Day 18: Courage to Trust

Hi friends, welcome to day 18 of Trust the Connection. So happy you're here with us. On our final week together, we're exploring the theme of trust. Trust is something that I am actively wrestling with and learning. Trust requires what I'm finding is a willingness to soften the grip and open to the mystery, becoming more intimate with the unknown.

It's way easier to trust when we can control and predict the outcome. It's much more difficult to trust when there's attachments to the results. So in our practice today, we'll be exploring this theme and listening in together. So find your way into a comfortable seat. We're going to start in a Sukhasana.

So you may want to sit on a blanket or support. It'll be helpful to have two blocks for this practice. And take a few moments as you come into your Sukhasana. Just allow yourself to wobble in a little bit from side to side. We're just going to start by leaning in nice and easy.

Just allow yourself to gently rock from side to side here. And then spread your fingertips wide and as you inhale, begin to draw the heart forward. Feeling the traction through your spine, feeling the shoulder blades draw down. And then allow for an exhale, let the belly soften. We feel the sitting bones heavy.

You might stay in this extension. You might let your back slowly round and let your head release. It's easing your way into this forward fold. You might have your hands facing down towards the earth. This might feel grounding and supportive.

You might experiment with turning the palms open towards the sky, receptive. Notice the quality of the breath and sensations arising. You feel the dull, achy stretch in the back body, down through the sacrum and the hips. Just a few more moments here, surrendering and releasing towards the earth. Let this be an offering.

Nice. From here, as you're ready, begin to walk your arms over to your right. Again, you might come up onto your fingertips and lengthen over that right knee, feeling some traction and space. And then with an exhale, it might feel good to round and let your back release. Breathing into your left hip and easy in the neck.

And allow for an exhale, again, softening the eyes and the jaw, staying present with your experience. Beautiful. You might stay here. You might walk that right arm over to the right. You might stay up on the hand.

You might drop over onto your forearm as you stretch the top arm up out and over. And just let this feel kind of good as you explore and round and open. You might bend your top elbow and draw it towards the left knee and then re-reach and stretch and breathing and waking up the side body, creating a bit more space through the ribs, the intercostals, the diaphragm. Kind of place where your neck feels good. And you might play with letting your left hip and sitting bone get heavy.

All that wonderful moaning and groaning with Arturo, the permission to really let sound move by moving the energy, any stickiness, stagnation, holding. Now as you're ready, let the inhale bring you up, inhale, reach with that top arm and then exhale, let it release. You might touch ground, pause and notice. Nice. From here, lean back and just switch the cross of the legs.

Bring the opposite shin in front. You're easing in nice and slow this morning before we start to build some heat and just allow yourself to lean a little bit forward, side to side and then exploring the landscape of sensation through the hips. Spread the fingers wide. Again, if it feels good, inhale, find some length, like you're lengthening out of your low back, drawing the heart forward nice and wide through the collarbones and you might stay in this extension. You might on the exhale soften the belly, round the back, release the head and notice what you choose to do with the hands.

You might explore breathing into the back body and with the exhalation softening the belly. So this word from the yogi is shrada. Shrada is not a blind faith, but rather a quality of trust based in one's own experience. Really this feeling and sense that the universe has our back. All right, so then eventually walking the arms over to the left, over that left knee.

Again, you might come up onto your fingertips and on an inhale, find some length and traction and then exhale, you might round your back, release your head, the feeling into your right hip, notice where you can soften breathing into where you feel the sensation and the sensation might be quite obvious and that right hip and lower back or might be a bit more subtle. Eventually walk that left arm out to the left and then you might stay up on your hand or drop onto your forearm and with an inhale, reach that top arm up and then allow yourself to kind of explore, lean forward and back. You can lengthen and create a bit more space in there as you breathe. As you reach, you might play with bending the top elbow and drawing it towards the knee and then re-reaching, maybe bend, draw in and then re-reach, a few more moments here. Maybe play with letting that right hip and knee get heavy towards the earth and find a place where your neck feels good, making some moans and groans and sounds and then take your time as you're ready.

