Podcast #160 - Breath, The Mind Stiller

Theme of the class is always based on the Jivamukti Yoga focus of the month, which can be read here: https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/breath-the-mind-stiller/

The playlist I was using for this class is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4D6ulgVxaVEkawOOverJ6W?si=2cce20b1f6a849ae

As always, please follow me on any socials - including patreon where i post a lot of things for free! @yogastickler

TRANSCRIPT:
00:03

Okay. Am I forgetting something? Okay.

01:06

So, we'll, we'll resonate with the syllable om for a little while. So, um. You can just repeat after me. Yeah.

03:59

Just sitting with the legs gently folded in front of you in a comfortable way or as comfortable as you can make them. Let's take a twist. Twist to the right look all the way over the right shoulder. Even use your left hand to pull on your right knee, a little bit to deepen the twist feel into the breath.

04:15

Feel for yourself if there's a part of the breath that feels a little bit more difficult to access or a little bit easier to access. You. Your answer might be different than my answer, but I find that in a Twist, it feels like it's a little bit tougher to inhale, mainly because the belly is sort of closed off its sort of occupied by the twisting action.

04:38

So, can you find other areas of the body of the Torso to breathe into the top of the chest into the sides of the ribs, letting the right side move right. The left side move left even into the back body. Forward and twist the other way, so same exploration.

04:58

Every muscle in the trunk has both a movement function and a breathing function so. Even though we might tend towards? One area I may tend to be more of a belly breather. Someone else may tend to be more of a chest breather. We have our natural, our sort of natural, habitual way, but can we explore and find other ways to move and to breathe that is kind of the whole idea?

05:25

Yoga, right? Turn to face forward right hand to the floor. Left arm reaches up and over. So, feel now with the left side of the chest, a little bit more compressed. Now, the the, uh, the sorry, with the right side, more compressed. The left side is more free to take on the breath.

05:42

You can even really emphasize it, like, exaggerate the left side ribs moving apart and together as you breathe and then come all the way up and go the other way. So even as we move through the practice as we move through side bends and twists and forward bends and back bends and all different shapes.

06:01

The idea is to find, like, where can I free up the breath, despite there being an apparent constriction somewhere? Yeah, come all the way up. Fold forward over your legs. Fold forward as best you can over your legs and.

06:22

More closed down or a little more compressed. And so, therefore, can you free up the breath to move in the back body, maybe the side ribs. Maybe the ribs move right to left, or maybe you can breathe kind of behind, where we think the think of the kidneys as being right?

06:42

And then go ahead, lift all the way up, and it's a. Will take as much of a back bend as this sort of possible in a seated position, which is to say, not very much, but have the fingertips behind you. Puff up the chest and lean back, just making somewhat of a backbend, and so, so now, the back body is a bit more compressed, and the front body is a bit more open, and you can sort of exaggerate the breath into the front body, really.

07:08

Let the front of the chest open really let the front of the body breathe. Yeah. And then lift all the way upright, and then we're going to make our way into downward facing dog. So go ahead and crawl forward onto your hands and knees, and we'll press right back into downward dog.

07:30

So, that's really the idea with all the yoga practices, not just um. Not just breathing. Finding different ways to breathe and maybe feels natural, but finding different ways to move in our body, then maybe what feels? Natural, because it's our habit in meditation, finding ways to. Uh, Focus the mind and to work with the mind that maybe go beyond what we thought our natural capacity sort of was, so all this exploration gives us just so many more possibilities possibilities for movement possibilities for breath possibilities for intention and action in the world.

08:17

Now, with your inhale, come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward over the wrist, exhale lower the knees, the chest, and the chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra, point the toes, exhale. Tuck the toes under, move the seat all the way back to the feet and then extend the legs downward facing a dog.

08:40

Forward into a plank. Exhale lower halfway down chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs in a moment. We'll practice a special type of breathing technique called ujai breathing. It's um, it's distinguishing characteristics are that are the evenness of the inhales and exhales the evenness of not only the sound of the breath, but also the length of time matching both inhales and exhales.

09:27

So we'll practice that, and the idea is that through this very even and measured style of breathing, we can bring about an evenness or a calmness of Mind. Chitta Prasadam that is the word for it in in Sanskrit. Calm, mind, clear mind wide in the feet now. Heel toe, the feet all the way out to the width of the mat.

