Ease Within the Effort

Welcome, and thank you for joining me for this practice where we will find ease within our effort. We'll move deep into the hips and the heart space in this flow practice. So let's begin by getting right into the hips a bit. We'll come to a wide leg child's pose. So as you come to child's pose, bring the big toes and heels together, but let your knees come almost as wide as your mat so that your torso can start to drape down between your legs.

So you could reach your arms forward, maybe bring the forehead on the earth, the seat of the intuition as you start to go inward. Just tuning into the teacher within, the true teacher resides within each of us. So start to tune into your breath, the natural rise of the inhale, the fall, the letting go quality of your exhale, letting the breath start to deepen, maybe starting to tune into your ujjayi breath, allowing the breath to move evenly in and out through your nose. And as you settle in here, allow the breath to fill the lower back, the back body, your hips, and if there's an intention that you'd like to set for your practice, your sankalpa, take a moment to call that in. Beautiful.

And then as you're ready, walk your hands forward a little more and tend to your fingertips so that the elbows start to lift up off the earth, and then crawl your hands over to the right side. So you might even drape the torso over that right thigh, reaching that left arm a little bit further than the right, so you feel a nice stretch in the left side body. You might let a little weight shift off toward the left hip. Beautiful. And then as you inhale, come through center, walk your hands over to the left side, drape the torso over that left leg, and you can start to send the breath through the right side body, the ribcage, the right hip.

Beautiful. And then as you inhale, come back through center, make your way to tabletop, just start to move around a little bit. You can shift your weight in circles, maybe take some cat-cow, just don't stretch into the wrist, feel into the body, so just that intuitive movement. What do you need here to begin to wake up? Beautiful.

And then bring this into downward-facing dog, as you're ready, we'll tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back. Take your feet a little wider today, so maybe even as wide as your yoga mat, you're welcome to bend the knees and just start to let your torso drape back toward the thighs, let your heels get heavy, spine is nice and long, and you might shake your head yes and no a few times as you press through the inner and the outer hand. Beautiful. And then come forward into plank pose, as you're ready, top of a push-up. From here, you're welcome to lower the knees down, we'll hug the elbows in, come all the way down to the earth, untuck your toes, press into the tops of the feet, just start to peel the chest up off the earth, feel that length in the spine, as you lift up through the heart space.

Beautiful, and then come back to downward-facing dog, we'll tuck the toes, lift the hips up and back. Good. From here, let's float our right leg up and back, take a moment to bend your knee, open up through that right hip, breathe into the right side body, beautiful. And then tap your right knee towards your right elbow, and then take a big step to the outside of your right wrist. So we'll come into this wide lizard lunge.

From here, plant your left hand down, right under your left shoulder, and sweep your right arm up. So we'll come into this wider twist, and then as you're in your twist, maybe roll out your wrist a few times in either direction, beautiful. And then take that right arm up and over your right ear, and as you lower the right hand, bring it back to the inside of your front foot, and we'll walk to face the side of the mat, wide leg fold, as you inhale, lengthen through your spine. And as you exhale, walk your hands in, let the crown of your head just melt down toward the earth. Good.

A couple breaths here as you breathe into the back of your legs, sealing the outer edges of the feet to the earth. Good. And as you inhale, walk your hands right under your shoulders, lengthen, start to angle your left toes toward the left corner of your mat, and then we'll bend the left knee for Skandhasana, keeping the right leg straight, and you can keep the sole of the right foot on the earth, or you might come up onto that right heel, whatever feels best for you. Good. And as you inhale, come all the way back to the front of your mat, we'll step back to Downward Facing Dog, right foot meets the left.

On an inhale, come forward to Plank Pose, slow lower, all the way to the belly. Inhale, lift heart, Cobra, exhale, meeting back in your Downward Facing Dog, beautiful. From here, float your left leg up, take a moment to bend the knee, open up through that left side, through that left hip, keep pressing evenly through both hands, letting your shoulders stay level. Good. And then as you straighten the left leg, draw your left knee to your left tricep and hover, and then big step to the outside of your left wrist, we'll come up onto the fingertips for a moment.

