0:00:19.268,0:00:25.530 Hi everyone! Welcome to this session [br]of what I call energy flow yoga 0:00:25.990,0:00:31.871 This yoga class is designed to [br]support you in your meditative practice 0:00:33.373,0:00:37.373 When we're speaking about yoga [br]we're also speaking about non-duality 0:00:37.373,0:00:42.776 because yoga itself is a non-dual system,[br]which a lot of people, 0:00:42.776,0:00:45.876 especially in our modern [br]culture, don't realize. 0:00:45.876,0:00:49.876 where normally our focus is on [br]the posture, as though the stretch 0:00:49.876,0:00:54.286 is what yoga is. But of course if you've[br]looked into yoga even a little bit 0:00:54.286,0:00:59.746 you'll realize that the first limb of yoga[br]is posture not even necessarily stretch. 0:00:59.746,0:01:03.956 Often it's referring to sitting in[br]meditative posture. 0:01:03.956,0:01:08.159 And the other seven limbs are all [br]pointing to deeper States both within 0:01:08.159,0:01:14.389 our energy our psychology, referring to [br]the breath and ultimately to Consciousness 0:01:14.389,0:01:20.227 and so this practice is really designed[br]around incorporating the Asana, 0:01:20.227,0:01:24.357 which we will be doing. Which[br]will be various postures and flows, 0:01:24.357,0:01:29.117 with the most important aspect of the[br]practice which is concentration 0:01:29.117,0:01:33.117 awareness, non-resistance.[br]Just like in the meditative practice. 0:01:33.117,0:01:37.151 So we can learn to actually go [br]into our yoga postures flows, 0:01:37.151,0:01:40.387 whatever it is we're doing, [br]using the same principle 0:01:40.387,0:01:43.544 and so that is the most [br]important part of the practice 0:01:43.544,0:01:46.239 you could kind of say [br]the stretch is secondary. 0:01:46.239,0:01:51.117 So for this session we're going to[br]go into a format which I often use 0:01:51.117,0:01:55.117 starting with breathwork which [br]in yoga is called Pranayama 0:01:55.117,0:01:58.947 and then we'll be moving into [br]body stretches or holds. 0:01:58.961,0:02:06.427 Normally from a Yin perspective. So Yin[br]stretches and also Yin flows I call them 0:02:06.427,0:02:10.926 that build up Prana in the body. Prana[br]actually refers to Life Force energy 0:02:10.926,0:02:14.926 and if you've heard the word Chi,[br]then it's the same thing except that 0:02:14.926,0:02:18.156 would be the word used [br]more in the Chinese system. 0:02:18.156,0:02:24.184 And so as we're working that the[br]mindfulness concentration feeling 0:02:24.184,0:02:28.563 are a priority and then the stretch is[br]just something that's going to happen 0:02:28.563,0:02:33.143 So, we'll laid in, we'll begin lying on [br]our back so let's just take a moment 0:02:33.143,0:02:37.533 and find your mat I'm going to be sitting[br]while I give you the instructions 0:02:37.533,0:02:42.033 when I teach, what I'm trying to do is[br]teach clearly enough where you don't have 0:02:42.033,0:02:47.925 to open your eyes often, that way your[br]attention is focused inwards on feeling. 0:02:47.925,0:02:51.495 So I'll give you another moment here[br]to just find the mat, lying down 0:02:51.495,0:02:57.014 in shavasana posture, you can lie down[br]with your hands facing up preferably 0:02:57.014,0:03:01.014 with an open heart posture, but if that's[br]not good for your shoulder then just 0:03:01.014,0:03:05.504 lie down with whatever position[br]works best for your body. 0:03:05.504,0:03:11.094 In the case of prana, that we're talking[br]about on a deep level of practice 0:03:11.094,0:03:15.094 pranayama sometimes is referred to[br]only as the very natural breath 0:03:15.094,0:03:17.384 that occurs when you're in deep meditation 0:03:17.384,0:03:22.121 But for the sake of these practices[br]Pranyama will refer to any way 0:03:22.121,0:03:25.871 of working with your breath. so we'll[br]be manipulating the breath first 0:03:25.892,0:03:29.153 and then we'll eventually be going [br]into the natural breath. 0:03:29.166,0:03:33.476 So as you're lay there, the first thing[br]you want to do is notice your entire body, 0:03:33.476,0:03:38.388 and just feel into what's going on[br]right now from head to toe 0:03:38.388,0:03:42.424 kind of taking in information[br]not labeling anything 0:03:42.424,0:03:46.104 so if there's tension you can [br]acknowledge that if you feel good 0:03:46.104,0:03:49.804 maybe there's something like anxiety[br]you can acknowledge that and 0:03:49.804,0:03:54.589 these things, these feelings, these things[br]that we're noticing inside the body 0:03:54.589,0:03:58.029 and the mind and in the emotional[br]system are part of our practice. 