Set it Up, Set it Free

(waves hitting shore) Let's inspire our devotion, lovers to so many ways. Of course, I wanna feel devoted to this practice. I wanna feel devoted to my journey. I wanna get to know myself, I thought before yoga, well, I really knew myself. And then I started practicing, and I'm like, "Wow, I'm just getting let in "through the practices more truly on me." Here's what I love, Mudra, always a Mudra, you know why?

Creates a mood, connects you to higher consciousness. It awakens, it's just like this, grand awakening. You use the hands, goes right here (giggles) always right here, the heart. The heart of yoga lives inside the heart of you, the heart of the yogi. Gonna hook your pinkies, so you can bring one wrist in front of the other.

This is the courage to live in your heart. Right, and to devote yourself to the path that you're on. So, let's do every finger, pinky, ring, index, leave the middle finger out, and then the thumb. Close your eyes and that's when the third one opens. That's when the third eye opens, it's the eye in the spirit.

The sacred way of practicing, how we spiritualize the physical body, spiritualize our practice. The courage of the heart to pump, to beat, to live, to roll, to feel. Even the word inhalation, inspiration (speaking foreign language) I remember now, when I was in Africa, that's the word for inspiration, is the breath. So, let's inspire each other today. Get your mood set up for the best day ever.

That's the hook up. Choose it, you came here for an experience. Choose it right now, right now. And all these fingers tangled in the wholeness, the integration. Even draw your eyes in and up to your third eye, and feel the tongue start to lift to the top of the palate.

Everything becomes a way to direct your mind to the highest, to the divine. That inner lift, draw everything in and up. And then relax your breath. Good, releasing your hands. We are gonna have an awesome practice today.

I know you're ready, I am so excited. I wanna build a flow with you. I wanna set it up and set it free. I want you to feel how that's done. Do you remember when you learned, probably not the electric slide, but some dance where you first put one foot and then other, and then before long, you're making it yours, and you're like, "Oh, I got this." And you really put yourself into it.

Your spin, your spirit really came through. So, that's the essence of building a flow and setting it free, so that you can make it yours with yourself. Okay, we are gonna start out, I want you to get real length, in between the flow today, we're gonna explore forearm stand, Pincha Mayurasana. You know how sometimes, in between a Vinyasa flow, you might lower down through Chaturanga, or Child's Pose, or maybe take it up to a hand stand. We're gonna explore coming onto our forearms.

So, I thought it'd be great to start with the belt and get that great big length through the arms, and get long through the waist. Let's check that in. So, if you're new to the belt, if you don't have a belt. It really doesn't matter, you can use a block and frame your hands with a block. Or drop your elbows, smack under your shoulders.

Okay. And then make sure, you've got that, it's a little bit of a Frankenstein moment (giggles) or like when you're lost in the dark. We're never lost for too long, so when you think you're lost, that's when you're there. So you know, when you think you're lost, you're there. That is what I have experienced 'cause I get lost all the time.

That's the essence of being a seeker, right? That's why there's a lost and found. You get lost and then you get found. Okay, elbows are under shoulders. Sometimes, I bring my thumbs together to touch.

They're kinda near each other, but they might collide, it's a little bit more narrow than your shoulders. And then, let's accentuate the breath out through the mouth, so we can get that great inner lift or the Bandha, that's also a Mudra. To be at home, right where you are, is the spot. That's the spot, so breathe in, big exhale, get that lift. Lift, lift, lift, tuck the toes under.

Ride the lift up and back, downward loving dog. A forearm dog, a dog on your forearms. And lifting the leg up, on your breath and then reach into your arms and lengthen your leg, like really extend the leg back. Might be fun with a belt just above the elbows on the arms to come in a little bit and feel how supported you are as the outer belt frames you into lift. And get a great feel for that.

Big breath in, as you're lowering, really lift from the bottom of your belly, your guts, that lower lift. Let's check on the other side, left leg opens. Climb up from your lower belly, lengthen those arms, coming up into your downward dog split, three legged dog. You could drop your head on your belt there for a moment. It feels good, it's very soothing.

