Yoga in Practice

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

Hi, my name is Stacey Millner-Collins.

Welcome to Yoga In Practice.

Joining us today are Dara and Aidyn.

Please take an easy seat and sit on a cushion or a folded blanket if needed.

As you close your eyes, turn in.

Enjoy your breath today.

Just notice how you feel.

Our psyches were not developed to hold, feel and respond to everything coming at us right now.

Being so connected these days to the world's news, through the internet or on social media is overloading our emotional circuit breaker so to speak.

It's blowing our fuse.

Instead, we are designed to hold feel and respond to what is happening within our own small community of family and friends.

Take a few deep breaths and ask yourself what is mine to do and not do today?

What is mine to say and not say today?

What is mine to care about and not care about today?

Remembering someone will always care.

Slowly open your eyes to begin.

For today's class, we will be using a block.

Let's begin standing.

Stand in the middle of your mat.

Plant your feet, spread your toes and just make a good strong connection down into your legs.

Roll your shoulders back.

As you inhale, lift your arms over your head.

And then lower the arms with the exhale.

Inhale a full breath in and exhale, come back down.

Do this a few more times and just recognize how deep breathing automatically calms our nervous system.

So just learning to add this in a little bit each day is an important practice.

Inhale, lift.

And exhale lower.

Inhale, raise back up.

And a final time back down.

On your next inhale, lift your arms overhead and then bend forward to Uttanasana.

To standing forward fold.

You could place your hands up on a block or place your hands on your shin bones.

Pause.

Bend your right knee.

Stretch your left leg.

Bend your left knee, stretch your right leg.

Keep alternating just bending one leg and then the other.

Take your time as you begin to feel into the hamstring stretch and the way that this is moving into your low back.

Good.

And then inhale.

Lift halfway forward.

Look up and extend out.

Ardha Uttanasana.

Exhale, fold forward.

Inhale, lift halfway forward.

Exhale and fold.

Inhale, lift halfway forward again.

Exhale and fold.

And then inhale, rise to standing.

Lift your arms over your head.

Good.

Join your hands.

Take them down to your heart.

And then step your right foot out to the side just about two feet.

Squat down, bending at your elbows.

Put the weight back through your heels and back through your hip.

And try to maintain a gentle curve in your low back.

Inhale.

Step your feet back to the middle.

And now step the left foot out bending at your arms.

Squat down.

Good.

As you engage the legs.

Inhale.

Push back up and let's move with the breath.

So exhale.

Step out right.

Inhale.

Exhale back to the left.

Inhale.

Plant your feet.

Watch where your knees are going.

Pressing back, just working through the hips and the legs.

Keep your chest lifted.

Let's do it.

One more time.

Step out to the right.

And then together and step out to the left.

Good and step your feet together.

Right here, bring your feet totally together touching the inner edge of your feet.

This is called Samasthiti.

It negotiates some balance and some core work.

Keep your toes spreading.

Sweep your arms out in front of your chest, drawing your arms back and now move through a squat Sitting back, but this time with the feet together, try to hug your lower legs and your knees against each other.

Join your palms and fold the hands into your heart.

Pressing your hands together.

Squeeze the shoulder blades onto your back gently.

And now twist to the right and hooking the outer left arm onto that outer right thigh.

Lean your head back and push your hands down.

Stay here holding the midline, holding your balance.

And then inhale, lift to standing, raise your arms up and open your arms out.

Once again, lift your hands forward and squat down, hugging in with the lower legs.

Please join your hands and fold them to the heart squeezing in.

Then you could stay here in this pose if you prefer.

But try to twist to the left.

hooking your right arm, press your top hand down.

Just lean your head back.

Keeping your knees in line your hips in line.

And then inhale, come back to center rise up to standing.

Take your arms out next to your hips, close your eyes.

Just let your mind rest with your breath.

Good.

Please open your eyes and take a wide stance across your mat.

How wide you go is up to you.

So you want to feel balanced.

You want to feel strong and yet having a sense of freedom here.

Please look down at your feet and make sure they're parallel.

And spread your toes open making a firm and solid foundation.

Roll your shoulders back, bring your hands to your hips, and then hinge right from the front of your hips, right from the top of the thighs.

