Podcast #147 - Influence and Action

Jivamukti Focus of the Month, July 2024: 
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TRANSCRIPT:

And we'll start with om.

02:24

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah | sarve santu niramayah |

Sarve bhadrani pashyantu | ma kashchid dukha bhag bhavet |

06:37

Sarve means all. So may all be happy bhavantu sukhinah. May all sarve. May all see the good in others. May no one has sickness. Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, may all see the good in others. And may none suffer from sorrow. So, This is, of course, uh, you know, when we chant these mantras part of the idea is to sort of set our Heart, and our purpose and our intention and our actions in a certain way, and And and then there are times when I when I sort of contemplate may all be happy and I think to myself, That's a lot for me to do.

07:47

That's a lot for me personally to like be able to You know - affect in my world and, um, you know, I heard it said so beautifully the other day that there's this…there’s sort of a disconnect between our, sort of, ever widening awareness; sphere of awareness. And our sense of our narrow sphere of influence or, you know, maybe some of us in this room have a wider sphere of influence than I do, but I'm finding especially with how accessible so much information about the state of the world is that my awareness of the world is sort of always expanding and my sphere of influence, although it might expand a tiny bit from time to time stays relatively small and that when we feel that difference when we feel that differential, that's what creates in us, a sense of either hopelessness or inaction or in a sort of inability to affect change. And So what, you know, what can be done when we get into that state? Well, I I personally like to rely on Um, a quote that I've come back to over and over again, over the years, which says “Action is the antidote to despair.” Action is the antidote to despair. So even when I'm feeling at my, most sort of hopeless or ineffectual that if I'm able to take some sort of small action, how, you know, within my sphere of influence, within my ability to do so that that actually helps that helps me sort of cope with that. Um, Feeling of like what's to be done, right? And so the the Uh, right. Let's come forward on to hands in knees and press back to downward facing dog. So, whatever. Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to keep talking. You start doing.

So come in to downward dog.

10:20

One thing that the that the bhagavad-gita reminds us of, which is in some ways a Um, an entire epic tale, an entire epic poem about how to act in the world about how to do effective and right action. One of the things that the bhagavad-gita says is that we we cannot help but act right being In This life and in this kind of a body. And in this time, like I mean, we we have to breathe, we have to eat We have to You know, interact with people, that, that action is unenvoidable. So then the question before us becomes how to take Right. Action. Good action in the world.

11:08

Okay, with your inhale, come on forward, to a plank pose, shoulders forward over the wrist. As you exhale, lower the knees, the chest and the chin down to the floor. Inhale, slide forward into Cobra. Exhale, tuck the toes under. Move the seat all the way back to the feet first and then straighten the legs downward facing dog. Inhale, come forward into a plank. Exhale lower halfway down chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Pull the chest forward. Exhale downward facing dog. Good soften the knees. Start to walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs.

12:04

Another thing that the bhagavad-gita advises us is to And this is a hard one. To, to let go. Of the attachment to success or failure in our actions. Right to to take the action that is before us, but then to also, somehow let go of the fruits of those actions. So do your best. But, Don't get attached. So one way, we can practice that in the yoga practice is like, From, you know, from a day-to-day experience, like, you know, sometimes the body feels a little bit stronger, some days, a little bit, less strong, some days, more flexible, some days less flexible

Some days the Mind feels like really focused other days we go through yoga class and the mind is very distracted, right? Also, what about the urge to be good at everything? We try is anyone else in that camp? Yeah. Wide in the feet. Bend the knees come into a deep squatting position. I am a recovering. “Be good at things person the instant I try them” addict. And now I I love when I find something, I'm not good at because I'm like, oh good Now, I'm going to struggle. Now, I get to be bad at something, but still enjoy it.

13:48

Okay, bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up and fold forward. So I'm gonna I'm gonna say it now but I'm sure that you know, I'm sure we could use some reminding as we go through class. Like there's a way to incorporate that into our Asana practice.

Right. So say Can we practice hand to stand without it needing to be about sticking handstand, right? Can we practice? Whatever Asana it is without it having to Look or feel exactly like some image we have in our head or some image or We saw on Instagram, God forbid, Okay.