09:51

More, alas, Bend the knees come into a deep squatting qu.

10:05

It's push the knees just a little wider using the strength of the elbows here. And then bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up, and hold forward over the legs. Bring the feet halfway closer together arms behind the back, interlace the hands together into one fist, stretch the arms as much away from the back as you're able to.

10:27

Inhale deeply, bend the knees, open the chest, and look forward. Exhale, extend the legs, and fold forward inhale. Bend the knees, open the chest, look forward. Exhale, extend the legs, and fold inhale bending. Look forward! Exhale, extending and folding forward two more inhale Bend. Exhale extend. Inhale Bend. Exhale, extend hands on your waist, lift all the way upright to a standing position, reach the arms up, overhead, weave the fingers together, stretch the arms, inhale exhale, Bend to the left side side bending.

11:20

All the way up. Exhale right side. Inhale lift all the way up. Exhale left side. Good inhale lift. Exhale to the right. Inhale, lift up! Exhale left side last times. Inhale, lift and exhale, right side. Good lift all the way up and then just bring the arms down alongside the body, take a deep breath in through the nose.

11:52

Open the mouth and Whisper aha sound! Good. Inhale again through the nose exhale. Inhale. Now, close the mouth around the sound, but try to make the same sound from inside. That's it, inhale. Try to make the same sound. It's a little harder, but try exhale. That's it, inhale. Three, four exhale, two, three, four in.

12:31

Four out. Three, four sounding great. Keep it up, inhale. Exhale. One more like this inhale? And exhale. Now, with your inhale, reach the arms all the way up overhead, keep that breath going. Exhale fold all the way forward over the legs. Inhale, lift head and chest look forward. Exhale, hop, step or walk back chaturanga.

13:05

Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog good. So no matter whether we're moving? There will be parts of the class that are moving faster. They'll be parts of the class that are moving slower. There'll be parts of the class that are difficult parts that are easy parts that are boring.

13:23

Parts that are exciting, no matter what's happening on the outside, the breath wants to stay even the whole time. And that's how we bring about that chitta Prasadam that even calm mind. Bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale Hopper. Step forward. Exhale. Fold. Inhale, stand up, reach the arms up.

13:49

Exhale arms alongside the body, same strong sonorous  breath inhale. Reach up. Let's hear the breath exhale. Fold forward. Inhale. Look forward. Exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Two inhale. Exhale three breathe in! Breathe out four inhale! Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms up, exhale, release the arms, inhale, reach up hands, press together.

14:54

Sail fold all the way forward. Inhale, prepare, look forward. Exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog breathe. Breathe out, one inhale. Exhale. Two inhale. Exhale three inhale? Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward feet to hands, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms up.

15:44

Exhale release the arms now! Inhale hook thumbs reach arms up and Arch back. Exhale Bend knees swing arms behind extend arms and legs. Inhale hands to the floor. Step the right foot back. Exhale downward, facing dog breathing the whole time. Inhale to play exhale. Chatturanga inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale to plank exhale knees, chest, and Chin to the floor.

16:18

Inhale slide forward Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit back towards the feet, extend the legs, inhale right, foot 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 these hands together, and fold inhale hands down, left foot.

16:56

Facing dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank, 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 downward facing dog inhale left. Foot forward exhale right foot next to left foot, fold forward inhale bend, knees hook, thumbs.

17:23

Reach up, Arch back, straighten legs, exhale, stand up, and release the arms inhale deeply, bend the knees, reach the arms up, exhale hands down, folding forward uttanasana, inhale lift head and chest, exhale hop step, or walk back. Inhale upward dog.

17:54

Right foot forward back, heel down, reach up Warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor. Step back lower chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the left foot forward. Reach up Warrior one. Exhale, hands down, step back chatturanga. Exhale downward facing inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior, one reach all the way up.

18:32

Exhale hands to the floor chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale left foot steps forward. Reach up virabhadrasana one. Exhale, hands down chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Exhale, one inhale. Exhale to inhale. Exhale three inhale? Exhale. Four inhale. Exhale, bend the knees inhale Hop or.

19:25

Step forward. Exhale, fold forward, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up, release the arms, heel toe, the feet just one step apart, hands on your waist, inhale, lift up the chest, exhale, fold forward, reach down, grab hold of the big toes, yoga toe lock, inhale a breath, exhale, fold forward.

