Podcast #152 - Memory and Practice

This practice involves some wall work at a certain point. You can absolutely practice the whole thing without working at a wall, I always encourage you all to do as much or as little of the practice as feels right for you!

Here's the playlist I used for the class: 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1X3bkOmJAVZNFljvBUVNGO?si=6ce0687369ee4496

Follow me on all the socials: 
@yogastickler

TRANSCRIPT:

Okay. We're just gonna start in about another minute or so, but if anyone has any questions or needs anything, before we start or needs to tell me about a Injury or anything. All good. Super. And then does everyone have two blocks? Yeah, super great. And welcome to those online. If you are online with me today, I completely respect. I completely respect a cameras off scenario. We all have those. Days. We all need a camera off day but if you If you do have your camera on, I will. Uh, come visit and Give feedback, if that's something you want.

08:53

And if you are online and have yoga blocks. Oh and If you're online you go, you're going to want to have a little space at the wall at a certain point. So if you can kind of identify where that space is going to be for you, that would be good. Spoiler alert. I know. So, I, I can feel like some of you heard that and contracted a little bit in your mind, I used to be that person too like every time. Every time the teacher would be like, okay? Now let's go to the wall. I'd be like I have to go to the bathroom suddenly

09:47

Okay. All righty. Hi Terry.

12:17

Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesh

Gam Ganapataye Namo Namah

I know it's tough, right? We have to rely. I know we have to rely on Memory. Oh gosh, it's the focus of the month. All right? The Sanskrit, you know what? All right. I'm gonna start with the talk, then The sunscrew, the Sanskrit word for memory is you don't have to memorize that.

12:43

It's a memory. It's memorizing joke. Okay. So the the Sanskrit word is smrti 

First of all, it's it it becomes quite apparent like suddenly when you're in practice the importance of the role of memory especially when we're singing backing forth and we're using a little bit slightly, new tune or even when it comes to Remembering like the instructions.

13:11

Imagine how difficult it would be to practice. If we just didn't remember the meditation instructions day in day out or if like every triangle was a brand new triangle And we couldn't remember the all the previous triangles that came before, right? So memory does play this really important key role in practice, but but that's okay.

13:32

You know what we're going to do. Well, I'm going to help you, I'm going to help. I won't I won't just leave you to your own devices yet. Okay. I'll just do both parts. All right, but anyway, still call in response.

13:51

Now, I've forgotten the tune. No, I haven't. Okay.

14:12

And now we have an audio problem. Hang on, hang tight, hang tight. Is it working now? Hey Terry. Oh great.

Let's just do it together.

From the top.

17:19

That was a teacher foul. I shouldn't have done it. Shouldn't have made you fend for yourself on your own on that one. But, Anyhow. Um, so Ganesh is the remover of obstacles. Remover of obstacles. If anyone is Enduring any? Obstacles. Um, No, I joke. But like even you know, even if you're not like currently going through some sort of obstacle. One's probably on the way, so don't worry. It's good to prepare. It's good to be prepared, right? So, How can we? Um, so Smrti memory. How can we understand? Smarty or memory in a way that will get that can help us, navigate obstacles that can help us navigate hard times and resistance that we're experiencing in our life.

So, A few of us a few of us suke teachers went over to this really sweet place across the street called The Jazz Gallery. The other night the jazz Gallery, really sweet place you should go check it out the so on the banner It says the Jazz Gallery and then above it, It says the future is present. The future is present, that's the tagline. And it, it reminded me. That whether we're having thoughts about the future or thoughts about the past, the thought itself is existing in the present moment, right? Like my memory of a, my memory of the Jazz Gallery is actually my present memory of the It exists now, right? And as such we can use that as a reminder, that we can use memory to kind of help us navigate difficulties and obstacles one way. Is. If especially, if you're currently going through it, which I am. Yikes. Um, If you're currently going through it it can be very helpful to think Back to the last time you thought Your own world was coming to an end, right? Like we've all been through those hardships where we thought, oh, I'll just never get over this right. And, um, it can be helpful to think back to the last time, you felt that way.

19:49

And then remember your own good qualities that helped you get through that. Your strength, your perseverance. Your patience, your compassion, your ability to rely on your community. And whatever else you, you know, feel free to add On. Your own. Those are just some that I came up with. And then remember that, you're that, Ability to move through any difficulty, relies on all of those qualities that you have and you've been able to rely on before, It's kind of, like, If you remember, like, if you remember back to like high school or Junior High, you know how everything just felt like the end of the world. Like something happened with your crush, something happened with the teacher. Something happened with your parents and it's just like, I will literally, never get over this. My life will never be, okay, right? But it's only because we haven't had enough experiences. Of our self-moving Through the different things that life throws.

That that at us, right? That it feels like the absolute end of the world. So in that way. Will rely on our memory. Okay? Uh come forward unto hands and knees and we'll press right back into downward facing dog.

