Seed to Tree Practice

Namaste. Welcome to practice. For today's practice, we're going to be doing an exercise from the Kundalini tradition. This one is called seed to tree. Seed to tree. And it happens to be one of my very favorites because I I love the way it's starts from this tiny little seed and then grows.

So one of the, metaphors that I like to use for this one is how we notice the stages of the moon. The moon starts off as a new moon, just this tiniest little sliver, And then it goes through its very distinct phases step by step by step by step by step until we come to the full moon. And in the same way, when we are trying to birth something new in our lives, whether it's a project, a new phase, a new healthy habit, for instance, a new relationship, a new space. Maybe you've moved something like that. Sometimes I know for myself, I'm kind of an impatient person, and I just wanna go from step 1 to step 10. You know, make the jump.

And yet all of the little steps in between are so important in this exercise for me has always felt like a really potent reminder that every step along the way is valid counts and moves us towards our goal. Okay. So let's get started. We're gonna do this one for 4 minutes. Remember that with kundalini exercises, some of them are quite a bit longer than you might be used to holding shapes in perhaps a Vinyasa practice. So I'm gonna encourage you.

We're we're doing 4 minutes if along the way you need to pause take a couple of breaths and then come back into it. You are, of course, always welcome to do that. But this one is going to start off in a child's pose. So you're gonna come down. Here's where you find your seed shape So I'm taking my knees about hip width apart, big toes are together, and I'm folding forward.

Into a child's pose with my arms back behind me. I'm gonna take my thumbs into the center of my palm, wrap my fingers around them, So I'm making a fist with my hands with the thumbs on the inside. And here's where we do our seed to tree moment. So you can just watch this once to start off with. Pressing down into the shins will rise up onto the tops of the knees reaching the arms up, still in the fist.

And then at the very top, the palms will open. The gaze turns up. The heart lifts We look up open and receptive, and then we go right back into our seed. So my fingers will close back around the thumbs and slowly, slowly, slowly. I'm coming right back down into my child's pose to complete the cycle.

And so we'll stay with that movement moving between the two. The pace is up to you. I like to move bit slowly with this one so I can really feel every step along the way. But if you're feeling a little fiery, you wanna make it faster. You're welcome to do that.

Another quick mention. This one can also be done in a deeper backbend. If you're feeling that, you can almost turn it into like a mini camel pose if you'd like, with the head falling back and the arms reaching open. Or if that's not working for your body today, you keep it more upright, more lifted, stretching the chest up. What I always say is that the intention is always the most important part of the physical practice.

So when we bring the intention, that heart chakra energy, that throat chakra energy, that's kind of where we're concentrating with this one. Around, connection and communication, getting our message out into the world, and that's the seed to treat. Right? So that's enough talk. Let's let's do let's do a little something here. Come down into your child's pose, hands in your fist, let your forehead rest for a moment.

And if setting an intention here, feeling your seed, perhaps there's a project or something new in your life that that wants to be born that you know is ready to make its way out into the world. Perhaps you bring that right into the forefront of your mind. Right into the forefront of your heart. Take a full breath in. Exhale it away.

We've got 4 minutes here as you're ready. Begin. And your breath will fall into kind of an organic pattern here doesn't need to be, such a strict. It might move along with the movement, or maybe your breath is a bit slower or a bit faster. But as you're doing this, And you get up to the top even through the space and the freedom that you're feeling through the chest, perhaps through the shoulders and the neck, Remember to keep the anchoring, the pressing in at the tops of the feet, and the shins, Staying connected to earth element. And that keeps our intention firmly rooted.

In grounding, in earth, in reality. And sometimes you'll find that through the exercise You start to be able to move more deeply between the shapes. Other times, it can stay more subtle and internal. Again, keep coming back to the intention. Every step along the way.

Between the potential of the seed. And the beautiful full expression of the tree. Every phase contributes to our growth. And for those of you out there who do happen to be yoga teachers. This is such a beautiful one to bring into your classes. I always feel so honored.

To witness a roomful of people moving in this way. Because we all we all have something. We all have our own special gifts. And sometimes we just need a little reminder. To send them out.

To share them. That's what the energy of the heart can do. That Anahata Chakra. Last ten seconds with this 10 seconds or so. So the next time that you make your way all the way up, we're gonna stay up.

Could be a bigger backbend or a more upright. But stay up. Stay open. Stretch your fingers. Lift your chest.

Let's feel what that feels like. Open and radiant. And then arms can reach up and come to take a seat on your heels. Let your palms turn upward on your thighs. Just feel And we'll close our practice me.

It means truth. I am that of your palms together. And you are. Take your hands to your chest, full breath in, exhale it away. Long, sat, short, numb, Nam.

Thank you for sharing your practice today. No mistake.