Sweet & Steady Flow

Welcome, everyone. So grateful to be together and super excited to share this practice. It's meant to be kind of a sweet, steady flow for those days where you have a little less energy, but you still wanna move a bit. So with that in mind, we're gonna use some fun props. If you have a bolster, a block, a strap, or anything in that family, grab them and just have them near your mat.

Okay. To begin, let's lie down. It's reclining on your back, knees bent, feet about hips distance for now. Kind of wiggle down, settle in. And then let the feet open about as wide as the mat. And let the knees drop in towards each other.

And then rest one hand on the belly, one hand on heart or solar plexus, really wherever the hands feel most comfortable. And as you settle, really emphasize your exhales. Is that energy of releasing or letting go? And settling in. Eyes can close or soften and feel your body resting on the earth.

Feel your hands resting on your body. And gently begin to expand your breath. You can feel into this throughout the flow of the practice today, you might want full ujjayi breath and you might want a slightly softer breath. I'm just emphasizing a kind of gentle replenishing restorative energy. And then let's take a gentle ohm here together.

So exhale all the breath out. And through the nose, inhale. If you feel for it aligning your practice with intention, and let that intention root in the body And as you're ready, let the knees open a little, take the feet about hips distance, and then let the arms release into a kind of gentle cactus shape, big inhale, exhale let the knees fall to the left, just as far as feels good, inhale center, exhale let them fall to the right. In health center, and then just side to side when shield wipering the knees, the legs at your own pace. If you feel into anything kinda sticky or interesting, you can pause there, give it a few extra breaths. Otherwise, just keep easing side to side.

Yeah. Bringing a little blood flow, energy into low back, into the movement of the legs. Nice and easy. And then draw it back to neutral feet grounding. And let's hug the knees in towards the chest, gently wrap the arms around the legs rock a little here side to side. And then as you're ready, start to shift the rocking from side to side to forward and back, it can be really gentle at first, massaging the spine, And then gradually increasing that movement until you rock all the way up onto hands and knees.

Pressing the hands deep into the earth, stabilize here with your inhale lift, your tailbone, your heart, your gaze looking up, exhale rounding the back, releasing the head. Moving into cat cow here at your own pace rounding and arching the back, maybe spiraling the spine, circling the head. Maybe circling the whole torso. Again, nice and easy feeling for whatever or soothes the body most. Couple more breaths.

And then gradually, find a neutral spine. And let's take a really big inhale. And then exhale sink your hips to your heels. Oh, child's pose. These fairly wide.

Arms reaching out, resting forehead on the mat. And lay it all down for a few breaths. And just softening, settling. One more breath. And then keeping the foundation, let's inhale lift upper body a little.

And with your exhale, walk the upper body over to the right. And as you do, sink your hips back and down to the left. When you feel you're at your edge, ground your right hand, take your left hand on top of it and extend out through the arms, sink back through the hips. And rest here for a few breaths, opening left side body. And just settling in. Yeah. Inhale rise.

And then exhale. Walk the upper body all the way over to the left as you sink the hips back and down to right. Plant the left hand, take your right hand on top of it, ease back and down through hips as you reach out through arms and just rest. Couple breaths. Sensing right side body and softening here.

And when you're ready, inhale rise a little, and exhale. Just walk it back to center and exhale. Sing down into child. Take a neutral spine for one bra. With your next inhale rise to your hands and your knees.

And then talk the toes exhale up and back into downward facing dog. Yeah. Three, four, five breaths here, paddle the feet, ease into the backs of the legs, ease into the whole body. Just warming it up. Yeah. And then gradually, settle into stillness in your down dog.

Take a breath there. And with the next inhale, let's roll forward into plank pose and with your exhale, lower the knees, the hips, the belly, the chest. Come all the way down and then reach the arms out resting forehead on the earth. Just kind of offering it all up, laying it all down. Feeling the support of the earth underneath you.

One more breath. Mhmm. And then Draw the hands alongside the rib cage. And with your inhale, lift the heart a little, just a gentle cobra, and the exhale melt back down. Let's do that again. Inhale to rise, easy cobra, exhale, release.

Last one. Inhale rise as high as feels good. And exhale melt down. Then inhale press to your hands and your knees. Talk your toes and exhale go all the way up and back returning to down dog. One breath here.

With the next inhale walking the feet forward, find the front of the mat, and just an easy fold, hands fall, head heavy, relax the neck, Releasing, letting go. Clearing space. Okay. Then take hold of opposite elbows. And just kinda let the upper body sway a little side to side.

And exploring this, you're gonna keep hold of the elbows and kinda sway over to the right, then inhale roll up the right side of the body. And at the top, let the left elbow lead to the sky, heart to sky. And as you exhale, roll down the left side of the body. Let's do that again. Big circles, inhale roll up the right.