And and, you know, Whether whether you've sort of tapped into Some some, uh, Qualities just abstractly, or maybe you have. Actually named some of those qualities. You're fortitude, your perseverance, Etc. Uh, you know, try to also like make the make those into a feeling like can you tap into those a little bit on a Emotional and physical level.

21:59

Like what? Yeah, what does it feel like to sort of recognize my own? Inner Strength and patience and Perseverance. And with your inhale, come on forward, to a plank position - shoulders forward over the wrist. As you exhale, lower the knees, the chest and the chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward into Cobra. Exhale. Tuck the toes. Sit all the way back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward facing dog.

22:47

Go ahead, inhale. Come forward into a plank. And then actually lower your knees down to the floor, but don't move your knees. It's going to feel like they're a little too far back. Don't move them. They're in the right place already and then just lift the right knee off the floor. Extending the right leg as best you can. Without moving your hips up and down and then set the right knee down and then lift the left. Knee up and straighten. The left leg back behind, you, stretch the leg as much as you can firm up the leg and then both knees down and then without lifting the hips up and down, try to straighten out both knees at the same time and without moving the hips around set, the knees down again.

23:29

So sometimes when we go back to a plank, there's a lot of extra extraneous. Movement, just try to lift and lower the knees a few times not raising. Or lowering the hips. Yeah. And it's straightening the legs out as best as you possibly can. I know it's like, It's like a sneaky hard.

23:49

Okay, bring the knees down to the floor. Now, take your two blocks and you're gonna put your blocks like one in front of the other about, oh, six inches, apart or so, that'll change in a moment, but just start in that position. So you're gonna lay down on your blocks in such a way that the first block is kind of under the solar plexus, like the lowest ribs, right?

24:16

Before you get to your abdomen and then the second block is kind of under the Beltline, let's say. Hands on the floor, Slide the hands back a little bit. So that the fingertips are about an inch in front of the line of the first block. So kind of at the nipple line or so.

24:34

And then lift the right leg off the floor. Stretch the right leg back. Make the right leg as strong and as straight as you've ever made the right leg in the entire right leg straightening life and then put your toes on the floor and then straighten out the left like really really reach back.

24:51

Through the left leg, make it super strong and then put the toes on the floor. Now keep the legs strong and firm and then push down into the hand. See if you can lift off both blocks simultaneously and hover above your blocks and then lower down. Yeah, how'd that go?

25:08

Okay, pretty good. Okay, great. Super again. Try to lift both blocks at the same time. Lift off. Both blocks simultaneously. Use your legs. And then released out. Good. Okay. So If we're not using enough leg strength, it's going to feel like you're kind of peeling off one block and then the other, if you're using your legs you should be able to lift both at once.

25:33

Go ahead one more time, lift hold, look forward. Just one centimeter above the blocks, one centimeter, you're hovering Yes, and then lower down. Elbows more in close. Yes. Okay, so good news is That's your ideal perfect chaturanga. Bad news, is you got to do it without the blocks from here on out for the rest of your life.

25:55

Okay? Put your knees on the floor. Lift up to hands in knees. So even when the blocks aren't there, that's really the maximum you should ever go in chaturanga. Try not to lower so far down that you're going below where the blocks were holding you. And try not to go so low that you end up like dropping your weight to the floor.

26:20

So, if, in the meantime, that means chaturanga is a little less. It can be that, but try to stop just before where gravity takes over or go all the way to where the blocks were holding you if you can hold it there. Yeah. Okay, so let's go back to downward dog and let's put it into context, shall we?

26:44

Muscle memories. So-called muscle memory is incredibly important part of practice, of course. So, try to get the body to, like, remember everything what we just learned from the block experience, inhale, come forward into plank, poses going to be the name of my band. Exhale lower halfway down, like, you're lowering onto the block strong legs.

27:04

Now, inhale upward dog. Hey, good. That was the best chaturanga ever. Exhale, downward facing dog. Soften the knees. Start to walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs. Let the head hang down one.

27:42

Good wide in the feet. Take the feet all the way out to the width of the mat or so bend the knees come into a deep squatting position with the hands together at the center of the chest. Lifting up tall in the upper body. Good one breathe in. Breathe out.

28:01

Inhale. Ex, All for three. Inhale. Exhale for four breathe in. And breathe out. Bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up and fold forward. Bring the feet halfway closer together, bring the arms, behind the back lace, the fingers together into one, fifth, stretch, the arms away from the back with your inhale, bend your knees, open your chest and look forward.

28:36

Exhale, extend the legs and fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, open the chest. Look forward. Exhale, extend, the legs and fold. Inhale bending. Exhale, extending good hands on your waist lift all the way upright to a standing position. Reach the arms up, overhead clasp the fingers together into one fist.

29:06

Reach the knuckles up up up up towards the ceiling. Stretch through the armpits and the sides of the waist. Exhale, Bend to your left side. Inhale, lift up to the center. Exhale right side. Inhale, lift up to Center. Exhale left side. Inhale lift up. Exhale. Right. Inhale, lift up.

