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.

Please close your eyes and settle into a comfortable posture.

A favorite quote of mine is don't ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive and then do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

This teaches that life is truly a precious gift not to be forsaken.

And we show our gratitude for life by trying to live fully each day.

Perhaps each day, we should look to find good in this complex world.

This is not a naive approach to living but an attitude carried in your heart.

In today's class, we will move fluidly with the breath to express this fullness.

As you open your eyes, please come to standing on the front of your mat.

Bring your feet beneath your hips and just spread your toes so you feel solid in your legs.

Joining us today are Scott and Renee.

So with your feet grounded, close your eyes.

Keep your shoulders lifted onto your back.

And take a few deep breaths in and out.

Enjoy just the sense of your breathing and feel the ground beneath your feet.

As you open your eyes, inhale, raise your arms out and lift overhead.

And exhale, lower the arms back down reaching out fully through the fingers.

Inhale.

Raise your arms up.

Deepen the breath and as you exhale, float the arms down.

Inhale.

Let this breath fill you up completely, energizing you and then exhale, lower the arms back down.

Inhale.

Lift your arms.

Exhale.

Full forward to Uttanasana.

Bring your hands to your mat if you can.

Bend your knees if you need to or simply place your hands upon the front of your shins or use a block beneath your hands if you need to.

As you exhale allow yourself to fold more deeply over.

Now moving with our breath, inhale.

Lift half way forward looking up and extending.

Exhale.

Bow and fold.

Inhale lift halfway, extend.

Exhale, bow and fold.

Inhale, lift half way and extend.

Good.

Move your hands beside your feet as you exhale and step your left foot back and lunge.

Keep your right knee above your ankle and just start to warm up here through the legs, the hips, and the lower back.

As you inhale, please step forward.

Take a breath out and fold.

And then the right foot back lunge long.

Stay up on your finger tips and that gives you more mobility across the neck and the shoulders.

As you inhale, step forward once again.

Exhale and fold.

Inhale, lifting halfway.

Come into a squat and then raise your arms out to the side of your body, bending your elbows.

Keep your elbows bent and gently pull your shoulder blades closer onto your back.

Maintain that and then as you inhale, stretch the arms over your head, extend.

Exhale, draw down.

Inhale, extend.

Exhale, pull the elbows back.

Hug in with your shoulders.

Inhale reach out.

Exhale.

Pull the arms down.

Inhale.

Rise up to standing.

Fold your hands.

Exhale.

Bring them to your heart.

Take a deep breath in, so to connect more deeply with our breath, we'll practice what is called the breath of joy.

I'll show you two times and then join in for the final five.

So, this moves in rhythm with your breath.

As you inhale, lift.

Exhale.

Inhale and fold.

Again cross, extend.

Cross and squat.

Now join in, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale.

Twice more.

Rise to standing.

Reach your arms out.

Close your eyes and enjoy the sensation of your breath.

Just feel.

Notice how you are more alive right now.

As you open your eyes, inhale, lift your arms overhead.

Exhale bow forward bring your hands back to your mat.

And step to downward facing dog.

Hold your downward dog.

And as you pause in the pose.

Don't pause the breathing.

Just keep the breath fluid and expansive.

And at that simple idea, enjoy your breath.

Enjoy the moment that you have.

Rooting through your hands, staying really strong.

Inhale come to plank pose and make sure your plank is long enough that your shoulders are above your wrists, your legs are straight and strong, your core is engaged.

Lean forward and lower both knees to your mat.

Bending your elbows, lower the center of your chest and the tip of your chin, keeping your shoulders raising.

Don't move your hands but slide forward and come into cobra pose.

Inhale, lift up, draw the shoulders open and expand your heart forward.

Exhale, roll down.

Push to table position.

Hands and knees.

Inhale.

Look up and arch your back.

Round into cat pose.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Look forward.

Exhale and round.

Inhale forward.

Exhale and round.

One more time, inhale, look forward.

Tuck in your toes.

