Podcast #146 - OM

Read the Full Jivamukti Focus of the Month here: 

https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/the-sound-om/

This class focuses on mainly leg work and standing āsana, its helpful to have two blocks nearby for this sequence but if not you can of course just improvise!

TRANSCRIPT:
OM. OM. OM.

Take a deep breath in. Let's just do the ah, part of the sound.

Again, deep breath in. ‘ahhhhhhhh’

One more time, inhaling. ‘ahhhhhhhhhhhh’

Inhale again, now this time Just whisper the sound. No, voicing (whispered ‘ahhhhhhhhh’)

Again, inhale (whispered ‘ahhhhhhhhh’)

Try to Triple the duration of the sound the time of the sound, inhale deeply. And again, exhale. (whispered ‘ahhhhhhhhh’)

Good, inhale, this time. Close the lips but make the same Whisper sound at the back of the throat.

Again, inhaling Same Whispery Sounds comes from closing the vocal cords a little bit.

Now, try to make the same sound on the inhale. It's a little harder, but try.

And then same sound in the exhale.

Same sound in the inhale.

Same sound in the exhale.

Inhaling; lips stay closed. Exhaling; lip stay closed. Otherwise known as ujjayi breathing. So all sound all sound that we can produce with our human, Vocal apparatus is caused by either constricting the vocal cords or not which doesn't you know, no sound is no constriction of vocal cords. Any sound whatsoever is some constriction of the vocal cords And then everything else emanates from that.

And I'm sure we all also are aware that omm is made up of three sounds. The ah, the ooh, and mmm. And the ah, is not only the beginning of the sound om, but it's also just The literally most basic sound that we can vocalize with our, with our vocal cords.

And in fact, every other Every other vowel and consonant that we make, is comes from modifying, the lips teeth tongue, but it all emanates from that initial ah. In the case of unvoiced sounds right. But I digress. So ujjayi breath one. One way you could think about it. Is that Um, The ujjayi breath is creating that slight constriction.

It's an unvoiced sound. So it's a little bit of a wisper sound and that ooja breathing is going to carry us through or or hopefully will carry us through our yoga practice. So let's try something. Come for it, unto hands and knees. Press back to a downward facing dog.

Okay, so just as an experiment, No ujjayi breathing at first. No, ujjayi breathing. At first, just Breathe, your regular. Resting way. If possible, sometimes it's hard to like, Unlearn what you’ve —  What you've been practicing, right? It's kind of hard to put ourselves back in that beginner mind as the as the Masters like to remind us; Beginner mind is a precious thing. So, Uh, come forward into a plank. Remember no ujjayi breathing right now. We're just trying to experiment as if we were still beginners, bend the elbows chaturanga. Move forward upward facing dog. And then go back downward facing dog. Okay. Come forward into a plank this time as we lower chaturanga, we're going to actually vocalize ohm.

So take an in-breath and then as you lower let's go. Oh wow. Upward facing dog. So good. It looked okay downward facing dog. You could not believe how much stronger. A hundred percent of the chaturanga's looked, that's because when we breathe with that vocal cord restriction, we're actually creating support around the abdominal structure.

So there's a part two to this. Part two, bring your knees to the floor. Put a block between your upper legs. Did you did it feel stronger by the way? Or because it's one thing for me to Say, it looks stronger, but it's another thing. Yeah, just the whole torso.

Yeah. We're creating just to be technical about it. We're going to create some inter abdominal pressure.

Yes. And you're creating this slow uh slow and controlled constriction of the deep abdominal muscles just to be super technical for you. Yoga nerds in the room. Let's go back into downward facing dog. So, with the block, Pretend. Pretend that you want to pull the block up the in seams of the legs.

So, There's not technically, like A muscle that goes along the inseams of your legs that you can use, but pretend you could draw the block, like up the line of where the inseams of your pants are as if you were trying to pull the block up towards the pelvic floor, creating Part two, Mula, Bandha so ideally.

Ujjayi breath and mulabandha work together to create again, I refer to it by its geeky name intra abdominal pressure, but you could just say it creates a connection and a strength and a communication between the upper half of the body, the lower half of the body. So try to keep that strength going.

