Podcast #153 - New Year, New Legs

The Physical Focus is Hanumanasana, ideally have two blocks and some space at the wall to follow along.

Jivamukti Yoga Focus of the Month, January 2025 "Novelty in Practice" by Jules Febre
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/novelty-in-practice/

Follow me everywhere: @yogastickler

00:02

Testing testing. Is. Happy New Year. Thank you. Happy New Year too. Thanks so much for joining and thanks for the audio. Check. Okay, welcome, welcome, welcome. Uh, let's get started in one more second.

00:54

Okie dokie. All right. So uh Good morning. Happy New Year. Go ahead and find a good seat.

01:21

Heal a deep breath in.

02:07

Inhale a Deep full breath in. Fill up. And then, exhale completely even at the bottom of the exhale. Try to squeeze a little bit more air out than you thought you could, and then inhale fully and deeply fill up, fill up, fill up, fill up even more and exhale, exhale, exhale, exhale, exhale, exhale good.

02:30

Now, just inhale to a comfortable level about halfway, and we'll begin a round of kapala bhati breathing. So short sharp exhalations through the nose. So keeping the mouth closed. And it's um, it's produced by a little pumping of the low part of the abdomen. If you're not certain about this practice, you can just listen to your neighbors, kind of get the idea for it.

02:59

Should be just a little bit staccato. Just a little bit. Almost assertive we won't say aggressive but like assertive. And then wherever you are now take 10 more, count 10. And then, when you're finished with your 10, exhale, super fully completely exhale. Everything out out out out out. And again, inhale to fill up.

03:27

Inhale, And exhale emptying out. Good. That's it. Keep going. Keep going. Push the exhale just a little bit further. And then, inhale to a comfortable level. And we'll begin second round of kapalabati this time. See if you could like turn up the energy on it a little bit, so making it either a little bit faster or a little bit more energetic.

03:54

Just to get a little bit of that vibrancy a little bit of that. Moving this morning.

04:18

Good. And then from right where you are, count 10 more 10 more pumpings. And then at the end of your 10, exhale completely Inhale. Fill up. Fill up. Fill up. And exhale. Now all the way at the bottom of the exhale, lift the pelvic floor muscles in and up Mulabunda so Contracting.

04:42

The muscles between the pubic bone, and the tailbone between the two sitting bones, Keep that inhale. Ujai. Breathing. Mouth stays closed. Exhale, continue to contract. Mulabunda inhale. Four, exhale. Four. Inhale. Three four, exhale. Four. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Keep it going on your own. So keep mulabunda and keep the ujai breathing going.

05:33

In a moment. Don't move yet. In a moment you're going to come forward unto hands and knees and press back to downward dog but just as an experiment, try to continue mulabunda and ujai breathing, even as you move even as you go through, just that little transition point between seated and moving into Asana.

05:54

So go ahead when you're ready but try to make continuous sort of attention and intention even as you go. I personally have found that transitions are kind of the hardest place to keep the focus on malibunda and on ujai breathing. Like, when there's sort of that pause between, Whatever we're doing, and setting up for shoulder stand, for example, or things like that.

06:26

And I find that that's true also in Life where, you know, sometimes the the transitions right between Christmas and New Year's or the transitions between uh you know, leaving home and getting to the subway sometimes those transitions, we go a little unconscious, we sort of go on autopilot. So just something to kind of think about as we move into this practice and as we move into the new year,

06:56

And then with your next, inhale, come on forward to a plank shoulders forward over the wrists. And then as you exhale, lower the knees, the chest and the chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward.

07:27

Good inhale. Come forward into a plank. Ag seal lower halfway down. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Got it in uh walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over. The legs. Good. Keep that continuous conscious breath continuous application of moolabunda.

08:18

Oh, good. And then widen 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 lift. The front corners of the armpits up.

08:35

Use the arms to kind of push the knees a little bit wider if possible. Yes. Good. And then bring the hands down. Raise the hips up and fold forward. Over the legs. Let the head hang down.

09:00

Bring the feet like halfway closer together, bring the arms, behind the back. Interlock the fingers together into one fist with your inhale. Bend the knees, open the chest. Look forward. Reach the arms up away from the back a bit good, exhale. Extend, the legs and fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees.

09:23

Open the chest. Look forward. Extend the legs and full inhale bending. Look forward. Exhale, extending fold forward, inhale to bend And exhale to extend hands on your waist lift all the way upright to a standing position. Reach the arms on up overhead and interlock the hands together into one fist.

09:56

Stretch the elbows. As you reach the knuckles up, up, up to the ceiling. Inhale, exhale, Bend to your left side? Lift up to Center. Exhale right side. Inhale lift to Center. Exhale left side. Inhale to Center and exhale right side. Inhale lift on up, one more time, each side, exhale left, good.

