Inner Peace Flow

Welcome. Thank you for joining me for this flow to invite in inner peace. We'll begin on our backs. I would suggest having two blocks for this practice. As you come onto your back, Bring the soles of the feet together and let your knees open up wide.

You're welcome to take two blocks underneath your knees if that feels supportive for you. Otherwise, just letting the knees hang open. And then bring one hand to the low belly and one hand to your heart. If it feels safe, let your eyes soften and close. Allow your gaze to turn inward.

And just take a moment to arrive, to notice what you're showing up to your practice with, to scan through your physical body from the tips of your toes. All the way up through the crown of your head. And as you scan through the physical body, notice any areas where you might be holding any tension, any discomfort. Inviting those spaces to soften just a bit. Start to notice the natural rhythm of your breath, the rise of your inhale.

The fall and that letting go quality of your exhale. And notice if just by bringing your attention to your breath, if it naturally begins to deepen. Let's breathe together. We'll take a three part breath. So as you inhale, fill the low belly, Draw the second part of the breath up into the ribcage, third part all the way up into the heart space, and then reverse that as you exhale.

So breathing in, low belly, ribs, heart, exhale heart, ribs, low belly. In hello belly, ribs, heart, exhale heart, ribs, low belly. Working with the mantra in this practice, perhaps allowing this to be your intention to settle into the heart space. I am whole. I am safe.

I am peaceful. I am whole. I am safe. I am at peace. Allowing just a few more breaths here.

Letting that land. And then whenever you're ready, bringing your hands to the outside of your knees Gather your knees into your chest, give them a squeeze, wrap your forearms around your shins, gentle rock side to side massage through your lower back. Maybe take your knees in circles in either direction. Notice how the back body is feeling. Good. And then let your feet find the ground, stepping them about hips distance apart.

Let your knees land over your ankles. Bring your arms on either side of your body with the palms facing down. We'll move into some rolling bridge poses, connecting breath to movement. So as you're ready, inhale sweep your arms up over your ears at the same time press into the soles of the feet and lift your hips up off the earth. Reverse that as you exhale, so lowering the hips as you lower the arms on either side of your body.

And then keep moving with your breath inhale, lift up into bridge, arms lift, hips lift, exhale release that down. Let's take three more with a breath inhale, lift up. Exhale release and lower. To inhale lift up. Exhale lower.

One more inhale lift up. And exhale, release, and lower. Beautiful. From here, find a figure four shape crossing your right ankle on top of your left knee, figure four shape with your legs, and start with thread the needle. So start to draw the legs in towards you, maybe interlace, behind that left thigh or on top of the left shin, threading the arms between the window of your legs. It might feel good to rock a little side to side here, feeling into that right hip specifically.

Letting the right knee draw away as you draw the left knee in. Let your shoulders soften. And then keep the shape with your legs and just let your left foot find the earth. So you still have that figure four shape. Bring your arms to a tee on either side of your shoulders, palms down, and then drop that entire shape to the left. So that right foot might find the ground coming into a bit of a twist.

Good. And then draw back through center, keep the shape with the legs and drop both knees this time over to the right. So drawing that right foot on top of that left thigh as you draw that left knee down toward the earth. Feel that stretch in the outer left hip. Beautiful. And then as you come back through center again, keep the shape. This time bring your arms on either side of your body and press up into bridge pose with that figure four shape. Lift your hips draw the right knee away.

Lifting from your left hamstring. Allow a big breath in, lower the hips, all the way down, and then straighten your right leg up to the sky, interlace anywhere behind the back of your right leg, find a hamstring stretch, maybe the back of the right thigh or you can walk your hands up toward the right calf, maybe circle out your ankle a few times in either direction, just finding any sensation in the back of that leg. Nice. And then rebend your right knee, and we'll take that all to the second side. So both feet down, cross your left ankle on top of your right knee, thread the needle, draw the legs in toward you. Maybe rock a little side to side.

Notice where you feel this. Breathing into the left hip. Let your shoulders relax. Good. And then keeping the shape with the legs that the right foot find the earth, tee your arms on either side of your shoulders, drop the shape over to the right. Find a twist.

