Podcast #138 - Cultivating Santosha

The physical focus of the class leads towards working on arm balance transitions including astavakrasana, there are many steps and instructions on how to PRACTICE for it — no requirement to already know how to do it. Otherwise what would be the point of practice?

The theme of this class is inspired by the Jivamukti Focus of the Month: 
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/santosha/

Here's the playlist I used for the class

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@yogastickler

00:28

Will applaud everyone for making it. I was just saying, if it was me I probably would have been like, can I switch to the online? But command all of our commitments and bravery, let's see. Okay? So if you would like to follow along in the book, I'm gonna hit problem.

01:01

If you'd like to follow, along in the book here, we're going to be on page 16 and it's the, it's the third one down from the top there. So well, let's just do and then

01:25

Sterling home together.

02:12

Santoshi.

02:22

I knew.

02:48

And now, so,

03:07

Son to shine.

03:22

Times.

03:31

And suddenly, they got excited there, getting and Santos shot under

03:46

Love.

03:59

Twice more like that sun, so shy school.

04:18

To and then all. I'm just like, forget about any for anxieties or whatever else, just happened. Very,

04:46

I'm from the yoga teachers, which is essentially an ancient guidebook to the practice of yoga. This verse, it means the practice of Santosha. Santosha means contentment. So, by practicing intent, great happiness. A new Anutama suka. Suka is happiness and nutamas like big extreme large and lava high is like the the coming about or, you know, like Santoshi brings about ultimate.

05:26

So I I'd like to start with a short visualization, so just your seat as you would maybe for meditation. Like even if you're waiting to set up your map maybe even sit on your mat a little bit so that the physical body can be as little distracting as possible.

05:51

I much prefer eyes closed because it helps me to focus. You find eyes closed to be more distracting. You can do like a very soft case in front of the heart, but try not to move the eyes around.

06:12

So, visualizing specializing of waterfall. We're sitting your sitting near a waterfall, of some kind in particular. Put yourself in like the little cave behind the waterfall. So that from where you're sitting, you can watch the speed quality, the, the entire sort of characteristics of the waterfall without having to, you know, kind of worry about the physicality of it.

06:59

So you're safe secure warm. You're not even getting like the spray from the waterfall. Hitting you, you're just perfectly unaffected.

07:18

Now imagine that the waterfall is the sort of stream of consciousness, the stream of thoughts. And if that waterfall were just sort of nearer, the stream of thoughts that are in the mind presently, maybe for some of us, the waterfall is moving very slowly. In other words, the mind feels very clear and all though there are occasional thoughts like water droplets.

07:53

It's not very turbulent. Maybe for some of us, the mind feels very active this morning. In other words, the waterfall is like a bit more a bit faster. There might be more water. Think of it as like,

08:19

Like if each, you know, if if each thought were represented by like a, a drop of water in the water,

08:33

So first just just feeling what it feels like to sit in the position of the observer of this stream of water with out without sort of being in the tumult of it, right? That's sort of the process of meditation is standing back a little bit from the thoughts in order to observe the nature of the mind.

09:07

Second thing to be aware of is that the current flow of the waterfall. Can't be changed in this moment. In other words that, you know, if there's a lot of water happening, it's likely from a series of events that happen days or even weeks ahead or even years ahead of time that's leading to the flow being particularly strong.

09:38

Likewise if the my if the waterfall is very clear and slow and subtle, those causes and conditions were set into effect far before this moment. So, knowing that there's nothing to do in this moment about this state of mind. Can we relax a little bit with it? In other words the old saying of like if there's something you can do why worry and if there's nothing you can do why worry.

10:45

You can keep the eyes closed and just kind of continue to observe or you can open eyes at this point. So part of the part of the magic of practicing vinyasa, what we do of linking breath and movement, together is trying to sort of encourage ourselves to sort of wake up to each present passing moment.

11:16

Knowing that the mind that we're cultivating in this moment, has the potential to blossom into the next moment into the next into the next. Even though we can't change this exact set of circumstances that's happening. Now, we can start to treat or the, the, the promise of yoga is that we can potentially change our, our state of mind, you know, maybe 10 minutes down the line, maybe 10 weeks down the line, maybe 10 years, down the line.

11:48

But that through that process of staying conscious and of staying in a mode of observation where we're trying to cultivate this relationship to cause and effect. How does this moment affect the moment that follows the moment that follows the moment that follows, then that leads to this sort of ultimate you know state, right?

12:14

And so that's not only what we're doing, of course, with our minds in practice but that's also comes into play with the physical practices as well. I'm sure that most of us can recognize that like it's it's very rarely in in the moment of experiencing an awesome for the first time that you just, you just have it.

