Free Yourself

Hi, and welcome to class today. You'll need one block for practice. I'm sitting on mine if you wanna go ahead and place it underneath your sits bones and join me in a seat. Can take a breath in and a big breath out through the mouth just to clear and exhale through the lungs. You're welcome to breathe the eyes closed or keep them open with a soft gaze in front of you.

Begin to arrive right into your center. So where your pelvis and your tailbone lands, and see if you can cultivate a tall but soft spine with the heart reaching up. And the shoulders softening down the back. We'll begin with a little bit of breath work. So when you're ready, start to reach for opposite elbows with your hands and cup them.

If they're not quite accessible, you can always grab for opposite wrists or forearms. But we'll throw the elbows up with a big breath in, really tall to the spine. And then as you exhale, turn the elbows back down, bring them towards your torso. Keep the spine long. Inhale to reach the elbows up.

Exhale to pull the elbows down. Do this a few more times. So we're creating space like this window as you open and close. Clearing out some space through the lungs. So we can breathe in fresh oxygen, exhale any tension to the face.

Let's take two more rounds, exhale elbows down. Big inhale to reach the elbows up. Big exhale to reach the elbows down. Last time, big elbows come up. Accceal to close the elbows down.

The hands are gonna come behind your head now elbows wide. So just create a little bit of space in the lungs. We're gonna see if we can create some space throughout vision. So your eyes can be open or closed. As you exhale, close the elbows towards one another.

And as you inhale, open the elbows back up, exhale to close the elbows together, inhale to open the elbows up. You can stay slow here. You could pick up the pace. Just keep moving with the breath. And picture like the elbows are kinda like squeegees like you would on, like a windshield and just smoothing away, any debris, creating space to have clear vision as we find two more exhales.

And elbows will come wide. Hold them wide, find a deep breath in, proud heart, exhale hands down towards your lap. Table top is where we'll meet. So you can come off of that block. Place it off the side of your mat.

Walk your hands underneath your shoulders, your hips underneath your knees, drop the belly into a cow pose, lift the heart forward, exhale as you round and curl into a cat pose. One more time, inhale into a cow. Exale into a cat. And then hold right here. You're gonna circle your torso over towards the right and then drop the belly like you would in cow.

So circled the torso to the left and round, creating this big barrel shape as you move in a circle in the same direction, two or three ax cells. You know, take it the opposite way. So barrel roll over towards the right. Curling and rounding through the spine and move freely here. So through class, we're gonna explore what it's like to step into this flow state where the body and the heart and the mind, create coherence together.

Neutral table top as you're ready. You can tuck your toes or keep them untucked. Left leg will start to kick out and off your mat, and you can ground that outside edge of your left foot. So we're in this gate pose of the legs. Walk your left hand a little bit closer underneath your left shoulder, and then reach the right arm high with a big breath in.

You're gonna reach under and through this left arm with an exhale. And you can just hover the right hand towards the earth. Peel on up as you breathe in, exhale to thread through, reach the right arm underneath you. Good one more time flowing freely through the arm inhale, exhale to reach under and through. Come on back up, reach the right arm high, and then place the right hand down onto your mat. Slide your left knee underneath you, create tabletop in the body, and the right leg will reach out into our gate pose.

Ground to the outside edge of your foot. Lock the right hand a little bit more underneath you. Reach the left arm high to the sky. Open up through the chest. As you exhale thread the left arm under and through.

Inhale to reach on high, and exhale to thread through. Good. I'm just flowing freely through the left arm reaching up and threading on through. Left arm will go high with a breath in. And then left hand comes down to the earth. Table top, right knee underneath you, walk the hands slightly in front of you, tuck the toes if they aren't already, and then fold the hips up and back into a downward facing dog.

You can walk this dog side to side. Feel the breath move now into the lower back, maybe between the rib cage. You're welcome to land into some stillness with a soft bend of the knees. Feel the palms, press into the earth so you can reach the heart towards the thighs. And then left foot will stay on down.

