Practice 2: Strong and Active

Welcome to day two. Let's continue our practice. So we'll build on some of the things we explored in the first practice. Make your way onto your back. You might bring a blanket again under your head for support. We find our way supine. Let's start with our feet on the floor, knees bent. Let's draw our right knee back into our chest, interlacing the fingers around the top of the knee or the back of the thigh. And then with our inhale, let the knee move away. Arms straighten and then exhale, draw the knee into the chest. With an inhale, let the knee float away, creating some space around the right hip. And with an exhale, draw it in. Two more times. Inhale, knee moves away, arms lengthen. Exhale, draw the knee in. Last time, inhale, knee moves away. Exhale, draw the right knee in. Now you might keep your left foot on the floor to support your back or extend for your left leg, flexing the foot and draw the shoulder blades down the back. Nice. Take one more inhale and then exhale, stretch your right leg out and take a moment, let the palms open. Good. Allow for an inhale and exhale, let the breath release. Good. Bend your knees. Let's find that on the left side. Draw the left knee and interlace the fingers around the knee or the back of the thigh, draw the knee in. With your inhale, send the knee away, let the arms lengthen and exhale, draw the knee into your chest. Inhale, knee moves away. Exhale, draw the knee in. Two more times. With an inhale, creating a bit more space around the left hip. Exhale, draw it in. More time. Inhale, knee moves away from you and then exhale, draw the knee in. Again, you might keep the right foot on the floor or extend for your right leg, flexing the foot, drawing your shoulders down your back, shoulder blades settle. Let's take a nice full breath in together and then exhale, stretch your left leg out, let your palms turn up, take a moment or two to notice how you feel. Allow for an inhale and exhale. Nice. And then bend your knees, bring your feet on the floor, let's explore some movement with a tailbone in the pelvis. So bring your attention down towards your tailbone and we'll just begin to together, let's find this action of curling the tailbone under. So you're, it's as if you're pressing your low back towards the floor and the belly button draws a bit towards the spine, drawing the tailbone under towards the knees. And then find the opposite action, roll the pelvis forward, keep the hips on the floor. The low back might arch here as you lengthen through the front of your spine and then draw the tailbone under towards the knees as you press your low back towards the floor and then roll the pelvis forward. So the pubic bone is tilting down, again the low back might arch here as you find some length and then with an exhale draw the tailbone under towards the knees, low back towards the floor and navel towards the spine and with an inhale rolling your pelvis forward, lengthening and maybe arching the back. Let's do this a few more times together, initiating the movement from the tailbone up through the spine and you might find here your head is naturally following along, moving. Exhale curl the tailbone under towards the knees, low back lengthens, navel draws towards your spine and with an inhale arching, rolling the pelvis forward. Let's do that one more time. Exhale tailbone draws under and then rolling the pelvis forward arching. Let's come into a neutral position for a moment. Let's take a clearing breath, inhale and then exhale let the breath release. Let's come into reverse pigeon again, bring the right ankle across the left thigh flexing the foot. Inhale draw the knee into your chest, exhale send the knee away, that left foot is on the floor. With your breath inhale draw the knee into the chest and then exhale let it open. One more time inhale knee draws in, exhale let it open. You might stay right here, you might begin to draw your left knee into your chest and again like in the first session you might bring your strap around the back of your left thigh or maybe it's your hands, back of the thigh or top of the shin, flexing that right ankle, softening the shoulders down the back and become aware of your breath. You might rock a little bit forward and back. Now bring some attention down towards your tailbone and see what it feels like to curl the tailbone under. Find that action of the low back pressing towards the floor and the belly scooping and then with your inhale rolling the pelvis forward. Notice how the knees might move away from you, the back might arch and then again drawing the tailbone under, curling a bit and then rolling the pelvis forward, knees move away, arms lengthen. One more time drawing the tailbone under, knees draw towards you and then let's set the left foot down to the floor and then just free the right leg down. Take a moment to relax the effort and notice. Take a nice breath in and exhale. Spine that on the left side so bring your left ankle across your right thigh flexing the foot, right foot stays on the floor and then draw the knee in towards your chest and then from your hip send your knee away let it open. Inhale draw the knee in towards the chest and then send the knee away let it open. One more time together drawing the knee in and then let it open. You might stay right here, you might bring your strap around the back of that right