Day 13: Bright

Welcome to day 13. We've done a lot, and now it's time to illuminate, to light the knowledge within. So you'll need a strap and a couple of blocks. And we'll start out today in Salamba Virasana, supported heroes pose, So grab one of your blocks. Bring your knees to touch, take your feet wide, and set your block between your inner ankles wide.

Come take a seat on your block and check-in with your knees. So if this is creating any strain or discomfort, you can try turning your block a notch higher. Or maybe you add your second block giving yourself more freedom of space. If your knee still say no, thank you, come sit cross select instead. Press down through the top of your thighs, coil your abdomen in as you lift through your heart. And give yourself a moment here to connect with self, to layer in an intention, And once you have that gathered, bring your hands together at heart center.

Take a full breath in. Lift your chest. Bow your chin, return your hands to your thighs, and blink your eyes open, taking in the space. Hi. Grab your strap and take it nice and wide between your hands. And you wanna go wide enough that you don't have to bend your elbows or squiggle in your shoulders at all. Right?

Draw your front ribs and navel in as you slowly take your arms back behind you, opening your chest. Root down in how bring your arms back up and exhale in front of you. Do that again in how arms up. Draw front ribs in keeping everything stable, but the movement of your arms in your shoulder sockets, root down in, I'll bring it up, and exhale in front of you. We'll take that just one last time in house.

Sweep your arms up. How breathe into the resistance as it arises. Root down. Reach up. And exhale in front of you.

Set your strap to the side, bring yourself forward to your hands and your knees, setting block to the side. Plant your hands right underneath your shoulders, your knees under your hips, and stretch your right leg back. Rock forward and back on the ball of the foot, relieving knee joint, and stretching your calf and hamstring. Do the same thing on the second side. Rock forward and back. And then set your knee down.

Walk your hands a few inches forward. Glide forward. And as you exhale tuck your toes, lift your knees, press your thighs back, downward facing dog. Press the very top of your thighs back as you draw your abdomen and front ribs in, and then inhale to tippy toe. Exhale deep bend to your knees, look to your hands, and walk up to meet them. In how, press your thighs back as you stretch your heart forward.

Exhale. Fold forward. Press into the earth in how reach ups sweep up. If you can do so without wrinkling the back of your neck, look up. And exhale hands to your heart.

Press into the earth and how, once again, try to touch the sky. X how weight a bit forward in your feet as you fold in half. In how to fingertips or hands on shins. Bend your knees enough to get your hands down. Step back with your right foot.

Set your back knee down, uncurl your toes. Press down in how rise up, reach up, maybe look up, exhale hips forward hands to the earth or to your props. Shift your hips back, come to the heel of your front foot, fold to a comfortable edge, rebind your front knee, smooth bum away from your waist, lift your heart, Do that once more. Shift it back. Come to the heel of your foot. Fold. And rebind your knee.

Tuck your back toes under, lift your knee, step it back to your plank pose, and then shift forward, lower halfway. If you're ready right from the start, Come right into your up dog. If your back says cobras better, listen to that. Inhale, lift your right leg. And as you exhale, hug right knee to left elbow come across your body, inhale, take it back and through.

Ex home need to nose, foot shoulders over your wrists, step your right foot forward between your hands. Set your back knee down, uncurl your toes. Press down in how rise up, reach up. Ex how twist to the right, open arms to the sides. Route down in how bring it back up.

Do that again. Ex how twist to the right, pause here. Steer right hip away from the waist, draw your navel back. Shift forward. Try to touch the wall in front of you. Take left hand to the earth, right hand to the sky. Tuck your back toes under.

Lift your knee. Reach your right fingertips toward the back short end of your mat, down, forward, and up once more. And pause with your top arm up and exhale both hands to the mat Walk your hands and or blocks forward of your toes, slide your back foot in, lift off your back leg. Draw your chest straight forward. And then exhale, left foot next to right, fold in half.

Press down in house, circle your arms overhead. Or vahastasana and exhale hands to your heart. 2nd side, little add on at the top. Inhale, reach your arms up and overhead stretch skyward. X how twist to the right, open arms to the sides.

Root down in, I'll bring it up, exhale twist to the left, open to the side, root down in, how stretch skyward, exhale. Wait forward as you fold in half. Inhale lengthen through your spine. Bend your knees, plant your hands, step back with your left foot. Set your back knee down, pat it if it's tender.

