Inner Strength and Flow

(ocean waves crash) Good morning, welcome back, hope you slept well. And please join me at the top of your mat, we'll begin our practice. Just taking a few moments as you arrive on your mat to bring your awareness down into your feet, you might lift your toes up, spread your toes wide apart, just reconnecting down. And as you drop your awareness down, begin to bring some attention towards the inner arches of the feet, lifting from the inner arches up through the pelvic floor a bit, drawing the navel towards the spine as you feel that alignment up through the heart, and softening the shoulders down the back, wide through the base of the skull. Let's begin by interlacing the fingers, going down through the feet and going up through the arms.

Just lean a bit from side to side, lengthening out of the waist and the hips. And beginning to bring your attention towards your breath. Releasing the arms along your sides. From here let's interlace the fingers behind us, so inhale, go up through the heart, and then exhale, bend the knees, and forward fold, chest towards the thighs, letting the head drop, and reaching the arms up out and over. You might keep the knees soft here as you release the head release the gaze and breathe.

(inhales and exhales) Alright so here on this first forward fold, there might be a dull achy stretch through the back of the legs, the hamstrings, the spine, the neck, breathing, as you're ready, soften the knees, release the arms, forward fold, release the head. Keep the knees soft, chin into the chest and then slowly rolling up towards standing, keeping the chin in. As you inhale reach the arms up, lengthening, and then exhale, simply release the arms along your side. Beginning to deepen the breath here, finding that ujjayi breath, the ocean sound of the breath. (inhales and exhales) Let the breath help align you from within.

(inhales and exhales) And opening our practice with the sound of Om will offer a clearing breath, as you're ready, deep inhale, exhale, release the breath. (exhales) Allow for an inhale. (inhales) (makes mouth noise) Releasing your arms will find surya namaskar a, as you're ready, inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, dive forward, and in, Uttanasana, release your head, inhale, half arch, lengthen the spine. As you exhale, bend the knees, step the right foot back, step the left foot back, come into plank, from plank, lower on to the knees, keep the elbows in, lower down cobra, as you inhale, begin to lift the heart, tractioning the heart forward, wide through the base of the skull, exhale, release, tuck the toes under.

Press back downward facing dog. Taking three breaths here as you feel the fingers root. Reaching the sit bones away from the hands. (inhales and exhales) As you're ready reach the right leg high on an inhale and exhale, float the right foot between the hands, step the left foot forward, inhale, half arch, lengthen, and exhale, forward fold. Soften the knees, inhale, reach the arms up, lengthen, exhale, release the arms, we'll find that again as you're ready, inhale, reach up, exhale, dive forward and in.

Inhale, half arch, lengthen. Exhale, step the left foot back, come into plank, strong legs in plank, lower the knees, elbows in on to the belly, inhale, cobra, traction the heart forward. Exhale, release, tuck the toes, press back, downward facing dog, about three breaths here in downward dog. (inhales and exhales) As you're ready, inhale, lift the left leg high, exhale, float the left foot between the hands, let the right foot follow, inhale, half arch, and exhale, Uttanasana. Inhale, circle the arms up, reaching up, exhale, release, taking a moment to pause, and we'll find surya namiskar b.

Now I'll demonstrate a chattarunga variation, but you might choose to lower down and come up cobra, okay? (inhales and exhales) Releasing the arms, as you're ready, bend the knees, utkatasana, chair pose, inhale, navel towards the spine, exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch, exhale, step the right foot back, lower down, inhale, cobra or upward dog, exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale the right leg high, exhale, float the right foot between the hands, root through the outer right left edge inhale, come up warrior one, vira bhadrasana one. Inhale, exhale, release, step back, and lower down, inhale to cobra or upward dog.

Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, the left leg high, exhale, float the left foot between the hands, root through the outer right edge, inhale, reach the arms up, warrior one. Exhale, release, stepping back and lowering down, elbows in, inhale, cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog and let's take five breaths here. (inhales and exhales) Now I have my gaze towards my navel, so it's allowing the back of my neck to lengthen, and there's a jalandhar bandha so the chin is drawing towards the heart, towards the chest.

(inhales and exhales) Good, as you're ready, reach the right leg high. Exhale, float the right foot between the hands, and let the left foot follow, inhale, half arch, look up, exhale, forward fold, uttanasana. Bend the knees, strong legs for utkatasana, chair pose, inhale, navel towards the spine, exhale, press down through the feet, and release the arms. Just taking a moment here to pause, invite your awareness down into your feet. And then setting up for a second round, surya namiskar b.

As you're ready, bend the knees, utkatasana. Inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, dive forward and in. Inhale, half arch, this time as you exhale, step your left foot back, step your right foot back, keep the elbows in as you lower down, inhale to cobra, or upward dog. Exhale, downward dog.

Inhale, the right leg high, exhale, float the right foot between the hands, root through the outer left edge, inhale, come up, warrior one. Exhale, release, step back into plank and lower down. Inhale, cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward dog. Inhale, the left leg high, exhale, float the left foot between the hands root through the outer right edge, inhale, warrior one.

