Yoga in Practice

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

Hi.

How are you today?

My name is Stacey Millner-Collins.

Welcome to Yoga In Practice.

Joining us today are Shannon, and Tina.

Take a good seat and close your eyes.

Turn to your breath and enjoy this moment.

We all get into habits both good and bad ones.

It is like a dog that keeps running back and forth alongside a fence, creating a groove.

In Sanskrit, these pattern grooves are called samaskaras.

And they become more entrenched the longer we continue them.

To cultivate a new, better habit, we have to bring awareness to what is no longer serving us and then decide to make a change.

At this point, it is up to our disciplined action that creates a new pattern.

Simply slowing down and being aware is a place to begin.

We will practice these steps today in a balancing class.

You will need a strap and perhaps a block.

So let's begin.

Please open your eyes.

Sitting down on your mat, we'll begin on our backs.

So slide forward toward the front of your mat.

Hold onto your legs, and then roll down very slowly.

Once you are on your backs, press your head into the floor and release your hands down next to your body.

Arch your back off the floor.

And then round your back down into it.

Arch your back again and come back down.

Keep doing this.

Warming up the lower back, these gentle pelvic rocks are a way to bring awareness into the back the movement of your hips, enjoying the breath.

Good.

And then release coming to a neutral spine.

Bring your knees up over your hips.

Touch your knees and your feet together keeping your hands alongside your body.

Tone your lower abdomen.

We'll just tap the toes down onto the map.

So tap down and pull up and down and up.

Three more times.

This should be working your lower belly and your core offering support to your lower back as you become stronger.

Good and release.

Take your feet to the mat and use a strap.

So taking your strap or a neck tie or an old belt.

You can even use a dog leash.

Take your right leg, slip the strap across the arch of your foot and raise your right leg toward the ceiling.

Pulling down on the strap to offer your legs some more engagement, push your leg up against the strap and try to maintain that lower back arch that we just worked on in the pelvic rocks.

Hold both sides of your strap in your right hand and open your left arm wide to the side.

Take a deep breath.

And then open your legs apart, moving your right leg out to the right and your left knee counterbalancing your pelvis.

So keeping your hips level.

This will be important in today's class to seeking this balance so that when we move to deeper balancing poses, we'll be able to maintain that.

As you inhale, bring the leg up.

Clear your strap, bend the knee.

Take a breath and change sides slipping your strap across the arch of your left foot.

Now tighten your grip down on the strap so you don't want to be loose and down low but walking your hands towards your foot.

Now you may not be able to get the leg directly above your hip.

Your leg may be further away from you.

Just find a place where your leg can be straight and strong and over time you'll gain that flexibility.

Holding on with your left hand, open your right arm out to the side.

Take a deep breath.

And as you exhale, open your legs apart.

Working here into the inner thigh muscle as well as your hamstring.

Press out through the strap and as you pull with your hand, notice how that deepens the sensation of the stretch.

With your inhale, bring the leg back up.

Clear your strap.

Bend your knee and hug both of your legs into your body.

Pause and now cross your ankles and roll up to a seated position.

If you can't roll up easily like that, just roll to your side.

Let's come to standing.

Stand at the front of your mat, placing your feet sit bone distance apart.

Bring your feet parallel and spread your toes across the mat.

Lift your shoulders up and draw your shoulders back.

Inhale.

Raise your arms over your head and look up.

[ inhaling ] And as you exhale, lower your hands back down.

Twice more.

Inhale, reach up [ inhaling ] and lower down just following your breath.

[ exhaling ] Create a new pattern here, by deepening your breath.

Reach up, and then exhale, lower down.

Good.

Turn to the front of your mat.

Inhale, raise your arms up and exhale, bend forward to Uttanasana.

Hold here in Uttanasana.

Bend your left knee and push through the right leg.

Change.

Bend your right knee and route back into the left hamstring.

Good.

Change again.

And once more.

Just deepening the stretch into your hamstrings into your hips.

Moving your hands beside your feet, please step your left foot back into a lunge.

Good.

Stay up on your fingertips, which will give you more lift across your chest and your shoulders.

