Coming Home to Self

Hi, and welcome. So glad you're here for this class where we'll explore what a feeling of belonging to ourselves can create through our yoga practice. So my invitation to you is to start in a child's pose this morning, and you're welcome to bring the knees as wide as you'd like or maybe a little bit more narrow. Set the hips back towards the heels. And then if it feels alright in your shoulders, I'm gonna invite you to wrap your arms around you.

You can rest your forehead down towards the earth and start to let the chest and the belly rest towards your thighs. Just arrive with the full breath in and a full breath out. So we can feel this process of wrapping inwards. Not to retreat, but rather to feel and hold ourselves with tenderness and where this experience of wrapping inwards can open up through the back of the heart. Open up through the face, maybe wiggle the jaw, let the hips relax, belly be soft.

Welcome a really full breath in through the nose. Let a breath go through mouth or nose. One more time. Just allowing that breath to thread the body and the mind together and land you into the earth with the exhale. It'll stay in this child's pose shape, but you'll start to walk the hands now in front of you. You can lift your gaze slightly enough just so you can see out in front of you.

And then reach this right arm underneath you to thread through your child's pose shape. You can rest your head back onto the earth. Sometimes I take this opposite hand, create a little gentle fist so I can rest my temple. My head doesn't have to do so much work. Soft hands, soft breath.

Find yourself lifted slightly enough just to unthread that right arm and then reach the left arm underneath you. Again, your choice, if you wanna rest your head on the earth or take that opposite hand, create a gentle fist and support your temple so the neck can be soft and the head be heavy. The next breath in is enough lift to reach both hands out in front of you, and then start to shift the weight forward into all fours in the tabletop. Walk your shoulders over your wrists, your hips, over your knees, and then start to circle the hips around in one direction. Just kinda feel side to side.

Maybe the shoulders circle as you do this. You find another circle in the opposite direction. Once you come into center, play with a cat cow, so drop the belly and lift the heart as you breathe in. Round and tuck your chin in, your tailbone underneath you as you exhale. We'll do it one more time.

Drop the belly, lift the heart. Round and curl as you exhale. Awesome. So we'll neutralize the spine. We'll stay in this table top, but just kind of slide the left knee a little bit more into center of your mat. This right knee is gonna cross behind the left, so we create gomu cost in the shape of the legs, and this is nice pretzel wrap.

Of the thighs. If your hands are really far out from underneath your shoulders, go ahead and walk them back underneath you, and then start to take circles with this go move cost in the shape of the legs. Feeling that tailbone kinda leads you here as you arch and tuck roll side to side. And then come through center, uncross the right leg. Place that right knee a little bit more into center and then make space for the left knee to slide behind you in this go move crossing the shape of your tabletop in a couple circles in one direction.

And if you'd like to explore two directions, you can take a moment and follow your breath as you just kinda swirl side to side with the hips. It'd come on back through center, uncross the legs, walk the knees, back underneath your hips, walk your hands right underneath your shoulders, spread your fingers wide. And then we'll tuck our toes Find a full breath in through the nose, lift the knees into a floating table top as you exhale and just hover at a point right here. So we can feel the palms press into the earth, maybe shift the back of your heart and press it up towards the sky as well. And then feel the belly button drawn to the spine and squeeze the heels back.

You're here for a breath in. Downward facing dog with your exhale. Go ahead and straighten out the legs, bend into one knee and the other. You can kinda adjust the palms as much as you need, so you have a stable foundation to send the hips high. Just yearn the heart towards the thighs.

It will settle in downward facing dog. Bring a gentle bend or a really big bend at the knees. These hands will walk towards the feet, but let them be really light. Take your time to paw the hands back towards the mat back of your mat space. And then once you're there, ragdoll stands. So, again, knees stay bent, head drops down.

If you like to grab opposite elbows, you can find a bind just to gently add a little bit more weight to decompress through that spine. Release your hands, feet come hips with, or to touch your choice. Find a half lift as you breathe in, heart comes forward, tailbone goes back, exhale as you forward, fold, chest bows back down. UTkatasana chair pose, hit the weight into your heels, bend your knees, arms can sweep forward, tailbone reaches back, pinky fingers can spiral inwards just to slide the shoulder blades down the back. And then staying here, feel the feet almost pull apart on your mat, wrap the inner thighs back towards one another.

