Creativity

Thank you for joining me for this practice. That's all about the emotions that are associated with the sacral chakra. So when we look at the qualities of shadow and light, within the sacral chakra, the shadow could include a feeling almost of numbness, of guilt, of shame. Those are some of the emotions that might come up if this chakra feels a little stuck or blocked. And when we look at the light on the other side, we have this great sense of openness, of creativity, of pleasure.

So let's try to call in this kind of fluid flow state and creative quality in our practice today. We'll get into the hips a lot. So why don't we start by doing that in child's pose? Please join me there, and we'll take our knees a little wider in child's pose. So bring the big toes together.

Let your knees go wide. They might even go as wide as your yoga mat, and then let your torso start to drape down between your thighs as you walk your hands forward. Again, we just take this quality of grounding starting by stopping and just checking in. So start to feel the inhale through the nose, that expansive quality, and then that exhale, that quality of release, letting go as you ground just a little bit more. And then bring your attention to your hips, to the sacrum.

And start to send the breath to that area of the body as you just kinda scan and notice what you're showing up to your practice with without judgment, meeting yourself where you are today. Allowing just a few more breaths. Breathing the hall, the way deep in the belly. Beautiful. And then walking your hands to the right side of your mat. So you might even pick up your torso and drape it over your right thigh.

Reach your left arm forward a little more. You might tent your fingertips. Breathe into the left side body. Big full breath in and a long breath out. Good. And then start to walk your hands back through center maybe pick up your torso, drape it over your left thigh.

Reach your right arm forward and breathe into the right side. Breathe into the hips and the belly. Beautiful. And then come back through center and meet me in tabletop. So just take your time to roll up to all fours. We'll bring our shoulders over wrists, hips, over knees, and then start to move into some barrel rolls.

So start to take some circles shifting the weight in one direction clockwise or counterclockwise. Weight comes back toward the heels and forward as you're coming forward kinda stretching into the wrists. If it feels good to linger anywhere, feel free to pause and linger. Otherwise, maybe start to take the circles in the other direction. Might roll out your head or your neck.

Just really the invitation to start to feel into your body. You might feel your joints starting to crack a little bit. I am. But this is a really nice way to just kind of feel into any of those areas that might feel a little tense or stuck, especially if you're holding tension in any of these spaces, inviting those spaces of stuckness to open up. Good. And then as you come back through tabletop, we'll tuck our toes, meet me in downward facing dog. And then same quality in down dog.

So this practice is really about this watery fluid movement of energy. So pedal it out. Sway the hips. Maybe shake your head. Yes and no. Intuitive movement, what do you need here to just start to get the energy flowing a little bit more as you move with your breath?

Good. And then from downward facing dog on an inhale, glide forward to the top of a push up plank pose, almost like you're moving through water. You can round forward into plank. And then as you exhale soften your knees a little bit and lift your hips up and back into down dog. So we'll do that a few times. Again, inhale as you come forward. Like, you're moving through water like a wave as you exhale soften your knees. Lift the hips up and back down dog. One more time, come high up onto your toes, roll out to plank, and then exhale soften back downward facing dog. Beautiful come to plank, you're welcome to keep the knees lifted, or you can lower the knees down.

Let's take a slow lower all the way down to the belly, hug your elbows in. As you get to the bottom, untuck your toes, And then take your hands on either side of your yoga mat and tent your fingertips. We'll take this wide arm cobra, press into the top of your feet, and on an inhale, just gently start to peel your chest up off the earth any amount. You can gaze forward and then soften and release all the way back down. Good with your breath.

2 more like that inhale peel the chest up and exhale release. One more inhale peel up maybe a little higher into this wide arm cobra, and then exhale soften and release. Beautiful. Press your hands next to the side body. And press all the way back up to downward facing dog. Good. And then just start to take a slow walk to the front of your mat walking your feet to your hands and then take your feet.

Wider than your hips. So maybe even as wide as your yoga mat, we're coming into yogi squat melasana, turn your toes out, your heels turn in slightly, and then bend your knees and sink into Malasana, Yogi squat. And you can keep your hands down if that feels best for you. Maybe you draw your hands in front of your heart center. And then just take a moment to land in this early hip opener. So feel into your hips. Let your tailbone meltdown.

Allow your spine to be long as you reach up through the crown of your head, and then feel that fluid quality of your breath moving in and out. Like the ocean, like the waves. Good. And then we'll come into forward fold. So hands to the earth parallel your feet start to straighten your legs and just let everything melt down a bit. So the feet can be about hips distance, letting the torso, drape down over your legs, soft knees, and take a moment to just roll up nice and slow. One vertebra at a time.