14:25

Bring the feet halfway closer together. Bring the arms behind the back lace, the fingers together into one fist. Let's take that, even a step further, and ask ourselves. Like, is there a way to measure success, that doesn't have to do with You know, imitating a shape that we saw or imitating what we think it should be.

14:49

But is there are there other measures of success? Did I learn something new about myself today? Was I able to really feel my shoulders today? Okay. Inhale, bend the knees, open the chest. Look forward… was, I breathing today. ….Exhale fold forward. Extend the legs. Inhale, bend the knees. Lay the abdomen, towards the thighs.

15:14

Look forward. Exhale, extend, the legs and fold three more times. Here we go. Inhale, bend the knees. Open the chest. Look forward. Exhale, extend the legs and fold good. Inhale bending. Exhale, extending. Inhale to bend. And exhale extend bring the hands onto the waist lift all the way upright to a standing position.

15:49

Reach the arms up overhead clasp, the hands together into one fist. Stretch the elbows. Stretch the arms. Look straight ahead of you. Exhale, Bend to the left side? Inhale lift all the way up to the center. Exhale, Bend to the right side. Inhale up to the center, exhale left side.

16:15

Inhale, lift up to Center. Exhale right side. Inhale, lift up to Center again, exhale left. Inhale to the center and exhale rights side. Good. Inhale, lift all the way up and release the arms. Bring the legs and feet together preparing now for Suria Namaskar With your inhale, reach the arms up overhead hands press together.

16:46

Look up. Exhale, fold 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 in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.

17:22

Breathe in. Breathe out for four inhale. Exhale, Bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale, Hopper step feet to hands. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale stand up. Reach the arms up. Exhale, release. The arms again like that. Inhale reach up. Exhale fold forward. Inhale look forward to prepare. Exhale, hop step or walk back chaturanga.

18:02

Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing good breathing. Breathe out for one. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in. Breathe out, three. Inhale. Exhale, four breathe in. Breathe out. Bend the knees, inhale hopper step forward. Exhale, fold forward. Inhale stand up. Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale release the arms last time.

18:49

Inhale, reach up hands. Press together. Exhale, folding all the way forward. Inhale, halfway lift, exhale hub, step or walk back chaturanga? Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog breathing. Breathe out. Breathe. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale for breathe in. Breathe out, bend the knees. Inhale, Hopper, step feet to hands.

19:41

Exhale, fold forward. Inhale stand up. Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale release the arms, inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up in Arch back. Exhale, bend the knees swing the arms, behind the back lace, the hands together, folding forward, inhale hands to the floor, step the right foot back to lunge.

20:05

Look forward. Exhale step. All the way back downward facing dog. Inhale forward into a plank. Exhale, shut the ranga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog, inhale, plank, exhale, knees, chest chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward Cobra. Exhale. Duck, the toes. Sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs.

20:36

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

21:06

Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward dog, inhale to 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 downward facing dog. Inhale left foot steps forward Exhale, right foot next to left foot folding forward inhale, bend knees, soak thumbs reach up Arch back.

21:42

Exhale, stand up and release the arms. Now deeply, bend the knees. Reach the arms overhead. 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. Left heel down.

22:15

Reach up. Warrior one. Exhale, hands to the floor, step back and lower chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale down where dog inhale step the left foot forward, reach up virabhadrasana one. Exhale, hands to the floors, step back and lower. Inhale, move forward. Exhale, go back one more time.

22:44

Each side inhale right foot steps forward Virabhadrasana one,. Exhale. Hands down. Slowly lower chaturanga. Inhale, move forward. Exhale, go back last times. Inhale left foot Vira one. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale word. Exhale, breathe in. Breathe out one. I think your hands are a little wide exhale to Inhale.

23:24

Exhale, three breathe in. Oh didn't mean to pull your hair. Sorry for a breathe Breathe out, bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale Hopper step feet to hands. Exhale, fold forward. Let the head go down. Good inhale, bend the knees. Reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up and release the arms.

23:53

Good inhale, bend knees. Reach the arms up. Exhale. Hands down to fold forward uttanasana Inhale, look forward. Exhale Hoppers step back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale, downward facing inhale. Step the right foot forward. Turn the left heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. For today, press the hands all the way together and then let the arms kind of travel forward and up out of your sort of heart center.

