Yoga in Practice

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

Hi.

My name is Stacey.

Welcome to Yoga in Practice.

As you close your eyes, enjoy your breath and sit well.

BKS Iyengar, one of the great yoga teachers of the 20th Century said, You need two things to practice yoga, a center of gravity and a sense of direction.

Physically every pose has a point you draw into with strength, and out of which you extend called a focal point.

This is a center of gravity that studies the pose and hold your focus.

The sense of direction however implies a more subtle movement of your breath.

Your prana or life force and your intention.

These infuse the pose with an awareness, which transforms the practice into a moving meditation.

Let's explore that today.

Joining for our practice are Mehrdad and Trace.

Please come to standing at the front of your mat.

Once you're standing, place your feet, sit bone distance apart and gaze down and just make sure your feet are parallel with each other.

Lift and spread your toes and then laying the toes on your mat feel grounded through the soles of your feet.

Raise your arms overhead.

Now from your feet to your hips, feel engaged so the muscles of your legs feel strong.

From your fingertips, pull down back into your pelvis, so you're coalescing your power into that center of gravity or the focal point.

Stretch back up.

Elongate out and become aware of the whole pose.

Take a few breaths just extending, rooting, rising and enjoying.

As you exhale, please bend forward.

Uttanasana.

You can also shift your hands to the front of your shins.

You could place a box underneath your fingers, or if you need to bend your knees slightly and just bow here.

Pausing and just feeling the weight of your hips, the center of gravity pulling you down through your feet, but also from the hips lengthen down through your spine.

Bend your knees slightly now Shift your hands to the front of your shin bones and pull your chest forward, extend.

Create a gentle arch in your lower back.

Hold on to that arch and then lift your hands on your hips, pulling your shoulders up onto the back.

Rooting from your hips down through your feet, rise to standing.

Release the arms as you exhale.

Inhale.

Raise your arms overhead.

Bend forward.

Exhale.

Uttanasana.

Inhale.

Lift half way extending out.

Exhale and fold.

Inhale, extend.

We'll do that one more time.

Exhale and fold.

Inhale, extend.

Lengthen your spine.

And then as you fold, move your hands alongside your feet.

Step your left foot back into a lunge, keeping your right knee above your heel.

So, we go back a little longer if you need to adjust the length of your stance.

Lower your left knee.

Now, coming up, pull your hands to your hips.

You can simply stop here with your hands on your hips or inhale and raise your arms over your shoulder stretching up.

Pull from your feet into the center of gravity into your focal point here.

Hold on to that and release your hands behind your back.

Interlace your fingers and stretch your hands down.

Opening the chest and the heart even more fully.

Raise your arms again.

Inhale.

Lower the hands to your mat.

Exhale.

Raise your knee and step forward.

Bend over your legs.

Second side.

Step back with your right foot.

Take a long lunge.

From the feet, tone the muscles of your legs toward your hips and then exhale.

Lower the right knee come up bring your hands to your hips or raise your arms above your shoulders, lifting and pulling.

Keep your lunge.

Sweep your hands behind your low back and interlace your fingers.

Stretching the arms down toward the floor, raise and open across the heart.

Inhale.

Lift the arms again.

Bring your hands to your mat.

Step to table pose.

Pause in table.

Now we usually take a pose like table or maybe like mountain pose and we tend to discard them, thinking they are not important, but infuse your mind throughout this pose as you would any more active posture.

That is the practice of yoga.

Feel the hands.

As you inhale, look up and arch through your back.

With your exhale round into cat pose.

Inhale.

Look up and arch Exhale and round.

Inhale.

Look up and arch.

And one more time just moving your back opening it slowly and then come to neutral table position.

Establish your hips above your knees.

Keeping that, walk your hands out in front of you perhaps even off the front end of your mat.

Bow your head toward the mat.

Push your hands down into your mat strongly building strength from the hands up your arms into the upper part of your back.

Feel the arms rise up away from the floor slightly as you soften between the shoulder blades.

Inhale.

Walk your hands back up and into table position.

Look down make sure your hands are well placed, wrist straight.

Arch the back and then take downward facing dog.

I'd like you to just hold your downward dog.

If downward dog is too strenuous for you due to any wrist or shoulder issues, you can go back into puppy pose.