0:03:58.029,0:04:01.869 And so we'll do our very best to just [br]allow them to be there as we go through. 0:04:01.869,0:04:06.773 So let's begin by noticing the breath[br]rising and falling at the navel, 0:04:06.773,0:04:10.773 you're just going to notice the belly[br]expanding and contracting 0:04:10.773,0:04:17.120 like a wave, and just allow your attention[br]to notice that as you breathe 0:04:17.120,0:04:22.680 there's an expansion in the belly and as [br]you exhale there's a release in the belly 0:04:22.680,0:04:26.220 going back down. And we'll just stay [br]there for a couple breaths 0:04:26.220,0:04:30.654 before we begin to deepen it.[br]So as you're feeling into your breath 0:04:30.654,0:04:34.404 now begin to deepen it [br]towards your collar bone 0:04:34.404,0:04:38.904 so you're going to inhale from [br]the belly, once the belly feels full 0:04:38.904,0:04:43.791 you're filling up the sternum and then[br]the upper chest right to the collar bone 0:04:43.791,0:04:48.979 so when you're into a full exaggerated[br]breath, your inhale feels like a vessel 0:04:48.979,0:04:53.236 from the bottom to the top, and the[br]collar bone being the top of the glass. 0:04:53.236,0:04:57.236 now we're going to exhale and release from[br]the collar bone all the way back down 0:04:57.236,0:05:01.275 until you get to the lower belly. [br]So this is called diaphragmic breathing, 0:05:01.275,0:05:06.267 and one of the main areas we want to[br]hone in on, is the diaphragm itself moving 0:05:06.267,0:05:11.810 as you inhale and exhale. So you're going[br]to feel that underneath your rib cage. 0:05:11.810,0:05:15.814 So for this first breath, think about it[br]more as you're not trying to sink in, 0:05:15.814,0:05:20.791 you're trying to unlock the physical[br]breath structure, by using a little bit of 0:05:20.791,0:05:25.039 strength here on the breath. And you'll[br]feel the ribs opening. You'll probably 0:05:25.039,0:05:30.026 notice where you may be holding some[br]chronic tensions. Let's just take 0:05:30.026,0:05:35.325 a couple more of those, helping us get[br]into the body to prepare for practice 0:05:42.675,0:05:47.143 Something that can be helpful while you're[br]doing this and throughout the practice 0:05:47.143,0:05:52.343 is to relax all your face muscles.[br]So relax your jaw, relax your forehead 0:05:52.343,0:05:58.803 and your eyes, your mouth, just let[br]everything go and try to feel more 0:05:58.803,0:06:04.547 into a surrendered state. And then [br]we'll go into the second breath. 0:06:04.547,0:06:10.332 So we've started to get into the body.[br]The second breath is focused much more 0:06:10.332,0:06:13.927 on activating the [br]parasympathetic nervous system. 0:06:13.927,0:06:19.164 This is part of the goal of this practice[br]because when we're in parasympathetic 0:06:19.164,0:06:22.569 everything's working right[br]and we're in a relaxed state. 0:06:22.569,0:06:26.569 So to help augment that, I'm going[br]to focus on a prolonged exhale 0:06:26.569,0:06:29.329 so let's begin still doing[br]your diaphragm breathing 0:06:29.329,0:06:34.409 we start start with the count of 3 3 6.[br]So the first number is your inhale. 0:06:34.409,0:06:37.742 You're going to inhale to the [br]count of three, filling up. 0:06:37.742,0:06:40.912 You don't have to fill it to the[br]point where you feel strained 0:06:40.912,0:06:44.017 and once you fill up, you're going[br]to hold your breath for three 0:06:44.017,0:06:47.257 and let everything relax. [br]So when you're holding the breath 0:06:47.257,0:06:51.067 don't try to force anything[br]just let it settle and then exhale 0:06:51.067,0:06:55.067 to the long count of six out the nose.