Come forward into a plank and again, still imagining that you're trying to like, pull your block up into your torso, but don't because we need them for the next class. Bend the elbows chattering and keep pulling that block in and up in and up. Good. Don't untuck the toes.

Come to Upward dog. With the toes, tucked under, try to lift the inseams of the legs. Like one more centimeter up to the ceiling. Yes. And then go back downward facing dog. Bring the knees to the floor. Put the block to the side. Uh, we're going to do it all together.

We're going to do it all together. Put the block to the side. Downward facing dog. So, can you create that feeling of the energy running up the in seams of the legs into the pelvic floor and even pull the pelvic floor in and up. So mulabandha. Come forward into a plank.

Let's do one more vocalized ohm by request. Exhale chaturanga. Upward dog. Good and downward dog. Okay, so walk the feet forward towards the hands. You know, and we kind of You know, we kind of learned these things somewhat separately like we, we learn Ujai breathing, as if it's separate from Mulabandha and mulabundas its own separate thing.

But actually, You anytime you have uh Ujjayi breathing, you want to have mulabandha going on. And actually kind of anytime you contract, the abdominal muscles at all. Even when you're putting on your Skinny jeans. You want to at least do a little contraction to get into them, right? Okay.

All right, wide in the feet. Bend the knees. Come into a deep squatting position. So anytime we have ujjayi breathing going, we want mulabunda going. So, Even though we're going to move that ohm into more of, that whispered sound, you could still, you could almost, you know, at least for today's practice, you could imagine that the soft wispery sound of the ujai is like an inhale Ohm exhale ohm, so it's kind of becomes the Mantra Of the whole class, right?

Okay, bring the hands to the floor. Raise the hips up, fold forward, over the legs. Bring the feet and legs all the way together. Bring the hands onto the waist, lift all the way upright to a standing position. Arms alongside the body, exhale, a full breath out mulabandha so lifting the pelvic floor in and up, Ujjayi, inhale, reach the arms up overhead.

Hear your breath. Exhale. Fold forward. Good hear the breath every single time for the rest of the class inhale look forward. Yes. Exhale hop step or walk back. Inhale upward facing dog. Good, exhale, downward facing dog. I gotta say, this is also the best breathing. I've heard all week.

I don't know. Inhale. Exhale, three good work. Inhale. Exhale, four. Mula bandha drawing in and up. Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees and look forward. Inhale Hop or step feet to hands and exhale, fold forward. Inhale stand up Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale release the arms. Inhale reach up hands press together.

Exhale, folding all the way forward hands to the Earth. Inhale look forward to prepare. Exhale hop, step, or walk back; chaturanga. Inhale; upward facing dog. Exhale; downward facing dog. Good breathe. Breathe out one good here. Each part of the breath and pull mulabandha in and up for Inhale. Exhale, three breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale, soften the knees. Look forward. Inhale; hop or step feet to hands. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale stand up. Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale release the arms. One more. Inhale, reach up. Exhale, folding all the way forward. Inhale prepare. Exhale; hop, step, or walk back chaturanga.

Inhale upward dog. Almost forget. Exhale downward facing dog. Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Exhale. In. Exhale, three breathe. Breathe out for. Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step feet to hands. Exhale to fold. Inhale, stand up reach the arms up. Mulabandha Exhale release the arms, inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up in Arch back.

Exhale, Bend knees swing arms behind lace hands together and fold. Inhale hands touch down, step the right foot back. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale to plank. Exhale, knees, chest and chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra/bhujangasana Exhale, tuck the toes. Sit all the way back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward dog. Inhale step. Right foot forward. Exhale, left foot forward. Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up arch back. Exhale, bend knees, swing arms behind Lee's hands together and fold. Inhale hands down, step the left foot back.

Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale, downward facing inhale to plank. Exhale, lower the knees, just and 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, right foot next to left foot, fold forward.

Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, stand up. Releasing the arms. We'll do that whole sequence again. Inhale hook thumbs, Reach arms up and arch back. Exhale, bend knees swing arms behind Leesands together and fold inhale. Hands touch down right foot steps back Exhale downward facing dog.

