Gratitude Flow

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this heart focused flow, this gratitude practice. The mantra that we will be working with in this practice is I am open to giving and receiving love. So if you'll meet me seated, just taking a moment to find any comfortable seated position, cross legged seated position. And just take a moment to land, to arrive, to notice what you're showing up to practice with today, maybe close your eyes, scanning through your body, noticing your breath, and resting your awareness on the heart space. Perhaps feeling the beating of your heart.

The energetic heart, the physical heart, Anahata. Maybe placing one hand on the heart, And then that hand on top of that hand, bowing your head towards your hands. And again, just stating that mantra to yourself. I am open to giving and receiving love, allowing a big breath in, all the way up into the heart center, and then exhale release gently blink the eyes open, rest your hands on your knees and we'll start with some seated cat cow. So as you inhale, tilt the weight forward, draw the shoulders back, reach the heart forward.

As you exhale rock back, tuck your chin, round your spine into seated cat pose, and then moving between those two shapes a few times. So let the inhale draw you forward. Let the exhale, draw you back. One more as you inhale tilt forward, arching the back, reaching the heart forward, exhale rounding back. Good. Neutral spine.

Make your way to tabletop position and we'll do the same thing in tabletop, let your shoulders come over wrists, hips over knees, spread the fingers wide, cat cow here as you inhale arch your back. Look up and lengthen. Exhale tuck the chin, the tailbone, cat pose, maybe even shift the weight back a little bit. Feel the opening in the back body, back of the heart. Inhale, coming into cow, open the front body, exhale cat, open the back body. Let the breath guide your movement as you inhale cow pose.

Exhale tuck the chin, tuck the tailbone into cat. And then coming back into cow pose, so arch your back and tuck your toes here. As you start to round toward cat pose, start to lift the knees up off the earth coming into downward facing dog, lift the hips all the way up and back. Come high up onto your toes and then let the knees find the earth again and come right back into cow as you inhale arch the back, lift the heart, lengthen. Good. Tuck your chin and round up and back into downward facing dog.

Good. And we'll do that one more time inhale rise up onto toes, let your knees, find the ground, arch the spine, look up and lengthen into cow, and then exhale tuck your toes and round up and back, down dog. This time in down dog takes some movement, any movement that feels good, pedal it out. Feel into the back of your legs, maybe sway your hips. Feel free to put a soft bend in your knees. Wanna find length in spaciousness in the spine here, letting the torso drape back toward the top of the thighs.

On an inhale, glide forward into plank pose. Keep your toes tucked and we'll come into a tuck toed up dog. Now you're welcome to stay in plank. If it feels okay, start to let the hips lower a little bit. Draw the shoulders back, lift the heart. So we're an up dog with the toes tucked, and then exhale back downward facing dog.

We'll do that a couple more times. Welcome to stay in plank or inhale, glide through plank, keep the toes tucked, lift the heart, let the hips lower. Up dog with the toes tucked, and exhale back to down dog. One more like that fluid with the breath. Inhale, glide forward upward facing dog. And exhale, glide back downward facing dog.

Good slowly walk your feet to the front of your mat. We'll find forward fold, soften your knees, step your feet about, hips distance apart. Let everything. Just melt down over your legs. Take UTanasana, forward fold, maybe sway a little.

Side to side, you're welcome to hold opposite elbows or even interlace behind your back, whatever feels good with the arms, maybe shift your weight forward and back a bit. Good. And then let your hands hang down heavy on an inhale, walk your hands onto your shins and come halfway up, lengthen your spine, reach the heart forward for aida uttanasana. And then as you exhale soften and fold uttanasana. Two more like that. Inhale halfway up, maybe hands on shins or fingertips might be on the earth.

Find length in the spine. XL release uttanasana. One more inhale, ara uttanasana, offer the heart forward. And exhale fold in. Roll up slow one vertebra at a time. Let your head be the last thing to arrive.

As you get up to the top, draw all your shoulders up towards your ears, and roll them down. Your back take a moment in tadasana, maybe draw your hands together in Anjali mudra in front of your heart. And take a moment to bow in toward that heart space. I am open to giving and receiving, love moving from this heart intention will come into Surya Namaskara b sun salutations. As you are ready, inhale sweep the arms up, feel that lift in the heart space, maybe even gaze up, lean back a little, exhale forward fold, uttanasana, soften the knees, long spine.