19:54

Hold the crown of the head towards the tops of the feet one. And. Good. Try to shift some weight out of the heels more towards the center of the feet three. Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out five inhale lift head and chest. Look forward. Slide the palms of the hands underneath the soles of the feet and exhale.

20:24

Fold forward, let the head go down. So, let's also understand this. Like, evenness of effort in a slightly different way. Let's also apply it to the physical exertion, part of the practice, like, even right now. Can you feel like, is there a hot spot where you're feeling like most of the sensation.

20:49

Could you by means of breathing, kind of redistribute so that the effort is even across the whole shape, not just one or two hot spots. Yeah, inhale. Look forward. Release the hands out from under the feet.

21:10

Of the legs, feed the hands between The Shins. And hold your opposite legs, then push the knees against the arms as if you were going to straighten the legs. Now, it's not important that the legs actually straighten here. What matters more is just the feeling of using the arms as a point of resistance for the legs, so we're practicing pushing the legs up against something.

21:39

Yeah, okay, soften the knees a little bit, switch the cross over the wrist, so the other one is on top, and then again, push the legs against the arms, using the arms as a little point of resistance for the legs. Three good?

22:00

Live with your inhale. Release the arms, soften the knees, exhale. Step the feet wide. Come back into your squatting position, hands together at the center of the chest, reach the left arm out in front of the left leg. Press the left hand down right arm, reaches up and back.

22:16

You can stay like this or reach the right arm behind the back. You can stay like this or reach the left arm behind the back, moving towards the vine spread. Open the top of the chest, move the right shoulder back and down, even push the right knee a little bit more away from the midline.

22:34

We're going to backtrack, so if you're bound left hand down right arm up.

22:43

Reach the right arm in front of the right leg. Left arm reaches up and back. Option for left arm to go behind the back option for both arms to go behind the back for a bind good. Think of broadening the top of the collarbone, push the left knee just a little bit more out away from the midline, so you're not falling in towards the inner edge of the left foot.

23:05

Good backtracking. If you're bound right hand down left arm up. Together at the center of the chest, lift up tall through the waist, bring the hands down to the floor, lift your hips up, and fold forward toes a little in heels a little bit out. Straight legs come up onto fingertips, come up onto, like cupped hands here.

23:29

Left hand holds the right shin. And then you're gonna pull on the shin to bring your nose closer to your right knee. I like to almost think of spreading my elbows to the right and left side, so it's like I'm bending the elbows away from one another to pull my nose towards my knee.

23:47

Yeah, that's it. Good. Come back up onto your cupped fingertips and then right hand holds the left shin. Pull the tip of the nose towards the center of your kneecap there. Try to stay even across both feet so right and left feet foot. Stay the same beautiful. Tips walk the feet halfway closer in moving into bakasana Crow, arm balancing any version of crow that you want to practice.

24:20

If you want to use a block under your head or blocks under your feet or hands. There's so many good ways to practice your crow, whatever you're working on currently in your practice. Yeah, to, that's it.

24:41

Five, wherever you are. Hop, step, or walk back to chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog, pull forward, exhale downward, facing dog, go back, inhale right, foot forward, Warrior one. Exhale arms behind the back lace, the fingers together inhale, straighten the right leg, shoulders facing forward, chest facing forward, exhale, bend the right knee, bow forward, humble Warrior, crown of head reaching down towards the InStep side of the right foot.

25:18

Try to almost tuck the right shoulder just to the inside of the skin of the right knee. That's it, and then swing the right buttock back a bit, so both buttocks facing more to the back of the room for head is heavy. Let the head go into gravity five with your inhale.

25:37

Now, stand all the way upright straighten. Both legs keep the legs and the feet the same exhale. Open the arms, hips, shoulders to the side, preparing for triangle inhale. Swing the hips to the left, so swing the left hip way out behind. You start to reach to the right.

25:55

Don't stop reaching. Keep reaching. Even reach up a little bit.

26:06

Yeah, it's not about the triangle. It's about the journey to get there, right? Okay, I mean, I'm kind of making a yoga joke, but it's kind of true. Also, in fact, David David life used to say the yoga is in the transitions. So that's where we're gonna find the transformation is in the transitions.