12:34

Like, that's it. No more work needs to be done, right? But they didn't order to come into, for example, handstand, or to come into crow pose or something. One has to do, just a little bit of conscious effort over a long period of time in order to then come to a result, right?

12:54

So noticing those times when when in the moment maybe it feels like something is not happening about a particular austenar particular movement but making those little improvements for, you know, can I can I improve it just enough that tomorrow I remember a little bit more about it and a little bit more about little bit more about it until suddenly hands stand in the center of the room for five minutes.

13:20

Just kidding. No, who knows? Okay, let's come forward into hands and knees and let's press back to downward facing dog.

13:36

I mean, certainly we certainly I'm not the only one that has those moments in an awesome practice where I'm like, oh my god. Oh, how delightful, thank you for being here. Thank you for that. Lovely surprise. Don't mind. Gosh it lost me to not a little. It's okay. It'll come back.

14:04

If it needs to no, this was much better. Thank you.

14:16

Come forward into a plank lower, the knees, the chest, and the chin to the floor. Slide forward into cobra point, the toes. Sorry, tuck the toes. Whoop, push your seat back to your feet and then extend the legs downward facing dog. Inhale, come forward into a plank exhale. Lower halfway down chaturanga.

14:49

Inhale upward facing, dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Soften the knees and walk the feet forward towards the hands folding forward over the legs.

15:43

Are our most of us aware of the of this cognitive bias called negativity bias. Yeah. The the the idea being that like you could be having a you could you having an overall great day and then like, you know what, one particular thing happens and it's like you're brain has a tendency to focus on that one, negative aspect and give it more weight than the other positive things that have happened throughout the day.

16:16

And I do find it helpful like, even knowing this. We can kind of, at least start to shift the, you know, amount of weight that we that we give to the negative and positive overall experiences of the day. And I think it's also interesting to, to notice when, and if negativity bias is coming into play, even in yoga, practice, right?

16:42

Separate the feet. Bend the knees. Come into a deep squatting position with the hands together at the center of the chest. For example, sometimes because I see a lot of yoga practitioners, see a lot of people practicing sometimes. All notice that sense of disappointment or frustration that arises when we're working on one thing that's particularly sort of challenging in class even though 98% of the rest of the class has been going well right, but I I can see sometimes in a student's overall demeanor and mannerism that they kind of experience somewhat of a oh well I guess class was a failure because I couldn't do that one.

17:36

That one, most challenging central part of the class, right? Bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up and fold forward over the legs. I'm not saying that that is you. But if that's something that you do experience, you know, just notice when that shows up for you in practice that negative device and then see if we can sort of even start to reframe it as like, well, I did like 98% of the rest of the class was amazing, or even 50% of the class.

18:10

I was able to do, and the other 50% I had to, you know, rest or I had to do something else. That's, that's also a perfectly great. You know, outcome of practice. All right? Bring the feet all the way together. Bring the hands on to the waist, lift all the way up, right?

18:32

To a standing position and release the arm. Step forward on the mat legs and feet together. Preparing for soria namaskar, sun salutations with your inhale, reach the arms up. Overhead hands, press together. Look upwards. Exhale, fold all the way forward. Over both legs inhale. Look forward. Exhale hop. Stepper.

18:57

Walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good breathe. And breathe out once. So let the breath, be that guidance helping to focus the mind on the present moment. Exhale to inhale. Exhale, three and breathe and breathe out for inhale. Exhale, bend the knees look forward.

19:33

Inhale, hopper step feet to hands, exhale to fold forward. Inhale, stand up reach the arms up overhead hands. Press together. Exhale release the arms. Inhale reach up hands press together. Exhale fold all the way forward. Inhale. Halfway lift. Exhale shutdown, inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good breathe.

20:10

And breathe out one. Inhale exhale to inhale. Exhale, three breathe. Breathe out for inhale. Exhale, bend the knees. Inhale hopper step feet to hands. Exhale fold, inhale, stand up reach the arms all the way up. Exhale arms, alongside the body, one more like that. Inhale, reach up hands. Press together.

20:53

Exhale fold forward, inhale look forward to prepare. Exhale hop, stepper walk back to the wrong gas. Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing dog. Good. Breathe. Breathe out in. Yeah, egg steel to inhale. Exhale, three breathe breathe out for, in his exhale. Bend the knees look forward. Inhale hopper step feet to hands, exhale to fold forward.

21:46

Inhale, stand up reach the arms up. Exhale release the arms. Inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up at arch back. Exhale, bend knees. Swingarms behind the back lace, the hands together straightening arms and legs. Inhale hands down. Step the right foot back to lunge. Look forward. Exhale downward facing dog, inhale forward into play.