10:31

Inhale Center. And exhale, right side, good inhale lift all the way up and then release the arms arms, alongside the body, bring the feet and legs all the way together preparing for Surya. Nama scar, sun salutations with the inhale, reach the arms up overhead hands press together. Look up.

10:54

Exhale, fold all the way forward. Inhale, halfway lift to prepare. Exhale, hop step or walk back. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good breathe in deep. Breathe out, completely. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale, three breathe in. Breathe out for four. Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale, Hopper step feet to hands.

11:46

Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, stand up. Reach the arms up. Exhale release. The arms. Inhale. Reach up hands pressed together. Exhale, fold forward. Press the hands down good. Inhale look forward. Lengthen. Exhale chaturanga. Hop step or walk back. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good breathing. Breathe out for one inhale.

12:27

Exhale. Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale for breathing. And breathe out. Bend the knees. Inhale, Hopper step feet to hands. Exhale fold forward. Inhale stand up. Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale, release the arms. Good inhale. Reach up last one. Exhale folding forward, press hands to Earth.

13:07

Inhale prepare. Look forward. Exhale hop, step or walk back. Inhale word. Exhale, uh, breathe. Good. Breathe out one. Inhale. Good. Let the head relax. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale, three? Maybe just a little yeah, exhale four. Breathe in. Breathe out. Bend the knees. Inhale, Hopper step feet to hands, exhale to fold forward.

13:50

Inhale, stand up. Release the arms jiva mukdi style surya namaskar inhale, hook your thumbs, reach your arms up and Arch back. Bend knees, swing arms behind lays hands together and fold. Inhale hands down right foot steps. Back. Look forward. Exhale, step, all the way back downward facing dog. Inhale to plank.

14:23

Inhale upward facing, dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, again to plank this time. Exhale, knees, chest, 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, right foot steps forward, exhale left foot next to right foot fold forward.

14:50

Inhale, bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, bend knees, arms behind lace hands together and fold. Inhale, hands touch down. Left foot steps back Downward facing. Inhale play. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward face. Exhale, downward face, inhale to plank. Exhale, knees, chest and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra.

15:30

Exhale, tuck the toes, sit all the way back towards the feet and then extend the legs inhale left foot steps forward Exhale, right foot next to left foot folding over inhale. Bend knees, hook thumbs reach up Arch back. Exhale, stand up and release the arms. Inhale, bend the knees and reach the arms overhead katasana chair pose Exhale, hands down.

16:01

Folding forward head goes down. Inhale lift head and chest. Exhale, hop step or walk back. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward. Turn the left heel down. Reach up. Warrior one. Exhale, hands down step back and lower chaturanga. Inhale, move forward. Exhale go back.

16:35

Inhale step the left foot forward. Reach up verbatross, no one. Exhale hands down step back. Bend the elbows chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog, keep the breathing going. Inhale. Right foot forward. Warrior one, reach. All the way up. Exhale, hands down, exhale all the way through your chaturanga.

17:04

Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale left foot steps forward virabadrasana one. Exhale hands down step back and lower. Inhale, move forward, good. Exhale, go back. Hold breathing. Breathe out. Lula Bunda and ujjai, exhale. Inhale. Exhale, two, inhale. Exhale for three, inhale. Exhale, four. Inhale. Exhale, soften the knees, inhale Hopper step forward feet to hands.

17:59

Exhale to fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. I just inhaled too excitedly. Sorry about that. Separate the feet. A few inches apart. Hands on your waist. Inhale, lift up the chest Arch back. Squeeze the elbows towards each other. Exhale fold all the way forward. Reach down catch.

18:28

Hold of the big toes with the piece sign fingers of the hands, inhale of breath. Exhale, fold forward. Hold the face towards the legs one. Yeah. If the legs are all the way straight, try to activate the tops of the legs. So, firming up the quadriceps. If the legs are all the way straight, you could also bend the elbows, a little to the sides to go more down.

19:01

Exhale, three. Inhale. Exhale, for four breathing. And breathe out, inhale head and chest lift, look forward exhale. Slide the palms of the hands underneath the soles of the feet. And then, again, exhale fold forward. So, even though the weight is more pitched towards the heels, in this one, try to shift a little bit more weight into the fronts of the feet.

19:37

So it's not just all back in the heels. Yeah. And then pull up on the soles of the feet. To pull your face closer to your legs. If you're spreading the elbows to the sides. Think of shit shrugging the shoulder blades up away from the ears. So the back of the neck stays lengthened, And breathe.

19:59

And breathe out. Inhale, lift your head and chest. Look forward. Get your hands out from under there. Bring the feet together and you're gonna have your hands a little out in front of your feet. Either flat on the floor or you can do this next bit with your two blocks pressing the hands down into the blocks, have your shoulders directly forward over your wrist and then lift your heels as high as you can away from the floor.

