Yoga in Practice

music Support for Yoga In Practice is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

<Stacy> Hi.

Welcome to Yoga In Practice.

I'm Stacy Millner-Collins.

Please take a good seat.

Joining our practice today are Beverly and Katie.

Close your eyes and enjoy your breath.

A staggering 77% of Americans report, they have experienced physical symptoms related to stress and anxiety.

To calm this noise in our minds, we want to ease into a practice that actually enhances the parasympathetic nervous system.

This will help our sleep and aid digestion and instead of feeling that fight or flight response.

Today's class, we'll move slowly to open our ribcage so we can breathe more deeply.

We'll finish with a guided relaxation called Yoga nidra or yoga sleep.

Please open your eyes.

For today's class, you may want to have a blanket or a towel, although they are not necessary.

We'll begin lying down.

So clear any blankets that you have on your mat, any other props.

Hold on to the back of your legs.

Support yourself as you roll down onto your back.

Once you're down on your back, pick up your feet and hold on to your shins or the top of your kneecaps.

Let your knees open apart from each other, and just relax until you feel your pelvis settle and your legs get very heavy.

Please close your eyes for a moment.

This pose being grounding, grounds your energy and you can start to turn to the rhythm of your breath.

Let your breath be easy.

Don't overwork it, but simply rest here.

Now enjoying the breath, start to tone the muscles in the middle of your throat gently.

So you start to hear a little sound as you inhale and you exhale.

Try to breathe through your nose and remind yourself that this practice of yoga, moving with the breath intentionally really calms the nervous system.

Good.

Hug your knees into your chest.

Wrap your arms around your legs, and now rock side to side.

Please roll to your side and press yourself up to seated.

Once you are seated, transition into table pose onto your hands and your knees.

Plant your hands.

Press down.

Walk your knees back a little bit and flatten your feet.

As you inhale, look up and arch through the lower back.

And then round into cat pose, opening your waistline.

Inhale.

Look forward.

And exhale round.

Follow the breath.

Inhale.

Look forward.

And exhale, round again.

Good.

Come to table.

Make sure your feet are flat and then exhale.

Sit straight back onto your ankles so that your legs are still parallel with each other.

And you're just reaching back and opening some room through your lower back.

And perhaps you can breathe more deeply into your mid back.

We'll move between these two poses three times.

So inhale, lift back to table.

Exhale, sit back.

Inhale, lift.

Exhale, lower.

Inhale, lift.

And exhale, lower one last time.

And then inhale, come to table.

Pause in table.

Check your hands.

Take a deep breath and just let yourself soften and settle.

Soften your skin.

Now staying in table, draw your right hip up towards your right shoulder and pull your right shoulder down to that hip.

Feel the left side of your waist stretching and now round your back gently lifting your ribcage into the back body.

Good and then come back to neutral.

Take a breath and go to the second side, shifting your hips to the left.

Round your mid back and even lower your head just a little bit and take a deep breath, opening the muscles between your ribcage which are secondary breathing muscles.

Inhale, come back to neutral.

Take a breath.

Settle.

Folding your toes underneath, inhale, look up and arch and round.

Look up and arch.

Round again We'll do it one final time.

Inhale, look up.

and round in.

Good.

Look forward Maintain the arch in your lower back.

And now slowly lift your knees, your hips.

Draw back into downward dog.

You may need to lengthen your pose just a little bit more, making sure you're getting a nice long stretch in your side body.

Enjoy your breath.

Relax your face, even close your eyes, if that feels appropriate to you.

And then look forward to your hands and walk up into a standing forward fold, planting your feet.

Inhale, lift halfway forward, lengthen out.

Your hands can be on your legs to help you here.

And now lift your hands to your hips.

Squeeze your shoulders.

Press through your feet.

Inhale, rise to Mountain pose.

Good.

Roll your shoulders backward a few times.

Enjoy that opening of your neck.

And now roll your shoulders forward.

Good, and then release your hands.

Shake them out.

Inhale, Lift your arms over your shoulders.

Pull up.

and interlace your fingers above your head.

Squeeze your palms together and extend your index finger to the ceiling.

Hugging your arms closer to your ears, lean to the right side of your mat for Crescent pose, hugging in.

Good.

Now turn your head and look to the floor and turn your chest toward the floor and stretch a little bit more deeply to the right side if you are able.

Keeping your legs grounded, turn, face forward again.

And then turn toward the ceiling a little bit and notice how that's moving your waistline and your back differently.

Good.

Inhale, rise back to the middle.

Stretch up.

Take a deep breath.

And then inhale, lift and go to the left Crescent pose, pressing.

Hug your ears with your arms.

And now look down and turn your chest toward the floor.

Keep stretching and see if you can go a little further to the left.

Good.

Stay in that position.

Turn your chest back to the front.

And now turn toward the ceiling.

Breathe.

And then inhale, rise up.

Good.

Exhale, release your hands and fold forward.

Good.

Lift halfway forward.

Inhale.

Exhale and fold.

Plant your hands and step to downward facing dog.

Reach back.

Again, make sure you have enough length in this down dog.