But what we realized in downward dog is the focal point has shifted, not from the hips but now into the upper part of the back.

So from your hands, pull power up into the upper part of your back.

Pull from the feet into this and then extend back out.

And it's that extension that helps to open us.

Keep breathing and soften.

This is another focal point, the base of the heart.

As you exhale, lower your knees on to the mat.

Back to table position.

Now if your knees feel uncomfortable, just resting on your mat.

Feel free to put a thin blanket under your knees giving yourself more padding.

Please raise your right leg, stretch back.

Raise your left arm to snowbird pose.

Find your balance and as you exhale, round in.

Pulling your elbow into your knee, tuck your head.

Inhale, extend.

Exhale and round.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

We'll do this one more time.

Exhale, pull in.

Contract and then extend out.

And then shift into table position.

And center your weight and breathe.

Second side.

Please raise your left leg and your right arm.

Extending.

Find your balance.

Keep your ham plugged in and tone around your core.

As you exhale, round in.

Inhale.

Extend.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

You have one more.

Exhale Pull in, contracting and then reaching out.

Take your hand and your knee back to your mat.

Pause.

Flatten your feet.

Spread your knees apart a little wider and sit backward onto your heels with your hips and bow down for child's pose.

Child's pose is another one of those postures that we tend to let our mind wander off in.

Keep that sense of direction.

The purpose of the pose.

Feeling your mind flowing throughout your body and feel that center of gravity.

The hips anchoring you down so you can stretch out through your lower back more fully.

Inhale.

Lift back to table position.

Reposition your hands.

Take a deep breath in simply settle.

Tuck your toes.

Arch your back and take downward facing dog.

Enjoy your breath and remember the focal point right there between your shoulder blades.

So pull into that, extend out of that.

As you inhale, walk forward to the front of your mat.

Uttanasana.

Please lift halfway.

Raise your hands to the sides of your hips.

Pull up through your shoulders.

Root through the heels and rise to standing.

Lower the arms.

Inhale.

Lift your arms overhead.

Exhale.

Bend forward left half way.

Inhale.

Squat down.

Sweep your hands behind your thighs and then inhale.

Rise up.

Twice more.

Exhale.

Bend forward.

Lift half way.

Inhale.

Squat.

Exhale.

Rise to standing.

Once more.

Exhale.

Bend forward.

Lift halfway.

Squat arms back.

heart open rise to standing.

Inhale.

Lift up.

Good.

Exhale.

Bend forward.

Place your hands beside your feet.

Step your left foot back and lunge.

Then make sure the knee is over your heel and then rise to a high lunge, keeping your heel raised.

Just lift the arms up.

Now turn your back foot down sideways and open to Warrior Two.

Shoulders back.

Extend.

Let gravity help you here in this pose.

The focal point is in the pelvis, so pull into that.

But, also lengthen out of that through the arms and through the crown of your head.

Bring your hands back to the mat.

Lift the back heel.

Step forward to Uttanasana.

And we'll do the second side.

So stepping your right foot back, high lunge.

Keep the heel raised.

Raise your chest and arms and then spin your back heel down for Warrior Two.

Take a deep breath.

Breathe throughout your body.

Become more aware of where you are in the pose, where your center is and out of which you can extend.

And then bring your hands back to the mat.

Step two downward dog.

Pull to plank pose.

Line up the hips, shoulders and head and then lower your knees and come down through a slow push up, lowering your chest between your hands.

Rise to cobra.

Inhale.

Open the shoulders back.

And then exhale back to downward dog or you could shift to table and transition to downward dog, taking a little bit of the strain out of that.

As you inhale, walk up to Uttanasana.

Plant your feet well.

Inhale.

Lift halfway.

Raise your hands to your hips once again.

Pull your shoulders up.

Rise to mountain and lower your hands and close your eyes.

Once you've closed your eyes, pause and feel the heaviest part of your body.

Now, simply infuse your mind and your breath throughout the pose.

Remember not to discard this posture.

Holding a pose and moving between the poses are important.

Please open your eyes.

Good.

We're going to head into a sequence that's going to combine three poses.

Each pose is important.

So is the movement and the transition between the poses.

Have a block handy, if you think you may need one.

