Compassion

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this heart focused practice, moving to the heart chakra and welcoming in the emotions that are associated with this part of our body. So the heart, what are the shadow emotions? Heartache can bring up a sense of loneliness, of sadness, really? And then you move into the light and we'll explore postures that kind of invite in this sense of nurturing of self love, of compassion, and that usually lends itself to a lot of heart opening. So we will be exploring that quite a bit in our practice today.

So let's start in child's pose. Will take a moment to ground before we move into this heart focused flow. So maybe you bring your knees a little wider, big toes together, and then just take a moment to crawl your hands forward. Let your hips sink to your heels. Maybe the torso drapes between your thighs, and you can actually gently encourage the heart to press down toward the earth.

Head relaxes. And as we breathe in, allow the breath to fill the heart space. So breathing all the way up into the heart chakra, as you breathe out, ground, and let go. Take a moment to observe what you're showing up to your practice with. Physically energetically, emotionally. Any emotions that feel prevalent today Without wishing they were different or trying to push them away, just welcome them, welcome them all.

And this invitation to be gentle with yourself in your practice and in your day, especially off mat. Take that quality of gentle loving kindness toward yourself. When you're ready, inhale. Rise up. Oh, come to a tabletop.

As you come to tabletop, tuck your toes underneath. And then as you inhale will come into a tuck toed cow pose. So reach the heart forward. As you exhale, round your spine, feel the opening in the back of your heart, and then shift your weight back a little bit. So you come kinda toward this tuck toad child's pose, which should feel really nice, a nice stretch for your feet. And then we'll do that a couple times.

So inhale, shift your weight forward, coming to cow pose, reach the heart forward between your arms, exhale navel to spine, shift your weight back, and then let your hips sink towards your heels. Feels really nice. In hell come forward, cow, heart reaches, gaze lifts, exhale round, press back, hips to heels, Good. And then walk your hands all the way back. So you're actually sitting all the way back on your heels with your toes tucked, and you might need to adjust your baby toes a little bit. Make sure they're tucked under.

And then take a moment to bring one hand to your heart and then place the other hand on top of that hand. So both hands are placed over your heart. If it feels safe, close your eyes. Go inward. And just invite in these qualities of compassion, gentleness, kindness, self care, and self love.

And right now, you might be like, well, I can't really find those qualities because my feet are screaming at me right now. So let's get out of there. Come forward. Tap the tops of your feet to let that go. And then hard opening pose, Anahatasana. Come up onto your fingertips. Keep your hips over your knees.

Walk your hands forward. Let your chest melt down any amount, Anahatasana. Maybe the chin comes to the earth. Or the forehead. Notice what feels good for you today.

Feel that giant opening across the chest. Breathe into that expansion. Good. And then coming up out of there just a bit, gaze forward, we're coming to sphinx pose. So letting the forearms come down to the earth. You might need to wiggle back a little bit to let your hips come down.

Straightening out the legs. And then again, reaching the heart between the window of the arms as you kind of, like, draw the mat back towards you to reach your heart forward and then drop your chin toward your chest. Take your right ear towards your right shoulder, stretching through the neck, and then chin to chest, left ear, left shoulder, and maybe take that a couple times, side to side. This stretching out through the neck and shoulders. Beautiful. I'm finishing up on the left side, come back through center, gaze forward, and then slide your hands back into the sides of your mat, tent your fingertips, let your elbows point up toward the ceiling.

And then take this wide arm cobra as you inhale peel your chest up. And as you exhale, bring your right shoulder toward the center of your mat, and take a gaze over your left shoulder. So you're stretching into that shoulder. Good. As you inhale come back through center. And then as you exhale at your left shoulder, come toward the center of the mat and take a gaze over the right.

Beautiful, inhale center, exhale. Let that go. Bring your arms on either side of your body. You might catch and interlace with your hands. If not, just really activate through your fingertips, and we'll come up toward and early Shalabasana. So lifting everything up, draw the shoulders away from your ears, spread your toes, lift and lengthen, feel that opening in the heart space, big full breath in.

And then exhale, release. Press your hands next to the side ribs, and we'll come up through tabletop and into downward facing dog. So lifting your hips up and back, Just take a moment to land in your first down dog. You might find some movement. It might feel good to come right to stillness.

If your legs or hamstrings are feeling a little tight, feel free to soften your knees or step your feet, even a little wider. Good. And then from here, float your right leg all the way up and back. Draw your knee to your nose and take a big step through between your hands, setting up for low lunge, Let your back knee lower down. Once you have that stability, reach your arms, forward and up, coming into on Jani Asana. Take a moment to sink and let your shoulders soften a bit.