20:31

Lift lift lift, let the head go down for this one. Keep coming up onto the tippy tippy tip toes. See if you can lift even higher, keep your legs, straight, lift, higher, lift, higher, and then just float, your toes right up to handstand.

20:50

Heels down. Okay now yes Francis guessed it. She's good at this guessing game. We're going to take five hops five. Little hops with both feet kicking your heels towards your buttocks, just like Francis does. Yeah. So if you need a inspiration you can always True on many levels. If you need inspiration, go to Francis.

21:15

Who is also a GMOT teacher from Montreal? Good. So once you're finished with your five, let your head hang down. Let your arms hang down, move your blocks out of the way if you were using them hands on your waist, lift the chest forward and up to stand up And bring the legs and feet together.

21:38

Arms alongside the body. Good inhale, bend the knees. Reach the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor fold forward. Inhale halfway lift. Look forward. Exhale hop step, or walk back.

22:00

Exhale, step the right foot forward. Turn the left heel down. Reach up Warrior one, and hold your Warrior one for today. So, bend the front knee just a little bit more deeply. Keep grounding the outer edge of the back foot down, that's it. And then see if you could lean your head chest and arms back a little bit more.

22:26

Yes, good bend the front knee a little bit more, send the hips more down and then see if you could lean the head chest arms back, just a little bit more than you would usually do. And then inhale come up, right? Straight in the right leg. Exhale, open hips and arms to the side preparing for triangle, inhale, reach all the way towards the front of the room and exhale.

22:49

Right hand down, left arm reaches straight up. Breathe out one. Turn the back toes. A little bit more in now towards you other way. Yes, two, yeah, perfect, three. Breathe in. Breathe out for inhale. Exhale, inhale stand all the way upright. Exhale, bend the right knee. Warrior, two, breathe in.

23:25

Breathe out. Move the feet. A little farther apart. And then sit a little bit lower down. Good. Lift the chest, look, past your right hand, but then sit a little bit lower. Yeah. Really. Let the hips kind of settle into gravity a little bit, sit down into it. But with your 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, good, right knee pressing against right.

24:03

Upper arm importantly, the outer edge of the back foot grounding down, reaching down into the Earth. And then from that place, turn the chest to the side wall even more if possible. Is both hands down step right into a plank. Exhaled chaturanga. Inhale, move forward. Exhale, go back. Inhale step the left foot forward.

24:32

Bearaba draws in a one reach all the way up. Good, exhale, stay here. Bend into the front knee. Inhale. Exhale. Bend the front knee a little bit more, too good. That's it. Try to lift the head the chest and the arms back a little bit more than you. Thought you could and then sit the hips down a little bit lower.

24:55

One more time, lean your torso back. Exhale, stay and then inhale. Come upright, exhale, open to the side. Inhale, reach long to the left and then exhale left hand down, right arm up, trico nasana triangle one, inhale. Exhale, if possible try to lift up through the quadriceps. So try to make the tops of the legs.

25:25

Strong and active here, three, breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. And exhale with your inhale, lift all the way upright. Exhale, bend the left knee. If you're ever dress in a two, almost everyone could move the feet, a little farther, apart, taking a slightly longer stance for Warrior Two good.

25:51

And then bend the front knee, more sit, a little bit lower. That's it. Second time, bend the front knee, sit a little bit lower, still, Good sit right in between both hips. That's right. It's 20 25 now. We're leaving that old Warrior 2 back in the old, no, inhale, straighten the left leg kidding.

26:15

Exhale, bend the left knee, place the left hand outside of the left foot, reach the right arm all the way over the right ear. One And strong and straight back, like, breathe out too. Yes, push the left knee against the left arm, strong for three, inhale. Exhale forward turning the chest.

26:39

Inhale And exhale. Inhale, both hands touch down plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog, good, uh, lift the left leg up and back. But unlike unlike, when we usually take down, dog, splits try instead to square off the left hip. So, the left hip is actually turning a little bit in and down.

27:15

Flex the left foot left leg stays really straight. And then push, extra hard with your hands. Like, you're trying to put a footprint on the back of the room. And then lift the right heel up and see if without turning the left, hip open, you could lift the left leg a little higher with the left with the right heel lifting and then place the left foot down.

27:43

Lift the right leg up. Keep the right leg straight and for now keep the hips level with the right toes flexing, basically straight down towards the floor. And then push as if you're trying to get the footprint to touch the back of the room. Lift the left heel up and see if with the left heel lifting, you could lift a little bit higher.

28:05

Both feet down. Inhale, step the right foot forward between the hands. Don't change the back foot. Now, come up onto fingertips. Look forward! A little bit. We're going to do something kind of quirky. So let the hips sink, like much further down than you normally would in your lunge.