And then as you get to the top, just any movement that might feel good as you come to stand, you might sway a little side to side. And then eventually, just take a moment to find stillness and draw your hands together in front of your heart, feel safe. Take a moment. Close your eyes. Go inward and check-in with an intention for your practice today. Maybe it's inviting in that fluid going with the flow, flow state. Maybe it's creativity, pleasure.

What would it feel like to invite a little bit more of those light qualities into your practice and into your day. Notice what comes up for you. Beautiful. And as you're ready, we'll move from that place in how sweep your arms all the way out and up. We'll come back to melasana, turn the toes out and the heels in.

Draw your hands through heart center. Bend your knees and sink down into your yogi squat. Good. Then draw your hands to the earth. Parallel your feet straight in your legs. Step your left foot all the way to the back of the mat for lizard lunge.

So both hands are on the inside of your front foot. And then from here, lower your left knee down to the ground. And you might come up onto your fingertips for a moment. Good. And then start to lift up through the heart space as you sink into this lizard lunge, really getting into that hip here in the right side on an inhale lengthen. And as you exhale shift your weight back for a half split. Arta Hananasana.

We're in this wider half split lifting toes up off the earth. And then let's keep that fluid. So with the breath, inhale, rebend the right knee, lift the heart, lift the gaze. And exhale shift back half split, bow forward. 1 more inhale brings us forward, linking breath with the rhythm of our movement, exhale shift back, half split bow forward. Good inhale to rebend your right knee, tuck your back toes and lift the back knee up, and we'll come into a lunge twist.

So plant your left hand down right under your left shoulder, sweep the right arm up, open the chest, to the right, Good. And then take your hand back down to the inside of your front foot, walk to face the side of your mat moving into Skandasana. So coming all the way over to that left knee, bend your left knee, and straighten your right leg. Sink in. You can keep fingertips on the earth. You're welcome to draw your hands up towards your heart. Again, just deeply getting into that left hip, angling left toes to the left just a bit. Good. And then keep it low and fluid.

Crawl all the way back to your runner's lunge facing the front of your mat, and then plant your palms and step back for downward facing dog. Good. From here, we'll glide into plank. Take a slow lower all the way down to the belly. On an inhale, you could take that wide arm cobra, tent your fingertips, peel the chest up, gaze forward. Good. And then as you exhale, bring hands back down to the earth, press it back downward facing dog.

That allow a big full breath in and a long full breath out. Good. And then slowly walk your feet to the front of the mat. We're coming back into yogi squat melasana, toes out heels, and bend your knees deeply, sink down, and just take a brief pause and yogi squats, sink into your hips, nice, long spine. Beautiful. And then hands to the earth parallel your feet straighten your legs and just roll up nice and slow, head heavy, soft knees unraveling as you get to the top of the mat. Take a moment to ground, and then we'll take that all to the other side.

So as you're ready, sweep the arms out, long spine, maybe gaze up. Malasana toes out heels in prayer through heart center. Good hands to the earth parallel your feet forward fold. Good. On an inhale, lift halfway. As you exhale, step your right foot all the way to the back of the mat, Let your hands come to the inside of your front foot.

Right knee lowers down coming into lizard lunge on the second side, hanging here. Just a moment. Sync into that left hip and feel that opening in the psoas and the right side. Good on an inhale. Lift the heart and the gaze. And as you exhale start to shift back half split, Arda Hananasana, a little wider with the legs, breathe into the left leg.

And then with your breath, as you inhale, rebend the left knee, heartless, gazeless, exhale, Arda Hanuman, hamstring stretch, And one more inhale, rebend your left knee, look up in lengthen, and exhale shift back. Beautiful. And then rebend that left knee, tuck the right toes, lift the knee up, setting up for our lunge twist, plant your right hand, on the mat and sweep your left arm up. Open the chest to the left. Feel that nice unraveling of your twist. And then as you lower your left hand to the inside of your front foot, walk to face the side of the mat will come to Skandasana this time, bending the right knee, straightening through the left leg, sink in.

Yeah. And I'm keeping fingertips on the earth. You might flute your hands up, you could even take them out on either side of your shoulders. Good. And then stay low to the ground. Come all the way back to the front of your mat. Runners lunge.

Plant your palms and step back downward facing dog. Beautiful. And then we'll move into plank on an inhale. Slowly lower all the way down to exhale. Take your hands on either side of your mat for a wide arm cobra. Temp the fingertips.

Peel the chest up. Big breath in. Good. And then exhale release and press back downward facing dog. Big full breath in. In a long, full breath out, good walk your feet to the front of the mat. We're landing back and yogi squat, toes out, heels in, sink your hips down, Malasana, hands to heart, Good draw your hands back down.