And then as we move into the twist, plant your right hand down under your right shoulder, sweep your left arm up and twist. Good. So twisting from the navel up, keep hugging that left hip in, good, and then taking the left arm over your ear, feel the length in the left side body, beautiful. Lower the left hand to the inside of your front foot, walk to face the side of the mat, parallel your feet, wide leg fold, inhale, lengthen, exhale, walk your hands in any amount, let the crown of your head melt down, get upside down for a moment, and breathe, good. As you inhale, lengthen, walk your hands under your shoulders, come halfway up, and then angle the right toes toward the right side of your mat, bend your right knee, skandhasana, straighten your left leg, walking your hands over toward your right foot, beautiful, and then stay low to the earth and we'll come all the way back to the front of the mat, downward facing dog, left foot meets the right, good, inhale, plank, exhale, lower to the belly, inhale, heart lifts, cobra, good, exhale, meet me back, in downward facing dog, tucking the toes, lifting the hips up and back, just resetting, taking a moment of pause between the movement to check back in with your breath, breathing in, breathing out, so let's start to add on from there as you're ready, floating the right leg up, bend the knee, open the hip, and then draw your right knee to your right tricep and hover, top of a pushup, big step to the outside of the right wrist, setting up for a twist, left hand down, right arm lifts, twisting to the right, good, take the top arm over your ear, and then lower to the inside of your front foot, come all the way into skandhasana this time, we'll bend through the left knee, right leg stays straight, sink it in, get into the hips a little deeper, beautiful, now come through center here, wide leg fold, inhale, lengthen, exhale, walk your hands in any amount, and then we'll bring hands to hips with a long spine, slowly make your way up to stand, engaging through the legs, and we'll turn the toes out, let the heels come in, moving into goddess pose, so bend your knees deeply, let your hands fall on top of the thighs, and just start to settle in here, maybe rock a little side to side, good, we'll get into the shoulders a bit, so as you inhale, lengthen through your spine, as you exhale, right shoulder toward the right center of your mat, as you gaze over the left, beautiful, inhale, center, exhale, left shoulder, melts toward the center of your mat, gaze to the right, beautiful, as you inhale, come back through center, and then we'll start to straighten the legs, sweep the arms all the way up, and then open up to warrior two, so turn the back toes in slightly, bend through your right knee, finding some ease within your effort here, so finding that strong lower body, your foundation, feel that lightness and ease in the heart space, but flip your front palm, as you inhale, tilt up and back, reverse warrior, good, and then exhale, circle hands to the earth, plank pose, you might lower all the way down or halfway, chaturanga, inhale, cobra, or maybe upward facing dog, if you feel ready for that, forming the thighs up off the earth, good, and then meet me back, chin down dog, big breath in, long breath out, beautiful, and then floating your left leg up, bend the knee, open up through that left hand, draw your left knee toward your left tricep, big step to the outside of your left hand, and we'll find our twist, right hand down, left arm lifts, good, take the top arm over your ear, and then walk it into skandhasana, we'll bend the right knee, left leg is straight, get into the hips, good, and then come through center, parallel your feet, wide leg forward fold, good, bring your hands to your hips, and then with a long spine, come all the way up to stand, good, we'll turn the toes out and the heels in, let your hands rest on top of the thighs, maybe wiggle inside to side a few times, as you inhale, come through center, as you exhale this time, left shoulder melts toward the center of the mat, and you can gaze over your right shoulder, good, inhale center, exhale right shoulder dips down, gaze to the left, beautiful, and then as you come back through center, we'll straighten the legs, sweep the arms up, maybe gaze up, and then open up to warrior two, so bending through the left knee, take a gaze over your left fingertips, good, soften into your edge, so find your edge and soften, flip your front palm, tilt back, reverse warrior, beautiful, and then circle hands to the earth, circle step back, vinyasa, feel free to modify, to skip, we'll meet in down dog, and let's take a little detour here, so walk your hands back to your feet, and take malasana, so heel toe the feet a little wider, toes out, heels in, bend your knees deeply, and then maybe draw your hands to your heart, letting the tailbone melt down, feel the lift in the heart space and up through the crown of your head, leaning deep into the hip creases, beautiful, and then meet me in a forward fold, we'll draw the hands to the earth, parallel your feet and just let everything melt down over your legs, you might hold opposite elbows, I'm bringing back of hands to the earth, it's a nice stretch for the wrists, what might you release here, just a little bit more, good, and then take your time, we'll feel the earth beneath the hands as we walk back into our downward facing dog, meeting there, and let's add on just a bit, so inhale, right leg lifts, bend the knee, open up through the right hip, and then draw your right knee to your right tricep, big step to the outside of your right hand, left hand down, right arm lifts, find