28:25

Try to keep the back leg off the floor, but just let the hips kind of heavy into gravity a little bit. The hips back where they came from. And once again, let the hips go low low, low low, letting them sink down into that gravitational pull. Then lift up to where they came from.

28:46

And then last time, let the hips sink, low low low low, keeping the back leg extending as best as you can and then bring the hips just to the height of the right knee. So right hip right knee in one line. Thigh bone, essentially parallel to the floor and then reach both arms up for Exhale, fully.

29:09

Inhale straighten the right leg and reach the fingertips up towards the ceiling. Good exhale. Bend the front knee, but keep reaching up from the waist up, you're reaching up. Inhale, extend the right leg and reach Exhale. Bend. Inhale, extend lift and reach. Exhale, as you bend try to keep the back leg as straight as possible.

29:35

Now, inhale both hands to the floor. Don't change the feet. Exhale, start to straighten the front leg. Don't change the feed I.E. Don't scoot the back foot in yet. Inhale, bend the right knee. Look forward. Exhale, extend the right leg and fold. Inhale bending look forward. Exhale, extending and fold.

30:02

And again, keep the feet where they are for now, we'll take the other. We'll make the other adjustment in a moment. But for now keep this slightly longer stance hips. Both sort of facing more towards the front edge of the mat legs. Active feet pushing down into the floor in both directions.

30:22

So try to make the legs as active as possible. Good. Is just like that. Okay, soften the

30:48

Two good. Three presses down especially through the center of both heels. Breathing. And breathe out, inhale. Bend the right knee hands to the floor plank. Exhale. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog, step. The left foot forward. Don't change the back foot yet. Come up onto your fingertips, spread the front of the chest, look forwards.

31:26

And then as you exhale, let the hips sink, low low low. But try to keep the back leg off the floor and then, inhale hips, come back to where they came from. Exhale, let the hips go low, heavy the hips. Inhale hips. Come back, where they came from again?

31:43

Exhale, go low, go low, go, low. And then lift the hips. Just so that the left hip is in line with the left knee. So your front thigh wants to be parallel to the floor in so far as it's possible. And then reach both arms up. Eye lunge. Exhale, a breath out there.

32:04

Notice if the right hip is trying to turn out, try to keep it uh, facing forward, inhale straighten left leg. Good, reach up. Exhale, Bend left knee. Inhale, extend lift and straighten. Exhale to bend, good. Inhale, straight try to keep the back leg. Really straight. Exhale, Bend Good last one.

32:31

Inhale, extend, beautiful, exhale. Bend place the hands down. Inhale a breath, exhale! Start to straighten the left leg. The front leg. Keep the feet, the same. We're going to move back and forth. Inhale, Bend look forward. Exhale, extend and fold. Inhale, Bend look forward, keep the hips really facing front as best.

32:57

You can exhale, extend. Good. Inhale, Bend. And exhale extend. Now, go ahead sneak that back foot in a small step forward, so that both heels can ground down, inhale and exhale fold forward. Good going for two, straight legs going for, um, Firming up, the thighs. Firming up. The upper legs pushing both heels down into the floor.

33:28

Strongly Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. And exhale good with your inhale, Bend left knee hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward, don't change the back foot. Exhale lower the left knee down. Inhale, reach the arms up.

34:08

Get ready to twist. Exhale hands to prayer twist to the right side hook, the left upper arm outside of the right leg. And then you can either stay like this or tuck the back toes under lift the back knee up. Exhale, here one. Good. Try to find the center of the ball of the foot.

34:30

Exhale, three. Good push that heel down. Good. Exhale four breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale, both hands touch down. Exhale straighten the front leg and again, sneak the back foot in a small step closer. So you're setting up to come into another variation of parso chanasana. But uh so this time Let's see.

34:59

Okay, you can either keep the right hand exactly where it is or you could put a block under the right hand. And you know, once you try it, you can of course, change your mind and decide what's right for you. So, soften the right knee, a little bit. Reach the left arm around behind the back of the knee and try to hold on to your right upper arm with your left hand.

35:25

Yeah, and then you're gonna push your right knee back against the resistance. Of your arms there. So yeah, try to get more behind the, the Flesh of the knee. I think kind of behind the open part of the knee. Yeah. So as you're pushing, The leg back even if it's not straightening all the way, what it is doing is, it's helping us to activate the front of the leg in order to get into the hamstrings a little bit more.

35:56

Okay. Both hands to the floor, bend the right knee, look forward and then pushing off the left toes. Lift up to standing splits. Left leg lifts up. And exhale fold forward. If it's tough already to straighten the standing leg hands, on blocks can be useful. Yeah. Great. I find.

36:18

Yeah, I find Hands-On blocks to be really helpful. Okay. So now the the variation is up to you. You could keep both hands down if you want, otherwise soften the right knee, a little bit reach, the left, arm behind, the right knee and hold on to the right upper arm.