22:13

Exhale, check the ringer, inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale forward into play. Exhale, touch, knees, chest and chin to the floor. Inhale, slide four right into cold bra. Exhale, tuck the toes. Sit backwards. The heels, an extend, the legs downward dog, Inhale. Right foot steps forward.

22:40

Exhale left foot next to the right foot fold, Inhale bed, knees, hook thumbs reach up and arch back. Exhale! Bend the knees swing arms all the way around behind lace, the hands together, Inhale hands down, step the left foot back. Exhale downward facing dog, Inhale, plank Exhale. Chitanga Inhale upward facing dog.

23:09

Exhale downward, dog, Inhale, plank, Exhale, knees. Chest chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward cobra. Exhale, tuck the toes. Sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs Inhale, left foot steps forward. Exhale ride foot next to left foot. Inhale, Bend knees. Hook. Thumbs job. Arge back. Exhale stand up and release the arms.

23:41

Inhale deeply. Bend the knees. Reach the arms up chair pose. Exhale hands to the floor. Fold forward. Inhale look forward to prepare. Exhale hop. Stepper walk back. Check that on God. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward. Turn the back heel down. Reach up where you're want.

24:10

Exhale hands to the floor. Step back and lower chip that I got. Inhale, move forward. Exhale, go back, inhale left foot forward, reach up your butros. No one. Exhale hands down. Step back lower chip that I got. Inhale move forward. Exhale, go back one more time. Each side. Inhale, right foot steps forward zero one.

24:42

Exhale hands to the floor. Step back chip. Theranga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale left foot steps forward zero one. Exhale hands down. Step back. Shut down. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Hold. And breathe. So, yes, there are times there are portions of the class where we're moving a lot quicker.

25:16

Like one thing to the next to the next. There are times in class where we're gonna be, you know, holding and being still but notice, especially the reaction of the mind to those changes. Like, even if it feels very fast, do you opt out and rest, or do you kind of keep going?

25:35

But but with a sense of sort of detachment in the mind a sense of like I'm gonna through this as long as I'm breathing and going through it like can you even watch sort of that waterfall of the movements even as those movements like change their fundamental quality? Right?

25:55

Bend the knees look forward. Inhale hopper staff feet to hands. Exhale to full, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up egg seal stand up release the arms, separate the feet, only a few inches apart, not very wide hands. On your waist. Inhale lift up the chest and arch back.

26:20

See the seams exhale. Fold forward over both legs, reach down and grab, hold of the big toes yogac inhaler. Breath, exhale, fold forward. Head goes down towards the legs. Good grief, one. Good reason. Read out for two in. Exhale. Three. Inhale, exhale for breathing, breathe out. Inhale look, forward slip, the palms of the hands.

27:07

Underneath the souls of the feet. Exhale fold force. Not the first time it's happened. It's not gonna be the last. Exhale, I'd breathe. Breathe out in here. Egg, seal three in half egg. Seal for read. Breathe out. Inhale look forward. Get your hands out from under you. Exhale, hands on your wings.

27:47

Inhale to stand all the way up. Exhale release, the arms feet and legs together. Hands together at the center of the chest. Lift your heels as high up as you can lift the heels high. That's it. And then so squeeze the inner legs together as much of the inner leg as can squeeze together.

28:14

Even if no parts of the legs physically. Squeeze it's as if your squeezing towards the midline keep the palms of the hands together as you reach the arms up overhead. So again there's this relationship towards the midline, you're squeezing the hands to the middle, you're squeezing the legs to the middle.

28:31

So there's this sense of kind of like compacting in towards the center line, as you reach the fingertips even higher up. Can you let that lift your heels? Even higher good and then keep the heels lifting very, very high bend the knees and bend the elbows and see if you could time it.

28:58

Whoa, see if you could time it, so that the hands reach the heart center at the same moment that the buttocks reaches the heels. So going slow. And with a sense of a little bit of like kind of planning and coordinating, let's try reversing it go slow. See if you can start to straighten the arms and the legs.

29:23

So that at the same moment, the knees extend the elbows. Also extend but let's try one more time. So slowly, bend knees, bend elbows, and it gets even coordinate so that the timing matches

29:45

Is that any better good? Okay. Now open the knees out to the sides hands, press into the floor, cropose practice. So press the hands down, lift the ships up as high as you can getting the knees up towards the armpits start to shift. So we'd forward into the hands.

