Yoga in Practice

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

Hi!

My name is Stacey.

And I'll be teaching your class today.

Sit well and close your eyes.

Hatha Yoga in its most basic form is the balance between an active body and a quiet mind.

This requires practice!

As one of my teachers says, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

" This idea of a recursive practice done over time is described in yoga as Abhyasa, the will to keep coming to your mat with a desire to be the best version of yourself today.

Keep trying.

Keep enjoying the process but don't get overly attached to the results.

Learn to let go of the negative stories you tell yourself about yourself.

Practice for practice sake.

Let's begin.

Please open your eyes.

Joining us today are Lynda and Mary.

Come to your hands and knees and we'll begin in Table Pose.

Plant your hands a little wider than your shoulders.

Spread your fingers and flatten your feet.

Keeping your knees beneath your hips and your feet parallel, settle backward onto your heels, stretching back into a modified form of child's pose and bow your head.

Hold here.

Just here at the beginning of your practice, start to turn into the rhythm of your breathing and let the breath be what guides you today as we practice together.

Feel your lower back stretching out and breathe across your waist.

Good.

As you inhale, shift back up into table position and we'll move rhythmically with our breath here.

Keep your feet as they are.

Exhale.

Shift back.

Hips to heels.

Inhale, table.

Exhale, shift back.

Take your time.

Follow the breath.

Inhale.

Come back up.

Two more times.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Lengthening the spine, the sides of your waist.

Inhale to table and tuck your toes.

Raise to downward facing dog.

Stretch back.

As your first dog of the practice, make sure the hands stay well placed and that you have length between your hands and your feet.

Enjoy the breath, extend.

Keep weight towards the inner edge of your feet, the inner edge of your hands.

Now, looking back to your feet, walk your hands backward to your toes.

Reverse into Uttanasana.

Spread your toes across your mat.

Enjoy the breath.

Now, hold here, making your legs strong and keeping your feet well planted, heels rooted.

Please bend your right knee only and push through the left leg more strongly.

Change and bend your left knee.

Change again.

Again.

We'll do it one more time, each leg.

Right knee bending and then left knee bending.

Good.

Pause with both legs straight, take a deep breath and fold over.

Bring your head down towards your legs.

Then walk your hands slightly out in front of you.

Lower both knees onto your mat keeping your ankles flexed.

And then rise up and sit backward onto your heels.

This pose is called Vajrasana and it's a good way to stretch and open the soles of your feet.

If this bothers your knees or it's a little too intense, just kind of shift your weight off of your heels, not being fully engaged.

Good.

Now, lean forward.

Place your hands down and flatten the top of your feet to the mat.

We're going to work the feet a little bit more.

So, I'd like you to lift your right foot up off the mat and position it into the sole of your left foot, so the large bone at the top of your foot is resting into the muscles of the arch in your left foot.

Sit back again onto your heels.

Now, when you put your weight back on your feet, you should definitely be feeling that bone massaging into the sole of your foot.

It may not actually be easy or pleasant, so stay with your breath and do the practice for practice sake.

Move that foot up and down.

We begin to recognize that we do the practice to become the best version of ourselves.

That is the Abhyasa.

We devote ourselves to something that's going to bring us further down the path.

Good.

Release forward.

Change feet.

Rest your left foot into the arch of your right foot.

Settle back.

Pay attention to how your knees feel, so again if you need to lift some weight off of your feet, do that.

But try to sit back, because you'll get more out of the pose by holding the foot in place no matter how intense it may feel.

Just move your foot up and down along the arch of the foot.

Notice if one foot is more intense than the other.

That gives you information.

That's usually the tighter side of your body.

So, be aware of that.

Consider that for future practices.

And then release.

Come forward into table position uncross the feet.

Tuck your toes.

Inhale.

Look up and arch the back.

Round to cat pose.

Keeping your hands well placed.

Inhale.

Look forward and arch.

Reverse and round.

Once more.

Inhale.

And exhale.

Looking forward, maintain the arch of your back and raise into downward facing dog again.

Stretch back.

Pushing out through the hands, look back at your feet and raise your toes off the mat.

As you lift the toes, try to stretch more deeply into the arches of your feet in and around the heel into your calves.

