Gathering Your Center

Hi. I'm so glad you're here today. Welcome to your flow. We will be exploring this center line of our being and some fun balance. So we'll start at the top bar map space If you want Two Blocks as optional down the road to help with balance, you can bring them with you as you come standing into us now with the arms by the sides. And perhaps picking up all ten toes and regrounding them, just feeling the toe pads settle onto the earth.

You find a gentle rock of the feet maybe forward back or side to side. So just allow yourself to land into that center. And perhaps even picture roots or cord. Just drawing down into the earth, anchoring you in. Perhaps even connecting into the center of the earth, taking a full breath in here, and a full breath out.

Start to sweep the hands up to the sky as you breathe in, extended mountain to Asana. Palms will come through heart center. We'll forward fold. Soft, bend of the knees. Try to keep a flat spine as you let the head drop down. First time here is you can chacha the hips, maybe bend one knee or the other, give the head a little wiggle or shake.

Find a halfway lift. So palms come towards the shins, heart forward, breathe in. Plant your palms start to bend the knees a lot. The heels will lift, like a little squatty, so around talking curl. And the forehead wants to draw in towards the knees.

The shoulder blades spread apart. So there's a lot of space with the back line of the heart. Deep breath in. Forward fold as you exhale. Heels ground.

Halfway lift, heart forward palms towards the shins, exhale forward fold, chest towards the thighs, root to rise, come all the way up, breathe in extended mountain, and then palms to heart center as you exhale. Feeling that center, the feet rooted. Moving from that center will flow that sun a two times. So inhale sweep the hands high. Axale forward fold.

Halfway lift, breathe in, round tuck and curl as you exhale. Stay the breath in. Forward fold the breath out. Halfway lift, inhale. Forward fold, exhale, route to rise, mountain, big reach, hands to heart as you exhale, keeping this flow going, inhale sweep up, Exale forward fold, halfway lift, inhale, round, tuck, and curl as you exhale, breathe in, Forward fold, breathe out, halfway lift, big breath in, exhale folds off, and a little bit more.

Rude to rise, press of the feet, big reach, inhale, Hands to heart as you exhale, inhale extended mountain, exhale forward fold, halfway lift, inhale, Round tucking curl, but lift the gaze this time, the heels can lift. We'll come into boat pose. So you can walk the hands back and then just gently land onto the tailbone. Heels can ground. Hands can come behind the thighs, roll the shoulders up, down, and back, and feel the navel pull into the spine, so belly button in heart lifts, and play with this here.

Hands can always come to the ground. The feet will lift. Big breath in. Cross one leg in front of the other into a seat. And then walk the hands forward.

Come into a fold. Your hands can support your forehead. Or you can just lift a head hover. And I invite you just to find a little sway. Doesn't have to be this rigid perfection.

When we find that sense of center in ourself, then we can move in creativity outwards. Start to lift the heart back up, coming into boat pose, unravel the legs. Now remember which shin was just in front? Keep it in your mind. Feet can hover hands can come by your sides.

This time, let's lean back. Press the feet forward low boat. Exhale into your high boat. Inhale low boat. Exale high boat.

3 more times in the low boat. Exale high. Last two breaths. Exale high boat. Last one low boat lean back as far as you can.

And then high vote as you exhale. Cross the legs, opposition in front, and then you'll take a moment to fold. Nice surrender for the hit points and the glutes. Full breath in. Full exhale. Start to roll the heart back up.

This time, we'll swing the legs around. We'll meet in a high plank pose. You're gonna step the feet back, plant the palms, finding a little bit more heat through the center line of the body. So you really can feel the heels plugging back in space. Legs are strong.

The belly button up and in. Shift to the toes. Breathe in. Your knees are there for you this first time around. We're gonna lower halfway down as you exhale elbows in, straighten the arms, flip the heart up, breathe, and up dog, exhale downward facing dog, hips, up, and back.

And then you got time and space to really walk it out. Let this dog be yours. Maybe the head wants to shake. As you find some stillness, there's a soft bed of the knees. Just so there's enough weight in the hands that the heart can press towards the thighs.

Bend the knees a lot gaze forward. We'll step to the top of our mat space, forward fold. Find a halfway lift, breathe in, exhale forward fold. Utkothassana this time, bend the knees, sweep the hands forward and up. Saddle the weight in the heels.

Focusing in on that center. The feet rooted. Midline, warm, active breath flowing into the center core of the body. Hands come behind you. Like airplane wings.

You can flip the palms back so the shoulders can open, have a little bit of space. And the weight shifts into the right foot, the left leg will start to lift into one legged tadasana. Binger tips up to the sky. Rooting through that right big toe. Full breath in.

You'll start to kick into an airplane pose, left heel draws back, t shape of the body, crown of the head reaches forward. One point of gaze. A soft bend of the right knee will come into crescent high lunge. So left foot steps back, sweep the arms up, and you can adjust the feet. You can really feel space in the hips to square forward and the tailbone tucked underneath you a little bit.