And then as you're ready, gaze up, if it feels okay in your shoulders, press your palms together. So there's a prayer above your head. And then as you exhale, cactus your arms, so bend your elbows. Again, feel that opening across the chest and then release your hands behind your back and catch that interlace again. You might have a strap here if that feels best for you.

Good. And then use that interlace to let you sink into the legs just a bit more You might even lean back a little bit and take your gaze up. Big breath in, and then exhale release your hands on either side of your front foot as you exhale. Let's come into half split, ardha Hanamasana, hamstring stretch, but find some length in your spine. So even if you have to walk your hands in and come out of the stretch a little bit, see if you can reach your heart forward. Good. And then rebend your right knee Well, step to plank pose, top of a push up. Your choice, you could lower halfway or all the way down.

Stay with cobra or upward facing dog on your inhale. And then meeting back in downward facing dog, allowing big cleansing breath in and exhale release. Beautiful. Second side inhale left leg sweeps up and back. Draw the knee to the nose, take a big step through between your hands.

Let your back knee lower, setting up for Anjani Asana. Inhale as you sweep your arms up and you take that prayer right above your head and gaze up. So feel that opening on an exhale bend your elbows, cactus your arms, and then release hands behind the back, maybe take the opposite thumb on top, find your your interlace. You can always hold opposite elbows as well, if that feels best for you. And then lean back a little bit, lift through the sternum, the heart space, and maybe even the gaze. Big breath in.

And then exhale hands on either side of your front foot to shift back. Arta Hanamasana, half split hamstring stretch. And, again, maybe you come up out of that stretch a little bit as you reach your heart forward. Find some links. Breathing in. Good.

And then re bend through your left knee. Step back. Plank pose. Move through Chaturanga. Exhale. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog, and then exhale, meeting back in downward facing dog, big expansive breath in, and exhale.

Rise high up onto your toes, bend your knees, step, or lightly float your feet to your hands. Come to the front of the mat. On an inhale lift halfway, offer the heart forward. And exhale fold. Do that two more times with a breath. Inhale Arda, Utanasana, exhale fold, Utanasana, inhale halfway, lengthen, Exhale full and then root to rise, arm sweep up, and exhale draw hands together in front of your heart, and just take a moment to pause and check-in set your son, Culpa, your intention, which can be translated to your heart's deepest desire.

What is my heart's deepest desire? Allow that to be the intention for your practice. And then blinking your eyes open, moving with that intention, come to chair pose, utkatasana, bend your knees deeply sweep the arms up. Exhale forward fold uttanasana. Inhale lift halfway, offer the heart forward, art at uttanasana.

Exhale plant ear pumps, stepper lightly flow back Chaturanga. In how heart lifts, cobra, or updog, exhale down dog. Okay. Now let's reach the right leg up big full breath in. Step your foot through between your hands. Set up for verabradrasana 1, warrior 1. So spin the back heel down on an in house sweep the arms up and take that prayer above your head, maybe gaze up as you exhale cactus your arms sink into the shape a little bit more and then release your hands behind your low back.

Find that interlace on an inhale. Draw the shoulders away from the ears and lean back a bit. And then exhale bow forward for humble warrior. Reach to the crown of the head down to the earth. Beautiful. On your inhale. Lead with the heart come back to warrior 1.

Press palms together above your ears. Gaze up. And exhale step back through your vinyasa. You're welcome to skip any of these vinyasas. We'll meet in downward facing dog.

The left side inhale left leg sweeps up. Exhale to step through, set up for verabradrasana 1, spin the back heel down, arm sweep up, take prayer above your head gaze up, and then bend the elbows, cactus your arms, release your hands behind your back, Find an interlace in how lean back and exhale humble warrior. Release the crown of the head down. Good on and inhale. We're moving with the breath arm sweep up prayer above your head.

And exhale step back through your flow, Chaturanga, inhale cobra or updog, exhale, downward facing dog. You're welcome to stay in down dog. Feel free to lower your knees. Maybe sit back on your heels for a moment and find that pause to just check-in. Maybe hands to heart.

Close your eyes. Feel your heart beating. Where might I nurture this practice a little more? Calling in those qualities of compassion for self. Welcome to stay here as long as you like. Otherwise, let's keep rolling with this.