[br]So you're inhaling three, 0:06:55.067,0:06:59.067 holding for three, and exhaling for six. 0:06:59.067,0:07:03.756 And I know there's many of us at[br]every level of practice here, 0:07:03.756,0:07:08.016 so some of you might right away[br]move up to 4 4 8 or 5 5 10 0:07:08.016,0:07:12.016 if you find that your natural [br]breath control is much deeper, 0:07:12.016,0:07:16.816 but the key here is don't move up[br]by straining, you would only add a number 0:07:16.816,0:07:22.036 if it feels like that's softening into your[br]body, and you're not having to force it. 0:07:23.203,0:07:27.203 So inhaling first number, holding the[br]second number and the exhale 0:07:27.203,0:07:33.714 equals the inhale and hold. So let's say[br]you eventually moved up to 6 6 12 0:07:33.714,0:07:38.800 then you would always have the exhale[br]equaling the inhale and hold. 0:07:40.379,0:07:44.979 And this is a great breath to do whenever[br]you need it. Even during the day 0:07:44.979,0:07:51.199 you can take a couple minutes and do this,[br]and it will help to reset your system. 0:07:51.199,0:07:55.199 We'll just stay here [br]for another minute or so 0:08:07.961,0:08:16.097 Noticing where your tension is. [br]So one of the other key points 0:08:16.097,0:08:19.537 of the practice that we're doing [br]and about to go into is 0:08:19.537,0:08:23.377 we want to find the tension. [br]So it's a little different than 0:08:23.377,0:08:27.872 what we're used to, which is trying to[br]get away from the tension normally. 0:08:27.872,0:08:30.962 In this type of practice[br]you're going to allow yourself 0:08:30.962,0:08:34.962 to sink into the tension, and [br]be present with it as you find it. 0:08:34.962,0:08:38.962 So let's finish one more [br]of those complete breaths, 0:08:38.962,0:08:43.628 whatever number you're at [br]and then you're going to let it go. 0:08:43.628,0:08:49.860 Once you let it go, simply notice [br]the body from head to toe to fingertip 0:08:49.860,0:08:53.365 and you will already notice that [br]you're a little bit more in your body 0:08:53.365,0:08:57.365 most likely even after doing this [br]for about 5 minutes or so 0:08:57.365,0:09:02.245 Now as we move into the stretches, [br]we're going to do this practice 0:09:02.245,0:09:07.269 mostly on a lower body sequence [br]we're going to be working the hips 0:09:07.269,0:09:12.629 and the legs and the spinal column and [br]then we'll be doing another practice 0:09:12.629,0:09:17.718 after this, that will focus [br]more on the upper body. 0:09:17.718,0:09:24.218 So you're lined down you're just going[br]to turn over, or I'm going to turn over 0:09:24.218,0:09:28.968 and we're going to bend the knees [br]we'll have the feet flat 0:09:28.968,0:09:32.968 going to have the palms down by my side,[br]so we're going to work into what's called 0:09:32.968,0:09:36.603 spinal breathing. So I've got the shoulder[br]blades underneath me 0:09:36.603,0:09:39.923 now notice where your hip bones are[br]and you want to have your knees 0:09:39.923,0:09:44.833 the same distance apart and your heels [br]so that creates a straight line of energy. 0:09:44.833,0:09:48.833 Another big aspect of this particular [br]practice is we're going to build up 0:09:48.833,0:09:52.833 a lot of energy and Prana [br]circulating in the body. 0:09:52.833,0:09:57.043 I've got the palms down shoulder weights[br]underneath me I'm going to pull my chin 0:09:57.043,0:10:01.043 into my throat slightly, [br]so the back of my neck is open 0:10:01.043,0:10:05.800 and then the last thing is to tuck your[br]tailbone all the way between your legs 0:10:05.800,0:10:09.290 until there's no arch in your back and[br]you're going to see that's already 0:10:09.290,0:10:14.400 a fairly deep internal stretch on the [br]back of your abdominal cavity. 0:10:14.400,0:10:19.400 This position here is what it feels like[br]when you complete your exhale. 0:10:19.400,0:10:23.400 Chin tucked, tailbone tucked, palms and[br]shoulder blades down 0:10:23.400,0:10:27.400 and there's two parts of this breath.[br]The first part is just the spine, 0:10:27.400,0:10:32.880 as I inhale, come into a deep arch in my[br]spine, pull the breath all the way 0:10:32.880,0:10:36.200 to the upper chest and squeeze [br]your shoulder blades together. 0:10:36.200,0:10:40.862 and as you exhale, tuck your chin [br]and tailbone pull the diaphragm up, 0:10:40.862,0:10:43.642 and squeeze the breath out of your body. 0:10:43.642,0:10:47.812 Okay so we're going to inhale[br]expand and arch. 0:10:51.293,0:10:55.293 Exhale release, tuck [br]the chin and tailbone. 0:10:57.813,0:11:02.689 Right now you're still working the breath[br]that means we're not really concerned 0:11:02.689,0:11:07.146 with the natural breath yet, we'll be[br]doing that more in the holds. So here 0:11:07.146,0:11:13.675 you're deepening the breath and utilizing[br]the breath to move your spinal column. 