Here Comes the Sun

Hi, and welcome to your practice. So for today's class, we're gonna be exploring some of the components that make up our sun salutation or Surinamescar, a, to be specific. For practice, you'll want a bolster if you don't have a yoga bolster at home, grab a couple blankets. We can fold them and accomplish the same thing, or snag a firm pillow, maybe from your sofa. And two blocks.

Once you have those treasures, come meet me lying down on your mat. And as you lie back, we're gonna begin today as we generally finish in Shalasana. Shut your legs out long. Take your feet a little bit wider than your outer hips, and allow your feet to flop open. And then do a little check-in.

So for some of us, this doesn't feel great on the lower back with the legs long. If that is you today, Please choose kindness. You can bend your knees, placing your feet on the ground instead. Separate your feet as wide as your mat. Turn your toes slightly in, and allow your knees to fall toward each other.

If you feel like you're holding on through the front of your hips or your low back still, inch warm your feet a touch forward until everything softens. Russ your hands on your front body. And either close your eyes, or if you prefer, you can find a point to softly focus on. Smooth out the mask of your face, and send the awareness of your breath into your hands. Welcome.

A subtle rise through your front body as you breathe in. And a loving hug toward your back body as you breathe out. And continue this pattern of your breath, inviting each cycle to grow a little longer than the one that came before it. Until you find a place that is balanced, even. Layer in an intention for our time together.

A little reminder of what brought you to your mat in this moment. Once you have that gathered, You can join me in an opening home, or if you prefer, simply take it in. Nice full breath in. Blink your eyes back open if you've closed them. And how take your arms up and overhead.

Give a nice long stretch to the length of your body. And as you act Howl lower your arms back down by your sides? If you haven't already, bend your knees and place your feet on the ground about the distance of your front hit points. Parallel your feet to each other. Scoop the pit of your abdomen in.

Shortening the distance a bit between your front hip points and your bottom ribs. Like, you're putting tiny suspenders on here. Not worrying about trying to flatten the back to the mat, just enough engagement to protect its natural curve. Can you keep those little suspenders in place? And I'll reach your hands straight up to the sky. Rotate your outer upper arms until your palms face each other. Try to hold on to that rotation.

And as you inhale, reach your arms about halfway overhead and pause. And if you feel your front ribs puffing up to the sky, try to draw them down and into your body. Reach through the pinky side of your arm a little bit more, and then continue your travel, bringing thumbs maybe a touch closer toward the earth. The goal here isn't to touch the ground, so it's okay if the arms aren't there. Don't force it.

Nice full breath in to the sides of your waist. And as you exhale hug your right knee into your chest, taking hands to the front of the knee, and then bring your left knee to meet it. You can give a little rock side to side, if that feels right in your body in this moment, and then find your way back center. Place both hands to your right knee. And for those of us that are tender through the knee joint, you can hold the back of the thigh instead of the front of the knee.

What serves you best. On an inhale, stretch your left heel forward and lower the leg only as far as you can go holding on to the strength through your core, and the length in your lower back. And then exhale, bring your left knee back in in house stretch your right heel forward. And continue side to side flowing at the pace of your breath. Again, with every inhale, we reach a leg out.

With every exhale, bring the knee back in. And as you continue side to side at your own pace, observe in your body if the leg is starting to turn out or roll in. Can you reach this next few rounds a little bit more through the ball of your big toe? To help keep the leg neutral, meaning the knee and the toes point up as you stretch your leg out. This is Ecopada, Apanasana, one foot downward wind pose. And the next time you bring your left knee in, pause there.

And then bring the right knee back in to meet it. Take a full generous breath into your lower back. And then cross at your ankles, hook your hands to the back of your thighs, and try to rock yourself up to seated. It might take a couple of rocks. If it's snow not happening today, roll to your side instead and press the floor away.

Make your way to seed it on your heels. So we call this Vandrasana thunderbolt pose. And if you get here and your knees are not a fan, grab a block. Take said block. Why between your inner ankles? Like so?

So that you have a little bit more height to sit on. You can turn that block up higher as needed, or sit on Two Blocks. And if you add all the blocks on the planet and your body is like, mhmm. Come sit cross legged instead. Right?

Gonna turn to face you. So you have a little better vantage point of what I'm up to here next. Hug your outer ankles in and try to reach back through your big toes. Scoop your abdomen in. Reach your right arm up.