Draw the legs back through center, drop the shape over to the left. Good. And then come back through center. Keep the shape. We'll come up into bridge pose, press the palms of your hands on either side of your body, lift the hips, draw the left knee away from you, lifting from the right hamstring. Allow a big breath in.

Lower the hips all the way down and then straighten that left leg up toward the sky, interlace behind the left thigh, or you can crawl the hands up a little bit. And then maybe roll out your ankle your foot, spread the toes. Just keep feeling into the back of your left leg. Good. And then go ahead and release that.

We'll hug the knees in. Take your hands behind your knees. And start to rock up and down along the length of the spine. You can use that to build momentum, and we'll make our way into child's pose. So take your time, bring the big toes together find a separation between your knees so that the torso drapes down between the thighs, reach your arms forward. You could let your forehead rest on the earth.

Take a moment to sink in, breathe into the back body. And then walk your hands over to the right side of your mat, pick up your left hand, place it on top of the right. Let a little weight shift to your left hip. Breathe into the entire left side body. Good. Walk your hands back through center.

Walk them over to the other side of the mat. Pick up your right hand. Shift a little weight to the right. And breathe into the right side body, the rib cage, all those little spaces between the ribs, creating a little space, a little ease. Good. Come back.

Through center. We'll make our way up through tabletop. And then right into downward facing dog, tuck your toes, lift the hips up and back. And take a moment to land any movement that feels good in down dog, maybe pedal it out, sway your hips, maybe swivel your heels side to side. Just notice what your body is requesting here.

What would feel good as you start to wake up through the back body inviting in that sense of ease of peace. Eventually finding some stillness, letting the hands be shoulder width, hips distance, feet are hips distance apart, or a little wider, you're welcome to soften the knees a bit. Beautiful. And then from here, we're gonna lower the knees down to the earth, hug your elbows in, keep the hips lifted and lower the chin and the chest down. And then slide your way forward into bhujangasana, let the hips lower, hug the elbows in, lift the heart, bhujangasana.

And then exhale, press back through tabletop, tuck your toes, lift the hips. All the way up and back downward facing dog. And we'll do that a couple times as we start to warm the joints, lower the knees, chin in the chest, hug the elbows in, glide forward into cobra pose, big breath in. And exhale back downward facing dog, tuck the toes, lift the hips, all the way up and back. Go one more time, lower the knees, chin in the chest.

Cobra inhale downward facing dog, exhale. Big breath in. Been a long full breath out. And slowly walk your feet all the way to the front of your yoga mat. Take a moment as you get up to the top, step your feet hips width or a little wider. Soft knees let everything melt down. Maybe way, side to side, whatever feels good with your arms, maybe hold opposite elbows, or find an interlace behind your back.

What might you soften and release just a little bit more here? What are you holding in the neck and your shoulders? Good. And then soft knees roll up. Slow one. Vertebra at a time. Let the head be the last thing to arrive. As you get up to the top, maybe draw your shoulders up towards your ears and roll them down the back and take a moment to find tadasana.

Grounding at the front of your mat. If it feels comfortable to close your eyes, take a moment to go inward inviting in that sense of inner peace, wholeness, safety. In this moment, all is well. We'll move with some moon salutation. So stepping the feet together, bring your hands together in Anjali mudra in front of your heart.

As you're ready, inhale sweep your arms out and up. Take the gaze up toward your fingertips. You might even lean back a little. And then draw a prayer in front of your heart, soften your knees as you come into your forward fold. Step your left foot all the way to the back of the mat.

Let your left knee lower down to the ground. Come on to your fingertips for a moment. Lift the heart. You're welcome to slide a couple blocks under your hands here. And then we'll plant the palms and step back to down dog. So step your right foot to meet the left.

Staying with that knees, chin, chest option, lower your knees. Lower the chin and the chest, hug the elbows in and then slide your way through into cobra, bhujangasana inhale, lifting and lengthening exhale, press back. Through tabletop, tuck your toes, lift the hips up and back, downward facing dog. Beautiful staying with the left side, sweep your left leg all the way up and back. Draw your knee to your nose, take a big step through between your hands, let your back knee lower come on to your fingertips, feel into that right so as lift the heart and the gaze.