0:11:13.675,0:11:15.655 We're just going to do a couple of these 0:11:15.655,0:11:18.365 and then we will be adding[br]the upper body to it. 0:11:18.365,0:11:21.136 Make sure I'm not going to[br]get hooked on the mic. 0:11:21.136,0:11:25.234 So on your next inhale, [br]you've exhaled tucked everything in, 0:11:25.234,0:11:28.714 on your inhale I'm going to start [br]to float the arms up like this, 0:11:28.714,0:11:33.547 now as I do, I want to splay the fingers[br]wide, rotate the palms outwards 0:11:33.547,0:11:38.347 and then reach all the way up into [br]a full arch of my spine like that, 0:11:40.969,0:11:43.171 [ this cord is kind of pulling up short ] 0:11:43.171,0:11:48.414 We are now going to exhale, as the exhale[br]happens the palms are down, and notice 0:11:48.414,0:11:53.241 that as I exhale further and further down,[br]I tuck the chin and tailbone, 0:11:53.242,0:11:56.752 I flatten everything out and press[br]the palms into the floor. 0:11:56.752,0:12:00.752 And then you release, relax,[br]inhale, receive the breath. 0:12:04.138,0:12:09.257 Expand, open the ribs, [br]rotate the palms out, exhale. 0:12:09.257,0:12:13.257 Palms are facing the floor coming down 0:12:17.197,0:12:22.120 Notice how deep of an elongation that is [br]to your spine as you tuck the chin 0:12:22.120,0:12:25.380 and tailbone and [br]bring the arms down. 0:12:25.380,0:12:27.734 It's actually one of the [br]deepest spinal stretches 0:12:27.734,0:12:31.734 because you really can't get[br]any further on elongation 0:12:31.734,0:12:36.976 unlike a forward fold, when you're bent.[br]When I do this and I draw the chin in 0:12:36.976,0:12:40.387 and pull the tailbone through [br]the whole spine is lengthened 0:12:40.387,0:12:45.387 and being pulled up and down, [br]so you're decompressing the discs. 0:12:45.387,0:12:49.387 Let's work that for one more. 0:12:59.085,0:13:05.505 Exhaling, tucking and then just relax [br]everything now and simply notice the spine 0:13:05.505,0:13:09.205 So throughout the practice we'll be [br]checking in and just noticing 0:13:09.205,0:13:15.235 what's going on. Feel your body and[br]be aware of any sensation of 0:13:15.235,0:13:21.839 internal energy which normally is going[br]to feel like flow, expansion, tingling 0:13:21.839,0:13:27.918 in the body, sometimes heat. We're going [br]to go through a full Yin stretch 0:13:27.918,0:13:33.151 for each hip now. So from this position [br]I'm going to take my left knee 0:13:33.151,0:13:38.221 and pull it to my chest and I'll explain[br]one thing here on Yin stretching. 0:13:38.221,0:13:44.885 The more you let go, the more you're in a [br]Yin stretch. So when I'm in a true Yin 0:13:44.885,0:13:51.131 stretch, I'm not flexing the target muscle[br]I'm allowing it to expand and release. 0:13:51.131,0:13:55.451 So what that looks like is I would take my[br]left hand and wrap it around the outside 0:13:55.451,0:14:00.268 or the inside of my knee and I'm going to[br]pull the leg open to the left side 0:14:00.268,0:14:04.868 as far out as I can and then just let[br]everything settle, and then 0:14:04.868,0:14:09.508 your right leg is just going to hang over[br]to the right side on its own 0:14:09.508,0:14:13.848 I want my chin tucked in a little bit and [br]you don't have to do anything here. 0:14:13.848,0:14:18.266 You can keep the arm down by your side or [br]maybe even better would be bring the arm 0:14:18.266,0:14:24.086 like that at 90° and it creates [br]a counterweight for the left leg. 0:14:24.086,0:14:31.475 Now my job is to simply focus my attention[br]on the area that's being stretched 0:14:31.477,0:14:37.598 So my awareness is on the left groin[br]and on the breath at the same time and 0:14:37.598,0:14:41.872 this is the most important component [br]of the practice is maintain 0:14:41.872,0:14:46.558 the awareness focused and whenever[br]you notice that you're back in your mind, 0:14:46.558,0:14:50.558 which will happen, find your breath [br]and find the body part. 0:14:50.558,0:14:55.115 So my attention is over here on the left[br]groin, and what I'm attempting to do 0:14:55.115,0:14:58.895 is simply be present with it, and not[br]resist anything that's occurring 0:14:58.895,0:15:03.284 just like you would do when you're [br]meditating you're witnessing it 0:15:03.284,0:15:07.808 and allowing it to naturally unfold[br]through the weight of your arm 0:15:07.808,0:15:11.808 you don't even have to pull the leg down. 0:15:11.808,0:15:16.582 And after about 45 seconds or so the [br]tendons will start stretching so in the 0:15:16.582,0:15:23.612 Yin stretch you're actually opening up the[br]connective tissue not just the muscles. 