Lower the arms.

Inhale.

Raise the arms overhead.

Exhale.

Bend forward.

Step your left foot back.

Lunge.

Turn your left foot down sideways.

Line up your feet and rise to Warrior Two.

You can open your palms toward the ceiling, drawing your shoulders back.

Now, hold the lunge.

Take your left hand to your left leg and slowly sweep up, spinning your chest toward the ceiling as you stretch through that right leg.

This is Reverse Warrior.

Now, transition to side angle pose.

Forearm can rest on your thigh.

If you have a block, you could position it next to your outer right foot or even bring your hand to the mat.

Good.

And then, lower the hand, Pivot the heel up.

And step forward.

Change legs.

Take your right foot back.

Spin your heel down.

Good.

Inhale.

Rise to Warrior Two.

Turn the arms open.

Shoulders back.

Deep breaths, feeling that weightiness in your body.

Hold on to the sense of focus Bring your hand back to your right leg.

Sweep the left arm up.

Lean back.

Turning an opening through the chest.

Now, transition to side angle pose bringing yourself over.

Touch the floor, if you're able.

Use a block if you need to.

Bring your hands to the mat.

Pivot your right heel up and stepped forward to Uttanasana.

Pause in Uttanasana.

Again just feeling the center of gravity, enjoy your breath.

Good.

We're going to do those three poses once again.

This time speeding them up slightly moving with your breath.

Inhale.

Step your left foot back.

Turn the left heel down.

Rise to Warrior Two.

Inhale.

As you exhale, settle.

Reverse Warrior.

Inhale.

Side Angle pose.

Warrior Two.

Reverse Warrior Side Angle.

Warrior Two.

Reverse Warrior.

Keep breathing.

Side Angle.

Touch your mat.

Step forward.

Pause.

Uttanasana.

Good.

We'll do that the second side.

Step your right foot back.

Turn the right heel down.

Take a minute.

Take a breath to settle.

And then inhale.

Rise to Warrior Two, stretching open.

Good.

Lean back.

Take Reverse Warrior keep your knee above your heel.

Exhale.

Side Angle pose coming over.

Breathe.

Warrior Two.

Inhale.

Rise up.

Feel the strength.

Your mind infusing yourself.

Lean back.

Reverse Warrior, stretch back.

Side Angle pose.

Warrior Two one final time.

You've got this.

Keep breathing strong through the legs.

Lean back Reverse Warrior.

Side Angle pose.

Touch your mat.

Downward facing dog.

Hold your downward dog.

Feel the power in your pose.

Notice what's going on through your legs and rooting down from the hands out, from that focal point in your upper back feel like you're just lengthening through your fingers, stretching up through your hips and anchoring down through your feet.

Please lower your knees onto the mat.

Child's pose once again.

Deepen your breath.

Bring your forehead to the mat.

If it doesn't touch easily, stack your fist and support your head with your hands.

If you can, keep your elbows on the mat and bring your palms together above your head like namaste hands.

As your elbows rest on the mat, feel how the shoulders rise up gently.

The weight is in the hips but the breath and the mind is infusing your pose.

As you inhale, I invite you to sit up.

Take a deep breath.

Stretch your legs forward.

Slide up to the front of your mat.

Plant your feet and bend your knees.

And then holding onto the backs of your legs, pull back gently.

Engage your core.

Very slowly roll down.

Now if you don't need your hands to roll yourself down, you can maintain that core engagement, do so.

And breathe.

Good.

Stretch your legs long for a moment.

Sweep your arms over your head and then exhale.

Bring your arms down next to your body once again.

Set up for bridge pose.

So a back bend here to kind of open our hearts a little bit more.

Bend your knees.

Plant your feet.

Make sure your feet are as wide as your outer hips and push your elbows down.

Now when you're lying down on the mat, all points equal, the focal point is in your pelvis.

But as we transition this pose, it moves into the roof of your mouth your soft palate.

So, as you inhale, root the head, the elbows and raise your hips off the mat.

Focus on getting into the upper part of your spine.

Hug your knees towards each other, putting more weight towards your big toe.

Now, here, the weight is in the head.

So, root the head down and feel like you could extend back out through the front of your knees and down toward your heels.

Enjoy the breath.

Hold for another breath.