Inhale, offer the heart, come halfway up, Arra uttanasana. For this first one, plant ear palm, step to plank, shift forward, welcome to come halfway or all the way down, inhale cobra or upward facing dog, exhale back downward facing dog, allowing a very big full breath in here. A long breath out. Inhale rise up onto toes. Bend your knees look forward.

Step or lightly float front of the mat. Inhale come halfway up lengthen. Exhale, uttanasana fold root to rise, inhale, arms sweep up, feel the lift in the heart and the gaze. Exhale, draw your hands together. In front of the heart, moving meditation with your breath, inhale arms sweep up, exhale forward fold.

Inhale lift halfway lengthen. Exhale plant palm, step or lightly float back chaturanga, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale downward facing dog. Big full breath in. Long breath out. Inhale rise up onto toes, bend knees, look forward, step or lightly float front of the mat.

Inhale to lift halfway. Exhale release and fold root to rise. Inhale arms sweep up. And exhale gather your hands together. In front of your heart, we'll do that one more time.

Inhale arms sweep up. Xhale, forward fold, uttanasana. Exhale plant palm, step or lightly float back Chaturanga. Inhale cobra or up dog. Exhale downward facing dog big full breath in.

And release something on your exhale. From here, float your right leg all the way up and back. Bend the right knee to open up through that right side. And if it feels okay, come up onto your right fingertips. So you might even take your gaze under that right arm and really feel that nice opening through the side body. Good. And then flatten out that right hand straighten your right leg, gaze forward and step all the way through between your hands. We'll set up for warrior two.

Spin the back heel down and let the left arm guide you up and open to face the side of your mat. Take a moment to land. You might come in and out of the shape a few times. So you find that alignment, centering the heart space right over the pelvis, center your weight, reach forward and back. Good. And then from here, draw both hands to your heart center at the same time.

Straighten your right leg and allow a big breath in. As you exhale, open the palms as you come back into warrior two, and then we'll move with the breath. So as you inhale hands to heart straighten the front leg, go inward. Exhale, release out warrior two deepen the shape. One more inhale gathering, receiving, exhale giving, warrior two.

Good. Flip your front palm tilt back straighten your front leg for reverse triangle. And then keep that nice length in the right side body. You might shorten your stance just a little bit as you come into trikonasana reach your right hand forward, let it fall below the knee. And reach your left arm up. Little micro bend in the right knee engaging through your right quadricep.

You could stay here or maybe slide that left hand behind your back, finding a half wrap, and allowing that left shoulder to draw back as you start to spin the heart space toward the side wall, maybe even up toward the ceiling, maybe gaze up, beautiful, and then root to rise here. Come up and back for reverse triangle. Good. And then circle down. Step back to plank.

Your vinyasa, chaturanga exhale. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog and meeting back in down dog. Allow a very big full breath in and a long breath out. Left side in house, sweep your left leg up and back, and bend the left knee, open up the hip if it feels okay, come up onto the left fingertips. Maybe gaze under that left arm.

And you can find that opening through the left side. Good. And then flatten out the left hand straighten your left leg gaze forward and take a big step through. We'll set up for vera badrasana to spin the back heel down. This time, let the right arm guide you up and open. Take a moment to land, maybe come in and out a few times until you find that stability, that lightness, and ease in the heart space, the upper body, On an inhale, draw your hands to your heart, straighten your left leg.

Allow a big full breath in. And then exhale, open it back up warrior two. Two more like that. Maybe even close your eyes as you inhale, Hans to heart, straighten the front leg, exhale warrior two. One more inhale, gathering, exhale via badrasana two.

Open wide, flip the front palm, tilt back straighten your front leg, reverse triangle, and then keeping that nice length in the left side body. I'm going to shorten the stance a bit, turn the back toes in slightly. Keep the length in the left side body. Left hand below the knee, right arm lifts, maybe gaze up towards your right fingertips, or you could slide that right hand for a half wrap behind your back, encouraging that right shoulder to draw back start to spin the heart toward the side wall, maybe even up toward the sky, maybe lift the gaze. Little micro bend in your left knee so you're not locking through the joints.

Good, and then root down through the feet to rise, up and back, reverse triangle, and circle down, rebending through the left knee, step back to plank, welcome to skip, or chaturanga exhale, and inhale cobra or updog. And exhale down dog. Now keep walking your hands all the way back to your feet coming to forward fold at the back of your yoga mat. Roll up nice and slow. One vertebra at a time. Bring your shoulders again up towards your ears.

