Yin and Yang Flow

Welcome. So glad you're here. This is a more dynamic and fluid practice that explores the play of Yin and Yang, stillness and movement. For this practice, it'll be nice to have a blanket under your knees if you'd like in two blocks. We'll begin in our beloved toe stretch.

As you're ready, tuck your toes under, and as you wanna feel more sense section in your feet, begin to walk yourself back, sitting on your heels, beginning to stretch and open the plantar fascia. Soles of the feet. You might even take a few shoulder rolls. Nice full exhale, melting the jaw. If you want a bit more fire and intensity, you might play with interlacing your fingers and just allow your upper back to round a little bit.

It might feel good to lean from side to side, and then lifting the heart opening the throat, arms might reach as you wiggle and lengthen. If you're going into a big arch through the spine, you might draw your front ribs in a little, easy through the neck. Notice the quality of the breath. You might even stick out your tongue for a lion's breath. Hexail that fire out.

Inhale, and then exhale roll the shoulders forward. You might interlace your fingers behind your back, opposite finger in front, and then lift the heart, the throat open the chest. Okay. Slowly or maybe quickly, release. We're gonna untuck our toes and then just tap the tops of the feet out.

Oh, nice. Let's flow through our cat cow. As you exhale, round your back, press the earth away, release your head. As you inhale lead with your heart moving into your extension, and then exhale, curl round stretch. You might explore what it feels like to draw your hips back in that rounded shape. And then inhale shoulders over the wrist, lengthen, continue flowing with your breath.

Might feel nice to soften the gaze in word. You might circle out through your hips. You might move into your ribcage, your shoulder blades up into your neck. Hands might stay where they are, you might spin your fingers towards your knees with your wrist away, exploring that sensation in your cat cow, a bit spicier for the hands and wrists. And then eventually easing up and back for your downward dog.

Spread the fingers wide, tuck your toes under, taking a moment to stretch out for the back of the legs. Releasing the back of the neck, you might come high up onto the balls of the feet, then pedaling out through your feet. Good. Let's lower back down and move into a shoulder thread here. So with the shoulders over the wrist, let's extend it out through our left leg. Point your toes forward.

You might tuck your back right toes under and just try to shift forward and back a little bit. Waking up the inner leg line. With the shoulders over the wrists now, we're gonna inhale reach the right arm up to the sky, an exhale thread, the right arm all the way through, coming on to the right side of the head. You might keep your left hand where it is pressed down as you gently rotate your ribcage. Your lungs, your hard up.

You might stretch your left arm long as you breathe here into the shape. Finding a place where your neck feels good. It's lengthening. There's space and ease without any pain. Back toes might be tucked, or you might release the top of the foot.

Whatever feels feels best for you. Noticing how the shape and the sensation kinda change with time here in the shape. Really feeling that, that play of effort and ease. As you're ready to transition, slide the left hand back underneath you. Keep your head heavy, press through the left hand.

Slow unwind. You might inhale your right arm up, circle out through your wrist, and then release both hands underneath your shoulders go ahead and draw your left knee back in. Let's take a few rounds of cat cow just to kinda wash that all through the body. And then shoulders over the wrists, extend out through your right leg, toes point forward, tuck your back, left toes, and just rock forward and back. Exploring the landscape of sensation through the groin, through the inner leg line. As you shift the shoulders over the wrists, we're gonna ground through our right hand in how the left arm up and exhale thread your left arm all the way through.

You might press down a little bit through your right hand as you revolve and spiral the heart, the lungs. Notice what you choose to do with your right hand. You might keep it where it is. You might stretch it overhead long. Hips might be right over the knees, or you might play with drawing your hips back.

Again, find what feels right for you as you breathe here into the shape. Focusing on the feeling the sensation over the form. Take your time to unwind. So I'll bring the right hand underneath the shoulder head heavy. Press through the right hand.

As you open, you might inhale reach the left arm up, circle out, and then lower down. Draw your right knee back and shoulders over the wrists. Few rounds of cat cow, exhaled around, inhale lengthen, exhale. Last one. We'll mean a downward dog, tuck the toes under.