36:38

With the right hand or you're staying with both hands down that part's up to you. And then you're pushing the knee back against the arm, to again, kind of get some of this quadricep strength happening so that we can Uh, influence the hamstrings, a little bit more. Okay. Inhale lift head and chest.

37:03

Look forward step the right step, the left foot back. Excuse me, inhale to plank. Eggs, seal chaturanga. Inhale upward down. Exhale downward dog inhale left foot steps forward. Exhale, right knee down. Inhale arms reach up preparing to twist. Exhale hands through prayer, twist to the left side. Good. You can stay like this or tuck the right toes under lift the right knee up.

37:35

Standing spinal twist one good. Exhale too good. So again finding this sort of center of the foot there. Yeah, three breathe. Breathe out for a same deep breathing, inhale. Exhale good. Inhale, both hands to the floor. Exhale, step the back foot in a small step closer straightening. The left leg same shape.

38:04

Overall, as our original purse futanasana which again, you could continue in the same shape or if you like, you can take the variation, you're going to bend the left knee, a little bit reach, the right arm around behind, try to hold the left upper arm and then you're pushing the knee back against the resistance of the arm.

38:26

This case, it's the good kind of resistance, the kind of resistance that leads to more strength and flexibility.

38:40

Good inhale, bend the left knee. Both hands to the floor. Exhale, a breath out. Inhale push off the right toes to lift up standing splits. Exhale, fold forward, head goes down. Now, again, you're welcome to keep both hands grounded down especially if the balance is more of a concern.

38:59

And then, uh, but if you're taking the variation, go ahead and bend the left knee, reach the right arm behind, hold the left arm. Yeah, and then push that knee back against the arm.

39:20

Okay, both hands down, soften the left. Knee step back lunge, inhale plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing. Uh, inhale step the right foot to the outside of the right hand. Uh lower the left knee down and point, the left toes, lift the head and the chest, you could either stay on hands or even come up to fingertips.

39:55

If you like just spread the chest, descend, the hips and the pubic bone kind of more down even as you're lifting and spreading the chest. Now plant that left hand down. Reach the right arm forward up and back big semi-circle. You could stay like that or bend, the left knee, and hold on to the left foot with the right hand.

40:22

Try to push the left hand down in a way where you're not kind of just sitting in that left shoulder, but you're almost lifting up out of it creating space. Okay, reach the right arm back, where it came from. So reach back up forward and down. Keep head and chest lifting walk, the hands, a couple of steps more forward.

40:44

Maybe two steps more forward. You're welcome to stay on your hands or start to bring the elbows in the direction of the floor. We're going to take a, a A strange variation, a Dharma Mitra variation of lizard. So keep the back foot pointed and push the back foot down to lift the knee up.

41:07

All right. Keep pushing down. Try to straighten that back leg as best you can. Yes, keep the chin moving forward gaze. Moving forward, forward. Good. That's it. Okay, put the back. Knee down. Walk the hands back under the shoulders straight arms. Tuck the left toes under lift the left knee up.

41:31

Turn the right toes, a couple of degrees to the right. Not too much but a little bit and then start to walk the hands back as you straighten the right leg, both hands are going to stay actually on the InStep side of the right foot. I know it's very very strange indeed.

41:53

Flex, the right foot away from the floor so that the heel is on the floor. It's a little Jewels Febreze, special over here. And then dig the right heel down into the floor. Hard without actually moving the right foot. Try to drag the right foot back against the resistance of this sticky mat.

42:12

Leg is straightening and even as you're dragging the heel back, can you lift the right hip crease up and back even more. Good. Okay. Bend the right knee hands to the floor. Plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. And exhale downward, dog. Inhale, step the left foot to the outside of the left hand.

42:41

Put the right knee down, point the right toes, lift the head, lift the chest. You could come up onto the finger points. If you want to hips descend down chest lifts up and forth. Breathing. And then go ahead and plant that right hand down. Reach the left arm forward up and back.

43:01

Oh, Did I say something wrong? After yeah. And then if you want to hold on to the back foot, it happens sometimes. So I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. Before. Good. Okay, we're gonna reach the left arm back up and forward. So coming back the way we came from good walk, the hands forward two steps or maybe more, and then you can either stay on hands or bring the elbows down with the right foot pointed.

43:37

Push the top of the right foot down to lift the right knee up. It's very tempting to look down the front of the body and see what all is going on, but try to look a little bit forward, eyes forward. Yeah. But okay, put the right knee down. Walk the hands back under the shoulders straighten.

44:00

The arms. Tug, the right toes under lift the right knee up. First Turn the left foot a little bit out to the left and then start to straighten the left leg. Uh-Huh. Yeah, both hands. Stay on the inside of the leg. Dig the heel down hard into the floor and pretend you're trying to drag the heel back towards you.

