Inhale, sweep your arms up, exhale, hands down.

Inhale, lift your back knee, downward dog exhale. Hold for your inhale, lower down, exhale, knees, chest, chin. Inhale, cobra, exhale, downward dog. Inhale, right foot forward, exhale, left knee down. Inhale, reach your arms up, exhale, hands down.

Inhale, lift your back knee, exhale, forward fold. Inhale, rise up, and exhale, prayer to your heart. Close your eyes and pause. Feel the softer, slower energy that you've created. Feel the inner space.

Exhaling your arms out and up as you inhale, and exhale, slowly dive forward. Inhale, halfway lift. Exhale, chaturanga, maybe step back and slowly lower. Inhale for upward dog or cobra, and exhale, downward dog. Lift your right leg in the air, gently bend your knee and open your hip.

Lift your right knee a little closer towards the ceiling and plug your left shoulder in. Take another deep breath in. As you exhale, stop your right foot between your hands. Warrior two, inhale, left arm back, right arm forward. Exhale, come to extended angle.

You can either choose to leave the left arm up or sweep it over your ear. And then come to reverse warrior as you inhale, reach up and back. Exhale back to extended angle, making this a soft dance. Inhale for reverse warrior, and exhale, extended angle. Do about three more of these with the rhythm of your breath.

Once again, option to close your eyes. You might even push your palms in opposite directions like you're pushing old energy behind you. And the next time you reverse your warrior, softly come back to warrior two, straighten your right leg, parallel your feet. Inhale here, and exhale, fold forward. You might shorten the stance between your feet.

Come high to your fingertips, under your face, inhale, and exhale to fold. A little more, inhale, and fold, exhale. Last one, inhale, and exhale. And slowly rise all the way up on your next inhale, reach your arms to the sky, and then exhale, prayer to your heart, bring your heels in. Inhale, lift your heart into your thumbs, exhale, bend your knees for goddess pose.

Inhale, sweep your arms out and up, and straighten your legs, exhale, prayer at your heart, bend your knees, goddess. Two more like that, inhale, reach your arms up, exhale, squat down, inhale, reach up, and exhale, slowly squat down, nice. Take your left forearm or hand to your left thigh and sweep your right arm over your ear. Side stretch, inhale back up, exhale, right hand or forearm to right thigh, left arm over. And then as you're ready, go side to side here a few times, your legs are strong, and you're just nice and fluid through your upper body.

Follow your breath, hug your navel into your spine to protect your lower back. And one more, reaching the left arm over. Come back to center, hands in prayer, hold, breathe, notice the challenge arising here in your legs, they may be talking to you, see if you can breathe into that challenge. One more breath, straighten your legs, pivot your feet for warrior two to face the front of your mat, bend the right knee, reverse your warrior as you inhale, exhale, cartwheel your hands to the floor, step back to plank on your inhale, maybe hover the right leg, and exhale lower, inhale, lift your heart, cobra or upward dog, downward dog, exhale. Take a full deep breath, and reach your left leg up and back, open your hip, bend your knee, take an inhale here, really lift the left knee up, and slowly bring your foot between your hands, warrior two, inhale as you come up, and then exhale into extended angle.

Maybe the right arm reaches straight up, maybe it reaches over your ear. Reverse your warrior, inhale, come up and back, and then exhale back to extended angle. Again, this dancing warrior with your breath at your own pace, starting to just move, the upper body is free, the lower body is strong. Get to your breath, find grace and fluidity, one more side to side. Come back to warrior two, straighten your left leg, pivot your left toes, your feet are parallel, interlace your hands at your lower back, inhale, lift your heart up, exhale, hinge at your hips, fold forward, pause here, let your head hang, maybe close your eyes, feel like you could pull your hands apart from each other to create more space in your collar bones, and in your ribs, and in your chest.