your twists, good, take the right arm over your ear, feel that length, and then walking into Skandhasana, bending left knee, right leg straight, good, come through center, so we've already been here, inhale, lengthen, exhale, wide leg forward fold, draw your hands to your hips with a long spine, come all the way up to stand, good, toes out, heels in, one more time coming into goddess pose, this time we'll take eagle arms, so let your right arm come under the left, as you inhale, draw the elbows up and away from you, as you exhale, maybe sink in a little deeper, lion's breath, tongue out, let it go, inhale, exhale, release, and then open it back to warrior two from here, arms open wide, bending through that right knee, and flip your front palm tilt back, reverse warrior, and then keep the legs as they are, we'll come to extended side angle, either elbow to thigh, or maybe bringing fingertips to the earth, maybe half wrap, left arm behind the back, if you want to move into a full wrap, go for it, but we're drawing that left shoulder back, so that we can feel a bit of a lift in the heart space, find your breath, good, and then from here, let's come up and back reverse triangle, straighten your front leg, and then circle hands down to the inside of your front foot, come on to the ball of your back foot, start to heel toe the right foot to the right a few times, and then we'll move into lizard pose, so I'm going to lower my left knee down to the earth, if you want something a little more active, feel free to keep that back knee lifted, and then maybe the forearms lower to a couple blocks, or the earth, good, and just breathe into that right hip, notice where you feel this as you tune in, back to your breath, nice, and then slowly walking your hands back to the mat, you'll heel toe the right foot to the left, so the hands are on either side of your front foot, and then anjai nyasana as you inhale, sweep the arms up, feel the lift in the heart space, maybe even gaze up, good, and then hands to the earth, step back, down dog, right foot meets the left, plank pose, inhale, exhale, moving through your vinyasa, inhale cobra, your upward facing dog, exhale, up and back to down dog, good, clearing that side with a big full breath in, exhale, release, beautiful, left leg lifts, inhale, bend your knee, open up through that left hip, and then draw your left knee towards your left tricep, big step to the outside of your left hand, good, setting up for our twists, right hand down, left arm lifts, inhale, as you exhale take the top arm over your ear, skandhasana this time we'll bend the right knee, keep the left leg straight, beautiful, and then coming through center, wide leg forward fold, inhale to lengthen, exhale, release, draw your hands to your hips with a long spine, come all the way up to stand, good, we'll turn the toes out, heels come in, and then eagle arms with the other arm underneath, so left arm underneath, wrap it up, start to draw the elbows away from you, as you do that sink into the posture a little deeper, stick out the tongue lines breath, good, one more inhale, releasing something on your exhale, and then moving into warrior two, good, bending through the left knee, reaching your arms forward and back and letting your weight be centered as you come toward 90 degrees in that front knee, good, flip your front palm tilt back, reverse warrior, as you exhale moving into extended side angle, come up and over with that right arm, feel the length through the entire right side body, and find your breath, maybe wrapping that right hand behind the back as you draw the right shoulder back, let the heart spin toward the side wall, maybe gaze up, beautiful, and then root down to rise, come up and back, straightening the front leg for reverse triangle, good, circle hands to the inside of your front foot and we'll sit up for a lizard, heel toe the left foot to the left a few times, maybe matching what you did on that first side, so I'm gonna lower my right knee down and then bring my forearms to the earth, honoring the difference between the two sides, you might be doing something a little different on this side depending on how you feel, so tune in, notice what you need, what feels good, creating shapes and moving in a way that it feels good to move in your body, good, and then start to slowly walk back up onto your hands, we'll heel toe the left foot toward the center of the mat, hands on either side of your front foot, on jani asana, inhale, arms sweep up and feel that lift in the heart space, maybe lift your gaze, big full breath in and then as you exhale, hands to the earth, step back, down dog, inhale plank, exhale chaturanga, inhale cobra or upward facing dog and exhale, let's move back into child's pose for a couple of breaths, let your hips sink back to your heels, let your arms reach forward or maybe wrap them behind your back and just take a moment to observe, notice where the movement lands, feel your heart beating in your chest, beautiful, welcome to stay here as long as you like, otherwise meet me in tabletop, we'll come to all fours, let's go upside down for a moment, so bringing the forearms down, let your shoulders come over your elbows, we'll set up for dolphin pose, tucking the toes, lifting hips up as the sitting bones reach up toward the ceiling, you might start to walk your toes in towards you, find your breath, keep hugging the elbows under the shoulders, good, nice and then let your knees find the earth, one more child's pose, hips to heels, maybe wrap your hands back and just take a moment as you ground and notice where that inversion lands in the body, okay, then take your time, we're going