44:21

Yeah, that's it and even as you're dragging that heel against the resistance of the sticky, mat, try to lift the left hip up and back more. Good. And And then bend the left knee hands to the floor playing. And exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog.

44:49

Good. Soften the knees. Hop or step the feet to the hands. And exhale fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up and release the arms. It's so I found this whole Snoop Dogg Christmas album. This is one of Snoop Dogg's. Christmas songs. It's really, it's fun.

45:23

It's adorable. Okay. Uh, I I find it normal. Uh, let's find some space at the wall, so we could fit, you know, three or four mats kind of, on either side of, of the door space here. You just need enough space for the short end of the mat to go up against the wall.

45:40

Plenty of space. Yeah.

45:48

Okay. Yeah, you got it. You got it. We got it. Hey, yeah. Wherever you like, Vip. Okay. So we'll start with handstand practice. So any variation of handstand that you like you can either face the wall and kick up. Or if you're not used to facing the wall, you're going to turn around and face the center.

46:15

Like so and make a little downward dog one foot, maybe both feet onto the wall and going from there, okay? So start, if you know how to start, and if you're unsure, I'm gonna get you started. Was kind of looking at people's faces to see. Where's the okay? So start in hands and knees with me.

46:37

Yeah, good. So the feet touch up against the wall, and then we're going to walk the hands like one hand print forward. Now lift the knees up. So you're like in a downward dog, kind of a thing. One foot on the wall. You you might underestimate how much you need to push with your hands, so push harder with your hands to get the second foot on the wall.

46:58

Yes. Now, knees can stay bent. Or you can start to extend the legs if you're feeling really excited about this right now.

47:12

Good. That's it. Breathing breathing, breathing.

47:19

Let's see. How's your handstand coming? And we start all the way on hands and knees. I think you're too close. Yeah. Okay, take a big step forward with your hands. That's it. Okay. Now, now try

47:38

Ah, that seems to be better. Does that feel better? Okay, great.

47:47

Good.

47:52

Yeah, if you if you are like We're really working on something, you're on the verge of something here, you can take a couple more breaths in your handstand. Otherwise, when you're finished, You're finished, okay. So now, Here's what we'll do. We'll kind of start in the similar setup as when we take the feet against the wall for handstand.

48:17

So it's it's a similar setup. My knees are on the floor. My hands are on the floor. I'm going to lift my knees up. Then instead of stepping my foot on the wall, I'm going to stick my left leg as far up the wall as I can. I'm keeping my left toes.

48:33

Tucked under for the main reason that it helps me to feel, if my left hip is turning out and I'm going to work really hard to keep turning my left hip as much in as I possibly can. So kind of like what we were working on earlier in the class about squaring the hips.

48:52

Yeah. I want to feel more going on. I'm gonna walk my hands back and when I feel like okay that's about enough Um, then I'm gonna stop. But but by, that's about enough. What I mean is Being able to keep this hip turning in and keep the left knee away from the wall.

49:13

So it's not just hanging out there. Yeah. Oh, okay. It's always harder to talk and do it. So I don't recommend I don't recommend talking while you're doing it. Okay, starting hands and knees feet against the wall. And then lift your short downward dog left leg sticks way up the wall.

49:36

And then, just the left leg, just the left leg, the right, foot's, going to stay where it is. Oh yeah. So with the toes, tucked under feel that maybe you could turn the left hip a little bit more in and down. Keep straightening the back leg. Keep lifting through the inner thigh.

49:52

If you want it to be a little more intense walk, the hands back towards the wall a little bit more. Yep, you could even step the right heel onto the floor onto the mat. If you wanted to Francis. Oh boy. Yeah, and then keep concentrating on turning that thigh knee to face the wall, not turning out to the side as much as humanly possible.

50:21

Which is to say, it's not very possible but we try anyway, And then come on down. Yeah. Oh yes.

50:33

Shall we do the other side then? The excitement. Is exhilarating, okay. Let's start. So start on hands and knees. Uh, start in your short downward dog. So the heels are at the wall and then stick the right leg up or do the other one. What you didn't do? I noticed a couple of us started on the other leg.

50:56

So again, keep turning that right hip in and down, keep the right knee facing the wall and the right toes tucked. Yeah, that's it. And then if you want it to be more intense, you can walk the hands back. You could even step the left foot onto the floor.

51:17

Could keep extending through the up knee. The raised knee. Stretch it more. Stretch it more stretch. Okay. Come on down. And then let's go back to the middle. That was, that was our field trip for today.

51:53

All right. Once you're back at your spot downward facing dog.

