Utilizing Our Inner Guidance

Hi. Welcome to today's practice. My name is Erin Namaste. I will be guiding you today with the theme and intention that we are listening to our inner guidance. So the idea on the mat is that we're able to connect with what we need in that moment. And then to take it off the mat so that we're really truly listening and learning from our past, also knowing that we have the answers within us if we just take pause, we can find that, guidance within.

So we're going to begin in Tedasana, close the eyes, stand up nice and tall and feel the ground beneath you. So that grounding energy, in order to connect to our inner guide. Sometimes we have to take that moment to pause and just land first. So from here, join the palms together in front of the heart. Take a moment to connect to your breath.

That space between the brows, connecting you to your 3rd eye center, And then if you have an intention for your practice, go ahead and get clear. As you exhale, exhale down through the legs back into the earth. Bow the head towards the heart, release the palms, and softly allow the eyes to open. We'll take a side bend. I'd like to step the feet a little bit wider.

And as you inhale reach the left arm up, And on the exhale side stretch to the right, take a deep breath here, Maybe turn the chest up as you exhale a little further. Inhale back to center, root your feet. And then on your next breath, reach your right arm up. And as you exhale side bend over to the left, maybe turn the chest up and side bend a little deeper. And how back up to center.

If you're not already, we'll come to the top of the mat in Tedasana for a few half sun salutes. So on your inhale, reach up tall as you exhale bow forward, uttanasana inhale lengthen, Ada, and just fold right back down the legs as you exhale. Inhale to rise, reaching tall, exhale arms by your side, twice more, inhale sweep the arms up exhale bow forward and fold. Inhale. Open the chest, lengthen past the crown.

Exhale, fold back down, circle the arms out and up, big breath, Press the arms down by your side last time inhale reach up tall, exhale bow forward and fold. Inhale to lengthen, exhale fold. This time stay in the fold. You'll toe the feet about hip distance apart, hold opposite elbows, and just Ragdoll. You can bend your knees. Let anything roll off the back that you don't need for today's practice. Anything that might be blocking you from connecting to your inner wisdom, switch the cross of the elbows, refold.

Notice if you're hyper extending the knees, shift the weight slightly forward, let the inner groin roll back, but hug the outer hips in one more breath. And then bring your fingertips down, lengthen the spine. Plant the palms and step to plank position, firm your core, firm your legs, option to hover your right foot an inch. Maybe that's more like an inch. One more breath.

Almost like your toes are trying to press into the earth, but you're hamstring is trying to activate and lift the foot and then set the toes down. And second side left foot lifts. An inch or a few. Like the toes are trying to touch the earth. The leg is lifting one more breath and set it down.

Shift to the tiptoes. Slowly to a count of 3, lower all the way down to 1. Point the toes. Lift to a low cobra, and then exhale to lower down inhale low or a little bit higher cobra and exhale lower down, stretch through the legs low, medium, high cobra. This time, if you'd like, hips come forward, arms straighten up dog, and roll over the toes downward facing dog.

Take a moment to pedal the feet to bend the knees to listen to what you need in this moment. Take a full breath in and out. On an inhale, lift your right leg up and back, open the hip, bend the knee, breathe, As you inhale straighten the leg, square off, knee comes to the right tricep, part forward stay forward, inhale to the wrist or tap the floor, exhale up to the tricep, 3 legged dog, inhale stretch, Step your right foot forward, lower the back knee, inhale the arms rise, hook the right thumb in front of the left, pull up, and any amount back. One more breath. Release the hands down straighten the front leg.

This time in your half split, option to hover. Reach the arms back. Engage the upper back. Keep that length in the spine in any amount fold deeper. One more breath here.

If you took the arms back, release them down, Pick up your left foot so that your left foot can turn more left and your right toes can turn right. So it's external rotation in the right leg and a little criss cross in the legs. Any amount you might turn your upper body and then press the hips back. So you should feel this in the hamstring, IT band, maybe into the outer hips. One more breath.