Bring your hands down.

Now again, this is another place a block could be placed under your hands if you need it.

Breathe and extend.

Good.

Let's turn your toes out 45 degrees so they point towards the corners of your mat.

And then lunge over to the right side.

Now when you lunge over here, watch this knee that it doesn't collapse in, that it stays aligned over your heel and feel the left inner thigh stretching.

Move back and go lunge over to the left side here.

Just opening out.

Enjoy your breathing.

Good.

Now we'll alternate with the breath.

Inhale, center.

Exhale, lunge to the right.

Inhale, center.

Lunge left.

Inhale.

Keep your hips stretching back and watch the tracking of your knee.

Keep your spine long.

Come back and go to the left.

And let's do it one more time, both sides.

Go over to your right and come back and move to the left.

Good.

Come back to the center and now lunge over to your right side.

Walk your hands over to your foot.

When your hands meet the foot.

pivot around so you're facing the short side of your mat.

Your left heel is now up off the floor.

Roll forward a little bit and release your left knee onto the mat.

When it comes down, pick up your chest.

Make sure your knee and your foot feel comfortable.

Lifting up, take your palms out toward the ceiling, bending at your elbows.

Good.

Roll your lower arms forward as you guide your head back as you take your shoulders back and feel a gentle back bend in this posture as you're opening the front of your left thigh.

Place your hands on your mat.

Raise your left knee.

Move your hands back to the inside of your right foot.

Pivot back to the center.

Your toes are out.

Take a breath.

Let's do this to the left side.

So walk your hands over.

Lunge into your left knee.

Pivot.

Lunge forward and lower your right knee.

Make sure your knee and foot are comfortable.

Inhale.

Lift your chest.

Take a deep breath and remind yourself just this moment is good.

I'm doing enough.

Open your palms.

Roll your elbows forward.

Elongate.

Remember the deep breath is going to calm you so stay here.

Breathing.

Enjoying it.

Good.

Bring your hands back down.

Place your hands on the inside of the left foot.

Raise your right knee and pivot back around to the center.

Good.

Now, turn your right foot out.

Lunge over to your right knee again.

Turn your foot all the way to the side.

You're now facing the right side of your mat and step back to Downward dog.

Take a deep breath.

Check that your hands are well placed.

Your fingers spread evenly, your wrist straight.

Lift the shoulders up onto your back.

Tone your abdomen.

Now As you hold this pose, enjoy the lengthening of the posture, just pressing from the shoulders towards your hands, leaning back through your legs.

On your inhale, raise your right leg off the mat, stretch it up.

Bend the knee and lift the knee a little higher.

Turn your hips open to the right side of your mat.

You should feel this in the inner thigh in the front of the groin.

And then look up to your hands and step your foot to a lunge.

You may not be able to get the foot up there in one step, so adjust as you need to.

Lifting to the fingertips, please stretch your right leg straight, modified pyramid posts, keeping your hips and shoulders level.

Now take your left foot, turn it down sideways.

Walk the right arm in against that shin and then open your pose into triangle, raising your left hand.

Turn and look up towards your left hand or your head could just stay forward.

Just guide your head back, try to align your head, your shoulders with the back of your hip.

From your pelvis, press down through the legs and grow the pose longer.

Good.

Bring your hand to the mat.

Lunge forward and step back, Downward Dog.

Take a deep breath here.

Enjoy your breath.

Let's do the second side.

Inhale, raise your left leg off the mat.

sweeping it up high.

Bend the knee and fold the heel into your hip raising your left thigh a little bit higher.

Turn your hips open to the side.

Rotating from the back of your body.

Feel this long stretch all the way up the leg.

Good.

Now look forward between your hands and step into a lunge.

Raised to the fingertips or put a block beneath your hands.

Inhale.

Stretch your left leg straight.

Good.

Keep the hips level.

And now turn your right foot down onto the floor.

Inhale.

Spin the pose open.

Raise your right hand.

Notice the elongation.

And here as you hold the pose, reaching back from your right hip down through the right foot.

Good.

And then exhale.

Swing that hand back to your mat.

Lunge forward and step back to Downward Dog.

Inhale to Plank Pose.

Good.

Raise your right leg.

