Reset the System

Hi, everyone. For your practice today, grab two blocks. We are going to reset the system. And when we are thinking about resetting our nervous systems, we want to lean into what is familiar. So one of the easiest pose we're gonna begin in today, child's pose. You can join me there.

Very familiar posts. For this child's pose, any which way that you want with your knees. So you might have a preference. I'm gonna choose hip width apart. But once you're in child's pose, let your elbows rest on the mat, let the forearms rest on the mat, and the forehead. And if your forehead doesn't reach the mat, please place a block underneath it.

Once you're there, begin to notice your breath, which is the most familiar thing we do yet also something we do that we don't have to think about. It just happens for us. The body is always going to breathe for you. So start to lean into the familiar inhale, that rhythm of the inhale, drawing the breath in, expanding the front body, side body, back body. And then exhale feel the side ribs, front ribs, back ribs, draw in.

So we'll do that three more times. Inhale your front ribs, side ribs, back ribs, expand. Exhale as the back ribs, side ribs, front ribs draw in and contract. And inhale, come on to all fours. In your tabletop position.

So if your knees were hip width apart or wider than hip width in your child's pose, bringing them hip width apart on the mat, hands, shoulder width. Let's move through cat cow. Inhale, draw the chest forward, exhale around the spine. Another familiar and go to yoga pose. That feels good as you start to link your movement with your breath.

You're welcome to close your eyes here and just become one with the movement, one with the rhythm, one with the breath. And inhaled to a neutral spine, slide your hands a few inches in front of you for downward facing dog. When you're in your down dog, take a few moments here. Do whatever feels good. You can pedal out the feet, bend one knee and the other.

And we're gonna hang out here for a few more breaths. You're gonna bend both of the knees and draw the sit bones up and back. As you breathe in, feel the front ribs floating forward, the side ribs expanding out, the back ribs lifting. And then again, as you exhale, everything draws back, to the center, contracting, drawing in. You can straighten your legs, any amount, inhale high toes as you exhale step up to the top of your mat.

Halfway up to breathe in, shift a little forward towards the toes, exhale and fold. Inhale rise, reach up, breathe in. Hands to the hearts. And we'll do sun salute a couple of these today, inhale reach up breathe in. Again, leaning into what is familiar. Exhale and fold.

Reach forward with the chest, inhale. Step back, plank pose as you exhale. We'll just pause here for one breath. Inhale. Shift forward, lower all the way to the mat as you exhale, chaturanga. Taking cobra as our first backbend, inhale lift the sternum.

Pull the shoulders back, exhale, tuck the toes, downward facing dog. Pause. Take a full cycle of breath. Inhale high toes, exhale bend the knees, step or hop, top of the mat, inhale lengthen halfway. Exhale fold. Reach up, breathe in.

Hands to the heart. One more like that inhale. Arms go up. Feel your feet root down. XL fold. Half way up on the inhale. Through the vinyasa, exhaling.

Lowering Chaturanga, inhale in your up dog or cobra, exhale downward facing dog. Big breath in through the nose. Out through the nose or the mouth, exhale. Inhale as you stretch back. End of the exhale step or hop to the top of your mat.

Breathe in halfway lengthening your spine. XL and refold. Inhale reach up and hands to your heart. From here, just separate your feet so they're hip width apart. You're gonna grab your two blocks and just set up one on each side of the mat. Inhale your arms to go up again.

Exhale and fold. You're gonna grab the block on the left side and put it to the inside of your left foot. So again, you want your feet hip width maybe a little bit wider. You can decide the height of your block I'm gonna go medium height, but start to bend your left knee, pressing your left hand into the block, you'll reach your right arm up to the sky, opening and twisting to the right. You're pressing down with your right foot, straightening your right leg any amount, but be mindful as you do that your left hip is gonna wanna shed out to the left.

So firm that left hip to the midline of your mat. Soften the left shoulder away from your ear. See if you can revolve a little bit more towards the sky. Breathe in a couple more breaths. Inhale. Try reaching and stretching further with your right arm. As you exhale lower your right hand, find the other block on the right.

We're gonna step the left foot back in that runner's lunge and place the left knee down on the mat. So you have two blocks now framing your right foot. Inhale, draw your chest forward. And as you exhale, straighten your front leg, that right leg, you can always adjust your blocks if you need to. And then again, moving with the breath, inhale as you bend your right knee, Draw your chest forward, pull your shoulders back, exhale and straighten. We'll do one more inhale, bend the knee, lift the chest, lift the gaze, exhale straighten your front leg.

Now, rebend your front knee. Pause here. Your left hand is gonna stay on the block. Take your right arm and reach back. So open twist again to the right.

You're welcome to stay here or grab your left foot with your right hand. It's just a nice stretch. For that left quadriceps. Pull your left shoulder down and away from the ear. Notice your body in this pose.