29:37

Exhale left. One more time. Inhale lift up Exhale right side. Good lift all the way up release the arms. Bring the legs and the feet together. Arms alongside the body. Exhale fully Inhale, reach the arms up overhead. Exhale fold forward hands to the floor beside the feet. Inhale prepare look forward.

30:04

Exhale hop step or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog breathe in. Breathe out one. Inhale. Exhale, two breathe in. And breathe out. Three. Good inhale. Exhale for breathe in. Breathe out. Bend the knees. Inhale hopper step forward and exhale. Fold forward. Inhale stand up.

30:49

Reach the arms up. Exhale arms alongside the body. Inhale hands, reach overhead, look upwards towards your hands. Exhale fold all the way forward. Inhale prepare look forward. Exhale hop step or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good breathing. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe out.

31:33

Inhale. Exhale, four. Inhale. Exhale. Bend the knees. Inhale Hoppers step forward. Exhale to fold. Inhale, stand up reach the arms up. Exhale release, the arms, inhale hook your thumbs, reach your arms forward and up, Arch the back. Exhale, bend the knees swing the arms, behind the back, lays the hands together.

32:04

Folding forward, inhale hands touch down, right foot steps back. Look forward. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, plank, exhale, chaturanga, inhale upward facing, dog. Exhale downward facing dog, inhale, plank, exhale, knees, chest, and chin. To the floor. Inhale slide forward Cobra, exhale tuck the toes. Sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs.

32:38

Inhale, right foot steps forward Exhale left foot next to right foot folding forward. Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, Bend knees, swing arms behind these hands together and fold. Inhale, touch the hands down. Step, the left foot back. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, plank, exhale, chaturanga.

33:09

Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale to plank. Exhale, knees, just and chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra. Exhale, tuck the toes. Sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs inhale, left foot steps forward Exhale, right foot next to left foot, fold forward.

33:38

Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, stand up and release the arms. Now deeply, bend the knees. Reach the arms overhead share pose. Exhale hands to the floor folding forward. Inhale, prepare lengthen, the spine. Exhale Hopper step back chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog.

34:12

Inhale. Step the right foot forward. Turn the left heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. Exhale, hands to the floor, step back and lower chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale. Step the left foot forward. Reach up verb draws. No one. Good, exhale, hands down. Step back and lower chaturanga.

34:41

Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog, inhale, step the right foot forward again, Warrior one reach up. Good, exhale, hands down. Step back and lower chaturanga. Inhale, move forward. Exhale, go back. Inhale step the left foot forward. Reach up your buttress. No one. Exhale hands down. Step back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog.

35:17

Exhale downward facing dog breathe. Breathe out one. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. And breathe out three. Inhale. Exhale for breathe in. And breathe out five. Bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale, hopper step feet to hands. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up, exhale, stand up and release the arms.

36:01

Separate the feet. A few inches apart. Hands on your waist. Inhale lift up the chest Arch back. Exhale fold forward, reach down grab hold of the big toes with the piece sign. Fingers of the hands. Inhale lengthen through the waist. Exhale fold forward, pull the face down towards the legs.

36:23

One good, try to firm up the upper thighs. So firm up the quadriceps and even push the top. Back a little bit before breathing. And breathe out. Inhale lift, head and chest. Look forward. Slide, the palms of the hands underneath the soles of the feet and exhale fold forward.

36:48

Let the head go down. Breathe in. Breathe out, good, that's it. Inhale Exhale. See if you could lift the creases of the hips a little higher to the ceiling three. That's it. For deep breath, inhale. Ex, With your inhale lift, head and chest look forward. Exhale hands on your waist.

37:15

Inhale lift all the way upright to stand, exhale feet and legs together. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up chair pose. Exhale hands to the floor, fold forward. Inhale prepare look forward. Exhale hop step or walk back chaturanga? Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward.

37:46

Turn the left heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. Exhale, open the hips and arms to the side. Inhale straighten the right leg. Exhale, triangle, right? Hand could touch the shin or you could hold the toe or a block up to you one. Good, breathe it. Breathe out to Pinky toe.

38:08

Edge of the foot pressing down for three. Inhale. Exhale for Good, breathe. And breathe out. Inhale lift all the way upright. Exhale, bend the right knee, place the right hand outside of the right foot and reach the left arm all the way over the left ear for extended side angle.

38:36

Good. Push the right knee against the raid Arm strongly. And then try to keep the right knee, just where it is. Now as you inhale, reach up and back, reverse the warrior. But keep the right knee from swiggling around. Exhale, go back to extended side angle right hand, outside of right foot, that's it.

38:59

Inhale, reach up and back, sweep. It all the way up and back. Exhale extended side angle. Inhale, reach the arms up and back. Good. Exhale, extended angle, inhale touch both hands to the floor. Exhale, start to straighten the front leg. You're welcome to adjust the length of the stance.