Inhale; plank. Exhale; chaturanga. Inhale; upward facing. Exhale; downward facing. Inhale, to plank, exhale, the 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. Inhale, right foot steps forward Exhale, left foot next to right foot fold forward.

Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, Bend knees, swing arms behind claspins and fold. Inhale, place the hands down, left foot steps back. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale playing. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog, inhale, plank, exhale, knees. Chest 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 footsteps forward. Exhale, right foot next to left foot folding forward. Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, stand up and release the arms. Deeply. Bend the knees.

Reach the arms overhead, uttkatasana. Exhale hands to the floor, fold forward. Inhale, halfway lift to prepare. Exhale; hop, step, or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale. Step the right foot forward. Turn the left heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. Exhale, open the hips and arms to the side.

Inhale straighten the right leg. Charge up the legs. Strong legs, exhale; Reach to the right for triangle. Place, the right hand down. Left. Arm up. Good again, pulling up through the knees and the thighs and try to remind yourself about mulabunda, you know. It's one thing to Kind of have mullabanda in, you know, downward dog or when the legs are kind of parallel to one another, but it gets kind of increasingly more difficult as the shape.

Uh, as we take the different shapes, right? So keep working on it. Inhale, lift all the way up, right? Exhale, bend the right knee. Warrior, Two, hold breathe. Breathe out. Hear your breath. Make that soft. Whispery sound. Exhale to. That's it good. Mula Bandha lifting in and up? Exhale, three.

Inhale. Exhale four. Good breathing. Breathe out with your inhale; straighten the right leg, exhale; bend the right knee, place the right hand outside of the right foot. Reach the left arm over the left ear for extended side angle breathing. Breathe out one. Good strong and straight back leg. Breathe out.

Inhale. Exhale, three and breathe in. Breathe out for inhale. And exhale with your 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. Right heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. Exhaling. Open to the side.

Inhale to straighten, the left leg. Exhale, reach to the left. Tricho nasana triangle, right arm reaches up. Breathe in. Breathe out. One pulling up through the thighs. Pulling up through the pelvic floor. Two, breathe in. Breathe out three. Good inhale. Exhale, four breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale to stand all the way upright.

Exhale, bend the left knee. If you're overdraws, in a two and hold breathe in, I'm breathe out one. So even though the hips are sitting a little lower to the ground, the middle of the pelvic floor and the lower part of the abdomen are pulling in and up three.

Breathe. Breathe out for good inhale. Exhale, with your inhale, straighten your left leg, exhale, bend the left knee place, the left hand down outside of the left foot and reach the right arm all the way over the right ear, extended side and go. Good inhale. Exhale for one day, inhale.

Exhale to breathe in. Oh, breathe out. In him. Exhale, breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale, both hands touch down plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing, okay. Inhale, step the right foot between the hands. Exhale just come up on a fingertips and keep your feet the same.

With your inhale, reach the arms up, high lunge, exhale, really straighten through the elbows and see that the left hip isn't opening to the side at all. Really turn it forward with your inhale straighten, the right leg, reach up even more Exhale Bend right knee? Inhale extend reach. Exhale.

Bend. Inhale, extend and reach. Exhale Bend right knee? Inhale, place both hands on the floor frame. The front foot. Keep the feet, the same, exhale straighten the right leg, don't you change that back foot? Even if it's what you usually do in this circumstance? Inhale, bend the right knee.

Look forward. Exhale, straighten the right leg and fold forward. Inhale bend right knee look forward. Last times like this. Exhale, straighten the leg fold forward again, keep your feet. The same. Don't shorten the stance. Even if it's what you normally do, Now. If both legs won't straighten, with the hands, on the floor, you could have hands on blocks.

Try to face both hips straight ahead towards the short edge of the mat pull up through the thighs and push both feet heavier down into the floor. Now with your inhale, bend your right knee. Grab a block in each hand. Step your blocks as far forward of your right foot, as you can reach.