We can pedal out through your legs. Feel how your spine can lengthen. The neck is long. Allowing for any movement that feels good. And then we'll take a moment to settle in downward dog.

You might bend the knees, feel the thigh bones lift back and up. Sitting bones, reach. And then inviting in some more dynamic movement as you're ready will inhale lift the right leg up to the sky. You might bend your knee, open your hip. If you'd like to circle out through your right hip, you're welcome to, or circle out through your right ankle.

Feel how you can press evenly through the hands. Inhale, stretch your right leg back up to the sky square the hips. And then exhale, we're gonna draw the knee towards the chest and step the right foot through for a lunge. Here's where the blocks might be nice, neither side of the right foot. We're gonna bend and come into a runner's lunge, and then press into the ball of the foot as you move into more of a long pyramid shape.

Bend the knee, lower the hips, lift the heart, press through the ball of your right foot. Nice long hamstring stretch. Two or three more rounds, bend and lower, lift. Press lengthen, bend, lower, lift the heart, press stretch lengthen. Let's do one more.

Good. Next time you bend your front right knee, we're gonna lower the back, left knee to the mat. Here's where we'll bring the blocks or the hands on the inside of the front right foot, toe heel your right foot wide. We're gonna pause and hold in a lizard shape here. You might keep your hands on the blocks.

You might lower your forearms down. Back toes might stay tucked or you might release the back of the foot to the earth, pausing here in lizard. Easy in the face and the jaw. You're welcome to lean a little bit from side to side. You might play with a bit of stillness as you drop in.

Breathing into the shape, allowing the muscles to soften and melt around the bones. Bones heavy and dropping. You more moments here. If you're on your forearms, begin to come on to your hands. We're gonna tuck the back toes under, lift the back knee and come into a dragonfly twist.

So your left hand might stay on the block or the floor, and we're gonna inhale sweep the right arm up for us twist. It might feel really nice to circle out through your right shoulder reaching the arm forward up and back a few times, bringing some juice into the shoulder joint Nice. We're gonna play with Skandasana from here, lower the hands to the mat, and then shift over quarter turn to your left. We're gonna bend the left knee and you can come on to the right heel with the toes. We'll go side to side here, bending the right knee, lifting the left toes, little fluid movement, feeling our hamstring, sing, feeling our hips and legs, wake up, finding your rhythm. Eventually, we'll meet with a left knee bent.

We'll pause here on this side. You might stay right here. You might play with grounding your left fingertips and reaching your right arm up, exploring a little side body opening. You might play with balancing for a beat, hands together at the heart. Good. And then we're gonna shift our way back, find the shape of the lunge, right foot forward, left foot back, And then step back downward facing dog, pedal out through the feet.

You might take a moment to settle into your downward dog. And then let's lower the knees and pause and child's pose between sides, softening the hips towards the heels, forehead towards the earth. Resting here for a moment. Again, as we play with exploring, yin and yang, Stillness and movement. Take your time.

We'll meet in downward facing dogs, spread the toes, spread the fingers, spread the toes, lift up. And then inhale reach the left leg up to the sky. Feel the back of the neck release, bend the knee open the hip. Press evenly through the hands. You might circle out through your left hip.

You might circle out through your ankle. Let it feel good. Let it feel like you. As you're ready, stretch the left leg back up to the sky, square the hips inhale, exhale knee to chest, and we'll step that left foot between the hands. You can bring your blocks back and around that left foot for some dynamic movement.

Find the runner's lunge as you bend the left knee, and then press into the ball of the left foot straighten the leg, wiggle the hips back, little pyramid action. And then bend the left knee, lower the hips, lift the heart. Press through the ball of the foot straighten the leg a bit, pyramid, bend the front knee, find your runner's lunge. Do about three more easing, forward, and back. You might even soften your gaze in word as you oh, from pyramid.

Bending the front knee into your runner's lunge. Good last one together, pyramid, press into the ball of the foot. Bend the knee, runner's lunge, lower the back knee down. Bring the block on the inside of that left foot, toe, heel the left foot wide. We're easing into our lizard on this side, easing in.