39:25

You could also have hands on blocks, whatever you need to do and then go ahead fold forward. One breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale. Good, exhale, three. Try to pull the right hip crease back, a little bit more for four. Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale, bend the right knee.

39:52

As you exhale lower the left knee down to touch the floor. Inhale arms reach up. Get ready to twist. Exhale hands through prayer twists to the right side. You could stay like this or tuck the left toes under lift. The left knee up for standing spinal, twist, for one breathe in.

40:14

Breathe out to inhale. Exhale, three good. Inhale. Exhale, four breathe in. Breathe out five. Inhale both hands touch down, step right into a plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the left foot forward Vera. But draw one Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side.

40:55

Inhale, straighten the left leg and then reach to the left for. Trichonasana triangle, left hand down, right arm reaches up for one breathe in. Breathe out good. Inhale. Exhale, three. Inhale. Exhale for breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale to stand all the way upright. Exhale, bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot right arm reaches over the right ear.

41:32

So take care to set up the legs. Well here, so right left knee is directly over the left ankle. Shin is like vertical to the floor. Keep the front leg like that. Inhale reverse the Warriors, sweep it up and back. Exhale, extended side angle. Good inhale. Reach up and back.

41:55

Reverse the warrior. Exhale extended side angle. Inhale, reach up and back. Exhale extended angle. Inhale, both hands to the floor. Exhale start to extend the front leg again. Make any adjustments to the stance. You might need to make inhale a breath here. Exhale fold forward for one breathe. Breathe out.

42:28

Inhale. Exhale for three. Breathe. Breathe out. Inhale. And exhale, inhale, bend the left, knee. Exhale lower the right knee down to the floor. Inhale, reach the arms up. Get ready to twist. Exhale, hands, your prayer. Twist to the left side. You can stay as is or lift the right knee up.

43:02

Standing spinal twist. Inhale. Exhale for two breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale, four breathe in. And breathe out five. Inhale both hands touch down, step right into a plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good. Bring the knees to the floor. Stand up on the knees.

43:45

Point your toes hands on your waist. Uh have the hands. Like the even though the thumbs are kind of around the back of the waist, have the fingers spreading forward palms of hands, almost parallel to the floor. Lift your chest, squeeze your elbows, towards each other. Try to keep the whole entire shape of the front of the body, the same.

44:08

So from the crown of the head to the knees lean back, as far as you're able to and then right when it gets to be a little intense you can lean back up good so just just to clarify So, We're not arging back at this time, we will later.

44:27

Well, we're not arching back at this time at this time. We're just trying to keep like one long line across the front of the body. So, go ahead, lean back. And then lean up good again. Lean back. Try to find that edge of where it just becomes either a little tense or maybe even a little scary little scary.

44:48

And keep going, good. Yeah, just noticing. And then one more go back and then stay. And, The dagger eyes. And stay and then lean up. Downward phase seeing dog. Soften the knees. Look forward, inhale Hopper step feet to hands. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

45:27

Exhale, stand up release the arms. Turn to the right. Open the feet wide apart wide. Straddle stance hands on your way. Strong legs. Pull up through the legs. Inhale Exhale fold forward hands on the floor. Between the feet, inhale. Exhale! Bring the crown of the head down in the direction of the floor.

45:51

Strong legs here. Even pull up through the muscles of the thighs. Activating the legs for breathe in. Good. Breathe out. Inhale lift head and chest, look forward. Exhale hands on your waist. Inhale to stand all the way upright. Same idea with the hands. So, squeeze the elbows towards each other.

46:16

Have the palms of the hands spreading fingers. Spreading inhale. Exhale fold forward. This time hands. Stay on your waist, crown of the head, reaching towards the floor. Elbows squeezing towards each other too. Good. Fronts of the legs, active three, breathe in. Breathe. Inhale. And exhale with your inhale, go ahead, stand all the way.

46:48

Upright, Exhale, a breath out here. One more time. Inhale, lift up the chest. Exhale fold forward. Now, take a little step forward with the hands and be on your fingertips. So you've got like a long flat back. Arms are extending fingertips are tented on the floor. Now, take the left hand and hold the right ankle.

47:15

Reach the right arm up and twist and feel how by pulling with the left hand. You could turn the waste a little bit more. So Inhale, come back up to the center. Fingertips flat back. Exhale, right hand holds left. Ankle turn. Feel the relationship between pulling on your left ankle and being able to turn the body more.

47:42

Good. Now, let's take it one breath at a time. Inhale lift, head and chest fingertips. Exhale left hand, right, ankle, right arm reaches up. Wait a second, wait a second. Come back for a second. Come back to Center. Okay, I know. It's a because we learned it as left hand, right?

48:02

Ankle, right? Arm up, turn the body like that, you know. But see if you can coordinate. In a way where the whole movement and the whole breath occur as like one fluid thing, right? And then inhaling And exhaling and everything's moving together, rather than like step one step two, step three, right?

