Receive and Allow

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this practice to receive and allow. We will move through a series of more grounding postures and linger a little bit longer in these grounding shapes. To tune into that receptive quality and that receptive quality of mother earth. So let's begin by grounding in child's pose. Take your time to bring the big toes and heels together.

It's like the knees go a little wider than the hips, and then let your hips sink back to your heels. Start to walk your hands forward. And then find this opposing action of reaching forward and back at the same time as you feel the opening across the spine, across the low back, in your hips. And then if it would feel okay in your child's pose to turn the palms to face up, bring the palms to face up. If not, feel free to to keep the palms grounded.

And then just take a moment here to notice the Earth beneath you. At the same time, that receptive quality in the Palms of your hands. Start to allow the breath to fill the back body. Feeling the expansion on your inhale, and that release on your exhale. Receiving the inhale.

Allowing the exhale. Let your body be breathed. And then noticing as you ground here on the earth, the parts of your body that are making contact That sense of feeling held, supported, allowing just a few more breaths here. Maybe setting an intention of something you would like to call in or save in your practice, in your day, in your SunCulpa. Nice. And then as you are ready, slowly make your way up into tabletop.

So rolling on up, finding the shoulders over the wrist, hips over knees, and we'll move into some easy cat cow. So as you inhale, arch the spine, look up in lengthen. Exhale start to round the spine, press the earth away, domed through the upper back, Good. And let's take a few more like that as you inhale come forward, arching, lengthening, as you exhale navel to spine, tuck the tailbone, dome the upper back, and 3 more with a breath. So allowing the inhale to bring you forward, feel the opening in the front of the body, and then the exhale we round, press the earth away. Good. And one more inhale opening the front line of the body and exhale rounding.

Beautiful. And then neutralize your spine. Walk your hands forward just a little bit in front of your shoulders and then tuck your toes and lift the hip all the way up and back for downward facing dog. Maybe move around a little bit petal through the feet and sway your hips. Pressing evenly through all ten fingers, the inner, and the outer hand. And that space between your thumb and the index finger, Once you find some movement, take a moment to rest and stillness.

Letting your sitting bones reach up. Feel free to soften your knees any amount. As you find stillness finding your drishti, that one point to focus your gaze and then come home to the breath. Just this inhale, and just this exhale. Beautiful. And then on your next breath in, rise high up onto the toes.

Let the knees come back down to the earth, see her in tabletop. And then come into cow pose. So arching the spine, look up in lengthen, big full breath in. And then as you he'll navel to spine tuck your toes and bring this up and back into downward facing dog. We'll work with that a few times So inhale, come high up onto the toes, knees lower, arch the back, look up in lengthen, and then exhale navel to spine, tuck your toes, lift the hips up and back.

And one more. Inhale high up onto toes. Bend the knees. Let them come down to the earth. As you inhale come into cow pose. And then as you round back toward cat, tuck the toes, lift the hips up and back into downward facing dog. Beautiful. And then let's take a slow walk to the front of the mat so walking your feet up toward your hands.

Step your feet wide, maybe about hips distance, and then just let everything melt down for a moment into forward fold. Maybe hold opposite elbows softening through the knees, like the head hang heavy, Might rock a little side to side. Maybe shake the head. Yes and no a few times. Beautiful. And then taking the opposite elbow on top.

And with either knees softly bent, roll up slowly one vertebra at a time. And as you get up to the top, let's take some shoulder rolls. So drawing the shoulders up toward the ears and down the back. In one direction, three times. And then take them in the opposite direction.

So draw the shoulders back and up and down, again, back up toward the ears and down. And then one more time back up toward the ears and down. And then we'll bring the palms to face forward. Take a moment to land here. Find that receptive quality in the palms of your hands.

Maybe close your eyes. Just take a moment to receive the Earth beneath the soles of your feet. Go inward. Move into some grounding moon salutations. So from here, as you're ready, root down through the soles of the feet sweep the arms out and up, big full breath in.