And this time we'll step the right foot to the front of the mat forward fold, uttanasana. And then we'll take that slow roll one vertebra at a time. Let the head be heavy. Let the head be the last thing to arrive. Draw your shoulders up towards your ears and roll them down the back. Second side, inhale arms sweep up.

Draw prayer in front of your heart as you fold into uttanasana. Step your right foot to the back of the mat. Back me lowers. Come onto your fingertips. Lift the heart, lift the gaze, downward facing dog, plant the palm, step your left foot back to meet the right. Lower the knees, the chin and the chest, inhale cobra and exhale back, hands and knees, tuck the toes, downward facing dog, inhale right leg lifts.

Exhale step through. Let your back knee lower. Come on to the fingertips. Lift the heart in the gaze. Big breath in.

And then stepping your left foot to meet the right forward fold, front of the mat. Roll up slow one vertebra at a time. Draw your shoulders up to the ears. Roll them down the back and just take a moment to arrive. Notice where that lands, let that settle.

And then if you have your blocks, we'll take our two blocks out in front of us. I'm going to take them to the highest height. You're welcome to play around with the height of the blocks Of course, there's high, medium, and low. And then we'll take a moment to establish our connection with the earth in tadasana. Find that grounded, rooted connection.

And then we'll sink into chair pose with the feet about hips distance, bend your knees, pick up your left foot and cross your left ankle on top of your right knee for temple dancer. You could draw hands together in front of your heart. Let the hips sink back and then you have the blocks in front of you. If you want to deepen the stretch a little bit, I like to bring my hands down toward the blocks. It's a pretty deep hip stretch so you're welcome to come up out of it a little bit.

Breathe into that left hip. Beautiful. And then to come out of here, I'm going to bring my right hand to the hip. My piece fingers to my left big toe stand up nice and tall. You could stay right here with that left knee bent in towards your chest. Engage your core and maybe any amount you start to straighten out through your left leg. Find your drishti that one point to focus your gaze, that right arm might sweep up.

And then letting that leg go into a supported warrior three. So again, I have my block that are gonna land right under my shoulders as I sweep the left leg back, hands down to the blocks, reach the heart forward. A little soft bend in that right knee, step back to crescent pose. Left toes, find the back of the mat, arms, sweep up, take a moment to sink in, expand up through the chest, maybe gaze up, and then circle hands down to the earth. Sweep your right leg all the way up and back.

Three leg dog. Bend your right knee. Open up through that right hip. You could stay right here or maybe flip your dog's shoulders over wrists. Step the right toes behind you, weight into the left hand, sweep the right arm up, feel that opening through the heart space. Beautiful, and then unravel.

You could take that knees chin chest vinyasa, whatever feels good as you transition. You'll meet back in downward facing dog, allowing very big full breath in. Long breath out, let something go. And then slowly, walk your feet back to the front of your yoga mat, take a moment up at the top, soften your knees, step your feet about hips distance. Let everything melt down and then roll up slow vertebra by vertebra come to the top of your mat.

Take a moment. Again, just establish that connection with the earth, find your balance, find your drishti, and we'll take it to the second side. So, bending the knees coming toward this chair pose, we'll pick up the right foot cross your right ankle on top of your left thigh. Find that figure four shape just like we did on our backs and you can draw hands to heart, let the hips shift back, breathe into the right hip, and you might take blocks under your hands. Again, I have them on the highest height, pressing palms of hands into block, into the blocks, and then drawing that right hip back, breathing into any sensation that you're feeling there. Good. Now transition as you come up out of here, could take the left hand to the hip, maybe peace fingers to right big toes, bend that right knee in towards your chest, stand up nice and tall on that left leg. Engage your core, find your drishti, and then any amount start to straighten that right leg out in front of you.

Maybe reach your left arm up. Good. And then that transition to warrior three, re bend the right knee. Sweep the right leg back. I'm finding supported warrior three with my hands back on the blocks. Reach the right leg back, lift the heart, lift the gaze, soften your standing leg a bit, and then right toes.

