Joyful Flow

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this practice. We're going to move into a joyful flow practice. One of the elements and the characteristics of the second chakra is pleasure. It's all about invoking pleasure finding joy in life.

So we will try to touch on those qualities in this practice today. Please join me seated. We'll start in comfortable cross leg seated position just taking a moment to land together and settle to start by stopping. Once you find your seat, maybe it would feel good to close your eyes to take a moment to scan through your physical body. I'm just kinda notice from the tips of your toes all the way up through the crown of your head.

Just how you're feeling today. Checking in perhaps any areas where you might feel some tension And also any areas that might feel open, relaxed, Beautiful. And then begin to notice the rise and fall, the natural rhythm of your breath. And notice if just by bringing the attention, to your breath if it naturally begins to transform to deepen. And then we'll allow the breath to deepen to they're taking a few cleansing breaths to begin our practice. So allowing a big full breath in through your nose. Inhale.

And then open up the mouth and let out a sigh or sound, drop your shoulders a bit, let something go. I'll take 2 more like that. Big full breath in through your nose. And exhale. Let something go. Release.

Where might you soften a bit. Good. One more cleansing breath, big full breath in, and a long release, exhale, Beautiful. If there's something you'd like to call in, maybe it's that quality of Finding pleasure of finding joy in your day, allowing that to be your intention. Or anything else that you're that you're working with today that you'd like to call in? Beautiful. And then moving with that intention, as you're ready, can blink the eyes open in how to sweep the arms all the way maybe gaze up towards your fingertips.

And then bend the elbows to cactus or goal post your arms. So feel that opening a across the heart space, you can continue to look up. And then as you inhale, draw the arms back up and then draw a prayer in front of your heart center. I'll come into a twist from here. So let your left hand come to your right knee and let your right fingertips fall behind you. So as you root down through your sitting bones, lengthen through the spine, and then maybe take a gaze over your right shoulder, noticing what you notice behind you.

Good. And then sweep your right arm up and behind you and take it to your left knee. So cross it over the left arm and hold on to the knees. And then gently rock back to round your spine, tuck your chin, and just kinda like a cat in the seated position cat pose as you open up the back of the body. And then from here, bring it into eagle arms, the right arm on you could bring the back of the hands together or palms together, opening up through the shoulder blades as you inhale draw the elbows up and away from you. Good. And as you exhale, draw the elbows in, tuck your chin. And, again, just find that rounding in the spine as you open the back body.

Beautiful. And then release your fingertips behind you and just lean back a bit, feel the opening in the heart space, lots of hard openers in this joyful practice. So just kind of feeling into that right now. Good. And then releasing that, come back through your center. Take a moment to notice, and we'll take that all to the other side, though, as you're ready, inhale, sweep the arms up, gaze up, Exhale bend the elbows intact as your arms, inhale sweep the arms up as you exhale draw prayer in front of your heart and then taking it into a twist in the other direction. So right hand to left knee, left fingertips fall behind, and then take a moment to root down through the sitting bones to lengthen through the spine, through the heart space.

And then maybe gaze over that left shoulder. Breathe in to lengthen, breathe out to rotate maybe a little more without force. Just gentle rotation. Good. And then sweep the left arm up and behind you cross over the right, find that right knee, and then tuck the chin and round. So kind of hovering and opening up through the back body.

Your shoulders. Good. And then keeping the arms crossed, coming right up into eagle arms. Back of hands or palms together. You can hold your shoulders if that feels better for you. Just find that gentle opening as you inhale draw the elbows up in a way. And exhale draw the elbows in, top the chin, round your spine.

You might even wiggle a little side to or sway side to side, whatever needs to kind of release here, feel into that. Good. And then release the arms behind you, tent your fingertips, lift the heart. You might even lift your hips a little bit. Good. And then place everything back down, and we'll make our way to tabletop. So find your way to all fours. Let your hips come over the knees and the shoulders come over your wrists.

We'll set up for some cat cow. So pressing into the shins as you inhale, reach the heart between the window of the arms, arch your spine, look up and lengthen. Good. And then exhale navel to spine, press the floor away and round into cat pose. And we'll take a few more with the breath. So the inhale we come forward into cow, the exhale we round back into cat, dome the upper back.