And as you exhale draw prayer in front of the heart, soft knees come into forward fold, Good. And then step your left foot to the back of the mat. Let your left knee lower down to the ground. Reach the arms forwarden up for on Janie Asana, low lunge sinking in for a moment, allowing a big full breath in, energizing up through your fingertips. And then as you exhale, lower the hands on either side of your front foot and shift back for Arda Hanasana half split, folding over that front leg, breathing, and sending the into the back of your right leg lifting the toes up. Good. And then re bend the right knee plant your palms and step back for downward facing dog, stepping the right foot to meet the left, From here, lower your knees and come to child's pose.

Let your hips sink back to your heels. Gaze forward between your hands and stay low to the ground. Just kind of sliver your way through into cobra pose. Lift the heart, hug the elbows in as you lift and lengthen. Beautiful. And then press back through hands and knees. Tuck your toes.

Lift the hips up and back for downward facing dog. Good. And then staying with the left leg, sweep the left leg all the way up and back, big breath in, gaze forward step your left foot through between your hands. Come on to the fingertips. Let the right knee lower this time. And then same thing here.

In house sweep the arms up for on Janie Asana, low lunge, lift up through the fingertips, the gaze, And then exhale hands come down, shift back, half split, Arta Hanamanasana folding over that front leg, Good. Rebend on your inhale through the left knee. This time, tuck the right toes and step your right foot to meet the left. Coming to forward fold at the front of the mat. Root down to rise. Arms sweep all the way out in a and then gathering your hands together in front of your hearts.

And we'll take that to the second side as you're ready, inhale arm sweep up. Exhale, prayer in front of the heart and fold. Step your right foot to the back of the mat. With the back knee lower. And then as you inhale sweep the arms forward and up on Jani Osema, Exhale, hands frame the front foot, shift back, half split, Arta, Hanumanasana.

In how re bend the left knee and step back downward facing dog. Let your left foot meet the right. Good. And then lower the knees to the earth. Child pose. Let the hips sink to the heels. Just briefly feel that opening in the back body.

And then as you lift up, bend the elbow, slide your way forward into cobra pose, untuck the toes, press into the top of your feet, lift up and lengthen. Good. And then press back. Downward facing dog, tuck the toes. Left the hips up and back. It would sweep the right leg all the way up and back.

3 leg dog. Big breath in. Draw the knee towards your nose. Gaze forward. Step through. Let the back knee lower.

On an in house sweep the arms, forward and up on Janie Astana. The exhale hands frame the front foot, shift back, hacks, split, Arda Hanamasana, rebend the right knee, tuck your back toes, and then step to your forward fold, left foot, meets the right, folding in, root to rise, inhale arms sweep up. And exhale, gather your hands together in front of your heart, taking a moment to pause. Receive that flow of energy. Notice where that lands.

Find your breath. And feel your heartbeat. It'll take one more round picking up the pace just a bit as we flow breath per movement. Maybe even close your eyes and just kinda receive the support beneath you. As you're ready, inhale arms sweep out and up, exhale forward fold, Good. Step your left foot to the back of the mat.

Back knee lowers. In how Anjaniasana arms sweep up. Excel hands frame the front foot, shift back, half split. Good. And how re bend the right knee, tuck the back toes, plant your palms, downward facing dog. Lower the knees.

Childs pose. Let your hips sink to the heels. Stay low glide forward into cobra pose. Bujangasana inhale. Good. And then downward facing dog. Exhale.

Sweep your left leg up and back, big breath in, exhale step through, lower the back me down, low lunge on Janie Asana inhale arms sweep up, exhale hands frame the front foot, shift back, half split. Gonna rebend the left knee, tuck the back toes, step to forward fold, front of the mat, right foot meets the left. Root to rise, inhale arms sweep up, hands to heart, and we'll take it to the second side. Last side, inhale arms lift, gaze lifts, exhale forward fold, Step the right foot to the back of the mat, let the back in the heart space, exhale hands lower, shift back, half split, arda, hanumanasana, Rebend the left knee. Plant your palms.

Step the left foot back for downward facing dog. Lower the knees for child's pose, let your hips sink back to the heels, feel it opening in the back body. And then stay low to the earth as you slide forward into cobra inhale. And then exhale back to downward facing dog, tuck the toes, lift the hips up and back, Good. Inhale the right leg all the way up. Exhale. Step through.