Let your inhale and that top arm bring you up and exhale, release, take a moment here, might feel good to find a few shoulder rolls up, back and down and then from here let's soften the chin towards the chest and just begin to roll the right ear towards the right shoulder and then stretch the left fingertips towards the earth, beautiful. You might stay with this, you might reach the arm out, roll the shoulder forward, maybe bend the elbow and bring the hand behind the back, around the sacrum or between the shoulder blades and it might feel good to move your head around gently as you draw the head down towards the right knee and then maybe drawing it up towards the right ceiling. More moments here, breathing and softening, any layers of tension, stickiness, eventually as you're ready roll the chin back of the chest, free that left arm and let's bring that left ear towards the left shoulder and then reaching the right fingertips out you might stay with this, reaching the fingers down or you might reach the arm out, roll the shoulder forward in that internal rotation, bending the elbow, maybe bring the back of the hand to your sacrum or shoulder blades. You might stay right where you are, you might roll the head down towards the left knee, maybe roll the head up towards the sky, maybe a bit more space through the right side of the neck and chest, more moments here, breathing into where you feel it, the generous exhale to soften, take your time slow, free that right arm, roll the chin back to the chest and then let the heart lift and let the head slowly lift and again a few shoulder rolls might feel nice like you're taking off a big winter coat, feeling the layers move, nice. And from here let's transition into a tabletop position coming onto the hands and knees.

