Santosha: Gratitude

Welcome to your practice. So this will be a slow luxurious practice. We're going to take our time and really tune into the present moment, sensations, breath, and working on santosha contentment by being present. So for this practice you may want to, I recommend a strap and a block. We will start lying on our backs. So go ahead and find your way down onto your back and separate your feet a little bit wider apart than your hips, knees bent, and turning your feet in a little bit rest your knees together. And then you can place your hands on your belly if you like just so that you can tune into your belly rising as you're breathing and really encourage your belly to be soft so that that movement happens organically naturally. So take a moment to allow your body to settle, feeling the touch points of your body on the floor. Sensing your belly rising as you're breathing in and falling back down as you're breathing out. When we tune into our breath, it's really an opportunity to become more present in this moment. Feeling the air flowing in and out through your nose. Just pausing briefly before we start to move.

Start to walk your feet in a little bit closer together and then hug your knees into your chest. You can have your feet, knees about hips width. You can point your toes, your feet, flex your ankles, make ankle circles. A nice simple way of just stretching your lower back and then hugging your right knee into your chest as you straighten your left leg out onto the floor, bringing your left leg to neutral so that your toes are pointing straight up, pressing the back of your left leg into the floor as you bring the right knee to your chest. Just a couple more breaths here, relaxing your shoulders, relaxing your facial muscles, and then go ahead and hug both knees into your chest and straighten your right leg out onto the floor. Hugging your left knee into your chest. So just easy, gentle stretching. It's a practice where you don't have to be very ambitious, yet you might find that you end up working harder than you thought you would, hugging both knees into your chest. Go ahead and bring your knees and feet wide apart, upside down frog, and you can rest your arms to the inside of your legs like so and take some deeper belly breaths. So breathing down into your belly, allowing your belly to move just not only softens your belly but also in many ways can just soften the attitude that you have towards yourself. And then any amount, straighten your right leg out to the side, and then bend your right knee in any amount, straighten your left leg out to the side. Again, tuning into sensations and bending that knee and then bring your knees back to your chest and bring your feet onto your mat, straighten your legs out onto the floor and bring both legs to neutral, flexing your ankles and then reach your fingertips up towards the ceiling. Imagine you're holding a block between the palms of your hands and inhale, stretch your arms behind your head and just very gently draw your belly lower, rips in and then attempt to make the right leg longer than your left by sliding the right heel forward and then making your right arm longer than your left, breathing into your right side ribs and then slide your left heel forward, making your left leg longer, your left arm longer, breathing into your left side ribs and then even out both sides for one more full breath and then inhale, bring your arms up, relax your arms onto the floor, bend your knees and then rolling over onto either side and then find your way onto your hands and knees.