Take the left elbow up heart rising and exhale, melt down the left side once again, this direction and inhale roll up. I'm gonna lubricating the whole body. Exhale. Roll down. At the bottom, just sway side to side. And shifting directions, inhale roll up the left, and let the right elbow lead, lift through the heart gently look up, exhale melt down to the right, Again, inhale roll up left, heart rising, exhale down the right. Once again, this direction, inhaling. And exhaling down at the bottom, sway side to side, stay in the fold, release the hands to the earth, keep head heavy neck soft, inhale roll all the way to stand.

And landing, Samastitihi, feet together, hands to prayer, heart center, and take a breath here. Sweet. With the next inhale reach, arms go out and up. And with your exhale, simply dive into your fold, inhale length in the halfway, And with your exhale, step your left foot back and release the back knee down to the earth. Simple low lunge with the inhale reach arms to sky. And with the exhale ease in, breathe into your left hip flexors, lengthening out through spine, through fingertips, stay for a big inhale.

And with your exhale, release hands to earth, ease the hips back, art, Hamamasana. Inhale extend out through your heart, and exhale just melt into your fold opening the back of that right leg. Breat three. Mhmm, easing in. Two.

Okay. Let's float between these two. So as you inhale, come forward, bend your front knee, rise into your low lunge. And with your exhale hands to the earth, ease hips back lengthen right leg. Yeah. A couple more like that. Inhale to rise.

Exhale to release kind of deepening with each side cool. Log in, inhaling rise. Exhaling, release, ease, hips back. Mhmm. Then inhale come forward again into your low lunge. And with your exhale, keep the foundation just release hands to earth, tuck back toes, lift back knee step into downward facing dog.

And just pause. Take a breath or two. Yeah. And then with an inhale, reach the left leg to the sky, exhale to open the hip and the knee. Who's kinda loosen it up a little bit. Take another breath or two.

Yeah. And inhale reach, left leg to sky exhale. Step that left foot forward. Lower the back knee down to the earth. Inhale rise low lunge second side, easing into it, breathing into right hip flexors, really tall through spine. Yeah. And then give it a big inhale.

And with the exhale release, hands to earth, draw your hips back, lengthen left leg,arta, inhale, reach through heart. Exhale deepen into your fold. A few breaths here. Really warming the back of that left leg, melting into it. Another breath.

Yeah. And then we're gonna float between the two. Inhale to come forward, bend front knee reach into your lower lunge. Exale hands to earth, draw hips back. Artahanaman. Again, inhale, ease forward, rise, low lunge. Exhale hands to earth, draw it back. And again, inhale rise.

Exhale, hands to earth hips pull back. Then inhale rise low lunge. And with your exhale release hands to the earth, inhale, tuck your back toes, lift your back knee, and then step right foot forward to meet the left on the exhale, inhale lengthen halfway. Exale bow and fold. Just dissolve into it for a breath.

Mhmm. And then on your inhale rise all the way back to stand. Reach arms to sky. And exhale, hands to prayer, heart center, samastitihi. Take one breath here and big inhale.

Steady exhale. And then again, inhale reach arms out and up exhaling to bow out and down. Inhale halfway. And this time with your exhale step your right foot back. High lunge, ground the feet deep into the earth, inhale rise, exhale just ground and settled descending through your tailbone, lifting through deep low belly.

Then, stay for a big inhale. And with your exhale, bend at the elbows and just go wide. Feel strength of center supporting that opening, shine out through the heart. Inhale reach arms up. Exhale to open.

Good again. Inhale up. Exhale to open. Then inhale, reach it up. And with your exhale, let's release hands to the earth, lower the back knee, untuck the toes, and walk it into lizard. Hands or forearms to the earth.

Melting down, breathing into the whole bowl of the pelvis from any sticky spots. If you love the bind, if you feel for the bind, take it. The strap is there for a little support if you'd like. Breathing into right, quad muscles, inner left thigh. Mhmm.

And stay with it for three. Yeah. Two. Yeah. Big inhale. If you have the foot gently, exhale, let it go.

And then inhale, walk the upper body back in and up. Exhale, take the hands either side of the front foot. Tuck the back toes, lift the back knee, inhale reach the left leg to the sky, and with your exhale, open the hip, bend the knee. Give it a couple of breaths. And then just release into your down dog.

Yeah. Take a breath or two here. Soft through neck. I kind of keep returning to a sense of ease, softening, and replenishing. Okay. With the next inhale, we take the right leg to the sky, exhale to open the hip, bending the knee.

Mhmm, loosen it up a little, circle it, shake it out, circle ankle joint. You choose. And then inhale lengthen it up again, and exhale, float right foot forward. Ground through those feet inhaling into high lunge, second side. Exale to stabilize.