As always customize it for your body, maybe a blanket under the knees would feel good, we'll ease our way into cat cow, finding a bit more freedom through the spine, you might tuck your toes under to get into the soles of the feet and as you exhale let your back really round and stretch here, release the head, and then with your inhale drop the belly, lift through the heart, feeling that extension in space, long through the neck, exhale curl and round, stretch the back, you might draw your hips towards your heels, shoulders over the wrist, drop in the belly, extend and lengthen and continue exploring at your own pace with the breath and you might soften the gaze inward and any movement here circling the hips, moving from side to side, feeling into those areas that might be sticky, tight through the ribs, upper blades, neck, more moments here, let it feel yummy, right as Arturo would say. Now eventually bring your spine into a neutral position, spread the fingers wide, let's extend back through the left leg, tuck the toes under and before we move into our plank to down dog, just feeling into the back of the leg line, waking up the toes, calf muscle, hamstrings and then the other side, extend back through your right leg, tuck the toes and just waking up the sole of the foot, the heel, the back leg line, you might stay with this, you might ease your way into our first plank pose together as you reach back through your heels and lengthen forward through the heart, press the floor away as you draw the deep low belly in towards the spine, maybe beginning to feel some heat here, exhale back into your downward facing dog, in your down dog they'll kind of walk it off and exploring the landscape of sensation through the back of the legs, pedaling the feet from your down dog as you're ready, inhale back into your plank pose, shift shoulders over wrists, readjust through your feet, lower the knees and we'll come on to the belly for three rounds of cobra, as you're ready roll the shoulders down the back, press through the palms, inhale lift the heart, maybe it's a baby cobra to start with as you draw the elbows in, exhale lead with the heart lower down, and press through the palms, inhale cobra, lifting up and a coiling up through the spine, exhale slow lower down, be one more like this, inhale to lift and exhale lead with your heart lower down, tuck your toes, press up and let your back round round round keep the toes tucked under in this very active child's pose, releasing the head and then begin to walk your hands closer to your knees, you might begin to bring your hands onto your legs as you come on to your heels, right, opening the bottoms of the feet and feeling a bit more sensation now or a lot of sensation through the toes and allow for up exhale, feeling this downward flow of energy, nice and then slow walk the hands back underneath the shoulders, we'll meet in a downward dog when you're ready, then you might pedal the feet, walk it off, find what feels good for you, we'll meet in a standing forward fold just casually walking the feet towards the hands and once you arrive bend the knees a lot so generous bend in the knees forward fold it might feel good to let your head gently nod a little bit yes and no, spreading the toes and as you're ready inhale slide your hands up your shins half arch let your spine lengthen and then exhale bend your knees forward fold they get to bend your right knee a lot as you ground through your right hand and inhale sweep your left arm up for a standing twist drawing back through that left hip and check in with your neck it might feel good to look down straight ahead or up inhale breathe exhale release again inhale slide both hands up the shins again half arch to lengthen exhale bend the knees forward fold begin to bend your left knee as you ground the left hand and inhale sweep your right arm up towards the sky drawing back through the right hip again you might look down straight ahead or up breathing inhale exhale slow release again inhale slide the hands up the shins half arch to lengthen exhale bend both knees forward fold slow chin into the chest begin to roll your way up curl the tailbone under press through the feet articulating the spine stacking the bones feeling the heart feeling the shoulders and feeling the head and allow for a exhale warming up with some slow lunge salutations hands together at the heart again spreading the toes and draw your awareness towards the breath and on an inhale sweep your arms up towards the sky take a moment here linger and enjoy the length draw your ribs in enable the spine as you exhale forward fold soften through the knees release the head completely inhale slide your hands up the shins half arch feel that length again exhale bend your knees let's just step the right foot back into our long lunge let the left knee bend sometimes we call this a runner's lunge we go back through the ball of your right foot as you lengthen forward through the heart and allow for an exhale let's lower the back right knee down you might stay low here you might bring your hands up onto that front leg and we're going to kind of pause here maybe a few pulses as you soften the shoulders down the back just feeling into your back right hip by hip flexor nice and on an inhale let the arms reach up low crescent lunge feeling that lift and support through the back of the heart the rib cage lifting up brightening through the heart the throat the face and feeling that that relationship between your heart and your hands hmm beautiful here lowering the hands down tuck the back toes lift the back right knee up twisting lunge ground through the right hand inhale sweep your left arm up as you reach back and lengthen forward you might stay here you might find a few circles with that left arm sweeping it down and back down up and back maybe one more like this feeling the kind of turning of the rib cage moving from the center out eventually ground that left hand shape with a lunge let's step back into downward dog from downward dog inhale into your plank