24:35

So if you could, if you could make like a line from your hands to your heart, that would be good. And then look towards your hands, right? So metaphorically we we say like the hands do the work of the heart, right? So we want to create that connection between intention and action as yogis.

24:53

We're action Yogis. Exhale, open hips and arms to this side. Inhale, straighten the right leg. Exhale, reach to the right for triangle. Tree equinasana, right hand. Down. Left arm reaches straight up. And breathe one. Good, both legs straight to breathe. Breathe out. Three. Try to activate the tops of the legs or breathe in.

25:23

Yeah, pull up here. Boop. Yeah. Inhale, lift all the way, upright. Exhale, bend the right knee. Warrior Two, Breathe one. Good. That's it.

25:42

Bend a little bit more. Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale, straighten the right leg, 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. That's it keep that outer edge of the back foot anchored down into the yoga mat down into the floor two.

26:09

And then because you have that strong back leg, you can reach even further with the left arm for breathe in. Breathe out, good. Inhale, both hands touch down. Exhale lower the left knee down to the floor. Inhale, reach the arms up, get ready to twist. Exhale, hands to prayer twist to the right side hook.

26:36

The left upper arm outside of the right leg. Now you can stay just like this or if you like you can tuck the left toes under lift the left knee. Up away from the floor. Standing spinal. Twist one. Good to keep working the hands closer to the center of the chest.

26:57

Center of chest closer to hands. Three breathe. Breathe out for inhale. Exhale good. Inhale, both hands to the floor. Exhale, start to straighten the front leg. So, both legs straightening. Now, you could take a small step closer with that back foot to Anchor the back heel down and then go ahead.

27:25

Fold forward. Parsvotanasana. Breathe in Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe out.

27:44

Exhale, four breathe in. Breathe out, five, inhale, lift your head and chest, look forward, keep the legs, the same move. The left hand all the way over to the right side of the right foot. And then reach the right arm up for rotated. Triangle, turn your chest, turn your chest one.

28:08

If it's tough to reach the left hand into the floor, you can always put a block under the hand. Three good. That's it.

28:22

With your inhale, bend the right knee hands to the floor plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the left foot forward Vera, but draw, one Warrior one. Good for today, at least for today. Press the hands together. And then, the rather than having the arms all the way up alongside the ears bring the arms just a little forward.

28:57

So that it's like, Like a straight line coming out, straight out from the heart center to the hands, and then see your hands so that you can kind of see. They're trajectory you can see the goal. Yes. Five. Good with your next. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side.

29:19

Inhale, straighten the left leg. Exhale, reach to the left for trikonasana. Triangle. Good, breathe. One, try to relax and spread the toes too. Good. Pull up through the upper legs.

29:39

Four Shrug the shoulders down. Five, good inhale, lift all the way upright. Exhale, bend the left knee Warrior Two good. Breathe in. Breathe out. Exhale, two good. Inhale. Pull the shoulders back a little bit. Yes, three. Breathe in. Breathe out for inhale. Exhale, with your inhale, straighten the left leg, exhale, bend the left knee, place the left hand outside of the left foot, right arm reaches all the way over the right ear for extended side angle.

30:26

Good push the left knee against the left arm strongly and then feel that the strength of the back leg helps you to lengthen, the whole side seam of the right right side body for Good, five. Inhale, both hands touch down. Exhale, lower the right knee down. Inhale arms reach up.

30:52

Exhale hands to prayer, twist to the left side. Option to tuck the right toes under lift the right knee away from the floor standing spinal twist. Two. Keep working this center of the chest towards the hands. Three, good, strong. And straight back leg. For breathe in. Breathe out good.

31:20

Inhale, both hands to the floor. Exhale, start to straighten the front leg. If you like you can move the back foot in a small step closer inhale look forward. Exhale fold forward both legs straight. Both heels pressing down, one breathe in. Breathe out too. Good. Let the head go down.

31:44

Three. No tension in the back of the neck. Inhale. Exhale, inhale lift, head and chest. Look forward, keep the legs, and the feet. The same move the right hand across to the left side of the left foot. And then as an option, you could reach the left arm up or left hand, could be on your waist, turn the chest towards the left side rotated, triangle one Parivritta trikonasana too good.

