Awaken Creativity

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this practice to awaken creativity. And we'll do that through a series of twisting postures so that we can clear out any stuck energy start to clear some space to invite in some new and fresh energy. So let's begin on our back. As you will join me there. We'll roll on down and just take a moment to step your feet as wide as your yoga mat.

And then let your knees knock in to touch for constructive rest. And you might place your hands somewhere on the body, maybe on the belly, If it feels safe where you are, you could soften and close your eyes, allowing the gaze to shift inward. And just take a moment here to notice the parts of the body that are connected to the earth. Feeling that grounded energy. And then start to feel the breath beneath your hands, so feeling the rise of your inhale.

And that release that letting go quality of your exhale. And with every exhale, maybe that sense of release. So what might you need to let go of? To invite in fresh energy to awaken that creativity within allowing a big full breath in, maybe open up the mouth and let out a sigh, Beautiful. And taking a moment to set any intention. For your practice today. We'll allow the breath to guide us into this flow.

So as you're ready on an inhale, sweep the arms all the way up over your ears and drop both knees to the right side. So just starting with this easy spinal twist. And you could gaze straight up, or you might take your gaze over the left shoulder. And then on an inhale draw the knees back through center, as you exhale drop the knees over to the left, maybe gazing over the right shoulder, and then begin to move fluidly. So windshield wiperings side to side.

As you inhale come through center, as you exhale drop the knees off to one side. And just take a moment to notice what that starts to open up for you. So feel perhaps into the hips, the glutes, feel the spine awakening anywhere else that you feel sensation here in your body. Windshield wipers just, for me, always just feel like a nice way to start to wake up, to open everything up. Take a few more rounds and then finish up with the knees dropping off to the left.

I will come back to center, hug your knees into your chest, and take a rock side to side. So massage, through the lower back, maybe take your knees in circles in either direction. Let that be a massage for your lower back. Good. And then bring your hands behind your knees and gently rock up and down along the length of the spine, or you could just sit up. If it doesn't feel good to rock on the spine, then just make your way into seated.

And then we're coming to tabletop position from here. So make your way to all fours. Let your shoulders come over the wrists. Let the knees come maybe a little wider than your hips, and we'll move into some wide barrel rolls. So as you start to sink the hips back, take the hips to the right, and then let them come over that right heel and then swivel over toward the left heel.

And then, and around. So any direction that feels good clockwise, counterclockwise, and then just taking these circles as big or as small as it feels good can already start to hear all my joints cracking. Some things are opening up and releasing, maybe take it in the opposite direction, feel free to pause, anywhere it feels good pause. We're just starting to circulate the energy releasing stuck energy. Good. And then finally, let's land in a wide knee child's pose, so bring the big toes and heels together, knees wide.

And just start to let the torso drape down between the thighs. Maybe the forehead rests on the ground. Feel into the hips here, the low back, breathe into the back body. Good. And then start to tent your fingertips and crawl your hands over to the right side and off your mat. So you might even pick up the left hand and place it on top of the right hand. And then let a little weight shift off toward the left hip as you breathe into the side body, the sideways, the rib cage, and all those little muscles between your ribs. Beautiful. And then come back through center and just take over to the other side.

So crawling the hands over to the left, you can pick up that right hand, place it on top of your left, and then let a little weight shift off toward the right hip, breathing into the right side body. Sending the breath to any of those areas that might feel a little tight or stuck today. Clearing that. Nice. And then slowly come back. Through center, and we'll make our way into downward facing dog.

So coming up through hands and knees, tuck your toes, lift the hips all the way up and back. And then in this first downward facing dog, just find some movement, pedal it out through your feet, right away, just feeling into the hamstrings, the back of your legs. And then pressing through the inner and the outer hand, letting the biceps roll forward, triceps roll back, letting your sitting bones, your hips, reach up toward the sky, and feel free to soften the knees. So wanna find length in your spine. And if that means bending the knees a little bit to start to reach the torso back to the top of the thighs, that might feel feel good.

So find that spaciousness that ease in the spine. Good. And then as you step your feet about hips distance, coming to the traditional shape of downward facing dog. From here, we'll lift the heels up off the earth. Come high up onto your toes. And then take both heels over to the right.