Big breath in. Veera Bedrasna too is you exhale. Left heel spins down, sliding into your warrior too. Almost finding a little bit of ease. We feel that strength, that sense of empowerment that can be in our whole column of being.

Then we reach outwards and there's ease. And there's some flow. Find a reverse warrior. Your right hand will flip up and back. That left hand can flow along the back leg.

You might find a half bind. Recommit into the heaviness of the right thigh bending into the right knee. Big breath in as you reach up and back. Exhale plant the palms. 3 like a dog, right leg will go high, breathe, and exhale, right knee, right tricep, right leg, high inhale, building a little bit more fire.

Cross your body to your left tap. Right leg high, inhale. Step the right foot through as you exhale. Left leg will lift just for a moment as a transition standing splits or supported warrior 3. Softmen of the right knee forward fold, both feet come towards one another.

Find a halfway lift, inhale, exhale forward folds, chair pose, bend the knees, sit the hips back and sweep the arms forward. Just settling in this pause. Follow your exhale to sweep the hands behind you, space to the heart, collar bones broad, weight shifts to the left foot, one legged tadasana, right knee lifts, arms come up to the sky. And picture a little tuck at the tailbone here. You can feel that belly button hugging into the spine.

If you wobble, know that I am too because we are human. Right? Hail's gonna kick back into your airplane. Arms come behind you. Almost like you're flying through the air. I want you to feel that strength.

Through the body. Step the right foot back, high lunge, crescent, inhale, arms reach up. Tailable gets heavy, low through the legs. Full breath in. Veer Bedrasna too, as you exhale, right, heel spins down, sinking into your warrior legs.

Finding that center to the feet and then opening the heart up from there, just reaching the fingertips, maybe even the palms slip up here, keeping that right hand up or the right palm up. Flip it up and back reverse warrior, recommit to the bend of the left knee, reach up and back a little bit more big breath in. Palms plant as you exhale. 3 like a dog. Left leg goes high, breathe in. Left knee, left triceps, strong tap.

Left leg high, inhale. Left knee to right tricep exhale. Left leg high, inhale. Step the left foot through exhale. As a transition standing splits, our warrior 3, right leg lifts, forward fold, right foot next to the left.

Alright. Bring the feet hips width for a moment and just hang out and ragdoll. You can bend one knee and the other. Just kinda sway the head, the torso, So that is our flow, and we'll move with it almost like a dance. Just breath to movement. Full breath in. Full breath out.

Bring the feet back to hips width or to touch, and we flow inhale half lift. Exhale fold, utkatasana chair, inhale, hands behind you, exhale. Left leg lifts, inhale, one legged. Exhale into your airplane, slow and steady. Crescent high lunge, inhale warrior 2 exhale.

Flip it up and back reverse, inhale. Plant the palms as you exhale. 3 legged dog, right leg high inhale. Strong exhale, right knee, right tricep, right leg high inhale. To your left exhale, right leg high, inhale.

Step the right foot through exhale. Left leg high, inhale. Stepping to your forward fold, exhale. Half left inhale, exhale fold with katasana, inhale, hips low, hands behind you exhale. Right leg, lefts, inhale.

Move through airplane, kick back, exhale. Crescent, inhale, right toes, touchdown, warrior 2 exhale. Reverse warrior inhale, plant the palms as you exhale, left leg high inhale, left knee, left trice up exhale. Left leg high inhale. Left knee to right exhale.

Left leg high. Big breath in. Strong exhale. Step the left foot. Right leg lifts. Inhale. Forward fold, right foot to left, exhale, halfway lift, inhale, exhale to fold, chair pose, inhale, pans behind you exhale. Inhale extended mountain, press and reach, big lift, exhale hands to heart, pause, feel, feeling the feet, connect back onto the earth.

Feeling the left palm, press into the right, and the right palm press back into the left. Full exhale. Saying into Dawson here, you can bring the hands just right by your sides. So the right foot will be our foundation just like we had in that flow. The left leg will start to lift into one legged tadasana.

So many layers here. So there are different days for your body. Honor what today has for you. I'm gonna offer you just a couple different layers that you can play with. So here, a great place to stay.

You can also grab on to the left shin. If the left hand feels like it can reach that left big toe, you're gonna take your piece fingers and take them together. Wrap them around your left big toe with your thumb. The right hand can come to your hip, and then picture pressing the right foot into the mat so the heart lifts. Again, great place to stay.

Right hand might reach up. Bringing the center awareness back into your midline. For these last few breaths, you might kick the left foot forward. With that bind of your hand. Again, whatever variation you have, big press of the right foot, lift to the crown of the head, big, big, big inhale, come back into the bent knee variation if you have it release the foot.

We're all gonna meet with both hands up to this guy. Left leg kicks to straighten one more time if you had that bind. We're gonna move into airplane just like we did in our flow, but try and keep the left leg straight, pendulumming back, sweeping the hands behind you. Embracing the warmth in the right leg, the shake, the challenge that you so joyfully showed up here for to grow. It's a really brave thing to do. And come back into the to Dasana.