Exhale, release, stepping back into your plank, and lowering down. Inhale to cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Let's take five breaths. (inhales and exhales) And then as you're ready inhale, the left leg high, exhale, float the left foot between the hands, and step the right foot forward, inhale, half arch, lengthen and exhale, forward fold, uttanasana.

Bend the knees, strong legs for utkatasana, inhale, reach the arms up, draw the navel towards the spine, press down through the feet, and releasing the arms. Again taking a moment to pause. (exhales) Feeling the breath in the body. And then last round, hands at the heart, as you're ready, bend the knees, utkatasana, reaching the arms up, and exhale, dive forward and in. Inhale, half arch, exhale, step the right foot back, step the left foot back and lower down.

Inhale, cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, the right leg high, exhale, float the right foot between the hands, inhale, come up, warrior one. Exhale, release, step back into plank and lower down. Inhale.

Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, the left leg high. Exhale, float the left foot between the hands, inhale, warrior one. Exhale, release. Step back into plank and lower down.

Inhale, upward dog or cobra. Exhale, downward facing dog. And five breaths. (inhales and exhales) From here you might step the feet towards the hands, you might play with looking forward, bending the knees and hopping, inhale, half arch, exhale, forward fold, bend the knees for utkatasana, strong legs, inhale, reach up, exhale press down through the feet, taking a moment to pause in tadasana. Aligning with your breath with the beat of the heart.

(deep breaths) From here making our way towards some lunges. As you're ready. Inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale, forward fold. Inhale, half arch, exhale bend the knees and simply step your right foot back, let your left knee bend, let the right knee lower down, as you inhale reach the arms up finding crescent.

And then from here bend the right elbow, bring the left hand onto that right elbow and gently reaching it up out and over towards the left. Lengthening the right side and breathing. Bringing some awareness towards the pelvic floor as you gently lift up, let the spine lengthen. (exhales) Inhale, come back into the center. And releasing the arms, let the hands find that front foot, tuck the back toes, stepping back into plank.

From plank you might lower down and find cobra, or, finding chattarunga, as you inhale, coming up into cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, the right leg high, exhale, float the right foot between the hands, we'll find this on the second side, bending the right knee, let the left knee lower down, and inhale, reaching up to crescent. Lifting up through the floor of the pelvis. And then from here, bend the left arm, right hand onto that left elbow and reaching up out and over gently towards the right, soften through the face and the jaw, draw out through the floor of the pelvis a bit as you breathe sinking into that right hip.

It's the art of multitasking. It's mindfulness centered in the body. Okay, as you're ready, inhale, reach up, come back into the center line. Release the arms, hands around that front foot, tuck the back toes, lift the back leg. Step back into your strong beautiful plank, from here, lowering down, either onto the knees or lowering to cobra.

Inhale, coming up to cobra or upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Taking a breath. Inhale, lift the left leg high, exhale, fit the left foot between the hands, let the right foot follow, inhale, half arch. Exhale, forward fold.

Soften the back of the knees, inhale, reaching the arms up. Exhale, and release. Making our way down to the floor with a sun salutation. Inhale, reaching the arms up. Exhale, forward fold.

Inhale, half arch. Exhale, stepping back into plank, last time lowering onto the knees or chattarunga. Inhale to cobra or upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Let's take five breaths here.

So here in downward dog I'm actively resting. Good, as you're ready lower onto the knees, take a moment to rest in child's pose, hips towards the heels, and you might bring the hands around the heels as you bring the forehead towards the earth. (deep breaths) As you're ready, bringing the palms underneath your shoulders, chin into the chest, and then slowly rolling up to vajrasana for a moment. Drawing the chin in, heart, shoulders, head, letting the palms rest on the thighs, softening the shoulder blades down the back, wide through the base of the skull. Nice, letting the eyes open, spreading the fingers wide, and we'll take a few rounds of cat-cow.

As you're ready, simply allow for an inhale, rolling the pelvis forward and then as you exhale, curl the tailbone under, get round, release the head. Then on inhale, rolling the pelvis forward and arching. For me I like to tuck my toes under but you might keep the tops of the feet on the floor. And then exhale, gently curl, and just a few rounds like this, moving with your breath. Feeling that movement through the spine.

And you might be inspired to lean a bit from side to side, forward and backwards. Good, nice, and then from here we're gonna play with a forearm plank. So some strengthening work through the core and the shoulders. So coming onto your forearms, bringing the palms towards each other, drawing the shoulder blades down the back, be mindful of drawing the navel towards the spine, as you begin to tuck your toes under, and walk your feet back. So here, the action, my legs are strong and reaching back through the heels, and lengthening forward through the heart.

Crown is lengthening, breathing. Lifting the belly up, strong legs, breathing. Good, whenever you're ready lower the knees, and then press your way back to child's pose, we'll take one more round. (breathes deeply) Good as you feel ready, find your way onto your forearms, again, measure off, hands might be touching each other in prayer, you might even interlace your fingers, as you draw the shoulder blades down the back, tuck the toes under, walk the feet back into plank. Reach back through the heels, lifting up through the core.

