Flow for Focus

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this flow, for focus, this practice and presence. Let's begin on our backs. So if you'll join me, we'll start in constructive rest. So as you come onto your back, Step your feet as wide as your yoga mat. Let your knees knock into touch. And then place your hands anywhere on your body that feels comfortable for you.

Maybe the low belly or one hand to the heart. One hand to the belly. If it feels comfortable for you to close your eyes, just take a moment to let your eyes soften and close. Turning the gaze inward. And just taking a moment to start by stopping.

Start to notice the rhythm of your breath, letting the mind start to focus on the rise of the inhale. That grounding letting go quality of the exhale noticing the parts of the body that are making contact with the earth. And then as you rest your awareness to the breath, we'll work with a mantra in today's practice. And the mantra today is I am focused. I am present.

I am here. So you could silently repeat that mantra to yourself as we move through this practice, maybe as an intention as a way to start to focus the mind. I am focused. I am present. I am here.

Beautiful. And as you're ready, start to reach your arms all the way up over your ears and drop both knees to the right side. So take a nice, easy twist. You might gaze over the opposite shoulder. On an inhale draw your knees back through center, and then let both knees drop over to the left. You can gaze straight up or maybe over that right shoulder. And then start to windshield wiper knees from side to side at your own pace.

Just as a way to start to wake up the body, feel into your spine, your glutes, your hips. Starting to link your breath to the rhythm of your movement. Maybe taking one more to the right and to the left. Beautiful. And then coming back through center, we'll take eagle legs. So cross your right knee on top of your left knee. You're welcome to let that foot float open or you could hook that right foot behind your left calf and then take eagle arms.

We'll wrap the right arm under the left, maybe bringing the back of the hands together or the palms together. And then start to draw the elbows up and away from you. That left foot is on the ground for now. Allow a very big full breath in. As you exhale, draw your elbows to your knee and your knees to your elbows as you hover up through center, hug everything in.

We'll do that two more times. So as you inhale draw everything away from you, as you exhale hover, draw the elbows to the knees, knees to the elbows. One more inhale draw away. And exhale crunch in through center. Beautiful. And then as you release that, bring the soles of the feet to the ground, knees, or hips distance, press the palms of your hands into the earth and press up into just an easy bridge pose. So gently lifting your hips up, maybe about 50% of your effort.

Just feel that opening in the front line of your body. Allow a big breath in. And exhale lower your hips all the way down, and we'll just take that to the other side. So as you're ready, cross your left knee on top of the right, eagle legs. This time the left arm comes under the right, wrap it up.

Start to draw the elbows away from you. You can keep that right foot on the ground for now. Allow a very big full breath in. As you exhale, hug everything into the midline, elbow to knees, knees to elbows. Two more inhale draw away, exhale hover in, and one more inhale draw away, and exhale hug everything in.

Good. And then release that soles of the feet to the ground, press up into bridge pose one more time. Feel that opening, the front line of the body pressing through the soles of the feet, the palms of your hands, lift the hips. And then gently let your hips lower down, hug your knees into your chest, give them a squeeze, maybe rock a little, side to side massage the low back. Take your hands behind your knees and start to rock up and down along the length of the fine. And as you come up to the top, you might find a little airtime in Navasana boat pose and then rolling on back.

Coming up, maybe find a pause in boat. And then one more time, roll back. Come on up. Find navasana and then cross at your ankles and we'll come to tabletop position. So take your time to come to all fours. And as you do that, let your shoulders come over wrist We're gonna cross the right knee behind the left knee and then open the feet wide almost as wide as your yoga mat. So you almost have eagle knees in tabletop position.

From here, Turn your left fingers to face the left side of your mat or towards you to stretch through that left wrist. And then start to take some circles here in barrel rolls, in this tabletop, move around in a way that it feels good to move, so you could take clockwise, counterclockwise, maybe you're lingering somewhere as you feel into a nice stretch. Beautiful. And then center your weight. Come back through center. Turn your left hand to face forward, float your right leg behind you, flex through the right foot, and then reach that left arm forward.