So just start to swivel the heels to the right. Good. And then as you inhale, come back through center, high up onto toes, and swivel both heels to the left. And you might put a bend in your knees as you do that. We'll just do that a couple times. So inhale come through center, exhale swivel to the right, Inhale high up on toes, come through center, exhale swivel to the left. And then one more time.

Inhale center. Exhale heels to the right. Feel that outer leg line, that IT band, and then inhale center exhale swivel, both heels to the left. Hang up there for a moment. Beautiful. And then back through center, pick up your hands and walk them all the way back to your feet. So finding a forward fold at the back of the mat, feet can be about hips distance apart.

Put a soft bend in the knees and start by just letting everything melt down so you can even connect the tour. So to the top of the thighs, head heavy, maybe sway a little side to side, shake the head. Yes and no. Finding that sense of release. And we'll take a few twists from here. So plant your right hand right under your nose.

You're welcome to take a under that hand as well. And then put a big bend in your right knee. Start to straighten the left leg any amount and then reach your left arm open to the left. So you're twisting open to the left side of your mat. And then as you exhale soften both knees and let everything melt down forward fold. We'll take it to the other side.

Plant your left hand, put a bend in the left knee, straighten the right leg any amount, and start to reach the right arm up, peel the chest open to the right, big breath in. Good. And then we'll keep this fluid moving side to side. So exhale come for center, plant the right hand, open up to the left, big breath in, and exhale soften and fold. Good inhale plant left hand, sweep the right arm up, exhale, release that. One more, plant the right hand, sweep the left arm up, inhale, exhale, come through center, and then open that right arm up. And, again, you're feeling into that outer leg line as we prepare for some revolved postures. Come back through center. Release everything into your fold, soft knees, and then take your time.

Really feel the hands on the earth as you walk back into downward facing dog. Land there. Take a moment to arrive. Beautiful. And then sweep your right leg all the way up and back behind you. Bend the right knee. Open up through the right hip.

And just take a couple breaths to feel into the side body, maybe roll out your foot a few times in either direction. Beautiful. And then we'll straighten the right leg. Gaze between your hands. Draw your knee to your nose, hover for a moment round through the spine, and then take a big step through between your hands. One step, bunch of steps doesn't matter. Good.

Let your left knee lower down to the ground, and then we'll take a twist from here. So plant your left hand down. Sweep your right arm up and then open the chest to the right. Beautiful. And then circle the right arm back and behind you Let it land on the ground. We're gonna swivel the left shin to come to parallel We'll we'll take this round slowly, and then we'll find some fluidity. But walk to face a side of the mat.

Let your left fingertips fall on the outside of your left hip. We're gonna straighten the right leg, bring the sole of the right foot down to the ground, and then sweep your right arm up and over your ear. So feel this nice side body stretch in art of Vashi Stasana. And then we swivel back to where we were. So coming back to the front of the mat, rebend the right knee, crawl your hands to the front of the mat. You can take the shin back so you're in that low lunge facing the front of the mat and then plant your palms and step back to downward facing the upper right foot meets the left.

Sweep your left leg up and back, big breath in, bend the knee open up through the left hip, maybe roll out your ankle a few times, feel into this side noticing if it feels a little different. Good. And then inhale, reach your left leg up, gaze forward. Draw the knee to the nose rounding for a moment, hover. Take a big step through. Let your right knee lower this time setting up for our twist. So plant the right hand down.

Sweep the left arm up, open the chest to the left side of your mat, and then sweep the left arm back behind you And then as it comes forward, let it come to the inside of your front foot, swivel the right shin, walk to face the side of the mat, right hand finds the out side of the right hip, straighten the left leg, bring the sole of your left foot to the earth, and then sweep your left arm. Up and over a side body stretch, and then it just keeps flowing. So it comes in front of the face, rebend through the left knee, come back to your low lunge and step back to downward facing dog. Got it. And let's move side to side a couple times with that. So as you're ready, coming back to the right side, inhale, just sweep the right leg up and back, exhale knee to nose, step all the way through. Let your left knee lower.

