Clearing Space

Hello, and welcome to this final class where we'll get to explore all the different somatic practices we've been weaving together and finding a connection of this home that lives within us. So we'll start on our box. You can come and lay down and find a butterfly of the knees with your feet together. Your hands resting by your sides for a moment. Just allow the body to settle onto the earth.

Feel the head, relax. Invite the muscles around your jaw and your brow, your cheeks to soften. Let's find a full breath into the nose and a full breath out. We'll begin with the topping that we've done. So bring your hands up just in front of you.

One hand will tap the back heel of your other hand and start to just feel your finger pads lightly tapping that heel of your hand. Through this, you're welcome to gaze at what I'm doing as a visual. Switch your hands and tap the opposite heel of your hands. And at any point, if you'd like to close your eyes, you can go inwards just a little bit more. These taps will come beneath our collar bones, bring your finger pads just beneath the collar bones and give some light taps onto your skin.

Breathing deeply. And then taps just above the collar bones, not soft part of your neck. Tops just below the lips on your chin and feeling the light touch of your finger pads against your skin. Take those taps and bring them up above your lips just beneath your nose. Then your finger pads will come to your cheekbones and give some light taps just beneath your eyes.

And notice how soft you can be as you feel the finger pads on your skin. Just above your eyebrows will tap a few times, finding a full breath in, and a full breath out. Tap the top of your head lightly. And then tap along your temples just outside your eyes. We'll do that one more round, and I'll offer some words as we go.

So begin to tap one heel of your hand. And say to yourself I am home. Tap the opposite hand with your finger pads. I am home. Finger pads come beneath your collar bones.

I am safe to be here. Just above your collar bones in that soft part of your neck, I am safe to be here. Just beneath your mouth on your chin. I am present with what is here. Beneath your nose above your lips, I am open to what is with me today.

Just onto your cheekbones, I'm loving to what is with me today. Above your eyebrows. I am present with what is with me today. Top of your head, I am here. I am home.

And the outside edges of your eyes, your temples, just a light top. I love right where I am. Go ahead and let those taps go. Your hands rest on to your belly. Let's find a deep belly breath in through the nose.

Open the mouth. Let that breath go. Again, full breath into the lower belly, and a big exhale to the sky. Slide your hands outside your thighs. Close your knees. Bring your hands to the back of your thighs.

We'll start to rock and roll. Start really slow. So just subtle. Start to build a little momentum. These rocks will come into a tabletop when you're ready, swing all the way around to all fours.

Find one cow just to drop the belly, lift the heart. Cat pose with a big exhale round and curl. Toast will tuck, walk your hands slightly forward and find downward facing dog. Fold the hips up and back. A generous or soft bend at the knees here so you can feel the tailbone reach up towards the sky.

And the heart was yearned towards those thighs. Breathe, then engage forward, and take baby steps just one at a time towards those hands. Rag doll stands for a moment. Arms can hang heavy or you can grab elbows, but let the head go. Release your arms if you have a bind and take a slow roll all the way up to stand.

Once you're up there, you can roll the shoulders down and back, hands just right by the sides. I'm gonna get light through the knees and a little bouncy. So start to just shake the hands a little bit, shoulders, rock side to side. And then think about creating a little huffle shot So you're gonna shuffle hop. So you'll start to hop side to side and let the arms shake by your sides. You'll find a deep rest in, big open mouth exhale.

Maybe a big horse slips, a big one more breath in, and land yourself into stillness with the exhale. Roll the shoulders down and back, flip the palms forward. Notice what was stirred up through that movement and where you can ground back into the feet. Staying connected with the feet on the earth will just grow tall, extended mountain, big breath in, Forward fold, pour over yourself as the hips come high and the head comes low. Halfway lifts, so heart will come forward, tailbone back, plant the palm set up for high plank pose.

We'll work into a chaturanga here so your knees can be lifted or grounded, but shift forward to the toes, pull the heart forward. And as you exhale lower halfway down, inhale cobra or updog with the knees lifted, big breath in, For our exhale downward facing dog, hips go high to the sky. Right leg will go up to the sky in a three legged dog. As you exhale, step the right foot forward and through. We'll set up for warrior two.

So spin the left heel down. Let that left arm lead you as you swim the arms up. Open the arms wide. Fill the left heel, that back foot root into the earth, and the right knee sync on forward. Keep the right leg steady and reach the right hand back reverse warrior.

That backhand can place on your back thigh or a half bind. But this is where we can play, like, their strength, there's activation. The body's getting more mobile. Where can we find contrast and softening, even in that edge. Big breath in, and the left hand will start to come down to the earth.

You're gonna swim your right arm high. As you do, spin onto your left toes. So we're in this low lunge twist. Then gaze at that left hand, get really steady through the fingers, spread them wide. We're gonna slide into a side plank.

Bashi Stasana. So that back knee can be lifted or grounded here. Feel steady through the left hand and play with your bottom knee grounded or lifted while it's all pick up the right foot. Bend your right knee. Step the right foot behind you on the earth and lift the hips into wild thing. Big breath in while you're here.