But don't hold your breath.

Just hold the pose.

And then as you exhale, simply lower the hips down onto your mat.

Rest your hands.

Close your eyes.

Take a breath.

Soften.

Good.

Let's do bridge pose once again.

So, rooting the heels, bending your elbows, roll your shoulders back.

In Sanskrit this pose is called Setu Bandha Sarvangasana.

Sarva means shoulder.

So you want to get up on your shoulders.

Rooting the head, as you inhale, please pick your hips up into bridge pose.

Remember to work up in between the muscles of the shoulder blades the upper back, but keeping the palette rooted back.

Now here, focus on pushing down through your feet.

Drag the feet backward toward your shoulders and see if that helps you to lift up.

Keep breathing.

Soften your eyes.

Relax your brow.

And then as you exhale, settle the hips back down.

Rest your hands.

Relax your knees against each other.

And just pause.

And opening your eyes, draw both of your knees up into your chest.

Wrap your arms around your legs.

Move your feet a few times.

Rock along your spine, just massaging that lower back out.

Now, slide your hands up underneath the back of your legs.

So, underneath your knees, raise your feet up.

Spread your toes, and the focal point here is in the pelvis.

So pull into the pelvis.

Feel the energy flow down the legs.

Good.

Move your ankles a few times.

Point and flex.

Turn your feet in slow circles.

Good.

Now keep your hands positioned as they are behind the knees.

Let's move in rhythm with the breath again.

So, as you exhale, pull the knees down into your chest.

Inhale.

Extend back up.

Exhale.

Knees to the chest.

Inhale.

Rise up.

Exhale down.

Inhale, raise up and hold.

Flex your ankles.

So, you're toning the muscles of your thighs.

Now, take your hands.

Sit on top of your hands and make soft fists with your hands and slide them up underneath the back of your hips.

Good.

Now, you have an option here.

Easiest way to do it is just a lower one leg at a time, a little bit more challenging is to take both legs down together.

So, this is going to be some core work.

Engage the legs.

The stronger your legs are, the easier it will feel.

So, hugging the legs against each other, try to pull your ankles in.

Mehrdad's going to lower one leg at a time.

So, exhale.

Come down.

Trace will lower both legs.

And then inhale.

Raise that leg back up.

Change legs or go down again with both legs.

Make sure you're following your breath.

Inhale.

Rise back up.

Right leg again.

Exhale.

Inhale.

And lift.

Left leg or both legs.

keep breathing.

Keep breathing.

Keep breathing.

And then when you bring the legs back up, pause.

Clear your hands and hug both of your knees into your chest.

Keep holding onto your legs.

Rock a little side to side here.

Yoga is an invitation to awaken all the parts of ourselves, our physical body and our mental body.

So, continue to hold on to your legs.

I'd like you to roll your head up toward your knees and just contract in.

As you do so, spread space between your shoulder blades.

Opening that space between your shoulder blades, tuck the chin down and then release your head and shoulders back.

Lower your feet to the mat one at a time and slide your legs out.

And sweep your arms beyond your head again, raising up, stretch through your fingers, point through your toes and enjoy the fullness of your breath.

Do that a few times.

this is another pose that we tend to discard.

This is reclined mountain and yet so much benefit can be gained by getting the feedback of the ground below you.

How does your back body feel?

What's going on through the face?

How is your breath here towards the end of your practice?

So, don't throw these things away.

Find what holds you and infuse your mind throughout that focus.

Shake your legs out.

Sweep your arms down next to your hips.

Wiggle your fingers.

Make sure you're softened across the face, across the eyebrows, the forehead, the muscles of your scalp.

Even notice inside the mouth, the tongue is soft, and using the breath just to help you settle and calm.

Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching once wrote, At the center of your being, you have the answer, you know who you are and you know what you want.

I invite you to stay here for as long as you may need or want, but when you're ready to begin moving your body again.

start from your fingers and your toes.

Bend you knees one at a time.

Plant the feet And then roll over to your side.

Rest on your side.

Take a deep breath in.

And then pushing down into the floor with both of your arms, walk yourself upright then take a good seat.

Closing your eyes, I invite you to bring your hands together, once again to your heart.

Thank you for practicing with us today.

Namaste.

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

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