48:24

So let's go left hand holds right ankle, exhale, twist, Inhale, come back to the center. Exhale, twist left side. Yeah, better. Inhale Center. Full breath. Exhale, twist. Inhale Center. Exhale, twist, do one more each side with your breath as the guide.

48:55

Yeah. Nice. And then, when you're finished, come back up onto your fingertips, Exhale hands on your waist, stay right there for a moment. Inhale, stand all the way upright, and then turn the right foot out to the right turn, the left foot in at a little bit of an angle, so that your hips and shoulders can face the back of the room.

49:19

Now, Reach the left arm up. And then left hand holds the right ankle just like we practiced in our straddle forward. Fold Reach the right arm up and at least for today, I know there's many, there's many things we can do with the left hand, but for today, feel how, uh, you can kind of pull on the ankle to help leverage a little bit more twisting.

49:43

Yeah. Three. Try to have both legs straight both heels down four. Yeah. With your inhale, stand all the way up. You can back stroke the left arm for more balance and then turn all the way around. Left foot turns out right foot turns in Inhale, right arm reaches up.

50:07

Exhale for today, you can hold the left ankle and feel. How holding onto the left ankle can help with more turning. More twisting too breathe in Breathe out, three. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in. Breathe out with your inhale, stand all the way up. You can back stroke the arms. Exhale step forward feet together.

50:38

Inhale, bend the knees. Reach the arms up chair pose. Exhale. Hands down to fold forward. Inhale, halfway lift to prepare. Exhale, hop step or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good inhale. Step the right foot forward. Warrior one. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side.

51:12

Inhale, bring the left arm forward, parallel to the right arm and pivot, the left heel away from the floor face, everything to the front. As you exhale, push off the left toes step forward into Warrior three. Let's breathe and move through that whole sequence. Inhale, Warrior one, reach the arms all the way up.

51:35

Exhale, Warrior, Two, breathe with it, inhale to prepare full breath in. Exhale step forward onto your strong right leg. One more time. Inhale reach up. Exhale to open. Even push the arms like you're pushing through. Resistance. Inhale. Reach forward. Exhale step forward. This time, we're gonna stay here. So, as strong and straight as the standing leg is make it stronger and straighter.

52:12

And then as strong and straight as the standing leg is try to make the back leg. Equivalent to the to the standing leg. So really try to charge up both legs here. Okay, soften the right knee. Step back Warrior, one arms. Reach up. Take the arms out now into like a cactus shape.

52:35

So bending the elbows out to the sides. We're going to crisscross the right elbow over the left elbow, twisting the arms together for Eagle arms, and then lift the elbows away from the chest, lift the fingertips up towards the ceiling. And look towards the ceiling. To try to bend the front knee a little bit more, deeply three, breathe in.

52:57

Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale good. Lift. Your head. Look straight forward. Push off your left toes and see if you could wrap your left leg, around the top of your right leg. And then again, unwind your left leg step it all the way back. Warrior one with Eagle arms. Look up.

53:21

And then as you exhale, push off the left toes step forward. Again inhale, reach up and back. Exhale, step into it this time. Stay here for one, breathe it. Breathe out too. Good. Look, past the hands past the arms. Three, got it. For breathe. And breathe out. Keep the legs the same for now, unwind, the arms reach down, see if you can find the fingertips on the floor or maybe on your blocks.

54:01

And then unwrap the left leg and stick it all the way up to the ceiling for standing splits. Yes, left leg goes up and back one. Beautiful. Three Street and this more. Four. Yes. With your inhale, bend the right knee, step the left foot back, low lunge, Inhale plank.

54:27

Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale. Step the left foot forward. Warrior One reach all the way up. Exhale, as you open hips and arms to the side again, try to Glide the movements inhale, reach forward, right heel lifts. Exhale, push off the right foot to step forward.

54:56

Warrior three. Again, soften the left knee, reach up, Warrior one, breathe in. Exhale open. Good inhale. Reach forward to prepare. Exhale step forward into it. Yes, inhale Warrior one last times. Exhale open. Inhale prepare and then step forward. Stay there. Breathe one. Good stronger, straighter standing leg and then try to with the back leg, try to match the energy as they say.

55:39

Four. Yeah back legs, super straight and strong. Like if you were to switch legs right now, the other leg could hold you. Okay, bend the left, knee, reach up Warrior one, Take the arms out into like a cactus shape. Elbows out to the sides and then crisscross the left elbow over the top of the right elbow twists, the forearms together, bend the front knee, a little bit more deeply reach the fingertips, up towards the ceiling, and look upwards to breathe in.

56:11

Breathe out. In. Exhale. Breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale, lift your head. Look straight forward as you exhale, push off your right toes. Swing the right leg around to wrap over the top of the left leg. And right away. Inhale swing that right leg all the way back. Warrior, one variation with the arms in Eagle Exhale step forward wrap the legs.

56:44

Inhale, sweep. The right leg back. Fingertips, reach up. Exhale, step forward Eagle and then stay in Eagle, or Garudasana to three.