We'll come into that forward fold parallel defeat, straighten the legs at everything, melt down, and then take your time to roll it up Nice and slow. Maybe bring your shoulders with you up towards your ears. Roll them down your back and just take a moment to pause and breathe. Notice where that movement lands in the body, the echo, of the movement. Feel your heartbeat.

Come back to your intention. And we'll play with that pattern one more time adding on just a bit. So when you're ready in house, sweep your arms all the way out and up. We'll come right back into melasana. Bend your knees.

Hands through heart center. Good hands to the earth. Straight in the legs parallel. Your feet. Lift halfway, lengthen step your left foot to the back of the mat. So same beginning.

We're in that lizard lunge. Let your left knee lower down as you inhale lift the heart, lift the gaze, and then just one time exhale shift back half split folding over that front leg. On an inhale, rebend your right knee. Tuck your back toes. We'll set up for our twist.

Plant your left hand down and sweep your right arm up. Big breath in. It exhale lower the right hand, coming to the side of the mat, moving through Skandasana, bend your left knee, straighten your right leg. Now this time adding on from Skandasana, we're coming to warrior 2 facing the front of the mat. So transition, turn your right toes to face the front of the mat, open the arms wide, and then bending into that front knee, really sealing the outer edge of the back foot down to the earth.

Taking a gaze over your right middle finger, soften your shoulders, getting into that right hip, maybe sinking in just a little deeper, and then flip your front palm as you inhale tilt back reverse warrior Got it. And then exhale extended side angle elbow to thigh. You might bring your fingertips to the earth on the inside of your front foot. And then that left arm can reach straight up, or maybe if it feels okay on your shoulder, draw your left arm over your ear, and then feel this long line of energy from your left fingertips all the way to your back heel. Find some spaciousness here, some fluidity within the shape. So nice. And then as you're ready, inhale, we'll come back, reverse triangle straighten your front leg, reach your right arm up, and over your ear, and then circle your hands.

Down to the earth, we'll step right back into plank pose this time and take a slow lower all the way down. Hands on either side of the mat, tent your fingertips. Peel your chest up. COBRA and then exhale back downward facing dog, lift your hips all the way up and brat back. Let's take a nice big fluid breath in. Maybe open up your mouth, let out a sound, or a sigh, release what might feel stuck or heavy, and just notice what's coming up for you.

Welcome at all. And then maybe inviting in those qualities of fluidity, creativity, have some pleasure here. Enjoy this practice. Slowly walking back front of the mat, coming toward melasana toes out heels in. Bend your knees for yogi squat.

Let your hips sink down. Draw your hands to your heart. Just a brief moment to pause and notice. Good. And then hands to the earth. Parallel your feet.

Fold over your legs and slowly roll up. Maybe draw your shoulders up towards your ears. And roll them down the back. 2nd side as you're ready, inhale arms, sweep up, draw hands through heart center, sink into Molasana, yoga squat. Good hands to the earth.

Parallel your feet fold over your legs. Come halfway up, inhale, lengthen, and then this time stepping the right foot all the way to the back of the mat come into that lizard lunge right knee lowers. Come onto your fingertips and lift your heart, big breath in, and then exhale shift back just one time hamstring stretch. Good inhale, re bend through the left knee, tuck your back toes, lift the back knee up, and then plant the right hand. Find your twist left arm.

Sweeps up open to the left side of your mat. Maybe even lean back a little. Good fluid to the side of your mat, Skandasana. Bend your right knee sinking. Good. And then the transition into warrior 2. So we'll turn the left toes toward the front of the mat, circle the right arm up and open, and just take a moment to land, arrive, soften into the shape and just wherever you need to.

And you might stay fluid in warrior too, like, come in and out of it a few times. Notice what you need, and then come back to your breath. Good. And then from here, I'll flip that from palm and tilt back reverse warrior, feel the length in the left side body, good extended side angle, elbow to thigh, fingertips to the earth, and that right arm might reach reach straight up, or you could take the right arm up and over your ear and finding that one long line of energy from fingertips to back heel. And then find some spaciousness in your spine, your breath, breathing in, breathing out. Good. And then root to rise, inhale come up and back start to straighten your front leg for reverse triangle.

Feel the lengths in the left side, and then circle down and step back. Plank, lower down to the earth. Take the fingertips on either side as you come into that wide arm cobra, big breath in, and exhale downward facing dog. Good breathe in, open up the mouth, let out a sounder, sigh. Good. And then float your right leg all the way up and back. Take a moment to bend your right knee.