To send through tailbone, lift through deep belly. Yeah. And then take a big inhale, exhale bending at the elbows. Go wide open. Yeah. Inhale reach, exhale open. Inhale reach.

Exhale open. Then inhale reach. And with the exhale, simply release hands to the earth, lowering the back knee and take it into lizard second side. Hands inside front foot. Yeah. Take your time settling into it.

And find the expression of the pose that serves in this moment, right? It can change day to day. As is or right hand finds left foot or use your strap. Mhmm. Feel for the edges. Send the broth right into it. Good.

Three three. To one more breath. If you have that back foot very gently, let it go. And then inhale, walk up our body back in and up, exhale, hands either side of the front foot, talk the back toes, lift the back knee, look forward, big inhale, Excel left foot meets the right, inhale lengthen halfway. And exhale, again, just dissolve into your folds, soft through the neck.

Hands release. And an invitation here to take your favorite standing forward fold, padangusthasana, padahastasana, maybe a gentle interlace space of skull. Dissolving into it, more letting go for three. And two. And then just let the bind go, whatever you've chosen, and keep the knox soft.

Slow rise on your inhale. Let's roll all the way back up. And exhale, melt shoulders back and down. Yeah. Just loosen it all out, shake it all out, feet together, hands to prayer, coming home to Samasthiti. Taking a breath here.

The nice and easy with the inhale reach arms out and up again, Exhale into your fold. Stay in the fold and open the feet a little wider than hips distance, turn toes out, heels in. And then sinks its bones to the earth from Malasana yogi squat. You might kind of spin on the feet a little bit, finding equilibrium, finding center. Feel free to support the heels or even sit on your block and then hands to prayer at heart center. Breathing into foundation, breathing into the whole bowl of the pelvis.

Soften the gaze or even close your eyes. Let the breath be nourishing the pace the rhythm, be nourishing. Okay. From here, exhale release the hands to the earth and just let the back round and the head fall. It's incredible opening from the back of the skull, occipital ridge all the way down to the top of the hips. So the connective tissue through the back body can release here and dissolve into it, give it a couple more breaths.

Nice. Okay. We keep the head heavy. We keep the hands just resting on the earth. And with your inhale, sail the hips to the sky. X exhale, heel, toe the feet back to about hips distance, easy fold. Yeah.

Then inhale halfway and exhale simply step back into downward facing dog. Mhmm. Take a breath here. And with your exhale, release, knees to the earth hips to the heels returning to child's pose, kind of the ultimate, restorative pose. Lay it down, let it go few breaths. Mhmm, inhale, slow rise to hands and knees.

Talk the toes, exhale go back into your down dog just for the transition, inhale lift the right leg a little, and then exhale into pigeon, guide right knee, shin, forward and down. And take whatever support you might want underneath right hip glute area, then once you're grounded, big inhale lift through the heart. And with your exhale, walk the upper body out and down. You might even want your bolster under the upper body. Let it be really supported.

Releasing all the way to the earth. And a full five breaths here. Just give over to it. Couple more bra. And moving when you're ready, inhale, walk up her body back in and up, and then we're gonna keep the weight on the right leg.

And with your exhale swing the left leg around for double pigeon stacking left chin on top of the right, feet flexed. If you're feeling for gomukhasana legs, left knee on top of right, that's also an option. They're both hip openers. Gomukhasana is just moving more into outer hip IT band area. Okay. So ground through foundation.

If that's enough, you're welcome to stay right here. Otherwise, big inhale reach arms up. And with your exhale, ease into your fold, letting back round head fall. If you want to slide a block under the forehead, feel free. Again, whatever feels most supportive.

Dissolving into this. Five. Couple more breaths. If you're in the fold slowly inhale, walk it back in and up. And then with your exhale, you can actually use the hands to help unwind the legs, extend them out And just kinda rock and roll a little bit.

Good. Gentle transition, slide, feet in, cross ankles, plant hands step into downward facing dog. Take one bra. And then second side, inhale reach left leg a little, and then exhale guide knee, shin, through and down for pigeon. Again, whatever props feel best, be very well supported, then take a big inhale lengthen and exhale roll out and down. Melting into it.

Full, five breaths here. Few more breaths. With the next inhale walk upper body back in and up, Keep the weight on the left leg, exhale to swing the right leg around. And again, totally up to you, taking double pigeon feet flexed, shin stacking, or gomukhasana legs sliding right knee on top of left. And then once the foundation is grounded, long spine.