Now, we're going to come into a wide down dog, so bring your hands as wide apart as the width of your mat and turning your hands out just a little bit, give your shoulders a little bit more space and as you come into down dog, bring your feet as wide apart as the width of your mat, align the outer edges of the feet with the sidelines of your mat or the outer edges of the outer edges of your mat, spreading your toes and then turning both feet to your right, leaning into that right hip, right shoulder and just noticing where you feel the stretch and then turn both feet to your left, leaning into that left hip, left shoulder and again noticing where you feel sensations and then back to center and then bring your feet in about hips width, hands about shoulder width, being here just for a couple more breaths and if your hamstrings are tight, by all means you can bend your knees and then as you inhale, raise your right leg behind you and as you exhale, bring your right knee to your chest and you don't have to come forward until your shoulders are above your wrists so you can be here where it's a little easier, easy on the wrists as well or if you feel up to it, coming forward until your shoulders are above your wrists and then as you inhale, reach your right leg behind you, three-legged down dog and then exhale, right knee to your left elbow in that direction, whether you touch the elbow or not, not important and then inhale, three-legged down dog. Now this time, open up your right hip, bend your right knee, resist the left form up away from the floor and then bring the right knee to the right tricep and then exhale, knee to the right tricep, always interesting and then take the foot to the outside of your right hand. Now feel free to come up onto your fingertips here, pressing your left thigh bone up towards the ceiling and then maybe squeezing your hips down just a little bit more so notice where you feel this. Some days I feel it more in my left hip flexors, some days I feel it more in my right hamstrings, right glute and then next time you exhale, find your way back into downward-facing dog, shift a little bit more weight into your fingers and then inhale, raise your left leg, leading with the inseam of that leg and exhale, knee to your chest, maybe coming forward until your shoulders are above your wrists, looking in front of your hands. Inhale, three-legged down dog and then exhale, left knee to your right elbow in that direction. Inhale, three-legged down dog. This time, open up your left hip, bend your left knee, resist the right form up away from the floor and then bring the left knee to the left tricep and place the foot to the outside of your left hand and pressing your right thigh bone up towards the ceiling as you gently squeeze your hips down so when you bring your attention to your breath, when you bring your attention to sensations, draws you into the present moment. I know that can sound like something you've heard a million times but coming into this place where you are present with what's going on at this moment and there's a sense of kind of contentment, gratitude when you can bring yourself into the present moment and then go ahead and move into down dog. Inhale, plank pose. I'm just pausing here for a few breaths, firm your belly, front ribs up towards your back body. Look about a foot or so in front of your fingertips, kind of push the ground away from you as you reach your sternum forward and then slowly lower all the way down and then interlace your fingers behind your back, lifting your chest. If your shoulders are tight, you can use a strap between your hands in order for you to lift your shoulders, dynamically stretching out through your legs, spread your toes and see if you can draw your tailbone under a little bit more for one more breath and keeping your chest lifted, place your hands by your lower ribs. You could stay right here or deep in the cobra or upward facing dog and then exhale, downward facing dog. So just a couple more breaths here and then walking your hands to your feet and bring your feet a little bit wider apart, turning your feet out moderately and squatting down. If your heels are not touching the ground, you can always roll up your mat, the back of the mat and place that roll underneath your heels and just taking a moment here to allow your tailbone to sink and your sternum to lift. You can use your elbows to gently squeeze the knees apart, finding a steady point that you can softly gaze at, maybe it's your mat or your fingertips, pausing here for a little bit longer. When we bring our attention to the present moment, right, we are not in the past, we're not in the future and that actually is a way for us to come into a more calm and still connected place, which is ultimately yoga. And then please go ahead and bring your hands down, parallel your feet back to just a brief Uttanasana. Feel free to bend your knees and just let your head dangle for a moment and then walking your hands forward, coming back into downward facing dog and then inhale plank pose and exhale again slowly lower all the way down inhale cobra or up dog and then exhale down dog. Now inhale raise your right leg behind you and as you exhale step your right foot up between your hands. Now take your block and place the block to the inside of the right foot, unlike medium height. See what works for you in a moment. You're going to place your right hand on the block, pivot the back heel down, right buttock wants to stick out to the side, so firm it in. Coming into a variation of Parsva Konasana, bring your left hand to your left hip, make sure that the right knee is above your right ankles or the weight is in the right heel, gently squeezing the knee back as you firm the outer right hip in. A little bit more weight to the center of the back heel and then roll your left shoulder back, reach your left arm up, up, turn the palm of the hand to face where the crown of your head is facing and reach the arm over your cheek. So just a couple more breaths here and if it feels okay on your neck looking up but tuck the chin in a little bit and then strongly press through your right heel, inhale, warrior two. You could take the block with you and then straighten your right leg and moving into triangle pose. Block is optional but what's nice about using the block is that it's a little easier to lengthen the right side of your torso.

Two more breaths here, reaching up and out through the top fingertips and then start to bend your right knee and then bring your left hand down, move the block out of the way, step into down dog. You could stay right here or look seriously. Plank pose, either lower all the way down or chaturanga, inhale cobra or up dog. See what works best for you and we meet in down dog. Inhale, raise your left leg behind you, exhale, step it through. Take your block, place it to the inside of your left foot, left hand on the block, press the right heel down, right hand to your right hip. Use the left arm as leverage to squeeze that left knee back, firming the outer left hip in, roll your right shoulder back and extend your right arm up. Turn the palm of the right hand to face the top of your mat and extend the right arm over your cheek. A little bit more weight to the center of the back heel and maybe turn your gaze up, tuck your chin in a little bit for two more breaths. Pressing through the left heel, inhale warrior two. Feel free to take the block with you and then straighten your left leg and then moving into triangle pose, trikonasana. So again, with a block, it's a little easier to lengthen the left side of your torso. Reach up and out through the top hand for two more breaths.