Come back through center, plant your palms, rebend your front knee, lift the back knee, step to plank. Inhale to shift forward. And then again, to that slow count of 3, lower chaturanga, 2, one cobra or upward facing dog, big breath. Roll over the toes downward facing dog. Left leg lifts.

Open the hip. Bend the knee. Breathe. As you inhale straighten the leg, Exhale knee to the tricep, left triceps, stay forward, inhale down to the wrist or tap the floor. Exhale back up to the tricep, three legged dog, inhale, step your left foot forward, lower the right knee, inhale reach up hooking the left thumb in front of the right, pull up. You can stay really upright. Or if that sinking in, getting a little bit more into the flexibility feels good. Listen to that.

One more breath. And then hands release down, straighten the front leg, option to hover. Engage the upper back, untuck the sit bones, and then any amount start to fold a little deeper. Feel like you could drag your left heel bone back. One more breath.

And the heart pulls forward. Good. If you took the arms back, release them down, pick up your right toes, move the right toes right, and allow the left leg to externally rotate. So legs are in this crisscross, the toes in the front foot are turning to the left and then you might turn your body as well. The more upright you are, the less you might feel the more you sink in, the deeper the stretch down through that IT band. One more breath.

Walk back through center, bend the front knee, lift the back knee, inhale to plank. Optional chaturanga, knees chest chin. However, you wanna make your way back to downward facing dog. Flowing mind fully and hips back. Take a deep inhale. Full exhale on an inhale right leg lifts need to nose exhale.

Lower the knee to hover or tap inhale, knee to nose, exhale. 3 legged dog inhale. Step right in between the hands, ground the back heel, windmill the arms warrior 2. Flip the right palm reverse warrior, big breath, either the right forearm to the thigh or right hand to the ground or block, right knee over the ankle, top arm up, and overhead. Last breath.

Release the hands down, spin to the ball of the back foot, reach your right arm up twisting lunge. Option to stay here or spin to the pinky edge of your left foot, you'll toe the right foot to the center of the mat. So you're in a modified side plank. This is one of my favorite side's body stretches. So let the hips lower.

Reach your right arm back. And then lift the hips and arc up and over twice more. Inhale. Lower the hips reach through the right arm. Ex. I'll press and reach 1 more time. Inhale. Lower.

Exhale. Press reach. Plant the right palm, step back to plank, shift forward Chaturanga, inhale upward facing, and exhale downward facing dog. Left leg lifts with your inhale. Need a nose. Stay forward.

Inhale to lower hover or tap chest broad, exhale knee to chest, 3 legged dog. Step right in between the hands, ground the back heel, and windmill up warrior 2, back toes can angle in slightly. Flip the left palm, inhale reverse warrior and either modify your side angle with the forearm on the thigh or bring your left hand down to the ground or block. Turn your chest up. Reach the top arm up.

Turn the palm from the back heel rooting. Extend the arm overhead. Take a breath. And exhale, hands frame the front foot, spin to the ball of the back foot, twist left arm to the sky. Stay here or spin to the pinky edge of your back foot.

Start to heel toe the left foot to the long end of the mat. And then lower the hips reach the left arm back, get into that right side body, and press away from the mat arc up and over. Again, inhale to lower and exhale lift. One small inhale. Exhale up and over, plant the left palm, step back to plank.

Optional Vinyasa, even a cat cow here. Exhale. In hell and downward facing dog. Take a breath. Open the mouth, sigh it out.

Come high onto the balls of the feet. Then your knees look forward, step, or hop, inhale length, and arda. Exhale fold. Notice if it feels different than the folds at the beginning. Inhale rise to stand, reach up. Exhale palms to the heart.

Take a moment to pause. As you pause, take a moment to connect to your inner guidance. So this next part gets a little bit more challenging, so definitely modify as needed. As you're ready, inhale reach your arms up. Exhale.