And now turn your hips in a circle.

Go one direction and just feel that.

Good.

Push off, step forward to Uttanasana, bending over and change legs taking your right leg back.

Lunge.

Stay up, extend through your spine and through the crown of your head.

And now turn your hips in a circle.

Just warming up across the hips and the lower back.

Good.

Push off.

Inhale.

Step up.

Exhale and fold.

[ exhale ] Lifting halfway, inhale, get length through your spine.

[ inhale ] Good.

Exhale and fold.

[ exhale ] And now inhale, raise to standing.

Lift your arms up and keep your arms overhead for just a moment, reaching up.

Pushing from your hips through your feet create a new pattern that is opening and lengthening in your body.

Please join your hands and exhale them down.

Take a deep breath in.

Lower your hands as you exhale.

Inhale.

Lift your arms overhead.

[ inhale ] Exhale.

Bend forward.

Uttanasana.

Keeping your right foot planted, step back with your left leg again.

And this time release the knee down to the mat.

Make sure your knee is comfortable.

Coming upright, let your hands hang next to your hips.

Roll your shoulders back and turn your palms toward the ceiling.

Roll your lower arms in front of you.

Lean the head back and feel your shoulder blades pressing in towards your chest, getting an uplifting action through your heart.

Feeling this in the front of your left thigh as well.

Good.

Take your hands back to the mat and step to table position.

Check your hands, press your hands down, and then inhale look up and arch.

And with your exhale, round to cat.

Twice more.

Inhale.

Look up.

[ inhale ] Exhale and round.

[ exhale ] And one more time, inhale look forward.

[ inhale ] And exhale round.

[ exhale ] Looking up, raise into Downward Facing Dog.

Now you can always modify this pose as a puppy pose with your knees on the floor and your arms extended forward.

Just try to get some extension through your back and feel free to bend your knees if you're tighter in your hips and hamstrings, but keep that uprising lift through your hips.

Good.

Come into a plank pose.

Inhale and pause.

Just hold it and breathe.

Good.

Coming into a push up, lower your knees down to the mat.

Exhale and move your chest down between your hands.

As you inhale, lift open to cobra pose.

Lifting up through the head drawing your shoulders back.

Good.

Downward Facing Dog.

Tuck your toes, lift your hips and stretch back.

Take a deep breath here.

engaging your core and keep your hips and your shoulders level and balanced with one another.

On your inhale, lift your right leg off the mat.

Feel where that foot is aligned with the side of your body and tone your abdomen.

Keeping that strength, slide into one legged plank pose.

Extend so that your head shoulders and hips are level.

Lower your foot and move back to downward dog.

Stretch out.

Good.

Inhale, raise your left leg, pull it up.

Move this leg right from your core muscles at the base of your ribs.

Inhale.

Slide to one legged plank.

And you can always modify this by bringing the other knee down.

Lower the foot and lift back to Downward Dog.

Stretch back.

Take a deep breath here, feeling the arm bones engaging in the shoulder blades resting flat on your back.

Good.

Look forward and step your right foot into a lunge.

You may or may not be able to get there in one step, so just help yourself into a longer form of the pose, if needed.

And your hands can be up on blocks if necessary.

Lift your hips and stretch your right leg straight.

This is a modified version of a post called Pyramid Pose.

What I'm looking for here is your hips being squared and your shoulders level and you're feeling this long stretch up the back of your right leg.

Take your left foot now.

Spin it down sideways, and take a moment to notice if your feet are lined up with each other.

Moving your right hand closer to your shin reach up and open this posture, lifting your left hand.

To modify this pose, you can even put your hand higher on your shin or if you have a block, put your right hand on that block.

Keep extending from your waistline as you anchor down into the back leg holding you steady.

Good.

And then exhale, release the hand to the floor.

Lunge forward, and step to Downward Dog.

Reach back.

Enjoy your breath here.

And then change sidestepping your left foot forward into a lunge.

Stay up on the fingertips.

Keep the length in your spine.

And now raise your hips and stretch your left leg straight.

Good.

