Letting Joy In

Hi. Welcome to today's practice. My name is Erin. And today, we will be doing a lot of chest opening and backbends And the idea behind it is that we are creating space to allow joy in, with everything going on in our lives. Sometimes it's hard to create that space for joy for, play. So that is the hope for today's this, and I hope you enjoy it. So we will need 2 blocks, to begin and also a strap.

If you'd like to loop your strap, for, later and have that ready. You can have that set aside, and we will begin with the two blocks. One right underneath the bottom tips of the shoulder blades. The other will go behind the head. If you like the a little bit more of a chest opening, you'll go medium and high if you'd like a little bit less.

It can go medium and or excuse me, low under the shoulder blades medium under the head. Alright. So let's come onto your backs. This should hit right underneath the bottom tips of the shoulder blades. This one will support right underneath the head.

You can have the knees bent or the legs extended. And then if you'd like, if you're on the medium setting, sometimes it can feel like it takes a moment to allow the shoulder heads to roll back the chest to open. So just feel into this space. Connect to your breath. Maybe even it feels good to rest a hand on the heart and one on the belly.

As you slow the breath, close the eyes. Taking a moment. If you have an intention for your practice, maybe it's just the word joy. Letting that little smile of joy in. Take one more deep breath all the way to the heart space. Feel free to open the mouth, clear it out.

And then if your legs are extended, bend the knees for a moment, reach your arms up towards the ceiling, and then up and back behind you. If that feels okay on your back, you can go ahead and re extend the legs. And then bring your hands actually to the back block. And if it's on a higher setting, just turn it down so that it's level with the block under your shoulders, bring your hands behind your head, and then just lift the hips. It's gonna be a little bit more engagement of the hamstrings if you're on that medium setting, but the idea is to engage the hamstrings and get the hips the height of the shoulders.

And then as the hips drop, feel that back bend shape. We'll do that twice more. Dig the heels down, lift the hips up, keep the toes pointing straight up the inner groin rolling down slightly and then lower. And one more time. My body wishes that I had the medium setting.

It just gives you a little extra punch there. And slowly lower, and then bend your knees. And you can curl or rock up to seated, and we will come to puppy dog. So you can use those blocks next to one another, again, on low or medium scoot the knees back. Take your elbows to the blocks, and then any amount walk the knees back engage your core and start to get into the upper back.

Take a deep breath here. Exhale, press the chest towards the floor. 2 more breaths. Inhale. And exhale. One more. Inhale.

Exhale, engage your core, walk your knees in, and set the blocks aside. Alright. And we'll come to a tabletop position for a couple rounds of cat cows. So inhale lift and lengthen the chest. Exhale to press and around the back.

And, again, inhale lengthen. Exhale round one more time. Inhale lengthen. Exhale round, tuck the toes, hover the knees an inch, start to press your hips towards your heels like you're going into a child's pose. Try to stay in the legs or, excuse me, in the shoulders as best you can.

As you lift your hips back to downward dog. Take a breath here. Press the chest towards the thighs as you do. Lift your belly. Little lift under the forearms.

Take one more breath. Getting long from head to tail. And as you inhale shift forward to plank position, take a breath, length, and the sternum forward, and hover your right foot an inch. Engage the core here. Bend your right knee.

Engage your hamstring and glutes start to lift the heel up towards the ceiling. Pull the heart forward. One more breath. Extend the leg long, set the foot down. If you need to take a pause or use your knees, you can. Hop left foot.

Take a breath. Bend your left knee. Engage your hamstring and glute. Kick the heel up towards the ceiling start to pull the heart forward, but keep the core engaged. Extend the leg long, set the foot down, inhale shift forward, exhale lower chaturanga all the way to the belly, Point the toes roll the shoulder heads back.

Come to fingertips, wide off the mat. And then lift to a fingertip cobra. We'll call it intimidating cobra and then lower all the way back down. And again, fingertip or intimidating copart. Exhale lower down.

One more time. Cobra on fingertips with the chest and lower to the floor. Press through a tabletop. Tuck the toes. Reach your hips back like you're going towards child's pose. Try to stay in the shoulders as you lift back to downward dog.

Take a breath here. Full exhale. On an inhale lift your right leg up and back. Exhale. Step your foot forward.

Lower the back knee inhale reach your arms up, stack your shoulders over your hips. Karate chop your pinky edge of your hand forward slightly. Bring the palms together. Imagine that there's blocks under your elbow tips and then start to drop your chin and prayer behind your head. Hit those imaginary blocks start to lift the chest, elbow tips, and shin sinking any amount into your lunge, take a deep breath and exhale a little further.

Inhale. Reach your arms long. Hook hold your left wrist with your right hand. Pull up and side bend over to the right. Take a breath. Could come back to center, bring the palms together in front of the heart, either upright twist here, or you could lean forward hooking the left elbow outside your right thigh.

Stay here or turn your right palm wrap it behind the back, start to rotate the chest open, lengthen the spine, wrap the right hip back take one more breath. Unwind, sink the hips. Hands to the ground for a moment, breathe, plant the palms in house step to plank. Cover the right foot if you like. Bend your knee, pull the heart forward Chaturanga to the ground, point the toes, cobra in the upper back, float the legs, Shalabasana in the legs.