32:17

Anchoring the back heel down strongly three. Four, breathe. Breathe out. Inhale both hands to the floor. Soften the left knee. Plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good inhale. Exhale, bend the knees look forward. Inhale Hopper step feet to hands. Exhale, fold forward. Inhale bend, the knees.

33:00

Deeply. Reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up release the arms. Take a pretty big step back with the left foot, but see that, you can have both heels anchored down both legs, straight hips, and shoulders all facing straight ahead. And then you have some options with the hands. You can either take the hands into secret prayer behind the back.

33:27

So, fingertips, reaching up between the shoulder blades or if that's too harsh on the wrists or on the shoulders instead, what you could do is make two fists and press the knuckles together. Behind the back. Yeah, that way. We all have the kind of the similar shape at the front body.

33:46

Yep. Okay. So keeping the legs straight. Inhale lift up your chest Arch back. Keeping the legs straight. Exhale fold forward towards the right leg. Parsvatonasana variation. So in this variation, We're in secret prayer with the right foot forward. Yeah. In this variation. Think of winging the elbows a little bit up away from the back, think of reaching the chin.

34:18

Down the front of the shin towards the right. Big toe almost. Yeah. Okay, bend the right knee. Look forward. Try to bring your upper body and chest parallel to the floor. So shoulders in line with hips look slightly forward. And then pivot the left heel away from the floor so that all tend toes phase forward.

34:42

Push off the right leg. I mean, push off the left leg to lift up onto the right leg for Warrior Three. Good? Look forward instead of down. Keep winging the elbows up away from the back. Three back leg is straight and strong four. Good five, good with your inhale, stand all the way up feet and legs together.

35:08

Exhale, release the arms for a moment. Step the right foot back. Both hips, both shoulders. Facing straight Ahead. Again, you could either make secret prayer or opposite fists. I, You know. Grabbing opposite elbows is fine certainly but I find that it changes the shape of what the shoulders can do.

35:37

So we're kind of going for this more Open shape at the front of the chest. Okay. Inhale lift up the chest Arch back. Exhale fold forward. Over the left leg. Parsephotenasana breathe in. Breathe out, think of wing, the elbows up away from the floor to, and if your chin, even though your chin can't necessarily touch your leg.

36:02

Imagine you're reaching the tip of your chin. Down towards your left, big toe.

36:10

Good. Okay, keep the arms doing what they're doing, bend the left knee deeply and look forward, shoulders in line with the hips pivot, the right heel up to the ceiling. All 10 toes facing forward and then as you push off the right foot stand onto the left leg for Warrior three virabhadrasana three.

36:33

Three look forward. Instead of down straighten the back leg, make the back leg as strong and straight as you're standing leg. Is yes. So if you spontaneously head to switch standing legs, they'd be nearly identical.

36:51

Good with your inhale, lift all the way upright. Exhale, release the arms, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor, fold forward. Inhale, prepare look forward. Exhale hub step or walk back chaturanga? Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Now bring the knees to the floor.

37:26

Point your toes and you can sit either on your heels. If you're able to sit without foot or knee pain, for probably, two minutes to an a half minutes. Or if that's too much, you can always put a block or a blanket underneath yourself. Just to give you a little extra space there, okay?

37:47

So, with the arms, alongside the body, bend the elbows at 90 degrees and have the palms of the hands facing up to the ceiling. Can they see me? I hope so. Okay. So, Keep the elbows, like touching the side. Seams of the body, you don't want the elbows to move anywhere.

38:07

We're going to open the hands out to the sides in such a way that the palms of hands are still facing the ceiling. But it's as if we're trying to reach the tips of the thumbs, towards the back of the room, Once you're sort of at your maximum range, could you pull the tips of the thumbs back?

38:26

Even a little bit more? And then come back to the center. Do that again? Open the hands, out to the sides, pull the tips of the thumbs, towards the back of the room, and in particular, try to feel how the shoulder blade is moving. In towards the center of the body, in towards the spine and down a little bit.

38:49

So feel the shoulder blades moving Together down and towards the mid body. And then come back to the center, one more time like that. Hands, open to the sides. Pull the thumbs back back back. Try to feel all those. All that lovely action of the Shoulder blade, moving into the back.