With straight arms and then come up onto fingertips on tops of the blocks. And then pushing off the left toes, lift the left leg parallel to the floor, extending the right leg. So stay on fingertips for now. Look down the front of the body and see that the left hip is pointing down to the floor, that the left toes are flexing straight down to the floor.

Pull up through the kneecaps and then push the left heel even harder towards the back of the room. Like, you want to put a footprint down there now, lift your head and your chest look forward. So it's almost like you're trying to draw your chin away from your left heel and your left heel away from your chin, make the shape as long as possible.

Now you could stay on fingertiped hands or you could bring the arms back alongside the body if you would like to balance for the last few breaths. Both legs strong, super strong legs chest, reaching forward, not down.

Good. Okay. Hands to the floor. Soften the rainy. Step the left foot back to your low lunge. And then straighten the right leg. Now this time you can hop the back foot in a small step closer hands could be on the floor or hands could be on blocks parsvocanasana.

Pull up through the upper legs. Push down through both heels. Good. Let the head and neck go. Chest moving towards the right leg. Good five, inhale. Bend the right knee hands to the floor plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. By the way, if you are online, You are totally welcome to have your camera off but I do, I do.

Come and look. So if you if you do want a little feedback on what's happening in your practice, I'm here. Okay, but still totally optional. Okay, step the left foot between the hands. Exhale a full breath out here. Inhale, sweep the arms up to high lunge. Good. Exhale, a breath out here.

Face both hips forward. Back leg is really straight. Yes. Inhale, go ahead and straighten the left leg. Reach up. Exhale, Bend left, knee. Good inhale, extend and reach. Exhale, Bend one more like that. Inhale extend. Exhale, bend inhale hands to the floor, don't change the feet even if it's tempting, exhale, straighten the left leg fold forward, good, two more times like that, inhale bending look forward.

Exhale, extend and fold. Inhale, bend and look forward. Exhale, extend still don't change your feet. Keep the longer stance going and fold forward. So, try to make both hips face straight ahead. Both legs are straight. Pull up through the kneecaps and the thighs. I also like to almost imagine that.

I'm pushing the feet away from each other in this one. So the legs are super duper energized here. Okay. Bend the left knee, put a block in each hand on the tallest, like the Domino setting. Reach the arms as far forward as they can reach and come up on a fingertips and then push off the right toes to lift the right leg parallel to the floor.

Now, at first look down the front of the body, check to see that the right hip is facing straight down to the floor and the right toes. Are flexing straight down towards the floor. Yes. And then push back through the right heel. Like you're trying to put a footprint on the back of the root.

And then make keeping your right leg as strong as humanly possible, reach your chin forward and your collarbones forward. So it's as if the upper body is lengthening forward away from The right leg. Now, if you want, you can keep your hands on your blocks or you could reach the arms back for a balance or yeah, one hour at a time.

Also, a great option. Too good.

Noelia. Flex back foot. Okay. Touch the hands to the floor, bend the left knee. Step the right foot, back low lunge, and then straighten the left leg. Now this time you could inch the back foot in a little bit closer, inhale a breath Exhale, fold forward, good try to straight now.

Both legs as best. You can good Bethany. To both heels pressing down. Helen good. Excellent. Good.

Five, inhale, bend the left knee hands to the floor plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward, dog. From 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. Take like a half a step back from the Frontage of the mat.

Yeah, so that there's a little bit of space in front of you, start with the legs and feet together and again, squeeze the legs together, almost like you're squeezing a very small block in intestimately small block. And feel how that pulls the energy right up the center of the Torso.

Now, Point the left toes, forward, left big toe. Just barely barely touching the floor. And then, as you exhale, flex, the left foot feel how flexing the left foot. It pulls all the energy up, the front of the leg, the ankle, the shin, the kneecap even the quadriceps pull up.

And then inhale point the foot. Now, the back of the leg is active the hamstring and the cat, you can feel the calf getting bigger. Yeah, okay. Exhale flex Even if it's a little mysterious right now, that's okay. Inhale point. Exhale to flex. Inhale point now keep the ankle pointed but just pull the toes back.

