20-Minute Yoga Flows Artwork
Season 4 - Episode 9

Mandala Moon Flow

20 min - Practice
116 likes

Description

Harness the energy of the full moon to release, shed, and find fluidity and ease. We move through Moon Salutations and Warrior flows, and explore Half Moon before returning to the floor for gentle hip opening. You will feel free of what is no longer serving you.
What You'll Need: Mat

Transcript

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Thank you for joining me for this mandala moon flow practice where we will move in a circular way to harness the energy of the full moon. So if you'll join me at the front of the mat, we'll start standing and just taking your time as you establish your rooted connection with the earth. So spread the toes, shift the weight forward and back a few times, really feeling the soles of the feet grounding down on the earth. So we're focusing on that earth energy, that grounding full moon energy to feel really supported here. Maybe draw your hands to your heart space, maybe close your eyes for a moment and just check in.

Notice what you're showing up to your practice with. Feel your breath as it moves through you, allow the body to be breathed, beautiful. And then from here, we'll sweep the arms all the way up, root down to rise, inhale to feel the lift in the heart space. As you exhale, soften the knees a little bit and fold into uttanasana. So we'll start with some moon salutations.

Step your left foot all the way to the back of the mat. Come up onto your fingertips for a moment and then let your left knee find the earth. Good. As you're on your fingertips, lift up through the heart space, nice, and then step back to downward facing dog, right foot steps back to meet the left. Take a moment here in this first downward facing dog, feel into the legs, maybe pedal it out a few times, beautiful.