Let your left knee lower. Arms sweep up, big, full breath in on Janie Osono, and exhale hands to the earth shift back half split, fold in. Good. And then rebend the right knee. Tuck your back toes. Step to forward fold.

And let's pause here for a moment. So he'll toe the feet about hips distance apart, maybe hook your peace fingers onto your big toes. On an inhale lengthen through your spine. And then as you exhale, let the elbows play out to the side. Tuck the chin. And find a forward fold or any forward fold that would feel good and see if you can let a little weight shift toward the balls of the feet.

Really feeling that opening in the back of your legs, breathing Good. And then releasing the toes, if it feels okay, slide the palms of your hands under the soles of your feet, Pada hastasana. And on an inhale, we'll lengthen here as you exhale soften and release. And then you can feel free to bend the knees any amount. Let everything melt down. Feel that nice massage of the wrists with your toes.

Maybe swaying a little side to side. What might you release here? Beautiful. And then release your hands, soft knees, roll up slowly. Unraveling and coming to stand at the front of the mat again, bringing the palms to face forward, let the shoulders soften down your back. Let the tailbone melt down.

Beautiful. And we'll play with a little balancing here. So from the front of the mat, start to bring the weight into your right foot. And then sweep the arms up at the same time. Can you draw that left knee in toward your chest and just find a balance here? So you reach the arms up, gently engage through the core, hug the midline, and then transition for warrior 3.

I'm gonna bring my hands to my heart. Embracing the movement in the wobble, that left leg will sweep back, press the heel toward the wall behind you, let the torso lower. Good. And then as you land, soften your right knee will land in warrior 2. So let the back foot come down to the earth. Circle the arms open.

And then you might need to adjust the stance a little bit. We'll find that front heel to back arch alignment. And then soften into the shape a bit. Bring both palms to face up. So let the shoulders soften down your back. And then as you inhale sweep both arms up and straighten through the front leg, maybe gaze up and then exhale, open back up warrior 2.

We've got 2 more times in how arms sweep up, straightening the front leg, exhale warrior 2, last one in house with a breath, arm sweep up, maybe gaze up, and exhale open up for warrior 2. Good, tilt back, reverse warrior. You might sweep that left arm in front of you. Reach the right arm up and over your ear. Good. And then circle your hands down to frame your front foot. Come onto the ball of your back foot. And step back downward facing dog.

Take a moment to land, to breathe, It's taking a little bit of a longer hold in down dog. Again, just finding that grounded quality to linger And as you find stillness, find one point to focus your gaze, And then let it be about just this breath. Come home to the breath. Breathing in, breathing out. Beautiful. And then let's take a slow walk to the front of the mat.

So walking your feet up toward your hands. Soft knees roll up slow. One vertebra at a time. Shoulders up toward the ears, bring the palms to face for that receptive quality and the palms of your hands. Good. And then we'll find that Drish Dee as we find our balance again.

So bringing the awareness toward the left foot, ground through the left foot. Sweep the arms up and start to draw your right knee in towards your chest. And you can flex the right foot. I find that is helpful with balance. And then just a gentle engagement of the core hugging the midline, and then that transition to warrior 3.

So the right leg will sweep back and draw your hands toward the heart center. Warrior 3. Heart stays lifted, like gaze, and then transition to warrior 2. Let the right foot find the back of the mat. Arms open wide.

Circle the arms open and take a moment to land in warrior 2. Bring the palms to face up. Let your shoulders soften down the back a bit. And then just find your shape, sink in, find your breath, and then we'll move the energy as you inhale sweep the arms up straighten your front leg, big breath in, exhale open arms wide, warrior 2. A 2 more inhale arms sweep up, gaze up lengthening, exhale warrior 2, and one more inhale arms up. Exhale, Veera Bedrasana too. And as we tilt back for reverse warrior, maybe take that right arm in front of you, Sync in a little deeper and then circle down, runner's lunge, and step your left foot back.

For a downward facing dog. Let's take a brief detour. Walk your hands to the back of your mat. Heal toe your feet as wide as your yoga mat, toes out heels in melasana, bend your knees, let the hips sink down, And then maybe you draw your hands to your heart. If you have a block, you might sit on your block.