We'll reach the right leg up to the sky. Bend the knee, circle around the ankle, or you just allow this right leg to be free in the air for a moment. This right knee is gonna start to track towards the left elbow, so cross your body. And then kick out the right leg. We'll find fallen triangle.

Left arm will go high to the sky. Staying here for just a moment feeling a little strength of the right hand. See if you can press into the ring and pinky finger on that right palm. Then left hand will come down, right leg will kick on up to the sky, three legged dog, big breath in. Right legs will step forward and through.

Let's find a low lunge twist. So left hand will stay down. You can also use that block for your left hand if you'd like, but right arm will go high to the sky. Suttling here with a couple of exhales and start to feel the feet a little firmer underneath you. This light this left hand will get a little bit lighter.

Press the right foot and start to rise into a high lunge twist. Right? So those shakes and wobbles, these allow us to attune inwards rather than running away. And be present with the exhale as you settle and soften the shoulders. Reach your back hand to your back thigh. Your left arm up to the sky for exalted crescent.

You can lean the heart up as much as you'd like here, but think about hugging the inner thighs together just so you study through the feet. Big breath in. Warrior twos where we'll go next. So spin the left heel down. You can adjust the feet as much as you'd like.

So you can sink into the right thigh and then open the arms out wide. We'll straighten out this right leg. You can pivot the right toes in, reach the arms up to the sky. So big star post shape. Left knee will bend, and you can sweep your arms to the left. So it'll get nice and flowy with this gondasana. If you wanna flex your right toes up to the sky, you can get a little inner thigh rotation going.

We'll come back to this big star shape. So inhale sweep the hands up to the sky, and then rainbow the hands over towards the right, bend the right knee in that skandhasana shape. As you breathe in gaze towards your back foot, that left foot, crawl your way towards the back of your mat, plant your palms, left leg will go high, three legged dog. Bend the knee, give it a little bit of opening, roll out the ankle if you'd like. You can wiggle your jaw here, soften the face.

And this left knee will cross over towards the right. Left leg will kick out and right arm will go high, fall in triangle. Studies through that left hand, that ring and pinky finger grounding you in. Deep breathe in. Right hand comes down to the earth.

Left leg goes high, big breath in, three legged dog. Step the left foot on through as you exhale. Left arm high into your twist. Right hand is down. And so if the feet feel really wide, we know that we're gonna start to rise and add a little bit of balance, maybe hop the right foot in just to give yourself a little bit more stability.

And then start to press the left foot and rise Hi, crescent twist. Once you're up there, notice if the shoulders really shrugged up, give some signal to the body. You can relax at least just through the face, through the shoulders and fingers. Keeping the legs steady, left hand will reach to your back thigh. Right arm will go high to the sky exalted crescent, then you stay about two breaths.

Present with the body. Warrior two, spin the right heel down, open the arms out to that wide tee. Feel that contrast as well. The hips open, the heart broaden. And then left leg will straighten pivot the left toes in. Right knee bends sweep the arms to the right.

So I'll call this rainbow warrior through our flow. Big inhale sweep the arms up and rainbow the arms over towards the left. Skandasana in that left leg. We're gonna turn towards our right foot, plant your palms, send your right leg high. So this is where we start our flow, and we're gonna do it two times.

Spend the knee, open the hip just for this moment, inhale square the hips, draw the right knee to your left tricep, fall in triangle, left arm high. Big breath in. Left hand comes down to the earth. Right leg goes high. Step the right foot on through.

Reach your right arm high into your twist. Inhale start to rise into that high crescent twist. Reach back, exalted crescent. Warrior two as you exhale. Big star shape inhale.

Then the left knee sweep the arms to the left. Raymo or you're going all the way up and over towards the right. Travel your way to the back of your mat. Left leg goes high, three legged dog. Left knee right tricep into your fallen triangle, right arm high, open on up.

Right hand comes down. Three like a dog inhale. Left foot steps forward. Left arm goes high into your twist. Big breath in to rise.

High crescent twist. Reach back exalted crescent. Warrior two as you exhale glide on open. Inhale big star shape, bend the right knee, sweep the arms to the right. Rainbow warrior all the way up and over into the left leg. We're gonna flow one more time, plant the palms, right leg high.