So that you're shaking someone's hand with that left hand, the right leg is reaching back actively pressing through the right heel. Allow a very big full breath in, and then draw your elbow to your knee and your knee to your elbow and hover. We'll do that two more times. Inhale reach forward and back. Xhale knee to nose, elbow to knee.

And one more inhale reach forward and back, find length, exhale elbow to knee, knee to elbow. Beautiful. And then inhale reach forward and back. Let your left hand find the ground. And then step this right foot forward between your hands. So, we're coming into a low lunge on Janey Asana.

You might need to adjust your stance just a bit. Once you have that solid base, Reach your arms up. We'll take eagle arms so let your left arm come under your right arm. And again, you can bring back of hands together or palms. You might even hold onto your shoulders if that feels best for you.

Start to draw the elbows up and away from you. Maybe lift up through the gaze. Allow a very big full breath in. And then exhale hands come to the earth frame your front foot. Shift back for half split, Artahanamasana.

Allow a few full deep breaths breathing into the back of your right leg. Feel that nice hamstring stretch. Beautiful, and then re bend your right knee. We'll step back to down dog so stepping your right foot to meet the left, finding this first down dog, maybe you're pedaling it out a few times. Feeling into the back of your legs, feel free to put a soft bend in the knees or step the feet a little wider.

Find some length in your spine as you press evenly through all 10 fingers. Good. And then inhale forward to plank pose, top of a push up, take a moment to land. We'll take a slow lower all the way down to the belly. Welcome to lower your knees as you lower on down, untuck your toes. Reach the arms behind you.

Maybe catch an interlace or just reach back actively. Coming into Shalabhasana, start to peel the chest up, maybe add the legs. Draw your shoulders away from the ears and think about lifting and lengthening versus trying to come up too high. Find some length in the back of your neck. Big breath in, exhale release, bring your hands next to your side ribs, press back to child's pose for a moment.

Let your hips sink to your heels, settle in, find the breath, That grounded quality of child's pose. Beautiful. And your next breath in will round back up to tabletop position and just take that all to the other side. So cross your left knee behind the right. Open the feet as wide as your mat. This time, turn the right fingers to face the right side of the mat or towards you to stretch into that right wrist and then find some movement. So either direction, clockwise.

Counterclockwise, feeling into any sensations here as you wake up through the hips, wrists. Beautiful. And then, centering your weight, turn your right hand to face forward. Sweep your left leg back this time. Flex through your left foot. We're floating that leg up off the earth and reach your right arm forward like you're shaking someone's hand.

So reaching through the right fingertips back through the left heel. Allow a big breath in. Elbow to knee, knee to elbow, hover here. And two more. Inhale reach forward and back. Xhale knee to nose.

Inhale lengthen forward and back. Exhale elbow to knee, knee to nose, hover around the spine. Go reach forward and back. Place your right hand down and step your left foot through between your hands. So coming back into that low lunge on Janey Asana, you might adjust your stance a little.

Let the left knee be right over the left ankle. And as you come up, we'll come into eagle arms this time, the right arm, wraps under the left. Start to draw the elbows up and away from you as you sink in just a little deeper into the legs, allowing a very big breath in, maybe gaze up. Good. And then releasing hands on either side of your front foot shift back for Arda, Hanamasana half split, lift the toes up off the earth. Draw the left hip back.

You're welcome to keep a bend in the left knee. We just want to find that sensation. In the back of the left leg, find your edge and soften. Find the breath. Good. And then re bend through your left knee.