You might stay on the hands or lower to the forearms or the earth. You should like to turn the left toes out a little bit. I lean the hips, shift the hips from side to side as you explore the sensation. The front of the right thigh, hip. Notice what you choose to do with your neck.

Notice the quality of the breath as you settle in. Alright. So often you might allow for a deliberate sigh. Help the mouth and the jaw soften. Eventually coming up on to the hands, and then tuck the back toes. Keep your right hand on the block or the for, as you lift the back right knee up, circle, lift the top left arm up as you come into your dragonfly twist here, reaching from the heart into the hand.

And it might feel nice to circle through that left older a few times, forward up and back, feeling your ability to move and rotate and open. Creating space. Nice. Bringing the left hand down. We're gonna do a quarter turn to the right, playing with Gandasana bending the right knee. Might lift the left toes up as you come on to the heel.

And then shift over to the left, bending your left knee, shifting, and side to side. Nice fluid movement here. Breathing waking up the joints, and that eventually will shift over to the right. My ground through your right hand, inhale lift the left arm up. A little fun opening here. And you might play with bringing the hands together at the heart as you balance.

One side might feel more challenging than the other. Good releasing the hands. Nice fluid transition back to the front of the mat, shape of the lunge, left foot forward, right foot back. And then we're gonna step back into our downward dog again, pedal out through the feet, feel the back of your neck release here. Lower the knees child's pose, pause. He'll the weight of the bone, settle and drop.

You're ready. We'll transition up and bring our props off to the side. Let's transition onto the belly in preparation for an octave locust. Shalabasana. So as you bring your forehead to the mat, stretch your legs, stretch your arms. Find that internal rotation through your thigh bones. And as you're ready on the inhale, begin to lift your heart.

Your chest, you might lift your thighs, you might reach through your fingers. And as you inhale feel how you can lift and draw your back body into your spine, feeling the back body strong and active, Look down so your neck can lengthen, inhale brings you up a little bit, and the exhale lowers you to the earth forehead or you might turn and bring one cheek and ear to the mat pausing here. Might stay right here. Find one more round, active locust with the inhale lifting the heart, the arms, the legs, Long through the neck. The inhale lifts you up, up, up, and the exhale lowers you down forehead or turn and bring opposite cheek and ear to the mat.

Pause and notice. From here, bring the hands forward and set up for a sphinx pose. Now easing in towards a more hein like backbend, arms about shoulder width apart, elbows just slightly forward of the shoulders. Let's feel an active sphinx to begin with. So feel how you can use your arms to help draw the heart forward, feel that space and opening through the shoulders, the chest, lengthening out of the lower back, and then exhale begin to relax the spine, easing into a more passive, you like backbend.

And as it feels safe for your lower back, you might relax some of the gripping, some of the effort through the legs, the buttocks, the glutes. Notice what you choose to do with your head. You might support it, you might release it. Allow for a nice full exhalation. That passive approach to back bending might feel that dull pooling of pressure in the low back, just above the sacrum.

You might stay here in sphinx as you're inspired. You might explore the shape of seal where the palms turn out. The arms straighten. Further the hands are away from you, it tends to bring the feeling more into the mid back, the thoracic spine. And as you walk your hands in closer, it tends to bring the sensation. More into the low back, the lumbar spine.

Option to keep your legs where they are, maybe hips width apart. You might experiment with bringing your legs closer together. Which tends to bring the sensation more evenly up through the spine or legs wide tends to bring the sensation more kinda wide across the lower back. Finding that appropriate edge, that sweet spot for you where you can pause. Notice.

Exhale, soften, really listen inwardly for guidance. If you're up in seal, you might stay a bit longer, ease your way back into sphinx on the forearms. And how exhale elbows wide, melt the forehead to the hands. Pause. Near you might bend your knees and reverse windshield wiper your legs side to side.

Often coming out of these long, passive holds. There can be a temporary feeling of fragility, vulnerability. As you feel into a counter pose for your lower back, it might be a child's pose. You might simply roll on to your back and draw your knees into your chest. Again, finding your medicine, we will eventually meet on our back.