30:09

Now the feet. They may stay on the floor today or you might lift up one foot off the floor at a time or both feet up off the floor. Because and again, can there be this sense of approaching this proposed? Today's proposed without comparing it to other moments or wishing it was something different and then wherever you are in that process, hop step or walk back to Chaturanga, inhale upward facing, dog.

30:44

Exhale downward facing dot inhale. Step the right foot forward. Where you're one, exhale! Open his arms to the side where you're too. Inhale straight in the right leg. Exhale. Reach to the right for triangle, trigonasana, right. Hand down. Left arm reaches straight up. One that keep breathing in both directions.

31:15

Just me, good. That's it with your inhale, lift all the way up, right to a standing position. Exhale deeply, bend the left the right knee, where you're two and hole. Breathe out, cut in now. Exhale, let the hips settle a little bit deeper down towards gravity to breathe and breathe out.

31:47

Bend a little more. Yeah, breathe out for good. Inhale, exhale, inhale straighten the right leg, exhale bends, the right knee, place the right hand outside of the right foot, reach the left arm all the way over the left ear for extended side angle. A so the left arm is reaching towards the front of the room.

32:11

Towards the windows one. The right knee is bending all the way over the right ankle. So imagine you want that right? Shin like vertical to the floor, push the right knee against the right arm and then see if you can ground, the outer edge of the left foot down even more strong.

32:27

Inhale, bring both hands to the floor. Exhale. Start to straighten the front leg. Inhale head and chest. Lift look forward. Exhale to fold forward. I'd breathe it. Breathe out to inhale, exhale three, good try to lengthen, even you could come up on a few, so then give yourself more space, inhale, bend the right knee.

33:03

As you exhale, step back to downward, dog. We're gonna skip a few chaturangas because we have some wrist. Work coming up. Don't want to tire ourselves to early inhale. Left foot forward. Wore your one. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side. Inhale, straighten the left leg. Exhale. Read to the left foot.

33:28

I'll triangle, one. Breathe. Breathe out to inhale. Exhale, stay with the breath in here but exhale that's it. Open the chest. Even more breathe in, read out. Inhale, stand all the way, upright. Exhale, bend the left knee. Your adjustment of two whole breathing. Oh, I know getting us ahead of ourselves right now.

34:03

It. I always want to skip warrior to also kidding in here. Exhale forward. Inhale, exhale with your inhale straighten left leg. Exhale, bend left knee, please left hand outside of left foot reach the right arm, over the right ear, like you're reaching towards the window. Side of the room breathing.

34:33

Breathe out one. Good have the left, knee bending all the way over the left. Ankle, for two inhale, super strong and straight back legs. Three in exhale for. All right. Thought I saw a little more space, but you got it. I've inhale touch both hands down to the floor.

34:55

Exhale! Start to straighten the front leg. Inhale, head and chest. Lift look forward. Exhale fold towards left leg, parcel. Not breathe. Oh yeah, breathe out. That's amazing. Breathing, breathe out in exhale in here. Exhale for good. Inhale these steps a little more forward as perfect eyes, inhale, bend left knee.

35:32

Exhale, step back downward facing stops. Inhale step right foot between hands, exhale lower the left, knee down to touch the floor. Inhale, reach the arms up. Get ready to twist. Exhale, hands through prayer, twist to the right side hook, your left arm outside of your right leg and then press the hands together so much that you can move the chest even closer to the base of the thumbs as an option.

36:03

You could tuck the back toes under lift the left knee away from the floor standing. Spinal crease. If the back needs up. Try to really extend. That back leg. All the way. Yes. Strong and straight back leg. I'd breathe breathe out. Try to spread the top of the chest, top of the collar bones, even more.

36:25

Exactly. Inhale, touch bowls hands to the floor as you exhale, tuck your left foot outside of your right set left knee sorry outside of your right foot come to sit down. Proceeded, spinal twist, inhale, left arm reaches up? Exhale, twist to the right side, but sitting up nice and tall.

36:49

Stay with the breath with each exhale. Try to deepen the twist a little further in. Still three in half. Exhale, breathe. And and breathe out. Inhale turn to face, front. Exhale counter twist, it looks like the sun salutations might have worked, inhale, turn the face forward. Stacking up the legs for ankle to knee.

37:20

So, either the right leg, could go over the top or the right leg. Could go in front but in either case notice how wide the feet need to be. So have the feet all the way past opposite knees as awkward. As that might feel flexible feet and then go ahead.

37:38

Go forward any amount ankle to knee is definitely one of those shapes. That for me really expresses that similar feeling of like it's one that changes for me every day, right? Sometimes they hips are a little more open sometimes, they're way not, right? Sometimes it feels pleasant sometimes, it feels unpleasant but in any case, it's sort of depends on all the factors from the week before.