Plant your left hand down set up for your twist and how right arm sweeps up. Exhale sweep the right arm back down, swivel the shin, walk your hands, to face the side of the mat, straighten the right leg, as you inhale sweep the right arm up and over your ear, Artavashi Stasana, keep moving as the right arm comes in front of your face crawl back to low lunge front of your mat, plant your palms, and downward facing the left side, inhale left leg sweeps up, exhale knee to nose, step through, Let your back knee lower, set up for lunge twist, plant the right hand down, sweep the left arm up, and then swing the arm back behind you, bring it to the earth, walk to face the side of your mat, right fingertips, find the ground, straighten the left legs, eye body, art of Ashistasana, Good. And then bring it all the way back to the front of your mat, and we'll step back to downward facing dog. Good. Let's take one more time. Fluid with the breath. Inhale. Right leg lifts.

Exhale. Need to know. Step through. Let the back knee lower set up for your twist and how right arm lifts. Sweep it back down. Crawling to the side of the mat, straighten the right leg, art of Ashistasana, right arm sweeps up and over.

Excel stay low to the ground, re bend through the right knee, low lunge, plant your palms, Step back down dog. And then last side in how left leg sweeps up. Exhale step through, set up for your twist, right knee lowers, plant the right hand, left arm lifts, sweep it back, Down, crawl to face the side of the mat. Right hand finds the earth. Reach your left arm up and over.

Art of Ashi Stasana. Keep sweeping it in front of your face and then come back front of the mat, low lunge, and step back. For down dog. Beautiful. Big full breath in.

Maybe stick out the tongue, clearing. Lion's breath. Let go. Good. And then slow walk to the front of your mat. Walk your feet up towards your hands. Take a moment in your fold.

Let everything just melt down. Crown of the head heavy. Good. And then vertebra by vertebra, slowly roll up soft knees, coming up toward stand and just take a moment, like, to just take this pause as you come up to the top of the mat, maybe resting one hand to the heart, one hand to the belly, establish your connection with the earth. Feel into your breath. And let's keep flowing with a series of some standing postures with some twists.

So as you're ready, sweep the arms out and a big expansive breath in. Exhale, long spine as you dive forward into uttanasana, feel free to soften the knees a little bit. Good. On an inhale lift halfway, lengthen your spine, and then plant your palms, step back, top of a push up, plank pose, and then start to shift the weight forward and back a few times feeling into your plank. And the next time you shift forward, bend the elbows, lower all the way down to the belly. Good as you're ready, we'll inhale come up into cobra pose. So lift and lengthen press through the top of your feet.

Peel the chest up. Gently engage your core. And then as you exhale, press back either through hands and knees or plank, meeting in downward facing dog. Holding here for a big full breath in, a clearing breath out. Beautiful. And then sweep the right leg up and back.

Draw the knee through the midline toward the nose. Take a big step through. Setting up for crescent pose, so you might widen the stance a little bit. Let your feet be about hips distance. Then once you have that solid foundation, you can reach the arms forward and up coming into crescent pose.

And just taking a moment to sink into this shape. So letting the back knee soften a little bit, let your tailbone melt down. Energize up through your fingertips sink into that front leg. And then taking a twist from here, reach your left arm forward, and your right arm back. So you're twisting from the navel up as you come into twisting crescent.

Reach through your left fingertips, through your right fingertips. And then from here, let your right hand find the back of your left thigh and reach the left arm up for exalted warrior, reach it over the ear, maybe gaze up. And then open this up to warrior 2. So circle that left hand back in the right hand forward as you sink in to warrior 2. Bending into that front knee, staying really active in the back leg as well.

Flip your front palm. Tilt back for reverse warrior, light on your back fingertips, reach the right arm up and over your ear. Big breath in. Beautiful. And then just circle it down to the ground, step back, move through a vinyasa plank, chat it wrunga, in how you could stay with COBRA or come through upward facing dog, and then meeting back in downward facing dog. And we'll take it to the second side.

So as you're ready and how fluid the left leg up, Draw the knee toward the nose. Take a big step through setting up for crescent. Maybe stepping the right foot to the right a little bit. Find your foundation. And then as you're ready, inhale, sweep the arms up.

This first round will just take a moment to really feel into the shape. So a couple breaths in crescent. Feel that vibrancy up through the fingertips. Good. And then this time reach the right arm forward, left arm back from the navel uptake that twist to the left side of the mat. Sink in a little deeper.