So we'll come back to downward facing dog. Now from the back of the mat, inhale back to the right side, right leg lifts, inhale. Exhale step through. Same thing here. Warrior one with the breath in hell, prayer above your head, look up, exhale, bend the elbows cactus arms, release your hands behind the low back on an inhale lean back Exhale bow forward, humble warrior, good inhale warrior 1, reach your arms up, press palms together, and exhale release step back, plank, Chataranga, inhale cobra or updog, exhale downward facing dog, left side, inhale left leg lifts, exhale step through warrior 1, inhale prayer above the head, look up, exhale cactus arms, release hands behind your back, maybe catch that opposite thumb on top on an inhale lean back, heart lifts, exhale, humble warrior bow forward. And inhale back up, press palms together above your ears and settle it through your vinyasa step back.

Chaturanga. In how cobra or up dog, exhale landing, and now we're facing dogs. Stay right here or again. Lower your knees. You could take child's pose or just take a moment to sit on your heels.

Sometimes I like this Vajrasana because you can stay with that opening across the heart space, chest, breathing wherever you are. Feel into your intention, your sun, And then we'll move with that intention. So as you're ready, let's meet back in downward facing dog. From here, reach your right leg all the way up and back, and then take a moment to bend your right knee. Open up through that right hip.

Maybe roll out your ankle a few times in both directions. Good. Now you could stay right here. This might feel good. Or if you'd like to flip your dog, start to shift your shoulders over your wrist, shift your shift your weight forward, and then step your right toes behind you. Bring the weight into your left hand and sweep your right arm up and over your ear.

Now feel that big lift through the heart space as you do that. Beautiful. And then unravel, 3 leg dog, right leg sweeps up, and then step your right foot all the way through. Set up for warrior 2. So spin your back heel down. Let your left arm guide you up and open. Just taking a moment to land.

Reach it forward and backs off in your shoulders. Good. And then from your warrior too, draw your hands to your heart center. And at the same time, straighten your right leg. That's your in breath. And then on your exhale, come back to warrior 2.

So reach your arms open wide, re bend through that front knee. And then we'll do that 2 more times. Inhale gathering hands together in front of the heart, straight in front leg, exhale deep in warrior 2. Just moving the energy on an inhale. Draw hands to heart.

On an exhale warrior too. Beautiful. Draw your hands to your hips straighten your front leg and then parallel your feet to face the side of your mat. You might shorten the stance just a bit. From here, if it feels okay, take an interlace behind your back. So we're continuing to feel that opening the shoulders and across the heart space on an inhale lean back. And then coming into wide leg, forward fold, prasarita.

You can take the arms up and over, let the head hang heavy, crown of the head melts down, seal the outer edges of your feet, and then breathe to release. Beautiful. And if you have that interlace, let your hands come down to the earth. Come halfway up. So just walk your hands under your shoulders and lengthen your spine. And then walk to the front of the mat to set up for pyramid pose. So turn all ten toes to the front of the mat. Step your back foot in and to the left a little bit.

And then you might take your hands behind your back You could hold opposite elbows, maybe take a reverse prayer. It will involve coming up and out of it a little bit, soften microbend that right knee, and then keep the length in your spine. Maybe take your gaze at your right big toe, or maybe hands are down on the earth. Totally up to you. Just feeling into the back of the legs, it band. Big full breath in.

Good. And then releasing hands to the earth. We'll step back to downward facing dog, if you'd like to move through a Vinyasa on your inhale. Come forward to plank, exhale Chaturanga. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog and exhale, meeting back in down dog. Beautiful. Coming to the second side as you're ready, inhale float your Left leg up and back. Bend your knee. Open up through that left side. Maybe roll out your ankle.

Either direction. Let it feel good. And you could stay right here. Maybe this feels really nice for you. Maybe you're flipping your dog.

Shoulders over wrist. Step your left toes behind. Wait into the right hand. Sweet the left arm up and over your ear. Feel that opening in the heart space.

Big expansive breath in. Good. And then three legged dog on ravel, left hand down, left leg lifts, step all the way through, and set up for warrior 2. Spin it open, spin your back heel down, sink into that front leg, make sure that front knee is tracking over the second and third toe, over the ankle, soften shoulders. Energize fingertips and then draw your hands to your heart at the same time straight and through that front leg, big full breath in. And then exhale, press away.

Anything you don't need. Coming into warrior 2. And then on the inhale gathering, what you'd like to call in, exhale release, Warrior 2. Inhale gathering. Exhale warrior 2.