We'll step back down dog, tuck the back toes, step your left foot to meet the right, allowing a couple breaths here. If it feels good to keep pedaling it out, go for it, or maybe you're starting to find stillness, finding one point of focus, you're drishti, you're gaze. Where our attention goes, our energy flows, so being deliberate with the focus, with the gaze. Inhale to plank pose, exhale lower all the way down, hug the elbows in as you lower. Shalabhasana reach the arms back, maybe catch an interlace with the opposite thumb on top, peel up, lift and lengthen, find length in the back of your neck, gently engage your core to protect your spine.

Good. And then lower hands. Come next to the side ribs. Press back one more time, child's pose, hips to heels, feel that opening through the back body grounding, pose of the beginner ballasana. And inhale round up through cat pose, find that opening in the spine, tuck your toes, lift the hips up and back, downward facing dog, allow a very big full breath in. And a long full breath out.

Good rise high up onto your toes. Bend your knees. Look forward. Step or lightly hop your feet to your hands. Come to the front of your yoga mat.

On an inhale lift halfway, Arta uttanasana, exhale fold in, and then bend your knees deeply for chair pose, uttanasana, sweep the arms up. Good. Let your weight come back into your heels, draw the shin bones back. Allow a very big full breath in and then straighten the legs and draw your hands together in front of your heart. And just take a moment here to pause, to breathe, Find that focus on the breath, maybe coming back to that mantra. I am here.

I am present. I am focused. On your next breath in, come back into chair pose utkatasana, bend the knees deeply sweep the arms up. Big breath in. Exhale right back into forward fold, uttanasana.

Inhale to lift halfway, lengthen your spine, plant your palms, step to plank pose, shift forward. Welcome to lower knees, come halfway or all the way down, You could stay with cobra or Shalabhasana or maybe upward facing dog, big full breath in, exhale roll over your toes, downward facing dog. Allow a big breath in. A long breath out to release. Beautiful. Flow your right leg all the way up and back.

And then start to draw your knee in towards your nose. We'll take a big step through between the hands. Stay on the ball of your back foot. So we're finding balance here. You might widen your stance coming up into high lunge this time, press and pose.

As you sweep the arms up, soften the back knee just a bit, let your tailbone melt down. Energize up through your fingertips and allow your shoulders to soften down the back. Feel that expansion across the chest, the heart space. Allow a big breath in. Good. And then open up to warrior two.

Face the side of the mat. Take a moment as you open up, finding that 90 degree bend in your front leg, really activating through the back leg, sealing the outer edge of the back foot down, then it's allowing the shoulders to soften. Just a bit. Find your drishti. Right over that right middle finger, focus your gaze. Keeping the legs as they are, flip your front palm on an inhale tilt back reverse warrior.

Feel that nice length through the right side body. Allow a big breath in. Good. And then circle hands down to the ground. We'll step back to plank pose, shift forward chaturanga exhale. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog, and exhale meeting back.

Downward facing dog, clearing that side with a big full breath in. And a long breath out. As you're ready inhale left leg sweeps up and back, draw the knee in towards your nose. Step all the way through. Again, setting up for crescent may be wide in your stance.

I'm going to step my right foot to the right a little. Find that solid base. And then once you have that, sweep your arms forward and up. Take a moment to land. And this is a balancing pose.

If you find that you're wobbling a little bit, you're not alone. It's a practice in presence. Find that focus. That one point to focus your gaze. Let your back knee soften.

And then energize up through the fingertips, but as you lift your arms, let your shoulders soften down the back. Relax your gaze. Big breath in. And then go ahead and open it up for warrior two. Take a moment to arrive.

Let your weight be centered right over your pelvis, soften your shoulders. Then once you find that shape with the legs, then come to your gaze, you're drishti, over the left middle finger. Take a moment to find that focus. Strong legs, lightness and ease in the upper body. Good. Keep the legs as they are.

Flip the front palm. We'll tilt back reverse warrior. Light on the back fingertips. You might even sink a little deeper into that front leg. Feel that nice length in the left side body.