So by having this half Point half flex situation, we're now activating the front and the back of the leg. So the calf muscle side and the quadricep side both engaged. Step down onto the ball of the left foot. As you lift the right heel up, both heels lifting, try to even out the weight.

Not only right to left but front to back. Exhale, bend the knees, reach the arms forward to shoulder height but pretend the air has some like weight to it. So the arms are resisting a little bit. Inhale, extend the legs arms, alongside the body still got mula bandha going. Exhale, Bend, reach forward.

Good ujjayi breathing. Inhale Could exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Good. Inhale, extend the legs last one? Exhale, Bend, reach forward. Inhale extend. And then, as you exhale, lower the right, heel the back, heel down, inhale, bend the left knee into the chest. Then shift your hands underneath the upper leg underneath the thigh area.

Exhale. Flex, the left foot extend, the left leg forward, keep the center of the chest. Lifting inhale Point the foot, and bend the knee. Exhale, flex and extend. Inhale point and bend, strong standing leg. Exhale, Flex extend. Keep your leg extended pretend you want to keep your leg, exactly where it is now.

Inhale, reach the arms up and hold, exhale good! Try not to lean back. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Egg seal now. Bend both knees. Cross the left knee over the top of the right knee. You could touch the floor with your tippy toes or you could hook your foot behind your opposite ankle here.

Now the arms are going to do opposite of the legs. So the right elbow will cross over the left elbow. Twist the forearms up together. Squeeze the inner legs together. Squeeze the forearms together. Good. Try to lift the Elbows a little out away from the heart. Good Rio. Excellent.

Four, look past the hands.

Good. With your inhale. Unwind your arms and legs. Exhale release feet together legs together. And seen no. Okay, let's go. Other side, just point. The right toes forward, no weight in the right foot. You just want to be able to feel the position of the floor there, feel where the floor is in space.

Exhale flex, the right foot. Stand up tall. Inhale, point the foot. Feel the back of the leg engaging. Exhale flex. Inhale to point. Exhale flex. Good, inhale point. Now, keep the ankle part pointed, just pull the toes back. And then with your sort of forced Arch foot, step the ball of the right foot onto the floor.

As you lift, the left heel up. No, turn out in the feet. Have the toes. Facing straight Ahead, exhale. Bend, both knees. Reach the arms forward. Inhale, extend legs arms alongside the body. Exhale, Bend and reach forward. Remember the arms are like resisting the air, inhale, extend Exhale, bend no rush.

Inhale extend. Exhale to bend. Inhale extend now exhale lower the left heel down the back heel down. Inhale, bend the right knee into the chest, hold on to the front of the ration. And then shift the hand so that you're holding underneath the thigh. Good. Exhale flex right foot?

Extend right leg forward. Inhale point and bend. Exhale, Flex extend, don't lean back. Not even a little inhale point and bend. Exhale Flex extend now leave the leg. Extended try to hold the leg exactly where it is now. Inhale arms, Reach up and hold exhale. Reach up through the arms so that it takes a little bit of the weightiness out of the pose.

Exhale. Two, Inhale. Exhale. Now, bend both knees, cross the right knee, over the left knee. You can hook your foot behind your opposite ankle or just leave it out to the side. Left elbow on top of, right? Twist the forearms together. Good bend, both knees a bit more, lift.

The elbows out away from the chest, garudāsana.

Good, with your inhale. Unwind the arms and the legs. Exhale feet and legs together. Could let's all turn to the right hand side, turn to face the right side of the room. Open the feet wide apart. Hands on your waist. Pull up through the thighs and knees and pull up through mulabunda inhale.

Exhale, fold all the way forward hands on the floor. Between the feet. If it's tough to reach the floor, you could take the feet wider or have hands on blocks or both. Maintain straight legs. Keep pulling the thighs up onto the thigh bones. Pull up through mulabunda, keep your uja breathing.

Inhale ohm. Exhale on. Good. With your inhale. Look forward, flat back. Walk the hands a smidge forward. So the wrists are more under the armpits. Keep the feet oriented the same way, so don't change the feet. Bend the right knee shift the hips, right? But only go in. So far as you can keep the right heel down and especially the outer edge of the left foot down.

