Manifesting: Earth Solutions

Namaste. Welcome to practice. This next practice is for my Earth signs, Taurus, Virgo Capricorn. We love that you're grounded. We love that you're steady.

We love that you're loyal. We love that we can count on you. And we also want you to feel buoyant and joyful and light. So this will be a heart opening, back bending practice, Let's get started rub your palms together. And then you'll take your left hand into a flat palm palm upward with the right hand make a fist and then stick the thumb straight up. And let the fist rest right on top of the left palm.

Give yourself a breath or two right there. If you'd like to close your eyes, you can close your eyes. So our left hand represents the Shakti principle. Steady grounding, action oriented, and the right hand represents the shiva principle, inspiring envisioning, lightness, imagination. And both of these qualities together can create balance.

So let's keep the strength and the steadiness and embrace the lift and the lightness. Sound of ohm just once, breathing in. Good. And then you can open up your eyes if they're closed, give your hands a little bit of a shake out, and come off your block if you're sitting on one. We're gonna start standing for this practice. So you can come to stand at the top of your space, find your tadasana, take your hands in front of your chest, Anjali Mudra.

Give yourself a full breath in here. And as you breathe in, see if you can amplify the space of the chest just a little, a little higher, a little wider, drawing the shoulders back and down, steady your gaze, And we'll begin with our sun salutations variations. Hook your thumbs. Reach forward. Reach the arms all the way up.

And then a little hint of a lean back here. Just a slight opening just to get started. Swan dive, open the arms wide and fold forward over your legs, and you can bend your knees as much as you need to to get your hands down. From here, step your right foot back into a lunge, pressing into the palms downward facing dog with your breath out. Lift your heels and roll out to plank pose, lowering all the way down to the ground, lift up into baby cobra spread the fingers and lift the chest.

Release yourself back down, push into the hands, and move through hands and knees to downward facing dog. Reach the right leg all the way up. Step it between your hands, coming into a lunge, look forward. Bring the left foot to meet the right foot and bow forward into your legs. Rising all the way back up, arms above the head, join the palms look up, hands land at your chest with a breath out, hook a different thumb, reach the arms forward, reach them up, See if you can take them past the ears a little lean back, open wide and fold forward coming down.

Left leg steps back into a lunge, downward facing dog. Inhale forward to plank. Again, exhale lowering all the way down elbows can brush the ribs, lift the chest, lift the head, baby cobra, lowering right back down, pushing into your hands, move through hands and knees downward facing dog. Reach the left leg up, step it between your hands, bring the right foot to meet it, and fold forward into your legs. Back up with your breath in, hands to heart breath out.

Let's flow with it, hook the thumbs, reach forward, reach up, lean back, open up the arms, folding forward. Right leg steps back, Automukaswanasana downward facing dog, inhale to plank this time to the ground or Chaturanga up to you, upward facing where you stay with cobra. Tuck toes downward facing dog. Reach the right leg up, step it between your hands, coming into a lunge, bring the left foot to meet it, and bow forward into your legs. Back up with your breath in, hands to chest, breath out, hook the thumbs, reach forward, up, lean back, open up the arms, and fold forward.

Left leg steps back, downward facing dog. Inhale to plank, exhale chaturanga, rise up, lift the chest, look up, up dog, top toes, down dog, reach the left leg up, Step it between your hands, bring the right foot to meet it, and fold forward into your legs. All the way back up with your breath in, arms by your sides, breath out reach up through the arms, see if you can lift the chest, almost as if you've got a direct line from the sternum to the tips of the fingers, gaze is upward here. Hands come down to the ground and then straighten out your legs. Coming up onto the fingertips look forward, plant the palms hop or step your feet back chaturanga to up dog, pushing back downward facing dog.