And if it feels good to wiggle a little bit, wiggle a little bit as you inhale arch the spine. Exhale rounding. Beautiful. And then find that place between cat cow, From here, we'll move into Anahatasana, hard opening pose, come up onto your fingertips, keep the hips over your knees and then start to walk your hands in front of you letting the chest start to melt down toward the earth any amount. So hips stay lifted. Heart lowers down. Maybe the forehead finds your mat.

Maybe the chin, but it's early on putting the practice. So no force. Just find what feels good and a gentle opening across the chest and in the shoulders. Beautiful. And then from here to start to lift up a little bit, gaze forward, bring your forearms down to the earth, and we'll move into sphinx pose. So letting the hips lower. Untuck the toes, press into the top of the feet, and let your forearms find the earth elbows just slightly in front of your shoulders.

And then find a little bit of traction as you draw the mat back towards you and reach the heart forward between the window of the arms. Keep the legs engaged. And then start to drop your chin toward your chest. I'll do a little neck opening here. Let your right shoulder come or, excuse me, your right ear come toward your right shoulder.

Breathe into the left side of your neck. And then draw your chin toward your chest and let your left ear come toward your left shoulder. And then maybe just rocking that side to side a few times. Notice any tension you might be holding. Beautiful. And then coming back through center gaze, straightforward, and then slide your hands back next to the side ribs, hug the elbows in, and we'll set up for a couple rolling cobra poses here.

So keep pressing into the top of the feet. Lift in lengthen. Come up into cobra pose. Draw the shoulders away from your ears. And then as you exhale, gently release down, and we'll do that 2 more times in how lift and lengthen, thinking about length rather than coming up too high, back of the neck long, and exhale release.

Good. One more time. Inhale, bujangasana COBRA, maybe coming up a little bit higher, but, again, find that length first. And then hale slowly release. Good. Press back through hands and knees, and we'll tuck our toes and come up and back into our first downward facing dog. And as you come into down dog, start to pedal it out through the feet, bending one knee, then the opposite heel, melt down toward the earth, and then switching sides. Just feeling into the back body, letting the hands be about shoulder width, feet about hips distance. You can always put a bend in your knees.

Maybe sway your hips side to side and see if you can press evenly through all ten fingers. So press through the inner and the outer hand. Let your spine be nice and long. Let your sitting bones reach up toward the sky. And then find your breath.

Getting upside down. Good. And then slowly, let's walk the feet to the front of the mat. So take a slow walk as you come forward, soft knees, take a brief fold here. At the front of the mat feet can be maybe about hips distance. Let everything melt down. Let the crown of the head, be heavy, breathe. Good. And then slowly roll up one vertebra at a time. So we come up toward stand, maybe draw your shoulders up towards your ears.

And then let them melt down the back. Take a moment. Dry your hands to your heart center and ground here in mountain pose to Dasana. Find your breaths. And we'll slowly build into our sun salutation, Suriyanamaskar, a, stepping the feet together as you're ready, inhale, sweep the arms out and up, feel length in your spine and gaze up. Exhale dive forward, soften your knees as you come into forward fold on an inhale. Start by walking hands up onto the shins.

Lengthen through the spine, reach the heart forward. Good. And for this first one, we'll plant the palms and step back top of a push up plank pose and just take a moment to pause in plank that your shoulders come over the wrists, hips in line with shoulder blades. Finding one long line of energy from the crown of your head back to your heels. Allow a big breath in. And then you're welcome to lower the knees.

Start to shift the weight forward and lower all the way down to the belly. Good. And then untuck your toes, we'll come back up into cobra, peel the chest up, lift, and lengthen. Beautiful. And then as you exhale, press back either through hands and knees or up through plank and come to downward facing dog. Nice I'm taking a few full deep breaths, letting down dog be a reminder to come home to the breath, Getting a big full breath in, and a long full breath out. One more full breath in.

And the slow exhale to release. On an inhale rise high up onto your toes. Bend your knees look forward, and you could step or lightly hop your feet forward to the front of the mat. On an inhale lift halfway, either hands on shins or fingertips can be on the earth. And then exhale fold, uttanasana, root down through your feet, rise, sweep the arms out, and up.