As close to the line of your ear as you can without poking the ribs out. And then take your left hand, grab your tricep, the back of your upper arm, wrap your outer upper arm in toward your face until your palm faces the wall at your back. It's like you're trying to hide your armpit. Keep that rotation in your upper arm, and now rotate your forearm till your palm faces forward. Imagine you're pressing your right hand into a wall.

So this is our downward facing dog arm, outer arm in palm down. Right? Relax the effort, and let's do the same thing on the second side. Sweep your left arm up. This time, take your left arm to the back of your up take your left arm to the back of your upper arm. I get creative with my words sometimes.

Come with me take your right hand to the back of your left arm, wrap outer arm toward your face, hide your armpit. Keep that rotation and try to turn your palm forward. And, again, press your hand into an imaginary wall here, as you draw your front ribs in. Excellent. Relax that. Alright. Come off of your props if you're seated on them.

And then make your way to your hands and your knees. Take your knees a little bit wider than your outer hip bring your big toes to touch, and they'll shift your bum back toward your heels. Walk your hands forward until your arms are fully straight And we're gonna try to copy that same shape we just made in the arms. So poor weight heavy to your fingertips. Press the inner edge of your hands, and then try to roll your outer upper arms down and in again, like you're trying to hide your armpit.

We've never done so much armpit hiding in your life. Have you? It's a whole new world here in yoga. So keeping that wrap of the outer arms in, See if you can broaden your chest a little bit more. Hold on to the effort through your hands, through your arms, And with an inhale, come forward to your hands and your knees. Again, leave your hands where they are.

Bring your knees into the distance of your hips and spin your inner thighs back so your toes point straight back. Continue to glide forward, bring your shoulders over your wrists and look at the earth just out in front of you. Tuck your toes under. Lift your knees. Keep your knees bent as you shift your hips up and back.

Almost imagining here that you could send your heart to your knees. Reach back and down through your right heel straighten the leg to the best of your ability without strain. And then re binge your right knee and do the same thing on the second side. Reach back and down through your left heel. And re binge your knee.

And I'll do this a few times back and forth, paddling the heels up and down. And come back to stillness, return to your hands and your knees. Taking a little rest. Grab your two blocks and set your blocks in front of you flat like so. And shoulder distance apart.

And then tuck my shirt in so you get the full glory of my spine as we do this next little bit here. And, actually, let's treat ourselves today and take a little bit more height. Go medium height. Adjust the placement of your blocks so that when you're in your tabletop, your blocks are about 3 inches ahead of fingers, and then place your hands on the blocks from there. Glide forward, tuck your toes, lift your knees, and take your hips up and back.

So we've got a little bit more height underneath the hands, which for many of us will allow us to get out of the weight in our wrists the weight in our shoulders, and it teaches us about bringing the weight into our legs. Now if you're feeling pulling through your hamstrings, through your lower back, bend your knees as generously as you need in order to prioritize the length in your spine. And even here, can you roll your outer upper arms down and in? Like you're trying to hide your armpits. And in how come forward to your hands and your knees. Set your blocks toward the back of your mat just so that they're there and waiting for us foreshadowing foreshadowing foreshadowing And one more time, come back to your hands and your knees. We're gonna try to bring weight into the legs just like we did a moment ago with hands on blocks.

So from your tabletop, walk your hands about 3 inches forward of your shoulders, and parallel the creases of your wrists to the top of your mat. Spread your fingers evenly wide, and give a loving little grip of the earth with your fingertips. Rock forward to bring your shoulders over your wrists. Take your gaze to the earth out in front of you, opening your chest. And now tuck your toes under.

Lift your knees. Again, keep your knees bent as you shift your hips up and back. So having the knees bent here allows us to prioritize the length in the spine. From here, you can slowly begin to reach back and down through your heels, only as far as you can go without losing the elongation through your spine. And in most of our bodies, the heels won't meet the ground, and that's okay. The goal of this pose is to get length in your spine, not to put your heels on the floor.

Press down to the inner edge of your hands as you wrap your outer arms in toward your face. So we're seeking width across the upper back, and the chest, and then walk your hands all the way back to meet your feet. Slide your hands up your shin as you reach your chest forward. And now bend your knees generously, returning hands to the ground. If the ground feels a little far away or you're feeling pulling, stow through your hamstrings or your lower back, place your hands on your blocks.

Give yourself that added bit of space to explore. Go as high as you need in order to straighten the legs and maintain the length in your spine. Keep your right leg straight and now bend your left knee. Reach long from your tailbone the crown of your head and now place your right hand on your sacrum, that last triangular shaped bone, just above your tailbone. Elongate through your front body.