Feel that nice opening in the right hip, and you might even take some big circles with that right leg, just really feeling into that right side. Good. And then straighten out through the right leg any amount, start to draw your right knee toward your right tricep, and then we'll take a big step to the outside of your right hand. So setting up for lizard, lower that back knee down if you'd like. Maybe you stay up on your hands here. This might feel like enough.

If you have a couple blocks, you're welcome to take them under your forearms. Maybe the forearms come down to the earth. Just finding your edge and softening. So no need to force or go deeper than what feels good in your body, what feels safe for you. But when you find that sweet spot, let's take a moment to land.

Take a moment to breathe into the shape, feeling that deep hip opening, noticing any emotions that may come up here. About trying to push anything away. Just notice. Good. And then if you're on your form, take a moment to press back up onto your hands. We'll come into single pigeon from here.

So we'll start to heel toe the right foot all the way to the left side of the mat, and then let your shin come behind your wrists sink in for pigeon. Welcome to take anything under that right hip that might support you. Otherwise, just take a moment up at the top and then wait for that invitation to start to walk your hands forward and coming into wherever this shape is calling you, waiting for that invitation to go a little deeper, getting into the right hip. And again, as we come toward these shapes where we're holding for a little longer. Notice what occurs.

Any feelings that arise. And could you invite in that feeling of ease, fluidity, creativity, pleasure, A couple more full deep breaths, sending breath to sensation, creating a little space, a little ease. Good. And then take your time. We'll walk our hands back in and step back to downward facing dog. And then just notice if there's anything you need to let go of that side, maybe pedal it out or shake that right leg up to the sky.

And as you're ready, inhale, float your left leg up, bend your left knee open up through that left hip, maybe take some big circles with that left leg, just feeling into this side, noticing if this side feels a little different, most likely. Good. And then straighten the left leg. Any amount. Draw your left knee towards your left elbow. Take a big giant step to the outside of that left wrist.

And then setting up for lizard. You're welcome to keep the back knee lifted. Lots of options in in lizard pose. I'm lowering my right knee. And I'm gonna lower my forearms down.

Go a little deeper, a lot deeper. So, again, the invitation is to find your edge and then soften at that edge. Find your edge and soften. And if you found that you maybe you came a little too far, it's not feeling so good, can always back out of it a little or use props to support the shape. It'd be at a place where we can stay comfortably connected with our breath. Big full breath in, long full breath out.

Good. And then taking your time, we'll walk back up onto the hands. He'll toe your left foot to the right side of the mat, setting up for single pigeon on the second side. Again, if you need any props for support, And do take a moment up at the top as you set up, you feel into this side, and then wait for that invitation to go a little deeper. There's nowhere to get to. You're already there. Soften into your breath.

You're hearing now experience. A couple more full deep breaths. Good. And then take your time. Make your way back up. Welcome to come to down dog to release that or just shift the weight off to one side. We'll meet seated at the front of the mat.

Take your time to arrive there. As you find your seat, just take a moment to land and then start to take some circles with your spine for soofy rolls. So just a really nice way to release through the low back, your hips, that fluid quality, maybe close your eyes, contain these circles as big or as small as it feels good for you lingering anywhere. It feels good to linger. Maybe take it in the other direct for a few breaths. And then bringing the energy back through center will roll onto our backs.

So take your time. As you come onto your backs, bend your knees. Souls of the feet to the earth about hips distance, and just take a couple rolling bridge poses. So reaching your arms up over your ears, press through the soles of the feet to lift your hips, big breath in, And then exhale, just release all of that. Hips, lower, arms, lower. Just two more like that. Inhale.

Lift up. Arms lift. Hips, lift. Exhale. Lower down. One more time, inhale. Arms lift. Hips lift.

Now keep the arms up over your ears and just slowly lower the hips. Step your feet a little wider than your hips. Drop both knees to the right. For an easy twist and then to the left. And just take that a few times.

Windshield wiper. Letting it all release and go. Good. And then come back through center. Help your knees into your chest. Give them a squeeze. And then coming into your final resting pose will straighten the legs.

Long on the mat for Shavasana. Maybe take your hands to your low belly and just feel your breath beneath your hands as you take a few moments here to let go. To let be just rest. Breathe in to feel the expansion beneath your hands. Breathe out to release.

Let something go. Welcome to stay here as long as you'd like in this moment of presence. Otherwise, just take your time. Make your way back to seated. You might just simply sit up.

You could roll to one side. Take a moment to pause, notice how you feel, what comes up for you, allowing all of that. Thank you so much for sharing this practice. Hope you're feeling a little more fluid, a little more open, namaste.