Vairagya: Non-Attachment

Welcome to your practice. So today's practice will be a lot about movement and I think you'll build a lot of heat. Very organized practice, definitely a focused practice, so let's get started. Make sure you have one block, okay? Step to the top of your mat and separate your feet about hips width, parallel your feet and bring your hands together in front of your chest in Anjali Mudra and just take a moment with your eyes closed.

Take a moment to connect to your breath. Feel the touch points of your feet on the floor and as much as you can spread your toes. So feeling the earth underneath your feet getting grounded. Let's take one more deep full breath and allow your eyes to open and as you exhale lower your arms. As you inhale circle your arms overhead and as you exhale hinging from your hips folding forward you can bend your knees.

As you inhale reach your sternum away from your navel you can come halfway up and as you exhale fold. Inhale spread your arms out to the side lifting all the way up and exhale hands to your heart. Let's just do one more inhale circle your arms overhead and as you exhale fold I do prefer knees bent here as I'm just starting out. Inhale Ardha Uttanasana, exhale bow, inhale spread your arms out to the side lift all the way up and exhale hands to your heart adding on. Inhale circle your arms overhead and as you exhale fold Uttanasana.

Inhale open your chest and as you exhale step your right foot back into a high lunge. Just be on your fingertips here fingertips in line with your toes let's take a couple of breaths here and checking that you took a big enough step back with the right foot so that your left knee is above your left ankle and then if it's possible you can plant your hands flat already now stepping into top of a push-up plank pose just pausing here for a couple of breaths pressing strongly through the mounds of your fingers firm your triceps in and hug your belly front ribs up start to come forward with your chest and maybe here the first one you can set your knees down so that as you lower down you can more easily control broadening across your collarbones and then inhale low Cobra and if it feels all right maybe lifting up into a high Cobra and perhaps upward facing dog but really check to see what you're ready for as far as backbends and then let's meet in downward facing dog and first down dog feels good to maybe pedal your feet maybe sway your hips a little bit from side to side and then when you're ready inhale raise your right leg behind you and as you exhale step your foot up between your hands you may have to carry the foot part of the way just a couple more breaths here checking that your right knees above your right ankle being up onto your fingertips to more easily lengthen your spine and then next time you exhale step your left foot forward feet still hips width inhale open your chest and exhale fold inhale spread your arms out to the side lifting all the way up and exhale back to center inhale circle your arms overhead deep full breath in exhale fold make the exhalation as long as the inhalation inhale open your chest exhale step your left foot back then stepping into plank pose take a deep full breath and start to come forward with your chest slowly either lower all the way down or chaturanga dandasana inhale Cobra or up dog exhale down dog we'll take three full breaths here deep inhales and long exhales bottom of your next exhalation draw your hips back a little bit more and then inhale raise your left leg behind you and exhale step the foot up between your hands step your right foot forward option to step your feet all the way together inhale Arda Uttanasana exhale bow inhale spread your arms out to the side lifting up and exhale hands to your heart we'll start our sun salutation be story namaskar be inhale utkatasana chair pose shifting more weight into your heels and just the first chair pose here let's stay for a few breaths curl your tailbone under so a little bit of a pelvic tuck draw your lower ribs in take a deep full breath in you can look up if that works for you you're also welcome to seal your hands and then exhale fold inhale open your chest exhale step back lower down and you're welcome to lower all the way down inhale you pick the back bend that serves you best and we meet in down dog inhale raise your right leg behind you exhale step your right foot up to your right thumb pivot the back heel down inhale warrior one so first warrior one pausing here for a moment see if you can draw your lower belly in and up navel towards your spine and again you have the option to look up option to seal your hands exhale back to plank pose and perhaps you lower all the way down inhale cobra or up dog exhale down dog inhale raise your left leg behind you exhale step it through inhale warrior one the first warrior one stay here for a few breaths see if you can draw the lower belly in and up maybe drive the right hip fold a little bit more and if you've tight shoulders maybe choose to keep your hands a bit wider than shoulder width and the next time you exhale step into plank pose you can always skip the vinyasa move into down dog or slowly go through the vinyasa and we meet in down dog for about five full breaths the attention on your breath can help you stay focused bottom of your next exhalation you can either step or lightly hop your feet up between your hands inhale open your chest and exhale fold spread your toes as much as you can and then inhale utkatasana chair pose exhale root through the heels to rise and hands to your heart pausing here just for a moment allow your gaze to be soft introspective receptive lower your arms inhale utkatasana chair pose exhale uttanasana forward fold inhale ardha uttanasana lengthen your spine so you can step some of you may jump inhale cobra or up dog exhale down dog inhale raise your right leg behind you exhale step it through inhale warrior one my pace is a suggestion exhale chaturanga inhale pick your back end exhale down dog inhale raise your left leg exhale step it through inhale warrior one exhale chaturanga you can always set your knees