Option to hover the hands, breathe here. Go for length and space. One more breath. Plant the palms, lower the toes, upward facing dog, and exhale back downward facing dog. Take a deep inhale. Exhale it out. Inhale the left leg up and back.

Exhale. Step your foot forward. Lower the back knee. And reach your arms up. Lift the chest and engage your legs.

Karate chop the pinky edge of the hand forward slightly to bring the palms together. Ben the elbows drop the prayer behind your head. Drop the chin so you can get your arm bones back a little bit further. Engage your core Imagine you're hitting the elbows into blocks in front of you as you start to lift your chest, shin elbow tips, and sink a little deeper. Into the bend.

One more deep breath. Inhale to reach the arms long catch your right wrist with your left hand. Pull up and side bend over to the left and breathe through your right side body. One more here. In hell, come back to center, join the palms to the heart, upright twist to the left and stay here working your hips or tip forward hooking the right elbow past your left thigh.

I'm adjusting to have the left knee right over the ankle, wrap the outer left hip back option to wrap the left arm behind the back, On this side, you can see it more. If you'd like to catch hold of your right hip point, pull it back to square the hips, and then rotate the chest, do so. One more breath, softening the navel to turn. As you unwind, hands frame the front foot, sink the hips for a moment. Pullant the palms, step to that three legged plank.

So hover left foot bend the knee, lift the toes, lift the heart, Chaturanga, all the way to the ground, point the toes, lift the chest cobra, option this time to bend your right knee, maybe catch the back foot. Left palm is still in cobra. Roll the shoulder heads back. Lift the right toes. Breathe option to extend the left leg as if you're in Shalabasana.

Cobra Shalabasana, Donna Rosana, all getting married. One more breath. And release, plant the palms, lift the chest to cobra, option to bend your left knee. It's a big party. And then reach back, catch the back foot, kick the shin bone back.

Roll the right shoulder head back. As you kick the shin bone back, right leg might float. Breathe and lower down, press up through tabletop. Tuck the toes, hover the knees, press back to downward facing dog, Take a deep breath and sigh it out. Take an inhale, lift through the sacral skin, exhale, draw the navel in.

On your next breath, lift your right leg up and back, bend the knee, open the hip, breathe some space into the body, Inhale to straighten and square off, exhale right foot forward, inhale rise crescent pose, take another breath to lift taller and then hover the chest day, Casana, shoulder heads back twice more. Inhale crescent, exhale chest forward decosauna. One more time, inhale up to crescent, Exhale day Casana. This time as you rise to crescent pose, bend your left elbow, take a half gomokosana arm, pull that elbow tip back and take a side bend to the right. Take one more breath.

Inhale back to center through day cosana to warrior 3 taking flight. Lift the left leg like Shalabhasana lifting through the inseam of the leg, start to bend your knees step into chair pose, reach your arms up. Palms to the heart, twist to the right. Gaze down at your feet and knees, try to align them. Keep that as you turn your upper body.

Take one more breath. Sink a little deeper, inhale to chair pose. And as you rise, lift your left knee up into the chest. Open the arms wide, start to turn your upper body to the left. Option a, hold the knee with your right hand.

Option b, hold the outer edge of the foot, and extend the leg long. Breeze. Engage your standing leg, drop the outer left tip, and start to softly turn a little deeper. One more breath. As you unwind, come to skiers pose, and fold forward in how lengthen plant the palms step or lightly jump back Chaturanga.

Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Take a deep breath here and a full exhale. Inhale left leg lifts, open the hip, bend the knee, breathe, Find that joy, little smile on the face, inhale to straighten and square off. Exhale, left foot forward, come on up to crescent pose, reach the arms up.

As you exhale, hover De Kosana, twice more, inhale reach up tall, exhale shoulders back decosauna. One more time, inhale up. Exhale hover. Oh, inhale. Reach the arms up. Bend the right elbow.

Half Como Casana. Draw the front ribs back to support your low back. To get into the shoulder, pull the elbow tip back, and side bend up and over to the left. Breathe through your right side body. Try to keep space in your left waist as well. One more breath here.

Inhale back up to crescent through day costs and us stepping up onto the left foot lift your right leg warrior 3 spin the inner right thigh higher to square your hips. Take a breath. Bend both knees. And a chair pose. Palms to the heart.

Twist to the left. Take a breath. Gaze at your knees and toes. Try to keep them aligned. Move the buttocks flush down to lift the navel and then turn the upper body. Stay for one more breath.

Good. Come back to chair pose. This time as you rise right knee to the chest, open your arms out wide, start to twist to the right, option to catch hold of your outer right knee. Outer right foot. Breeze. Option to extend the leg.

Drop the outer right hip down. And start to revolve to the right. Breathe. One more breath across the chest. Come back to chair pose.

Fold forward this time. He'll toe the feet about hip distance, interlace the hands behind the back, reach the arms up and overhead. Bend your left knee deeply. Drop your left shoulder inside the knee. Start to rotate the chest open to the right.