0:15:27.262,0:15:33.570 We're going to draw the left knee in now.[br]Inhale and just feel that stretch that 0:15:33.570,0:15:38.680 just took place in the drawing.[br]Exhale, pull the left knee to your chest, 0:15:38.680,0:15:44.040 and then sit your left ankle on your right[br]knee and we're going to get ready to go 0:15:44.040,0:15:49.004 into the hip opener. So I'll give you two[br]options here. The first one is slightly 0:15:49.004,0:15:53.667 more intense than the second. Your left[br]hand is going to slide between your legs 0:15:53.667,0:15:57.667 and grab the back of your right knee. Your[br]right hand meets it, you allow 0:15:57.667,0:16:02.044 the right knee to hang loosely and then[br]you pull the right knee towards you 0:16:02.044,0:16:06.804 until you hit a level that you think[br]is a maximum of 95% 0:16:06.804,0:16:11.759 So again, you're not forcing any stretches.[br]This is often a misconception in 0:16:11.759,0:16:17.509 modern yoga where it becomes really[br]more like a competition against yourself 0:16:17.509,0:16:22.244 or other people. You want to listen to[br]your body so if I'm at about 95% 0:16:22.244,0:16:26.244 that means there's a little bit of room to[br]give, that means the muscle is not locked 0:16:26.441,0:16:32.687 now my attention goes to my left glut and[br]immediately I find my breath and I begin 0:16:32.687,0:16:37.337 to allow the breath to really take on a [br]natural rhythm which will be a little 0:16:37.337,0:16:41.337 deeper than when you started so you're [br]both aware of the natural breath 0:16:41.337,0:16:45.337 coming and going and you're [br]aware of the left hip. 0:16:45.337,0:16:49.609 Now the alternative if this was [br]too much for you is to keep 0:16:49.609,0:16:54.397 your right foot down, reach up and grab[br]your left leg in the same position, 0:16:54.397,0:16:58.397 like this, and just pull the leg towards [br]you, so it's almost the same stretch 0:16:58.397,0:17:04.270 not quite as intense. And we'll be [br]here for a few more breaths. 0:17:04.270,0:17:09.163 Something else that's helpful is to keep[br]the chin tucked into the throat 0:17:09.163,0:17:15.827 that's always lengthening your neck and[br]spine. So remember that you're not trying 0:17:15.827,0:17:20.870 to change anything, you're simply[br]allowing the awareness to sink into 0:17:20.870,0:17:24.801 the area that's being stretched and over[br]time that awareness is what will do all 0:17:24.801,0:17:30.491 the work for you. As you know, you can't[br]force yourself to relax and you can't 0:17:30.491,0:17:35.774 force yourself to release tension. [br]You can try with the thinking mind 0:17:35.774,0:17:40.394 and normally all it does is the opposite[br]which is create more tension. 0:17:43.661,0:17:47.241 These stretches can easily be held for [br]5 minutes if you want to do 0:17:47.241,0:17:51.241 this on your own and that's [br]typical in a Yin practice 0:17:52.813,0:17:57.389 Then from here I'm going to allow [br]the right foot to come down and 0:17:57.389,0:18:03.187 I'll bring my arms out palms up in tea[br]posture. I'm going to wrap the left leg 0:18:03.187,0:18:06.428 around the right leg and then hook[br]the ankles. If you can 0:18:06.428,0:18:10.638 and if you can't that's fine. When I'm [br]twisting I want to do it on the exhale, 0:18:10.638,0:18:17.135 so I'm going to take a deep breath in and[br]then exhale drop your legs over to the 0:18:17.135,0:18:22.315 right as you turn your head to the left [br]and just let everything again settle, 0:18:22.315,0:18:25.825 surrender to gravity. 0:18:27.518,0:18:32.454 In this position now, obviously you're [br]opening the outside of your hip 0:18:32.454,0:18:37.177 but you're also opening up your chest[br]and your starting especially the chest 0:18:37.177,0:18:41.824 on the left side so if you notice your [br]left shoulder one little thing you 0:18:41.824,0:18:45.824 could add here, is to slightly contract[br]your left shoulder blade towards your 0:18:45.824,0:18:52.541 spine opening your chest a little further.