Accale into a high plank. Right foot will ham right foot will come down. Right hand comes down. Lower into a chaturanga, inhale into a backbend, cobra, or up dog, fold it back downward facing dog. One breath in, steady to land with the exhale, lift the left leg high, three legged dog, big breath in.

Step the left foot on through. Setting up for virabhadrasana two, four year two. Right arm guides you open, right heel firms into the earth, left knee tracks forward. Then settle the gaze, perhaps right over that left middle finger. Next breath in to reverse warrior, reach on back, lean the heart up, then you're welcome to play with the half bind with your right arm if you'd like.

Deep breathe in, carrying us into our low lunge twist, right hand will plant down. Left hand goes high and then you spin high onto those right toes. And then maybe gaze in the right hand just feel the fingers spread wide. That's our foundation setting us up into a side plank. So back knee can be lifted or lowered, reach the left arm high, pick up the left foot, bend the left knee and step that left foot behind you, lift the hips, reach up and back wild thing.

Full breath in. Left hand comes down. Left foot down into a high plank. You're welcome to find a chaturanga or shift right into downward facing dog from here. Inhale in your backbend if you're finding it, exhale in the downward facing dog.

Okay. So treat this as home base. We just take a moment and pause. Recollect yourself into your mat, your home here in this body. We'll find a flow. So let a big exhale go.

Reach your right leg up to the sky. Exale, step the right foot through. Warrior two, inhale. Keep it going all the way into your reverse warrior. Reach back.

Low lunge twist, left hand will come down, right arm high. Step into your side plank, maybe hover the foot right away, bend your right knee, plant the foot, lift the hips wild thing. High plank from here, you have an optional vinyasa. You can always take it or skip it. Down dog is always home for us to find a couple breaths and reset.

Last leg will go high. Last foot steps on through. Warrior two. Big breath in. Let that carry you into reverse warrior. Reach back.

Right hand comes down to the earth in your low lunge twist. Left hand goes high. Step into that side plank, left foot hovers, bend the left knee plant your foot and lift the hips, wild thing. High plank from here, optional vinyasa. You can hold a high plank and find a deep breath.

And if you'd like, we'll all meet in downward facing dog and pause for a couple breaths. So I'll find that one more time with the flow. He'll reach your right leg up to the sky, step your right foot on through, and heal warrior two rise all the way up and then reach back reverse warrior. Low lunge twist from here, left hand comes down, right arm high, step into your side plank, hover the foot, wild thing, step the right foot behind you, lift the hips. From here, we'll find a down dog.

So plant the right foot, plant the right hand, and then crouch and bend the knees gaze to the top of your mat. Now you can step or you can hop. We're gonna meet in Malasana. So a frog squat. Heels wide, toes out, hips sink low, hands come into heart.

Study the breath. We can use this shape to slow the exhales down. K. From here, this will turn into a little bit of a more active press the feet. Start to rise, rise, rise, all the way until you stand. Once you straighten the legs, hands can come by the sides, bring your feet underneath you, and we'll set up for dancers. So right foot stays down.

Kick your left heel into your glute. Flip your left palm out. You can grab the inside of your ankle or reach for your foot. And today, I invite you play with a poet's variation. So it's this super subtle connection and signal that we are here and we feel our palm cross into our heart.

Now let the kick lead you. Start to press the left foot back, lean the heart forward, and then go for it. And what would happen if you fall? You have this resilience so you can pick yourself back up. You have this steady breath, even in the wobbles.

Maybe one or two more axials to give you even a bigger kick. Rise on up. Left foot comes down, hands by the sides with pause and stillness. Give this body a moment to settle back into the earth. Arms go up with a breath in.

Forward fold as you exhale. Halfway lift as you inhale. High plank, and you have an optional vinyasa from here. You can lower to your belly or halfway, find your backbend of choice as you breathe in. Fold into downward facing dog, breathe out.

Inhale through the nose. Stick out the tongue for a lion's breath. Left leg goes high in a three legged dog. Left foot steps on through. High lunge, big breath in.

Warrior two is you exhale. Left arm goes high, reach up and back, cart roll the hands down, low lunge twist left arm to the sky. Shift into your side plank, hover the left foot, bend the left knee, plant the foot, and lift the hips wild thing. Into a down dog trim here. So left hand comes down, left foot comes down, crouch, bend the knees, sit the hips back gaze forward.

And maybe you step or maybe you press the palms to hop into Malasana. Let yourself settle about three to five exhales. Right. And we've built this window of tolerance where we can sustain expanding our edges, and we've built trust that the breath can help soothe us through that transformation and that growth. This frog becomes a little bit more active. Press to the feet.

You got it. You got it. Press to the feet. Rise to stand. And then let the hands go. Bring the feet underneath you.

K. Left foot will stay down. Kick the right foot in. Flip your palm out so you can grab the inside of your ankle or your foot. And then feel this left hand come to your heart. Stay with awareness of the hand on the heart that feeling of your skin connected.