If you can raise your left arm do that as well.

Not necessary.

And then touch down and change.

Raise your left leg and your right arm and touchdown.

Good.

Downward Dog.

Stretch back.

And then inhale, come forward to Plank and move through a push up.

Exhale coming down.

Make sure your hands are not pinched too tightly to your body.

Lift your shoulders up.

Adjust your legs.

Inhale, rise open to Cobra Pose.

And then roll back down.

Inhale, lift again.

Moving your chest forward, lean back.

And then exhale, roll back down.

Let's do it one more time.

Inhale.

Pull up.

And exhale, roll down.

Table Pose.

And Child's Pose.

Open your knees touch your feet and settle back.

Keep your hips reaching back for your heels but pay attention to your knees and how far they can go.

Really what you want to feel in Child's Pose is just a calmness, a sense of your breath expanding, bowing into yourself and honoring just how much you can do on any given day.

Good.

Inhale.

Lift your chest.

We're going to have a block for this next pose.

If you need it, you may not.

So if you're going to use a block, shift it forward to the front of your mat.

Good.

From here, come in to Table Position.

In this sequence of poses, I will be giving you places to pause or to stop where it's appropriate for you, so pay attention to what you can do today.

Please lift to Downward Dog.

Stretch back.

Inhale, raise the right leg.

Step forward to a lunge.

Good.

stretch the leg and now turn your left foot down.

Now you can place the block next to your right foot with your palm on the block or if you can touch the floor put your palm down on that.

Please open up raising your left arm.

Now obviously you can stop here in Triangle Pose not having to go any further.

Pushing into Your right arm, take your right leg and sweep it out to the side of your mat.

If your core is strong enough, raise the foot off the floor.

Keep the foot raised and then take your left hand back to the mat.

When it touches the mat, clear your block if you used one and raise your right leg behind you.

Good.

Now, bend your right knee.

Lift the leg and add a twist here.

This is another stopping point, so just hold here.

If you'd like to deepen this pose, step backward with your right foot, pivot on to the side of your left foot, curl your head back and reach open to Wild Thing.

Good sweep back down.

Raise your right leg to One Legged Dog extending it and then take Pigeon Pose, right knee forward.

Good.

Take a deep breath.

Feel the warmth in your body and bow forward onto your elbows.

If coming all the way down onto the floor is too challenging, you could put a block underneath your elbows.

If you feel any discomfort in your front knee, you can also adjust this by lying on your back and crossing the ankle and hugging it.

Good.

Rise up.

Step back through Downward Facing Dog.

If you use the block shift it over to the opposite side of your mat.

Please take Downward Dog.

Stretch back.

Second side.

Inhale.

Raise your left leg, sweep it up.

As you exhale, step forward.

Set up for Triangle Pose.

With your back heel down, stretch the legs straight and sweep your right hand up to the ceiling.

Good.

Aligning the head, the shoulders, the back of the hips, route down into your right foot here.

Good.

Now lower the palm, your left palm onto the mat.

Pushing take your left leg out in front of you to the side.

And if you're strong enough here, raise your left leg off the mat.

Not necessary.

Head back, shoulders back.

Now lower your right hand back to the mat and come back through One Legged Dog.

Lift the left leg.

Take a breath.

Stretch down through the foot.

And now bend that knee.

Raise the leg up a little higher and twist.

Now you can stop here in this rotated Downward Dog like Dara is demonstrating or step your left foot behind you into Wild Thing, like Aidyn.

Curl the head back.

Reach the arm over, feel that lift through your chest.

And then sweep your hand back to the floor.

One Legged Dog.

Lift the leg up and then come into Pigeon Pose, moving your left knee forward.

Adjust this as you need to.

So if you need to be on your back, please go on to your back.

Full forward onto your arms, if that's appropriate.

Press your knees into the mat.

Pull your legs together towards each other so you're toning this pose, not allowing yourself just to sink into the hips.

So stay engaged.

Stay engaged with your breath as well.

With your inhale, come back up, slide through Table Position, bringing that left knee back.

Good.

Open your knees apart.

Touch your feet together and sit back on your heels coming into Child's Pose.

Bow forward.

Feel a nice fullness across your mid back and allow your hips to rock from side to side.

