Ease into Balance

Welcome. In this practice, we explore easing our way into balance, approaching shapes in dynamic, steady, fluid, and playful ways. This practice will target the hips, the legs, and the feet. It'll be nice to have a blanket and a block for this practice, and we'll begin on our back. Might have a folded blanket under your head for support and a block nearby.

As you arrive on your back, draw your knees into your chest, just rock yourself side to side. Feeling into your lower back, feeling into your hips, healing into your whole body. And then grounding your feet nice and wide on your mat for windshield wipers. You might start by reaching your arms out wide. And then let your knees roll over to the right side, inhale back up and over to the left.

And continue side to side cruising on to the inner outer edges of the feet, You might let your head rock away from your knees, just exploring that rotation through your spine, nice and fluid through your hips, all the way up into your neck, Just allow this movement to feel really good, letting your body unwind and stretch. You might keep your arms out to the side. You might choose to reach your arms overhead, and lengthen. Just creating space through the side body, moving with the breath few more rounds, inhale knees up, exhale to a side. Inhale up and exhale over to the other side.

More around side to side, just arriving in your practice, meeting yourself where you are in this moment. Nice. Back up to center, draw your knees back into your chest rock from side to side. From here, let's reach for our block. Do a little bit of light core work.

So we're gonna bring your block in between your legs. Bring your knees in line with your hips. Stretch your arms out to your sides. Press the palms down and feel how you can draw your naval towards your spine and feel your lower back on the floor. And just this is enough to feel the core engaged, to feel the hip flexors engage.

From here, allow for an inhaleness you exhale. Let your knees hover to the right. You might press down for your left arm and palm a little bit. Squeeze the block with the bottom leg as you come back up, and then over to the left. Pressing, feel that connection through your right arm. Squeeze the block with the bottom leg to come back up and a few more times side to side.

Again, you might turn your head away from your knees, feeling that connection with your lower back on the floor. I'm just tapping into our center, tapping into our abdominals, our core muscles as we play with finding our balance, our center. Let's do one more in each direction. Breathing, the softening through the jaw, nice work back to center, remove the block, and bring it off to the side we'll use in a little bit. From here, draw your right knee into your chest, stretch your left leg long on the floor.

Take a few moments, draw your shoulders down your back. Keep your left leg active. Flex the foot. Allow for an inhale. Nice full. X exhale. Keep your right hand on your right knee as you inhale stretch your left arm overhead. Right knee is into the chest, left arm is lengthening feel that energy on the left side of your body, from the heel to the fingers.

Will inhale, and then exhale, lower the right foot down, draw your left knee into your chest, stretch your right leg long, and feel the strength and energy of your right leg, softening the shoulders, inhale, exhale. Please keep your left hand on your left knee and stretch your right arm long and feel that leg from the right heel to the fingers long through the back of your neck. Breathing. Good. And then lower your left foot down. Bend your right knee.

Do that again. Right knee draws in left leg long. Stretch the left arm overhead, lengthen, inhale, and then exhale will switch. Left knee draws in, right arm lengthens, right leg lengthens. Inhale, exhale, right knee draws in, left arm, left leg lengthen, inhale, and we'll switch left knee in, right arm leg long. Inhale, exhale switch.

Few more at your own pace, tapping into your core muscles, opposite leg and arm, moving through space. Draw both knees and rock from side to side nice work. From here, we'll roll to our side, and we'll pause in a lounging buddha. So we're gonna play with balancing on our sides. And bring your blanket off to the side.

Or if you want some extra padding on your hip, you can bring it there. We're gonna come all the way down, support your head with your hands, and bring your front arm out in front of you. And just pause here. This is this might be enough balancing here. Right?

Relaxing some of the effort, soft in the face. Just feeling that stability, that awareness through the core, through the hips. You might walk your bottom foot forward a little bit, your bottom leg. And then we're gonna play with swinging our top leg. So see if you can keep your your core your hips stable. And we're gonna flex the foot forward and then point it back.