Feel free to stay where you are or inhale reach arms up. And exhale into the fold perhaps with block under forehead and breathe here. A few more breaths. Slow rise with the inhale, walk up her body back in and up. And again, exhale just gently support the legs as you unwind them, extend them out, rock and roll a little bit, kind of re leasing the joints.

And then simply bending the knees, gathering the legs in, and rolling all the way down onto your back. As you land, draw the knees in towards the chest, wrap arms around legs and rock your body a little side to side. Okay. Then we're gonna keep the right knee hugging in and just release, you can take left foot to the earth, knee bent, or you can extend the left leg all the way out your choice. From here, you can interlace the hands behind right thigh or calf. Or if you have a strap, loop it around the ball of the right foot and extend that leg to the sky.

Yeah. Taking the strap in the right hand. Taking the left hand to the left hip to help it ground. And then just kind of welcoming that right leg down towards the upper body. This is not about maxing out. It's definitely not about forcing just kind of easing into the depth of the stretch, opening the back of that right leg.

So breathing here for three. Two. Yeah. Okay. Keep the leg lifted. Release the strap if you're using it.

And then just bend the right knee. In towards chest, big inhale. And with the exhale, let that knee fall across the body to the left. It can land on the earth. It can land on a prop for a little support, your choice.

Then reach right arm out, ring it all out, breathing here for three. Yeah. Two. Gently come on back to center and then draw the left knee in towards the chest right foot grounding or right leg extending. Again, you choose. You can interlace the hands behind the leg or loop the strap around the ball of the left foot.

Reach that leg straight up to the sky and gently draw the leg down towards the chest. The right hand can help to ground the right hip or welcome the leg in. And explore the edges here, breathe into it. Three and two Good. If you have the strap, just let it go. Bending left knee draw it in towards the chest, take a big inhale, and exhale, let it cross the body falling to the right.

Left arm reaches out to the left. Breathe into the twist. Mhmm. A couple more breaths. As you're ready, inhale to come back to center. And then exhale, just ground both feet on the earth.

Okay. Finding your block, root the feet deep into the earth, big inhale, scoop the tailbone, lift the hips, slide the block probably middle height under the sacrum and maybe just a smidge higher than you would for a supported bridge. You'll sense it in a moment. And then once you're firmly rooted on the block, Just let arms rest and take the legs to the sky. Really, sweet, supported inversion.

And once you're up, sense that, if you wanna move the block, lower, higher, release the feet, ground, adjust, and then rise again. I'm letting the whole body just relax into this. Receiving all the benefits of the inversion with no strain. Another five breaths here. Last, letting the pose work its magic.

Yeah. Give it one more breath. And if you have the space, the desire, Of course, you're more than welcome to stay right here. When you feel ready, bending the knees, releasing the feet to the earth, and then just ground the feet, lift the hips, removing the block, releasing down, and then gently draw knees in towards chest, rock the body a little side to side. And as you're rocking, tune in. If your body is craving anything else, listen for that, it's one of the sweet benefits of slowing down.

There's a little more space to tune into what we feel for. Listen for that since that take that. And really, when you feel ready, finding your final rest, and I highly recommend a bolster, a pillow, a blanket, whatever you have handy, under the knees in your Shavasana. I wanna be very well supported here. So take the time to set up your final rest.

If you have any additional props near you, you could always lay a blanket over the body or just the pelvis. You can cover the eyes. Your favorite most supportive final rest. And then go ahead and lay it down, relaxing the body, softening mind, softening heart, relaxing subtle body, and letting your whole system rest. Gentle inhale.

Open the mouth, exhale. And if you have any additional props around you, a blanket across the body or just the bowl of the pelvis can be really grounding, covering the eyes, it can be really settling, whatever feels best. And then let the whole body sink into the earth, creating the conditions for the physical body to relax, which supports relax of mind, heart, subtle body, just offering it all up, and truly allowing yourself this space to rest and replenish. Gently inhale. Open mouth exhale.

Let it go. Never so gently begin to deepen your breath, bringing awareness back, bringing some movement into hands and feet. And then on an inhale reach, the arms up and over. With an exhale, bending the knees, feet to the earth, take your time, you might wanna roll to either side and nestle into the props there. Just making your way up into a comfortable seat as you're ready.

And as you find that seed, we're just gonna take a moment of meditation here together. From this kind of sweet, settled space, which allows the nervous system to calm a bit. Which supports the stillness of meditation, hands rest, gaze soft or eyes closed. And simply letting your awareness follow the rise and fall of your breath. And if and when awareness drift, no big deal.

Just notice and welcome your awareness back. Each inhale. Each exhale. And the sensations of the body responding to the movement of the breath. And then gently drawing hands to prayer at heart center.

It's closed with a very gentle, exhale all the breath out. Through the nose inhale. Inhaling, softball forward with your exhale, namaste. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.