One more breath, and then gently release your hands to the floor, point your toes slightly out, come about halfway up, bend into the right knee for skandhasana, inhale through center, exhale, bend into the left knee, maybe flex the right toes up, inhale through center. So this can look different depending on your body, maybe you don't go as deep, just listen, listen to that inner space, where is it guiding you, where do you need to soften, where do you need to back out of things, and just go a few more times side to side, maybe close your eyes, add in anything that feels good, come back to center, parallel your feet, inhale to rise all the way up, reach your arms above your head, exhale, warrior two towards the front of the mat, inhale reach back for reverse warrior, and exhale hands to the floor, inhale to plank, maybe hover the left leg, exhale slowly lower, inhale lift your heart, downward dog, exhale, pause here, take one deep breath in, and hold your inhale, open your mouth lion's breath, stick your tongue out, again deep breath in, and once more, let it go out your mouth, take a child's pose if you'd like for a moment or you can just hold downward dog for a few more breaths, feel the inner space, from here come on to your elbows and your knees and you're welcome to interlace your hands together if you'd like or keep your forearms parallel, tuck your toes and come to forearm plank, so as we move in the inward journey, just really witnessing your thoughts, any resistance that might come up here, you're always welcome to lower your knees, so just listening to those cues where maybe your energy feels a little lower, you're welcome to do so, and then some of you with me are going to do some gentle knee taps with the breath, so take an inhale and as you exhale slowly lower your knees, just let them tap the floor, keep your hips lifted and then inhale lift the knees back up, exhale as you slowly lower, inhale lift back up, navel hugs to the spine, exhale lower, inhale lift, two more, slow exhale, challenge yourself, inhale lift back up, last one, inhale lift back up, now lower your knees and your hips come into sphinx pose for a moment, if you want to roll out your neck side to side feel free, maybe a little figure eight feels good, maybe you want to slide into an upward dog and hold it or even a mild cobra to just further stretch out your belly, take one more inhale and we'll meet back in downward facing dog as you exhale, either walk or lightly hop your feet to your hands, come halfway up on your inhale and exhale fold, step your right foot back, find a lunge, sweep your left arm up into the air, now put your right hand on the floor, start to pivot to the outer edge of your right foot and dip your right hip towards the floor as you reach your left hand back, then inhale lift back up and exhale reach back and lower, inhale lift back up, exhale dip reach back, inhale lift, one more, exhale dip and lower, inhale reach back up and lower your left hand down, come to the ball of your right foot, lower your back knee, flatten your foot and reach your arms up, find full crescent moon shape maybe even lifting the heart a little more, drawing your shoulders back and then bring your hands to heart center, come upright with your spine, take an inhale here, as you exhale twist your right elbow over your left thigh, push into your palms, maybe gaze towards the ceiling, you're welcome to tuck your back toes and lift your back knee here, possibly even opening up your arms or taking a wrap, one more breath, release your hands to the earth, step back to downward dog, you're welcome to take a vinyasa to get there, feel your breath, forward fold walk or float feet to your hands, inhale halfway lift, exhale fold, step your left foot back, sweep your right arm up, simple twist, slide to the outer edge of your left foot, keep your left palm down, dip your left hip to the floor as you reach your right arm back and then inhale to lift back up, exhale dip reach back, inhale reach back up, a few more, exhale, inhale press your left hand into the earth, exhale reach back, inhale reach up, come back into your lunge, gently lower the left knee down, flatten your foot, inhale reach your arms up, lift your heart, pull your shoulders back, try to find a crescent moon shape with your body, and then bring your hands to your heart, belly in, deep breath in, exhale as you twist, left elbow wraps, maybe tuck your back toes here, twist your knee, strong legs, maybe take a wrap or just open your arms, a few more breaths, place your hands down to the floor, step back, downward dog or maybe one final vinyasa. As you're ready, come into a seat with your legs wide apart. You might want to be pretty far towards the edge of your mat so your heels can be a little cushioned on your mat here, come high to your fingertips, lift through your heart, wide leg forward bend here, you might bend your knees if your hamstrings feel tight and slowly fold forward. Breathe here into your hips and let yourself surrender.

Every time we forward fold in our practice, it's that opportunity to go into the inner space. Let something go. Just a few more breaths, just a few more breaths. Walk your hands slowly back towards your hips. Come into a cross-legged seated position for a seated meditation.

You're welcome to come onto your back if you're just ready for that or if you need a more traditional shavasana, otherwise we'll end here. You're welcome to sit on a pillow or a blanket, draw your shoulders away from your ears and rest your hands on your thighs, palms down, close your eyes. We'll move into just a couple rounds of alternate nostril breath to guide us deeper into that inner space and calm the central nervous system so take your peace finger, second and third fingers on your right hand and place them just between your eyebrows. Lock off your right nostril with your right thumb and exhale all the air out of your left. Exhale slowly through the left and then block off your left and exhale through your right.

Inhale through your right. Block off the right, exhale left. One more left, inhale, exhale right, right inhale, exhale left. Place your hand down, just breathe naturally in and out through both nostrils. You're welcome to continue to sit here and meditation, otherwise bring your palms to prayer at your heart, bow your chin to your palms and just honor anything that came up for you in your practice.

Thank you, namaste.