Keeping your hips level with each other engaged by pulling your left foot toward the back edge of your mat.

Now, walking your left hand in a little closer, so it's bringing awareness into your left shin.

Raise your right arm open and turn to triangle pose turning your back heel down.

Breathe.

Elongate through your spine.

Let your head curl back to get a little bit more opening across your shoulders and your upper back.

But then ask yourself, where are your thoughts going?

Is this still pleasant or not.

And see if you can create a new groove in just the way that you think about yourself while you're practicing.

As you exhale, take your hands down to the floor.

Lunge forward.

And step to Downward Dog.

Again, reground your energy, a nice balanced steady pose.

And then inhale, draw to plank pose.

You can lower the knees in this pose.

We're going to do a balancing.

Please raise your right leg.

Feel free to stop here or modify as Shannon is showing.

Challenging yourself by also lifting your left arm.

Feel the balance that this pose forces you to create.

Good.

Touch down.

Plank pose or table and then change.

Lift your left leg and your right arm.

Hold steady.

Eyes on one point, seek a balance and then touch back down.

Good.

Pausing.

Lift down to downward facing dog stretch out.

Good.

And then looking forward.

Walk up into Uttanasana.

Bend over.

Lift halfway.

Inhale.

[ inhale ] Bring your hands to the hips, pull your shoulders up rise to Mountain pose.

Release your hands.

Good.

Let's move to some balancing.

So make sure your right foot is well aligned and grounded.

Spread your toes.

Lift up from inside and engage your muscles and we're going to raise the left leg up and you can interlace your fingers underneath this leg, pushing the leg down into your hands.

Stay here.

This is fine or you can even rest your left foot on the seat of a chair.

If you want to challenge yourself, push your foot forward.

Breathe and you'll get more balanced the more you're able to press your leg down into your hands and the more your hands are pressing up.

Bend your knee and step down.

Shift your weight.

Take a breath and just let yourself ground for a minute.

Second side.

So stand on your left foot.

Raise your right leg, interlace your hands underneath the hamstring and push.

As you push, feel that rising up.

Spread your toes.

And keep in mind that balancing is a day to day practice that requires you to change patterns.

Some days you can hold well, some days, not so easily.

Stretching the foot forward if you'd like.

And then exhale.

Stepped down.

Come to mountain.

Plant your feet.

Inhale.

Lift your arms overhead.

[ inhale ] Exhale.

Bend forward.

Touch the floor.

[ exhale ] Good.

Step your left foot back into a lunge.

We're going to walk your hands forward.

Pushing off, raise your left leg.

The hands shift out underneath your shoulders and I'd like you to press your head up.

Keep your hips parallel like we worked in Pyramid Pose.

Extend and grow some strength in your abdomen.

Now bend both of your knees and cross your left knee directly behind the right knee or as deeply as you can.

And then inhale, re-extend.

Exhale, cross.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Last time cross.

Stretching the leg out behind you create room through your spine and then step your feet together.

Uttanasana.

Good.

Keep your hands forward.

And let's change sides.

Lifting your right leg up.

Breath.

Pull out.

Extend.

And now bending both of your knees, cross the right knee behind exhale.

And inhale.

You should be warming up the outside of your left hip.

Just move with your breath here.

You have two more.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

And inhale.

Good.

Step your feet together.

Uttanasana.

Inhale, lifting halfway.

Move through a squat.

Take your hands to your knees.

Push your chest up and arch and then exhale and round your back.

[ exhale ] Inhale.

Rise to standing.

Lift your arms overhead.

[ inhale ] Exhale, lower the hands down.

[ exhale ] Good.

Let's balance one more time.

You can use a strap for this or a chair if you need to.

This is Hasta Padagustasana.

So standing well on your right foot, bring your left leg up again.

Interlace your fingers.

This is a stopping point and stretch your foot forward.

Another stopping point.

You could also use a strap around your foot or hold the foot with your hand and extend your leg out in front of you.

Breathe.

Good.

If you'd like to deepen this pose.

Shift your hand around your shin.

Take your right arm out to the side and open your leg to the side and breathe.

And step down.