And as you exhale, twist to the right We keep a bit of a bend in the left knee, allowing the hips to swivel with us so that we're not pulling through the lower back, a nice, easy twist. You can leave your right hand where it is, or if it feels alright through your neck, through your shoulders, take your top hand up to the sky. Bring both shoulders out of your ears. And exhale, return both hands to the earth or props bend your knees and let your head and your neck go. And how straight your legs reach your chest straightforward, elongate through your spine.

This time, keep your left leg as straight as you can manage without pain or strain, and then bend your right knee. Take your left hand, place it at the top of your bum. Stretch nice and long from your tailbone to the crown of your head. And with your ex, how maybe you revolve to the left? You may stay right here.

Or if and when you're ready, take your top hand to the sky. You may notice the bottom shoulder particularly wants to creep up to the ear, bring it out of your ear, press it against your back. And then exhale. Take both hands to the mat. Fold in. Let your head and your neck.

Go. If you haven't already, give a generous spin to your knees. Tuck your chin and roll yourself all the way up to standing. Press down through the Four corners of your feet in house, sweep up to the sky. Interlace your fingers at the top, and flip your palms skyward straighten through your arm Here, press the top of your thighs back as you smooth the flush of your bum down. Lift through your heart center.

And if you find that your ribs are poking out, maybe explore taking your hands a little further forward. Keeping this drawn in to protect your back. On an x house, slowly revolve your navel, your rib cage, your chest. To the right. And you may feel the left arm getting closer to your ear and your right arm wandering away.

Try to hug both evenly in. And now open your arms out, sending your left hand toward the front of your mat, and your right hand toward the back of your mat. Exhale. Bring your right hand forward unwind. Let your arms swing. Letting that go.

Let's do the second side. Press down in how take both of your arms up. Interlace your fingers. Switch to the less natural grip so you have an opposite thumb on top. And then flip your palm skyward.

Straight in arms to the best of your ability. Smooth your bum down as you lift through your heart. This time as you exhale revolve your navel, your rib cage, your chest to the left, you may notice the right hip gets very curious about what's going on over here. Nothing for it to see. Try to keep your hip points facing forward so the twist is coming just through your torso.

Hug out her arms evenly in. And this time, send your right hand to the front of your mat. Your left arm straight back. And exhale. Bring your left arm forward. And let the arm swing.

Alright. Grab one of your blocks and set it off to the side. Take your other block and place it narrow between your upper inner thighs, a like so. Roll your block toward the wall behind you as you scoop the pit of your abdomen into your body. Press into the earth, in house, circle your arms up and overhead, ordva hastasana, upward hands pose.

Exhale, shift your weight a bit forward in your feet. Feel free to bend the knees as generously as you need to relieve strain through your back. Inhale to fingertips or hands on your shins, draw your chest forward. Length in your spine. Bend your knees enough to get your hands down.

Walk yourself all the way forward to a plank pose top of a push up. Stack your shoulders right on top of your wrists. Roll your block toward the sky and try to direct your tailbone to your heels. Just like we did standing into Dawson. Put your knees down.

Shift back for yourself. Of the block, set it to the side, and now grab your bolster. Set your bolster in front of you so that the long ends are parallel to the long edges of your mat. And come on to your front body here so that the bolster is pressing against your abdomen and supporting your chest. And with the upper body supported, walk your hands back until your wrists are right underneath your elbows.

We'll get it, see that that's happening. Okay. Try to press a little bit more through the inner edge of your hands, just like we did when we were in down dog. And you may notice the elbows wanna wander out as you do that. Can you keep pressing through the inner edge of your hand and hug your outer arms in? Reach your heart forward. Look at the Earth just out in front of you And from here, press your heels back straight and through your legs.

As you reach back through your heels, scoop your abdomen in, Like, you could direct your tailbone to the space between your knees. So this is a supported version of Chaturanga Dandasana for limb staff pose. Put your knees back down. Draw your abdomen in. Try to press yourself off of your bolster.

And set that off to the side. We'll see her again later. Come back to your hands and your knees. Sretch your right leg back. Step your left foot back.

Shift way forward and put your knees down. Imagine the bolster was there below you. Try to lower all the way to meet the mat. Look back. Are your elbows over your wrists? Did they end up a little behind? Press to your hands and your knees.

Shift back. One more little treat before we move on from this piece of the adventure. Set your blocks up tall in front of you, shoulder distance apart. Place your hands this time, shoulder distance apart with your pointer fingers an inch behind the bottom border of your blocks. Find your plank.