26:26

Yeah, inhale lift all the way upright exhale bend the right knee Warrior. Two, he has such a powerful concept. I think about it even to this day, I still think about that. The yoga is in the transitions. Right leg, exhale Bend, right knee, inhale hands to the floor, step into plank, exhale chatturanga.

26:51

Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale left foot forward Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale arms behind the back Lace, the fingers together, inhale straighten, the left leg, Arch back, exhale deeply. Bend the left knee bow forward, humble Warrior, good breathing deeply, one pull the left hip back to yes, head goes down.

27:25

Find the sturdiness of that back leg. Try to relax the toes. Yeah, I know they're way too small to help you. Now, inhale just stand all the way upright. Straighten both legs. Exhale open the arms, hips, shoulders to the side, keep the legs straight. Start by swinging the right hip way out behind you.

27:47

Reach to the left. Reach to the left left arm parallel to the floor left side body parallel to the floor and then pause there. Reach up a little bit more. Ah, and then take it all the way down triangle trikonasana one.

28:09

Good four breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee virabhadrasana, two breathe in. Breathe out one? That's it. Good breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale sit a little bit lower into it. Three, not you exhale for four. Inhale here, push. Push, push me, push me.

28:41

Yes, five inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Bend the left knee. Inhale both hands down. Step into a plank exhale chatturanga inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale, open hips and arms, Warrior Two inhale, straighten the right leg, exhale bend, the right knee, place the right hand outside of the right foot left arm reaches all the way over the left ear extended side angle one, so bend the right knee a little bit more.

29:27

The right leg back against the right arm. That's it. So you're activating that outer hip area now, two, and then spin your chest in your head even more up towards the ceiling, four breathing. Breathe out good with your inhale, both hands to the floor frame, the front foot. Exhale lower the back knee down inhale.

29:48

Reach the arms up. Get ready to twist exhale hands to prayer. Twist to the right side. Bend the right knee a little bit more deeply. Send the hips forward and then tuck the left toes under. Lift the left knee up, standing spinal twist one. With each breath, try to move the chest closer and closer to meet the hands two breathe in.

30:13

Breathe out three strong back leg for four good breathing. Breathe out! Inhale Place both hands to the floor. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. If you need to move the back foot a little bit closer, go ahead. Inhale a breath exhale. Fold forward parsvottanasana one.

30:43

Think of pushing the right foot forward and down even harder into the floor. Three, that's it. Four breathe in. Breathe out now! Bend the right knee. Take the right arm behind the right leg and hold on to your left arm and then push the right knee. The back of the right knee against the arm again.

31:10

The idea? Isn't necessarily to straighten the right leg all the way. That's okay, if that's not happening, but the idea is to kind of get in to get ourselves familiar with this feeling of pushing the leg against the arm. Corner. Okay, both hands to the floor shorten the stance ever so slightly rotated.

31:35

Triangle left out left hand to outside of right foot right arm reaches up one. Oh, puppy's got the Zoomies this morning, three. Four good? Five inhale Bend, right knee, both hands to the floor. Step into your plank straight arms and legs. Exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale left foot forward virabbadrasana one.

32:13

Exhale open to the side inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Bend the left knee left hand outside of left foot. Right arm reaches over the right ear one, yes. To push the left leg against the left arm, three. Try to spin the center of the chest even more up to the ceiling four.

32:38

Find the outer edge of the back foot firmly planted. Five good inhale, both hands down. Exhale start to straighten out that front leg. You can adjust The Stance. You can have Hands-On blocks fold forward, just regular at first one. Two good push the left foot forward and down more three.

33:08

Inhale. Exhale now, soften the left knee, take the left arm around behind the left knee, hold on to the right upper arm, and then push the left knee back into the arm. So, even if the result isn't a straight left leg, just the action of pushing the leg against the arm is the idea.

33:34

Yeah.

33:40

Okay, both hands to the floor shorten. This stance a little bit if you need to for rotated triangle. Move the right hand to the left side of the left foot and reach the left arm up rotated triangle parivrita trikonasana one. To Anchor that back, heel down strong, three breathe in.

34:04

Breathe out four inhale! Exhale, inhale. Bend the left knee hands to the floor plank. Exhale chatturanga, inhale word, exhale, inhale. Step the right foot to the outside of the right hand. Step wide. Look forward. Goes down to the floor or perhaps onto your blocks for this particular iteration of lizard.