And bending your left knee, bring your right hand down, come back into the high lunge, step into down dog. Option again to come into plank pose, going through the vinyasa that works best for you. So many times I lower all the way down, many times I do cobra. I try to mix it up a little bit. And then in your down dog, bend your left knee, bring your right hand down, come back into the high lunge, step into down dog. And then in your down dog, bring your feet together and then inhale plank pose.

Making sure that your hands are not turned in, so I actually would suggest turning your hands out just a little bit. And then coming over onto the side edges of your right foot, stack your legs and then reach your left arm up. And of course if you have wrist issues, this pose is better done on your right form, okay? So press through the right inner palm and firm the right tricep in. Lift your hips up a little higher maybe. Gently firm your belly, lower ribs in. Two more breaths, pushing the ground away from you with your right hand.

And then back to plank. Feet together, second side. So coming over onto your left hand on your left form, reach your right arm up. Pushing the ground away from you. Lift your hips up a little higher. Reach up and out through the top fingertips. Gently firm your belly, front ribs in for two more breaths. For one more breath, then back to plank. And this time, lower all the way down. Insolence your fingers the non-habitual way behind your back and lifting up.

Lift your feet and legs. Two more breaths. So nice counter stretch for your shoulders. After side plank. Then hands by your lower ribs. Lower your feet, either cobra or up dog. And then exhale, down dog. Couple of breaths here. Walking your way down.

Couple of breaths here. Walking your hands to your feet when you're ready, no rush. Slide your hands underneath the soles of your feet. See if you can bring the toes all the way up to the creases of your wrists. Massage your wrists with your toes. Inhale to reach your sternum forward and then exhale, fold. Couple of breaths here. Let your head dangle. Fine to bend your knees.

Inhale, open your chest and exhale. Walk your hands forward, down dog. Just a moment here. Brief moment. Coming onto your knees. And then please, coming over onto your back again. You're going to use your strap. Wrap your strap around your right foot and extend your right leg up. Straighten your left leg onto the floor. So same thing as earlier, left leg in neutral. Flexing both ankles. Couple of breaths here. Relax your shoulders.

Tuning into where you feel the stretch. Likely hamstrings, calf muscles. So meeting yourself in this moment, not trying to pull too hard, right? Put the straps into your right hand. Left hand can go on top of your left thigh. Just remind the left thigh and left hip not to lift as you slowly bring the right leg to your right. I tend to bring my right elbow down. It's easier to relax my shoulder. Nice stretch for the inner thigh muscles. And then bring the leg back up.

Now you're going to take the strap off and then once again reach your arms behind your head like we did earlier in today's class and then very slowly start to lower your right leg but as you lower the right leg firm your belly lower ribs in and when your right foot is closer to the floor attempt to make the right leg longer. I forgot to mention after this class you'll be an inch taller and then lower the right leg and then bring your arms back up and rest your arms by your side for a moment and you can close your eyes and notice sensations in your right leg. Sometimes you feel a sense of aliveness, tingling. And then bending your knees again and then find the strap and wrap the strap around your left foot. And extend the left leg up, straighten your right leg onto the floor. Give yourself enough strap so that you can straighten your left leg, that you can keep the weight to the back of your pelvis. Sometimes in our eagerness to stretch our hamstrings we keep pulling and pulling and suddenly our pelvis rolls off the floor.