39:12

And then come back to the center. Okay, now just with the right hand. Bring the right hand out to the side. Thumb pulls to the back. Feel that movement of the shoulder blade and then try to keep the action of the shoulder blade, as you reach the right fingertips behind you left hand could hold the right knee, move it into a little bit of a Twist.

39:33

If you're sitting up on a big tall block, it might be helpful to have a block. Also behind you to help the right hand to have something to Anchor down into now, Again, can you? Just by finding that action of the shoulder blade, can that be the impetus to help you turn more rather than turning from the waist or from the action of the arms?

39:57

Turn to face forward, and then come back to our Serving tray position. Hello. Would you like an hors d'oeuvre? Okay, thank you. Okay. We're now, we're fancy Yogis. Okay, and now take the left hand out to the All right. So feel again, the shoulder blade moving down the back in towards the spine and a little bit, towards the middle of the body.

40:26

And then try to keep that action. Reach the left fingertips, back behind you find something to hold on to, right hand could hold your left knee. Move into your twist. And even though we usually utilize a lot of arms strength to to sort of help us turn. See, if you could actually initiate more turning by plugging that shoulder blade in and down, If that doesn't make sense, don't worry just feel it and remember it because it's going to help us in a moment.

40:57

Turn it phase forward and then come forward onto hands in knees move any blocks or props off to the side. Downward facing dog.

41:12

Okay. With your inhales step the right foot forward. Warrior one. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side. Inhale, place the right hand on the instep side of the right foot. Left arm reaches straight up. And then everybody can bend the left elbow behind the back, reaching for the right hip crease or the thigh.

41:38

Whatever you can find back there. Now, you can stay like that or you can bring the right arm underneath the right leg and make a bind connecting the hands together. So, even here See if you can use that shoulder blade technique. So, Press the left shoulder blade in down towards the center of the body.

42:03

To help you come into the bind. Yes. That's it. Good.

42:11

And then try to keep the bind if possible slowly start to extend the right leg for bound triangle. Even if you're coming out of the bind for this, no problem at all. But again, keep trying to work. The left shoulder blade. More into the back. Yeah, nice. Okay, inhaling.

42:35

Bend the right knee. Exhale place the right hand down left arm reaches up. Inhale, both hands touch down plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale. Step the left foot forward Virabhadrasana one. Exhale, open to the side. Inhale left hand to the in-step side of the left foot right, arm reaches up.

43:12

Everyone can start by taking the right arm behind the back, you can stay like that or you have the option to reach the left arm underneath the left leg moving towards a bind. Now again whether you have the bind or not don't worry so much about that. Keep the focus for today on moving that shoulder blade in just the way we Practice.

43:38

So again. Instead of having the goal be whether the hands happen to connect behind the back or not, you know have the goal be to bring more like awareness and effort into that shoulder blade action. Yeah. And then go ahead slowly start to extend the left leg and even if you're ditching the bind Again no problem, just keep working on raising some awareness into the back body.

44:06

It's actually sometimes it's the hardest place to be aware of because we can't sort of see it touch it. Feel it. Uh, on a on a normal day-to-day basis. Okay. Inhale, bend the left knee. Exhale left hand down, right arm up. Inhale, both hands to the floor, step into a plank.

44:28

Exhale, lower chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees look forward. Inhale upper step feet to hands. Exhale to fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up and release the arms alongside the body. Okay. Point, the right foot forward out in front of you.

45:07

Point he left foot forward out in front of you, my fault. Look straight Ahead, try not to lean forward her back and then Flex the left foot and feel how as you flex the left foot that means pulling the toes back that the front of the leg becomes more active so maybe you even feel like the the muscles at the front of the ankle are Contracting the muscles at the front of the shin and especially the muscles at the top of the leg, all of that is pulling up up. Yeah. Yes. Jessica it's happening. I can feel it happening. Great super. Okay now do the opposite, Point the toes and maybe you can feel the back of the legs start to active activate. So the calf muscle suddenly got sort of bigger and firmer even the hamstrings starting to participate. Yeah. Again. Now everybody's like, yes, yes. No, sometimes it feels a little too monologue up here. And I'm like, okay, people Okay, Flex the flex, the foot. And again feel the front of the leg.