34:38

Reach your chin forward, look forward, and even try to draw the collarbones more forward of the upper arms. So, so there's a sense of lengthening across the front body for this particular variation. Walk the hands back under the shoulders, straighten the arms, keep the right foot way over by the right side of the mat, start to straighten the right leg.

35:06

So, whether the hands are on the floor or whether hands are on blocks, your hands are both on the inside of the right leg Flex, the right foot be on the right heel of the foot. Dig the heel down into the floor. Pretend you're trying to drag the heel back against the resistance of the sticky mat, but it doesn't actually move.

35:27

And as you do that, pull the right hip up and back a little bit more. Yes. Me look forward. Exhale down dog splits. Take that right leg up and back behind you. Open the right hip to the right side. Bend the right knee point, right toes. Reach the right toes a little further towards the white wall.

35:49

Reach, reach, reach good inhale. Straighten the right leg. Exhale square off the hips inhale. Step the right foot to the outside of the right hand again. Down, we're just getting started actually. This is gonna get a little harder before it gets easier. Okay. Please put back knee down for a moment.

36:16

Tuck as much of the weight under the right leg as possible. Now, for the next couple of variations, you can either have the back knee down, or you're welcome to have it raised up. Option one walk the hands out to the sides. Option two come up under the fingertips, so you're using less arm strength, more legs, strength to hold you up.

36:38

Heel down heel down chest forward. Collarbones forward option three lift the arms away from the floor option. Four arms all the way around behind the back for a bind. Oh yes, oh, we're gonna have a good time today, you guys. Oh, yes, okay, good.

37:01

All right. Release the hands to the floor, but now keep the right arm as much behind the right leg as possible, so I haven't removed my right arm behind my right leg start to extend the right leg. So, again, we're getting in touch with this idea of put of pushing the back of your right leg against your arm, even if the leg doesn't straighten all the way.

37:25

Just use that action. Yeah, same action good, okay. Bend the right knee. You can move into. A chatturanga, or if you want to move through that arm balance where you stick the leg out to the side, you can, yep. Good move. Everybody moving through chatturanga Upward Dawn and finally meeting in downward dock.

37:50

Inhale step the left foot to the outside of the left hand step wide. Walk their hands forward elbows to the floor. Well, good for this. For this one, chin forward collarbones forward eyes forward. It will help with that other part of the sequence. Good, okay. Walk the hands back under the shoulders.

38:21

Start to straighten the left leg. Now, again, the hands stay on the inside of the left leg Flex. The left foot dig the left heel down into the floor, drag the left heel back against the friction of the sticky mat, activate the quadricep, so activate the top of the left leg, pull the left hip up and back a little bit more than you thought you could.

38:47

Inhale Bend, left knee, exhale down dog slits, reach up and back nail, open the hip to the side, exhale, bend the knee, point the toes inhale reach the tippy toes even further towards the blanket side of the room. Inhale, straighten the left leg. Exhale Square, the hips inhale. Step the left foot to the outside of the left hand option.

39:13

Place the back knee down, or you can keep it up. Tuck the left arm as much behind the left leg, as you can. Now, again, it helps to reach your collarbones forward. It helps to have a little bit of forward movement in the upper body option. One reach the arms out option, two fingertips on the floor.

39:36

Option three look ma, no hands. Option for binding. Yeah.

39:51

Nice. Okay, both hands to the floor, but keep the left arm pretty much under the left leg. Still start to straighten the left leg move towards straightening it by pushing your leg against your arm, one. Two. That's it. Three good use that point of resistance. Four, that's it. Five good Bend the left knee hands to the floor.

40:19

You can move straight back into chaturanga, or you can move through that arm balance. Everybody meeting in downward facing.

40:39

Bring the knees to the floor. Lift the lift, the left leg behind you, but keep the left knee bent. So, the left knee is trying to stay at 90 degrees angle and then by lifting the left knee higher start to carry the left knee out to the side left knee to the side all the way to the side, then see if your left knee was casting a shadow on the floor.

41:04

Could you step your left ear right to where that shadow is, and then push your hips back. Then move forward, lift your foot up, bring your foot to the height of your knee start to carry the knee all the way back knee is still at a bent 90 degree angle.

41:24

Kick your heel higher up to the ceiling and then release your left knee down. Right knee lifts up, keep that shape of the leg, the shape of the leg actually never changes. The knee stays bent, try to lift the knee to the side to the side to the side, and then if your knee was casting a shadow on the floor.