Roll them down the back. Draw your hands together in Anjali Mudra in front of your heart and take a moment to ground here. Feel into your heartbeat. Feel the soles of the feet grounded on the earth. We'll move into some balancing heart opening shapes here.

So coming into dancer, step your right foot forward a little, bend your left knee and reach back to find your left ankle. Let your knees come together for a moment. Find one point to focus your gaze. Reach your right arm up and then keeping that drishti start to kick your left foot into your hand as you tilt forward let the torso lower but keep lifting up through the hard space. Good. Breathing into the shape.

Good. And as you come out of there, just come out the same way you came in Then we'll step the left foot forward, bend the right knee, reach back, find the right ankle, let your knees come together, take a moment to ground. Maybe reach your left arm up, And you can start to kick that right foot into your hand as you let the torso lower. Keep the heart lifted. Find your drishti. Good as you inhale slowly come up.

And just step your right foot down. Take a moment at the front of your mat, step the feet together, hands together in Anjali mudra, mudra of gratitude in front of your heart. Beautiful as you're ready inhale sweep your arms out and up. Allow a big full breath in. Exhale forward fold. Inhale, offer the heart.

Come halfway up. Exhale stepper lightly float back chaturanga. Inhale cobra or up dog. And meeting back in downward facing dog. Allow a big breath in.

Long breath out. Good. Float your right leg up and back, bend the knee open the hip. Maybe come up onto those right fingertips. Again, you could stay right here or maybe flip your dog. Bring your shoulder over the left wrist, step the right toes behind you.

Wait into the left hand. Reach your right arm up. Feel the lift in the back of the heart. Breathe in. Beautiful as you unravel three legged dog, right leg lifts, right hand comes back down, draw your right knee towards your right elbow and take a big step to the outside of your right wrist for lizard lunge.

Let your left knee lower down. Now, you could stay right here. This might feel like a good stretch for you today. I'm going to stay on my left hand and take the right hand to the inner right thigh and start to roll to the outer edge of the right foot, but I'm keeping my right knee right over the right ankle. You could stay here opening the chest toward the right, drawing the right shoulder back, or maybe you're bending through that left leg reaching back with the right hand and catching the foot. If you have the foot kick your foot into your hand lean back, lift up through the heart space, allowing a very big breath in. Good. As you exhale, release that back into lizard both hands.

On the inside of the front foot, tuck the back toes, lift the neck knee, and then step your right foot right back in to down dog. Feel free to stay right here in down dog or glide to plank inhale chaturanga exhale inhale cobra or upward facing dog. And landing back, in down dog, let go of that side, big full breath in, and a long breath out. Beautiful as you're ready, inhale sweep your left leg up and back. Ben the left knee, open up the hip, you could stay here, maybe come up onto the left fingertips. If you're flipping your dog, shift your weight forward, let the right shoulder come over the right wrist, step your left toes behind you, weight into the right hand, sweet the left arm up.

Feel the lift in the back of the heart. Big expansive breath in. Good. And then unravel. Come back. Three leg dog. Left hand down.

Left leg lifts. Draw your left knee towards your left elbow and then take a big step to the outside of your left wrist. We're back in lizard lunge. Lower the right knee down. You might stay right here if you have a couple blocks.

Welcome to take them under your hands. I am going to start to roll to the outer edge of the left foot, keeping my left knee aligned over the left ankle, you could gently press your left hand to the inner thigh or bend the right knee, reach back, find your right foot, kick the foot into your hand as you lean back so that the chest starts to open toward the left, maybe gaze up. Expansive breath in and go ahead and release. Come on out of there. We'll step back to downward facing dog.

Left foot meets the right. Inhale. And exhale. Take a moment to lower your knees. If it feels okay, sit back on your heels for Vajrasana.

Welcome to take a block between your ankles. And just taking a moment here to pause, bringing your palms on your thighs either down for grounding energy or up for receiving energy. Just check-in. Notice where that lands. Come to tabletop as you're ready.

Let your shoulders come over the wrists, hips over knees, tent your fingertips, keep the hips lifted, coming into Anahat asana, puppy pose with the hips lifted, walk your hands forward. Let the chest melt down toward the earth. Maybe the forehead finds the ground. Maybe the chin. Go easy with that. And feel that big expansive opening across the chest.