shift the shoulders over the wrist strong through the legs exhale lower down cobra inhale press through the palms lift the heart feeling the space through the front body exhale lead with the heart lower down tuck the toes press up downward dog few breaths here from your down dog bend the knees let's step the right foot forward between the hands and let the left leg follow uttanasana inhale half arch slide the hands up the shins to lengthen exhale bend the knees forward fold ground through the feet inhale sweep your arms up to the sky reverse swan dive lengthen exhale hands together at the heart taking a moment to pause feeling the heart healing the blood second side inhale sweep the arms up lengthen exhale forward fold hinging at the hips releasing inhale half arch to lengthen exhale bend the knees step the left foot back right e bends again wiggle back for the ball of your left foot forward through the heart feel the strength of your legs hugging that right hip in will lower the back knee down and you might stay low here you might bring the hands onto the front leg and maybe a few pulses as you feel into the back thigh hip flexor for me it feels different every day from here you might sweep your arms up and feel that lift and length all right so willingness to ground lift open balancing effort and ease weaving inhale wherever you are exhale release the hands tuck the back toes lift the back left knee ground your left hand for twisting lunge inhale sweep your right arm up reach back through the the left foot as you lengthen forward through the heart turning the belly and you might find some circles with that right arm sweeping it over the head back to the back of your mat opening up through the rib cage maybe one more sweeping it down overhead towards the sky and back eventually ground the hand shape of the lunge step back downward dog from downward dog inhale into your strong beautiful plank exhale lower onto the belly cobra inhale press through the palms inhale lift the heart let it feel really nice so you're finding that appropriate edge lift and stretch and then exhale let's meet in downward facing dog you breaths here from your down dog soft bend through the knees let's step the left foot forward to meet the right or set the left foot forward the right foot follows inhale half arch to lengthen exhale bend the knees forward fold bend the knees press through the feet inhale sweep your arms up and exhale hands together at the heart taking a moment to pause again feeling both feet on the earth moving into a variation of surya namaskar be chair pose inhale sweep the arms up again enjoy the length and space draw the navel towards the spine and as you exhale begin to bend the knees find your chair shift the weight back into the heels and I feel the strength and the booty the glutes nice and wide through the back body inhale into your chair exhale forward full releasing uttamasana inhale half arch to lift and lengthen exhale bend your knees plant your hands step back into your plank pause in your plank from plank will lower onto the belly all the way down for shalabhasana locust bring your forehead down sweep your fingers towards your toes and on your inhale begin to lift up you might lift the legs stretching through the fingers and toes and it's this play of like lifting and drawing the back body towards your spine exhale lower down hands under the shoulders tuck your toes under and in your own time downward dog new breaths here adding on inhale reach the right leg up to the sky bend the knee open the hip and just kind of explore round in there breathing into the back of the left leg when you're ready stretch that right leg up to the sky square the hips inhale exhale need a nose hover shoulders over the wrists and then step the right foot forward for warrior one pivot onto the outer edge of your back foot low and strong in the legs hug your right hip in and as you inhale sweep your arms up for a warrior one and feel how you can draw the tailbone under feel that lift of the low belly and you might bend and extend your right leg a few times exploring a cactus variation through the arms as you bend and press and extend reach the arms bend cactus and extend maybe one more time like this it's time bend and pause and then bring the hands down spin onto the ball of your back foot we'll lower that back knee down again for a lunge inhale sweep the arms up and feel that lift and length moving into our prayer twist bring the hands together at the heart and twisting to your right you might hook left elbow outside of your right knee bringing the hands together at the heart you might keep your back knee on the floor or if you're feeling quite stable and you want to play with strength in your legs you might tuck the back toes under and lift the back knee really hogging that right hip and breathing and lengthening reaching back through that right that left heel forward through the heart slowly lower the back knee do you rotate inhale sweep the arms up exhale release the hands and draw that right the hips back extend through your right leg little half split action breathing take your time bend the front knee and step back downward dog you might stay here or inhale into your plank exhale lower all the way down for shalabhasana locusts forehead on the floor and inhale lifting up and drawing the back body towards the spine looking down so your neck can lengthen and exhale lower down bring the hands under the shoulders elbows in tuck your toes under and find your way back into your downward dog few breaths here last side as you're ready inhale sweep the left leg up to the sky bend the knee open the hip breathing releasing the neck stretching the left leg up to the sky square the hips inhale exhale left knee to nose step it through between the hands for warrior one pivot onto the outer edge of your back foot low in the legs and on your inhale sweep your arms up for warrior one and you might bend and extend your front left knee a few times and cactusing the arms as you bend the knee inhale reaching up exhale