Good.

Breathe.

Second side.

So stand on your left foot.

Get centered.

Focus your eyes on a non moving point.

Please raise your right leg up.

Hold underneath the hamstring, stopping here if you wish, stretching the foot forward or even holding your right foot with your hand.

Extending.

If you'd like to open your leg to the side, hold on to the shin bone and open your leg out.

Keep breathing.

And then step together.

Ahh!

Take a deep breath.

If you used a strap, clear it.

Let's roll the shoulders back.

Balancing poses are always challenging, so be kind to yourself, but be willing to do the hard work.

Let's come to seated.

Once you're seated, plant your feet in front of you.

We'll do one more balancing pose that's very good for your core called Boat Pose.

Keep your feet planted if you wish.

Arms out.

So this is a place to stop.

Or you can put your hands underneath your knees and raise your feet.

Squeezing the feet.

Extend your arms.

And if you can stretch your legs straight, try for that.

The most challenging form of this pose is with the hands behind your head.

So decide what's best for you today.

Working on your strength, your stamina and then roll down halfway.

This is where this disciplined action comes into the practice.

And then exhale and release all the way down.

Inhale.

Sweep your arms over your head for reclined Mountain Pose.

Reach through your hands as you point through your toes.

Enjoy your breath.

Good.

Release your arms down.

Bend your knees and lift your feet off the mat.

Open your arms sideways here.

Hug your knees and ankles together, and then lower your legs to the right side of the mat.

Now you can let your legs hover right above the mat.

Or if you need to, let your legs just rest down on the floor.

With the legs hovering, you're going to work a lot more core muscles.

Good.

Squeezed in, anchor through your head and shoulders.

Inhale and come back to the middle.

And then exhale, and go to the opposite direction.

Maintain good curve in your back.

And remember, you could always lower your knees down to the floor if you wish.

Coming all the way down.

That's a little bit softer, not quite so intense.

So decide where you need to be today.

Work your feet.

Inhale.

Bring the legs back up.

Good.

Keeping your knees and feet touching each other, sweep your hands down alongside your body again.

Press your back toward the mat and tone your abdomen.

And now tap your toes down to the floor like we began.

Inhale.

Lift up.

Exhale.

Go back down.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Do that one more time.

And tap down.

Good.

Bring the knees up.

Hug your knees into your chest.

Wrap your arms around your body and just press your back into the floor.

Rock side to side.

And a sliding your hands underneath the back of your knees.

Inhale.

Raise the feet up and pull down.

Three more.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

And your last one, inhale.

Bend your knees.

Plant your feet on the mat.

Place your hands on the front of your thighs and pressing your hands into your thighs, take your feet and keeping your feet placed where they are, drag your feet back.

Notice that that increases the arch the curve in your low back.

Pressing with your hands helps you to move your thigh bones more deeply into the hamstrings.

Shoulders back, relax your gaze.

And now do pelvic rocks again.

Flatten your back into the mat.

And arch up and flatten and arch.

And one more time flattened down and arch.

Good.

Relax your hands down beside your body.

Move your fingers.

Move your wrists.

Take your right leg and slide it out to the corner of your mat and then your left leg.

have enough space in this pose your legs and arms not touching your body.

Keep your chin slightly lifted and close your eyes.

Shavasana, the relaxation pose.

Enjoy your breath here and notice the patterns that you may hold in the muscles of your face, like the muscles between your eyebrows, or the tightness you may feel in your jaw.

Be aware of even how your tongue feels.

And letting yourself just cultivate this awareness by slowing down, you can make a shift.

You can make and choose a different pattern.

So soften.

Enjoy just an easy natural breath.

Life is like an ever shifting kaleidoscope- A slight change and all patterns alter.

I invite you to stay in shavasana for as long as you would like today.

For as long as you may need today.

Continue to enjoy your breath and take care with your body.

When you are ready to come to seated, move slowly, bend your knees.

Roll to your right side and take another pause and so slowly press yourself up to a seated position and sit well.

Join your hands to your heart.

May we all have the strength we need to make the changes we want.

Namaste.

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

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