57:05

And then unwind just the arms, reach the fingertips, down to the floor, or to blocks. And then unwrap the right leg. Reach the right leg all the way up for standing splits. Good one, two. That's it. Let the head go down. Straighten the up leg more three? Yes. Reach up through the toes.

57:28

Four. Good with your inhale, soften the left knee. Exhale, step back, low lunge. Inhale to plank. Exhale, cheddaranga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good. Bring the knees to the floor for a moment. And, uh, just have a look. So, we're gonna, we're gonna do like a side plank variation, but Oftentimes, Oftentimes well.

58:07

Actually. This is this occurs a lot of times where we pay a lot of attention, coming into the shape, or coming into the pose, and then we kind of go on autopilot, are we go blank when we're coming out of it? So, inside plank, sometimes that looks like, you know, I've set up my side plank.

58:26

I'm in my best side plank ever. And then I'm like, Right, I'm just kind of like let falling into gravity almost. We're gonna, we're gonna try to come out of it a little bit more consciously in a specific way. So as I turn towards the floor, I'm going to turn my chest towards the floor and look how I'm reaching my arm, like even longer like go go Gadget arm as if the floor is almost moving away from me before.

58:53

I set it down and what that's doing is that's engaging. All of my shoulder and upper back muscles as well as my abdominals. See if you can see the difference between just plopping down to the floor and actually consciously lengthening my arm towards the floor and placing it down.

59:11

I feel it here. I feel it in my in the back of my shoulder area Let's see if we can play with that, even if it doesn't make sense right now, see if it can Come about in some sort of physical difference. Okay, downward dog. Oh, it's getting warm in here.

59:28

Come forward into plank feet together. Shift onto the right hand outer edge of the right foot, left arm reaches up and then very consciously and carefully start to turn the chest towards the floor. Reach the left hand down, almost like the floor is moving a little away from you as you reach down into it.

59:46

Yes. Exactly. And then shift onto your left side. Great. And as you turn to face the floor, reach that right hand down, down down, down down, try to connect the shoulder and the abdominals together and then shift onto the right hand. Reach up. As you turn towards the floor again, reach reach, reach down into the floor.

01:00:09

Make it a conscious action. And then shift onto your left side. And then as you turn the chest parallel to the floor, reach with the right hand. Reach down, down into the floor. Good. And then press back downward facing dog. Okay, soften the knees. Look forward. Inhale hopper step feet to hands.

01:00:32

And exhale fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees. Reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up release the arms. We're going to go to the wall. So there's plenty of space. Along the white wall there? Yeah. Take everything, take your blocks, take your mat, take your glasses, take your ring, take your just kidding, your water bottle.

01:01:00

All your stuff. Yeah. There's plenty of space. So tons of space. Along this white wall, here, tons of space at the back two or three people could go there. Yeah. Perfect. Lots of space. There's like three or four extra spaces here. Okay.

01:01:23

Great. So first stand with your back against the wall stand with your back against the wall. Now, for most of us if we're trying to like Jam the heels up against the wall, it'll it'll kind of tip our weight forward into our toes. So cheat the heels like a centimeter away from the wall.

01:01:45

So the feet are more underneath you And just feel, you know, feel what parts of the rest of the body can be against the wall, the buttocks, the back of the shoulders, the back of the head, keep that happening reach the arms up. Flex the wrist back or extend the wrist back so that the palms of hands are parallel to the ceiling and then push up through the palms of the hands.

01:02:07

So even let the shoulders lift up a little bit. That's it. Really lengthen, upwards push up and then push down through the feet and see if you can get taller by pushing down through the feet. So strong legs strong arms here. Okay. Release that And then turn it upside down.

01:02:27

Hand stand, practice. So turn to face the wall hands on the floor in like a downward dog to start. Hands, a little closer to the wall than maybe you might initially think. And then walk the feet forward, lift your favorite leg up and start to hop. You can take small hops at first.

01:02:48

And when you, uh, when you start to increase your confidence, you can start to get more and more. Energy to your hops. Okay, you can all you can practice this. Yeah, this is still very activating and strengthening. Yeah.

01:03:13

And so even in your handstand, push down with the hands, the way we were reaching up to the ceiling and then reach the feet up to the ceiling. The way that we were reaching the hands up to the ceiling, a moment to go.

01:03:33

Nice. You can always stay for Matt Giordano's. Handstand Workshop, that's happening directly after this, if you'd like

01:03:47

Good. Yeah. All right, if you're in the middle of a personal breakthrough, your working something out for yourself. By all means, take a few extra moments to do so if you're like completely over it, Laid down on your abdomen with your head towards the middle of the room and your feet towards the wall.

01:04:12

Mm-Hmm. Exactly. Yeah. And just feel like feel back there with your toes and try to just like barely touch the wall with your toes. Uh-Huh. And then even walk the toes up maybe to the height of the baseboard or that little crease where the baseboard would be or even higher arms alongside the body.