And then exhale, lower your knees once again back to the mat.

Flatten your feet and we'll work into our calves this time.

So, once again, raising your right foot but cross the shinbone across the middle thick part of your left calf.

Walk back up and again put your hands on your legs.

You can hold your hips and just pressing into that calf muscle with the shin bone like you did in your feet.

Start to move that shin up and down along the length of your calf.

Again, not necessarily easy.

So, relax your neck.

Keep your face soft.

And then release forward.

Plant the hands.

Change side, so your left shin crosses over your right calf.

Saddle back.

Spread the toes.

And if you need to sit up on height or maybe it's a blanket underneath your hips that will often help here.

Just kind of massage into that calf muscle.

It's kind of intense, so use your breath to release that tension or the stress that you may feel.

And then as you inhale, come once again into table position.

Plant your hands.

Uncross your legs.

Tuck your toes.

And take downward dog.

Stretch back.

You're probably feeling your calves a little bit more intensely this time.

Looking at your feet, raise your toes again.

Spread your toes apart and try to reach into the arches of your feet and stretch the calves a little more deeply.

Then looking forward to the front of your mat, please walk forward slowly up to your hands into Uttanasana.

Spreading the toes, feet parallel.

Bow over.

Inhale.

Lift halfway.

Bring your hands to your hips lifting through your shoulders.

Please rise to mountain pose.

Release the hands.

Good I'd like you to pick up a blanket or perhaps a thick towel.

Using this prop, unfold it so you have a long edge and then roll that edge up.

As we tightly roll up this blanket, we'll create a little bolster.

Once you've created that, rest the blanket down on the top third of your mat.

And then standing behind the blanket, place the balls of your feet up on the roll, keeping your heels grounded.

Spread your toes and bend over.

Uttanasana.

You could also put a block beneath your hands if bending over fully is too challenging or put your hands on your shin bones.

Now keeping the toes spread, roll weight toward the inner edge of your feet.

Reach the thighs back.

Without lifting your heels, bend your knees just a little bit to intensify the stretch you are feeling in your calves.

And then let yourself rock forward and back a few times.

Find a place where you feel this pose the most.

Try to hold in that place.

Deepen your breath.

And then inhale.

Rise halfway.

Lift your hands to your hips again.

Hold through the shoulders and lift to mountain pose.

Good.

Release.

Pick up your blanket.

Stand in the middle of your mat.

And putting your blanket behind the back of your knees, wedge the blanket in place, holding it there with your hands.

And then squat down, sitting down onto the blanket so you feel it between your knees.

Now, walking the hands forward, lower your knees.

Sit upright for a moment, keeping your ankles flexed.

Again, you're stretching into the arches of your feet.

Shoulders are back.

Take a deep breath.

And as you exhale flatten your feet and sit back on the blanket.

Now, this is called Calf Masher as you can imagine why.

Pressing down through that thick portion of your calf muscle, let your hips sway a little side to side.

Again paying attention to the knees.

So, if you need to lift some of your weight off of this, please do that.

Good.

And now lift partially up and slide the blanket back about two inches and sit back down again.

Your calf muscle has a very limited range of motion in its function.

So, therefore we build up a lot of tightness tension through the calf muscle.

Good.

Lift up.

Clear your blanket.

And come into table position.

Once again, take a deep breath in.

Let yourself soften.

Feel settled.

Tuck the toes.

Arch the back and lift into downward dog.

Notice the calves again.

Sometimes we are unable to open our legs and our hips as much as we may like, simply because our lower legs are so tight.

Looking forward, walk up into Uttanasana.

Bend over.

Lift half way.

Raise your hands to your hips.

Pull through your shoulders and rise to mountain pose.

Release the hands.

So, now I'd like you to have a yoga block or perhaps a real thick book to use for the next sequence of poses.

Raise your arms.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Fold forward.

Step to downward dog.

Push back.

Enjoy the breath.

Then slide forward to a plank pose, making sure your plank has enough length to it.

And then lower the knees into a push up, bringing your chest to your thumbs.

Inhale to cobra, rolling your right shoulder back, rolling your left shoulder back.

Good.