Notice how it's responding to the stretch. Can you breathe through it? There's any tightness, any gripping? One more inhale. Release your back foot if you have it on the exhale. From here, we're gonna lift the back knee.

Keep the left hand on the block. Reach the right arm up to the sky one more time twisting. Another familiar pose really leaning into. What is familiar? Turn your right palm to face the front of the mat and reach that top arm overhead.

Gather more length through the right side of your body. And inhale right arm goes up. As you exhale lower your right hand to that block on the right, and you're stepping your left foot to the front of the mat. We're gonna come into melasana. So Move your blocks to the sides, take your feet out as wide as your mat. Turn the toes out and your heels in.

Bring your hands at your heart. If this is not possible for you, you can always sit on one of the blocks. It's very supportive way to do Malasana. We're gonna take the left hand out to the left. You can use the other block if you need here or just fingertips to the mat or the floor, right arm up to the sky, opening to the right one more time.

Turn that right palm to the front edge of your mat. Reach that top arm forward. Feel all that length on the right side of your body. And then right arm goes up, hands at your heart. Stay here one more breath.

Exhale hands to the mat, forward folds, heel toe your feet in, So they're hip width apart. Inhale halfway up. Exhale fold back in. Let's reach up, breathe in. Hands to the heart.

So we'll repeat that on the left side, inhale arms to the sky, feet to the earth, exhale and fold. Halfway up inhale. Grab that block on the right side now. Put it to the inside of your right foot again, separate your feet even wider if you need. Right hand goes down on the block, bend your right knee.

And then lift your left arm to the sky. So we're rooting down with that left foot into the mat and straightening that left leg. Any amount. Be mindful of your right hip, firm it in, Hold steady. Relax your right shoulder away from your ear.

Inhale. See if it's possible to revolve a little more to the left as you exhale. Take one more breath, stretch that left arm up, stretch the fingertips up, and exhale lower that left hand. Step your right foot back, lower your right knee to the mat, and we'll move dynamically with a breath. You have two blocks now framing the left foot, inhale chest forward chin lifts, exhale, left leg straight, hips go back.

And two more times, inhale bend the knee, lift the gaze, exhale straighten that front leg. One more. And straighten exhale. Rebend your front knee, pause. The block on the right stays there with the right hand.

Just take your left arm and reach back. And maybe this is as far as you go today. You can always lunge your hips forward. If you wanna grab your back foot, you can, and get that added quad stretch on the right side. Notice how your body is responding.

What is your breath doing as you hold this stretch? Continue that fluid breath in and out. Let's release the back foot. From here, lift your right knee, firm your right thigh. Right hand down, left arm goes up.

One more twist. Turn the left palm to face the front of your mat and reach that top arm forward. Inhale your left arm goes up. Lower the left hand onto the block. We're stepping the right foot up so you can move the blocks out to the sides again.

Go as wide with your mat or as wide with your feet to the mat. So your feet are as wide as your mat. Turn your toes out your heels in from Malasana, making the modification that you need for your body. From here, your right arm goes out to the right, left arm up to the sky, turning the left palm forward, reaching that arm overhead. And left arm up, bring your hands back to your heart, pausing here, lifting your chest, inhale. Hands to the mat forward fold as you exhale.

Heel, toe your feet back in. Together, inhale, Arta uttanasana lengthen. One more vinyasa, step back. Move through chaturanga on the exhale. Upward facing dog or cobra inhale downward facing dog.

One breath in. Full breath out. From your downward dog, please lower your knees. We're gonna lie down on the back and grab your block too. Lie down, bending your knees.

From here, lift your hips up and slide that block underneath your, sacrum. So the lower part of the back, perhaps even lower than that, and you can decide the height of your block. You're welcome to stay right here in restorative bridge pose, or join me and extend your legs up towards the sky. And sometimes when we lift the legs, we have to adjust the block again. So please feel free to do that.

You wanna feel supportive or supported from the block. But we'll just be here. This is just another variation or similar to bringing the legs up the wall, so viparita Karani, just changing the direction of our flow. Your circulation now moving downwards from the feet to the pelvis. We'll take two more breaths here.

If your legs are up, bend your knees again. Lower the feet back down and lift your hips to remove the block from underneath the body. Let's cross the right leg over the left shift your hips to the right a little bit, drop your knees to the left for a twist. Perhaps noticing a complete reset of your system here. And back to center, switch the crossing of the legs, shift the hips to the left, drop your knees to the right.

And back to center, hug your knees into your chest, please. And we're gonna meet in a seated pose, sukhasana. Easy posts. So just closing your eyes once you're there, bringing your hands onto your thighs, facing down. I'm just feeling the rhythm of your energy that lies beneath the skin, the tissues, the connective tissues, the muscles, the bones. And just notice how everything has settled.

There's more calm. There's more peace. Bring your hands to your hearts, bow your chin towards your heart, honor yourself for showing up for choosing to reset the system today. Thank you for practicing with me. Namaste.