41:43

Try to step your heel onto that shadow. Push your hips back, shift forward, carefully lift the foot, bring the foot and the knee to the same height, and then keep lifting high as you bring it all the way to the back. Lift your right heel, a little higher. Push your heel like you're trying to touch your heel to the ceiling right knee down.

42:04

Hey, we're going to do it again, left knee up, left knee to left side.

42:16

Back. Shift forward. Lift your foot off the floor, lift the foot to the height of the knee, knee to the side, carry the knee all the way back. And then, at the end of the shape, lift a little higher left knee down. Here we go right, knee up kick that heel up to the ceiling, then start to lift the knee to bring it to the side.

42:38

Wherever your right knee would be casting a shadow, try to put your heel there, push your hips back. Come back up to Center. Lift your knee to the side foot to the side and then start to carry the leg all the way back behind you. Kick the heel up to the ceiling.

42:55

And place the right knee down. Let's do one more each side, lift the left leg up, kick the left heel to the ceiling, left knee to left side carry that knee as high as you can wherever the knee is right under. That put your heel, yes, and then push your hips back.

43:13

Good, come forward. Carefully pick up the foot. Knee to the side fire hydrant and then all the way back. Kick the heel up to the ceiling, engage your glutes, and then put your left knee down last times right knee up. Right knee carries to the side, lift it higher as you go to the side higher, higher, higher, higher, and then try to set your heel on purpose, right under where the knee just was.

43:39

Push the hips back. And come forward. Good. Lift the right foot off the floor. Lift the right knee to the side. Fire hydrant started to carry the thigh bone all the way to the back and then kick your heel up a little bit more and then right. Knee to the floor downward facing dog, bend the knees, look forward.

44:02

Inhale Hopper step forward feet to hands. Sale. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale, stand up, and release the arms. Turn to face the left hand side, open the feet wide straddle. Hands on your waist wider. Wide straddle. Okay, turn the toes a little in heels, a little out inhale, lift the chest, exhale, fold forward hands onto the floor between the feet.

44:41

Inhale exhale. Draw the crown of the head towards the floor, so imagine you're almost like lengthening from the tailbone all the way to the crown of the head. Two, yes. Three. Kind of four breathing. Breathe out, inhale lift head and chest. Look forward. Exhale hands on your waist. Inhale to stand all the way upright and then pivot the heels in a little bit, so your feet are at maybe a 30 or 45 degree angle start to bend the knees and track the knees as much over same direction as the feet as possible.

45:28

Notice how you already have to use the strength of your legs to try to guide the knees over the toes. Let's use our hands to help that action. Put your hands on the insides of your knees and push the knees a little bit wider apart.

45:47

Towards the middle. As you twist towards the windows and then inhale lift, upright exhale twist right shoulder more towards the middle inhale lift exhale twist. Inhale, lift, exhale, twist. Inhale lift one more time each side exhale. Inhale, lift, and exhale. Good inhale. Come back up to the center now.

46:18

Your legs really have to take over the work that the hands were helping with reach the arms straight up. Keep pushing the knees out to the sides and back to breathe in. Sit a little lower. Breathe out three inhale. Come on. If I can do it, you can do it.

46:35

Exhale four inhale. Exhale. Five inhale stand up. Reach the arms up extra. It seems to help release the hips there for whatever reason. Exhale. Release the arms good. Turn the heels a little bit out again, toes a little in, so you're a little turned in. Once again, arms behind the back Lace, the fingers inhale, lift up the chest.

46:59

Exhale fold all the way forward crown of the head, reaching down towards the floor. Good breathe in. Chest and arms moving down into gravity. Keep the head, chest, and arms heavy into gravity. Bend the knees, bend the knees like you're trying to snuggle the chest, right, between the upper legs and then keep the head and the chest moving low.

47:28

As you straighten the legs and down, see if you could maybe bring the head even lower to the floor inhale. Bend the knees. Imagine you want your chest to go right between the in seams of the upper legs and then, as you exhale, straighten the legs and try to go forward a bit more than you did before last time.

47:46

Spend the knees. The head and the chest, heavy straighten the legs and fold even more okay, hands on your waist. Lift all the way up, right? Turn the right toes out, left toes in. Bring the arms out to shoulder height. Bend the right knee, right hand inside of right foot left arm, reaches up.