Good.

With your next inhale, please lift your chest and come to a seated pose.

You could always sit up on a block if you would need to, or sit down.

Turn forward onto your mat.

Join your feet against each other sole to sole and wrap your hands around your shins.

Pressing up through your spine, refresh your posture.

Lift your heels slightly and elongate out through your inner thighs.

You may bend forward if you wish.

Breathe.

Inhale.

Raise back to seated and slide your left leg forward.

Take your right leg, hug it into your body, wrap your arms around the shin and just again, get that lift.

Anytime you're seated on the mat, I want you to pay particular attention to your lower spine, that you're not slumped over.

Continue to lift and feel long.

Cross your right foot over your left leg and hold on to that right leg with both arms.

Reach your right hand behind you and turn your torso to the right.

Turn your head.

You can look over your back shoulder just feeling that deepening of the rotation.

And now turn your head back and look over your left shoulder.

Breathe.

Keep your extended leg strong, spreading the toes and then inhale, release, come center, uncross and let's change legs.

Right leg extended.

Fold your left knee in.

Hold on to the shin bone and lift.

Anchor this right leg down.

Let's cross the foot.

Now if you can't cross the foot, if that creates any discomfort in the knee, just keep your foot in front of you.

Please wrap both arms around your bent leg and rise up.

Rotating, turn from the lower abdomen toward the waist through the chest and reach your left hand behind you.

Stay on the fingertips.

Turn your head and look back over your right shoulder again.

Breathe.

Inhale, release.

uncross your legs.

Good.

Turning lengthwise on your mat, plant your feet.

Hold the backs of your legs and roll down very slowly.

Once you're all the way down on the mat, make sure your head is comfortable.

And then bring both of your knees into your chest.

Hold on to the knees and move your ankles point and flex the feet a couple of times.

And then turn your feet in circles and reverse that turn.

And now rock your back a little side to side just massaging the lower spine, the mid spine.

Slide your hands behind your knees.

Inhale, extend the feet up.

Continue to hold behind your legs.

As you exhale, fold your knees down.

Let's move with the breath.

Inhale.

Raise up.

Exhale, fold down.

Inhale and lift.

Exhale, lower.

One more time, lift the legs up.

And then bending your knees.

Keep your feet off the floor and bend your knees into a 90 degree angle.

Tone your abdomen and support the curve of your back.

Please open your arms out to the side.

Rolling your shoulders back into the mat, lower your legs to the right side.

Rest your legs on the floor and just focus on this rotation here, maintaining a good curve in your lower back and the left shoulder left arm anchored.

Looking up toward the ceiling, press your head back into the floor.

With your inhale, bring the legs back up.

And then exhale across to the left side.

Good breathing here.

Keeping your right shoulder anchor don't forsake the curve of the back and just enjoy how it feels to lie on the floor and to bring energy, to bring action into your spine.

Inhale.

Raise the legs back up.

Good sweep your hands down alongside your torso and lift your feet to the ceiling.

We're going to take our legs slowly toward the floor one leg at a time.

So lower your right leg and lift it back up and lower your left leg and take it back up.

Now lower both legs and if you can't do that just simply bend your knees, plant your feet onto your mat.

And when your legs touch the mat, relax.

Separate your feet wider apart.

Go ahead and shake your legs a few times.

Open your arms away from your body, turning your palms toward the ceiling above you and just make little subtle adjustments.

Please make sure your shoulder blades and your hips are comfortable.

And then I invite you to close your eyes.

If you have a lot of light above you, you may wish to cover your eyes with an eye pillow or just even a t-shirt, a washcloth.

Enjoy your breath.

Ms. Virginia Woolf once wrote No need to hurry.

No need to sparkle.

No need to be anybody but oneself.

Taking care of yourself today.

I invite you to stay in this pose for as long as you may need to.

For as long as you may want to.

When you're ready to come out of the pose, take your time move slowly and with awareness with your fingers, your toes, bend your knees, plant your feet.

Please roll to your right side and it is your arms that help you to lift into this pose.

Push down and rise to seated.

Once you're back to seated, close your eyes and join your hands to your heart.

May this practice keep you settled as you move through your day.

Thank you for joining us.

Namaste.

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

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