Take downward facing dog.

Stretch back.

Take a few breaths here.

Just holding steady with your hands routed into your mat.

The lengthening that you feel through your arms, your waist, the back of your legs and then looking to your hands.

Walk forward into a Uttanasana again.

Place your feet parallel and bow over.

Inhale, raise to standing.

Lift your arms And fold your hands to your heart.

Take a deep breath.

We'll do two sun salutations moving fluidly in rhythm with the breath.

So, as you lower your hands, exhale.

Inhale.

Raise your arms overhead.

Bend over.

Exhale.

Uttanasana.

Inhale.

Look up.

Plank pose.

Step back.

Exhale to a push up and you can always lower your knees.

And then inhale, rise to cobra again.

Good.

Downward facing dog or you can shift through table pose and then make it into downward dog.

Stretch out.

Inhale.

Step forward to the front of your mat.

Bow over.

Raise up to standing.

Lift your arms.

Join your hands Anjali Mudra.

And we'll do that sequence once more.

Exhale.

Lower your arms.

Inhale, raise up.

Reach for the sky.

Bow forward, fully touch the earth.

Inhale, look up.

Step back, plank.

Exhale to a push up.

Rise to cobra.

Downward facing dog.

Enjoy the pose.

Enjoy fully the moment.

And then step forward, Uttanasana.

Bend over your legs.

Raise to standing.

Lift your arms.

Exhale, join your hands to your heart.

Take a deep breath.

And then lower your arms relaxing your hands.

Soften your face.

Let's move to a balancing pose.

So I'd like you to stand on your right foot.

Tap your left foot out to the side.

Once your left foot is out to the side, bring it up.

You can be down as low as your ankle or your calf like Scott is showing, where you may be able to reach down, pull the foot up a little bit higher.

Just meet yourself as you are today.

Bring your hands to your heart.

Your arms can also raise out to the side a little extra balance.

Raise your arms over your head.

Hold steady.

If you like to challenge yourself a little bit more, extend your right arm in front of you and twist open to the left side.

You can turn your head, it's a little bit more challenging.

And then inhale, lift back up to center and gracefully come back to mountain pose as you step down.

Shift your weight.

And the second side.

Stand fully on that left foot.

Raise the right foot up.

If you need to hold on to the back of a chair or move to a wall, that is completely legal and suggested if you feel out of balance.

Fold your hands.

Raise overhead if that's possible.

Hug your legs towards each other.

And then add a twist, taking your left arm forward, your right hand back.

You may or may not be able to turn your head completely.

And then inhale.

Rise back up.

As you exhale, step back down.

Plant your feet.

Take a deep breath.

Inhale raise your arms up.

Exhale.

Bend forward.

Hands to the mat.

Downward facing dog.

Step back.

Take a deep breath and feel settled.

Inhale.

Raise your right leg.

Bending the knee, fold the heel to the back of your hip and raise the thigh a little higher.

Then twist to the right, turning your hips open as you extend your right foot behind your body.

Now, look up between your hands and step up into a lunge.

You may need to take more than one step to do this.

You can also do this kneeling like Scott will demonstrate.

On your inhale, raise your chest.

And as you exhale, fold forward.

Bow your head and raise your hands to the ceiling.

Inhale, rise.

Exhale, bow forward.

Inhale, rise up.

Lift fully through your arms.

This is your last one.

And then exhale.

Bring your hands back to your mat.

Lift the knee.

Step forward.

Bow over.

Good.

Step back to downward facing dog.

Take a deep breath.

Raise your left leg, inhale.

Bend the knee.

Twist to the left, stretching that foot back.

Try to keep your shoulders level, opening up through your right inner thigh.

Look forward and step your foot to a lunge.

And you may be able to have to take a few steps to get far enough into your pose.

Kneel if you need to.

Inhale, raise your chest.

Pull up.

As you exhale, fold.

Inhale, rise.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Just feel the movement through your body, your breath.

Exhale.