Good. And then left hand finds the back of the right leg. Flip the right palm until back exalted warrior, big full breath in, and then we'll open up to warrior 2, spinning the back heel down, arms open wide. You might need to adjust your stance just a bit and then sink in to warrior 2. Flip your front palm, tilt back, reverse warrior, light on the right fingertips, reach the left arm up, maybe gaze up. Good. And then circle your hands down to the ground. Step back.

Plank pose. Feel free to skip this. Otherwise, Chaturanga. In how COBRA or upward facing dog meeting back in ward facing dog, allowing a big breath in, and opening up the mouth, let out a sigh or a sound, let something go. Let's take this a couple more times, and we'll flow with it breath per movement. So right side, inhale right leg sweeps up, exhale, knee to nose, step through, setting up for crescent, on an in house sweep the arms up, exhale open up to your twist, left arm forward, right arm back sink in. And then exalted.

Let your right hand find the back of the left thigh, left arm lifts up. Open up warrior 2. Spin the hail down arms open wide sink in. Inhale reverse warrior, flip the front palm, tilt back. Exhale circle down, step back, plank pose, Chaturanga, inhale, heart lifts, cobra, or up dog, exhale downward facing dog, breathing in, and breathing out.

Left side, inhale left leg sweeps up. Exhale step all the way through in how it brings us up crescent, Exhale twist, right arm forward, left arm back, sinking, inhale tilt back, exalted warrior, And exhale warrior 2 spin the back heel down, arms open wide. Inhale reverse warrior, tilt back. And exhale circle down, step back, plank pose, Chaturanga, inhale COBRA or updog, meeting in downward facing dog, clearing breath, big full breath in. Maybe open up the mouth, let out a sounder a sigh.

Clear some space to invite in that fresh, creative energy. One more time. See if you can allow to be a moving meditation with the breath in how leg sweeps up right leg. Ex. I'll step through. Inhale crescent. Exhale. Open it up and twist.

Left arm forward. Right arm back. Inhale tilt back, exalted, exhale, open up warrior 2. Inhale reverse warrior, exhale, circle down, step back, plank, Chaturanga, inhale, cobra or updog, exhale down dog, one clearing breath, big full breath in, Open up the mouth, side out, left side, inhale left leg lifts. Exhale step through.

Inhale crescent. X sail twist, right arm forward, left arm back, sink in, inhale tilt back, exalted, Exhale. Open up warrior 2. Flip your front palm until back reverse, inhale. And exhale circle down, step back, Chaturanga, in how cobra or upward facing dog, exhale downward, facing dog, taking a moment, you can pause in down dog or lower your knees. Maybe sit back on your heels for a moment.

Or take a child's pose. Taking these moments of pause to notice where the energy flows. That prana, that life force energy circulating. Where does this land? Pause and breathe.

Feel free to stay where you are as long as you like. Otherwise, we'll move into some revolved postures. So coming back into downward facing dog, if you're not there already, from down dog on an in house sweep the right leg up and back as you exhale step through between your hands, coming into runner's lunge. So take a moment to come up onto your fingertips, stay on the ball of your back foot, and then find some length in your spine. And we'll take a twist from here. So let your left hand come down to the earth under the left shoulder, sweep the right arm up, allowing a big full breath in to twist. Beautiful. And then sweep that right arm back and down to frame your front foot Step your left foot in into the left a little bit coming into pyramid pose.

So you can press actively through that left heel. Feeder about hips distance apart, letting the torso drape down. And maybe you have a couple blocks under your hands here just to bring the floor up to meet you. I'm just taking a moment to really draw that right hip back let your left hip roll forward so the hips are level. And then we'll move into revolve triangle from here.

So let your left hand come to the inside of your front foot. Maybe there's a block under that left hand. And then start by bringing your right thumb into your right hip crease and just and gently encourage that right hip back. And as you do that, lengthen up through the spine, I'm actually gonna come up onto my left finger tips. And then with that length in your spine, start to peel the chest open to the right, any amount. And you might just keep your hand on your sacrum on the low back, or you could sweep that right arm up and take revolved pyramid, maybe gaze up toward the right fingertips, really pressing through the ball of your right big toe, big breath in. Good. And then release that right hand down.

Crawl your hands forward. Coming into a standing split. Sweep your left leg all the way up. Let everything melt down. Good. And then bend both knees and tap your left knee to the back of your right calf.