down inhale cobra or up dog exhale down dog lift a little bit more weight into your fingers align your ears with the inner upper arms bottom of your next exhalation step or lightly hop inhale open your chest exhale bow inhale utkatasana exhale samasthiti back to center so again finding that soft way of gazing so whichever point you're looking at imagine that point is coming towards you so it's a very not ambitious way of gazing you're just simply observing the way that you're observing your practice your thoughts so that kind of non-attachment and then lower your arms inhale utkatasana chair pose great pose to strengthen the quads the glutes great way to build heat and then exhale fold inhale open your chest exhale step back chaturanga or lower all the way down inhale cobra or up dog exhale down dog inhale raise your right leg exhale step it through i like to suggest that you use a block place it by the outer right ankle you may want to use it set the back foot flat inhale warrior one so in warrior one typically what students are told is to have heel to heel alignment for most people actually to move that left hip forward you need to go a little wider in the stance so assuming that you're not on a tight rope as you bring your hands to the center of your chest heel toe the right foot and interest so to your left okay and then from the outer right hip in as you move into virabhadrasana two and on the back foot you make a little bit of a an adjustment the back foot is not turned in quite as much as for warrior one keep hugging the outer right hip in a little bit more weight to the center of the back heel lightly place the left hand to the left leg or if you like you can wrap the hand around the top of the right thigh turn the palm of the right hand to face the ceiling and then inhale reverse the warrior opening up stretching the right side of your torso and then inhale back to warrior two and then start to reach out through that right arm lengthen the right side of the torso place your hand on the block squeeze the right knee against the right arm palm of the left hand facing the ceiling as you sweep the arm over your cheek for parsvakonasana three more breaths a little bit more weight to the center of the back heel turn your right rib cage forward a bit more maybe look up in front of the left arm and then sweep the left hand towards the back foot bring your hand back down your back into the high lunge step into down dog just for a moment stretch it out you have the option to stay in your down dog or look seriously move through the vinyasa synchronizing movement with breath inhale raise your left leg behind you exhale step it through checking that you're not on a tightrope place the block by the outer left ankle inhale first virabhadrasana one warrior one bring your hands to your heart heel toe the left foot an inch or so to your right from the outer left hip in as you move into virabhadrasana two firming the outer left hip in pressing more strongly through the center of the back heel turn the palm of the left hand to face the ceiling and then inhale reverse the warrior feel free to do the wrap okay so open up the left side of your torso two more breaths inhale come back to warrior two a little bit more weight to the center of the back heel start to reach out through the left side of your torso left hand place the hand on the block turn the palm of the right hand to face the ceiling sweep the arm over your cheek squeezing the left knee against the left arm firming the outer left hip in for two more breaths parsvakonasana extended side angle pose sweep the right hand towards the back leg bring your hands back down around the left foot stretch into down dog inhale plank pose exhale lower some of you may be like me all the way down inhale cobra i'd like to switch it up exhale down dog now walk your hands to your feet take your middle finger index finger reach around your big toes you can bend your knees inhale open your chest exhale fold splay the inner elbows apart and as you draw the crown of your head down lift your shoulders two more breaths inhale open your chest and exhale walk your hands forward that felt like a little intermission that i certainly needed maybe you did too now we're going to do another sequence here so as you inhale raise your right leg behind you exhale step the foot up between your hands again place the block by the outer right ankle inhale warrior one now same transition as before hands and anjali mudra heel to the right foot an inch or two to your left coming into virabhadrasana two now from virabhadrasana two straighten your right leg and then exhale triangle pose and it's here you may want to use the block underneath your right hand firm the outer right hip in so you're externally rotating the right thigh bone and the hip socket so tracking your right knee with the second toe now take your left hand to your left hip you're welcome to also do the wrap wrapping your hand around the top of the right thigh not terribly important but maybe this is interesting to you then bend your right knee stepping the back foot in a little closer keep hugging the outer right hip and feel free to take the block with you as you bring your right hand forward at least a foot more in line with the outer edges of the right foot then extend your left arm up keep hugging the outer right hip in flexing your left foot two more breaths open up your chest to face the wall maybe turning your gaze towards the top hand which i will not do today you have to feel really steady but it is a good challenge sometimes then look down hand goes back to your hip bend your right knee keep tracking the knee in line with the second toe find your way back into triangle pose and then slowly bend your right knee sweep the left hand towards the back foot bring your hands back down find your way into down dog stretch it out you can stay here or look seriously go through another vinyasa so easy to go into automatic with these vinyasas so do it slowly sometimes skip it sometimes ask yourself are they necessary sometimes they're not inhale raise your left leg behind you exhale step it through