Flax it forward and point it back a few more times. Just playing with our balance here on our sides. Flex it forward and point and see if you can keep your upper body more or less still stable. Oh, it's hard. Good. Come back to center. We're gonna draw the knee down to find that internal rotation open the hip external rotation, and then kick the leg to the sky, flex the foot, and lower it. And then draw the knee down, open the hip, extend the flex.

And lengthen. Let's do three more knee draws down internal rotation, external rotation, kick flex, lengthen and stretch two more, knee draws down. Open, extend, and lengthen, last one. I'm feeling this in the hip. Me dress down.

Hip opens, extend, and lengthen. Nice work, relax, the effort. Kinda giving your outer hip and glutes some love with your hand might feel nice. And then we'll switch sides. I'm just gonna flip around. As you reextend supporting your head with your hands, I'm just pausing here in your lounging Buddha.

Taking a few moments to settle. Notice where you can soften and relax any tension, any gripping. Alright. Play with your balance here. I'm feeling that stability. Again, through the core, through the pelvis, We'll play with the leg swings.

So lifting your right, top leg up, bring the leg forward, and then kick it back. Forward as you flex, and then point as you go back. And, c, as we do this a few times, if you can keep it and it's stable and still through the upper body. It's kinda tricky. Few more. Playing with our center of balance and gravity.

Last one, forward, and back. Then we'll go internal rotation with the hip, external rotation open, extend, and lengthen. Down, open, extend, and lengthen three more nice and fluid through your hip joint. So if you feel any popping, the ease out of it a little bit. Two more internal, external, extend, slowly lengthen.

Need draws down. Hit opens. Extend. And lengthen take a moment to pause. And you might give your outer hip and glutes some love.

And then from here, we'll transition up in your own way. Bending your knees, easing your way up towards standing. It might take a moment to clear your mat. We're gonna find some footwork here. So we're gonna start with the heel lifts.

You might work near a wall for for a bit of balance and support or a chair, spreading your toes, just begin to lift your heels up off the floor and lower him down. Just waking up the soles of the feet, the calves. You feel you can easily lose your balance and then just come back. Yeah. Notice the quality of your breath.

Good. One more lift. And lower spread the toes nice and wide. Now for this one, it might be nice to have a blanket. When you turn away from the blanket, we're gonna stretch the top of the foot here. This might feel a little tender.

I know sometimes I can get a little cramp in the soul of my foot and the arch. Again, if your balance feels a little wobbly, you might bring your hands onto a chair or stand near a wall. You want your heels straight up. You can bend the knee a little bit here. I'm gonna firm the standing hip.

I'm just looking to really stretch and open the top of the foot. You might feel this into the ankle and up the shin, minding your postural awareness through the spine, more inhale, and the exhale release. Take a moment to pause, feeling your feet. Do the other side grounding into the foot and leg, point the other foot back, and firm the hip of the standing leg as you stretch the top of the foot. With the heel pointing straight up, the side might feel different.

Notice the quality of your breath, quality of your posture. Notice where you can relax any gripping in the face or jaw. Few more moments here. And then as you're ready release, pause and notice, bring the blanket off to the side. We're gonna work with our block.

This is a good one. Gonna put your block down. And we're gonna start with, let's start with the right foot. So just gonna use the block here for some feedback, and get into the sole of the foot. You might find areas that are super tender, and you might pause, linger, breathe into where you feel it.

I'm just moving through the whole sole of the foot. So we're mapping the foot. Moving from the heel, the inner arch, all the way up towards the toes. You more moments. Again, you might pause, linger, breathe.

Good. Take a moment between sides. Notice how you feel and pour your awareness down through the soles of the feet. Inhale, exhale. It's feeling to the other side. So the left foot on the block easing in kinda mapping the sole of the foot.