Enjoy your breath.

Keeping your shoulders lifted to your back.

Now we're just going to add a tiny little twist here.

Turn your heels to the right.

And then inhale back to center.

Turn your heels to the left.

Inhale, center.

Turn your heels to the right and come back to the center.

And go one more time to the left, spreading your toes pushing through your hands.

Inhale come to center.

Good.

Exhale, lower to table position.

Good.

Inhale and lift up.

Now we're going to go into a lunge.

You may want to use a blanket underneath your knees, although it's not necessary.

So inhale, come back in and step your right foot forward into a kneeling lunge.

Bring the knee over the heel.

And this is where you have to pay attention to your back knee where a towel or blanket under that knee may make it more comfortable.

Walk your leg back a little bit further so you're slightly above your kneecap.

Move your right hand to the inside of your foot.

Move your left hand out to the side.

Stay on your fingertips.

Lengthen out and then as you bend your elbows, bend your elbows out to the side as you move your chest down.

We call this lizard lunge.

A good way to open your hips, your back.

Keep your shoulder blades drawn onto your back.

Take a deep breath and exhale.

Inhale, come back up.

And put your hands around that right foot, step to table position and change sides.

Step your left foot forward.

Good.

Knee over the heel.

Make sure your right knee feels comfortable.

Move your hands across to the right side of your mat.

And then as you bend your elbows, elbows go wide, the shoulder blades squeezed to your back.

Lengthen out through your neck.

Keep your legs energized so hugging your right foot forward and your left foot back.

Chin up.

Head forward.

Good.

Inhale, rise back up.

Plant your hands.

Take that left foot back and step to table position.

Make sure your hands are well planted, and then inhale.

Raise your right arm up toward the ceiling and twist to the right, and then reach your hand underneath.

Exhale.

Inhale, lift again.

Exhale.

Inhale one last time, and reach through table position.

Pause.

Good.

Second side.

Left arm up.

Reach and twist.

Open your waist.

Exhale and turn through.

Please use your breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The breath is the most important part of your movement.

Inhale, and exhale.

Good comeback through table position.

Take a breath.

Good.

Now lifting to kneeling, I'd like you to stand on your right knee and again, if you need cushioning under the knee, just please put a blanket there.

Take your left leg and stretch it out to the side.

Line up your left heel with your knee.

Flex your left ankle and firm up your legs feeling that you're drawing into your pelvis toning around the core.

Please sweep your arms up and raise them over your shoulders.

This is called Gate pose, or Parighasana in Sanskrit.

Now lower your left hand down and touch your leg.

And once again, lean to the left like you did in Crescent pose.

Now you can slide your hand down a little further, even place your hand on the floor on the inside of that leg.

Feel yourself turning and opening even gaze toward the ceiling.

And breathe.

Good.

Inhale, rise up.

Take your hands to your hips.

Exhale.

Step your knees together.

Good.

Second side, Stretch your right leg out.

Flex the ankle.

Line up your heel to your knee.

Tone your legs.

Guide your inner thighs backward.

Tuck your tailbone forward.

Rise up with the arms.

Inhale.

Keep your waist lifted.

Breathe.

And now lower your right hand.

Bend to the right.

Good.

Staying here or perhaps going a little lower, just open.

Do a little subtle rotation here through your waistline, looking up toward the ceiling if that's appropriate, but you can always just look down to the floor, if that's better.

Good.

As you inhale, reach up.

Lower your hands to your hips and slide that foot back in.

Table pose.

Come back to your hands and knees.

Good.

Inhale.

Look up and arch.

And just round to cat pose and hold your cat here for a moment.

Just breathing.

Flatten your feet.

Open your knees apart.

Good.

Arch the back.

And then just sit back with your hips first.

Lower your belly second.

Bring your head to the floor, Child's pose.

With your head resting on the floor.

Bend your elbows, raising your hands off the mat and touch your fingertips to the top of your shoulders.

(silence) Good.

and release your hands back down.

Inhale, table.

Bring your knees beneath your hips.

Turn your toes under.

Arch the back and lift to downward dog again.

Stretch back.

(silence) Look up to your hands and walk forward, Uttanasana.

Lift halfway.

Inhale.

Bring your hands to your hips.

Pull through your shoulders.

Inhale.

Rise to standing.

Good.

Release your hands.

Shake out the hands and the knees, and we'll use our blanket one more time.

So I'm going to take my blanket and fold it a little thicker.

So what I have is a thin, thick roll.

Place this down at the front third of your sticky mat and stand in front of the blanket with your heels up.

Now you may want to open your feet just a little wider than your hips here.

And then lift your arms in front of you.

Now squatting down.

Pause.

You can hold here with your hands just on your knees and maintain the squat, but if you can go a little lower just slowly bring your hips down to your ankles.

This is called modification of Malasana.

Fold your palms and bring them to your heart.

Now I invite you just to stay here in this squat, opening up your hips and your back.

Or you may want to go a little bit deeper, moving your right arm to the inside of your right knee.

Press your palms together.

Look up and then raise your left arm as you take your right hand down to the mat to stabilize you.