[br]And your head is turned away from the legs 0:18:53.474,0:18:57.474 If this gets a little intense on your hips[br]you would place a pillow under the outside 0:18:57.474,0:19:02.924 of your leg supporting, so that you're [br]not going too far over. 0:19:03.642,0:19:09.123 Your awareness is directed to the outside[br]of the hip and also the left rib cage 0:19:09.123,0:19:13.123 or the left shoulder. [br]So this whole general area. 0:19:17.265,0:19:21.845 Always check in make sure you're relaxing[br]your face muscles they're not clenching. 0:19:24.994,0:19:30.118 So remember what you're doing is you're[br]meditating while you stretch, 0:19:30.118,0:19:34.958 and truthfully that's much more clear [br]definition of yoga, as yoga means to 0:19:34.958,0:19:40.777 bring together or coalesce. I'll talk a[br]little bit more about that later 0:19:40.777,0:19:48.367 in another class. From here we inhale[br]center, unwind the legs, and then we'll 0:19:48.367,0:19:53.737 just release them and give the [br]hips a break there for a second. 0:19:53.737,0:19:58.246 You're going to place the hands down[br]over the hip bones. I'm going to take 0:19:58.246,0:20:04.317 a breath into the hip bones, and exhale[br]down and out my legs like a wave. 0:20:04.317,0:20:08.718 Okay so just breathe where you feel[br]the hip bones and then follow 0:20:08.718,0:20:14.991 your attention down your legs and out[br]as you exhale this is called sweeping, 0:20:16.260,0:20:20.260 sometimes it's called flushing, there's[br]different names for these techniques 0:20:20.260,0:20:24.670 and they're all based on your ability to[br]concentrate. The more that you can 0:20:24.670,0:20:28.260 concentrate, the more [br]you can have an effect. 0:20:29.445,0:20:33.445 And notice how different the hip you just[br]worked on feels to the side you haven't. 0:20:34.738,0:20:38.738 Then from here we're going [br]to bend the knees, feet flat. 0:20:38.738,0:20:45.313 I'll begin by opening the right groin. [br]So pull your right knee to center 0:20:45.313,0:20:50.700 and then wrap yourhand around the inside,[br]the outside or another alternative is 0:20:50.700,0:20:55.100 to bring your arm up underneath the leg[br]like that, so it's really up to you 0:20:55.100,0:20:58.235 they're all going to do something[br]quite similar I'm going to draw 0:20:58.235,0:21:03.139 the leg out to the right side and then[br]allow the left leg to just flop over 0:21:03.139,0:21:09.911 and hang, then bring your left arm 90°[br]palms up, tuck your chin, and surrender 0:21:09.911,0:21:15.251 into the floor, surrender to gravity.[br]begin to be aware of both 0:21:15.251,0:21:20.231 the right groin and your breath. 0:21:23.175,0:21:28.845 Notice what is a deep but smooth breath,[br]when you're not controlling it you'll 0:21:28.845,0:21:33.685 notice that your breath is slowly taking [br]on a deeper rhythm without having to do 0:21:33.685,0:21:40.179 anything. And you may also notice that[br]now and again you require a deep breath 0:21:40.179,0:21:44.246 so listen to that if all of a sudden your[br]body wants to take an exaggerated 0:21:44.246,0:21:48.246 deep breath. maybe you're aware [br]of some tension then go with that. 0:22:00.890,0:22:04.760 And you'll see that little by little the [br]longer you hold these the more 0:22:04.760,0:22:11.200 that the area opens. So in a future class[br]we'll perhaps explore during the full 0:22:11.200,0:22:16.421 five minute holds. We're going to bring[br]the right knee back to center now. 0:22:16.421,0:22:20.875 And then take your right knee, just bring[br]it into your chest for a sec and take a 0:22:20.875,0:22:27.215 breath and then we'll sit the right ankle[br]on the left knee, and as you did 0:22:27.215,0:22:31.612 on the other side, thread through, put the[br]right arm between your legs, 0:22:31.612,0:22:36.758 grab the back of your left knee,[br]left hand meets it, relax the left knee, 0:22:36.758,0:22:41.928 tuck your chin in, and pull the knee[br]towards you until you hit a maximum 0:22:41.928,0:22:48.978 of 95% then hold steady and begin to[br]sink your attention and breath into your 0:22:48.978,0:22:53.968 right glute. And the alternative is the [br]same if this gets too much 0:22:53.968,0:23:00.800 you have your right foot down and [br]you're carrying your left leg towards you. 0:23:00.474,0:23:04.354 I didn't emphasize this on the other[br]side but make sure that your knee the 0:23:04.354,0:23:08.474 one that you're grabbing is completely[br]relaxed so you're not tensing up. 0:23:08.710,0:23:12.710 If you were to flex your left knee even a[br]little bit, notice how that starts 0:23:12.710,0:23:18.550 locking up your hips so just [br]keep that leg hanging loosely. 