38:08

Did I skip some yoga practices? Did I ride my bike too much? Did I sit at my desk, too much, right? And all those factors kind of cut, all converge in that in today's ankle to me, right?

38:26

And lift all the way upright to a seated position. Now we're going to create all the right legs so you can hold between your hands like so or you can scoop up underneath it with the elbows or you can even cradle between the elbows. Like so sit, a little forwards that a little taller.

38:45

Try to lift the right heel a little higher, so we're trying to get the shin at least to move closer to parallel to the floor but knowing that like, acknowledging that that series of changes is part of it. Like that does help me to have that little bit of sense of detached contentment like sitting in that cave and just watching the waterfall.

39:09

And like, oh this is the ankle to me that I'm dealing with today. That's, you know, it is what it is fair? Okay, take the right hand hold the outer edge of the right foot and start to swing the soul of the foot to face forward towards the your not mirrors.

39:29

Windows boy, I'm having noun trouble today. What knee mirrors windows? Who knows what's happening? Whole on your foot. Like, you're drawing a big bow and arrow, almost, like you're trying to pull that knee back towards your arm pit, or maybe even a little behind. Your armpit. Can you organize your foot a little bit more to this?

39:48

Yeah. Good. All right. Now, things are gonna get interesting. Let's thread the right arm underneath the right leg. Press that right hand down into the floor. With the fingers generally facing forward left hand into the floor. Next to the left hip push down into the hands. Lean a little bit forward and just see if you can lift your butt up.

40:11

Yeah. And then slowly release down, we'll get there. Straighten the left leg out in front of you. Let's try a slightly different shape. I'm also clamping my right arm strongly with my right leg lean a little bit forward into the hands. Push down. Lift your butt up and then see if you can lift your left heel up.

40:33

That's this, squeeze the heels like you're trying to squeeze them towards each other and then, slowly with control release down. Let's try another shape, left, ankle crosses over right angle, a little bit of a cramp. Oh, yeah. It's gonna be that kind of a class, okay. No. The quads are gonna have a little work today, okay?

40:56

Lean forward, lean way forward, start to bend the elbows and then see if you can, squeeze your upper right arm between both legs. I like to look towards my feet because it can be a little challenging to look straight down at the floor challenging for the brain. Yeah, that's it.

41:14

That's good. Okay. Slip the chest and sit down. Do we want more information now or just when we go to the second side? Because we have the whole set inside to do more information or move on more information. Great. Okay. More information, I find that one of the things to wrap one's mind around about.

41:40

That is actually, if you look, if you look at my cheddarunga right, my cheddar and my chest is very parallel to the floor and like, my elbows are bent like, l-shaped 90 degrees or so. Same thing. When when we do this arm balance, I find that there's a hesitancy to go forward and that's kind of the missing aspect.

42:03

So, really commit to bending the elbows. And look and then look at how the chest is almost similar shape to Chaturanga like part running, almost parallel to the floor. So there's a bit more of a forward thing there. Let's go back to downward facing dog and then we'll revisit that when we get to it on the other side.

42:30

All right. Inhale, step the left foot forward. Exhale lower the right knee down. Inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale hands to prayer, twist to the left side good. You can stay like this or pick up the right knee for standing spinal. Twists, exhale, breathe, breathe out, too. Strong and straight back leg, read out.

42:58

Three, but awesome Teresa. Good job for Five. Good inhale, both hands touch down. Exhale, tuck your right knee, all the way to the left. Side of the left foot, come to sit down, inhale, reach the right arm up. Exhale, twist to the left side? Look all the way over the left shoulder and breathe.

43:25

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale to. Inhale, exhale three. Good Margo CV and lift, and spread your chest even more four in exhale, inhaling turn to face the front. Exhale counter to inhale. Turn the face front. So for ankle to knee, let's do one of the two options. So I either the left leg is over the top, or the left leg could be in front.

44:07

The I I'm not a big fan of this straight leg one because really for me that only really stretches the bottom leg hamstring. It doesn't get into the hips in the way that I would like us to get into the hips today. So leg on top or cross-legged. Go ahead fold for so you can put it in front like this.

44:30

Yeah, great.

44:54

The lift all the way upright to a seated position cradle that left leg. You can cradle between the hands or scoop up underneath like a forklift or cradle between the elbows or some other variation. I haven't thought of yet. Lean a little forward into your sitting bones, lift the chest, pull leg towards chest chests.