01:04:38

Now, by pushing the toes back into the wall, lift the head, the chest, and the shoulders up. And see if you can feel the relationship between like the the more strongly you're able to reach into the toes, perhaps you can lift head and chest even higher. That's it.

01:05:02

Good. And then slowly release. Take the arms, place the arms in almost like a cactus shape. So your elbows are about shoulder height palms of the hands rest down for now. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. Now again, pushing the toes against the wall, lift your head chest and arms, try to keep the same little shape in the arms.

01:05:26

Good, make two fists, and then, reach your knuckles forward and up forward. And up stretch the arms, like, punching the wall like trying to punch the air in front of you, push push, push, push push. And then, as you draw the elbows back, where they came from, lift a little higher, lift head lift chest And then one more time reach the fist forward forward forward forward.

01:05:48

And as you draw the elbows back, can you lift the head in the chest, even higher works every time and then slowly release down

01:06:01

Go ahead, bend the knees. Reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles. And inhale, lift up, head chest, and knees for done your Asana one. And,

01:06:33

Good. And then as you exhale release on down,

01:06:45

Again, like that. Bend the knees. Reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles with your inhale. Go ahead lift up, head chest knees, Don urasana. Good keep breathing, too. Now imagine that you want to keep the shape exactly as it is now. So keep head just in knees lifting just release the grip of the hands but try to hold the rest of the shape as best you can.

01:07:12

As Lift a little bit higher and then slowly release doubt. I know it's the worst. Oh, you can't. Yeah. Good lift up to hands and knees. Stand up on your shins. Hands on your waist. If your knees are a little more on the sensitive side, one thing you can do is like pinch the middle of the mat and create like a triple fold.

01:07:44

Right there. Yeah. Have the feet tucked under. Hands on your waist lift and spread your chest elbows squeezing towards each other. Now, start to Arch back. See if you can make contact with your uh, heels or your ankles. So, reach back. If you can't quite reach your feet, yet hands can stay on the waist.

01:08:07

If you are reaching your feet, head can go back.

01:08:18

Lift the head. First hands on the waist, lift straight up. Oh yeah, sit on the heels. Stay upright for now. Good. Again, lift to stand up on The Shins. If you want it to be a little harder, you could keep the feet pointed. If you want it to be the same amount difficult, then tuck the toes under again, hands, on your waist.

01:08:47

Good, lift up the chest, squeeze, the elbows towards each other, start to Arch back. If you're reaching back to make contact with the ankles or feet, Your head can go back otherwise, head could stay up for now especially if it's difficult to breathe. Yeah, that's it. Chest lifting up hips moving forward.

01:09:06

Now imagine you want to keep the exact same shape as it is. Now let go with the hands but hold it, their feel, the activation of the front of the abdomen, especially here, holding you in that shape, and then lift straight Up sit on your heels. Good. Okay. Now.

01:09:28

Scoot, scoot yourself, just enough forward that when you reach back with one hand, you can just barely barely graze the wall with your fingers. If you're too far away, you won't be able to feel the wall. If you're too close, you're going to be, you know, not grazing the wall.

01:09:47

That's it. All right, reach the arms up. Keep the hips over the knees. So don't let the hips drift back hips over knees. Look up between your hands. Start to Arch back and see if you can find the wall with both hands and then pause And then try to push both hands against the wall to straighten the arms.

01:10:10

Mm-Hmm. Stay there. Do your best to breathe. If you like, you could walk the hands down a step and straighten the arms again and breathe. If you want, you could walk your hands down another step and stay there and breathe. Okay, and then when you've had just about enough of that lift straight up, Okay.

01:10:35

Take your two blocks. Look how we're going to set up here. Take your two blocks and put your two blocks, so that each one is at a little bit of an angle. So, I've leaned the block up against the little Ridge against the baseboard, but even if you don't have one there, it'll still work.

01:10:58

But have the blocks on either side. Yeah, exactly. Are they going to stick over there?

01:11:10

Yeah, maybe even well no, don't go here because the camera but maybe even here. Whether you have a little ledge, Yeah. Okay. Now, lay down on your back with your head between your blocks head between your blocks.

01:11:29

Getting the side, eye getting the side eye. All right. So hands. Yeah. Hands on your blocks. But have the fingers hanging off the side of the block. So your right fingers. Go to the right, your left fingers. Go to the left here. Palms of hands. Like so that's it.

01:11:57

Like that. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor. That's it. Feed a little wider. Lift the hips up and pause there. And then push down into the hands. Pushed. Yeah, push the blocks away to lift up or even on your Asana. That's okay. You got it for this one.

01:12:18

We're just gonna do hands to the sides is all It's just a little better on the wrists. Yeah, go for it. See, if you could move the tip of your nose, a little closer to the wall. So push with your legs, push with your strong legs. Straighter arms, straight her arms, straighter arms.

01:12:33

Yes. And then chin to the chest slowly release down. Keep your feet on the floor for now. So now, There's going to be options, okay? There's going to be options. So one option is, if you're finding the blocks interesting, you're learning something about your Back Bend. That's like, you know, new and interesting for you.