Big breathing, free breathing. Empty your foot to the ground. You can even roll this baby out, it's fun, check this in, (giggles) Chaturanga, right? Slide over the toes, upward dog, up over the toes, downward dog. So, you can explore that.

Feel how supported as the outer elbows hug in and then you can extend long, rolling the chest back away from the heels. And up and back. Let's check it in, one more time. Lowering by keeping the lower belly lifting. Playing with that opposite, so that as you're lower, rather than falling heavily on the elbows, create this feeling of lightness at this lift, of this inner lift, allows us to tap into.

So, breathe in, exhale, draw the lower belly in, you feel the tail bone move down, you can see it. And as you're lowering, the belly's lifting. And you can land pretty sweetly. And then empty your knees on down. You'll already feel like, "Wow." Lots of good stuff, all the juju going on.

I'm gonna roll this over to the side. I might use it later for-- I've got an arm balance in mind today. And it's fun to use the belt with it. I can get to the size of that later. Okay, so I'm gonna build a flow, with you.

I want you to flow, I want you to be really in your flow. And, of course, it's symbolic. Of course, it's about flowing in your life. Sometimes, we're so focused on each event, but what about the transitions in our life? How do we transition from one moment to the next?

It's so important, right? And life, as you know, is too important to take seriously. So, let's have fun with this. In between the Vinyasas today, on each side, like each time we roll into these shapes, I gotta big focus on Devotional Warrior. Always using the arms and the hands.

So, let's go, all in, all in. Open it up, three legged, step on through. Up to you, I kinda go heel to heel, we haven't really discussed this yet. I like a big wide broad stance, so that I feel like I can really, I'm really grounded, rooted, got my foundation. Warrior one, you can even get long with the front leg for a moment and feel how much room the spine will really lift and lengthen as you draw your arms up.

Interlace your hands behind your back. Already, the heart's like, "Yay." The smile's poppin'. Come on down, on your big breath out. Inspiring your devotion, what are you devoted to? What wakes you up in the morning?

So, from Devotional Warrior, we're gonna fly up into your one, left arm underneath your right. So, you got your Garuda arms here, and then right away, you're gonna melt open, the arms are gonna unfold, and you're gonna come into Triangle, Utthita Trikonasana. Blocks, hands, shins, maybe you need to be higher, okay? Let your heart just shine today. Put yourself out there.

All in, all in, and then up and back for some peace. Often, the exodus is fun, it's smooth, and flowing and it's soft, it's feminine. I'm gonna climb myself into these warrior poses, and then as I started to move, I wanted to include the-- I like to awaken my sensuality in the practice, so that was really important to me. Check it in, here's the moment. From the dog, I'm gonna lift that lower belly, You're gonna feel my tub move down.

I'm gonna drop my elbows. I'm gonna practice lifting up. Into form stand, whoa, and stretch those legs up. For in between the Vinyasa. As I come down, I straighten my arms, left leg up.

One, on that first one, I lengthened my leg and then Devotion from the back, like bend through the front knee, lead with your heart, leave your hearts for another time. Up and open, second time I spaced on that one, great, Eagle. And then look at the arms, as the leg lengthens, as the hips move under, the arms release away from each other into Triangle. Legs, pouring the legs down. Breathing into the back of the heart.

Lifting the belly, up into the spread of the chest. Up and back, peace, check on your mojo, family, check on your mojo for the forearm stand. Maybe it's one time each round, maybe you're ready to go for it. If you need a wall, you'll probably buzz over to the wall. In between, just scootch away on over.

Coming down, woo. Right leg is up. We're moving front to back, one, pivoting, Devotion, catching the hands behind the back, emptying the head, right up into Triangle, weave right up into the Eagle, one, weaving around for Triangle, front of the house. Up and back for peace. Staying for extended angles, supported extended angle, you can take it lower into the bind.

Big, big breathing, big and deep, and slow, feel it. Weave it up and back, peace. Hands at the ground, get those legs, legs gotta really work, right? You're really firing up the legs, so you can lower on to the forearms, and you're up. Woo, the big shake, and a rattle, and a roll.

Pincha Mayurasan, the Tale of the Peacock. Okay, there's a moment when you come up and lengthen those legs. One into the front, weave it around, Devotional, dances merging, shapes shifting into the back. One breath, merge into the next, peaceful warrior. Weave it around, Triangle Pose.