Beautiful. And then hands to hips. Straighten your front leg. Parallel your feet to face the side of your mat. Maybe shorten your stance a little bit. Hands behind the back.

If you're finding that interlace, maybe take the opposite thumb on top, draw your shoulders away from your ears, big full breath in, lean back, and then exhale, prasarita wide leg, forward fold, Let everything release. It might soften your knees a bit. See if you can engage your quadriceps to lift up on your kneecaps. Good. And then as you release your hands, walk them forward right under your shoulders to come halfway up in Hell Langton. And then pyramid pose, walk to the front of the mat, turn all ten toes to the front of your mat, step your right foot in, and to the right a little bit.

And then maybe you're taking hands behind the back. You might be taking that reverse prayer, so coming up out of there a little bit. And really micro bend through that left knee. So you're not locking out through your joints. Take a gaze at your left big toe and breathe.

Back of the heart opening. Breath, expanding. Beautiful. One more big, full breath in, and then draw your hands down to the ground and step back for downward facing dog. Welcome to stay right here, or glide forward plank. Chaturanga.

In the hell, cobra or upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog and just take a moment to lower your knees. Shift your weight off to one side, and we'll come down onto our back. So take your time to roll on back. Bring your knees with you, hug them into your chest.

Give them a squeeze. Rock a little side to side. Maybe taking your knees in circles in either direction. So from here, let's let the soles of the feet find the earth. We'll set up for some rolling bridge poses. So feet hips distance.

You might brush the back of your heels with your fingertips, letting your ankles come right under your knees. And then let your hands fall on either side of your body. On an inhale, reach your arms all the way up over your ears, press through the soles of the feet and lift your hips any amount. And then as you exhale, lower the hips, lower your arms. We'll do that a couple more times in how arms sweep up, lift hips, exhale, release, Good. Inhale.

Arms lift. Hips. Lift. And exhale release. Now you might come into a bridge pose. So lifting hips and holding an active bridge.

If you have wheel or Erudveden Narasana in your practice, maybe you're taking that big, sweeping, hard opener. I will bring us into wheel if you'd like to work with that today. Bring your hands next to your ears. Just make sure your hair is not under your hands since that does not feel good. And then hug your elbows in.

We'll take it in three steps. So step 1, lift your hips. Step 2, lift up onto the crown of your head. And then step 3, press through the arms and lift up into your wheel. You can breathe into this big, hard opener.

A couple big expansive breaths. Good. And then slowly come on out of there the same way. You came in, reach your arms up over your ears, maybe windshield wiper, your knees, side to side, gentle release in your lower back. Good. And then come back through center. We'll take eagle twist.

So cross your right knee on top of your left. You might hook your right foot behind your left calf and then cactus your arms and let your knees drop over to the right. Maybe take your gaze over your right shoulder. If that's too much of a pull on the low back, feel free to uncross the legs and just stack at your knees. Let your right shoulder soften, the opening in the heart space, just nurturing this space.

Good. And then inhale. Unravel. Come back through center. Step your right foot down. Cross your left knee on top of your right. Maybe hook it. Could cactus your arms.

Let the knees drop to the right, maybe gaze over your left shoulder. And gentle with your body. Being gentle with yourself. Notice what comes up for you. Hello.

Good. And then as you unravel, come back through center, Hug your knees in, maybe take a happy baby if that feels good holding on to the outsides of the feet, knees wide. The tailbone melt down. Let your shoulders soften and relax. Maybe rock a little side to side if that feels good. Or Just find stillness.

Enjoy that nice opening. Beautiful. And then gathering these back in, hug everything in, big full breath in, nose towards your knees. Squeeze into a tight little ball and then exhale. Let everything go side out the mouth. Let your legs go long on your mat.

And then invitation to bring one hand to heart. One hand to belly. You might even bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees go wide, finding the shape of suptabatakanasana or stretch your legs long. And then feel the breath beneath your hands. Allow yourself to be breathed with compassion.

This gentle loving kindness. Just rest. Maybe calling in the loving kindness mantra of may I be happy? May I be well? May I be free of suffering?

May I know compassion and peace? Letting your breath begin to deepen, bringing your awareness back to your body, inviting any organic movement back in, maybe stretching through the whole body. And making your way up to seated in your own time. Take your time to arrive. Take a moment to land.

Maybe resting. One hand on heart, one hand on the belly bow and toward yourself, thanking yourself, for showing up for you, for your practice. And thank you for being here for sharing this practice with me. The light and love in me, greets and honors, the light and love in you. No mistake.