You might use the edge of the block. You might even use the corner of your block. And again, you might find areas that are Very tender. You might pause and breathe there. I'm taking your time to explore and investigate.

We often forget about our feet unless they hurt, you know. If we're just bringing some love, some awareness, some attention, need some gratitude down into our feet. Few more moments here. Yeah. You might allow for a generous exhale, especially when you find some curious spots that feel a little tender and echy. Last few moments. Oh, and then as you're ready, take a moment to pause, spread the toes, let the soles of the feet open.

Allow for an inhale exhale clearing breath. We're gonna practice standing up on our block. So we'll stand the right foot up on the block first. You're just gonna step, press and lift. Now you might keep your left foot, your toes on the floor. You might play with lifting, refirming the hip.

And then then the right knee, step down, and then press firm maybe lift and lower feeling that postural awareness that support through the core, press firm the hip, lift a few more like this. We'll be finding a rhythm, press firm, lift, lower down than the knee. Last one, press firm the hip lift. You might pause here. You might bring your hands on your hips.

Nice. And then bend the right knee. Stand on both feet and just notice how you feel. Clearing breath, inhale. Exhale. So let's do the other side.

Step the left foot up on the block. Press, firm your left tip, and maybe your right toes stay on the floor. Maybe they lift. And then then the left knee lower, press firm, lift, and lower a few more, press firm the hip, lift feeling that postural awareness, the strength of the legs, that connection all the way up through the core, the heart, few more press firm, lift. You might pause and hold. And lower, press, lift.

Let's do one more. Press, firm, lift, hold. Thanks. And then lower pause. Spread the toes.

Notice how you feel. Bring the block off to the side. And then we'll play with shifting our weight side to side, like pouring your weight from the right foot to the left foot. Side to side, letting your awareness draw down into the feet. Feeling the bottoms of the feet open to the floor.

And then we'll play with grounding through our right foot. And then you might lift your left heel, keep the toes on the floor. As you lift your ride arm up. So we have found this action on our back. Right? You might keep your toes on the floor.

You might play with lifting your knee, and then we'll lower it down, ground for your left foot. Lift your right toes. You might stay here. You might lift your opposite arm. Left arm.

Maybe right knee. We'll do a few more. Ground through your right foot, lift your left knee, right arm. Ground through your left foot. Right knee left arm.

Are you more side to side feeling that awareness through the center as you shift, ground, and lift. Ground and lift. One more on each side. Pause and release. Nice work. Do a little arm swing side to side.

I'm shifting your weight, letting your arm swing, letting your spine release here. Nice. Play with a few standing balancing postures. We'll make our way towards the top of the mat, spreading the toes and mountain pose to Vasana, letting the palms open. We'll make our way towards pyramid pose.

So keep your right foot forward. Step your left foot back. Your left foot is about a 45 degree angle. You might toe heel your right foot a little wider, and then draw your pelvis forward. So feel like you can draw your right hip back a little bit, left hip forward, tailbone draws under, feeling the front ribs draw in.

We'll stretch our arms out, roll the shoulders forward, bend the elbows, and then bring one palm into the other. Open the chest. You might stay right here. You might inhale lift and then exhale, draw the right hip back, ground for the outer edge of the left foot as you slowly begin to release, Maybe letting the head release towards the shin, and keep a soft bend for your front right leg. Keep drawing the hip back as you lengthen.

Strong through the feet and legs as you're ready inhale come all the way up. Bring your hands to your hips. Bend your right knee and play with shifting your weight forward. Maybe you lift the back toes, maybe they stay on the floor, bringing the hands together at the heart. You might play with lifting your back leg, finding that internal rotation as you play towards little bit of a warrior three.

Hands might stay at the heart. You might reach the arms up. Feel the strength and support if you're standing leg. Nice work and lower that left foot down. Take a moment, shake it out at the top of the mat.