When you feel ready, start to kick into the right hand, creating this dancer's shape in the body, and let the heart trust the hand. The hand support the heart. Studies the breath for three more rounds. Maybe you play with a little bit more kick in that back foot. And one last breath in, and a full breath out.

Rise to stand when you're ready. Hands by the sides, right foot on the earth, and land. Rast of gratitude for yourself, permission to soften here. Arms will come up to the sky as you breathe in. Find a forward fold as you exhale.

Halfway lift as you breathe in. Step your way into a downward facing dog from here. Three legged dog, right leg will lift up to the sky. Set your right shin forward into single pigeon, lower your shin down. You can slide that back knee a little further behind you and then untuck the toes.

Let's find proud pigeon for a moment, walk the hands underneath your shoulders and lift the heart on up. And then see if you can lean with the heart forward. You can walk your hands forward and bow to your comfort in the single pigeon. Slowly start to unfold yourself back onto your palms. Tuck the back toes.

Step the right foot back into your downward facing dog, and then just give it a little walk side to side. Show me the hips right and left. Lift your left leg high. Guide your left shin through into single pigeon. You can lift that back knee and slide it back as you untuck your right toes for a moment proud pigeon.

Lift the heart. And then lean with that heart forward forward, walk the hands down to any amount and settle to soften the breath. Start to peel yourself back up if you're lowered. Plant your palms, Tuck the back toes, give yourself space into downward facing dog. Again, a little pedal, right and left to the knees and the heels.

Gaze towards your hand, just let the knees come down onto the earth. We'll come down onto our seat with both legs long in front of us. So set up for a seated forward fold. I like to sometimes spend my knees more than I think I would normally, and then give a little walk of the hips right and left back. And then from there, reach the arms tall up towards the sky.

Lead with the heart. Reach forward forward forward. When you can't reach anymore, grab what's right in front of you. It might be your thighs, your calves, or your feet. But today, you're welcome to play with one, like, halfway lift of the spine to lengthen out.

I invite you now to round, round, round, and let the chin drop in towards the chest. So this chin to chest motion sometimes can feel rather intense in the back of the neck. And it's a signal here in this vagus nerve that runs from our brain down into our gut. As we drop our chin inwards and find a couple swallows and a couple exhales, He's kinda turn the signal on for the body to know it can level down a couple notches, where it can exhale with even more freedom. As you breathe in, start to roll the heart on up, walk the hands underneath you to lift the heart back up.

We'll come down onto our bellies. Take your time, tug your knees into your chest once you're down there. And we'll find a full happy baby. So you can grab the back of your thighs or reach for your calves or feet. Suey as much as you'd like.

Those rocking sensations are really soothing to our nervous system. See if the head can get really heavy on the earth. Staying in this happy baby and invite you into a bee's breath, which will be a lip sealed exhale, and it sounds like a So I will demo for you just like this, inhaling through the nose, and the exhale, like, You can join me if you'd like when you're ready. Deep breathe in and a with the exhale. One more if you'd like, soften the toes, get a little wiggle of your happy baby side to side, inhale, and a with the exhale.

Let your feet down onto the mat. Let your hands start to rest by your sides. Slide one leg long and the other. Make your way into Shavasana. So Begin to stir the breath, stir up the surface of the body, and the rise and fall of the belly and the chest.

And the way the earth holds your body. Take each toe and just wiggle those little toesies. Liggle your fingers and perhaps just slide each finger pad to your thumb. Make your arms overhead for a full body stretch. Big breath in head to toe and start to roll onto one side into a supported fetal.

Curl your knees in towards your chest. Rest your bottom arm underneath your head, and then let that left opposite hand just rest onto the earth. This sweet tender moment of just holding yourself here and being held by the mat underneath you. I'll press into a seat. Start to rise up off the earth.

Any comfortable seat that calls to you. Handsons comfortable wherever they'd like. Palms down or palms up. You can feel the awareness drop down towards the earth. In this home that we begin with, this earth as home, feeling the expansiveness out and around us.

And then zooming that awareness back within us, running the awareness through your belly, your place of center. Your legs that hold you in stability. Heart space that nurtures protects and beams out love. Acceptance for yourself and others and your arms and your hands that mobilize you into the world, up through the head. Ears, the eyes, nose, mouth to the top tip crown of your head.

You could bring that vision of a home back into your mind's eye. Let yourself absorb into that home. And feel even with the pieces that may need more paint or need a little bit of tender love to the structure that within this home is something that is whole, and that is you, your spirit, your heart. And as this home holds you, I invite you, let a full exhale go and soften into the exhale, land home. You know, wrap one hand on heart and one hand on belly.

We take this moment and honor this home, this human, and the spirit and heart beneath these hands. Let's find a deep breath in. And a full breath out. When your palms together, your thumbs can draw between your brow. And I bow to you. I honor this practice that you have stepped into, and I thank you in so much gratitude.