And your last one, rising all the way up.

Place your hands on your mat.

Downward facing dog.

Deep breath.

And then bring both knees onto your mat.

Good.

Plant your hands.

Make sure your wrists are straight and your knees are underneath your hips.

Please raise your right leg behind you, parallel to the floor.

You can just keep the leg raised, working on some core strength here.

Or raise your left arm, as well.

This is called Snowbird pose.

Raising from that left shoulder, stay balanced in your body and stay focused in what you're doing here.

And then exhale.

Come back down.

Lower your knee.

Take a deep breath.

Change sides raising your left leg.

Stay here or raise your right arm.

Breathe.

And then exhale.

Bring your hands back down.

Lower the knee.

Table pose.

Please take downward facing dog.

Inhale raise your right leg.

Step the right foot back into a lunge.

This time take your back foot, your left foot in this case and pivot it down.

Line up your feet.

Stay low in your lunge and then raise to Warrior Two.

Look straight down that right hand.

Keeping your knee over your ankle, rise up fully through your spine.

Extend out through the hands.

Hold your lunge and then bring your forearm across your thigh.

Sweep your left arm beyond your ear.

Stretch through the elbow, side angle pose.

If you can, bring your hand down to the mat or have a block ready and then open to triangle pose, stretching the right leg straight, rooting through the left leg.

So your hand can be up on a block if you need to.

You could place it down on the base of your shin, if you do not have a block.

And then bring your left hand to the mat.

Step to downward dog.

Take a deep breath.

Exhale.

And then inhale, raise the left leg.

Exhale, step forward.

Get far enough forward so the knee is over the heel and pivot your right foot down.

A deep strong lunge, rise to Warrior Two.

Stay low in that lunge, extending out energetically.

There's just a sense of lift and fullness in your posture.

And now side angle pose.

Either rest your forearm on your thigh.

Or take your left hand to the mat.

Lean back through the head.

And then reaching down hand to a block or hand onto the mat, the shin stretch open to triangle pose.

Enjoy the breath.

And then swing your hands to the mat.

Step back to downward facing dog.

Take a deep breath.

Inhale.

Raise your left leg.

As you exhale, step forward once again.

Turn your left foot down.

So, we're going to do a little bit more advanced form of triangle pose.

Have a block if you need it.

Stretch your right leg straight.

Position that right hand close to the ankle.

Sweep your left arm up to the sky.

So, it's fine to stay here in this traditional form of triangle.

Or stretch your left arm over your ear if you can.

You'll notice you get a deeper stretch through the hip and through the thigh.

Now, hold here or much more challenging,, raise your right arm beside your ear as well.

Pushing out through both legs, stretch through your spine.

And then bring your hands down.

Lunge forward.

Downward facing dog, step back.

Take a deep breath.

Inhale, raise your left leg.

As you exhale, step forward.

Use the block, if you need to and pivot your right foot down.

Inhale open.

Enjoy your breath.

Good.

Now, stay here.

Use as much support as you need.

And then draw your right arm over your ear so you're enjoying that extension.

From your right hip to your right heel, just elongating out.

Hold here or reach your hand out like Renee is showing, pushing out through your legs.

Bring both hands back to your mat.

Bend your knee.

Step back to downward facing dog.

And then we'll lower our knees for child's pose, just coming down.

Resting.

Soften your arms.

Enjoy the breath.

Breathe.

Here in child's pose, just allow yourself to soften to feel the fullness of the moment, to use your practice to help you to come alive.

Keep your face soft.

Good and then inhale.

Raise back up.

Good.

Please sit down on your sticky mat.

And from seated, place your feet out in front of you holding on to the back of your legs.

Good.

As you exhale, roll all the way down.

Once you have reached yourself all the way down, stretch your legs out, extend your arms over your head.

Take a deep breath.

Good.

And then bend both knees.

Plant your feet Holding onto your right leg, interlace your fingers around the back of your right hamstring.

And push your foot toward the front of your mat, hugging your leg in.