And then settle and trust the exhale. With your next breath in, you'll stand all the way to extended mountain. So inhale straighten the legs, reach the hands up to the sky. Bring the palms to touch, maybe gaze up lean back slightly, exhale as you forward fold. Come on down.

Find the halfway lift, gaze in front of you towards the top of your mat. Gently bend the knees, walk the hands out into a high plank pose. You can kinda feel the feet adjust back behind you, the wrists right underneath your shoulders. Now I'll keep my knees lifted here. There's always this option to ground the knees, but we'll shift forward to the toes, pull the heart forward, bend the elbows halfway as you exhale, inhale straighten out the arms, up dog, untuck the toes, knees are lifted. Heart is proud. Big breath in.

Downward facing dog as you exhale roll the hips back. A moment to shimmy side to side again or walk your dog out right and left. So we'll find some stillness. We'll find the bend of the knees again, but this time the gaze will come forward with a breath in. Travel your feet towards your hands at the top of your mat space.

Halfway lift will flow. Exale as you forward fold. Utkatasana chair pose, one breath in. Stay for the breath out. Straighten the legs, reach the arms up, inhale mountain palms to touch.

Exale as you forward fold right back down. Inhale halfway lift, exhale high plank pose, lower halfway than the elbows. Inhale into an up dog, bring the heart up, untuck the toes, and downward facing dog, fold the hips on back. Three legged dog from here. So right leg will go high to the sky.

Give a nice squeeze of the right glute, and then maybe you see how high that left heel can lift and press the heart back towards that left thigh. Find a breath in. Step the right foot forward and through. Hop that back foot in and up. So we create a wide stance for Vira badrasna one.

Warrior one. We'll start to rise on up, reach the hands to the sky. Just a gentle steer of the right hip back and the left hip forward and see if the weight can shift into the back line of that foot. So you really press to the left heel. I'm gonna wrap our arms around us in a nice hug. Give a little squeeze of the shoulders, sink into the right thigh. Breath into your upper lungs.

As you exhale, you're gonna ground a little bit more into the right foot and step this left foot into a chair, but keep your arms where they are. So we're staying in this hug, sit the hips back, feel the arms squeeze inwards even more. Right knee will start to lift. Left foot's gonna stay as your foundation. So one legged tadasana, and then start to unravel the arms and bring your hands into your heart.

So prayer mudra, perhaps even connect the thumbs into your heart space. Anch her into that left big toe, rooting down so we can rise up through the crown of the head. Right leg will lead us as we kick back all the way through an airplane, see if the thumbs can stay connected to the heart. Awareness in that left foot, but awareness with the hands connected into your heart space. Find a breath in.

Set the right toes down and land high crescent. Both fingertips up to the sky. You're high on the ball mount of that right foot. And then, again, just contrast where you can soften even as this edge starts to build. Warrior two is where we'll meet next.

So right heel spins down. Open and glide the arms out like big wings and then feel that left knee track back. Like, you're almost trying to press it against the wall behind you. You'll keep that left knee bent and start to reach back in reverse warrior. You have an option here if this right hand wants to hover or hold your back thigh. If you'd like a half wing, you can take the right hand behind your back.

Find a bit deep breath in, peel the heart up, maybe gaze up slightly towards that left hand. As you exhale plant the palms down towards the earth, left foot will step back into your high plank pose, lower down halfway into your chaturanga, inhale upward dog, exhale downward facing dog. And then maybe three to five breaths just settle. Home base. Take that pause. You deserve.

Last leg will go high when you're ready. Squeeze the left glutes so the left heel reaches up. Maybe lift the right heel a little bit more, press the heart towards your right thigh, exhale step the left foot forward and through. Prepping vera badrasana one, hop the right foot a little bit wider, spin the right heel down, and he'll rise both fingertips up to the sky. This by space, the side, it might be a little bit different than the other. So if you need more space to square the hips just slightly a little bit more widen the feet.

Give yourself permission to make this practice yours. I'm gonna hold warrior one through the legs, but wrap yourself into that hug. Feel a nice warm squeeze. Hands wrap around your shoulders. And ground through the left, found a deep breath in.

Step into a chair, shape with your hug. Right foot will come forward, hips, sit back, weight settles in both heels. And so we'll stand in one legged tadasana and you'll bring your hands into that prayer mudra, left knee lifts, switching out our legs, right foot stays down. Heart connects into the thumbs. Exale start to kick the left leg back through an airplane.