Within that, can you go a millimeter deeper? But again keeping both feet grounded and both feet oriented the same way. In. He'll come back to the center. Exhale, bend the left knee shift, the hips. To the left, keeping all 10 toes, facing the long edge of the mat and keeping both heels.

Grounded, can you bend a little bit more?

Go to inhale, come back to the center. Now, one breath at a time. Exhale, Bend, right? Inhale to the center. Exhale left side. Inhale Center. Exhale. Right. Inhale Center. Exhale left. Inhale Center one more time. Each side. Exhale right side. Inhale Center and exhale left. Side. Inhale, come back up to the center.

Hands on your mat, but fingertips lining up with the edge of the mat that you're looking at. Soften the knees. Hopper stepped the feet, all the way together. And have the heels lining up at the other. Edge of the mat. So fingers at one side heels at the other side.

Feed her together, but the hands are like shoulder width distance apart. Try to press the hands all the way flat into the floor with the arms and legs straightening. And if that's not happening, put a block under each of your hands. Here's my strong recommendation.

Okay, with your inhale, lift the right leg. Directly to the right side. Not behind you, not even a little bit behind you. But almost as if it were lining up. Parallel to the side edge of the mat. Good. Two Flex. The right foot three. Oh yeah. The sweet spot.

And then slowly release down. Inhale, lift the left leg to the left side. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale for Inhale. Exhale, three breathe in. Breathe out four. Inhale. Exhale, feeding legs together. Okay. Now, you could keep it the same or if you want it to be a little more challenging, you could grab hold of your right.

Big toe. Yoga toe lock. With your inhale, lift the right leg to the right side. Either original flavor or spicy one. Inhale, Well actually, they're both kind of spicy. It's like it's like medium and spicy.

Okay, if we didn't legs together, last one, inhale left leg. To left side. Exhale one good inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale, three breathe in. Breathe out four. Inhale. Exhale, feed and legs together. Good hands on your waist. Lived all the way upright to a standing position and then turn to face the front feet and legs together, step forward on the mat again.

With your inhale, bend your knees. Reached the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor, fold forward. Inhale, halfway lift to prepare. Exhale; hop, step, or walk back. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward between the hands. Exhale a breath out. Keep the feet, the same.

Inhale, reach the arms all the way up high lunge. And then as you exhale start to turn the upper body to the right and open the arms out to shoulder height t shape with the arms. Notice how as you turned the front knee. It may have tried to unbend or it may have tried to pull back.

Keep it hovering over the ankle. Likewise the left hip might have tried to come forward, a little to help you twist organize the hips and the legs. Then your front hand, the one that's reaching towards the front of the room reach out and hold the leg, that's closest to it.

So left hand to right leg and then pull on your leg, use the strength of your arm to pull yourself, a little deeper into your twist. Maybe you can even reach the back of the left of the right hand further towards the back of the room arms still extended.

Just imagine, you're pushing the back of the hand up against something, but unfortunately, there aren't 12 of me to go around and do that too, okay? All right. Inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale hands touch down. Touch the left knee down. Inhale arms overhead. Torso lifts up. Exhale hands to prayer twist to the right side hook, your left arm outside of your right leg.

So the left arm is going to do that same job. The left arm is pushing hard against the right leg to help you twist. It has an option, you could tuck the back toes under and lift the back knee up. Standing spinal twist good. So let's try to move the armpit away from the hip a bit?

Yes.

Good with your inhale, both hands to the floor. Sorry didn't mean to jostle you a little okay. Reach forward. Grab your blocks. Have the blocks on the tallest possible setting and reach the arms as far forward, as you possibly can coming up on a fingertips. Push off the left toes.

Lift, the left leg parallel to the floor, left foot flexes straight down to the floor. Just like we practiced, feel like you're reaching the crown of the head away from the left heel and vice versa. Right hand holds your waist. As you turn your chest to the right, notice how the left leg might try to start to drop down towards the floor.

So from inside you counterbalance by lifting the left leg even higher, the more aggressively you turn. Yeah. Option to reach the right arm up. Go ahead. You could even turn and look towards the right hand also an option.