place the block by the outer left ankle and then inhale virabhadrasana one hands to your heart heel till the left foot a couple of inches to your right transition into virabhadrasana two here we meet again now slowly start to straighten your left leg and then move into triangle pose trikonasana and it's nice to use a block so that it's easier to lengthen the left side of the torso reach up and out through the top hand firm the outer left hip in so that extra rotation of the left thigh bone in the hip socket now right hand goes to the right hip or if you like do the wrap and then bend your left knee step the back foot in a little closer keep the knee tracking in line with the second toe and you can take the block with you as you transition into half moon one side is always a little trickier right so if that's what you experience just practice patience and compassion and reach your right arm up flexing your right foot open up your chest to face the wall two more breaths ardha chandrasana half moon and again maybe you slowly turn your gaze towards the top hand and hand goes back right hand goes back to the right hip bend your left knee keep tracking the knee line with the second toe find your way back into triangle pose press your feet into the floor inhale come all the way up parallel your feet all ten toes pointing straight ahead bring your hands to your hips take a deep full breath and lift and open your chest tuck your chin in maybe look up so like a nice back bend in the upper back and then exhale hinging from your hips folding forward hands on the floor inhale lengthen your spine you can bend your knees and as you exhale you could consider walking your hands back between your feet for prasada padottanasana e not important for the crown of your head to touch the floor if you're close you could go a little wider in the stance you can also put a block underneath the crown of your head or you could just let your head dangle which feels nice nice traction for your neck two more breaths here lift your shoulders hug the elbows in and then walk your hands forward inhale coming halfway up exhale hands to your hips i like to put a little bend in my knees here and then inhale coming all the way up and then interlace your fingers behind your back roll your shoulders back you can always use a strap here and as you exhale folding so if you feel unstable here make sure to shorten the stance a little bit pressing more strongly through the mounds of your big toes lifting the inner arches of your feet and hugging the sides of the shins in towards the midline for two more breaths prasada padottanasana see stretching from your shoulders to your hands leading with your chest inhale coming all the way up exhale hands to your hips and step your feet together or hips width bring your hands into anjali mudra pausing for a moment soften your gaze and bring your hands to your hips bend your knees a little bit shift the weight into your left foot coming onto the ball the right foot and lifting your right foot across the right knee over the left maybe wrap the foot around the lower leg not terribly important okay and bring your arms out to the side find a steady point you can softly gaze that cross the left arm over the right maybe palms of the hands touching lift your elbows about shoulder height squeeze your hands away from your forehead garudasana two more breaths maybe sitting a little deeper more weight in that left heel and then inhale and exhale back to center hands to your hips bend your knees shift the weight into the right foot come onto the ball the left foot cross the left knee over the right maybe wrap the foot around the lower leg gently hug your navel in spread your arms out to the side cross the right arm over the left garudasana eagle pose lift your elbows about shoulder height squeezing your hands away from your forehead shift a little bit more weight into your right heel two more breaths and then inhale spread the arms out to the side exhale hands back to the center of your chest and then please step to the top of your mat have your feet hips width and then inhale stretch your arms overhead and just very gently arching back just a little bit and then as you exhale fold now hands onto your mat start to lift your heels and carefully squat down if that feels okay and your knees place your hands behind you and sitting down walking your feet forward to that your feet are in front of your knees take your arms out in front of you imagine you're holding a block and then very slowly start to exhale round your back and just one vertebra at a time lower back down once you're back down stretch your arms out to the side move your hips a little bit to your right straighten out your left leg and take it into a gentle twist turn your head to your right and then inhale back to center bending your knee shifting the pelvis a bit to your left straighten your right leg out and then exhale gently twisting left knee to your right turn your head to your left and then inhale back to center hug your knees into your chest give yourself a big hug you worked really hard and then please bring your feet down find your way into Shavasana so as we work on the focus in the practice which is called Apyasa and the non-attachment the idea of enjoying the journey making the journey the goal the process that's vairagya combining those two on our journey and as you're resting here in Shavasana draw your attention more deeply inside let your mind's eye rest in the center of your chest connecting with that part of you that always remains the same never changing even though everything else is changing so as we can connect to that part it's calming centering and somewhat familiar as if you've returned back home and you're more than welcome to stay in Shavasana for as long as you can it's really a great way to meditate if you're ready to bring yourself back place your hands one hand on your belly other hand onto your chest bend your knees eventually rolling over onto one side and finding your way to a comfortable seat I'm so happy that you chose to practice I wish you a wonderful day namaste everyone namaste