Strong legs, root down, rise up, put yourself in it. Set it up and set it free. Support it. Weave it up and back, peace. Hands come down.

So, we went to the front of the house, then we moved and built the shape of the back of the house. Let's check in another round, forearm stand. This is your tail, your feather, you're so excited to throw your legs up in the air. You can come down first and then straighten your arms. Right side, remember this?

You got it, you don't even need me. One into the front, that's the front of the house, this is the back of the house, we're going to the back of the club. We're going to the deep end of the dance floor. Devotion, check it in, I'm gonna throw in a colley here. So, remember, we came up into Eagle, and went Triangle that way.

I'm gonna throw in a colley. Spiral open into Triangle Pose. Strong through the legs, you could even send your arms along side your head, up and back, peace. Roll back for your Rainbow and then take the bite. So, you got that extended angle, now we're going deeper.

Right, we add on each step of the way. Could even lengthen to the front legs, so the hips just roll under, and send the weight from your right foot back into your left foot. The chest and the shoulders kinda wanna collapse, so it's almost like you're defying when someone says, "You can't do that." You're like, "Yes I can." There's a defiance, and you're gonna keep showing up, no matter what. And then we're gonna go toward a Bird of Paradise today, I call it BOP, Bird of Paradise. Shift your weight to your left foot and then inhale, come on up, big breath in.

Okay, steady or not, you're in it. Open the leg against the arm. You might even take it, not the whole head, maybe the eyes move off to the side there. Empty your right foot down, and then check in. See if you can keep the bind and float the left leg up.

You're gonna release your hands and rolling my heart out for a minute, get long, and then squat. We're gonna come into Titibasana, I'm gonna take that belt out. I'm gonna show you how we can use the belt. The feet out into the belt. The way we use the arms to get the belt and the arms for forearm stand to feel that inner strength.

And find the inner student as well as the inner teacher. Right, you're the student and the teacher, both. You're learning from your practice. It's what I love, you're studying with yourself. I happen to be here, but you're studying with yourself.

The support is coming from me. And that's when we begin to trust as we awaken and inspire our devotion to the process. Great, let's reach back and get the belt, so that we can explore Firefly, Titibasana. There's so many ways that I love that every teacher comes at it so differently, like sometimes you might feel, remember how much room we got with the block under the hands? If you didn't see that segment, there's some other segments where like, "Wow, we put our hands on the blocks and our arms get longer, and our arms get longer, it's easier to open the heart space." And so, that might be a way in, so check this in.

I'm gonna check in that squat. I'm gonna walk my arms, I might do the blocks this way. You're gonna investigate, that's what we do, yogis investigate. I'm gonna lip my hands, kinda roll my hands over the edge of the lip of the belt, sit on the arms, sit on your own arms Full body workout, yoga. On your breath, extend, extend, extend the legs out long.

It's a little wobbly because you're up on a block, you're a little higher, hug the outer feet in. Feel the nature of the inner thighs move back. One more big breath in and then bend your knees, lower your feet to the ground. If you sit, you're gonna end up landing on the blocks. Then you're in thinker's pose, don't think too much.

Then you're in the thinker's pose, the feeling pose. In yoga, we wanna think less and feel more. Sometimes, there's a lot of thinking that goes on. Let's inspire our thinking, right, let's inspire our thinking. So, for the Titibasana with the belt, gonna widen the belt, and you're gonna have to play with this, like probably a few times, going back and forth, "Hey, how big do I need my belt?" Have a seat, how fabulous, if you've fallen to Shavasana, it's okay.

You could do it tomorrow. Okay, there's 70 to 1000 poses, and there's new ones being born from yogis that are inspired. Don't know it's gonna be born, they show up on their mat, and new shapes are born, it's a creative process. And as your devotion is awakened, everything can happen. See this?

Go out of the outer edges of the feet. Legs over the arms, reach into those belts, and use the belt to go wide into to get that great big lift. So, fun. Really extend through your legs, really lengthen through your arms, and then have a seat. We'll have this waiting in case we reach out to it.