Good bring both hands down to the Flora blocks, step the left foot back to a low lunge. Inhale to plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward face. Exhale downward face. Inhale, step the left foot forward. Exhale, a breath out here. Inhale arms reach up. Good. So keep your awareness kind of on what the legs are doing now, even as you twist to the left.

So as you open out the arms, feel how sometimes? The left knee pulls back a little. Bring it forward. Sometimes the right hip pulls forward, a little tack, it back, good. Now, the front hand, The uh what is it right hand? Holds the left knee. Could use the strength of your arm.

Pulling against your leg to help you twist even more. Keep the back arm extended. But feel like, is there a way to even push the back of the hand, more towards the wall behind us? Yes. You could even look towards the left thumb, so that the neck is becoming involved in the twist.

And then reach both arms up. Exhale hands to the floor. Lower the back, knee down to the floor and then, inhale arms reach up torso. Lifts them. Exhale hands to prayer, twist to the left side. Good again. Uh, feel how that right arm pushing against the left knee is what's helping your upper body.

Turn more and then option to tuck the right toes under. And lift the right knee up.

Already, you might be able to perceive that the right hip wants to turn down. Don't let it you're already working on. What, what am I going to do at the back leg? Okay. Both hands touch down. Find the blocks with both hands. Reach the blocks as far forward. As you count on the tallest setting.

And then push off the right toes. Lift the right leg parallel to the floor. Flex, the right foot, crown of the head, reaching away from right heel. Left hand on your waist. Start to turn the chest. Turn the chest. And even as you turn, lift the right leg up higher to counterbalance good.

Option to reach left arm up. Option to gaze towards left hand. Good. That's it.

Good. All right. Both hands down. Either touch the blocks or touch the floor. Step the right foot back to a low lunge. Inhale plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward, dog. Step the feet, a third of the way closer to the hands and look between your hands lift the left leg up.

Point, the left foot, but then curl the toes back so that we're again in that half. Point have Flex situation charging up, the leg on both sides. Good! Then soften the right knee and swing the left leg up for one. Yes, take a little hop. If you want to Yeah, but have the lifted leg, kind of leading the charge because the lifted leg is just so dang energized.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. When you've done approximately five hops with the left leg up, then, switch your legs, but Again, see if you could charge up the right leg, the same way, we were practicing so point the foot but then pull the toes back. So you have that forced Arch foot And then again, sometimes we focus a lot on the Hopping leg, try to put more energy into the up leg.

So that the up leg is really Pulling you upwards. Yes.

When you're when you're approximately even Come into hands and knees.

Did that make sense a little bit about changing which leg is sort of driving the Yeah. Okay. Great. Because Yeah. Okay, as long as it made sense, I won't over Explain myself. As I want to do. Okay, so bring the forearms and elbows to the floor. Look between your elbows between your elbows.

Like, I like to find like a little speck of dust or a little drop of sweat on the floor. To look at, Tuck the toes under lift the knees up. Left leg reaches up. And again, think about charging the left leg up, put all your focus and energy in the left leg, and then as that one swings up to the ceiling.

The right leg just might follow. Yeah.

But that. An interesting way to work is to think about having the the up leg be the leader.

Good kitty. Go to kitty cat. Okay, switch legs. If you haven't already.

Straight up leg straighten the up leg? Yes.

Good. All right. Come on down.

Okay. Lay on your abdomen, lengthen, your legs out behind you.

Arms alongside the body Palms of hands facing up to the ceiling. Big toes to touch With your inhale, lift head, chest, and legs.

Good with your exhale slowly release on down.

Let's do that one a second time. Big toes to touch lift head chest legs up. Shalabhasana good. Lift the round as part of the shoulders up a little higher. Good with your exhale release on down. Bend the knees, reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles. Inhale lift on up, head, just and knees for done your ass.

Now, one,

And then slowly release down.

Again, bend the knees, reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles, and inhale, lift on up, head chest, and knees. Good.

And then exhale release on down. Turn all the way over onto the back.