Big breath in. And circle hands down, runner's lunge, step to plank, shift forward chaturanga exhale, inhale cobra or up dog. And exhale back. Down dog, big breath in. Long full breath out to release. As you're ready rise high up onto toes, bend your knees look forward and then step or lightly float your feet to your hands.

Come back to the front of your yoga mat. On an inhale lift halfway and lengthen, exhale fold. Big bend in the knees, right back to chair pose, utkatasana arms sweep up, sink in, and then press to stand, draw the hands together in front of your heart. Take a moment to land, arrive, notice where that movement lands in your body, feel into your heartbeat. Beautiful. And then step the feet a little bit wider so they're about hips distance.

We'll play with a few balancing shapes here. Again, practice in presence, finding one point to focus your gaze, something to look at that's hopefully not moving, and then we'll come into ego pose, start softening the knees, we'll bring the weight into the right leg, pick up your left leg, cross it on top of the right. Now, you can kickstand the left toes down. You can float or you can wrap that foot behind your right calf. Take the left arm under your right. Draw the elbows away. Squeeze the inner thighs together.

Fine, mister Steve. If you fall out of it, it's part of it. Come on back in. Good. And then try to keep the arms as you stand up tall on that right leg, draw your left knee into your chest. Transition warrior three.

So let your left leg draw back behind you. Draw the elbows away from you. And then right back into crescent pose. We'll let the left toes, find the back of the mat, sweep your arms. Back up.

Gotta draw your hands together in front of your heart. We'll take a twist here. So come halfway forward. Keep the length in your spine. Twist from the naval up.

Hook your left elbow. To the outside of your right side. Draw the prayer in front of your heart. Always welcome to lower that back knee down, or you can keep it lifted a little more active that way. With every inhale, find some length in your spine.

With every exhale ease into the twist, just a little bit more. And allow one more big full breath in. As you exhale gaze down, let your hands frame your front foot. We'll set up for pyramid pose. Step the left foot in into the left a little, and then let everything drape down over that front leg, drawing the right hip back. Let the left hip roll forward.

Let your torso be nice and long. Breathe into the back of your legs. Beautiful. And then gazing forward start to crawl your hands forward, we'll float the left leg up to the sky. It doesn't have to be too high just playing with balance for standing split. Maybe holding on to that right ankle with one or both hands. Good. And then softening through your standing leg.

Step your left foot to meet the right, soft knees, and take a nice slow roll. One vertebra at a time. Let the head be the last thing. To arrive and just take a moment to re ground, feel the soles of your feet grounded on the earth, maybe shift the weight forward and back a few times. Find your center.

Find your drishti And then we'll take that to the other side. So this time, transferring the weight to the left. Cross your right leg on top of the left. You can kickstand, float or wrap. This time the right arm comes underneath the left. Squeeze the inner thighs together.

Let the hip shift back. Find your drishti. Find that point to focus. Your gaze. Beautiful. And if it's okay with you keep the arms as they are, you're welcome to release them.

Draw the right knee into your chest. From the core, we'll lever it back for warrior three. Keep finding that drishti, that focus point. Let your right leg go back. And then you can find crescent.

Right toes, find the back of the mat. Sweep the arms up. And just notice how's your balance today? Sometimes it's a little wobbly. It just depends.

We meet ourselves where we are. So from Crescent, draw your hands together in front of your heart. We'll take a twist coming halfway forward, twisting from the naval up this time, hook your right elbow to the outside of your left. Draw prayer in front of the heart, stack the elbows, really activating through that back leg. You're always welcome to lower the back knee down.

More than anything, find the breath, allowing a big full breath in to lengthen and a long breath out to ease into the twist just a bit more. Big full breath in gaze down, hands frame your front foot. Step your right foot in into the right pyramid pose. Couple breaths to let everything release down, drawing left hip back, right hip forward, breathe into the back of your legs, let it feel good. Look forward, crawl your hands forward, float the right leg up, standing split.