And then exhale, draw your hands to your heart. Good. And then let's keep moving with Surayanamaskara a, and we'll take a few different variations, and how arms sweep up, exhale forward fold. Inhale lift halfway, length, and offer the heart forward. Plant ear palm, step back, top of a push up, plank pose, this time as you shift the weight forward, maybe play with coming halfway down and hovering Chaturanga. You could lower all the way for cobra, or come into upward facing dog, straighten out the arms, firm the thighs up off the earth, heart lifts, Good. And then roll over the toes and come back. We'll meet him down on facing dog. A couple full deep breaths.

Breathing in for 1 and out maybe through the nose. Breathe in, breathe out. Good inhale. Come high up onto your toes. Big bend in the knees. Look forward step or lightly hop your feet to your hands.

Front of the mat. On an inhale lift halfway in lengthen and exhale release and fold. Good root through the feet to rise. Arms sweep out enough and exhale draw your hands to your heart. Good. One more round.

Feel free to stay with any of the variations that we've explored so far in how arms sweep up, exhale, dive forward and fold in hell come halfway up, offer the heart, plant your palm step, or you could lightly float back landing in Chaturanga. And as you're ready, inhale cobra or updog heartless, exhale downward facing dog. Breathing in. Stay for your exhale. Finding one point to focus your gaze and then resting the mind on the breath.

Breathe in joy, and breathe out. Beautiful on an inhale rise up onto toes, bend your knees, look forward, step or float, front of the mat, inhale lift halfway and lengthen and exhale release and fold. Root down through the feet to rise. Arms sweep out and up and exhale. Just taking a moment.

Sacred pause at front of your mat. Notice where that movement lands. Come home to your breath. From here, let's sweep the arms out and up. Inhale. Exhale. Come back into forward fold.

On an inhale come halfway up, lengthen through your spine. And then from here, step your left foot all the way to the back of the mat coming into a lunge and then lower your left knee down to the earth. We'll come up into on Janie Asana, So sweeping the arms forward and up, take a moment to land in your low lunge. Energize up through the fingertips, lift up and out of the sideways. So feel a slight engagement in the core to protect your spine and your low back.

And then feel that opening across the heart space, allow a big breath in. And then like we did when we were seated, start to bend your elbows and cactus your arms. As you inhale sweep the arms all the way back up, draw prayer in front of your heart and then release your hands on either side of your front foot, and we'll set up for our hamstring stretch, Artahanamasana shifting the weight back lift, the toes up off the earth, fold over your front leg, and feel free to keep as much of a bend in that right knee as you'd like. Just wanna find that sensation. And in this posture, maybe walk your hands back a little bit, see if you can lengthen through the spine so that you are reaching the heart forward.

So that might mean that you come up out of the fold a little bit and breathe. Beautiful. And then re bend through your right knee, and we'll step back to downward facing dog. Step your right foot. To meet the left, you're welcome to stay right here. Our glide forward plank pose inhale.

Chaturanga exhale inhale cobra or upward facing dog, and then meeting back. And now we're facing dog. Beautiful. As you're ready, inhale rise up onto toes. Knees bend look forward, step or lightly float front of the mat, inhale lift halfway, lengthen, exhale fold. Root through the feet to rise, arms sweep out and up, and exhale hands gather in front of the heart.

Good. And we'll take it to the second side as you're ready, inhale arm sweep up, and exhale fold. Inhale lift halfway. This time step your right foot all the way to the back of the mat. Let the back knee lower, find your stability. And then as you're ready, on Janie Asana, inhale arms sweep up low lunge. Take a moment to really find that stability and then sink in a little deeper, soften your shoulders.

Allow a big breath in, exhale put a bend in the elbows to cactus your arms. In how arms sweep up, Excel draw prayer in front of your heart and then let your hands fall on either side of the front foot and shift back for Arda Haneman. Hamstring stretch. Just taking a moment to feel into this side, and feel free to bend the knee. Maybe walk your hands back a little bit, come up out of the fold as you find length in your spine and reach the heart forward.

Maybe spread your toes and breathe a whole lot of cues, but mostly just feeling into your body. Feel sensations. Find your breath. Gotta rebend through the left knee. We'll step back to downward facing dog.

Left foot meets the right. Feel free to stay right here or inhale to plank, exhale Chaturanga, in how cobra or upward facing dog. Exhale, meeting back. In your downward facing dog. And as always, feel free to lower your knees.