When I started, I didn't get the value of the props. I wanted to to do it without the props, and then I realized, like any prop, it becomes a way to bring more shimmer, fun into what you're already up to. Okay, let's hit the other side. Halasana, cross the shins, rock back, spring into your dog, and Devotion one, dance it around, here it is. Like a humble, humble warrior.

Up, left arm under, we hit Colley, she hit us. You said okay, let's keep it real. Open it up into peace, roll back into a Rainbow. And this is where we took the bite. You can get pretty low to the ground, and then bring the arms behind.

Now, notice, just see which wrist it is. If you're on the left foot, it might be your right wrist. Get long with the legs, just feel the shape of the legs hug the bones, right, they're shaped right outta the bones. So, then they start to move like they have a relationship with your breath, the muscles hug the bones. Bending, stepping, BOP, shift your weight to that right foot.

And then breathe your way on up. If your hands don't reach, then maybe you're holding somewhere down there. Or you turn it into a Tree Pose. The practice will meet you where you are, okay? From here, lengthen, open, lift, heart, shoulders back, get a little taller from inside.

Move down thought the right foot, but lift through the crown of the head. And then, lower your foot down. And then shape it up. This is always mad focus. Woo! Titibasana is next.

I think I wanna check that in one more time. Big breath out. Count your blessings, so many, so many blessings. Let's check in Titibasana, without the proppage. Or if there was one that you really enjoyed, check it in again.

Sit on the arms, extend the legs, hug in through the feet. Get that belt feeling with the arms even, or the feet, the belt on the arms, legs. Blossoming Lotus (giggles) that's the shape if you're practicing Titibasana and you're like, "Oh man," and you're having a moment, turn it into another shape, right? Feet meet and then you toss your head back. It's a fun shape.

And land right with your feet together. Draw the shoulders down, let the inner thighs move away from each other. And bow to all your efforts. Bow down, turn it over. As you breathe your way on up, let's sit.

Some of you might wanna rest. Let's check in that Mudra again. Let's close, we'll close. It's nice to have a beginning. It's how you make ritual relevant in your life.

Sometimes, you hear a ritual and you're like, "This is ancient ritual." You make it relevant to you, you make it meaningful to you. And the beginning, there it is, it's the middle finger that stays free. Pinky, ring, index. The courage, the courage to live in your heart. The courage to keep showing up to inspire devotion, to awaken the energy of your heart.

Passion, devotion, longing, the longing for love is love. The beautiful line from Hafez, one of my favorite mystical poets, he's able to use words with paint, pictures with his tongue. He said I wish I could show you when you are lonely, or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being. It's true. We've got so much, the body is what shields our light.

We have so much light that if we were to look into each other's eyes, we'd have to look away, that's how much light there is. Breathe in, fully and deeply. And then breathe out, release your arms. Rest, sit for a moment, sitting not to meditate, per se, but sitting to sit, sitting in this glorious practice that you've set up for yourself. Thank you for letting me guide you.

I was gonna close with a chant. You might wanna sing along. Or rest, I'll sing to you. Remember when you tasted something, and you didn't like it? And you thought, oh I'd never eat that, or I'd never have that again, and then your palate shifted and grew and you came to love the very thing you didn't know you'd like?

It's like the chanting in the mantras for me and try them all, but also give yourself time. You don't need to force the spiritual aspect will descend on you, it will descend on you. You don't need to force anything. And life is much richer with a spiritual part to it, isn't it? â?« Hare Krishna â?« Hare Krishna â?« Krishna Krishna â?« Hare hare â?« Hare rama â?« Hare rama â?« Rama rama â?« Hare hare â?« Hare Krishna â?« Hare Krishna â?« Krishna Krishna â?« Hare hare â?« Hare Rama â?« Hare Rama â?« Rama Rama â?« Hare hare â?« It's like, it means, Hare Krishna, yes love, hail love (giggles) yes, yes, yes, love.

â?« Hare Krishna â?« Hare Krishna â?« Krishna Krishna â?« Hare hare â?« Hare rama â?« Hara rama â?« Rama rama â?« Hare hare â?« You sing and your lover will come. You'll find your lover right inside your heart. Be with your hands together, family. Loving you, loving life, namaste.