45:15

Like see if you could inch the left heel just a little bit higher up. Okay go ahead, grab the left foot with the left hand and turn the sole of the left foot. Straight ahead to face forward and then draw draw that foot back. Almost like you're trying to pull the knee back towards the armpit, like a bow and arrow.

45:39

So yeah. Margo bend the knee, bend the knee towards the armpit, your foot, and your knee are almost in like one line. Okay. Now let's thread the left arm underneath the left leg. I'm going to give one more option on this side which is that if you want to explore with the blocks, I'll describe how to do that.

46:06

No obligation. But just if you want to the hardest part is getting that left foot all the way on to that block there. All right. See my fingers are hanging off the front if you want to use the block. Okay, so now let's go ahead. Press down, lift your butt up, even if nothing else happens.

46:24

And then slowly with control release down straighten out. Right. Legs out in front of you, press down into the handling a little bit forward. Then see if by squeezing your heels towards each other. You could lift the right heel up. I'm slowly release on pound and then cross the right angle, over the left, ankle press down, lift up, and then start to bend the elbows tip the chest forward.

47:00

All almost parallel to the floor as you squeeze the left upper arm between the legs. Well here, yeah, good. That's it's coming. It's on the way. Okay, go ahead, sit down and then step all the way back downward facing dog. So remember that idea of like, even if it's not coming together in this moment you're setting up, right?

47:31

Any small amount of effort you took today will amount to a little bit more result tomorrow a little bit more result Tuesday. Wednesday, etc, step the right foot to the outside of the right hand. Step it wide walk. The hands forward, two whole hand cribs. And then look forward.

47:55

Spread the top of the chest, you have the option to bring the elbows in the direction of the floor or stay on the hands could keep working to straighten that back. Like, and for at least, today's practice look a little bit forward, like it at least towards the fingertips, or maybe even more forward than that.

48:14

Good try to open up the back. Me even higher to the ceiling, okay? Walk the hands back where they came from. Straighten the albums. Now thread the right arm underneath the right leg and press the right hand down to the outside of the right foot. Oh boy. Let's again take this step by step in a particular way so my first step I'm going to push off my left toes and simply step my left knee right between my hands.

48:48

Then I'm going to push off my left foot again and step my lizard tail back. Yep, second step pushing up the toes. See, if you could bring the left knee, a bit more forward between the hands and then even see if you could sit behind your left foot, you see my right foot came up off the floor now we're going to lean forward right foot touches the floor.

49:13

Step that lizard tail back. Good. Okay. Last step you're gonna bend the left leg all the way through the arms. Try to straighten it forward out in front of you and then slowly sit down. Now we just have to get back where we were going. Okay, so so you'll lift up, you'll bend the left knee and then you'll sneak it all the way back to lizard.

49:43

Yeah, bend sneak up. Bend sneak are the directions. Downward facing dog.

49:57

Step the left foot to the outside of the left hand. Lower the rate. Need down. Walk the hands forward option to bring the elbows in the direction of the floor, or you can stay with straight arms. Now, look a little bit forward, like, at least towards the finger tips, or more forward than that.

50:17

And then lift the back knee up and really work on straightening that back leg head and chest lifting. I know it's tempting to look down. See what else happening down there.

50:32

And then walk the hams back thread. The left arm underneath, the left leg all hands facing forward. Then, push off the right toes and just set the right knee right between the hands just set it down and then reach back with the right foot. Step all the way back to your lizard shape.

50:57

Second step bring the right knee, even more forward between the hands and see if you could sit down behind the right foot the left foot will likely tip up away from the floor. Lean forward into the hands and step. The right foot all the way back to that lizard shape.

51:16

Yes. Okay, third times a charm. Step the right knee, all the way between the arms, bend that knee, and then stick the right leg as much forward as you. And then slowly sit down. All right, now we got to get back where we came from. Here we go. Lean a little forward.

51:38

Push the hands down, lift the right leg up, bend the right knee sense. Send it all the way back to your lizard shape. And then step back downward facing, dog.

51:51

Bring the knees to the floor. Bring the elbows to the floor. Forums down, lift the knees up against your, in a forearm down, dog, kind of a shape. You can stay like this and breathe. You can lift, right leg up for five breaths. And then, left leg up for five breaths, and breathe.

52:11

No, obligation to even hop, right? Or you can take five hops on one side. Five hops on the other for forearm stand practice. Take about 10 breaths of some thing. Do you like a spot? Okay, sure.

52:35

That's it. Look. Just pretend I'm the wall. What? Let's go again.

52:47

Oh, here I am.

53:00

Has it.

53:05

Great.

53:31

If you, if you still want a couple of moments to keep working, you're welcome to. If you're like totally over it, man, lay down on your abdomen.