Step your right foot forward, put your back heel all the way down. Come up to warrior one with your breath in. And even in your warrior one, exaggerate the lift of the chest, the stretching of the arms, straighten out your right leg, arms behind the back, interlace your fingers, lift up, lean it back, bend your right knee deeply folding forward, devotional warrior, drop your head inside your right foot. Gaays can be back towards the left heel. From here, left hand down, left heel up, lunge twist, open up your right arm, gaze can be up towards the right hand.

You'll take your full breath in there. Full breath out. A little different today. Boomerang pose. If you're unfamiliar, turn all 10 toes towards the right side of your mat. I'm on the sole of my right foot, the outer edge of my left foot.

Right arm can reach towards the back of your space. Lean the head back, lean the chest back, full breath in. Wides straddle forward fold in the opposite direction on the breath out. So now I'm facing the left side of my mat. Crawl your hands over towards your left ankle foot, calf, both hands on the ankle, and bend your right knee wide out to the right.

Going for that stretch down through the ribs and the intercostals full breath in here. Full breath out. Walk your hands through center. Catch your right ankle foot shin with both hands and bend your left knee wide out to the left. And I'm really working on moving the inner thighs in opposite directions.

That gives me a great stretch down through the left side body. Come back into center. He'll toe your feet in just one time. Take your hands to your hips, pull the elbows way back, push into the feet, come on up to stand. Open your arms out wide to the side shoulder height.

Give that a moment. Right? Imagine that the arms are pushing down into something. Chest is lifted, stretch the fingers out. Toast of the right foot turn all the way forward, toes of the left foot turn some of the way forward triangle pose. Tip yourself sideways, again, broad and open through the arms. Full breath in here.

Full breath out. One more big inhale, and exhale. Pushing into the feet, inhale your way up. XL warrior two longer stance. Right? So heel toe the left foot back a bit further. Open the arms out again, turn the right palm up lean back, peaceful warrior, reach all the way back.

Hands come down to the ground, and you'll step back, plank into Chaturanga, or you step right back to downward facing dog. Step your left foot forward back heel comes all the way down, warrior one, reaching up. Gay lifts up, throat open, full breath in. Full breath out. Straightening out your left leg arms behind the back opposite interlacing of your fingers, lift up and lean back, bend your left knee deeply, folding forward devotional warrior.

Turning the gaze back towards the right heel, drop the head completely. Lunch twist, right hand down, right heel up, lift the left arm, look up. And then we're right into boomerang pose. All 10 toes face the left side of the space, reach the left arm towards the back of your mat, press the back of the heart forward, lean the head back. Nice and open.

Wide straddle forward fold in the opposite direction. All 10 toes facing the right side of your space, bringing the hands onto the ankle or the foot of your right leg, bend your left knee wide out to the left. Crawl your hands through center over towards the left ankle or foot, bend your right knee wide out to the right. Walk your hands back into center, heel toe your feet in just once, hands to tips, pull the elbows back, press into the feet, come on up. Once again, wide open arms, reaching in two directions.

Turn the toes of your left foot all the way forward, toes of the right foot, some of the way forward, Utita trikonasana coming down. Open up the chest, strong through the legs, push the feet down, full breath in, full breath out. Inhale your way up, exhale warrior two, take your longer stance, take up more space, stretching through the arms, left palm turns up peaceful warrior, bring your hands down to the ground, stepping back, plank into Chaturanga, or your right to downward facing dog. And then we're gonna repeat that and add on to it. Step your right foot forward, put your back heel down.

Coming up to warrior one. And now we're flowing with it straighten out the right leg, arms behind the back, interlace, lift up, lean back, bend your right knee, calm on down. Heart above the head, pouring forward, lunge twist, left hand down, left heel up, stretch up through the right arm. Boomerang poisal tend toes face the right side of your space. Reach the right arm back.

Wide straddle forward fold in the opposite direction. You've got options here. If you're keeping your feet on the ground today, you'll walk your hands over towards your left ankle, and hold your left ankle. If headstand is in your practice and you'd like to come up into your tripod headstand, you'll come up pushing the hands down, lift the feet up. If you're keeping your feet on the ground, you can walk your hands over towards your right ankle, catching your right ankle, bend your left knee.