And then lower down and lift to table.

Then take that block or that book I asked you to have, turn it to its lowest, flattest point depending on the height and then step your right foot up onto the block.

Make sure your left knee is comfortable.

So, if you need to put a soft cushioning underneath the left knee, please do that, walking it back.

Now, keep your right knee over the heel.

Lower the hands, rise through the spine and then open your palms toward the ceiling as you move your elbows and hands slightly forward.

Roll your shoulders back and open the throat.

We call this how wonderful.

Press through the right foot.

Try to pull it back.

And then as you exhale, bring both hands to the inside of your leg.

Sweep the right foot off the block and slide it over to the left.

Good.

Step your left foot up on to the block.

Come up.

Make sure your right knee feels comfortable.

Lower the hands.

Turn the palms open and you take how wonderful.

Keeping the knee above your heel, pressing the foot into your block, sweep the foot back like you're trying to drag it off the top of the block.

And notice how you're feeling the front of your right thigh open more fully.

Lower down.

Place your hands to the inside of your block.

Good sweep your foot off the block and clear it back to the side.

And then table position.

Lift back to downward facing dog.

Hold your dog.

Reaching up through the hips and then walk your dog in place by bending one knee and bending the other knee.

Extend up through the hips.

Reach down through your hands.

Good.

Now, stretch through the feet, feeling that you're opening the ankles, the arches of the feet.

Keep your feet as flat to the mat as you can, but move your knees slightly forward.

And once again you'll get into that calf muscle.

Enjoy the breath.

Good.

Now, slide your right knee forward into pigeon pose.

Take a breath to stay up on your hands.

I want you to feel that you're broadening into your right hip.

Good.

And then step back to downward dog and we'll change sides.

Left knee forward.

Pay attention to the knee.

So, if you need to, if you need to modify this position, you can always lie on your back and take this pose instead, very similar in the way that it stretches your hip.

Enjoy the breath.

And then slide back up into a table position.

Position yourself in the middle of your mat.

Take another deep breath.

Please raise your right leg off the mat behind you.

Good.

Flatten your left foot.

And then bend your right knee and criss cross it behind your left knee and spread your heels apart.

With the knees positioned, one on top of each other, walk back and sit down onto your mat.

This is called Cow's Face Pose Gomukhasana.

If you need to sit up on a block like Lynda is showing, go ahead and do that.

If you need even more height, you can put a blanket on top of that block to get you there.

Press the knees together.

Keep your feet active.

And then inhale.

Raise your right arm over your head.

Bend the right elbow.

And using your left hand, reach up and pull that right arm deeper, more behind the head, pressing your head back.

Root through the hips.

Broaden into the outer hip and then inhale, rise back up.

As you exhale, come forward onto your hands and knees.

Uncross the legs.

Table pose.

Second side.

Raise your left leg.

Cross it behind the right knee.

Adjust your knees to the middle and sweep your heels apart and then slowly, slowly walk back to your deepest point.

Spread the feet.

So, we come to the practice recognizing that there are often poses we're not always fully comfortable in.

So we do the Abhyasa.

Do it because it's helping you to open physically and mentally.

Raise your left arm up.

Bend the elbow.

Lift your chin.

Enjoy the breath.

Broaden your inner thighs apart and feel your tailbone rooting into your mat.

And then inhale, rise back up.

Place your hands in front of you.

Table pose.

Pause.

Take downward facing dog just for three breaths.

And then exhale.

Lower your knees down into table.

Please come to kneeling.

So bring your hands to your hips and hug your knees closer together but spread your heels apart again in line with the outside of your thighs.

As you exhale, reaching your hands behind your knees, grab the top of your calf muscle and flatten the calf back towards your heel.

You don't have to roll the calf in or out.

Just flatten it back and then sit down between your feet.

So, again you could use a block under your hips if necessary.

Place your hands on your legs.

Hug the lower legs in.

Feel your heels squeezing into your outer hip area.

Pull the tailbone down and lift through your spine.

Roll the shoulders back.

This is called heroes pose.

Pay attention to your knees.

Inhale.

Come forward.

Table position.

Keep your feet wide.

Lift into downward dog.

Stretch back.