You're just two or three breaths. Play with failing, falling, and trying again, coming back to yourself each time you have an opportunity. Left toes come down, cross in as you breathe in high lunge, open the chest back up, sink the hips down towards the earth. Warrior two when you're ready, left heel will come down, open the arms wide, feel the front heel in line with the arch of your back foot. And then take a moment, maybe a little bit of a smile as the collarbone smile.

You can even flip the palms up to feel a little bit more space in the heart. And staying bent through the right leg will just reach back into reverse warrior. Poor the heart on up. Maybe that half bind through your left arm. When one more breath in, hands come down to the earth as you exhale.

High plank, step it on back, You can lower halfway. You could lower to your belly. If you're ready for something more grounded, you could find cold or up dog, and you can always skip the Chaturangas. We can always meet in downward facing dog. Find three to five breaths to settle, hands on the earth, hips up towards the sky, a clearing breath in through the nose, and a clearing breath out.

Let's flow. Right? Like will go high as you breathe in. Right foot steps forward and through as you exhale. Warrior one, back heel down, inhale arms come up. Wrap yourself into that big hug. Step into your chair.

Left foot will come forward. Hip sit back. Right knee lifts. Hands to heart. One legged tadasana. Press the heart up to the thumbs.

Kick into your airplane right foot steps all the way to high lunge Crescent, big breath in. Warrior two is you exhale. Reverse, reach it up and back. Hands to the earth, and you have this vinyasa of your choice. So maybe a chaturanga or to your belly, call over our up dog. And downward facing dog is always home.

Last leg will go high, big breath in, left foot steps forward and through. Warrior one, big inhale arise, wrap yourself in the hug you deserve. Step into that chair, right foot comes forward, left knee will start to lift hands at heart, one legged tadasana. Take your time to kick back through an airplane. Left toes will land, inhale, high crescent.

Warrior two is you exhale. Reverse warrior inhale. And so the earth is you exhale. High plank Choose how you wanna get into downward facing dog. You have a backbend that you can play with, and we'll ground with the hips high.

Couple breaths. We pause to feel. Connect inwards towards your body, the body of the earth beneath you, and the spirit of the breath within you. Steady breath into the nose, smooth breath out. Lift your right leg high of the sky in a three legged dog.

Go ahead and bend your knee if you wanna stack your hips open, take a moment, kinda circle out that right ankle or your thigh. We'll square the hips and squeeze the right glute just like we did in the beginning. This time the right knee is gonna come towards the right tricep. Give a nice wide tap. Hold right here. Press to the palms like we did in that floating tabletop.

This right leg is gonna cross over your left thigh crouch into a down dog. So we have this eagle shape of the legs, press the palm, sit the hips back, feel the inner thighs, hug, and wrap together. And then spring forward, step the right foot nice and wide into a runner's lunge. Go ahead and drop your back knee down. Take a moment and kinda sway the hips side to side that right knee out and in.

And the right foot can stay rather wide, walk your hands up towards your thigh. So you start to peel the heart on up. And then we have the support of our hands to our front thigh. That back shin is grounded on towards the earth. And then just take a moment and lean back, press the hips forward.

This might feel really nice for you. If you'd like something to open up the chest, I invite you take your hands behind your head. And give this head some love and support. Just cradle the head, let the elbows fall up towards the sky, and lean the heart up and back. And about two to three inhales and exhales here.

And start to rise back up. You can plant your palms. This right hand will replace your right foot, and we'll step into downward facing dog from here. Left leg is gonna go high. Bend your knee, open up the hip, maybe give a circle of your ankle or your thigh around in the air.

And square the hips, squeeze the left loop. Take that left knee to your left tricep and hold it there. So you're very steady. Your breath inspires you. This left leg will wrap all over the right thigh. Think crouching down dog, and then you have this eagle shape. This pretzel the legs just hugs you inwards.

A left leg will spring forward into this runner's lunge shape. Drop the back knee down. Nice job. Maybe take a moment as you come up, roll the wrist a few times. It's getting all loosey goosey. Then hands can fold onto your thigh. Press into the thigh, lean the hips forward, lean the heart up.