Bow forward and fold. Inhale length and arda, plant the palm step or lightly hop right into bent elbows. Over the toes, up dog. Exhale downward dog. Right leg lifts on an inhale.

Exhale knee to the left elbow heart forward. Inhale stretch it back. Exhale crescent pose step up reach the arms up, palms to the heart, twist to the right, left elbow hooks, option to modify with your back knee down if it's lifted, activate the back leg. Stay here or if you'd like to play with an arm balance, use your left arm to nudge your knee left. Plant the right palm.

Extend through the right leg, pull the heart forward, tip forward, back leg floats, Ecopada Kundaniasana. If you took the arm balance, come back to your crescent pose, unwind the twist, And then if you're traveling with a block, we're coming into twisting half moon. So left hand forward with or without the block, float the back leg up. There's warrior 3 in the body, in the bottom half. Pull the heart forward wrap the right hip crease back and then twist again right arm to the sky.

As you twist, either stay here extending long through the back leg, long through the crown, or option to bend the back knee, kick the toes up towards the ceiling, and come into your Chipasana variation. Take a breath. Full exhale. If you have Chappasana, extend the arm and the leg. Release the right hand, Skandasana bending the right knee, step the left foot back, Pivot the right heel back, pivot the left toes up, sit down into your right hip, turn your chest open.

We're traveling to the back of the mat. So if you have a block that you'd like to bring with you, pivot it around. Step back to plank, shift forward, and either lower Chaturanga, or straight to downward facing dog. So move through the vinyasa that you choose. Once you arrive, take a deep inhale.

Side it out. One more breath to land. Exhale. On an inhale lift your left leg up and back. Need to the right elbow exhale. Inhale, stretch it back.

Step your left foot forward. Press and pose. Inhale reach the arms up. Exhale palms to the heart, twist to the left, hook the right elbow, Stay here. Lower the back knee.

Or after a moment, you feel good. It can heal toe that left foot a little bit more right to create some space. Sometimes I'll use the hand to press the thigh out, plant the right palm, plant the left palm. Shift forward, maybe you extend the front leg. As you tip forward, maybe the back leg floats.

Elbows are over the wrist chest is broad. If you took the arm balance, come back to your lunge. If you're still in your twist, make your way to crescent pose, traveling into twisting half moon, with or without your block. So first, set the bottom half, stable pelvis, right leg long, elongate the spine and then turn. To have the outer hips in, as you lengthen, press your right shoulder blade in to turn you deeper.

Stay here or bend the back knee catch the foot and find your backbend. Pin the outer left tip in. Open the chest. And take one more breath. Good. If you bent the knee, extend the leg long.

Release the left hand traveling with your block again. Bend your left knee. Swivel the left heel back slightly. Turn the right knee and toes up, Skandasana. Breathe.

One more breath. We're pivoting back to that right foot back to the top. Lunge, step to plank, optional vinyasa, or child's pose. Take a moment to breathe. When you're ready, we'll come up for a hip opener. So double pigeon starting with the right shin on top.

So option a, ankle on top of knee, knee on top of ankle, You don't wanna force this down. So if you need to, you can cross at the shins or you're welcome to take a single pigeon as well. So sometimes all I need to do is ground the seat so that I have something to lift up out of. Give the hips a moment. Maybe you're using your block to rest your forehead.

Once you find it, you might have space to lower So again, we're not forcing. We're truly listening to our bodies and our inner guidance. And as we practice that on the mat, Hopefully, we're better able to tap into that ability off the mat as well. Take about 5 breaths here. Anch her through your seat. So one of the yoga sutres is Stirasuka Asanam, which is finding a comfortable seat.

And that's not only in all of our yoga asanas or postures, but off the mat as well, being comfortable in our bodies and our lives and our situations, So finding that perfect balance between effort and ease, 2 more breaths supportive breaths, comfortable breaths. Slowly walk your hands back, lean back. Let's unwind the legs. We'll take a reverse tabletop. I'll turn to the side for a moment.