So with wider feet, we get into the inner thighs, the inner hips more fully.

Make sure the weight stays centered on the inner edge of your feet and the inner edge of your hands.

Good.

Exhale.

Lower your knees once again.

Come to kneeling.

We'll do heroes pose one more time.

So rising up.

Knees together.

Heels spread.

Spread your toes.

Activate your legs.

Use your fingers and reach behind the knees.

Grab your calves, flattening them.

Then either sit down on your mat or sit down on a block.

Use as much height as you may need to.

Now, staying here.

We can modify it making it easier or we can intensify it by starting to walk backwards.

So, as you walk backwards maybe come onto your hands, maybe down on the elbows, perhaps all the way down.

Scoop your tailbone toward your knees and you'll definitely be feeling the front of both thighs, the front of the groin stretching.

If you walk down, come back upright.

Take a deep breath.

Shift to table position.

Keeping your feet wide, tuck your toes and lift once again into downward dog.

Lift your toes.

Pull back and wide with your inner thighs.

Firm your lower belly and extend down from your hips through your heels and just open those legs.

Good.

And then walk forward to Uttanasana.

Place your feet sit bone distance apart and bow.

Please come to seated onto your sticky mat.

So, when you sit down on the mat, you may need to sit up again on height, a folded blanket, a block.

Join your feet together this time.

Sole to sole.

Bound angle pose.

Hold around the ankles.

Draw your lower back in and lift through the top of your head.

Now, as you spread out through the legs, feel widening go through the inner thighs to the inner knees.

Stay here.

So, if you tend to be tighter through your hips hamstrings or your lower back, I prefer to keep you upright until you gain that flexibility, If you can fold forward a little bit more open, fold forward.

But as I always say to my students, the openness or the tightness of your hips has nothing to do with your character.

You are still a good person even if you have tighter hips and legs and low back.

Often, that is just directly related to your anatomy.

It has nothing to do with your heart.

So, fold over.

The Abhyasa.

I bow to myself.

I bow to the journey that I am on.

As you inhale, raise back up.

Slowly lift your knees.

Plant your feet.

Holding to the backs of your legs.

Roll down.

Lying on your back.

Now make sure you have enough mat space behind you.

Bend your knees.

Plant your feet.

Bend your elbows and point your fingers to the ceiling.

Again working your feet, very much like Mary is showing.

Spread the toes and keep weight towards the inner edge of the feet.

And feel like you're hugging your knees in, similar to how you felt in heroes pose.

Shoulders back.

Heart open.

Inhale.

Raise your hips.

Press through the elbows and get more movement across your upper back by walking your shoulder blades in a little closer.

Keep the eyes soft.

Keep the breath steady.

Then pressing down through the feet, hold the feet back toward your shoulders.

Soften any tension you may feel across your eyes or your brow.

And then exhale.

Sit your hips straight back down onto your mat.

Take a deep breath.

Please hug both of your knees into your chest.

Wrap your arms around your shins.

Move your ankles a few times.

Spread the toes.

In today's class, we did a lot of work around the feet.

And this is just to open the feet and the lower legs so that we can get into our hips and hamstrings a little bit more deeply.

Good.

Release your feet one at a time.

Slide them out onto the mat.

Reach your feet towards the corners of your mat.

So, go ahead and shake your legs apart.

Then, open the hands out away from you, turning the palms open.

Roll your shoulders back.

Relax your fingers.

Move your fingers.

Relax your face.

Soften any tension around the lip, the edges of your eyes, across your brow and even the crown of your head.

Take a deep breath.

Due to the work that we did in our hips and legs today, notice how heavy your legs can be.

When we relax into our legs, it calms the mind.

It quiets the mind.

We use yoga to bring energy to the body and peace to our minds.

Enjoy your breath.

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.

" I invite you to remain here in Savasana for as long as you may need today.

However, when you are ready, to move from this pose.

I invite you to move your fingers, your wrists, your toes, your ankles.

And then bend your knees.

Plant your feet onto your mat.

And, roll to your right side Push into the floor with your arms Slowly walk yourself back up to seated.

Take a good seat again.

Close your eyes and fold your hands together in the front of 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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