Find the back of the mat, sweep the arms up, crescent pose, big expansive breath in, exhale circle hands, down to the ground, sweep your left leg, up and back three legged dog, bend the knee, open the hip. Feel free to stay right here or shift your shoulders over the wrist. Flip your dog. Bring the weight into the right hand, sweep the left arm up. That lift in the heart space. And then unravel, you can come back to plank, lower knees, chin, just as you lower down, inhale for cobra or upward facing dog.

And exhale back downward facing dog. Beautiful, lower the knees, shift the weight off to one side, bring the legs out in front of you. And then we'll set up for Janu Sherasana, bringing your right leg open to the right. You can bring your left foot to the inner upper right thigh. And then as we come into this variation, bring your right hand to the outside of your right leg.

You could bring the fingertips to the earth and then sweep your left arm up and tilt it over that right leg. So there's this nice side body stretch The hand can be in front of the leg. It could be behind the leg. It could find the ankle. Whatever feels best for you.

Just finding that nice stretch in the side body. Breathing. Good. And as you inhale, come on up. Take a moment in the center and then we'll switch sides. Put your left leg open to the side, bring your right foot to the inner upper left thigh.

Left fingertips on the earth, sweep the right arm up and tilt over that left leg. And that nice side body stretch. Beautiful and slowly come on up, take a moment up at the top, notice where that lands, and then take both legs wide. We'll take a wide leg forward fold. You're welcome to take blocks under your hands, even a bolster. Start to crawl your hands forward any amount.

Just finding your edge. And softening there waiting for the invitation to go a little deeper. Try to keep your sitting bones rooted. Breed into most likely a big sensation here in the inner thigh. Beautiful, and then take your time.

Make your way slowly back up and then we'll take both legs out in front of us. Sit up nice and tall on your sitting bones, find length in your spine on an inhale sweep your arms up and then find Pashimottanasana forward fold letting your hands fall wherever they fall. Breathe in to find length. Breathe out to soften and release. Send the breath to the back of your legs.

Feel that opening the entire back body. Good. And if you have a block, grab your block as you roll onto your back. We'll meet there. Taking a moment, hug your knees in, rock it outside to side. Massage your lower back. Good. And then bring the soles of the feet to the earth will take supported bridge.

So taking the block any height under your sacrum, lift your hips, slide the block under the very low back. Should feel really nice once you let your weight sink down onto the block. I have it the medium height. See what works best for you. And then if it feels okay, bring the palms to face up on either side of the body scoot your shoulders underneath you to feel that nice opening across the chest, you could stay here with the soles of the feet firmly planted into the earth or start to draw your knees into your chest.

And then take your legs straight up to the sky. Maybe close your eyes. And enjoy this restorative inversion with the legs up. Allowing just a few full deep breaths here. Notice any subtle movement.

Good. And then take your time. Can bend your knees, bring the soles of the feet back to the earth. And if you have the block under your sacrum, take it to the lowest height. So just flip it down to the lowest height. And then if it feels okay, start to straighten your legs, maybe one at a time might feel like enough so you could straighten the right and keep that sole of the left foot on the ground or if it feels good in your body.

You could straighten both legs out. Again, bringing palms to face up on either side of the shoulders, feel that opening, cross the front of your hips and the psoas, really nice posture to counterbalance the daily life postures of sitting, driving, feel that nice, gentle opening, the front line of your body. Beautiful and you're welcome to stay right here if this feels good for you. Just enjoy that opening or bend your knees, bring the soles of the feet to the earth. Gently slide the block out from underneath you, and then just slide your legs long for Shavasana.

Just take a moment to allow that integration, body mind spirit, perhaps inviting in the mantra again of I am whole. I am safe. I am at peace. And gently invite your awareness back to your breath, scanning through the physical body. Inviting any organic movement back in, fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, reach your arms up over your ears, allow a big breath in.

Long breath out and then bend your knees, bring the soles of the feet to the earth, roll over to either side for a moment. Perhaps pausing on your side to notice what you notice, check-in. With that ease of Shavasana gently making your way up to seated. Taking a moment to gather hands together. This mudra of piece of gratitude thanking yourself for showing up for you. And thank you so much for sharing this practice with me.

You have a beautiful, peaceful rest of your day. Namaste.