Maybe hold on to that left ankle with one or both hands. Beautiful soft in your standing knee. Step the right foot to meet the left, roll up nice and slow. One vertebra at a time. Draw your shoulders up towards your ears, roll them down the back, allowing a big full breath in, softening here.

Good inhale, sweep the arms up. Gaze up, exhale forward fold. Inhale lift halfway lengthen. Step back to plank pose. Feel free to move through your vinyasa chaturanga.

Inhale cobra or up dog. Exhale down dog. We'll come to seated at the front of the mat as you inhale rise up onto toes. You're welcome to lower your knees or hop the feet forward. Bringing the legs out in front of you.

We'll set up for Gomukhasana. So I'm gonna cross my right knee on top of the left and draw the heels in toward me. If this is too much in the legs, this posture is certainly not for everyone. You could take a seated sukhasana forward fold and just go from there. Otherwise, crossing that right knee on top of the left, see if you can allow the sitting bones to find the earth to ground.

You could stay upright or maybe walk your hands forward a bit. I like to use my hands to press back a little to really root through the sitting bones, tucking the chin, and finding a nice stretch in the outer hip. Allowing a few breaths here, sending the breath to any sensation that you're feeling. Maybe it's a lot of sensation. It certainly is for me in the shape.

Good. And then slowly, take your time, walk your hands back in, and we'll just switch sides. So we're bringing the left knee on top of the right. The heels come in towards you, wiggle in so the sitting bones are rooted. You might hold on to your feet. You could even use your thumbs to massage through the soles of the feet or maybe walk your hands forward.

Again, I just like to press back a little bit, letting the sitting bones root tucking the chin, finding that nice stretch in the outer hips. Or wherever you feel this, noticing that sensation, sending the breath there. Beautiful as you inhale slowly. Come up, we'll stretch the legs out long in front of us, sit up nice and tall on your sitting bones, flex through your feet, wiggle in. On an inhale sweep the arms up with a long spine, fold over your legs Pashimottanasana letting the hands fall wherever they fall.

Sending the breath to the entire back body, the hamstrings. Good. And then as you inhale slowly come up, we'll come back onto our backs, gathering the knees into the chest, give them a squeeze. And then one more bridge as you let the soles of the feet find the ground, hips distance, ankles right under your knees. Press through the soles of the feet and the palms of your hands, lift the hips, scoot the shoulders underneath you.

You're welcome to interlace or just press your hands actively into the earth, feel that opening in the front line of the body. Allow a big breath in lifting from your hamstrings and then exhale just slowly lower your hips down to the ground, cross your right knee on top of the left, eagle legs, cactus your arms, on either side of your shoulders and then scoot the hips to the right a little. Drop the knees to the left, maybe gaze over that right shoulder. Ring it out. And if it feels like too much of a pull on the low back, you're welcome to uncross the legs.

Stack at your knees. Any twists to ring everything out. As you inhale slowly unravel. Come back through center. Cross your left knee on top of the right, eagle legs cactus your arms, scoot the hips to the left a bit, dropping the knees to the right, maybe gazing over that left shoulder. Rang it all out, let it feel good.

What might you soften and release here? Good. And as you're ready, come back through center, unravel, We'll hug the knees in one more time, wrap your forearms around your shins, draw your nose up to your knees, hug everything in, allowing a very big full breath in, and a long breath out, maybe sigh it out to release. Everything into Shvasana, our final resting pose, taking a moment to let your legs go long on your mat, bringing the palms to face up on either side of the body, let your body feel held here. I am focused. I am present. I am here.

Just rest. Welcome to stay in Shavasana. This pause for as long as you'd like. Otherwise inviting in some movement. Maybe rock your head side to side, move your fingers, your toes.

And we'll make our way back to seated either rolling to one side or just simply rolling on up. Take a moment to land. Hands together in front of the heart and gratitude. Thank you so much for sharing this practice with me. The light and loving me greets and honors. The light and loving you.

Namaste.