This time shift way forward until your shoulder heads the upper part of the arm is just above the blocks. You can put your knees down for added support, try to land your shoulder heads on the blocks. Notice if the front body is collapsing, Imagine the bolster is still there. Draw your ribs in, draw your abdomen in, and try to steer your tailbone to the space between your knees. Press down in. How sound effects welcome.

Press the floor away. Come on back. Take one of your blocks now and place it either. Medium width, or wide between your inner ankles choose the option that keeps your feet at about the distance of your front hit points. If you're a little tender or carry a bit more tension through your lower back, Wider is often more helpful.

It just creates a little bit more space. So once you've picked the distance between the ankles that works for you, come back to your hands and your knees. Walk your hands about 3 inches ahead of your shoulders, and then shift forward. Imagine the blocks way out in front of you to rest your shoulder heads on. And a bolster below you to remind you to draw your front body in. Bend your elbows right over your wrists.

Can you land your navel and your chest together? And today, the answer might be no, and that's okay. This is why we practice. Okay? So hug your block with your inner ankles.

Spend your inner thighs up. And you may notice when you rolled your inner thighs up that the ankles aren't touching the block anymore. So can you keep your inner thighs up pinky toenail on the mat as much as the big toe. And now try to hug your outer ankles in. Smooth your bum towards your heels.

Find that coil of your abdomen in. Pull back with your palms. Like, you're gonna drag your body to the wall in front of you. Lift your chest, low cobra, bujangasana. X. I'll set it down, turn and gaze to the right. Inhale. Heart full written up. Open your chest.

We're waking the muscles along the spine. X. I'll set it down. Turn and gaze to your left. One more time. Keep that coil of your abdomen in. Pull back with your palm.

Shine your heart forward. Pause at the top. You may stay here if you'd like a little more heat a little more sunshine. And you can do so without strain. Try to hover your hands off the mat.

You may notice they drifted forward. Can you draw them back? And put it all down. Let go of your block, bend your knees, give a little sway of your shin side to side. Let that all go.

And now place your feet down. Tuck your toes under. Press to your hands and your knees. Shift back towards child's pose with your toes curled under. In how come forward, Exhale, lift your knees.

Press your thighs straight back downward facing dog. Walk your hands once again all the way back to meet your feet. And once you're there, slide your hands up your shins, give yourself that added space today as you reach your heart forward. Acts how fold in. Press into the earth in.

I'll reach up, sweep up. If you can do so without wrinkling the back of your neck, look up and exhale hands to your heart. Shall we put it all together? Feels like that time. Come take a walk to the top of your mat. Mount and pose.

Here, you can bring your feet to touch. If the low back is tender, if this feels unstable, separate your feet, the distance of your front hit points instead. Imagine the block in place, roll your inner thighs back till your toes point forward, and then bring your abdomen in and draw your bum down. Lyft through your heart. Rotate upper arms until your palms face forward.

Press into the earth and how reach up to the sky. Odvahastasana, upward hands post. For those of you that took class 1 of the series, imagine you're looking out over the balcony again. Even if you didn't imagine you're looking out over a balcony, bringing the weight forward in your feet as you fold in half. If you're straining through the back or hamstrings, bend your knees as generously as you need to relieve that strain.

Inhale fingertips in line with your toes or hands to your shins. Pick the option that lets you fully lengthen your spine. Hold on to that length. Bend your knees enough to get your hands down. Step back with your right foot. Step back with your left foot.

Find your plank pose, top of a pushup. Rock way forward to your tippy toes, use knees if you'd like for added support. Lower, like you were going to meet those imaginary blocks out in front of you, see if you can land your front body together. Brush your toes back. Spend your inner thighs up as you hug the imaginary block between your inner ankles.

Pull back with your palms. Grow your heart forward. Open your chest. Ax. I'll set it right back down. Tuck your toes under, walk them in, firm your abdomen, push the floor away, coming to your hands and your knees.

Lift your knees and press your thighs straight back. Anchor through the inner edge of your hands as you spin your outer arms toward your face. Once again, hide your armpits. Press the very top of your thigh straight back as you draw your front ribs in. Take one more breath here.

And if you're feeling pulling through your low back, bend your knees. Again, we're prioritizing the length in the spine here. And then come or inhale lift your right leg. She gets ahead of herself sometimes. And by she, I mean me. So if you're right foot forward, if it doesn't get there on its own, grab the foot, help it the rest of the way, knee right on top of your ankle.