In preparation for rolling bridge. Once you have your knees into your chest rock from side to side, you might cross the ankles. If you're crossing the ankle switch, opposite ankle in front. When you feel ready, grounding your feet, feet about hips width apart, heels in line with your sitting bones. Let's bring the arms down alongside the body.

Allow for an inhale. And as you do so, draw the tailbone under press through the feet, lift the pelvis up, begin to stretch your arms up and overhead. You're in the full expression of bridge lengthening through the thigh bones. I'd imagine there's a block between the inner legs where you're hugging the outer hips in. And then with the exhale, we're we're rolling everything down, navel to spine, upper back, mid back, low back, pelvis, and arms released to the earth, four more rounds on the inhale, scoop the tailbone under and up, lift the pelvis, lengthen the spine, arms reach overhead.

With your next exhale, lower roll everything down to the earth. Three more inhale brings you up, lengthen, and with your exhale, everything lowers, navel to spine, rolling down. Inhale nice and fluid through the spine, lift and lengthen long through your neck, exhale roll round. Last one, inhale press through the feet, lift your hips, lift your arms, pause, and the full expression of your bridge. Keep your arms overhead as you exhale everything.

Roll down on empty upper back, mid back, feel that nice, beautiful traction in your lower back. Nice full breath in. Exale, let it go. To feel your feet as wide as the mat windshield wiper side to side. You might let your head gently rotate away from your knees.

Releasing through the hips, the legs, up through your spine. And as you're ready, stretch your legs long on the floor. We're gonna draw the left knee into our chest, right leg long. We're gonna explore a yin shape called cat tail. Bring your left knee across your body, tip all the way over to your right side.

You're gonna roll actually onto the front of your right hip and thigh bone, and then go ahead and support the weight of your head with your, with your hand. From here, option to stay here, option to bend your right knee and reach back for your foot. As you kick into your foot, feeling that sensation through the back thigh, and then maybe extending your top leg out. Inhale lengthen, exhale feeling that twist through the spine. You might stay right here.

If and as you need to deepen the sensation, you might begin to lay down rest your head and your hand as you feel the upper back begin to spiral towards the earth. Quite a dynamic shape here. Customize it for you. If you'd like to bend your top leg. Do so. Make sure your neck feels feels at ease. Feel supported.

And then explore gently breathing into the shape. Now you might feel like a sourdoughian pretzel. Notice within the effort where you can soften and relax any gripping, any tension. And in the spirit of yin, offering yourself to the shape passively. Okay.

We're gonna slowly mindfully unravel. So start by releasing your left hand, slow release your foot. And then we're gonna gently roll onto our back with that left knee into the chest, give it a little hug, a thank you, and stretch your leg long on the floor. Take a moment to pause with both legs, six extended, inhale, exhale everything. Let it go.

Let's feel into the second side. Draw your right knee into your chest, left leg long. We're gonna bring the right knee all the way across. Tip it all the way over. So your right knee is on the floor. Roll to the front side of your left hip.

And then from here, lift your head up with your hand. Pause here. You might stay right here. You might play with reaching for your left foot. With your right hand. As you need to feel more sensation for your back thigh, you can lift and draw your left thigh back.

You might play with extending a little bit through your right leg. You can kick as you'd like to into the hand. And this might be enough. On this side, you might explore, laying back into your left hand as you feel the heart revolve towards the sky. Customize the shape for you.

Notice the quality of the breath and where you can soften. Oocusing on the again, the feeling, the sensation over the form. Over what it looks like. I'm noticing how the shape the form morphs and changes with time as the fascia responds. When you're ready, we will slowly unpack the pose.

Start by releasing your left foot slow. Rolling onto your back, hug your right knee in, give it some love. And then release, reorganize your hips. From here, you might draw both knees into your chest and rock from side to side. And you might lift and curl into a ball.

Forehead towards the knees. And then slowly releasing into your Shavasana or join me in easing your way up towards a seat. Really letting your body guide you from within. Malao for an inhale. Nice full exhale.

And rest in the space you've created through your practice. Namaste. Thank you for being here.