52:04

But with your inhale, come on forward to plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward, dog. Inhale to play. Exhale, knees. Chest chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward Cobra and then release down onto the abdomen. For today, any variation of shalavasana. So arms could be alongside the body or some other arm Arrangement that you'd like inhale lift head, chest and legs.

53:00

Good with your exhale slowly release on down.

53:15

Place the prop up onto the forearms, so Sphinx pose. Forums parallel to one another lift. The head. Lift the chest. That's it. Elbows a little more forward. Yeah, perfect. Okay. Bend the left knee. With the left hand reach back and hold the InStep side of the left foot and then push the left heel down alongside the outer hip Try not to let the foot Wing so far out to the side.

53:46

It should stay pretty close in towards the side of the hip, keep turning the head and the chest more forward. And then wherever your left foot is, now hold it there. But push your foot back into your hand. Yes, exactly. So hand is holding foot foot is pushing hand And then come back through Center and bend the right knee.

54:14

Reach back, hold the InStep side of the right foot, press the right foot down. Half frog. Go ahead turn both armpits to face as much forward and tip of the nose to face forward. And then wherever the right foot is now kick the foot back into the hand. So the hand is pushing the foot.

54:34

The foot is pushing the hand

54:42

Good. And then release that come back to the center. Bend both knees. Reach back. Catch the InStep sides of both feet. Aha. And then try to press both feet down alongside the outer hips for full frog. I know it's my favorite. Not at all. It's like, Good lift, head and chest, more lift, head and chest more.

55:13

That's it.

55:19

And exhale release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest, inhale to Upward dog. Exhale downward, dog. Inhale to plank. Exhale. Lower all the way to the

55:51

Inhale lift up, head chest and knees.

56:07

And with your exhale release on down, turn the head to one side.

56:21

One more like that. Bend the knees, reach back catch, hold of the ankles. And inhale lift on up, head chest knees. Dude, that's it. Good. Try to lift the knee part of the shape a little higher

56:43

And exhale release on down.

56:52

Place the hands either side of the chest, inhale, lift forward and up into upward facing dog. Exhale, go all the way back downward facing dog. Bring the knees to the floor. And then take your two blocks, find your two blocks and put them on the tallest setting, right about either side of the middle of your mat.

57:17

So kind of back. Quite at the knees, maybe a little in front of where the knees are. Okay. So starting with Hands-On blocks. Step the right foot forward between the hands. We're going to do something a little Unusual at first. And then after that you can go into whatever variation you want to do.

57:37

So. A lot of times when we're working on Hanuman Asana, which if you haven't guessed, that's where we're going. Um, a lot of times, we just kind of let the let the the front leg straighten, and we're just kind of hanging out there. For this one, go ahead and flex the right foot and bend the right knee and then tuck the left toes under and lift the left knee up, and make your, make your attention and your energy about straightening, the back leg for now, at least for the first little bit, you can even slide the right foot forward.

58:17

You can even adjust your blocks, but at least for the first few breaths, try to make the work about the back leg primarily turning the left, hip more to face forward and straightening that back leg as much as humanly possible. So, bend the front Heat, Bend Bend, yes. That way you can sit into it a little bit more.

58:44

Like this or if you want to do something else about your Hanuman Asana. You're welcome to. Yeah, I'm loving that one these days. Two. Yes. Three. Yeah, block under the right. Buttock, can can be quite good because again there there's that sensation of kind of sitting down into it.

59:04

Yeah.

59:09

You know that but I got you. Said, yes. That's it and then just let the block take a little bit of weight I guess. All right. We've all opted. I love it team, Unity. Okay, let's step back. You can just step back to that hand, uh, to that standing on your knees position, because we've got to organize props and move things around.

59:39

So, Again, start with the Block's tallest setting kind of on either side of the Middle of the matter. So, Start with the left foot forward. I'm gonna I'm gonna Bend. I'm gonna keep the front knee bent now. Flex the left foot. Keep the front knee. Bent start to lift the back knee up, and work on that back leg.

01:00:02

At least for the first few breaths. Even if you want to go more down, just keep that front knee pretty generously bent so you can work into the back leg. Yeah. You could go more forward with the front foot. Yeah. And then, if you want to, If you want to try that other variation now, Which we all seem to agree was the thing to do.

01:00:30

You can put blocks under the Kind of the upper thigh area and kind of sit down into it. Can. Cs Helen. You good. Okay. Thanks thanks, buddy.

01:00:50

Yeah.

01:00:55

It only gets better with more practice. And then it gets worse again and then better, and then worse, and then better and then worsen them better. Okay, make your way all the way back to downward facing dog. I'm coming. Okay. Good. All right. Come on forward to a plank and then lower all the way to the floor lower through chaturanga.

01:01:29

Good turn over onto the back. Feet on the floor. Lift the hips up. Interlock the hands behind the back into one fist.