Good, and then release.

Join your palms.

Squeeze in.

And let's do the second side.

So taking your hands, your left hand to the mat, turn and raise your right hand up, if that's appropriate.

Try to squeeze your legs in, turning from the waistline.

Enjoy your breath.

Good.

And then touch your hands down to the floor.

Hands on the floor or on your legs.

Lift your hips.

Come into Uttanasana.

Bring your hands once again to your hips.

Inhale, rise to standing.

Good.

And we'll use the blanket one more time If you need to, we're going to come to seated.

So if you don't need a blanket, simply clear it off your mat and sit down.

Make sure you have plenty of mat space behind you.

So, slide forward slightly.

Good.

Stretching your legs out, slide your hands from your ankles up the back of your legs and adjust the flesh underneath your pelvis widening it out.

Firm up your leg muscles and root the legs down.

That's a calming action for your body.

Draw your low back in.

Now lift your arms in front of your chest.

From your fingertips, draw the arms back setting the head of your arm bones into your shoulder joint, and now lift your arms.

Good.

This is Dandasana.

It's actually the seated form of downward dog.

So imagine you're in downward dog.

Energize your legs.

Lengthen your spine.

Reach up through your hands and now fold forward.

Exhale.

Reach for your feet.

If you can't reach your feet with your hands, place your hand somewhere along the front of your legs.

Lengthen your spine and as you exhale, allow yourself to ease more deeply into the pose.

(deep breathing) This pose is stretching the entire back side of your body from your ankles all the way through the crown of your head.

Breathe.

Good.

Inhale.

Lift up.

Raise your arms and then take your hands down.

Good.

Shake your legs.

We're going into a guided relaxation.

We're going to use the blanket or the towel one final time.

We'll take our blankets and unfold them so that you have approximately a three foot long edge of the blanket to use.

Stretch your legs forward again and hug your ankles and your legs together tightly.

Now rest the blanket or the towel across your thighs.

Try to get it up toward your groins and then wedge the blanket tightly underneath both of your legs.

Once you feel it really snug in there, relax your legs and you'll see how the blanket is just holding you.

It's nestling you in.

Let's lie down on the back.

So walk your hands behind you.

Tuck your hips a little and lie down.

Make sure the blanket feels tight.

Then sweep your arms out and away and as you fully relax your legs the blanket is offering the support.

So you should be able to relax completely into your back body.

Your eyes are closed.

Just rest here.

Make sure you feel comfortable.

Through yoga nidra, you can access a realm of consciousness that exists between waking and sleeping.

Combining an alert awareness of the mind with total relaxation of the body.

Use your breath to create a relaxing experience.

Slowly breathe all the way in and all the way out.

Each time you breathe out, begin releasing any tightness or tension you may have.

Now bring awareness to your feet.

Take a nice deep breath in and feel them softening, relaxing.

Each time you breathe out, just slowly and easily.

The next time you breathe in, let your awareness fill your legs.

And when slowly breathing out allow your calves, your knees, your thighs to continue releasing and relaxing letting go more and more each time.

(silence) Wrap your awareness around your hips and breathe in deeply.

Feel them soften as you breathe out.

Sinking, settling down slowly...easily.

Now, bring your attention to your back.

Breathe in.

And as you breathe out, feel the tension in your back dissolve, letting go more and more with each exhale.

Surround your shoulders with your awareness like a comforting cloak.

Breathe in, feel them softening as you breathe out.

Release the tightness and the soreness, soothing your shoulders with your slow and easy breath.

Let this relaxed feeling began flowing down from your shoulders, soothing out to your arms, your hands with a sense of peace and quiet.

Become aware of your mouth.

Unclench the teeth and let your lips part slightly.

As you continue to breathe, let your nose and cheeks smooth out.

Allowing your eyes and forehead to soften.

Imagine your pores opening up and breathe.

Feel yourself releasing, expanding, as you relax deeper and deeper, the peacefulness reminds you of a quiet personal sanctuary an extremely comfortable and safe place where you feel surrounded with exactly what you need.

Bring it alive by using all of your senses.

This is a special place to feel protected, safe and understood, where you can spend some time getting to know the real you, the person you were meant to be and feeling safe to be who you really are, fully capable of finding answers to your questions.

Treat yourself to some time to explore this special feeling and space.

Enjoy your breath.

(quiet breathing) (silence) (quiet breathing) (silence) After a while, allow your attention to come back to your breath, feeling more wholesome and real and feeling your energy improving.

(silence) music I encourage you to stay here today a bit longer if your day allows for that.

Enjoy the peace and calm and ease and let this inform your day.

and whenever you're ready, begin to stretch your body.

Wiggle your fingers, your toes.

Slowly bend your knees and you can keep your blanket across your lap.

And now roll to your right side.

Pause.

Relax the legs, and then using the strength of your hands, your arms, push down and raise yourself back to seated.

Once you are seated, I invite you to open your eyes, soften your gaze and feel refreshed and renewed.

Sit well and join your hands.

Thank you for practicing with us today.

Namaste.

<Narrator> Support for Yoga In Practice is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

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