And then staying with the lunar side, the left leg will sweep all the way up and back, big full breath in. As you exhale, step your left foot through between your hands, come onto your fingertips for a moment, let the right knee lower down this time and just take a moment to sink into your lunge. So feel the hip crease, psoas, heart lifts, big full breath in. Good. Exhale, step your right foot to meet the left, come to the front of the mat, uttanasana, and then root down through the feet to rise, arms sweep up, feel the lift in the heart space, as you exhale, hands to heart, so that was a half a round, we'll take it to the other side, inhale, arms sweep up, feel the lift, exhale, keep the length in the spine, soften the knees, uttanasana, forward fold, this time step your right foot to the back of the mat, back knee lowers, come up onto the fingertips, lift the heart, lift the gaze, good, plant your palms, step your left foot back to meet the right, downward facing dog, good, from here glide forward into plank pose, lower the knees down to the earth, bring the chin and the chest down as you hug the elbows in, glide your way into bhujangasana, low cobra, think about lengthening here as you lift, and then let your exhale bring you back through hands and knees, tuck the toes, downward facing dog, good, right leg lifts, big full breath in, exhale, step the foot through, between your hands, let your left knee lower to the ground, come up onto the fingertips, lift the heart, lift the gaze, beautiful, and then step your left foot to meet the right, forward fold, front of the mat, beautiful, root down to rise, inhale, arms sweep up, feel the lift in the heart space, exhale, draw your hands together in front of your heart, good, and then inhale, arms sweep up, lengthening, feel the lift, exhale, one more time, forward fold, uttanasana, this time step back to plank pose, plant the palms, step both feet back, shift the weight forward, lower knees, chin and chest to the earth, stay low to the ground, grounding up into cobra, bhujangasana, inhale, lifting through the heart, exhale, downward facing dog, beautiful, and let's start to find that mandala, full moon energy as we sweep the right leg up, take a moment to bend the right knee, open up through the hip for a breath, good, and then draw your right knee to your right tricep and hover, top of a push up, and then we'll step the right foot all the way to the outside of the right wrist, so we're in lizard lunge, this wider lunge, plant your left hand down under the left shoulder, sweep the right arm up, twisting to the right side of your mat, beautiful, and then lower the right hand to the inside of your front foot, start to walk to face the side of your mat, so parallel the feet for a moment, turn your left toes out, bend your left knee deeply as you come into skandhasana, so breathe into that left hip, you can keep fingertips on the earth if you want a little more, hands come to heart, you can hover, and then just start to move from side to side, so the right knee will bend, the left leg will straighten, and then one more time toward the back of the mat, left knee bends right leg straightens, keep walking to face the back of your mat, let your right knee lower down to the earth, anjanayasana, inhale, gathering arms, sweep up, feel the lift in the heart space, good, as you exhale, hands to the earth, half split, arthahamanasana, fold over that front leg, breathe into the back of your left leg, let your inhale bring you back to your low lunge, re-bend through the left knee, step back to downward facing dog, planting the palms, left foot steps back to meet the right, inhale, glide forward to plank pose, lowering knees, chin and chest, hips stay lifted, and then just kind of glide your way into cobra, bhujangasana, inhaling, exhale, downward facing dog, tuck the toes, lift the hips up and back, so staying with the right leg, sweep your right leg up, big breath in, three leg dog, step your foot all the way through between your hands and then set up for warrior two, so spin your back heel down, let the left arm guide you up and open to face the side of the mat, let your shoulders soften, energize through the fingertips and we'll keep it fluid here, so moving through center, inhale, straighten your front leg, parallel your feet, sweep both arms up for flying warrior, maybe gaze up toward the hands, and then this time turn your left toes toward the front of the mat, coming into warrior two facing the front of the mat, left knee bends, beautiful, flip your front palm tilt back, reverse warrior, and then circle your hands down to the earth, step back, plank pose, maybe staying with knees, chin and chest today, feel that grounded energy, inhale, lifting up into cobra, good, exhale, meet me in downward facing dog, big full breath in, long, full breath out, taking that to the other side, sweep the left leg up, bend the knee, open the hip for a breath, beautiful, and then start to draw your left knee toward the left tricep and hover, top of a push up, pause for a moment, and then big step, left foot to the outside of the left hand, come up onto the fingertips, lizard lunge, plant your right hand down, sweep your left arm up, big full breath in to twist, good, and then walk it to face the side of your mat, parallel to feet, right knee bends, left leg straightens for skandhasana, and then we move side to side fluidly with the breath, left knee bends, right leg straightens, one more time toward the back of the mat as the right knee bends, keep walking to face the back of the mat, let the left knee lower, inhale, anjai nyasana, arms sweep up, let the exhale bring the hands down to frame your front foot, moving into artha hanamanasana, hamstring stretch, half split, beautiful, and then rebend through the right knee, downward facing dog, plant the palms, step the right foot back to meet the left, inhale to plank, welcome to keep knees lifted or maybe stay low, knees chin and chest, cobra pose, inhale, peel the chest up, exhale, downward facing dog, good, left leg sweeps, inhale, three leg dog, exhale, step through setting up for warrior two, let the right arm guide you up and open facing the back of the mat for Virabhadrasana two, sink it in, good, with the breath come through center, inhale, flying warrior, exhale right toes turn out, warrior two, toward the front of the mat, beautiful, flipping the front palm, fluidity, inhale, tilt back, reverse warrior, exhale, circle down, step back, take your vinyasa, I'm gonna stay with knees, chin and chest, big full breath in, cobra or up dog, exhale, beautiful, downward facing dog, inhale together, let something go on your exhale maybe lion's breath, good, so let's take that flow, one more time we're gonna add on just a little bit with that circular energy, inhale right leg lifts, exhale right knee right tricep, step the foot to the outside of your right hand, plant your left hand down, right arm sweeps up and twist, big breath in, good, skandhasana as you spin to face the side of the mat, left knee bends, right leg straight, good, coming back toward the other side, right knee bends, left leg straight and keep it nice and low and slinky as you come to the back of the mat, good, and then let your right knee lower, anjay nyasana inhale, arms sweep up, exhale half split, artha hanumanasana, fold over that front leg, good, inhale to rebend downward facing dog, left foot steps back to meet the right, inhale plank, exhale knees, chin and chest, glide through to cobra, big full breath in, exhale down dog, good, staying with that right leg, inhale right leg sweeps up, exhale step through for warrior two, spin it open, good, with the breath inhale flying warrior, parallel the feet, come through center and then turn your left toes out for warrior two facing the front of the mat, flip your front palm, tilt back, reverse warrior, keep the shape with the legs, extended side angle, elbow to thigh, top arm reaches up and over the ear for breath, feel that length in the right side body, beautiful, and then draw your right hand to your right hip, gaze down, you step your right foot in a little bit and we'll move into half moon from here, artha chandrasana, floating the right leg up, maybe float the right arm up, just a couple breaths, find your balance, practice in presence, beautiful, and then find chair pose at the front of the mat, let your right foot meet the left, utkatasana, inhale arms sweep up, exhale right into your forward fold, uttanasana, good, inhale offer the heart come halfway, step or you can lightly float back through your vinyasa, take your time as you move through, knee, knees, chin, chest, inhale cobra or up dog, meeting in downward facing dog, let something go, we'll take that to the other side, keeping it fluid, inhale left leg lifts, exhale left knee, left tricep, step it to the outside of your left wrist, plant the right hand down, sweep the left arm up and twist and then keep on moving as you face the right side of the mat, right knee bends, left leg straight for skandhasana, and then back toward the front of the mat, left knee bends, right leg straight, good, keep walking all the way to the back of the mat, we'll find our lunge, left knee lowers, inhale angina asana, arms lift, gaze lifts, exhale half split, fold over your front leg, beautiful, as you re-bend, come to downward facing dog, right foot steps back to meet the left, inhale gliding forward, knees, chin and chest, cobra pose on your inhale, peel the chest up, exhale downward facing dog, left leg sweeps up, inhale, exhale step through, setting up for warrior two, spin your back heel down, guide it open, good, inhale through center, flying warrior, parallel the feet, take the gaze up, good, and then as you exhale, right into warrior two, face the front of your mat, flip your front palm and tilt back, reverse warrior, keep the shape with the legs, extended side angle, elbow to the top of the thigh, left arm straight up or over the ear, breathe into this shape, so feel that line of energy from fingertips to back heel and then we'll draw that left hand to the left hip, as you gaze down maybe step your left foot in a little bit, right hand under the shoulder, float your left leg up, press through the ball of your right big toe, left arm lifts, half moon, breathe, wobble, embracing the movement, beautiful, and then meet me in chair, front of the mat, left foot meets the right, utkatasana, arms sweep up, exhale, release and forward fold over your legs, beautiful, from here heel to the feet, a little wider, toes out heels in, sink in for yogi squat, malasana, maybe draw your hands to your heart, you're welcome to sit on a block if that would feel good for you and just take a moment to notice where all that movement, a lot of movement in a short period of time lands in the body, the residue, the echo of all of that, feel that grounded earth energy as the tailbone melts down, good, and then from here we'll make our way to seated, so you might take hands behind you, let your sitting bones find the earth, find navasana for a moment lifting the legs up, parallel the shins to the earth, reach the arms forward, feel the lift in the heart space, big breath in, as you exhale lower down and hover up off the earth, holding for five, four, three, two, let it go, hug your knees in, rock a little side to side, keep your right knee in, let your left leg go long on your mat, and then just start to draw that right knee across the body, come into a nice easy twist, reach your right arm out to the right, maybe gaze over your right shoulder, let the heart beat slow as you ring it out, couple breaths here, again just checking in and noticing, slowly come back through center, maybe bring the soles of the feet to the earth, lift the hips up, place them back down, neutralize through the spine, right leg goes long, hug your left knee in, give you a squeeze, start to draw your left knee across the body, reach your left arm out to the left, ring it out, softening through the left shoulder, your gaze, awareness to the breath to this moment, letting go of what may have come before, what may be coming after and just rooting into the right here and the right now, what would that mean?