Exale everything. Let's do the other side, left foot stays forward, right foot steps back at about a 45 degree angle. You might toe heel the left foot a little bit wider, drawing the tailbone under lengthening your spine, reach your arms out. Roll the shoulders forward. Let me bring the opposite palm to rest in the hand.

Again, you might stay right here lifting the chest. You might draw your left hip back. As you release forward into your pyramid shape, you might release the weight of your head as you breathe here into your hamstrings. The strong for your legs and feet in, how press through the feet come all the way back, nice and slow, hands on the hip spend your front left leg, play with shifting your weight forward. You might keep your back toes on the floor.

You might lift the back leg. And finding that internal rotation as we play towards a little warrior three variation. Hands might stay at the heart. You might reach your arms overhead, lifting, maybe hinging a little bit. Nice. And then come back to the top of your mat, pause.

And notice clearing breath inhale and exhale. From here, we'll play towards tree pose. So spreading the toes, ground through your right foot, spread your toes firm the hip. And then let your left hip open. You might press the heel towards the inner ankle or maybe the calf, steady the gaze, hands might find hard or reach towards the sky.

Notice the quality of the breath, opening the chest, healing that inner movement, the sway, the wobbling. Finding both steadiness and ease. In hell, as you're ready exhale, release, shake it out, let it go. There's sides spreading the left toes, grounding through the foot, firming the left hip, opening your right hip. Again, you might press the heel towards the inner ankle or move up towards the calf.

Hans might rest to the heart or reach towards the sky. Embracing the movements. Can you feel the essence of your mountain pose on one leg? Feeling that inner sweetness and play. And so you allow it to be fluid.

Notice the quality of the breath. Nice, inhale. Take your time, exhale. Really shake it out. Let's bring the hands together at the heart for a few quarter sun salutations connecting with breath and connecting with our center.

Hands at the heart inhale, we'll exhale press the hands down to the earth, grounding through the feet, inhale reach the arms up lengthen. Exhale hands together at the heart, hands at the heart inhale, exhale press hands to earth. In how arms lift, exhale hands at the heart one more with the breath, breathing in. Exhale, clearing it out hands to earth, inhale lift arms lengthen, exhale hands together at the heart, pausing in your center. Your own time will transition down to the floor.

As you lower down, might have a blanket under your head for support and a block nearby. Let me start by drawing your knees back into your chest rock from side to side. Relaxing the effort. And then we'll ground the feet in preparation for bridge, and we'll slide the block underneath our sacrum. You're the pelvis.

And just take a moment to pause here. Might even draw the shoulders under the back a little bit. Just receiving the support beneath you. Allow for an inhale x sail. Just allow the pelvis to get heavy. You might stay right here.

It might feel nice and fun to lift your knees towards your chest. Maybe extend the legs towards the sky for an inversion. Just bringing the placement of the block right under the sacrum. Little juice, a little energy through the balls of the feet as you spread the toes, arms lengthening, neck lengthening. The legs feel a little wobbly.

You can bend the knees here. We softening the gaze in words. Just allowing the the blood, the energy to drain from the feet, the ankles, down into the pelvis, the heart, the brain. Bringing our legs up can be very rejuvenating. Energizing.

Appreciating our feet, our toes for all the work they do. You are welcome to stay here longer. You're ready, bend your knees, ground your feet, find the blueprint of bridge. Take your time, press through the feet, lift your pelvis up, remove the block and then slowly lower down. You might stretch your arms overhead, toe heel, the feet wide.

And come back into your fluid windshield wipers side to side. And forth, letting your head roll away from your knees. It's allowing the body to unwind and stretch after focusing after concentrating. Drawing the knees back into the chest, if there's anything your body is calling for craving, only taking the time to tune in. You might release into Shavasana.

You might roll to your side. Use your arms to press yourself up. Taking a few moments to center. And settle before transitioning into the next moment, hands together at the heart, breathing in. Breathing out the soft bow forward and in towards the heart.

Namaste. Thank you so much for your practice. See you soon.