Check-in, pause when needed. Otherwise, we'll rise up onto toes. Knees bend look forward. Step or float front of the mat. In how lift halfway in lengthen and exhale fold root to rise, arm sweep out, and up. Feel that lift in the upper back You might even lean back a little bit and then draw your hands to your heart.

Take a moment to pause, notice where the movement lands. For our 2nd round, let's move into the hips a little bit as you're ready and how sweet the arms out and up lengthen through the spine. Exhale forward fold inhale lift halfway. Good. Now step the left foot to the back of the mat keep your back knee lifted this time, and we'll come up into crescent pose. So once you have that solid base, and you might take the feet about hips distance.

We'll reach the arms forward and up coming into high lunge. And then just take a moment to sink in here so you can soften the back knee a little bit, bending toward 90 degrees in the front leg, And then the same thing with the arm. So as you inhale, reach up through the fingertips, start to bend your elbows as you exhale to cactus your arms, lift the heart, inhale sweep the arms all the way back up, and then draw that prayer in front of your heart And we'll open up to warrior 2. So press the arms open, face the side of the mat, bending into that front knee, and take a moment to land in warrior 2. Let your shoulders soften.

Appreciate the view. Good. And then straighten your front leg in parallel, your feet to face the side of your mat, turn your toes out in your heels and setting for a goddess pose, put a bend in your knees. Take eagle arms. So sweep your right arm under your left arm. And then we'll bend into the knees, letting the knees track over your ankles, letting the sitting bones melt down, maybe sway a little side to side. Good morning, good afternoon, legs, whatever time of day you're practicing.

Say hello to your legs and find that stability here. Beautiful. As you inhale, maybe draw the elbows away as you exhale sink in a little deeper. Nice. And then we'll sweep the arms out and up parallel the feet again coming into star pose, big breath in, And then with length in your spine, dive forward into prasarita. So you can let your hands find your ankles.

Maybe they find the earth any forward fold is great, and feel free to bend your knees a little bit. You might have a couple blocks under your hands or your head. And then just take a moment in this joyful, forward fold as you really seal the outer edges of feet down, lift up on your kneecaps, really just opening the back body, back of the legs, getting upside down, shifting our perspective. Nice. And then we'll slowly come So walk your hands under your shoulders. Come halfway up in lengthen.

Crawl your hands back to the front of the mat. Come back into your runner's lunge and step back. To downward facing dog. Good. And you can say in down dog or inhale glide into plank. In lower through Chaturanga, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale downward facing dog.

Breathe in, maybe open up the mouth, let out a sigh, where might you need to create a little more space to invite in some joy, some ease, some lightness, And then we'll rise up onto toes when you're ready. Bend your knees look forward, step or float front of the mat. In how lift halfway exhale fold route to rise in how arms sweep up. Exhale, draw your hands to your heart. And second side, as you're ready, inhale arms sweep up, and exhale fold.

Inhale lift halfway. This time step your right foot to the back of the mat, setting up for Crescent pose, take the feet about hips distance, find that stability. Once you have that, reach the arms up and take a moment sink into crescent, softening the shoulders, energize up through the fingertips. You might even gaze up. Allow a big full breath in as you exhale cactus the arms feel that opening and how arms sweep up.

Exhale hands draw to heart center and then press the arms open into warrior 2. So taking a moment to adjust your stance as needed easing out over that left middle finger and then softening the shoulders a bit. So you feel that stability in the legs, that lightness, and ease in the upper body. Good. And then straighten your left leg, parallel the feet to face the side of your mat, turn your toes out in the heels in, and then we'll bend the knees for goddess. This time sweep the left arm.

Under the right for eagle arms. And as you draw the elbows away, allow a big breath in, and then sink in a little deeper, and you might sway a little side to side. Otherwise, find stillness, maybe even close the eyes. Just take a moment to really let the body yield to the support beneath you and the earth. Find your breath.

Beautiful. And then as you're ready in house, sweep the arms up parallel the feet and dive forward into prasarita. Maybe doing something different with your arms this time. I'm gonna hold on to my ankles. You might take Peace fingers to big toes. As you're ready, we'll inhale to lengthen. And then exhale to release, letting everything melt down. And then what do you see? What do you see when you go upside down? I see about 2000 oranges, some blue sky, some shadows.