Give yourself the space to just be beautiful and then unravel, let the soles of the feet find the earth, lift the hips up, maybe just press into a gentle bridge as you feel the opening in the front of the body, if it feels okay, reach your arms up over your ears, come up high onto your toes and then one vertebra at a time, slowly lower all the way down, hug your knees back in, maybe take some circles or rock it side to side and you might draw the knees away from you and back in and then reverse that, if there's any last movement or posture here that your body is requesting, honoring that, otherwise we'll hug everything into a tight little ball, nose to knees, big full breath in holding the breath at the top, sip in a little bit more air, open the mouth side out, shavasana, let the body feel held on the earth as you stretch your legs long, the eyes close, shoulders soften, if it feels safe let your eyes remain closed as you shift your gaze to the internal space and just rest, let your body feel held, let the earth come up to hold you, shavasana, shavasana, shavasana, shavasana, shavasana shavasana, shavasana, shavasana, shavasana shavasana, shavasana, Stay here as long as you like, otherwise take your time to let the breath deepen to find any movement. We'll rock our way up to seated, maybe roll over to either side or simply sit up and as you find your seat, just take a moment to draw one hand to heart, one hand to belly, tucking chin down toward the chest, check in, notice what you notice. Let your sitting bones feel grounded, the spine be long, feel into the heart space. Thank you so much for sharing this mandala flow practice with me, tapping into that moon energy. I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day. Thanks for joining. Namaste.

Comments

Sandra Židan
Beautiful practice! Thanks, Sarah! Namaste!
Lianne M
3 people like this.
thanks really enjoyed this. Got a bit right left confused at times but it was fun thanks!
Matthew
3 people like this.
really enjoying this series - not just 'getting it done' in the time I have but also deepening my practice.. very many thanks to Sarah and colleagues.
Francesca Venturini
Sarah you are a gifted soul... your voice has the capability to guide us in the here and now, in the perfect movements to reach the asanas... so sweet to the heart!! Thank you again
Pat Pao
2 people like this.
- Thank you Sarah!!!
Sabine L
1 person likes this.
Beautiful practice! I feel so much more fluid and  balanced!
Jenny S
2 people like this.
What a lovely way to clear the chatter in my brain during this sped-up time of year. Feeling so refreshed and ready to proceed with my day without all the worry and tension. Thank you for this nourishing season of yoga 🙏🏻✨🌲✨
Sarah Beston
1 person likes this.
Thank you for sharing and for practicing with me here, Sandra Židan! Warmest regards, Sarah
Sarah Beston
Hi Lianne M! Thank you for sharing your experience of the practice ... I always get my right and left confused! haha. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season, Sarah
Sarah Beston
I am so happy to hear that your practice is deepening, Matthew! Thank you for sharing and hope to practice with you again soon. Warmly, Sarah
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