cactus bend inhale reach exhale cactus you times like this eventually pausing in your warrior one cactus arms and then sweeping the hands down spin onto the ball of your back foot lower the back knee for a low lunge on an inhale sweep the arms up feel all that length and space and support and then bringing the hands together at the heart as you twist to your left prayer twist bringing your right elbow onto your left leg yeah you can lengthen and twist you might stay with the back knee on the floor you might play with tucking your back toes under inhale and exhale lift the back knee reach back as you lengthen forward and twist breathing the feeling the stability and support through your legs and hips maybe a bit more freedom through the spine slowly de-rotate lower the back knee inhale sweep the arms up exhale sweep them back down draw the hips back extend through that left leg allow for up exhale breathing take your time bend the knee and step back into your down dog from your down dog inhale forward into a plank pose exhale lower all the way down for shalabhasana forward on the floor this time you might interlace the fingers behind the back and inhale lift up through the heart the legs breathing inhale lifts you up exhale lowers you down hands under the shoulders tuck your toes under press up onto the knees and back downward facing dog a few breaths here from downward dog just simply walk the feet towards the hands inhale half arch to lengthen exhale forward fold bend the knees spread the toes for chair pose as you're ready with katasana and now sweep the arms up sink down through the feet inhale exhale press through the feet reach the arms up to the sky and exhale release the arms take a moment to pause notice how you feel noticing the pulsations through the body circulation from here we'll move into pyramid and revolve triangles so you might want two blocks for this one or two blocks and you can bring them on either side of your feet and from here we'll keep the left foot forward and step the right foot back into purvottanasana pyramid pose so your front left foot is facing forward outer edge is rooting now you can feel you can draw the tailbone under and lift the low belly and squaring the hips as you draw your left hip back reach the arms out roll the shoulders forward then you might bring one hand towards the sacrum or into the sacrum or maybe hands around the elbows inhale find space in the chest lift and then exhale drawing that left hip back as you lengthen forward maybe there's a soft bend through the knee front knee as you ground through the outer edge of the back foot you might stay long in your spine it might feel good to let your back round and stretch you might even release the hands onto your blocks breathing then strong through the legs when you're ready press through the ball the front foot and inhale come all the way up we're not quite done with this side release the arm shake it out moving into revolve triangle pose inhale reach the right arm up to the sky you might bring that left hand on the hip and then with an exhale draw the left hip back as you begin to reach and lengthen the right arm forward twisting to your left you can lengthen as you draw the hip back and now from here you might have that block on the inside of your front left foot or maybe on the outside across you can really turn the ribs to the left ground through the outer edge of the back foot and maybe extend the arm up towards to the sky laying that ease in your neck breathing reaching from the heart into the hands how's it feeling this has always been a challenging pose for me oh it feels so good though exhale slow de-rotate the spine let's bring the hands onto the hips strong through the legs and inhale come up to stand bend the front knee and just step the right foot forward to meet the left pause for a moment and notice let's feel into the second side right foot stays forward left foot back coming into your purovottanasana pyramid and you might draw the tailbone under as you feel that lift and support through the deep low belly reaching the arms roll the shoulders forward bring the opposite hand to rest in the palm of the sacrum or hands around the elbows or maybe into a reverse namaste inhale if the heart exhale ground through the outer edge of your back foot draw the right hip back as you begin to lengthen be feeling that extension through the spine the length in the neck you might stay long and extended it might feel good to let your back around as you surrender the weight of the head breathing and if it would feel good you might release the hands onto your blocks strong through your legs when you're ready inhale press through the feet to come up keep the legs where they are as you release the arms and then inhale stretch the left arm up to the sky we're moving into our revolved triangle pose right hand on the hip feel you can draw the right hip back as you stretch and lengthen that left arm forward beginning to twist towards the right as you turn the ribs maybe that left hand finds the block on the inside of your left foot or the outside keep grounding through the back foot drawing the right hip back and maybe that top right arm reaches to the sky breathing here and easy through the neck grounding to lengthen and then taking up space nice from your revolved triangle pose slowly do you rotate your spine bring that hand back onto the hip both hands onto the hips strong through the legs inhale come up to stand whoo bend the front knee and then go ahead and step the left foot forward to meet the right take a few moments to pause and notice and feeling both feet on the earth from here you might bring your blocks off to the side as we step our feet wide so moving from all that internal rotation towards a bit of external rotation soon so feet nice and wide hands on the hips let's inhale stretch the arms out and just feel how you can kind of expand and stretch taking up space here and we'll roll the shoulders forward interlace the fingers behind the back and inhale lifting up through the heart