Coming into a squat here. And then as you inhale reach the left leg back up to the sky standing split, Ben both knees, tap your left knee to the back of your right calf, and then come all the way down for a seated twist. So letting the left shin find the earth the knee comes behind the right ankle, and then take a moment to find seated. So you can let your sitting bones find the earth or crossing that right foot over that left thigh. And if this is too much or feels too constricted to you, feel free to straighten your left leg, and you can take your twist from here. I'm gonna do that today.

So bringing the right fingertips behind me and to sweep my left arm up, find length in your spine, and then either hugging that right knee in or hooking the left elbow to the out side of your right thigh, and you can kinda use the elbow to find length in your spine and then find a seated twist here, maybe gazing over the right shoulder, allowing just a few full deep breaths. Big full breath in. Good. And then to release this, as you exhale gaze forward, and then go ahead and release both hands to the outside of your left hip. Soften your elbows and just gently bow to that left side. So let the elbows soften tuck your chin.

Spine, spine rounds and should feel pretty good. Beautiful. And then as you come up out of there, bring the soles of both feet to the earth, bend your knees, sit up nice and tall, bring your hands behind you, And you can let your fingers face to the side of the mat or towards you for reverse table. So pressing through the soles of the feet, lift the hips up, can gently gaze up or even release the head back if that feels okay in your neck. Lion's breath. Big full breath in through your nose. And then stick out the tongue.

Let some bingo. Good. And then gently let your hips come down to the earth. And for a moment, just straighten both legs out in front of you. Flex your feet as you inhale sweep your arms up. And then just a brief forward fold.

So coming into Pashi Motanasana, letting your hands fall where they fall. Feel free to soften your knees a bit. Breathe into the back of your legs. Your lower back. Big expansive breath in. And then as you exhale, release into the fold, Beautiful. And then slowly come on up. Bend your knees.

Cross at your ankles. Reach the hands forward, and you might hop back through a vinyasa, or you can find your way back to downward facing dog by just stepping the feedback, and we'll meet in downward facing dog. As you land here, cleansing breath, big full breath in, long full breath out. Left side as you're ready. Inhale sweep the left leg up and back.

As you exhale, big step through between your hands, setting up in runners lunge come up onto your fingertips, Really activate through that back heel, back knee lifted, find length in your spine, lunge twist, plant your right hand down, sweep the left arm up, twisting from the navel up, maybe gazing up towards your left fingertips. And then sweep the left arm back behind you and to the earth as you frame your front foot stepping the right foot up into the right for pyramid pose. So setting up for pyramid, again, you want your feet to be about hips distance versus on a tight rope. And then noticing that left hip drawing back, a right hip rolls down, maybe blocks under your hands. And then let's take a moment to notice the feet for a moment. So press through the ball of your left big toe.

And actively through that right heel. And you can stay here. Welcome to stay here as long as you like. If you wanna take revolve triangle, bring the left hand to the inside of, or excuse me, the right hand to the inside of your left foot, And then start by taking the left thumb into the left hip crease, gently encourage the left hip to draw back, right, hip rolls forward, and then find some length in your spine. And then, again, with all these twists, coming from the navel up, peel the chest open to the left.

Maybe you could take that left hand to the low back just to kinda notice if the hips are level. Maybe you're reaching the left arm up, perhaps gazing toward the left fingertips or just neutralize your gaze. The neck feel relaxed. Big full breath in. And then exhale, let the left hand come down, start to crawl your hands forward, float the right leg up this time for a standing split.

Feel free to open up through that right hip. Doesn't matter how high the leg is. Just kinda feel that balancing shape of bringing the weight into the left leg. Good. As you breathe in, find a little bit of expansion. And as you breathe out, bend both knees.

Tap your right knee to the back of your left calf. Hover. And then inhale standing split reach the right leg up. This time draw the knee to the back of your left calf and will come all the way to a seated spinal twist. So letting the right shin come down, the right knee behind the left ankle, crawl your hands back and then plop plop down for seated spinal twist. And you could have both knees bent Or again, maybe you're straightening that right leg this time in front of you, stepping the left foot to the earth, take your left fingertips behind you, into how reach your right arm up, and then you could hook the right elbow or hug the left knee in whatever feels best for you. And then kinda use that elbow or that hugging as a way to root down through the sitting bones.