54:02

And so, if you're if you're like done, done, we're laying on the abdomen, rather than tells

54:18

Place the hands either side of the chest scoot the hands just a couple centimeters forward and then take the hands wide. Like even if the hands go part way or all the way off the mat, separate the legs in the feet and try, try to make your best effort to have the lower half of the body stay relaxed.

54:42

In other words, the buttocks they're going to try to clench in this next movement. Try to not get them involved. Push down into the hands, lift the head, the chest, the abdomen notice, if the buttocks are trying to clench and let it go. And then slowly release down through the abdomen, the chest and the head.

55:05

Last, if you want to come up onto fingertips, your welcome to push down into the hands again, lift. Head chest abdomen. You could even lift the head up and back to follow. The curve of the shapes and slowly release down everything, from the waist down stays relaxed, do, like, three more of those rolling up and down through the spine, go nice and slow.

55:35

So you can really feel like every portion of the movement, every part of the spine moving every part of the abdomen as it touches down.

55:57

People.

56:06

Here. And when you are finished, go ahead and parallel, the legs and feet. Bring the arms. Behind the back, legs the fingers together, into one fist, with your inhale, lift head, chest, and arms for shalabasana feet, press down for this one, but press down the lift higher, lift the hands, any amount away from the back, even if it's a small amount for now.

56:36

And then with your exhale, slowly release on, then the knees reach back catch. Hold of the ankle inhale lift on up, head chest, and knees down your arsenal.

57:04

He could egg sales slowly release on down.

57:17

Again, bend the knees, reach back catch. Hold of the ankle inhale lift on up, head chest knees.

57:38

And exhaling slowly release down, place the hands, either side of the chest. Parallel, the legs in the feet. Inhale lift forward enough into upward dog. Exhale, go all the way back down. We're done lift high up onto the balls of the feet. Bend the knees, look forward, past the hands and then hopper walk all the way through to sit down and laid down on the back.

58:13

Bring the feet flat onto the floor, lift the hips up and interlock the hands behind the back into one fist.

58:42

Separate the hands, release the back down to the floor. You could continue with the same shape, otherwise if you're moving into orbit on your us in a full back, then place the hands in the feet and then with the inhale, go ahead lift up just

59:18

Gender the chest slowly release down two more of those. But I'm not going to queue every single. So, you know, five breaths a couple breaths to rest in between another five breaths you go for it.

59:43

But,

59:58

That.

01:00:41

No rush. If you're still, if you're still going, please keep going. Don't take a shortcut when you are finished hug the knees into the chest. So, I know when everybody's finished

01:01:11

To bring both knees over to the left side of the body. Look over the right shoulder twist.

01:01:46

Bring the news up to the center and then go the other way.

01:02:18

Bring the knees all the way up to the center. Come on up to a seated positions that all the way up, right? Straighten the legs forward out in front of you cup your fingertips, and put your fingertips, like either side of your knees and then point your toes. I'm not going to, I'm not going to bend my elbows in order to lean forward, but I am going to lean forward in order to push my fingertips.

01:02:46

Even heavier into the floor hands. A little bit more forward. Yeah. Elbows are not been. I'm keeping the elbows straight, but I'm leaning forward to push. Yeah, that's it. Then push down into the fingertips. Real hard. So you can lift both heels up off the floor, and then slowly with control to send down good.

01:03:06

Let's do it again. Lift and slowly release again. Lift that slow descent is actually where we're building the strength rather than counter to. You know, it seems like when we're lifting that's where we're building this strength but it's that's slow release down. Let's do three more.

01:03:38

Told he was gonna be a quad crampy day. Flex this season fold forward, costume motonasana.

01:04:11

There.

01:04:21

And lift all the way up, right to a seated position. Bend the right knee into the chest and set the right foot flat onto the floor, holding onto the front of the right shin, pull yourself a little forward on your seat and a little taller. Lift the chest, flex, the left foot, and try not to lean back or round back out at all.

01:04:44

Lift your left heel up and slowly release down. So again, try to stay really forward and really up even if it means you can't lift us high. Go ahead lift and slowly release three more. Go ahead lift. So this is helping potentially with that big shape. Yeah, go ahead.

01:05:05

Really.

01:05:10

Happy yoga Sunday, everyone. Oh when you're finished, open the right knee to the side and fold forward over the left leg. John, you sure shasuna

01:05:36

And left all the way. Upright switch the legs. So, you're going to bend the left knee and set the left foot on the floor, holding onto the front of the shin, pull the chest forward enough flex, the right foot. Now, try your best. Not to lean back around back at all only lift as high as you can lift.