Root down inhale, rise up, reach up, maybe look up, and exhale hips forward, hands to the earth or props. Shift back. Find the heel of your foot. Fold it in. Rebing your front knee. Lift your heart.

Lengthen. Do it again. Shift it back. Fold in. Every bend your knee. Plant your hands, tuck your back toes under, lift your knee.

Step to plank, glide forward, lower Chaturanga, inhale, ordva Mukashana, and exhale. Right away in how lift your left leg, exhale knee to right elbow, come across your body. And I'll take it back and through. X how knee to your nose, float shoulders over your wrists, step foot between your hands. Set your back knee down, uncurl your toes, press down, inhale, rise up, reach up, exhale twist to the left, open arms to the sides.

Route down in how stretch it up, same direction, exhale twist left, pause here. Shift forward. Like, you're gonna touch the wall in front of you. Take right hand to the earth or a prop. Guide your left hip back. Open your chest. You can stay here.

If you feel steady doing so, tuck your back toes under. Lift your knee. Reach your left fingertips back, down, forward, and up. Draw 1 more circle, Take a brief pause at the top, and then exhale both hands to the mat. Walk your hands forward, lift off your back leg. Length and through your spine.

And as you exhale, place right foot next to left, and fold in half. Route down in how rise up, and exhale right back to your heart. Take a seat, exhale fold into South in how lengthen. Bend your knees, plant your hands, step or float, Chaturanga, Vinyasa. Without lifting the leg, step your right foot forward, pivot your back heel down, heel to heel.

Pin your right hip in, as you root down, inhale, rise up, reach up 0 badrasana 1. Straight in your front leg like we did the other day. Open your heart. Strength in your back. Rebing your front knee, reach up to the sky, and then exhale hands to the earth.

Find the ball of your back foot, pause. Hop your back foot forward just a couple inches, and then pivot your back heel down. Align heel to heel and angle left toes toward the top left corner of your mat. If you feel a little wobbly, he'll toe right foot over to the right, If you're rounding or stressing your back or hamstrings, raise the ground to you. Right? Guide your right hip back as you reach your heart forward.

And if you've yet to meet your purposeful edge, walk your hands, and or blocks forward. Instead of folding your head to your leg, try to reach your heart and your gaze to the space between your thumbs. Playing a little tug of war between your heart and your hips. And exhale, hands back underneath your shoulders. Bend right knee on top of ankle.

Hop your left foot back to your proper lunge distance. Step to plank, and through your vinyasa. Step your left foot forward, pivot your back heel down, heel to heel, or a little wider for more stability. Pin your left tip in, inhale, rise up, reach up, maybe look up, straighten your front leg, draw your elbows down. Re binge your front knee, reach to the sky.

X how both hands to the mat, find the ball of your back foot, hop your back foot forward a few inches. Pivot your back heel down, angling right toes to the top right corner of your mat. Classically heal to heal, or a little wider for more stability. Again, if it helps you maintain length through your back body, Put your hands on props. Press to the mound of your left big toe as you guide your left hip in line with your right.

And, again, if you've yet to meet your truthful edge, stretch it out, walk your hands and or props forward of your toes, reach your heart and your gaze to the space between your hands. Little variation on parsvotanasana. Side flank stretch or pyramid posts. Set props to the side if you're using them. Plant your hands.

Bend left knee on top of ankle. Find the ball of your back foot. Step to plank. Vinyasa. We're getting to the good stuff and take it up and back downward facing dog.

Inhale. Lift your left leg. At how knee to nose float shoulders over your wrists step your left foot forward between your hands. Walk your hands and or props forward of your toes. Slide your back foot halfway in.

And once again, lift off your back leg. Guide left tip in line with your right. Draw your navel to your spine. Try to gather hands at your heart. You can also put hands on the thigh for more support.

Bend right knee to a right angle. Press into your left foot. Draw right knee toward your chest as you come to stand. Root down in house sweep your arms up, exhale twist to the right. You can hold either your outer knee, Or if accessible without strain, grab the pinky edge of your foot, send your heel forward, lift your heart.