48:12

Everybody, take the left arm behind the back. You can stay like this, or you can bring the right arm underneath the right leg for a bind. One lean your right arm back against your right leg. Three. Now, slowly start to extend the right leg. Maybe it doesn't straighten all the way?

48:33

That's okay, one. Shoot, try to pull your head back to hover over your right foot. Inhale Bend, right knee, exhale right hand down, left Armma, inhale to stand, exhale, release the arms, switch your feet, left foot out, right, foot turns in a little bit. Inhale arms out to shoulder height exhale.

48:59

Bend the left knee left hand inside of left foot, right arm reaches straight up. Can we turn this in? Yeah, good. Everyone can take the right arm behind the back and then up to you. Left arm could go under the left leg for a bind bound extended side angle.

49:17

Stay here for one good two.

49:26

And the left leg.

49:33

Three inhale bend. The left knee exhale left hand down right arm up. Inhale stand all the way up right. Exhale parallel the feet. Hopper step the feet all the way together, and then turn to face the front. Here we go, inhale, reach the arms up. Exhale fold all the way forward.

50:01

Inhale, prepare, look forward, exhale, hop, step, or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog, uh, look towards your hands. We're going to end up with the feet outside of the hands, so Hopper step the feet wide to the outsides of the hands and come back down into your squat.

50:28

Okay, hands touch the floor. Lift the hips halfway up. Reach both arms between the legs and try to get the hands onto the floor behind your feet. Sit the legs onto the backs of the upper arms and then see if you can free up the feet away from the floor and by pushing the legs down into the arms, try to straighten the legs out.

50:54

Yeah, okay, good, that's it.

51:02

Okay, all right, all right, pause, pause. Take a little pause. Don't worry. Okay, so. A little more information. I, I like to. Yeah, it's on purpose. Sometimes it's good to like they've actually found even even in other kinds of learning environments that it's actually beneficial to. For example, struggle with a math problem for a while before having more information.

51:38

It's better to struggle with it and then get to the right answer. Then it is just to get there first, right? Okay, so, anyway, on purpose let you suffer a little no. I find the hardest part of this one is getting my hands to the floor. Which is a shame because that's the first thing that you need to do to make the rest of it possible, right?

52:01

So if it's Troublesome to get the hands down, one thing that could help is you could use blocks behind the feet. Look how wide my blocks are, so some people yesterday was were putting them too close. I put my my blocks all the way behind my heels, then notice how, when I go to put my hands on the blocks, my fingers are hanging off the front edge that makes it easier to get the hands down than if I'm trying to get my fingers and everything on the Block.

52:31

So then I have to kind of next step is to kind of get used to sitting on the back of the arms. Got to get used to kind of holding my own weight up, and then, because of the blocks, it's actually a little easier to get my toes to leave the floor, so that's a plus.

52:46

And then that action we worked on the whole class of pushing the legs into the arms is the mechanism that's going to make it happen. Now, sometimes we do that, but we let the tail drop back if all I do is lift the feet up. I'm going to fall back.

53:10

Okay, so um, let's try again. Hopefully, maybe that's bringing some clarity or some more information into the math problem here. Okay.

53:28

Yeah, so you could take if you're working with the blocks. The blocks go behind the heels. The arms go between between the legs. The arms are inside the legs. Yeah. And we got the roots. The roots are rooting for you. I love the roots. Yes, yes, ah, lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, yes, that's it.

53:57

You know, better to go forward than back in my opinion. Okay.

54:11

Because I can't cross my legs before I make it to it. Oh yeah, yeah. If you are having the time of your life. And you're just you're like on the verge of a personal breakthrough through. If only you had a few more moments to work on this, you can have that time.

54:30

Please feel free to take a little more time with this if you desire. If you're totally done with it and over it, come into child's pose. I thought you'd never ask. Yeah. All right, we're going to be working next on, uh, head standing practice, and in particular for today's headstanding practice.

54:59

I mean, if you're still working on coming up, then obviously, you have your work. You, you have your work later out for you. But if you're pretty comfortable coming up, um, some variations to take for today that are relevant for today are, for example, straddle the legs. Out there.

55:20

Also, you could try batakanasana legs, but try to have the heels just to the front of the front line of the body rather than behind, for example, right? So? One interesting thing about hips is that when we're upside down, it's actually a great time to get some hip opening done.