Strong active legs, and find some ease through the neck. Here I'm engaging the pelvic floor, drawing the navel towards the spine, breathing. Good, whenever you're ready come on to your knees, press back, child's pose, this time letting the hands rest around the heels for a few breaths. (inhales and exhales) Palms underneath the shoulders, chin into the chest, rolling up to vajrasana. Then making our way onto our bellies for locust, so lowering yourself onto your belly, forehead resting on the earth, tops of the feet on the floor.

And we'll take three rounds, reaching the hands towards the toes. As you're ready begin to let the heart lift. And then let the legs lift so you're drawing the back body into the spine, and really find a place where the head feels good. Lengthening through the back of the neck, inhale and lift. Exhale, gently release, bring one ear to the floor and rest.

As you're ready let the forehead come back to the earth. Fingers towards the toes, inhale, lift the heart, and then lift the legs. Salabhasana, locust. You might play with rocking a little bit forward back, letting the heart lift. Breathing, lengthening, smiling.

As you're ready, gently release, bring the opposite cheek and ear to the floor, and we'll take one more round, as you're ready bring the forehead towards the earth. Draw the inner thighs up towards each other as you inhale let the heart lift. And then add the legs and see if you can find here some buoyancy out through the heart, and you might play with rocking a bit forward and back, you might even choose to reach your arms out or over the top of the head. And finding a fluid motion through the arms and the spine, breathing, lifting, lengthening. And when you feel ready gently release, this time bring the elbows wide, let the forehead rest on the top of the hands, bend the knees and we'll find some reverse windshield wipers.

Relaxing the sacrum and the low back. From here, making your way back in child's pose for a moment hips towards the heels, forehead towards the earth, and releasing the arms. (inhales and exhales) Bring the palms underneath you, rolling your way up to vajrasana, we'll find our way onto our back for bridge pose. Making your way onto your back, you might hug your knees into your chest. And then bring your feet down to the floor, setting up for bridge, bring the heels in line with the sit bones, spreading the toes, draw your awareness down towards the tailbone, allow for an inhale and as you exhale, begin to curl the tailbone under towards the knees, press down through the feet lifting the hips.

And your hands might reach towards your ankles, where you might roll and tuck the shoulders under interlacing the fingers at the sacrum, and letting the thighs lengthen. Why not ease through the throat and the face as you breathe. Strong active legs, and soften the grip here through the buttocks, you feel that work through the hamstrings and the legs. Easier said than done. Breathing.

From here when you feel ready to release, come high up onto the balls of your feet, reach your arms up towards the ceiling, get round through the upper back, use the navel towards the spine to slowly release you down. Feeling the mid back, low back and the sacrum. Taking a moment to pause and rest here, clearing breath. Exhale, soften the back of the heart. And then second round as you're ready, bringing the heels in line with the sit bones, spreading the toes, inhale, exhale, curl the tailbone under.

And notice what you choose to do with the arms, so hands might be actively reaching or interlacing. Pressing down through the arms, feel that connection as the hips lift, the thighs lengthen, and enjoy your breath here, about five breaths. Spacious through the throat, soft through the face, long through the back of the neck. (breathes deeply) As you're ready come high onto the balls of the feet, reach your arms up towards the sky and then slowly navel towards the spine, releasing down. And then draw the knees into the chest, from here you might curl up, inhale, exhale, forehead towards the knees.

And then releasing, making our way into a spinal twist, over to the right, keeping the knees together if that feels okay, rolling onto the right side, and then letting the left arm lift, left shoulder releasing towards the floor, inhale, exhale, softening the belly. Softening through the face. Feeling the shoulders release towards the earth. As you're ready, inhale, lead with the top leg, let the bottom leg follow, come back into neutral, into the center and then making your way over to the left, rolling onto the left side. Stacking the shoulders and the hips.

Reaching the right arm up, and then as you exhale, softening the right shoulder towards the floor. Breathing. A few moments here, feeling the spine, releasing the belly, softening. And when you feel ready and complete, inhale, reach the right leg up, the bottom leg follow, the feet come down to the floor, taking a moment to pause, clearing breath. (inhales and exhales) As you're ready to transition, bend the knees, you might rock and roll up, you might roll to your side, press your way up.

Then coming into a simple Sukhasana forward fold. Walking the arms out, and then letting the spine release, letting the head round, finding an even shape as you soften the belly. (breathes) Then as you are ready gently rolling your way up. And we'll close with a seat of meditation, coming into a comfortable seat. Whenever the seat feels right for you, you might set up on a blanket or a cushion.

Feeling your sit bones, finding a comfortable place for the arms and hands. And as you align with your breath, feeling that, rise up through the heart, the widening through the neck, softening of the face. (breathes) You're welcome to stay here in your meditation. Join me for an Om to close our practice. Clearing breath, exhale, and breathing in.

(makes mouth noise) Namaste. Thank you for your practice and your presence, and have a beautiful day.