One more breath. Come back through center, switch the interlace, bend your right knee, drop the right shoulder towards the knee, and open the chest. Last breath here, come back through center, release the arms, Come up halfway, Arda Utanasana, hands to hips, and rise all the way up to Stan Tadasana. Pause and breathe. Take a breath here, grounding your energy, smiling across your collar bones, and then shift the weight into your left foot, bend your right knee, engage the ham string as if you're trying to kick your heel towards your glute.

Keep the core active. You can hold the outer or inner foot, extend your left arm forward. Keep that left leg active as you start to hinge forward, kick the right shin bone back. Open the chest. Try to keep the heart lifting and pulling forward.

Tose extending up. One more breath. Slowly come back to the start position and Tedasana take a breath. Second side shift the weight to the right foot. Kick the left heel towards your glute.

Engage your core. Squeeze the hamstring. Reach for the outer or inner edge of the foot, extend your right arm, activate the right thigh. Kick back through the shin as the heart goes forward and up. Try to keep the knee in line with the hip.

The chest square and the heart open. One more breath with joy. Slowly come back to the start position. Step the left foot down. Now we'll use the strap.

If you don't have one and you'd like to repeat that with the hand holding the foot, you can. Otherwise, going to loop the strap around the foot. Hold on to it with the right hand. Shift the weight into the left foot, bend your knee. So this is that half gomocasana arm, then we'll take both.

Start to walk the hands down the strap. Elbows want to splay out. Keep them hugging in. Chest puffs forward. Toes kick back.

Be real. One more breath here. Without sling shooting, slowly release the grip. Maybe that knee comes back to the chest for a moment step down, take a pause, and we'll loop the strap around the left foot. Hold the strap in the left hand, then journey, half gomukastana arm, reach up with the right hand, start to walk the hands down the strap, try to keep length in the low back, Chest pulls forward and up.

Shin bone kicks back. Breathe. One more breath here. Slowly release the grip. Let the foot come down.

Maybe the left knee hugs into the chest and step down. Set the strap aside, take an inhale, reach your arms up, exhale soften the knees fold forward, inhale, Arda, step the left foot back. He'll toe the right foot to the left, single pigeon, option to fold or maybe take a block under your sit bone. If you're staying upright and you wanna work the back bend again, can bend the back knee, loop the strap around the foot, Half Gomokasana. Walk your hands down the strap.

Lift the chest. Square the chest off and try to keep the elbows in line with the shoulders. Heartlifts. One more breath. Slowly release.

If you took the upright bend, you might move the block and fold forward for just three breaths. Maybe resting the forehead in your thumb pads. Connecting to your heart center. 2 more breaths. Good. Press through the palms, step to downward dog, and left foot forward, single pigeon, if you're taking that upright version, maybe you're supporting yourself with the block.

If you'd like, loop the strap around your foot and then square the chest. Option a, we're here. Maybe you start to walk the hands down the strap. And breathe. Lift the back ribs.

Lift the chest. One more breath. Slowly release the foot. Release the block and the strap, and we can fold forward. You can always rush your forehead on a block if you'd like.

3 deep breaths. Soften around any gripping. Let the upper shoulders soften. When you're ready, this time, swing your right leg around to the front for John O'Shea. Left foot on the inner right thigh, arms extend up towards the sky, and then bow forward and fold.

There's a little essence of a twist towards the right leg. Linkedin, if you need to, you could also use that strap here. Two more breaths root for your right thigh, right heel, And slowly come upright and switch sides. Will bend the right knee, extend the left leg forward. I'd like to just keep my hips square, lengthen, and fold.

Turn the navel slightly left. Press the left thigh down. And, of course, if you need to, you can bend the knee or use a strap. One more breath. Come all the way up, straighten both legs, Pashimotanasana, flex the feet.

You can stay here. Reach the arms up or folds. Press a little bit more through the inseam of the leg through the big toe. And wrap the pinky edge of the foot back. Press the thighs down.

Hug the outer hips in, like, you could engage your glutes. Take one more breath. Slowly come up, separate the legs, point the toes, and then roll down drawing the navel in, slowly come all the way down onto the ground. Extend the arms, flex the feet reach, and then release the arms down if you need to tuck the shoulders or the hips under for Shavasana do. Let the feet flop open.

Let the palms soften. Take a moment to just feel into the body. After we've reversed the curve of sort of our desk and our phone, just notice how it feels. To activate the body in a different way. And then let go of any doing, any holding, any gripping, take a deep breath in.

Side it out. Shavasana. Feel free, and I encourage you to do so. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like. If you're coming up right to close, start to wiggle the fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, Take a stretch, bend your knees, and gently roll to the right.

Resting on your arm for a moment. Slowly press up to your comfortable seat. Sitting tall, taking a moment, turn inward, maybe rest a hand on the heart and one on the belly. Notice the space that you've created to allow joy to come into your life. To remind yourself to do so from time to time when things feel a little heavy or closed off, to keep the heart open.

So in gratitude, take a deep breath, bow the head, Thank you for sharing your practice.