thigh as you draw the knee in or perhaps interlacing the fingers behind the right thigh or maybe the top of the shin, flexing the left foot, drawing the shoulders down the back. Maybe you rock a little bit from side to side just to ease into the stretch here and then notice the relationship with the pelvis and the tailbone so we'll find a section together curling the tailbone under drawing the knees and a little bit closer and then rolling or drawing the pelvis down arching through the back and the arms lengthen and then curl or draw the tailbone under and then rolling the pelvis down as you arch. One more time drawing the tailbone under and then arching rolling it forward. Let's take one more inhale and then exhale lower your right foot down lower your left foot down. Palms might open here and take a moment or two to observe how you feel. Noticing any sensation through the hips. Let's find a clearing breath inhale and then exhale draw your knees into your chest. From here roll onto your side and we'll transition on to all fours. Taking your way up and you might bring a blanket under your knees for some padding. We'll find our cat cow from here. Spread your fingers wide apart bring the shoulders over the wrists and you might tuck your toes under just to stretch and open the bottoms of the feet. With an inhale moving towards an extension roll the pelvis forward draw the heart through wide through your collarbones and then exhale curl and round. Let the head fully release here. Oh this feels nice and then inhale rolling the pelvis forward finding that extension maintaining some ease through your neck and then exhale get round and curl. Again rolling the pelvis forward arching and then exhale curl the tailbone under stretching the back inhale lengthening and then exhale and curl and get round. Good let's come into neutral here and beginning to explore plank pose so bearing some weight into our hands. Spread the fingers wide apart and just start by dropping into your shoulders so you know how that feels and then find the action of pressing the floor away and creating a bit more length and space around the shoulders and the neck drawing the shoulder blades down the back tuck the toes under. Now you might stay right here you might explore a plank pose or a high push-up reaching back through your heels and lengthening forward a bit more looking down to let the back of the neck lengthen. Let's take an inhale and then exhale press through your fingers towards downward facing dog lengthening your spine. Let's bend our knees here and reach our sitting bones towards the sky. Take one more full breath here and then exhale lower the knees down press back towards child's pose. Draw the hips back towards the heels forehead might draw towards the floor with the arms overhead. Nice inhale back up let's do that one more time adding on a little bit spread the fingers wide press the floor away feel that space between the shoulders and the ears tuck the toes plank pose strong and active through your legs reaching back as you lengthen forward inhale exhale press back downward facing dog and you might bend your knees here lengthening your spine and really let the back of your neck release so you might look towards the belly button just to make sure the neck is releasing. With an inhale we'll come back into plank pose shift the shoulders over the wrists adjust your feet find that length in your spine and then press back again downward facing dog nice work here. Let's take one more inhale and then this time on an exhale walk the feet towards the hands and let's find a standing forward bend. Bend the knees a lot and let the head release let the arms dangle hands might draw towards the floor you might find your elbows here as the back of the neck releases. Bend the knees release the hands chin into the chest we'll slowly roll up together nice and slow keeping the chin in feeling your feet here and then drawing the heart up drawing the shoulders up back and down and just taking a moment to pause here letting the blood come back into the feet especially if you feel a little light headed here and we'll move into a side stretch together bring your if you have a blanket you can bring it off to the side bring the feet a little wider apart for a stable stance and we'll inhale the arms up to the sky this time we'll clasp our right hand around our left wrist and then just take it up out and over to the right coming into a side stretch you might look down towards your right foot press through your left foot and find a bit more length on that left side and you might take a breath here on the left side body good with your inhale come back up to center clasp your left hand around your right wrist and take it up out and over towards the left again you might look down towards left foot press more with your right foot reach more through that right arm and can you get a sense of the breath on that right side body with an inhale come back up to center and then exhale release the arms let's draw our shoulders up around our ears and then exhale drop them down let's find Tadasan at the top of the mat and take a few moments here to spread the toes you might bring your two blocks on either side of you pressing down through the toes or through the balls of the feet lifting the toes spread the toes wide apart and then let the toes come back down to the floor might let the palms