Raise your heel toward the ceiling into Supta Padangusthasana and breathe.

Enjoy the breath.

And now take your left leg and slide it out onto the mat.

Good.

And then continue to hold this.

Bend your knee.

And plant your foot on top of your left leg.

Stretch your right arm out and pull your leg slowly across the midline of your body.

Don't go too far but feel that fullness in the pose.

Now anchoring through your shoulders.

So, in a rotation, you want to keep the shoulder that you're twisting from grounded.

Breathe fully into the back that rise and fall of the breath.

Keeping your face soft.

Good and then inhale.

Pull yourself back up to the middle.

Slide that leg out onto your mat.

Stretch your arms over your head.

Point your toes and take a deep breath as you reach out.

Good and then bend your knees.

Take your left leg in.

Hold on to the back of your left leg with both hands.

And push your leg out and then raise your heel up.

Then extend your right leg onto the mat.

Feel this energy flowing from the foot down into your hip, but then meet that energy by rising back up.

Enjoy the breath.

Take a deep breath bend the knee and fold the foot down on top of your thigh.

Stretching your left arm wide, rotate over to the right side of your mat.

Stay grounded through your left shoulder here and breathe fluidly through your back.

The back of the body should have a lot of space here.

When you're doing your practice, you just want to feel the moment.

That's how a yoga practice turns into something much more than just a physical activity.

It reminds us to live fully to have the gratitude for what we've been given, to find the good in what we can.

As you inhale, pull the legs back up to center.

Good.

Stretch your legs back out onto the mat.

Sweep your arms over your head.

Take a deep breath and extend out.

Point your toes and then drawing both knees back up into your chest, hold your legs with your hands.

Move your feet gently.

Wiggle your toes, turn your ankles into circles.

Enjoy the breath.

Good and them plant your feet down on the mat again keeping your knees bent.

I'd like you to cross your right ankle over your left thigh and reaching through your legs, hold on to the back of your left leg again and push the leg into your hands as you broaden your right leg wide.

It's a nice hip stretch here, opening out.

Continue to root the leg into your hands.

So, Renee is showing a more advanced position where the hands are holding the shin.

If you're holding the shin, pull your hands up towards your knee, but regardless of where you are, try to broaden the leg out so you're feeling expansion through the right hip here.

Now, go up into the back, the low back and try to arch the back gently.

Good.

And then release.

Plant both feet down onto the mat.

Change sides so crossing your right ankle, left ankle over your right leg.

Reach through your legs, hold on to the back of your right leg.

Breathe and broaden.

So, notice how Scott is keeping his ankles engaged here.

So avoid relaxing the feet or just collapsing into the pose.

There's definitely a full awareness that you're bringing to what you're doing.

Remember the low back that it maintains an arch and that what you're trying to do is open the side of the buttock.

If this is too difficult, you can always keep your right leg in this case on the ground.

Good.

Take a deep breath in.

As you exhale, release.

Good.

Plant your feet.

Take another breath.

Then extend your arms one more time, stretch your arms beyond your head.

Slide your legs out onto your mat.

Point your toes.

Reach through the fingers.

Deep breath in.

And exhale.

Now, shake your legs apart.

Bring your hands down beside your body.

Open the arms out.

Wiggle your fingers.

Relax your wrists and close your eyes.

This is definitely a pose not to be forsaken.

So holding your Savasana and just enjoying the moment as it is.

You're alive only once as far as we know.

And what could be worse than getting to the end of your life and realizing you hadn't lived it?

I invite you to remain here in Savasana the sleep pose for as long as you may need to today.

When you're ready to roll from your backs, just stay again to move your fingers, wiggle your toes.

Take your time.

And then bending your knees, plant your feet and roll over onto your side.

Rest here on the side and then rooting down with both of your hands, slowly press yourself up to seated.

Coming to a comfortable seat and I invite you to join your hands once again to your heart and close your eyes.

Thank you for joining us for practice today.

Namaste.

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

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