Exhale. Read your knee. Keep the shape of the twist, but turn your gaze forward. Send your right foot into your right hand, little bend to your knee. Lift your abdomen, smooth your bum down, and stretch your left hand forward. Kick your right foot back against the hand and try to touch the wall out in front of you.

Natarajasana King dancer pose. Root down. Stand it up. Hug knee to chest, sweep both arms up. Xhale hands to your heart. Press your heel straight back.

Place hands to the earth or props, step back. What vinyasa do you need? Maybe you move straight to down dog, maybe you take a child's post. Note what your mind is doing with the effort of that first side. We have a tendency to judge ourself based on what we do or do not do. Can you instead choose to watch self with an eye of interest as we come through the second side with a desire to learn to grow as opposed to judge or label.

In how lift your right leg, exhale knee to your nose, float shoulders over your wrists, step your right foot forward between your hands. Walk your hands and or props forward of your toes. Slide your back foot halfway in. Left your back leg, guide your right hip back in in. Firm your abdomen either gathering hands at your heart or pressing your hands against your leg.

Bend left knee to a right angle, root down, hinge from your hips, rise up. Hug your left knee toward your chest as you sweep your arms up. Ax how twist to the left. You can either take right hand to your outer thigh, or, again, if accessible without strain, grab pinky edge of the foot, I'm gonna stick with my knee. If you find yourself stumbling, can you choose laughter instead of frustration?

It's just practice. Keep your twist for now. Turn your gaze forward. Send your left foot into your left hand. Try to grab the inside of the foot to help open your chest.

Touch of a bend to your standing leg knee. Lift the pit of your abdomen. Off for your right hand forward. Rotate it so palm faces up. Kick your foot back against the hand as you try to touch the wall out in front of you.

Nadarajasana, King dancer pose. Root down, rise up, hug left knee toward your chest as you sweep both arms skyward. Exhale, hands to your heart. Press your heel straight back. Heart straight forward.

Place hands to the earth binge your right knee step back to plank. Everyone comes straight to downward facing dog. Who turned on the fire? You did. You turned on the fire. Go on down to your hands and your knees.

And now shift your feet off to one side. Bring them out in front of you, and come lie down. Bring your right knee in toward your chest. Bring your left knee to follow it. And just hold both knees pausing in the stillness for a few breaths.

So yesterday, we talked about discipline, austerity, about making the choice to step into the fire and do the uncomfortable thing when we know that it will be something that ultimately serves us. The second piece of kriya yoga, the yoga of action, is for higher self study. Keep your big toes touching, separate your knees. Slide your hands down your shins toward the top of your feet. And then it's okay if the feet need to separate a little bit as you draw them in closer towards your torso.

And use your arms to lengthen your inner thighs away from you. Just a little different twist on suptabatakanasana reclined bound angle. If you feel like you are at your purposeful edge here, stay here. Otherwise, flex through your feet. Try to keep your inner thighs open at this angle as you separate your feet.

So we're sort of in a hybrid, more hip opening, growing opening variation of our happy baby pose. Align your ankles over your knees, and use your arms like a break to keep the inner thighs lengthening open. Self study. So there are so many different forms of self study. Some texts speak about the repetition of mantra to sort of clear the space within and illuminate things for us.

But as we think about it in our day to day life, we can, just as I mentioned before, observe self with interest as opposed to judgment, which sounds so simple when you say it, but as in actuality, a challenging thing for most of us to do. Release your shins, bring your knees in, giving yourself one last hug, and then place your feet to the earth one at a time. Check-in. If you need a last twist or any other finishing posture before fully letting go indulge, And in your own time, surrender. Walk your shoulders under your chest, adding to the lift of your heart.

If we remember way back, to that first obstacle, Avidya ignorance. That root from which all suffering grows, that root from which all the other obstacles grow. The opposite, the antidote to ignorance is knowledge. And so why wouldn't we study ourselves with as much interest, with as much devotion, patience, and faith as we do anything that we love or that interests us in life. Through knowledge of self, awareness, freedom, Peace.

As always, you may stay here as long as your body desires. If you're ready to move on, bring a little movement to your fingers, to your toes, bend your knee, Roll on to your side and make a pillow with your arm pausing for a breath or 2. And then push the earth away. Find your way back up to seated. Enjoy hands at your heart.

Lift your chest. We buy our chins and gratitude. Namaste. Thanks for sharing your practice.