01:01:56

As you push the feet down, lift the hips a little higher as you push the arms down, lift the chest a little higher.

01:02:11

Separate the hands, release the back down to the floor. Now, you could continue with the same one, what we've just done. Otherwise, if you'd like to move into a full backbend place the hands on the floor, either side of the ears. And then with your inhale, go ahead lift up either of the two, go for it.

01:02:52

And chin to the chest. Slowly release down. Keep the feet grounded for now.

01:03:03

Second time, place the hands and the feet. And then with your inhale, go ahead lift up.

01:03:15

Two good. Try to parallel the feet. Just a little. Yeah.

01:03:24

Good and then chin to the chest. Slowly. Come down and rest. Third time, before you have time to talk yourself out of it play, stands place, the feet. There's always that conversation between the second and third one inner conversation, okay? Lift up, or at least for me.

01:04:03

And when you're finished, come on down, bring the knees into the chest.

01:04:37

Bring the knees all the way over to the left side of the body. Look, over the right shoulder.

01:05:11

Bring the knees all the way up to the center. And then go the other way, knees to the right side.

01:05:43

And bring the knees on up to the center. Come on up to a seated position. You could stay facing the same straighten. Both legs forward out in front of you. Flex the feet and then fold forward, poshumochinasana hold the feet or the ankles.

01:06:54

If you. Want a few more breaths in poshumo tanasana. Just to lengthen out your back or just to feel whatever it is, you're feeling take them when you're ready. Come into shoulder stems, so lumba sarvangasana. If you're not sure what to do, of course, let me know. So I can help you get into it.

01:09:59

For those still in shoulder stands, start to come into plow, halasana

01:10:32

And then, for those still in halasana, start to roll down out of it.

01:10:54

Fish Matzias in a crown of the head to the floor.

01:11:23

Chin into the chest release down and set up for shavasana. It can be nice, especially as the Body temperature is going to go down, can be nice to put a blanket over you, or put your socks back on or something, to just kind of retain, a little bit of that.

01:11:45

Heat that. We produced that we made.

01:11:56

And if you need an extra something, if you need an extra blanket or something, let me know.

01:20:52

To deepen the breath.

01:21:01

All right, to bring a little movement into the body.

01:21:13

Take a moment to move or stretch, however, you need

01:21:23

When you ready to gather the knees, roll off to the right hand side.

01:21:32

And then come on up to a seated position. Set up a good seat for meditation. So it can be helpful to Up elevated on something blanket block, or both.

01:22:08

Sometimes you're sort of settled into your seat, start by just feeling the kind of Weight of the body against the Earth. So feel the Buttocks planted on whatever you're sitting on as well as the other contact points. Between you and your seat or the floor.

01:22:35

And then just by focusing on all those connection points. Feel that sense of groundedness. And then from that really steady grounded place, try to grow from the tailbone all the way up to the crown of the head. Grow a little taller, move the shoulders back a little Chin ever, so slightly down and back.

01:23:06

And then try your best to relax. Relax, the face shoulders. My belly. Hands.

01:23:23

Turn your attention to your breathing.

01:23:29

Just noticing each time. There's a natural inhale. Each time there's a natural, exhale. No, need to change the breath or control the breath in any way.

01:26:28

And the eyes closed. Any of us have been thinking through. Our goals and Ambitions for the And instead of thinking about the specific, Goals, or even the steps. Of how to get there. Put that to the side for a moment and just try to feel What? It's like to be the version of you.

01:27:01

That has already got there.

01:27:12

How does this version of? Carry yourself. Consider yourself.

01:27:25

Even what kind of thoughts does that? New version of. I think.

01:28:05

Really settle in to how it feels to, to be. The one who's already there.

01:28:21

As many aspects and ways as you can explore.

01:28:53

I consider that it's not necessarily a You. But that, that Version of you is already there. It already exists. As your potential. Yourself. And it just requires a little uncovering. A little more exposure to the

01:29:36

I'm gonna start just humming the tune. And you're welcome to hum along as soon as you feel comfortable with the melody. And then after a little bit, I'll add some words into it. The words are pretty straightforward.

01:30:00

Guru, Dave. Namo. And then you can start, you can either just keep humming or add the words in if you like

01:32:52

Means. About that Divine teacher. Inside me and that, which resides Each and every one of us. That inner Guru. Inner Guiding. That inner inspiration. And may that guide. Through the New Year and Beyond.

01:33:29

Thank you all so much for making time for practice today and for all of your very hard work and Your sense of humor. Thanks. Uh, as always, if anyone has any questions about today's practice or specifically about your yoga practice? Let me know. Happy to stick around for a few and if not hope to see you again next time, Right.

01:33:56

Is there anything else to say? And I don't believe so. Okay, thanks again, everybody.

01:34:18

Thanks, Helen. Thanks for joining us. It's a pleasure.