If you brought your legs off the ground, you can place them back down. We'll all come back up onto the fingertips, slightly more narrow stance, hands to hips, elbows back, push into your feet, come on up to stand. Open your arms out wide to the side shoulder height, triangle to the front of your space, coming right into it, turning the toes, tipping. Tipping right into it. From here, this time, take your left arm behind your back. You can reach for your right thigh or just drape the arm across your back.

Take your right arm towards the front of your space and come all the way up to stand. Bend your right knee, half bound peaceful warrior leaning back. From here, you've got extended side angle with your breath out. So it could be forearm on thigh, If you like to use a block for extended side angle, you can take the block right outside of your right foot, and then go ahead and reach your left arm over your ear and turn the chest. Gaze can be up underneath your left arm. Full breath in here, twisting a little deeper, finding a little more lift, breathe in.

And breathe out. From here, a left hand, left hip, walk the right hand forward, Artichendrosan, then you can take your block with you, lifting up through the left leg, And then if you want it, bend the left knee behind you, see if you can catch the left ankle with your left hand coming into Artachandra Chapasana. So the more we think of pulling the inner right thigh forward outer right thigh back with this one, it stabilizes the bottom leg. And then we can find a bit more openness across the chest. There's that balance.

Extend the left leg back out. Slide back warrior two. Find your feet on the inhale straighten out your right leg. On the exhale, let it bend. Turn the right palm up and lean back.

Peaceful warrior. Bring your hands down on either side of your right foot. Spin up your left heel here in a lunge. Lower your left knee down. Point the toes of your left foot.

Same as you did in the beginning of practice, hook your thumbs, lift your arms up, and now we're really leaning into that Anginae, right? So lift the chest, see if you can take the arms past your ears, and lean back, lean back, and trust the foundation deepening the bend of the right knee, full breath in here. Full breath out. Inhale your way back up, exhale bring your hands down on either side of your right foot. Step back into a plank pose. Roll onto your left hand and your left foot, Vasisthasana, side plank, stretching up through your right arm.

Little bit of a tricky transition here. Take the right arm underneath your left ribs and come down onto your right forearm. Roll right over to your right forearm and your right foot side plank on the right forearm, reaching up through the left arm. From here, plank on both forearms, bringing both hands down, And then you'll take right hand under right shoulder, left hand under left shoulder, regular plank to chaturanga, to up dog, to push back downward facing dog, step your left foot forward, back heel comes down, rise up warrior one, inhale to straighten out your left leg, exhale arms behind the back, inhale to lift up, and exhale, bend the left knee deeply folding forward, devotional warrior. Lunge twist, right hand down, left arm up and look up.

Boomerang pose all 10 toes face the left, reach the left arm back, full breath in, Wides straddle forward fold opposite direction with the breath out. One more opportunity here to go upside down with a headstand, to go upside down, keeping your feet on the ground if you prefer. Again, it could be a block underneath your head. You might walk the hands through your legs, taking a deeper forward fold. That's still flipping the perspective.

Let your feet come down. Come up onto the hands. He'll tow the feet in slightly closer. Hands to hips elbows pull back. Press into your feet, come on up to stand open your arms out wide to the side shoulder height, toes of the left foot forward, triangle pose, reaching up.

Folding the right hand behind your back, stretch the left arm forward, come all the way up, half bound, peaceful warrior, bend your left knee lean back. Right into extended side angle, Utita, parsvakanasana, and you can reach for a block there, taking your right arm overhead, stretch it towards the front of your space, stretch the inner right thigh towards the back of your space, and turn the chest up from the steadiness of the legs, find that lift, find the lightness, breathe in, breathing out. Right hand to right hip, walk your left hand forward, artichendrasana, lifting up through your right leg, and then either you keep the right leg straight or bend the right knee reaching back for your right ankle with your right hand, Artachundra Chapasana. Tip the head back, opening up. Full breath in. Full breath out.