Just becoming a little bit more aware tapping into the senses. What brings you joy? Good. And then as you're ready, inhale, walk your hands under your shoulders, come way up lengthen inhale. Come back to the front of your mat, runner's lunge, and we'll step back to downward facing dog. Welcome to stay here or glide into plank, lower chaturanga, and how clear that cobra or dog and exhale downward facing dog.

Breathe in. And breathe out. Breathe in, rise up onto your toes. Knees bend look forward, step or lightly float front of the mat, inhale lift halfway. And exhale.

Let that go. Beautiful root to rise, inhale arms sweep up. And exhale. Draw your hands to your heart and take a moment between these rounds. To notice to return to your breath to feel your heart.

Good. And then we'll move into one last round here. As you're ready, inhale sweep the arms out and up, feel the lift in the heart. Exhale forward fold, inhale lift halfway, lengthen, step your left foot to the back of the mat, same beginning as you come up into crescent, inhale arms sweep up, and then exhale, bend the elbows, feel the lift in the heart space, inhale arms sweep backup, exhale hands to heart, and we'll take a twist here coming into crescent prayer twist, hook your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh, and then draw that prayer in front of your heart. You're always welcome to lower your back knee if that feels a little more supportive to you. Otherwise, find your drishti that point to focus your gaze really activating through the left leg, breathe.

Gotta breathe in. Gaze down at your right foot. Breathe out. Let your hands fall on either side of your front foot, and then step your left foot in into the left for pyramid pose, straightening both legs in the torso drape down. Feel free to bend the knees. I'm gonna find a nice stretch through the back of your legs.

Pressing into the ball of your right big toe. And then walking your hands, forward, and we'll just step back to downward facing dog. If there's anything you'd like along the way, feel free to take that. And if you're wanting a Vinyasa, clearing that side, inhale plank, exhale chaturanga, inhale cobra or updog, exhale down, we're facing dog, breathing in, Breathing out. Breathe in, rise up onto toes. Ben knees look forward step or float front of the mat in how to lift halfway, lengthen and exhale fold.

Root to rise. Arms sweep out and up. Hands to heart. Exhale. Good. Last side. As you're ready, inhale arms sweep up, exhale long, spine, forward fold.

In Hell lift halfway. Good. And this time, we'll step the right foot to the back of the mat, setting up for crescent pose, find that stability, inhale arms sweep up. Exhale. Bend the elbows cactus your arms sinking. In how arms sweep up and then draw that prayer in front of your heart, setting up for our twist. This time taking the right elbow to the outside of the left thigh.

And again, feel free to lower that back knee and take that prayer in front of your heart or stay active in your back leg and Find 3 or so full deep breaths. Breathing in. Breathing out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

One more big full breath in, gaze down at your left foot, release your hands on either side of the front foot, pyramid pose, step the right foot in into the right a little. Let the torso drape down. Couple breaths to release. Breathe into the back of your legs. Nice. And then planting your palms, step the left foot back, downward facing dog, and lower your knees for child's pose.

Letting the hips sink to your heels. Take a moment to rest. You can let the knees come together, go wide, or any other resting pose that might feel good for you here. And reach the arms forward or back or breathe. Breathe and notice.

Beautiful. And then as you're ready, roll up to sit back on your heels for a moment. And then we'll move into some dancing camel poses. So bringing the hands forward, tuck your toes, and then sit back on your heels with your toes tucked. And you might need to adjust your toes so that they are tucked and take a moment to just land here. And then take your left hand to your left ankle on an inhale sweep the right arm in front of the face and up and then start to lift the hips, lift the heart, gaze up towards your right fingertips.

And then we'll just start to move side to side. So right hand finds the right ankle. Left arm reaches up, gaze up, exhale to lower, side to side with a breath, and how right arm lifts, heart lifts, gaze lifts, exhale, moving to the opposite side gazing up left fingertips, taking a few more rounds, inhaling, and exhale. Inhale. Lifting, exhale.

Maybe one more on either side in how right arm lifts, gaze lifts, Excel to lower and how lift. Good. And then as you lower down, just take a moment, maybe untuck your toes, if it feels okay and the knees sit back on your heels. Maybe bring your palms to face up on your thighs. Close your eyes. Observe where that lands.