spacious through the throat exhale hinging at the hips forward fold releasing the head maybe stretching the arms up out and over maybe there's a soft bend in the knees here as you surrender and release nice and slowly release the hands down by the sacrum down to the earth we'll inhale half arch again to lengthen hands underneath the shoulders let's go ahead and turn the feet out and then we'll bend the left knee and sink down into the left hip coming into skandhasana flexing that right foot as you come onto the heel and then we'll travel over to the right then the right knee opening up through the hamstrings we drawing the left toes towards the face and a few times side to side hands might stay on the earth or blocks you might play with the hands getting light little ninja yo yo he ninja traveling back and forth he then eventually come back to center and let's just toe heel to feet a little closer coming into a squat malasana heels and toes out sink down and you might sit up on your one one or two blocks bring the hands together at the heart healing the heart draw towards the thumbs and a bit more space through the collarbones the neck from a lasana release the hands forward fold toe heel to feet underneath the hips soft bend through the knees tune into your chest and slowly begin to roll your way back up nice and slow stacking your bones feeling the heart healing the shoulders and feeling the head into your your tadasana mountain pose and exploring different shapes together this month spreading the toes and be a soft bend through the knees nice and wide through the pelvis you might bring your hands onto your low belly and finding that ease right at the base of the skull just aware of the lungs and the body receiving the breath and not grasping for breath just aware of the natural ebb and flow the ocean of the breath prana this life force this mystery how from this place the centering move into tree pose for shasana kind of playing with our balance here really trusting the support beneath us so again you might work near a wall now you can ground your weight intentionally through the sole of your right foot spreading the toes will open up through the right the left hip so your left heel might press towards the inner ankle the calf the upper thigh hugging your right hip and you might bring both hands to the heart might reach your arms up towards the sky letting your tree move and wobble nice notice the quality of your drishti your gaze quality of the breath as you concentrate and focus and letting the energy move through the body might be a dancing tree on the side like me beautiful inhale and then gracefully exhale release and just shake it out shake it out let it go clean slate easing into the left side grounding through the soul the foot you might bring your awareness wholeheartedly into that left foot and leg as you spread the toes and then from here as you transfer the weight opening up through the right hip again it might be the calf it might be the upper leg finding your center feeling the heart draw towards the thumbs the side might feel totally different depending on this ankle knee hip notice what you choose to do with your arms it's the quality of your gaze breath your inner experience it's not about getting it right or being perfect it's perfect tree statue but rather what's the quality of your inner experience in this process of coming into balance beautiful now wherever you may be and then exhale gracefully release shake it out let it go allow for up exhale let's do a little standing twist to release from that let the arms go and feel the weight move from side to side through the legs nice you more moments like this exhale and then let's pause one last moment here and feel the vibrations within find our way towards the top of the mat sun salutation towards the earth hands together at the heart let the inhale reach your arms up lengthen exhale forward fold releasing inhale slide the hands up your shins half arch to lengthen and then as you exhale ground your hands and just step back into your down dog I will meet you there spreading the fingers you might walk it off in your down dog releasing the weight of your head and then just slow lower the knees from here let's go ahead and grab our block do a little fiery core work coming into forearm plank so you might bring your block down and then bring your hands around your block so the elbows are written in line with the shoulders and then feel how you can draw the shoulders up back and down rather than collapsing the chest towards the floor you're lifting you got to play with forearm balance with miles the other day you might stay with your knees on the floor you might extend back for your legs again knees on the floor or knees lifted reaching back through your heels forward through the heart really drawing the deep low belly and towards the spine long through the neck right developing this deep strength in the lower belly I feel a bit of wobbling here last few moments and then just slowly lower the knees come in and let's sink back into a child's pose releasing the forehead and you might wobble the body a little bit from side to side breathing into the back ribs even to the kidneys from child's pose slowly come up we'll play here with a bit of camel slightly different variations so you might bring your two blocks around your your ankles and right around your feet as you rise up onto your shins and knees making a few moments here feeling that lift through the spine sense of support up through the pelvic floor tailbone descending lower belly lifting and let's inhale sweep the arms up to the sky and ribs drawing enable the spine and then bring the hands together at the heart so this first round hands together at the heart inhale drawing the heart towards the thumbs and then with the exhale you might begin to feel the upper back moving into your back extension your back bend find a place where the neck feels good so the chin might be drawing in towards the chest we're drawing the sacrum in the tailbone descends and then with an inhale