Maybe the hands are down. You could and a swivel side to side, getting into the hips a little more, or maybe you root into that stillness and you feel that downward flow of energy, that earth energy, Couple full deep breaths here. Receiving the Earth. Lowing the breath, allowing that quality of ease of awareness, presence, and tuning in with kindness. Good. And then let your hands find the earth, parallel your feet, lift the hips, come into a wider leg forward fold, but everything drape down.

Maybe sway a little side to side, regdoll. Beautiful. And then walking your hands back into downward facing dog. Take a moment to land. And then slowly walk your feet to the front of your mat. And from here, soft knees roll up, bring your shoulders with you up toward the ears, down the back, Palms face forward, land for a moment.

Beautiful. And then we'll work with that pattern adding on just a bit in this round. As you're ready, this time Keep both feet grounded for a moment, sweep the arms up and interlace everything, but your index fingers. Steeple, Mudra, reach up through the index fingers really root down, especially through that left foot and tilt up and over to the right side. You might gaze up under that left arm, like a nice side body stretch. Breathing into the rib cage, sideways, Good. And then as you inhale, come back through center, root down through the right foot this time reach up and come up and over to the left side.

And you could gaze under that right arm. Breathe into the right side body. Nice. And then coming back through center, feel the lift in the heart, and draw your hands. To your heart. And we'll start with that same beginning.

So balancing, bring the weight into the right foot, sweep the arms up, draw the left knee in toward your chest, gently engage the core, transition warrior 3 hands to heart, let the left leg float back, balancing on the right leg, and then landing in warrior 2, circle the arms open. Been through the right knee, take a moment to land, bring the palms to face up, as you inhale straight in the front leg, reach the arms up and gaze up, exhale warrior 2, do that two more times with the breath in how arms sweep up, straightening the front leg, exhale warrior 2, Good. Last one. Inhale. Moving the energy, straightening. Exhale. Warrior 2. Good.

Come into reverse warrior and sweep that left arm in front of you. Reach the right arm up and back. Good. And then we'll come into triangle pose from here. So straightening out through the right leg, you might shorten your stance a little bit. Arms wide.

And then, like, someone's pulling that right hand, shift forward. Keep the length in the right side body and the side waist. And let your right hand fall anywhere below the knee. You can lift the left arm straight up. If you have a block kinda love a block and triangle pose. It gives me a little more spaciousness, so I'll take a block under that right hand.

And then really this poses about taking up space, fill the shape with your breath, Might even lean back a little, feel that receptivity, that expansion, Good. And then root down through the feet, come up to stands, parallel your feet, And then as you come into god as post, turn the toes out and the heels in, start by bringing your hands to the top of your thighs bend your knees. Let the tailbone melt down. And then bring the palms to face up in front of you. So let the elbows bend. Sync and soften the palms of your hands and receive here. Maybe close your eyes.

Maybe sway a little side to side or just root it down. Whoo. And then as you're ready, straighten the arms parallel. The feet sweep the arms up. Inhale. Good. Exhale. Die forward.

Prasarita. Maybe the hands find your ankles. You could take your fingers in line with the toes, bend the elbows, the crown of the head melt down. Just a couple breaths in this fold. Feel free to bend the knees, lift up on the kneecaps, spine nice and long, breath deep. Likes. And then as you're ready, length income halfway up, walk to the front of the mat pause in runners lunge come onto the ball of your back foot and then start to heel toe the right foot to the right a bit. Take the hands to the inside of your front foot, and then let your left knee lower down for lizard pose.

Now you could stay right here. If it feels good in your practice to bend your left knee might do that, and reach back with your right hand to catch your foot, kicking the foot into your hand, and then opening the chest, the heart space, to the right. You can maybe gaze over that right shoulder. Couple full deep breaths here. Breathe in. Good. And then breathe out.

Release the right hand back to the earth. Tuck your back toes. Lift the back knee, and we'll step right back into downward facing dog. Right foot meets the left. Allow a big full breath in, receiving the breath, allowing the exhale.

Go walk your feet to your hands. Take a stroll to the front of your mat, soften the knees. And roll up slowly. Shoulder, roll up at the top, shoulders toward the ears. Palms face forward.