open here maybe a soft bend for the back of the knees and then lifting up from the inner arches all the way up through the inner lines of the legs you feel that length up through the spine the sense of the rib cage lifting up off of the pelvis and I remember that action the tailbone and can you find the sense of lengthening the tailbone without curling it under and squeezing the back or the butt so find this lengthening of the tailbone under yes the palms are opening and then as you draw your head back let the base of your skull the occiput begin to widen or lengthen nice softening through the face bring your attention towards your breath and we'll begin to move with our breath again finding quarter sun salutation so the hands stay at the heart as you inhale with an exhale press the hands down towards the floor with an inhale circle the arms up find that length in the spine reaching up and with an exhale draw the hands back to the heart again breathing in with an exhale pressing the hands towards the earth with an inhale palms open reach and lengthen and then exhale hands to the heart one more like this breathing in exhale releasing the arms with an inhale rise up lengthen and with an exhale hands at the heart adding on half sun salutations breathing in exhale breathing out inhale circle the arms up find that length exhale bend the knees forward fold hands might find your blocks as you release the head into a forward bend as you inhale lengthen your spine half arch and then exhale bend your knees forward fold slow roll your way up chin into the chest taking your time to unfurl the spine and with an inhale circle the arms up find that length again and then exhale hands at the heart take a moment to pause here we'll take one more round like that together breathing in exhale breathing out press the hands inhale circle the arms up find that length exhale bend your knees hinge forward hands find the blocks or the floor release the head inhale lengthen the spine halfway exhale bend the knees forward bend chin into the chest slowly roll your way up towards standing and on your inhale reach the arms up to the sky and with an exhale draw the hands back to the heart taking another moment to pause here feeling your breath feeling your feet your legs so let's step our feet wide and look at warrior two so bring the feet about three feet apart and then draw your left foot in your right foot out right heel is in line with the left inner arch and go ahead and bend the right knee and just see how it feels see where it lands feel that opening through your hip as you send the knee away like in reverse pigeon and the knee tracking over about that second or third toe let's stretch our arms out to the sides here let the palms turn up moving with our breath inhale press into the ball that right foot reach the arms up to the sky exhale bend the right knee and open warrior to again inhale reach the arms up find length exhale warrior to bend the right knee two more times inhale reaching up exhale warrior to inhale reaching up exhale warrior to from here right leg towards straight bring the right foot in the left foot out left heel in line with your right inner arch bend the left knee see where it lands and can you feel that opening through your hip as you send the knee away again like in reverse pigeon knee tracking over about your second or third toe as you stretch your arms out let the palms turn up on an inhale press into the ball the left foot reach the arms up to the sky exhale open warrior to inhale reach the arms up towards the sky exhale and open let's find that two more times together inhale reaching up exhale and open inhale reaching up exhale and open good and then bring your feet parallel to each other coming into a wide forward bend hands on the hips we'll inhale lengthen our spine exhale hinge at the hips forward fold you might bend the knees here bring the hands to the floor and then release the back of the neck bring the head towards the floor and draw the shoulders up the back good take a breath here good and then toe heel the feet right underneath your hips keep the back of the neck long bend the knees forward bend we've been here and then chin into the chest slowly roll your way up towards standing keeping the chin in and then rolling the shoulders up back and down we'll take a moment here in mountain pose spreading the toes and lengthening our spine we'll find that again together bringing the feet wide for warrior to bring the left foot in the right foot out this time we'll bend the right knee soften the shoulders and can you feel and find the essence of mountain pose here drawing the rib cage right over the shoulders the hips drawing the shoulder blades down the back see if you can soften a bit through the face really feeling the support through the legs and then right leg towards straight bring the right foot in the left foot out bend the left knee warrior to and softening the shoulders down the back strong through the legs opening your left hip breathing nice left leg towards straight bring the feet parallel again we'll come into our forward bend hinging at the hips lengthening the spine releasing the head releasing the hands again you might bend the knees here taking the stretch out of the hamstrings a little bit taking a breath good as you're ready toe heel the feet back underneath your hips from here bend the knees chin into the