lead with the heart and come back up and if it's comfortable you might sit back onto your heels for a moment and then keeping the awareness inward second round may be playing with a little dance dancing camel action so you bring your right hand onto the block and as you inhale begin to lift up you might lift that left arm up with the right hand onto the block or maybe that right heel and then lower the hips down lower that left arm left hand on the block or heel inhale reach the right arm up and feel that laying through the right side body and then exhale enable the spine lower the hips maybe one or two more on each side ground through the right hand inhale left arm reaches lengthen exhale mindfully drawing back lowering left hand grounds inhale right arm lifts lowering down and we'll pause we'll continue this back bending on our back coming into bridge bring the blocks off to the side and just slowly come onto your back taking a few moments to settle supine and bringing the heels in line with the sitting bones feet about hips width apart arms down alongside the body before we come up into bridges feeling just a slight essence of cat cow on the back inhale extending and arching and exhale curling we'll take this into our bridge pose together set to Bandhasana inhale and exhale curl the tailbone under press through your feet and lift your pelvis up and feeling that internal rotation through the thigh bones fingers might reach towards the heel so you might roll and tuck your shoulders under your back maybe finding that interlaces you open up through the chest and feeling the buoyancy of the lungs the heart and trusting the support beneath you feet grounding the muscles of the legs really hugging into your bones like that support you might stay here a bit longer you might slow release the hand stretch the arms up come high up onto the balls of your feet lift the heels and roll your spine down slowly upper back mid back low back and then pausing here you might take one more round of bridge if your body is feeling into and craving a deeper backbend or of it on your asana wheel you might join me in that bringing your heels in line with your sit bones feet hips width and then bringing your hands back by your ears hugging your elbows in towards the midline well inhale here and then exhale lift the pelvis and push up onto your head and then draw the elbows and feel the shoulder blades draw down as you inhale again and then exhale maybe beginning to press up towards the shape of wheel let the head release and feel the support of your legs as you relax any gripping through the buttocks head is releasing breathing wherever you are and then take your time slow if you're up in the wheel chin into the chest and mindfully lower back down rolling lengthening the lower back whoa works every time then feel into what your body wants to do it might be hugging your knees into your chest feels really good stretching your legs out on the floor we're bringing the soles of the feet together knees wide into your bada konasana the hands on the belly one hand on the belly one hand on the heart and allow for a exhale you might stay with this might hug the knees and towards the chest and stretch the legs up towards the sky hmm you might stay with this as a of a gentle inverter if easing your way into plow pose or halasana would feel okay on your neck your cervical spine you might press through your hands begin to roll your way back towards the shape of plow or halasana and you might even bend the knees let the spine round and release here if this is not the medicine on your spine and neck you might find a seated forward fold pashimo tamasana take your time slowly to roll down you're in halasana looking up and letting the spine slowly slowly release nice bend the knees and then stretch the legs back on the floor you might stay here you might press up into fish pose as you come up onto your forearms and just feel the chest begin to lift opening up through the throat you might stay with this you might come up onto the top of your head as you open here let the legs stay active energized and then slow chin into the chest releasing the knees into the chest ease our way into a spinal twist to release the back you might roll onto your right side and let the top arm circle and open breathing into where you feel it exhale letting the belly soften any space through the throat the face you might stay here a bit longer you might lead with the top leg slowly unwind easing your way onto the other side for a spinal twist rolling onto your left side maybe stacking the knees and circling that top arm as you release into your twist so allow for an inhale and exhale deepening and so this can this quality of shrada this quality of trust it's not a a blind trust or faith but rather a quality of trust based in one's own experience and it's a key ingredient in the process of Ishwara pranidana Ishwara pranidana this suggestion by the yogis in the text you surrender to God self-surrender to God your universe the great mystery whatever word resonates with you this higher power might stay in the twist you might slowly unwind the body and drawing your knees back into your chest feeling into if there's anything your body would like as we ease into Shavasana take the time as you come into Shavasana stretching the legs out on the earth that feels good you might cover yourself up with some warmth just to really allow the nervous system to feel held and supported safe just allowing yourself to release into the earth I'm feeling away to the bones settle and feeling the support beneath you you are welcome to stay and rest longer eventually might ease your way towards the seat it's allowing for this moment of integration and settling joining the hands together at the heart just gathering up the the energy of the practice love the light the awareness and gathering it up offering it up and out for the benefit of all beings everywhere including ourselves breathing in soft bow forward and namaste thank you so much for your practice and presence thank you