Extend the right leg back out. Slide back to warrior two. Inhale straighten out your left leg, exhale let it bend, turn the left palm up lean back to peaceful warrior, hands come down on either side of your left foot, spin up your right heel, lower your right knee, pointing the toes, hook a different thumb in front for Anginae Asana lifting up through the arms, and then let yourself go into it, leaning back, Bending the left knee more deeply. Again, if you'd like to cactus the arms here, you can do that. And then inhale the arms back up, exhale bring your hands back down, plank pose, rolling onto your right hand, right foot, side plank, vasisthasana.

Full breath in. On the breath out, left arm slides underneath you're coming down to the left forearm rolling onto left foot. Open up your right arm. Plank on both forearms, left hand and right hand regular plank, chaturanga, Upward facing downward facing dog. Lift up your heels, bend your knees, look forward, hop or step your feet forward and fold into your legs.

Wut kitasana, bend the knees, reach up through the arms. From here, eagle wrap, left leg on top left arm underneath. You can single or double wrap the left leg and start to come forward rounding through the spine. Keep your gaze steady. Sheva Natura Josana, you'll reach back for your left ankle with your left hand. Hand can be inside or outside of your left ankle.

Take your right arm up and begin to kick the left leg back. Keeping the heart as buoyant as possible here. Full ruthen. Full rut out. Step your left foot to meet your right foot, hook both thumbs above your head.

Standing back bend, push the feet down, feel all that anchoring and then lift up, lean it back. Pressing into the feet, inhale your way up. Eagle other side, right leg on top, right arm underneath, and start to come forward. Allow the front body to narrow back body widens. Coming out into Shivanaturaajasana, reaching back for your right ankle with your right hand, inside or outside of your right ankle, left arm lifts.

Full breath in. Kicking with the breath out. And sometimes a little bend, a micro bend in that left knee can be helpful here. And step your right foot to meet your left foot. Hook your thumbs above your head, but different this time.

Take your feet a little wider. And soften your knees. And this is just a good example of how we need that Earth element. Right? Take the feet wider, ground, and anchor the feet and the legs, and then out of that, we have our standing backbend again. Pull up, try not to let the knees lock out, leaning back, knees forward. And even here, maybe the arms open.

And if you need to keep your hands on your lower back instead, you'll do that, but give yourself that big lean back. Offer it up. Pushing into the feet, inhale your way up, exhale release your arms by your sides. Breathe. Your left hand across your chest, your right hand over your left hand. Let your head bow in towards your beating heart.

And wait. And notice how instantaneously the breath slows. The heart rate slows. When we bring awareness to it, it snaps us into presence. From here, in how reach both arms up, look up, On the exhale, soften the knees and fold yourself forward.

Step your right foot back into a lunge, step your left foot back, you're in plank pose, drop your knees, child's pose. And then either you're staying in your extended child's pose or crawl your hands forward, Anahatanasana. So you're dropping the heart down. Pressing into the hands, maybe the chest comes down, chin, or forehead. Take your hands wider if you need to for your shoulders.

Full breath in. Sink the chest breath out. Push into your hands. Roll your way through. Let's land in a sphinx pose.

Take your right hand on top of your left hand. Turn your head to the right. Let your left ear come down. Stack your left hand on top of your right hand. Turn your head to the other side.

Come back into center and right away rolling over onto your back. Step your feet down to the ground, knees are bent, coming back into constructive rest pose. And again, left hand over the center of the chest, right hand over the left hand. Just breathe. And I find constructive rest to be such a soothing pose.

It's when I come back to again and again. And we'll take our home right from here, breathing in. You're welcome to stay there a bit longer if you need to. Otherwise, we can roll over onto the right side. Come on up to sit.

Thank you so much for sharing your practice. Namaste.