Point the foot and feel the back of the leg. Now, here's a little trick. Keep the ankle part of the foot pointed, but just pull the five toes back, like, we're standing right across from the Louboutin offices, right? So, if that brings a visual image, For what the foot wants to look like.

Now, with this half Point, half Flex situation. Can you feel both the front of the leg activation that we were looking for and the back of the leg? So both sides of the legs activate At once. Okay, feet together. Don't worry. We're not going to do the whole Isis routine.

47:01

We will another day, but this is just about this leg mechanism. So point the right foot forward, Stand up really tall in the standing leg Flex. The foot feel the front of the leg. Point the foot feel the back of the leg. Just try to feel it even if you don't understand like what muscles, I'm describing.

Flex, the foot feel the front of the leg working. Point the foot feel the back of the leg working. Now, let's try that little trick. So you're going to keep the ankle part shaped the same but pull the toes back. So you have half Point half Flex thing happening and without actually touching the toes to the floor.

47:41

Can you at least lengthen the ball of the foot as if the next thing you want to do is touch the floor with the ball of the foot. Okay, feet together. Come into downward facing dog. Remember that feeling of the legs? Okay, walk the feet. Yeah, from downward dog.

48:03

Now. Uh, walk the feet halfway forward towards the hands. Bring the shoulders over the wrists and look between your hands. Find a spot on the floor to look at Lift the heels high up both heels as high as you possibly can. You feel how the legs are are making that shape like we have our Louboutin feet and then we have the front of the leg back of the leg working?

48:28

Yes. Jessica we can feel it. Okay. Great. Now, lift the left leg up. But even though the left leg is in the air, can you make the same shape in the leg and the foot? So that if If you needed to switch legs and have the left leg, be the standing leg, it would be as strong and sturdy as the leg that's underneath you.

48:50

In fact, let's go ahead and try that. Take a hop and switch legs, midair. And land on the other leg. Uh-Huh, and switch. Uh, fire up those legs. Okay. Okay, pause, pause, pause. Time out. I know I like to Spring it on you and see what happens and then clarify if needed It's pedagogy.

49:15

Okay. Teachers in the room are like, Okay. All right, so Really. So again, instead of making it about hand standing, right? Let's take that sort of as the out of our brains as a goal or an objective, right? So let's erase that, instead, what we're working on is The action of it, right?

49:42

So what were what, what we're trying to get in touch with is the idea that both legs are going to be equally straight and strong. Sometimes we forget about this up leg and we are just so focused on the standing leg and it's very tiring. Instead, I want you to charge up both legs, make the same shape in both legs.

50:05

That we just worked on. And then when you hop, let this up leg, do the swinging. Right? So that the up leg is actually helping you With the buoyancy and the levitation a little bit. Yeah. Okay, so Again we're just, we're just trying to switch legs mid-air and see if we get just a little bit of hang time.

50:26

Just a little Of that buoyancy. Don't even worry about hand standing per se. But again, if you focus on making the up leg as straight and strong as possible, The buoyancy will will start to just happen. Yes.

50:49

Oh my pretties. Fly my pretties fly.

51:12

Good. All right, take a little, take a little pause. Let's try. Let's try one more. Trying to make sure I get in the right spot for the online people. Let's try one more. One more activity to again, kind of awaken. The strength of the legs from the inside, right?

51:38

So, instead of switching legs, this time, we are going to land on the same leg. I'm going to start way back in a downward dog. So, I have some room to grow. I'm making both legs charge up, just like that. Practice, we just did. And then Again, I'm not I'm not trying to hop on the standing leg so much in instead I'm really focusing on swinging the up leg.

52:02

Swinging the up leg. You see how I did like, two little? Hops towards my hands and then I'm going to do two little hops back. And all I'm doing is swinging the top leg. Swinging the top leg. So see if the top leg can become the like engine of the thing.

52:22

So a couple hops forward, couple hops back, with the same leg in the air. I'll talk you through it. So that we all Uh, kind of have the same understanding Okay. So, everyone starting downward dog for this one. Bring the feet together. Look towards your hands. Lift high up onto the heels.