Lengthen through your spine, and then maybe take the gaze over that left shoulder bringing everything out. What do you need to release? What might need to be cleared here? Any stuck energy. Good. Big breath in, exhale gaze forward. Release both hands on the outside of your right hip, soften your elbows, tuck your chin, and round into a fold.

Let that feel good. Beautiful. And then slowly come on up. We'll bring both legs out in front, or you could stay with reverse tabletop. So if you wanna bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet down. You could do that first variation or maybe a little bit more challenging, take both legs long. We'll bring the hands behind us, fingers facing towards you, or out to the side just a bit.

And then same action as we press through the palms of the hands, lift the hips, point the toes down toward the earth for reverse playing, lift up the gaze, lift the heart, lift the hips, big breath in, maybe stick out the tongue. Lion's breath. Beautiful. And then let your hips find the earth. Come on to seated. Stretch both legs out long in front of you.

If they're not already there, flex your feet sit up tall, all on your sitting bones wiggle in. And then as you're ready, in house sweep the arms up with length in the spine coming back to Pashi Motanasana, that forward fold, letting your hands fall where they fall. On an inhale, find some length. And then as you exhale soften and fold, take 5 or so full deep breaths. Beautiful. As you inhale slowly come up, Bend your left knee.

Bring the sole of your left foot to the inner upper right thigh, and that right leg can stay straight in front of you. And on an in house sweep your arms up, exhale bow forward, Pashimotanasana. Couple breaths here as we get into the hip, the hamstring, Softly on an inhale lead with the heart. Come back up, and we'll switch sides. Let your left leg go long.

Bend the right knee. Bring the sole of the right foot to the inner upper left thigh. Sit up tall on your sitting bones on an inhale sweep your arms up. And as you exhale, fold in, any amount, a couple full deep breaths. Breathing to create some space, noticing the pause at the top of the inhale, the bottom of the exhale, and the space between presence, Good inhale leading with the heart.

Come on up, and we'll roll onto our back. So as you come onto your back, bring your right knee with you, draw it in toward your chess. Give it a squeeze. The shoulders relax and soften. And then with your left hand, draw your right knee across the body, rolling into a twist, and you can reach the right arm out to the right, maybe gaze over that right palm. One last twist here, wringing it out. Releasing.

Beautiful. And your next breath in. Roll back to center and give that right knee a squeeze. Draw your nose up towards your knee for a moment hugging in. Big breath in. Good. Exhale, release the shoulders, and the head back down to the earth, and then switching sides. Let the right leg go long.

Hug your left knee into your chest. Give it a squeeze. And then with your right hand, draw the left knee across your body. Reach your left arm. Open to the left.

Maybe gaze over your left fingertips. The left shoulder soften, relax, your gaze, your jaw, your cheekbones, Melph. Good. And then as you come back through center, hug the left knee in, Draw your nose up towards your knee, hug everything in. Allow a big full breath in. Good. And then releasing the shoulders down the head, gathering both knees into your chest, gentle rock, Side to side, maybe massaging through that low back, taking the knees, and circles. You could draw the knees away and together a few times.

Good. And then hugging everything in. So wrapping your forearms around your shins, start to draw your nose up towards your knees, making this tight little ball, allow a big full breath in holding your breath up at the top, and then sip in a little bit more air. Open the mouth, side out, and let everything release into any final resting pose that would feel good for you. So maybe the traditional shape of Shavasana letting the legs go long on the mat with the palms facing up on either side of your body. You're taking that shape of corpse pose, Shavasana.

You can let your hands and your arms fall gently away from the body. And that receptive quality with the palms facing up toward the sky So awakening whatever it is that spark what would like to be birthed in you that sense of creativity, opening yourself up to that magic to receive And then just allow yourself these next few moments of that receptivity of letting go and letting be. Just rest. Feel free to stay here as long as you'd like in Shavasana. Otherwise, as you're ready, allow the breath to deepen, bring your sense of awareness back into your physical body, any movement, You reach your arms up over your ears, stretch through the whole body, allowing a big breath in.

And a cleansing breath out and just take your time as you come to seated, maybe rolling over to one side. Pressing your way up, finding any closing moment to just gather and notice. Notice how you feel notice what you notice in taking this sense of presence with you out into your day. Thank you for sharing this practice. Namaste.