Feel free to stay here as long as you like. Otherwise, let's invert for a moment. So coming to tabletop, all fours. Lower your forearms down to the ground. Let your shoulders come over your elbows. Moving into dolphin pose, pressing through the hands, tuck your toes, and then lift your hips out. So, essentially, we're in down dog on our forearms.

Maybe start to walk the toes in towards you. Keep hugging the elbows in. Lifting the hips up toward the sky. Just a couple of breaths here as we strengthen the shoulders, get upside down. Feel into the back of the legs and breathe.

Beautiful. And then start to walk your feet back coming into forearm plank. Welcome to interlace your hands. Otherwise, parallel the forearms, hug the elbows in, reach the heart forward. Breathe in. Good. And then exhale right back into sphinx pose. Let your hips lower. Maybe walk your hands forward a little bit so the elbows are just in front of your shoulders.

Reach the heart forward. Breathe in. And then as you're ready, breathe out. Let your elbows play out to the sides. Stack your hands. Let your forehead rest on top of your hands.

Maybe sway your hips a little side to side. Let the body yield to the support beneath you. Let everything melt down for a moment and feel held. Beautiful. And then as you're ready, reach your arms on either side of your body might catch an interlace behind the low back or just reach the arms back actively coming up for Shalabasana. Start to draw the shoulders away from the ears, peel the chest up off the earth, maybe add your legs, feel that big opening, Cross the heart space lift and lengthen.

Breathing in. Good. Breathe out. Bring one cheek to the earth. Let everything release. Maybe sway your hips side to side.

And, again, just find that resting on the earth that feeling held And we'll take one more round. So coming back through center, reach the arms back actively. If you took an interlace and when we take the opposite thumb on top, Peel the chest up, lift, and lengthen. Reach through the crown of the head back through your toes. Breathe in.

And exhale, you can bring the opposite cheek to the earth. You sway your hip side to side, release any tension. Beautiful. And then coming back. Through center, stack your hands again. Elbows out to the side.

I'm going to come into a twist from here just a little bit of a different entry. So start to draw your right knee up toward your right shoulder. Almost like a tree pose on your belly. And then we'll take the right arm and thread it or excuse me, opposite. We'll take the left arm and thread it under the right and then roll onto your back.

And sweep that right arm. Oh, I got a nice crack there. Sweep the right arm open to the right and find a nice spinal twist. So that right knee might come up off the earth, that right shoulder might be lifted, doesn't matter. Just gonna find a nice twist. Bringing it out.

Couple full deep breaths. Good. And then to come out of the twist, just simply roll back onto the belly. And, again, we'll stack the hands, elbows out to the side. Take a moment. Good. And then start to draw your left knee up toward the left shoulder, come up out of there.

So you're pressing through the hands, and then this time we'll thread the right arm under the left. Take your left arm and open it up to the side, coming into your twist. And if that got confusing, maybe you're just going onto your back and taking your twist from there. Just actually feels really nice to peel open from the belly and find that ringing out. Notice sounds in your space.

Birds are joyfully announcing the day. Good. And then this time, we're just gonna going to come onto our back. So rolling all the way onto your back, maybe scooning your way toward your mat, center of your mat, and then hug your knees into your chest. Rock a little bit side to side. Any last movement here that would feel good.

Maybe a plow pose or happy baby. And we'll make our way into fish pose as our final pose here. So start to bring your hands underneath you. You can kind of wiggle the shoulders underneath you well straighten both legs, bend your elbows, lift the heart, and you can lift the head to bring the crown of the head down, feel that opening across the chest. Spread your toes.

Allowing a big full breath in and exhale release everything. Can release the arms. You can bring the palms to face up on either side of the body. The legs go wide. Let your feet just roll, open, and relax.

Feel the beating of your heart. Allowing the integration of your practice, let go let be. Shavasana. Feel free to stay here as long as you wish. Otherwise, letting the breath deepen, biting some movement back to your body.

I'm just taking your time to make your way to seated, maybe rolling to one side, or you could hug the knees in and rock your way up. We'll just finish where we started. So just taking a moment to land. Draw your hands together in gratitude in front of your heart. I mean, that sense of joy, that sense of pleasure that you can choose to invite in.

Whenever you'd like. And thank you for sharing this practice with me. You have a beautiful rest of your day. Namaste.