This is a wonderful place to stay if you're enjoying. If you crave just a little bit more chest expansion, hands cradle the head lovingly let the hands support the back of your skull and let the heart lean on up. And if you have that back, then gently release the hands, come on down, plant the palms and step into your downward facing dog. Give a little walk side to side, a wiggle of the jaw, a weird scrunchy face, and then come all the way into tabletop, ground the knees, walk the hands underneath your shoulders, take a moment, untuck the toes, and pet or patter them on the earth. Okay. So we'll play with a variation of camel today.

And we'll start with this right leg behind us. So from your tabletop, bring the left in a little bit more into center, just like we did in the beginning with those cap cows. The right knee is gonna slide behind the left. Now we'll take our time here. We're gonna start to walk the hands further underneath your shoulders.

You can tent the fingertips, and then it's a balance game. You know, hug the inner thighs together, hug the belly button in and start to rise, take your hands to your hips. You're standing in this Gomu cost in the shape of the legs. Hands can stay at hips right here and steady the gaze. Sorry to take your hands into fists and just gently press those fists into your lower back, peel the elbows towards one another, and give a gentle drive of the knuckles into your back as you lean the hips forward and lean the heart up.

So this goma costume, the shape of the legs can give us that wrap of the inner thighs together, and who's strash in the camel with the heart leaning up towards the sky. One more breath in. Big breath out. Good. Start to steady unravel, gently lower the hands back down towards the earth. Uncross the legs, bring the knees right underneath your hips, hands underneath your shoulders, take those big freestyle rules of the hips forward side to side and back in a couple times in the opposite direction.

So right knee comes a little bit more into center. You're gonna play with that one more time on the other side. Left knee will slide behind the right. Take your time. Start to paw the hands on up. Bring the hands into your hips so you're standing tall, ground into the top of your shins, and you can have your toes tucked or untucked here, but active feet towards the earth as well.

Hands come into little fist, and we'll create this camel shape now through the heart, lean the heart up, squeeze the elbows back. And so this wrapping of the limbs, it gives our nervous system this experience of boundary and safety, even in a little bit of wobble. You can feel this inner thighs squeeze together and hold you. And it's our body's way of giving us this whisper of you're here You belong here, wrapping in. And when you're ready, start to unravel, lower the hands.

If you fell out of that, don't worry. If you didn't see, I just almost wobbled myself. So we are just learning take a couple circles of the hips, we're learning to trust in the body and fail and try again. And it's that experience of trying again that we build trust that we can show up for ourselves time and time after again. Okay. Swing off onto one side.

Come onto your glutes. I'm gonna straighten the legs right in front of us. One time into a seated forward fold. Show me the hips back, reach the arms up. Big breath in.

Start to reach forward and down and grab whatever is accessible in front of you. It might be your thighs, your calves, or your feet. Take a moment and think a halfway lift of the spine as you breathe in. Axale fold the chest down. You can round the spine.

You can drop your chin inwards and spread your shoulder blades apart. With your next breath in, start to roll the heart back up, just piece by piece to the spine. And you're welcome to find a seat here if that's your preference today. You're also welcome to come onto your back, and that's where I will be. So find a shape that suits you.

If you land onto your back, I'll invite you to bring your feet together and your knees wide for a supta baddha konasana butterfly of the knees. And if it feels alright for you, you're welcome to close the eyes down. Hands can rest on the thighs or perhaps on the belly. We'll take this moment to scan and see maybe what dust has been stirred up to the practice. Any lit little bits of buzz or energy, thought or emotion.

Welcome the breath to become your guide here. See the inhale rise the belly up and the chest fill and how the body can soften towards the earth with the exhale. I invite you just place the awareness as much as you can on those exhales. As you invite tension to dissolve down and away into the earth. And picture almost roots that you have from the back line of your body starting to grow out and down into the earth as far deep as you'd like to go.

And where those roots may land all the way to the core of the earth if you'd like to anchor into something. If there's an experience of your roots growing out beyond yourself to connect to others or community. See these roots steady into the earth as you can let go here and be if the mind is wandered into any space, welcome it back into the breath, into this exhale where you can land and remember these roots that you've grown. And where these roots begin in your body, this place where you hold yourself tenderly, and find an experience of settling from within. If you like a little bit more time to sit and breathe You really do highly encourage you take this time for yourself.

Wherever you are, if you'd like just a hand to belly and heart as we seal with a breath in to seal our practice together. Full inhale, and a full exhale. Me walk in peace and with these words, namaste.