0:23:18.917,0:23:23.400 keeping the chin tucked in, you could[br]also try drawing the shoulder blades 0:23:23.400,0:23:28.700 a little bit towards the floor and that[br]will help open up the chest. 0:23:33.728,0:23:38.861 When I'm practicing my eyes are almost[br]always closed, because then I can feel 0:23:38.861,0:23:44.105 much more than when they're open. And[br]notice that when the eyes are open, 0:23:44.105,0:23:48.105 how that might take your attention [br]away from your body. 0:23:49.775,0:23:55.007 And then from here the left foot is going[br]to come down and then I'm going 0:23:55.007,0:23:59.727 to bring the arms out 90° palms up [br]or down if that's better for you. 0:23:59.727,0:24:05.302 Wrap the leg over, the right leg over [br]the left, take a deep breath in 0:24:05.302,0:24:10.344 and then drop over on the exhale just[br]allowing it to release as you go over. 0:24:10.344,0:24:15.018 Your head's going to turn away from [br]the legs and you want to keep 0:24:15.018,0:24:18.719 your right shoulder on the mat. [br]So if you were to go too far over, 0:24:18.719,0:24:23.018 you might see that the right shoulder is[br]pulling up. Try to use this right shoulder 0:24:23.018,0:24:27.518 as a gauge. If it's on the mat I'll allow[br]myself to go over. And then what will 0:24:27.518,0:24:30.945 happen is you'll not just feel the hip[br]opener you'll feel the stretch 0:24:30.945,0:24:35.303 move up to here. And this is where[br]you can also slightly squeeze 0:24:35.303,0:24:39.303 your right shoulder blade [br]inwards if you prefer. 0:24:40.408,0:24:43.701 Couple more breaths here. 0:24:43.701,0:24:50.605 Being aware of the feeling in the[br]stretch and the breath itself. 0:24:57.705,0:25:03.186 And then inhaling next inhale we'll[br]bring the knees back up to center. 0:25:03.186,0:25:09.476 Unwind the legs and just let your[br]legs go here. 0:25:11.251,0:25:19.101 Bring the arms down, feel into[br]your entire body line from head to toe. 0:25:24.584,0:25:28.404 What do you notice [br]different in your body now? 0:25:28.512,0:25:34.709 After having done, I believe [br]probably around 25 minutes. 0:25:36.258,0:25:40.258 So 25 minutes goes pretty quick[br]when you're mindful. 0:25:40.258,0:25:44.258 And notice how you can feel your body. 0:25:44.258,0:25:48.258 Probably quite a bit more [br]than when you started. 0:25:48.258,0:25:52.711 The most important thing to remember[br]is that that feeling of embodiment 0:25:52.711,0:25:56.711 is not coming really from the stretches, 0:25:56.711,0:26:00.581 it's coming from your awareness,[br]that you've been bringing 0:26:00.581,0:26:03.194 and cultivating into the body. 0:26:03.194,0:26:08.670 The effect of that, is it opens up all the[br]Nadis which is another word for meridians 0:26:08.670,0:26:13.270 in the system and you'll [br]be able to feel that. 0:26:13.270,0:26:18.774 Notice any areas that you can't feel yet[br]and that might give you an indicator 0:26:18.774,0:26:22.774 where the energy is not flowing as[br]strongly in the body. 0:26:23.921,0:26:27.661 So we're just going to do a little scan[br]for the next couple minutes 0:26:27.661,0:26:30.501 before we finish up. 0:26:32.527,0:26:38.100 There're many forms of scanning[br]and if you've done Yoga Nidra, 0:26:38.100,0:26:42.100 I highly recommend it, [br]It often involves body scans. 0:26:42.100,0:26:45.740 Then the deeper ones will go into some[br]of the energy rhythms in the body 0:26:45.740,0:26:48.856 which we'll explore over time. 0:26:48.856,0:26:53.016 So let's just do a generalized[br]scan with our breath. 0:26:53.016,0:26:58.336 First thing I'll do, is notice my[br]right hip and the right hip joint, 0:26:58.336,0:27:02.336 and you're going to take a [br]deep breath into your right hip. 0:27:04.207,0:27:08.207 And then exhale slowly down,[br]and out your right leg. 0:27:12.758,0:27:17.808 Noticing all the sensations [br]and again same thing. 0:27:26.422,0:27:32.174 And as you do that pay attention[br]to what are the sensations . 0:27:32.176,0:27:35.406 it's quite interesting. If you've [br]never felt energy before, 0:27:35.406,0:27:38.377 it's not as hard as you think. 