52:44

I mean a high up into the balls of the feet rather. And then lift the left leg up. And then think about initiating your hot by swinging the top leg up and then let the right foot fly forward, a little bit. Yes. Do a couple two or three And then when you're kind of at your maximum go back, two or three, Yes, up leg.

53:06

The up leg. Reach that up leg towards the sky. Yes,

53:15

Okay, switch legs. Other like same idea.

53:42

Okay good.

53:47

I know it's one of those days, right? Okay. Go ahead. All right, go ahead. Come down, come down. Sit up on the heels. Again, you can throw a block underneath. You have sitting on the heels isn't totally possible. Uh, reach up and hold opposite, elbows. And then the, the right hand is holding the left elbow, right?

54:12

Um, go ahead and spread your left fingertips out. Palm of the hand, is now facing the front of the room. The windows. And then just keeping the forearm parallel to the floor. See if you could rotate, the upper arm in such a way that now the palm of the hand faces, the right side of the room and the back of the hand is trying to move towards the door side of the room.

54:38

The right hand is holding the left elbow still And then come back to the Original spot switch the fold of the arms. Spread the right fingers out and then keep hold of the right elbow, but as if you're kind of like, swinging a door open, Swing the back of the right hand to the left.

55:01

Palm of the hand facing note back of the right hand to the right. Palm of the hand facing the left wall. So the fingertips are going straight back. Okay, let's do one more time, each side. So right hand holds left, elbow, left fingers, spread, and I'm sort of swinging the door open.

55:22

Fingertips, point to the back. Forearm is still parallel to the floor. And then come back to the center switch, the forearms. And last times, Raid. Fingertips. Straight back. Left hand is holding right elbow. Okay. And then, come on, back to the center release the arms. Come forward onto hands and knees.

55:48

And then bring the elbows down to the floor, forearms to the floor.

55:57

Tuck the toes under lift the knees up. Look at the space between your elbows now between your elbows. And then walk the feet a little bit closer to the hands. Lived, both heels High, both heels high and then lift the left leg up. Good. Now, swing the left leg up for firm stand.

56:18

Go for it.

56:34

Uh-Huh.

56:39

Okay, if you've had the other, if you've had the left leg up for a while, switch. Other side. Right leg reaches up. Fire up that right leg. Strong and straight right leg. Again, go for it.

56:59

Swing. Harder. Yes, squeeze the legs.

57:12

Good. Okay. Good. Take a little rest.

57:42

And then lay down on your abdomen, lay down on the front side of the body. Go to arms, alongside the body. Lift up head chest and legs for shalabasana.

58:05

Good Alice lift your shoulders higher. Yes, Helen lift your feet higher.

Good with your exhale slowly release on down.

Bend the knees, reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles. Inhale lift on a head just and knees for dhanurasana

And with your exhale, slowly release on.

Again, bend the knees. Reach back. Catch, hold of the ankles. Inhale lift on up head, just and knees. dhaurasana

exhale slowly release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest. Inhale lift forward and up into upward, dog. Exhale, go back downward facing dog. Lift high up onto the balls of the feet. Bend the knees. Look forward past the hands Hop or walk all the way through to sit down.

59:58

And lay down on the back. Could set the feet flat onto the floor? Lift the hips up. Interlock the hands behind the back into one fist. Half wheel arms behind the back hips up.

01:00:30

Good, separating the hands. Relieves the back down to the floor. Now you could repeat half wheel otherwise, if you're going to go for a full wheel, place the hands on the floor, either side of the head. And with your inhale, go ahead. Lift up deep breaths.

01:01:10

A chin to the chest slowly release down. Keep the feet on the floor. Feet, stay down.

01:01:24

Place the hands in the feet. Second time, here we go. Lift up, head chest, and knee lift up, head. Check upper middle. Lower back. It's a little misfire between my brain and my words.

01:01:52

Good chin to the chest slowly. Come down feet, stay on the floor. One more time. Last times, place the hands, place the feet. Inhaling press down to lift up.

01:02:25

Good chin to the chest and slowly release on down.

Hug the knees into the chest.

01:02:59

Bring the knees over to the left side of the body. As you look to the right.