The heart space, breathing here. Beautiful walk your hands back in, come back to tabletop, tuck your toes this time. And sit back on your heels. Take a moment here. We'll set up for camel pose.

You're welcome to sit this one out if you'd like. Otherwise, stand up on your knees. Let your hips come right over your knees. I'm going to keep my toes tucked and bring the hands to the very low back. You can bring plums to face up or down or fingers to face up or down supporting the lower back, hug the elbows in.

And then feel that lift from the sternum. Like you had a string from your sternum up to the sky. You can stop anywhere along the way as you continue to lift up lift the gaze, keep the hips over the knees, maybe reach back and find your heels. Find your breath, camel pose, and then coming on out engaging through the core, supporting through the low back as you come up, sit back on your heels right where we start in. Just take a moment to let that land.

And notice. Notice what you notice, what comes up. Where does that land for you? Good. And then shift the weight off to one side, bring the legs out in front of you. Find a nice hip opener, bringing the soles of the feet together, wiggle in, holding on to the feet or your ankles for baddha kanasana. As you inhale lengthen through your spine, maybe lean back a bit, feel the lift in the heart, and then gently fold over your legs, tuck your chin. You could use the elbows to gently press to the inner thighs, breathe into wherever you feel this the most. As you inhale slowly, come on up and we'll come on to our back.

So as you roll onto your back, take a moment to hug your knees into your chest give it a nice rock, side to side, maybe take your knees in circles in either direction, letting that be a massage for your lower back, let it feel nice. Good. And then let the soles of the feet find the ground, hips distance, brush the back of your heels with your fingertips so the ankles are right under your knees. And then from here, We'll come up into bridge pose, so pressing through the soles of the feet and the palms of your hands, lift your hips, lift your chest up toward your chin. Maybe interlace behind the low back or you could just actively press your hands into the earth drawing the chest toward the chin as you lift from your hamstrings, feel that nice opening through the entire front line of your body. Heart space.

Strengthening the back body, big breath in, exhale, release the arms one vertebra at a time slowly lower all the way down. To counter balance, step your feet as wide as your mat, let your knees knock into touch, rest your hands on your belly for a moment, and then feel the breath fill your hands gently releasing through the low back. Allowing a few full deep breaths. Beautiful. And from here, let's hug the right knee into the chest. Let your left leg go long on your mat.

Give it a squeeze. And with your left hand, draw your right knee across your body. Reach your right arm open to the right, maybe take a gaze over the right shoulder. Finding a nice twist to ring it out. Feel the heart spin open.

As you ease into the twist, just a little bit more. Breathe in. Breathe out to release. Softening, releasing. Good. And then slowly as you're ready, come back through center, and we'll switch sides. I'm gonna bring the soles of the feet to the earth for a moment, bend the knees and lift the hips just enough to place them back down neutralizing through the spine, then let the right leg go long, hug the left knee into the chest, give it a squeeze. With the right hand, draw the knee across your body, reach your left arm open to the left, gazing over that left shoulder, ring it out. Peel that connection from the palm of your hand.

All the way through the heart. Receiving come back to center as you're ready. Again, bring the soles of the feet to the ground, lift the hip and place them back down. Welcome to hug the knees in. You might take happy baby.

If there's anything else here that the body is requesting honor that. Otherwise, as we move into Shavasana, we'll take a guided brief gratitude meditation here. You might find seated or just stretch your legs long on your mat. Maybe bring one hand to your heart, one hand to your belly if it feels safe, close your eyes. And it's very simple.

We're simply stating to ourself what we feel grateful for. So it might just be I am grateful for and then naming something to yourself. And then repeating that. I am grateful for I am grateful for and just keep going with that. Naming anything that you feel grateful for in this moment big or small, could be this practice, nature, whatever it is that you feel grateful for today.

I am grateful for feel free to stay with that gratitude practice calling that in as long as you'd like. Otherwise, allow your breath to begin to deepen, bringing the awareness back to your physical body, inviting any gentle movement back to your fingers, your toes, your ankles, your wrists, maybe reach your arms up over your ears stretch through the entire body, allowing a very big full breath in, and a long breath out gently making your way into seated. However, you choose to arrive, bringing the hands together in Anjali mudra, this mudra of gratitude in front of the heart. Thank you so much for sharing this practice, your presence here, the light and love in me, greets and honors, the light and love in you. Namaste, and thank you.