Left foot lands. Arms reach up to the sky. Hands come by the sides. Shake out the right and the left leg. Maybe a little hop to shake out the arms and legs.

We do have 2 sides, so we will play with that on the left side. When you're ready, left foot roots, right leg lifts. Hands can be by the sides. I welcome you to just flip the palms forward. If you're holding this variation of your one legged to Asana.

Maybe hands wrap around the right shin. Heart stays lifted. Right hand can find that piece grip coming around the right big toe. Left hand can come to the hip to start, and then you press through the left foot roll the shoulders back. It's okay if that right knee lifts.

Left hand might come up to the sky. Last few breaths, right foot might kick forward. One point of focus of the eyes. You got this. Meeting back with the right knee bent.

If it was straightened, hands up to the sky. Let's all try straightening out the right leg. Just any amount breathe in here. Pendulum back into airplane. Take your time welcoming in the t shape of the body, feeling the shift now of the heart leading this shape, crown of the head reaching forward.

That right leg is still super strong. Press the right heel back. You have 2 breaths. Taasana. Right foot comes down.

Arms sweep up to the sky breathe in. Forward fold this time, exhale. Come on down. Maybe a little shake of the legs at cha cha, shake of the head. We'll find a halfway lift as you breathe in.

Plant the palms as you exhale step the feet back. You can take a Vinyasa if you want, moving into a Chaturanga lowering halfway. Up dog as you breathe in, exhale down dog. We all meet there. Sattling a few breaths. From your down dog, right leg will lift high to the sky.

Right. Neither right tricep towards your wrist into single pigeon. This is where a block can come in really handy if you wanna set it underneath the right glutes. Let's lift the heart and then tuck the left toes so you can lift the left knee. And then just press through that left heel. So the left knee can kinda slide back hips square towards the top of the mat.

You can tent the fingertips just outside that right leg, lifting the heart. Full breath in. You can stay here or start to fold leading with the heart as you exhale. Maybe forms draw down towards the mat. It's really great. These shapes can guide us back into an intention or a focus, and they're complimented by the breath.

So when we hold stillness in the shape, it's now that Rath that is reminding us of this place of center. Perhaps you could call it home that lives within you. Through the belly up to the heart. It's fine. A couple more deep breaths just to settle into this right hip. Let me start to press on up when you're ready.

Palms will plant to the mat. Tuck the left toes. The right leg will go up and back three legged dog. You can bend the knee, open the hip, some circles to the right leg might feel really nice here. If you feel like trying on wild thing, you could shift the shoulders forward a little bit, step the right foot behind you, lift the heart, lift the hips.

Well, all meat and downward facing dog when you're ready. Take some time. Peddling both legs out. Kind of flushing out that right leg behind that right knee. The left leg will start to lift as you're ready.

3 legged dog. Left knee towards the left wrist, single pigeon, setting up a nice check mark through that left shin and the thigh, tucking the right toes. You can feel the right knee lift, and there's kinda slide the hips back. Untuck the back toes. Tent the fingertips just right outside the left shin to start so you can lift the heart.

From that place of your heart, you'll lead if you wanna fold. Forms might come to the earth. They don't have to. Day by day. Yeah. And then just some time, you allowing that breath to be your guide and even picturing a little path in front of you.

A little roadmap that just brings you back. Into that space of groundedness of clarity, a vision in front of you. Full breath in here. Big exhale. If you're lowered, start to press up.

It's all tucked the back toes and let the left leg go high to the sky for a three legged dog. Taking time to bend the knee and maybe circling that left leg out. Or if you want wild thing, you'll shift the shoulders slightly forward. Left foot steps behind you. Big lift of the hips.

Left hand down, back into downward facing dog, feel the hands, feel the feet, draw a full breath in. Let a full breath go. Let's play with just walking the feet towards the hands, the hands towards the feet at the center of our mat space. Trying to find that center point of the mat and then bend the knees come down into your seats. This is where you can find a block We're gonna end in a little bit of a seated meditation today.

And just three rounds of an alternate nostril breath to find this right and left side of our body and our long hemisphere, and they're balancing into center. So the right hand, this middle finger was come in between the brow point. We're gonna plug the right nostril with our thumb, breathe in through the left nostril. Plug the left nostril with that ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril, inhale through the right. Plug both nostrils, exhale to the left, inhale to the left, plug both exhale to the right.

Inhale to the right. Plug both. Exhale to the left. Last time, biggest inhale to the left. Plug both, sales of the rates.

In health of the rates. Plug both and exhale completely through the left. To return to your natural breath. Failing now the tailbone heavy towards the earth, anchoring in, staying here in the seated meditation, just being with this home that lives inside of you, your center. I just thank you for being here today and sharing your practice. It's a joy and an honor.

Namaste.