So a moment just to check in. Is your pelvis on the floor? Do you have a little air space between the lower back and the floor? Put the straps into your left hand, right hand on top of your right thigh and then slowly bring the left leg to your left. Right hand can just kind of monitor that your right hip and right thigh are not lifting up. So keeping your hip points equidistant from the ceiling. Again noticing sensations. Sometimes our focus can be, or I'm supposed to be in this position or this image of the pose, but can you tune into what's going on right now? Where do you where do you need to be in this pose? And then bring the leg back up and then take the strap off the foot. Move the strap out of the way and then inhale. Stretch your arms behind your head and softly draw your belly lower ribs. As you stabilize your trunks, you very slowly lower that left leg, keeping the right leg in neutral, heavy on the floor, and attempt to make the left leg longer. Again aiming to grow an inch taller and then lower the leg and bring your arms down by your sides and once again just close your eyes and notice sensations in your left leg. Aliveness, energy, tingling. Just the awareness of energy, aliveness. And bending your knees, bring the outer right ankle on top of your left thigh, flex your right foot, and then lift your left foot and you can either hold around the back of the left thigh or around the left shin, but if you hold around the left shin and your shoulders roll off the floor, your head tilts back, then just hold around the back of the left thigh. So this is ultimately about finding a good stretch to the right glutes. There are three. So the right maximus, gluteus maximus, you'll likely feel that. Medius and the smaller one, minimus, and maybe some deeper external hip rotators.

Let's see if you can relax and soften your shoulders. Relax your throat and as you exhale, can you relax, soften into the stretch? And maybe if you lean a little bit more over onto your left hip, you're going to feel it a little differently. So you're exploring, you're feeling your way into the pose, into the stretch. Coming back to center and then before you change sides, you may want to just stretch the right leg up in the air and then left outer ankle on top of the right thigh and then either hold around the right shin or behind the back of the left thigh, the right thigh, the right shin or right thigh and flexing especially the left foot to create stability for that left knee. And as you're pressing the back of your pelvis into the floor, maybe bringing the right knee in a little closer and relax and soften your shoulders, your facial muscles.

Maybe choosing to lean a little bit more over onto that right hip and use the exhalation to soften, to relax into the stretch. And then eventually straighten both legs up in the air. Hands to the inner thighs, a wide straddle. Maybe you need to bend your knees a little bit or maybe you're more flexible and you find that it's interesting to grab your big toes. One is not better than the other but one is likely a better fit. And then bring your knees back together, bring your feet down and then bring the soles of your feet together for Supta Baddha Konasana.

If this is not comfortable, okay, you can put support underneath your thighs or skip this one. You reach your fingertips up towards the ceiling, grab hold of your elbows and then reach your arms behind your head. And just take a couple of deeper breaths here as if you can breathe from your belly into the top of your chest. Maybe sigh out the exhale. You can change the crossing of your arms, of your elbows. You can allow your eyes to be closed. And then bring your arms back up and manually bring your knees together. And you may want to just hug your knees into your chest.

Maybe curl your head and shoulders off the floor, perhaps wrap your arms around your shins. Make yourself smaller. Not that that's the aim of this, but just like a nice hug. And then slowly lower down, right, the aim of this practice to get longer, taller. Okay. And then go ahead, find you into Shavasana.

And in Shavasana, taking a moment to make yourself comfortable. And what's interesting about Shavasana that sometimes you get so relaxed, as you draw your attention more deeply inside, you start to feel that there's no shape to you. That you're not your muscles or your bones, you're not your thoughts, but you're simply energy, feeling that sense of spaciousness. That there are no physical boundaries. That you perhaps start to feel open, more spacious.

Or maybe you just simply feel a bit more relaxed, allow your eyes to be still, with more of a downward inner gaze. Whether you stay here for another 5, 10 or 15 minutes, or just a few more breaths, can you sense who you are, apart from your body, your thoughts? Finding that sense of inner contentment, a moment of gratitude, but just simply feeling your body, your thoughts, finding that sense of inner contentment, a moment of gratitude, but just simply that which you are, that has no name. So if you'd like to start to bring yourself back into the room, you can place your hands under your belly or chest, perhaps taking just another moment in gratitude for your practice, your breath, or maybe appreciating someone or something in your life. You can bend your knees when you're ready, roll over onto either side.

Take your time to sit up. Sometimes if you sit up too quickly, you can get dizzy. Thank you so much for practicing with me. I wish you a wonderful day. Namaste.