to roll out to sit back on the heels for a moment, moving into a heart opener, we'll come into camel pose, so stand up on your knees, welcome to put some padding underneath your knees, otherwise let your knees be about hips distance apart, let your hips draw over your knees and then bring hands to lower back with either the fingers facing up or down to support your sacrum and then hug the elbows back, you can stop anywhere along the way here, you know lift from the sternum, so if there was a string from your sternum up toward the sky, you'd start to lift from that space, gaze up, you can stop here, maybe tuck your toes, reach back for your heels and keep lifting through the heart space, big expansive breath in, good and then lifting from your core, we'll bring hands back to the lower back if you've come into camel and then lift from your core to counterbalance, go ahead and just have a seat on your heels for a moment, welcome to take a block in between your ankles if that feels more supportive for you, oh I always get a big rush of energy after that pose, all here, good and then we'll take one more round, welcome to sit this one out, we'll come high up onto the knees, you can have your toes tucked or untucked, we'll bring hands to the low back, supporting sacrum, hug the elbows back, heart lifts, gaze lifts, maybe reach back for your heels as you keep pressing hips forward, sternum lifted and breathe, and then coming out the same way, we came in, hands to the low back, lift from your core and again just take a moment to observe and notice where that posture lands in your body, to ground, feel your heartbeat, feel your body being breathed, beautiful and then as you're ready let's just bring the weight off to one side, we'll bring the legs out in front of us, setting up for double pigeon, so letting your right ankle come to the top of your left knee and then the right knee starts to melt down toward that left ankle, so both feet are flexed, you can always pad up with a blanket or a bolster here, even a block, just going a little deeper into our hips, you're welcome to stay upright, you might close your eyes, if there's that invitation to go a little deeper maybe you walk the hands in front of you as you wiggle in to double pigeon and then come back to your breath, come home to your breath, anchoring to this present moment by just tracking your inhale, breathing in, I'm aware that I am breathing in, breathing out, I am aware that I am breathing out, allowing a few more full deep breaths on this side, good and then on your next inhale start to slowly walk your way out of there, take the legs out in front of you, you might shake them out, just letting that side go and then we'll move into the second side, so drawing the left ankle just on top of the right knee, so there's kind of like a cushiony part above the knee that you could hook it there and then flexing both feet actively as you let your left knee just start to melt down and get heavy, double pigeon, some people call it fire log, I guess it makes sense, like stacked logs and then again take a moment to tune in, notice how this side probably feels different and maybe walking your hands forward or just staying upright, come home to the breath, beautiful on your next breath in, take your time as you slowly make your way out of that side and we'll reach both legs out in front of us, flexing through the feet, sit up tall on your sitting bones, maybe wiggle in, as you inhale sweep the arms up and then exhale leading with the heart coming into a forward fold Paschimottanasana, just letting your hands fall wherever they naturally fall, couple full deep breaths here and inhale slowly lifting up, come on to your back, hug your right knee into your chest as you lay down and then give that right knee a squeeze with your left hand, draw the right knee across your body coming into a nice twist when you're reaching your right arm out to the right, maybe take your gaze over your right shoulder, couple full deep breaths here, beautiful and then slowly unravel, come back through center and bring the soles of the feet to the earth for a moment, lift the hips and place them back down just to neutralize your spine, let your right leg go long on your mat and squeeze your left knee in towards your chest, with your right hand draw the left knee across the body moving into a twist in the other direction, you can reach your right arm out to the right and take a gaze over that left shoulder, oh nice crack on that side, hopefully you did too, just releasing and wringing it all out good and then slowly come back through center, bring the soles of the feet to the earth, lift the hips, place them back down, hug your knees in, both knees into your chest this time, maybe rock a little side to side, massage through the lower back, good and then start to draw your nose up toward your knees, hug everything into a tight little ball, big breath in and exhale, sigh it out, let everything release for savasana letting your legs go long on your mat, let your feet relax, open, draw your shoulders down the back, palms face up on either side of the body, if it feels comfortable for you let your eyes soften and close, allow yourself to feel held here, inviting in that quality of ease, letting go, letting be, just rest and feel free to stay in savasana as long as you like if you have the time, otherwise let's gently make our way back to seated, either rolling to one side or just simply finding your seat, we'll gather our hands together in anjali mudra in front of the heart, bowing in toward the teacher within, and thanking yourself for showing up for you today, thank you for practicing, namaste.