Return Home

Next day, everyone. This class is a return home. It's exactly what it is. We'll be doing a breath work to connect with the body. And, also calm the fluctuations of our mind. And we'll go into a gentle flow and restorative practice from there.

You need a blanket and a bolster today. Please meet me in sukhasana. If you need to sit on your blanket, you can. If you need that extra support. Turn your palms to face down on your thighs and close your eyes when you're ready. Just letting this mark a transition.

From whatever it is you were doing a moment ago to arriving, being here now. One of the very first yoga sutras and a sutra is a thread of wisdom that really is descriptive of what yoga is. And the very first one, ata, yoga, Nushasanam, now begins the practice of yoga. So your practice really began at the thought that moment you decided that this is what you need right now, even before you stepped onto the mat. So take another breath here, filling yourself all the way to the top of your lungs. And exhaling all the breath out.

We're gonna begin with right, left nostril breathing. So you're gonna take your right hand, right thumb. Just place it to the outside of your nose and begin breathing through your left nostril. We'll do this for about a minute. Your fingers on the right side are pointing straight up. They're like little antennas.

I love doing breaths like this where we're closing off one side of the nostrils. Because it's nice to to see which side of your nose right now is dominant, meaning is there a clear path for the air to flow through the left side right now? And if there isn't, it's okay. If this is feeling too constrictive and you're not getting enough air, you could just breathe in and out through both sides and imagine your breathing only through the left. So left nostril breathing is cooling and calming.

Coincides with moon energy. You'll take another inhale to fill up and hold. Hold the breath. Hold the breath. Just relax your right hand and exhale through both nostrils. Inhale through both.

Exhale through both. Bring your left thumb to the left side. Close off the left nostril, inhale only through the right. Right nostril breathing coincides with sun energy, so it's more heated, more active, more masculine. I notice if this side is more open for you.

It's not to judge, but more. So for gathering of information. I like to call this breath, naughty cleansing. We're just cleansing those different circuits and channels of the body where energy flows through. So we're working with the two main naughties, right, and left nostrils.

Take a deep breath to fill up and hold. Release your left hand, exhale through both nostrils. And how deeply? Excel fully. Now raise your left hand.

Fold your two first fingers. For naughty Shodna, so the right side or the right thumb is gonna close that right side inhale left. Take your ring finger, close the left side open the right exhale. And how right? Close the right open left, excel.

In hell left. XL right. In hell right. Exhale left. Please do one more on your own. After you exhaled through the left nostril, just lower your right hand.

Take a breath in through both sides. And let that go. We'll come onto hands and knees tabletop position for a few rounds of cat cow. So breathing in through both sides and hailing. Feeling right and left nostrils exhale and round.

Inhaled to arch. Exhale to round. So this pose inviting you to come home to your body. It's familiar movement, often taught in yoga. Inhale arch.

Pause here, move your hands a few inches forward, curl your toes under, and downward facing dog. Pettle out your feet a couple of times, if you wish. Maybe downward dog feels like a coming home. Notice the left side of the body. Right side of the body.

Center of the body. And then inhale come forward to a plank. And gently lower all the way down to the mat. Pause in here for a moment. I'd love for you to pick up your right foot.

And reach for the back of the mat with your right foot and leg. So you want to extend the right side of the body and then set that foot down. Same thing with the left side. Lift the left foot reach with the whole foot and leg and set that foot down so you're feeling maybe a little bit longer through your legs. We're gonna extend the arms back and turn the palms to face in for Shalambasana, press into the mat with your pelvis firmly pressed down, lift your chest, lift your arms. For this one, Keep your feet on the mat.

In hell again, lifting, and exhale to lower. And now taking a clasp at your lower back, if that's available. If not, just keep your hands apart. Inhale, again, Shalumbasana. And your toes can lift off the mat here.

But reach, especially with your inner big toes, your inner legs, reach back. Firm the outer ankles in, lift both ends of your body, inhale. Exhale lower. And one more. You can take the clasp again interlacing the opposite index on top. Shaw and Basana lift your chest.

Lift your feet. Both ends lifting. Back of the body is very strong. Inhale one more time. Exhale lower.

Bring your hands on the mat, curl the toes under, inhale tabletop, exhale downward facing dog. We'll move through one round of Syria, namaskar, a, inhale, high toes, exhale, bend the knees, end of the exhale step up. Come up halfway for aida uttanasana. Full deeply, uttanasana. Inhale rise, feet, root down as you come up with strong legs.

Join your palms at your heart. Inhale arms to the sky. XL fold. Halfway up, inhale, step back, move slowly through Chaturanga. Inhale cobra or updog, exhale downward facing dog.

Breathing in through both nostrils, right and left out through both. And lower your knees to the mat. We're gonna set up on to the bolster now. So grab a hold of your bolster and just place it on the mat. It doesn't have to be centered.

Your blanket goes on at the very top of the bolster. We're coming into a supportive twist. So we're gonna start with the right thigh, front of the right thigh, right up against the bolster. Well, actually, another easier way to get through this is to sit up against the bolster and then drop your knees over to your right. Then you can move up closer to the bolster.

So that just helps you keep your knees apart if that's okay in your body. You've got that left foot back. The right foot is on top or just resting on that left thigh. And then you'll take your hands to frame your bolster. So inhale here for length.

Most of us know the mantra for the twist. We lengthen first. And then exhale, you can rest on top of it with that length. So you can place the right temple, the right cheek. On your blanket. You may not need a blanket.

It's there for added support. So just check-in with yourself. Check-in with the spine, the neck. So let the whole right side of the body rest on the bolster. Breathing through right and left sides of the nostrils.

But filling the right side of the body. Inviting the right side of the body to soften. Bringing your attention to your hands. We're gonna make our way out of that right side. So pressing down into the floor, lift yourself up.

You're just gonna turn. So swivel windshield wipe the legs over to your left side. Just like you did earlier, the bolster goes right up against that left thigh now, left hip and start to rest the body. On top of the bolster once more. Breathing in through both nostrils.

And inviting the left side of your body to soften. And how to fill both sides of the body. Exhale to soften the left side of the body. Bringing your attention to your hands again, press down, lift up. And you'll just take your bolster and place the bolster underneath the thighs.

The blanket can stay under your head to lie down into Shavasana. Rests the whole body. Notice first, like we did earlier, just the left side. Imagine breathing to fill only the left side. And the right side.

Breathe to fill only the right side. And the center of the body. Imagine feeling the middle center of the body. And now the whole body relaxes and rests for a moment, lay your whole body release. Start to deepen your breath.

Move your toes and fingers. Ben your knees, make your way slowly out into fetal position, or just come up to seated. However, you wish. We'll meet in Sukhasana. Joining the palms at your heart, bowing your chin and gratitude of this practice that brings us home to our self.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me. Namaste.