Hop your back foot up to meet your front foot. In how grow your heart forward, stretch from tailbone to crown of head, and exhale fold yourself forward. Melt. Press down in house. Rise up.

Reach up. Again, if you can do so without wrinkling the back of your neck, look up. Exhale. Hands to your heart. Equal standing.

Lower your arms by your sides. Let's get back to the earth. So we're gonna come through a partial round of the Suriana Muscular root down in house, circle your arms up and overhead. Exhale, fold forward. Intense stretch pose, or forward fold.

In how fingertips in line with toes or hands on shins Ardutanasana, half intense stretch pose. Bend your knees enough to get your hands down. Step back with your left foot this time. And then with your right foot, put your knees down. Shift your feet to one side, and bring your legs out in front of you.

Alright. Come find a cross leg seat. And if you get here and you discover that your knees are sitting higher than your hips, or you're rounding through your back, grab your bolster, and come take a seat on the edge of it. Give yourself enough of a lift so that the natural curve of your lower back can return, and your knees end up level with or maybe even lower than your hips. Pause for adjusting.

Cross at the center of your shins are as close to that as your body will allow without strain and then flex through your feet. Root down inhale. Take your arms up. And as you exhale, twist to the right, which is this way. Just making sure you're paying attention.

Rub it into the earth, float up through the crown of your head, but the exhale may be revolve a touch deeper. If this cross body is too much through the front of your body, put your hand on the same knee, open the space. And exhale unwind one more time inhale take your arms up. And as you exhale twist, to the second side. Press into your sit bones, float up through the crown of your head.

Let your ex how maybe revolve you a touch deeper. Priorvita Shukasana revolved, comfortable pose, Souka means comfort or sweetness. Debatable. We'll call it seated twist. And then exhale, unwind.

A roll of your shoulders up and back. Uncross your legs come off of your props, and come to lie on your back. Right? So as we set ourselves up for Shavasana here, if you found at the beginning of class, having the legs out long wasn't a kindness to your lower back, Consider taking your bolster this time underneath your knees. And having a little height underneath the knees will often allow the low back to soften and release. Walk your shoulders underneath your chest, welcoming a touch of a lift to your heart, and then invite your arms. To rest long at the sides of your body.

Palms up to the sky. Either close your eyes or if you prefer, find a point to softly focus on. And for a few moments, just be. So as I was putting together this class, I was thinking a bit about the second of the 8 limbs of yoga, the Niyamas, the first limb has to do with the way that we experienced the world around us or sort of these codes for living in the world. And the second limb, is a little bit more about what we're doing on the inside, the observances.

Socha, which is translated as cleanliness or purity, Santosha, contentment, tapas, this discipline, or austerity. Swataya, self study, and Ishwar Pranidama, surrender to the divine. So the first piece of this is really about keeping clean and clear space for this vehicle that we have that brings us to the world, noticing what we're taking in in every way through the senses. Keeping your body clear so that the mind can follow suit. Keeping the space around you clear.

So that the body and mind can follow suit. Contentment has to do with not settling for things in life, but actually finding joy finding gratitude for all that you have, for all that you experience, maybe for something as simple as having woken up this morning. And to be truly content where you are in this moment, is thought to bring into your life supreme joy. Tappas is about finding the discipline to just show up, to be in the practice, to sometimes do the hard things, knowing that the effort put forth will clear space for the things that serve you. Just showing up here today, to take this practice was an effort of tapas.

Swatiya is the ability to watch yourself as we're learning, as we're growing without judgment, with a desire to learn and to grow. And this last piece, surrender to the divine. To maybe oversimplify this, it's just finding the strength to let go. To trust that there's path for you. There's a plan for you.

That if we're showing up with positive intention and following through with right action, We're forever gonna end up exactly where we need to be from moment to moment. And as we close our time together today, maybe consider inviting these observances with you on your mat through the journey. In your life through the journey, and choosing to be, present with yourself in a way that honors you, that keeps the mind steady. If you're at ease as you are, please stay as you are as long as you'd like. Otherwise, bring a little movement to your fingers, to your toes.

With an in home, maybe sweep your arms overhead, stretch to the length of your body. And as you exhale, bend your knees, roll carefully onto your right side. Make a little pillow with your arm and pause for a breath or 2 here, and then press the floor away as you're ready. Bringing yourself up to seated. Join your hands together at heart center, lift your chest, We bow our chimps and gratitude.

Namaste.