So the body can just move a little a bit more freely, three or rather fall in triangle, kick out your leg, left arm high. Left hand comes down. Right leg goes up. Step the right foot on through. Right arm high into your twist.

High lunge twist, inhale rise, reach back into your exults. Warrior two open. Big star inhale. Left knee bends rainbow warrior, inhale all the way up and over. Big sweep of the arms, bend the right knee.

Travel to the back. Left leg goes high, breath in. Kick the left leg out. Right arm high, fallen triangle. Right hand down, left leg high, feel the body move, step the left foot through, inhale left arm high.

High lunge twist, go ahead and rise, and then reach back exalted crescent. Warrior two open on up. Big star, and then right knee bends, rainbow warrior. All the way up and over, and the left knee arms to the left. Scroll your way towards that right foot and pause, plant the palms, hop the left foot in and up for pyramid, straighten out the right leg.

And we pause to feel. If you want that block underneath your hands, you can always take the ground a little bit closer towards you. We've stirred some things up. We present, connecting mind to body with the breath. Find one to two more inhales and exhales is where you practice slowing the breath down.

Signaling to the body that it's okay to be a little bit activated that you're not leaving. You're committed to your body and mind and the breath together. So this left hand, it can stay on the earth or it can come to a block. This right hand, go ahead and take it to your lower back. And we'll start in this revolve pyramid from here.

So if you feel like this right hip's really swaying off, I invite you. You are so welcome to widen the feet. Give a little bit more space for yourself to steer the right hip back and the left hip forward. And then think about halfway lift of the spine. How you can reach the tailbone back.

And if you'd like to stay, great place right here. If you'd like to reach the right arm up, come with the fingertips up to the sky and rotate the heart even more towards the sky. Two more axils here. And right hand will come down towards the block or the earth, bend the right knee. Go ahead and hop that left foot back a little bit further.

And then drop the back knee down. We'll find runners lunge. So hands inside the right foot. For a moment, shift the hips back into half splits and rock it back forward into your lunge. Take this as a slow flow.

So we just had a very active vinyasa style flow. Allow this one to soften you in. Settle the waves down a little bit more. And then hold that runner's lunge when you're ready. You can keep the hands on the earth or maybe walk the hands and the elbows down.

Got about five to eight breaths here. And so we've played in placing ourselves in this sympathetic or active, mobilized space of the body and the nervous system. Through that practice, we can still find, like, the essence of rest and digest where the breath is steady and where we notice in that edge, like, where we're pushing it a little bit too far out of mobilization what we're really running. And how the brass can help slow us back down. Come back up to the palms if you're lowered.

Take this right foot, to heel it across towards the left. We'll set up for single pigeon from here. So set your right shin down. If you want that block to place underneath your right glute, you're welcome to. Take a moment and just tuck the back toes and we slide the left knee back a little bit further and then untuck the toes once again.

A moment to find proud pigeon. Let the hips drop down and the heart come up. When you feel ready, start to roll down onto the elbows, if you would like to sleep your pigeon. One more deep breath in. Easy soft breath out.

Come back up to your palms. Talk to your back toes. Let your right leg go high to the sky. Three like a dog. Bend the knee. Open up the hip.

Give it a couple circles. And then set the right foot down. Left leg will lift just because we did it on the first side earlier. We're gonna bend the knee and roll the hip open. Then the left foot will step up and wide prepping for pyramid first.

So again, you have those block or that block for your hands. You can hop the back foot in and up. Press through the left foot to shift the hips back and straighten the left leg. When we drop into that flow state, it's it is coherence. Yeah. Like, body mind, heart, breath. Even this here can be a flow state with the breath as the body's instillness.

If you've ever, like, hopefully maybe felt it in this class, or in even, like, washing dishes or in a walk. It's like the world just kinda slows down a bit. And the mind quiets. And there's a little bit more you, right in that moment. Right hand will stay on the block or it comes to the earth.