Feet on the floor. Lift the hips up. Interlock the hands behind the back into one fist. Uji breathing on both the inhales and the exhales. Mulabandha

Good separate the hands, release the back down to the floor. Now, you could

That's one way to make it more challenging. Everybody put your cat on your lap and lift up again. No. Okay. If only, if only we had Cats. Okay. Cat says props. Okay. Uh, second time place the hands, either side of the head. If you're interested in going towards a full wheel, With your inhale, go ahead lift up.

Good chin to the chest slowly release down. Keep the feet on the floor.

So, Two more back bends. Five breaths each. The combination is up to you. Halfway two half Wheels, two full Wheels, one and one However you like. I'm not going to count you through the last two. You just lift up, count five. Come down for a breath or two. Come up, count five.

No rush. If you're still working. Keep going.

When you are finished. Hug the knees into the chest.

And then both knees over to the left side of the body.

Good. Bring the knees on up to the center and then go the other way. Knees over to the right side.

Bring the knees on up to the center. Come on up to a seated position. Sit upright. You can stay facing this direction. Straighten both legs forward out in front of you. Place the hands on the floor right next to the hips so that the even the skin of the inner wrists can feel up against the sides of the hips.

So make them touch. Push the hands down as if the next thing you're going to do is lift your seat up but stop just short of lifting your seat up off. The floor center of chest lifts, shoulders, shrugging back and let feel how that automatically pulls the the lower abdomen in and up.

Then flex the feet, pull the toes back. Plug the backs of the thighs down, uh, into the floor but without letting the heels draw up. So keep heels, touching the floor, but as much as possible, heavy the thighs into the floor. Now, can you keep that activation of the fronts of the legs even as you reach forward for posture much nasana, you can either hold your feet or you could use a towel or a shirt to loop around your feet.

But challenge yourself the whole The whole time. You're in pajamojanasana. Yes, keep the legs. Active, the tops of the legs drawing up. Yep.

And lift all the way up, right to a seated position. Bend both knees into the chest, open both, knees out to the sides feet together. Hold on to the feeder ankles and go forward body.

Lift all the way up, right? To a seated position, keep the feet, the feet and legs the same, but lay down on your back.

So you can rest your hands on your abdomen or even out to the sides. You're welcome to stay just like this in the soup to Barakonasana or You could come into shoulder stand to finish out the practice.

If you're in shoulder, standards, start to come into plow, halasana

And for those in halasana, start to roll. On to the back.

If you practiced shoulder stand, Come into fish crown of the head. Touching the floor, arching. The upper back.

And then lift the chin to the chest and slowly release down. Everybody's setting up for shavasana.

Start to deepen the breath.

Start to bring a bit of movement into the body.

Take a moment to move or stretch any way you need.

And slowly taking. Time. Make your way up to a seated position.

And take the time to consciously. Sort of place. The body. So, Arrange the legs in a purposeful way and Kind of set the All right, like setting the Stage for, Meditation practice.

And whether you like to have your hands on your knees or in your lap again, Make that sort of conscious choice. Pull up tall through the upper body.

And then other than the energy that it takes to, Sit upright. Let's see if you can relax any other. Energy or tension that is. Necessary. So relax the face. Shoulders. Hands. Relax the belly. And even the Hip creases, like right at the top of the Leg, the root of the thigh.

Even if there's Sound right? The sound is actually. A very direct. Way to come into the present moment. So, rather than Sounds. Pulling you. Out of your meditation. Sounds can actually help. To pull us even more directly in To the present moment.

And so, if you're kind of using the sound, You know. Incorporating. A sounded to meditation practice. Try to kind of like open the ears in a way where Avoiding. Labeling, the particular sounds you're hearing. Like notice the impulse of the mind. To label. A voice. Or a drum or, you know, to kind of identify what it's coming from.

Try to drop that part of the labeling mind. And try to just hear the sounds as like pure vibration. Themselves. Maybe you can even Hear the sounds as. Ohm waves, right? As pure vibration.

May all beings be happy and free om Shanti. Thank you all. So very much for making time for practice today. Have a wonderful rest of your day. We'll see you next time.