Plant the fingers. Plant the feet. Lift the hips. Open the chest. One more breath.

Slowly set the hips back down, and we'll set up our second side. This time, left shin on top. So ankle oftentimes I see the foot sickling. This is like our ankle roll position. So we want it to be a foot that you can stand on protecting the ankle, protecting the knee so that the bigger joint actually is what moves. Not the smaller ones.

So once you arrive stacking everything, don't push. Don't force. Just allow. Sometimes this helps. So press get the thumbs into the hip creases. Root find your seat and then start to walk the hands forward.

Lengthen. Take your time. So it's about the process and not the end goal as well. So oftentimes, it's like, oh, we want all the all the good stuff. And there's the steps to get there that we have to take.

And sometimes those aren't always easy steps. So about 5 breaths here, if you'd like. It'd be the forehead comes down. Connecting to that 3rd eye center. Soften the jaw.

Notice what comes up as you open the hips. Need to lengthen and find more space for the last breath or so. Do so? Slowly walk your hands back And we're gonna use the block in a moment, so set it aside. And then one more reverse tabletop positions.

So plant the feet, fingertips point forward, open the chest, lift the hips, tail towards the backs of the knees, Chest is broad, big inhale, and lower down. And then roll one bone at a time all the way down. We'll take a supported bridge. So If you have anything under your neck, just move it. And then lift the hips the block can go low, medium, or high underneath your sacrum.

So the bony plate just behind the pelvis, chest is broad, you can stay right here or extend the legs up towards the ceiling. Activate through the thighs, let the femur bones plug down into the hip sockets. So Viparita Karani is known as a restorative pose when we're in our fight or flight mode, the blood flow goes to the limbs. And here it's sort of this natural release of tension in the arms and legs so that the blood flow can go to the center of the body down into the heart, into the brain. And where we can rest and digest.

Sometimes we have to pause to digest not just food, but information. And that's where we can really learn from things. Is when it's fully processed. So give yourself that space. Let's say about 4 more breaths here.

And again, sometimes to get to that restorative place, It can feel a little challenging. So keep extending through the legs, tightening through the internees. The chest open. One more breath. Of course, if you like to hold these restorative inversions longer, feel free to stay here instead of moving on.

As you're ready, bend your knees, come back to your supported bridge. And then if the block is on high, I would say take it down a notch and settle for a moment and lift the hips, move the block off to the side, and breathe. As you're ready, hug the right knee into the chest, extend your left leg long, and take a spinal twist. Maybe gaze to the right. Last breath.

Unwind back to center, hug your left knee in, and cross it over to the right. Maybe gaze to the left. And breathe. As you're ready, slowly come back to center, knees can hug into the chest. And then extend the legs long.

Adjust your body so that you're comfortable in your shavasana. Take a moment to just scan the body from head to toe. And observe. If there's anything you can release, so take a deep inhale. Open the mouth, exhale. Slow the breath for a cycle or 2.

And then once you've done so, truly let go. Let go of any breath control, can let the palms soften and the fingers curl back. Relax the lips, the face, the jaw. Letting go Shavasana. As you come back to the breath, either choose to wisely stay in your Shavasana a little bit longer. Or start to invite movement back to the body, reach the arms, Ben the knees and slowly roll to your side as if you're in a shallow pool of water, You don't wanna create waves or ripples slowly press up to seed in.

Feel free to take that block and prop up onto it. Feel free to move into a meditative meditation practice. Sitting and just connecting to your inner teacher. Knowing that if we take those moments to pause, we have more answers than we may think. So connect to that higher knowing.

Join the palms together in front of the heart. Take a moment of gratitude for the blessings, the challenges, all the things that have gotten us to this place right here and take a deep inhale. Bow the head towards the heart. Namaste. Thank you for sharing your practice.