Left hand will come to your lower back. We'll start from this twist here. So again, this side might be totally different if the feet need a little bit more space, you can widen the stance, feel the left hip turn back and the right hip forward. Stay here or reach the left arm high into your evolved pyramid twist. Three inhales and exhales here.

Receiving the breath as medicine. Close the left hand down when you're ready, bend the left knee. You can take that block up towards the top or off. We're gonna set up a runner's lunge. So step the right foot back, the left foot a little bit wide, and drop the back knee down.

For a moment, take that slow flow shifting the hips back and forward. Hang out in your runner's lunge when you're ready. You're welcome to keep the hands on the earth. If you'd like to fold a little bit more, you could place the block underneath your elbows or bring yourself onto the ground. As you breathe, feel that space that we've cultivated through the lungs symbolic imagery of space and clarity to the eyes, to the mind.

In that clarity, there's space to freely express through shape, through breath. Big exhale out. Then palms will come back to the earth, giving us space to step this left foot all the way over towards the right for a single pigeon, set your shin down, take a moment, walk the hands underneath you and just tuck the back toes. Lifting the knee and slide it back if you'd like a little bit. Upright, proud pigeon is amazing.

Sleepinging pigeon is also great. Your choice. Feel the freedom to choose where you walk your path. One last deep breath in, and a full exhale. Press back on to your palms.

We'll find three legged dog from here. So tuck the back toes, send that beautiful left leg up to the sky and take some circles with the ankle or thigh to loosen and create a little bit more space after that pigeon. And then left foot will come down downward facing dog. Inhale high plank pose. We're gonna roll it on forward, stack your shoulders over your wrists.

Know that your knees are there for you, but see if you can pull the heart forward and slowly lower down to your stomach with an exhale. Untuck the toes. Let's reach the arms behind us. Palms face down. We'll find flying locust.

This can be really, really free. I want you to take up space, like you're actually flying through the air. Inhale, start to lift the chest. Lift the feet, reach the back of the hands up to the sky, and then breathe, and let that breath point bounce you up, reach you up. One more inhale to lift. AC sail hands by the sides, feet down, one cheek to the mat.

It might feel nice for you. If you wanna switch your hips side to side or windshield wiper the feet. Bring your chin back through center. Place your palms underneath your shoulders. Press your way in through a child's pose just to sit the hips towards the heels for a satchel, a little reset, a lower back.

I'm gonna roll on through tabletop just to swing the legs around and come onto our back. So you can scoot the hips forward, give yourself some space. Lay on down to your spine. Bend your knees. Let your left foot on the earth and take your right ankle to your left thigh.

Arms can come out to a wide tier cactus and let that figure four shape fall over towards the left. With an inhale, bring the knees back through center. Place your right foot on the earth. Switch the left ankle to the right thigh, and then let that figure four fall over towards the right. You can lay into a twist.

With your next breath in, draw the figure four back through center, plant your left foot on the earth. Maybe you give a little hug of the knees in just to feel your lower back lift and then ground onto the earth. We'll slide into Shavasana from here. So let the legs go long, bring your arms as wide as you'd like, find a deep breath in. And a big open mouth exhale to the sky.

Let yourself land. Let any sensations of buzzing or warmth or your heartbeat be with you here. You come into that center column of breath to your belly. And your chest. In your minds, I invite you to picture, like, there is a column of water just above you over your head.

That beautiful soothing water start to wash over through and down the arms, down the cheeks. Your chest, washing through you down the torso into the hips and the thighs, all the way into the feet, and that water just trails off down into the earth. So it's a return back to the top of the head and feeling and seeing the water flow over above down and through you. And the ways this water can inspire this flow that we created through the practice, that water moves freely. That it washes away any residue and that it cultivates space for serenity to exist within.

Welcome to stay with that image of the water just flowing over down and through you into the earth. The breath be natural and soft. Experience this piece. Being free. You're welcome to rest here on your back as long as you would like.

If you have space, stay. If you feel like moving, it's just a gentle hand to belly and a hand to heart. And together, we seal an honor of that human behind those hands and the breath that connects us both deep inhale. And a full exhale. Thank you for joining.

Me you go in peace and namaste.