01:05:54

While keeping really forward and tall in the seat. Lift slowly to send three more.

01:06:15

And then let that left me, open out to the side, fold forward with Chinese shushes.

01:06:27

It's

01:06:47

Had left all the way upright to a seated position straightened, both legs forward, bend both knees into the chest set, the feet flat onto the floor. Separate the feet a little bit apart and bring the hands to the floor behind the back. Fingertips pointing forward towards the feet and move your feet a little further and your hands.

01:07:08

A little further into the chess lift up table top. Try to get the hips to the height of the knees in the shoulder option. To take the head back, even your heels could go more forward. Yeah, like that.

01:07:31

10 into the chest slowly release down. Let the knees open out to the side soles of feet together, hold onto the feet, or ankles, and go forward.

01:08:00

Left all the way up, right? Keep the shape of the legs, the same, but lay down on your back.

01:08:12

Now you're welcome to stage just like this with the knees, open out to the sides. Otherwise if you'd like to finish up with shoulder stands, a lumbar gast. Now, you're welcome to if you're not sure all what I just said or why you would choose one or the other, let me know and we'll work on it together.

01:09:13

So if no, you're very flexible, try to bring the legs back a little. So, you're waiting the elbows a bit? Yeah, you don't want to be so yeah, you don't want to be so forward. Oh yeah. Oh, that's free. That up a little. So, yeah, make sure that the elbows are, you know, the, the way, the way I've been.

01:09:41

Yeah, like imagine, you want even weight all the way from shoulder to elbow? And when I was looking at you at look, it looked like your elbows were very, very light. Yeah. And then getting awesome. Sort of far enough behind these little stable. Everybody, especially if you if you set up with that idea in mind that you're going to keep pushing the elbows down because I think when they get lighter, they get they can fly apart.

01:10:16

Maybe? Yeah, to keep it all open. And also depending yes, how indeed?

01:10:37

For those in shoulder stand, start to come into plow how long

01:11:00

Those in halosana start to roll down out of it. If you were practicing shoulder stand, come into fish count. 10 breaths in your fish. And after 10 breaths in your fish, come down to rest. If you're knees are still folded open to the sides, gradually draw the knees together, and extend the legs out along the floor, preparing for chavas

01:20:22

All right, to deepen the breath.

01:20:30

Started, we know little bit of movement into the body.

01:20:42

Moment to move or stretch any way that you need to wake the body up.

01:20:55

When you're ready, gathered. The knees will all the way to the right hand side.

01:21:03

One of two is seated position.

01:21:29

So if the image of sort of sitting in the cave behind the waterfall like helps you to get into that space of being in observation mode, you can use it again or you can start to just invoke that feeling of being in the seat of observation. But you're not sort of in the flow of the mind and all its thoughts, but you're able to sit a little apart from it.

01:22:13

And again, in that mode of observation, simply observing the qualities of mind without getting lost in the content of the mind.

01:22:34

Fast. Slow, more busy, more clear.

01:23:52

Thank you all so much for making time for class and for all of your very, very hard work and your sense of adventure must

01:24:07

Thank you everyone. You've heard one of our mats, Please spray it down with some of the spray bottles and then there's some hooks right outside the door to put that on and see you next Sunday. Let's do this again. This is some time.

01:24:33

Thanks.

01:24:45

Here every all that. Any Sunday that Ruth is not teaching. I'm sure you've taken a risk class. Yeah. Okay. Ruth teaches once a month here. And she's like yoga master, right? She's been teaching, probably twice as long as I've been teaching and she was also a son's script master, so you'll learn a lot more about this onscript with her and everything.

01:25:09

So I'm so basically she comes once a month and then I'm here every week that she's not you are also teaching at the XML I am. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I am. I saw good oh good. Yeah you can find me there it's you know I teach I teach a similar like whatever sequence I'm teaching that week.

01:25:31

I teach a similar sequence but like no chanting no meditation. No yeah forearm stand right but everything else is pretty much similar. So you first job, you know. So you know if you like the if you like this sequence, then all been jewels Oh wonderful. Jewels is my buddy love tools.

01:26:00

Yeah, we can. That's wonderful. Congratulations, that's exciting. Yeah, cool. I'm well, yes. So yours, you're leaving when next Friday. Next Friday. Okay. Stars like September AMC of perfect, you're gonna learn so much juices, so glad you're here. So you're looking up for you, I know because I I'm teaching about like yeah.

01:26:36

Oh it's such a good surprise. Thank you. What kind of you're gonna learn so much. Where are you? Staying personally in my friends place because I live on very small, wonderful, five months old and carina. So you know you know the area quite well. Okay good.