chest and slowly roll up to standing head comes up last feeling the heart feeling the shoulders roll up back and down taking a moment in mountain pose here with the palms open and let's find our way to the top of our mat moving towards some lunges again setting your blocks up and you might bring a blanket for your knee to land coming into our mountain pose spreading the toes hands fine the heart moving with our breath this time we'll inhale the arms up to the sky finding length and then exhale hinge at your hips release the head in the arms as you inhale lengthen your spine half arch exhale bend your knees step your right foot back let your left knee bend finding your lunge you might reach back through the ball of your right foot and then lower the right knee down you're welcome to stay low here the hands might come on to that front thigh you might inhale the arms up towards the sky spreading your fingers palms facing each other inhale reaching up exhale release the hands to the blocks tuck your back toes lift your back leg rock and roll on the back toes and then step your right foot forward bend your knees forward bend release your head with an inhale lengthen your spine exhale bend your knees step your left foot back let your right knee bend and reach back through the ball of your left foot releasing the neck as you look down and then lower the left knee and you might stay right here you might come up the hands on that front thigh or inhale the arms up towards the sky breathing as you reach up and then releasing the hands to your blocks tuck your back toes lift your back leg with some momentum step or spring forward bend your knees and release the head chin into your chest slowly rolling up and with an inhale reach the arms up exhale hands to the heart taking a moment to pause here we'll find one more round together inhale reach the arms up exhale bend the knees hinge at your hips forward fold release the back of the neck inhale lengthen your spine exhale bend your knees step your left foot back let the right knee bend lower the left knee stay here hands might find the front thigh arms might reach up towards the sky breathing exhale release the hands back toes tucked under lift the back knee step forward bend the knees forward fold inhale lengthen your spine again exhale bend your knees step your right foot back as your left knee bends lower the right knee down you might stay right here hands might find that front thigh or the arms might reach out reaching and lengthening breathing inhale this time we'll exhale release the hands and draw the left knee back you can bring your blocks off to your side and we'll transition into a child's pose for a moment drawing the hips back towards the heels from child skills will transition onto our belly for locusts might bring your blanket off to the side if you have one and we'll start with our hands right around our shoulders just below and draw the elbows into your ribs the feet are about hips distance and then with an inhale begin to lift your chest up off the floor lift your hands lift your legs and then draw the shoulder blades down the back looking down towards the floor inhale lifting up you might stay here reach the hands the arms towards the toes inhale lifting up exhale lower down forehead on the floor take a moment to pause here let's do that again bring the palms right underneath the shoulders draw the elbows in and with an inhale lift the chest lift the hands lift the legs locusts let the back of the neck lengthen again keep the hands right where they are or stretch and reach the arms and it might feel nice to reach through one arm and lengthen reach through the other arm and lengthen lifting up and then exhale lowering down forehead or ear to the floor and then rolling onto our back reach one arm overhead roll find your way onto your back and then hug your knees into your chest and you might bring a blanket under your head for support let yourself rock a little bit from side to side here and then draw the chin into the chest and begin to curl up so bring the forehead towards your knees get round and then releasing the head with the back of the neck lengthen let's bring the soles of the feet wider than the hips stretch the arms over the top of the head for windshield wipers inhale exhale let the knees fall to the right inhale draw the knees up and exhale over to the left and continue moving if you round side to side you might find your head wants to move along with the knees or away from the knees inhale the knees to center exhale to a side inhale the center exhale over to the other side a few more rounds nice let the knees come back up bring the feet to the floor bring the soles of the feet wide let the knees rest together you might stay here for the final relaxation you might stretch your legs out palms might open letting your eyes soften letting the back of the body release giving yourself a few moments to completely rest here relaxing any effort you for you're welcome to stay here as long as he's like When you feel ready, might feel nice to stretch the arms overhead, lengthening the spine, and then drawing knees into your chest, rolling to your side, and you might pause there for a moment.

And then as you're ready, gradually make your way up towards the seat. Taking a moment to sit together. Thank you for your practice. Look forward to seeing you in the next practice, namaste.