Sweep the arms up, interlace everything, but the index finger's steeple mudra. Get heavy in your right foot, tilt to the left first this time. Maybe gaze under that right arm. As you inhale come back through center, big full breath in, tilt to the right, get heavy in the left foot, grounding, maybe gaze under the left arm. And as you inhale, come back through center.

Good. And then exhale, bring your hands together. Front of your heart. Balancing on the left foot. This time, bring the weight to the left. Draw your right knee in toward the chest arm, sweep up big full breath in, transition warrior 3 hands to heart, let the right leg sweet back, couple breaths, find your balance.

You're always welcome to bring your hands down to block soup, and then will transition to warrior 2. Gonna take a moment to land. And if you fall out of any of these postures, it's coming back in, receiving that, bring your palms to face up. As you inhale sweep arms up and lift the gaze, as you exhale open up warrior 2. 2 more inhale lift up.

And exhale warrior 2. One more. Maybe you can close the eyes, inhale receiving. Exhale warrior 2. Reverse warrior. Take that right arm in front of you. Reach to the left arm up and over your ear.

Good. And then straightening the left leg, you might shorten the stance a little bit, turn the back toes in slightly. And if someone was pulling your left hand forward, feel that length in the left side body, maybe a block lands under that left hand, and come into tree konasana triangle pose. Reach the right arm straight up, sinking. That the same time that you're grounding, can you lift up and out of that right hand, side body, this one line of energy from crown of the head all the way back to the right heel. Good. And then root down to rise.

Come on up. We'll parallel the feet. Toes out heels in. Can start by bringing your hands to the top of the thighs sinking in to god's pose. And then as you find stillness and you root, bring the palms of the hands to face up soften the palms of the hands. Like, you're holding something in them lightly and then bend your elbows, sink in, maybe close your eyes. Breathe.

Earth energy. Maybe noticing sensation in the palms of your hands from the inside out. Beautiful. And then as you're ready, parallel the feet, sweep the arms up, maybe catch an release behind your back. Get into the shoulders a bit as you come into your fold. Let the crown of the head melt down.

Reach the arms up. But everything relays. Couple full deep breaths. Feel free to soften the knees. And then releasing your arms to the earth.

If they're not already there, inhale to lengthen and then coming back to the front of your mat, runners lunge. He'll toe the left foot to the left a few times, hands on the inside of your front foot, let your right knee lower down. And you could stay right here. This might feel like enough of a stretch. I certainly feel this. Or if you're feeling it today, we'll bend the right knee.

Kind of roll to the front of that right knee. Reach your left hand back. Catch your foot. And lean back, maybe gaze over your left shoulder. Couple full deep breaths.

Beautiful. And then as you're ready, releasing gently, take the left hand down, and step back down dog. Grounding, finding stillness, breathing. Good. And then lower your knees. Finding child's pose.

If it feels okay, bring the palms to face up. Like, the hips sink back to your heels. And take a moment to ground and pause and breathe and notice. Beautiful. And then as you're ready, come up through hands and knees, and just take your time to lower all the way down to the belly. Hugging the elbows in as you lower, and then reach both palms to face up arms stretch long in front of you.

And then take a moment. Just let the forehead rest on the ground. Now what is what it feels like to extend your limbs nice and long. That receptive quality in the palms of your hands. Looks like you're bowing into the earth right here, full bow, full pranum, with devotion, reverence, We'll take a hard opener from here.

So when you're ready, just lift everything up. Maybe not everything. But lift the arms, lift the legs, kinda Shalabasana with the arms extended forward. Big expansive breath in. Text how place it down.

Do that two more times in how lift the arms, lift the legs, the heart space, big breath in. X how place it down. And one more, inhale lift everything up. And exhale to release. Slide the hands back to the sides of your ribs. The forehead rest on the ground, and then we'll move into a shoulder stretch from here.

So reach your right arm out to the right with the palm facing down. Tint your fingertips, the left fingertips to the outside of your left shoulder, and then start to roll to the right hip Let the right side of the face rest down and then bend your left knee and start to take the left toes behind you. And you can flatten out the foot. You could stay on the ball of the foot. The left hand might stay where it is, or you might take it behind the finding a half wrap, if that feels good for you, notice what feels best.