0:27:38.377,0:27:41.797 Same thing on the left hip. Bring your[br]attention over and we'll be doing 0:27:41.797,0:27:45.797 two breaths into the left hip. 0:27:47.401,0:27:52.687 Breathing into the hip socket exhaling[br]down as though it all just flushes down 0:27:52.687,0:27:56.687 and out your foot on the left side. 0:28:08.480,0:28:13.770 Finishing the breath you're on now,[br]notice both of your legs 0:28:13.770,0:28:21.170 let the breath just breathe itself now and[br]just simply notice your hips and your legs 0:28:21.204,0:28:28.204 and what do you feel. Do both legs feel[br]equal or can you feel the circulation 0:28:28.204,0:28:33.394 more on one side, which is more common[br]as the energy circulates in our body often 0:28:33.394,0:28:38.185 not in balance. Normally one side we'll [br]have more energy, and one side 0:28:38.185,0:28:42.891 not quite as much. Just like one side[br]of the body is often weaker 0:28:42.891,0:28:46.891 and one side is tighter. 0:28:48.764,0:28:52.764 Okay now take one or two hands[br]and place it over your navel 0:28:54.253,0:28:58.253 and bring all of your awareness to the[br]belly button. The the belly button is 0:28:58.253,0:29:02.253 considered the life force center of the[br]whole body another way that 0:29:02.253,0:29:06.343 we learn to ground our energy[br]is by focusing at the belly. 0:29:06.343,0:29:13.293 So as you inhale, using your imagination,[br]imagine a little ball of energy expanding. 0:29:15.674,0:29:20.438 Maybe a little sun and as you exhale, [br]it just settles there. 0:29:20.438,0:29:25.758 And again as you inhale, even[br]more energy comes to the navel. 0:29:25.807,0:29:29.807 We'll do this a couple times. 0:29:34.046,0:29:38.898 Always noticing when the Mind tries to[br]wander. If it does, gently come back 0:29:38.898,0:29:42.968 to what you're doing, [br]or what you're not doing. 0:29:50.245,0:29:54.508 So finishing one more breath, [br]let that go and we'll get ready 0:29:54.508,0:29:59.408 to close out the practice, which in this[br]style that I'm teaching we always do 0:29:59.408,0:30:04.221 that in sitting. So if you can, just roll[br]over into fetal posture on one side. 0:30:12.365,0:30:18.840 And then we'll make our way back up to[br]sitting. If this was a longer practice 0:30:18.840,0:30:23.985 then often we would sit in Savasana for[br]a longer period of time just allowing the 0:30:23.985,0:30:29.488 integration factor. but after doing [br]all that, you probably will notice 0:30:29.488,0:30:34.753 that sitting is a little bit easier [br]than when you began. 0:30:37.123,0:30:42.231 So try to find a good stacked posture,[br]the sit bones are in place, 0:30:42.231,0:30:46.231 there's not an exaggerate forward or [br]rear arch in the lower back. 0:30:46.231,0:30:51.381 Shoulders are up and over brought [br]into place, the chin is tucked in gently. 0:30:51.381,0:30:56.145 Looking forward, just feel into [br]this strong posture for a moment. 0:30:56.521,0:31:00.521 Once again, closing the eyes. 0:31:01.727,0:31:08.670 Take a couple of deep breaths in [br]and deep breaths out, letting it go. 0:31:16.530,0:31:19.970 And then we're going to finish [br]with the closing movement, 0:31:19.970,0:31:24.390 I'm going to bring my arms out to [br]the side and we'll do this three times. 0:31:24.390,0:31:30.160 Inhaling up, imagine you're gathering [br]energy between your arms, and exhale down, 0:31:30.160,0:31:35.776 sweep it through both your body and [br]the energy field around the body. 0:31:35.776,0:31:41.453 If you want to bring in a visualization,[br]you could visualize the energy or a color 0:31:41.453,0:31:45.773 or just try to be in the feeling center. 0:31:46.803,0:31:52.633 The key as always is to be present, and [br]when you're present then something magical 0:31:52.633,0:31:56.633 can happen that normally doesn't happen[br]when we're stuck in our mind. 0:32:08.264,0:32:12.054 And the next time you come up [br]the palms come together. 0:32:12.054,0:32:17.504 When you're ready, then you'll come down[br]into prayer posture in front of the chest. 0:32:17.504,0:32:22.784 We always close focused at the heart.[br]Taking a moment here, noticing your heart. 0:32:22.784,0:32:26.784 Maybe there's an intention or prayer. 0:32:31.581,0:32:37.081 And then we'll close taking a bow. 0:32:38.062,0:32:42.062 Namaste. [br]Thank you.