01:03:25

Mmm. Bring the knees up to the center and then go the other way. Knees, all the way over to the right side.

01:03:54

Good. Bring the knees on up to the center. Come on up to a seated position said all the way upright. Straighten the legs forward, flex the feet, sit up tall and reach forward. Pacchimottanasana seated, forward fold one.

01:04:42

There may be stretches of time in our yoga practice where it's very hard to. Um, Sort of see. The progress curve, right? It might seem like, okay, I've been going to class and going to class, and going to class, and I'm just not sure. If I really perceive the the progress, but progress is one of those funny things where like Even if it's imperceptible.

01:05:12

It's happening on a sort of incremental level and you might not be able to see see it in that on that day. But when you look back over the course of your practice, you can see Kind of everything that you've Worked towards and and worked on.

01:05:42

Okay, lift all the way up, right? To a seated position, bend both knees into the chest, set the feet onto the floor, Separate the feet a little bit apart and bring the hands to the floor behind the back preparing for tabletop. Push down, swing the hips forward and up and then you can let the head go back.

01:06:15

Good gin to the chest and then slowly release down and let the knees open out to the sides feet together for baddhakonasana, bound angle. Hold on to the ankles. And go forward.

01:06:53

There have even been times over the past. Week or month or so that I think to myself, What good has all my activism done? Right. What progress has it? What has it helped? Why, why am I doing it? Lived all the way upright to a seated position. I'm sure No activist has ever felt that before in the past and then laid down on your back. You can keep the shape of the legs, the same. So knees, open to the sides feet together. You can rest your hands on your abdomen or even out to the sides. And then either either stay here in supta baddhakonasana or you can finish your practice with a shoulder stand.

01:07:41

Salamba Sarvangasana

01:08:25

So even if you're in shoulders down, try that same leg shape that we worked on in the other. And the other inversions. So like point the ankles, but flex your toes back so that both sides of the leg are active. Yeah.

01:08:53

So, even even if some of us find ourselves in that place of like, You know, just not not certain like what? The right sort of set of actions to take. Right.

One thing I try to remind myself is that Is like, I would still I would still have done all. The work I have. Even if I didn't get the result I wanted, Right. I would still have.

You know, something about the actions feel like a natural. Like in almost necessary. Uh, just part of, you know, my the course of my life. And,

And as Jane Goodall says, Um, our actions do matter. All of our actions matter. It just depends. On us to decide what action to take.

Okay, so if you're in shoulder, stands start to come into halasana plow.

01:10:55

And then if you're in plaus, slowly start to roll onto the back. If you were taking shoulder stand, come into fish matseyasana crown of the head to the floor. Just if you were practicing shoulder stand.

01:11:25

And then, For fish, lift the chin to the chest. And lay down and then for soup debatical to start to bring the knees together. And extend the legs out along the floor.

01:11:47

Setting up for savasana.

01:20:58

Start to deepen the breath.

Start to bring a little movement into the body.

Take a moment to stretch. Or move, whatever way you need to help, wake the body up.

When you're already gather the knees into the chest and roll to the right hand side, Come on up to a seated position. Let's set up a comfortable seat for meditation practice.

01:22:02

Place yourself in. Conscious way. So, Crossing folding the legs in a purposeful way and Kind of evening out the seed. Sitting up straight and Tall.

And then consciously also relaxing. The face shoulders. Hands. Belly.

The most universal instruction is of course, to follow the breath. If you have some other meditation instructions, you're welcome to use that.

01:25:41

So, maybe you already kind of know what? Area of action is what your touch point is. And and if not If not, sometimes it's helpful to actually turn and look at the Heartbreak in the hopelessness and and That can be an indicator of what sphere you might want to take action.

And then just see if for today, you can kind of Kind of narrow things down to just Achievable small action, you can take today. If it's Writing one email or talking to one person or just some small, very doable thing that you can do by the end of the day.

01:27:44

Thank you all so much for making time. For your practice today and for all of your hard work and attention as always As always, if you have any questions about today or just specifically about your yoga practice, let me know if not, we'll see you next time. There's some spray bottles at the back of the room, you can spray down the mat.

01:28:04

If you borrowed, one of our mats and put them on the pegs right outside the room here. And, um, Yeah, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Thanks.