And then as much as you can, Release into the support beneath you. Breathe. Yeah. Twist happening here. Shoulder stretch. Lot going on.

More than anything. Allow it to feel good in your body. Let this be a practice of devotion toward yourself, taking care of you. And then we'll come back through center rolling right over to the other side, reach your left arm out to the left palm down. Tint the right fingertips, roll to the left tip, bend your right knee, step the toes behind you.

Again, maybe you're taking that half wrap, the right arm behind the back, or just staying with the fingers tinted, as much as you can yield to the support here and breathe. Noticing if this side feels a little different, most likely. Good. And then take your time rolling back to the belly. Bring your hands next to the side ribs. We'll press up to seated, so maybe coming through hands and knees.

Shifting the weight off to one side. We'll set up for a couple stretching postures here seated. So start by bringing the soles of the feet together and the knees wide for badakanasana. And you could hold on to the ankles. Hold on to the feet.

You might in the feet like books. Notice what feels good here. I'm gonna hold my big toes. And as you inhale lengthen through the spine, allow a big breath in. And exhale fold in.

Maybe gently press your elbows to the inner thighs. Breathing into this hip opener. Noticing where you feel this most in your body, breathing into those spaces, And then on an inhale slowly, make your way up. We'll take the right leg out to the right, and then bring the sole of the left foot in toward the inner upper right thigh. So that the right leg is open.

You're getting into the hip here on the left. And then bring the right hand to the inside of your right leg. You can tent the fingertips sweep the left arm up and start to tilt over toward that right leg. Now you might take the hand behind you. It might catch your foot, depending on where you're going here, finding your edge and softening, reaching, left fingertips toward the right toes.

Without force. Breathe into the spaciousness. With ease, awareness. Good. And as you inhale slowly Come on up. Let your left hand fall behind you to the outside of your left hip and then maybe lift the hips up, reach the right arm all the way up just a counterbalance, open up the heart space, and then set it all back down, reach the left leg out to the left bring the sole of your right foot to the inner upper left thigh. Maybe start by bringing left hand to the inside of the left leg, sweep the right arm up.

And over. And then just journeying into the shape. Notice where that left hand wants to go. Reaching right fingertips toward your left toes. And there's this spinning open of the heart space.

And then let your inhale bring you up. The right hand might find the earth to the outside of the right hip, lift the hips, reach the left arm up, maybe gaze up toward left fingertips, Good. And then settle it down. And let's come on to our backs. If you have a block, it might be nice to find supported bridge or a shoulder stand here. I'm gonna take the block with me.

If you don't have a block, no worries. So coming on to your back, Step the soles of the feet to the earth about hips distance. And then if you're sliding the block, you'll lift the hips just enough. Take the block to the low or the medium height under the sacrum, the very low back, and take a moment to let everything just melt down onto the block, bring the palms to face up on either side of the body. And if you don't have a block, no worries. You might be holding bridge pose here. Perhaps coming to a wall and taking legs up the wall.

And if you're in supported bridge, maybe start to draw your knees in toward your chest. And then take your legs straight up to the sky supported shoulder stand. Let's hold here. Maybe close the eyes, tuning into that quality of receiving the gifts. Lowing the breath, full breath in, releasing as you exhale.

And that softness in the palms of your hands, again, may be sensing from the inside out any sensations that arise. Quality of spaciousness of ease. Feel free to stay here as long as you like or bend the knees, bring the soles of the feet down to the earth. If you have the block underneath you, lift the hips just enough, slide the block out to the side. Let your hips lower.

Take a moment at the bottom here. Feel the spine supported. And then as you're ready, we just stretch your legs long on your mat. Palms are gently facing up, softening, and releasing into your final resting pose. Shavasana.

Lowing the breath to begin to deepen, letting your next inhale be a little longer than the last. Widing any gentle movement back into the body. Every arms up over your ears stretching through the entire body, allowing a big full breath in, and a long full breath out. And then take your time as you make your way up to seated. We'll meet and land in a comfortable cross legs seated position, drawing hands together, and Anjali Mudra, front of the heart.

I'm just checking in with something you feel grateful for. Holding that sense of gratitude with you as you move out into your day. Thank you for sharing this practice. Namaste.