01:13:00

You can always stay with the blocks. So you're welcome to repeat the one we've just done. Otherwise, if you're going to move the blocks away, the next step is to put the hands on the floor, with the wrists and forearms. All the way up against the wall, wrist, touching up against the baseboard.

01:13:18

If you're doing this one, hang on. Yeah. Okay. So, whatever you've decided to do, go ahead lift up. And again, if you're doing the risks against the baseboard, one, try to touch your nose closer to the wall, if possible. So, you're really pushing with your legs, legs, legs, legs legs.

01:13:48

Okay, chin to the chest slowly release on down. Good. So again. You could, you could stick with The first version we did with the blocks with the hands on the blocks. You could stick with the second version. We did with the hands on the floor. Otherwise I'm going to talk us through a variation for standing up.

01:14:15

If you feel like it's too much to do, just finish out your five breaths or so and come on down, no problem. Okay, so place the hands place the feet. With your inhale, go ahead lift up. If you're taking the variation, take one step up the wall with both hands.

01:14:35

Pause there and straighten the arms. And then if you're taking the variation with the hands, Take one more step up the wall. Pause and straighten. Yes. Mm-Hmm. And then push the hips forward to lift all the way up. Okay. Okay. One thing. All right.

01:15:05

Shoot, let's see. Okay. I just want to make sure that the folks online can see us too. Um, Stand up. Yes. Okay. One thing though, the thing about the process of standing up is certainly if you're if you're already doing drop backs and doing your thing, you just do what you need to do, but If you're still learning to drop back and to stand up, I would suggest the following, can I use your map for a second?

01:15:36

Instead of like sometimes there can be this quality. God, I've got some Wheeling. I've got the microphone and everything. So many Obstacles. Okay. Sometimes in the process of standing up, we get really anxious to stand up and we kind of scramble up the wall. It's fine. But there's, there's a lot more benefit to Step at a,

01:16:08

I'm going to take one step with my hands and straighten my arms out. I'm going to take one step with my hands and straighten my arms. I'm going to take one step with my hands straighten my arms out and then try to come up. Yeah. Okay. If you're like totally over it, you don't have to do any more back bends, but if you wanted to try one more time with that one thing in mind, you're welcome to go ahead.

01:16:46

Yep. And then engage the abdomen as you lift lift. Yeah. Yeah, it's possible and you'll learn that and then you can do and then you can start to remove steps, you can go. Okay, I go up in four, let me make it three. Yeah. And then you can make it too and then you can make it one step and then no steps.

01:17:08

Yeah, no steps. Okay. All right. All right, let's Let's do this. Let's Are we comfortable at the wall? Let's just stay where we're at. Yeah, stay. Where you're at? Uh, sit down straighten the legs forward.

01:17:34

Bend the right knee into the chest. Step the right foot to the outside of the left leg. And then twist to the right?

01:18:10

Could turn to phase forward, switch up the legs. And turn other side. Twist to the other side. That's it.

01:18:31

Good turn to phase forward. Straighten both legs forward out in front of you, flex the feet, sit up tall and then fold forward.

01:18:53

Good Helen. Just tried to soften the tops of the shoulders down. Yeah.

01:19:50

And then lift all the way upright to a seated position. Bend both knees into the chest. Open the knees out to the sides feet together, bada konasana fold forward.

01:20:08

So memory can help us in our physical practice as well. I sometimes. Sometimes you you might not literally be able to remember your first yoga class, ever. But I But certainly, you can remember back to a time when something like wheel felt impossible and then gradually over the course of your Diligence in your practice and your efforts and your courage, you were able to Come into it.

01:20:46

And then maybe there's another. Shape that right now. Feels Somewhat impossible or feels like, it isn't going to happen but you've already proved to yourself through your practice that you can. Come into impossible things, you can do impossible, things. Lived all the way up, right? To a seated position.

01:21:12

Lay down on your back if you're close to the wallet, might mean scooching a little bit forward just to get yourself a little space and you can keep the legs the same. So knees open out to the sides feet together. And you're welcome to stay just like this. Otherwise, if you would like to finish your practice with shoulder stand or something like it, you're welcome to take a Relatively brief shoulders stand practice.

01:21:44

Yeah.

01:22:25

And then, if you're practicing shoulders stand, Bring the feet behind for plow halasana.

01:22:53

And if you're in plows, start to slowly roll onto the back.

01:23:07

And if you were practicing shoulder standing coming to fish Matziasana.

01:23:49

And then everybody start to make your way into. Shavasana.

01:30:03

Slowly start to deepen the breath.

01:30:20

Turn to bring some. Movement into the body.

01:30:37

Take a moment to stretch or move any way you need. If you need a little more time. That's okay.

01:30:59

And then when you're ready, making your way up to a seated position.

01:31:32

Try your best to relax. Be still.

01:31:43

Focus on the breath.

01:34:20

May all beings experience, peace.