55:39

Because gravity is kind of working in our favor. Yeah, so it can be a helpful way to go about it. Okay, headstand practice with optional variations. What? You can face this way. Yeah, start this way. That's good. That's a good question. Here's the Dilemma about which way to face.

56:00

Is that? On the one hand, all right. Yeah, who knows? Who knows the right answer, but I always come back to. There's one story I always come back to, so there was, um. There's like a student and a guru. And the student is, uh, is observing. The guru like, like, bow, in all kinds of different directions, right?

56:25

And the student is going, like, well, wait, aren't you supposed to face the East. Like, what are you doing and the the guru says, like, well? Every direction ultimately points towards the altar. Every direction ultimately points towards Mecca. Every direction ultimately points towards the sacred place, so there's no.

56:46

As long as you? Remember that? Then you can't go wrong.

57:05

Yeah, and again, something to work with. Is this idea of sort of evenness of effort? Um. That rather? Rather better. To have a sort of even distribution of your effort and energy rather than kind of like exerting or pushing or gripping. Um, to the point where? You're straining or stopping the breath?

57:38

It's interesting, because even as the. Asanas get like more and more challenging. We, we somehow think the solution is to just push harder is just to muscle further into it instead of relaxing or backing off or doing a little less and making sure we're breathing.

58:07

Okay, good. All right, so finishing up whatever. Variations you're working on. Make sure you're even on both sides and all that.

58:30

And then, when you're finished, you can come into child's pose. Yeah.

58:50

Good, and then press back to downward facing dog.

58:59

Inhale forward to a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Arms alongside the body palms of hands facing up to the ceiling inhale, lift up head, chest, and legs for shalabasana one.

59:20

Good three. That's it. Straighter legs four, yes? Exhale, release down. We'll do another shalabasana. Keep the legs straight out behind you, but if you want to do something different with the arms, you're welcome to inhale. Lift up.

59:49

And exhale release on down prop up onto the elbows and forearms. Bend the left knee. Reach back with the left hand for the left foot. Half frog push the left heel down towards the left buttock. Turn the shoulders forward tip of the nose faces for. Good. Try to bring this foot even closer.

01:00:23

Good release. That switch sides bend the right knee. Reach back. Hold on to the right foot. Press the right heel down one. Try to lift the head in the chest a little higher. Good release that place the hands on the floor either side of the chest, parallel the feet and legs inhale upward facing dog.

01:00:52

Exhale downward facing dog. Lift high, uh, no, and come forward into a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor, bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, inhale lift up, head chest, and knees.

01:01:20

To try to narrow the feet of the legs more. Yes, three. More, and then exhale release on down. In this life. Yeah, one more time, bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, inhale, lift up second time down your Arsenal one. Good. Feet, moving closer together three.

01:01:55

And exhale release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest. Inhale forward and up into upward dog. Exhale, go back down. We're done. Inhale plank exhale lower all the way to the floor. Turn over to lay on the back. Feet flat onto the floor. Interlace, the hands behind the back into one fist one.

01:02:31

Yeah. Can I assist you a little bit? Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna pull on you. There we go. Yeah. Okay, separate the hands. Release the back down to the floor. Place the hands on the floor either side of your head for full wheel. With your inhale, go ahead, press down to lift up.

01:03:15

Good chin to the chest slowly release down two more, but you're gonna guide your own breath so, uh, two more five breaths each take a couple breaths to rest in between. Go ahead in your timing.

01:03:38

Is a woman. God. Good. And again, try to try to avoid the type of exertion where you have, like one or two big hot spots of sensation. Try to even it out. See if you can spread out that effort so that it's not, uh, just one or two big points.

01:04:35

No rush. No rush at all. When you're finished, hug your knees into your chest.

01:04:52

Both knees over to the left side of the body.

01:05:27

Bring the knees into the chest and go the other way knees over to the right side.

01:05:47

Yeah, for me, like opening up anything to open the side body.

01:05:58

Bring the knees all the way up to the center. Come on up to a seated position. You can turn around to face the front of the room again. So here's where that funny question comes into play again, right? Because we wouldn't have, we don't necessarily want to have our back to the ultra, but we don't necessarily want to have our feet filter.

01:06:16

So, which one do you do, you know? Know, but as long as intention is there, it's all good. Okay, reach forward, reach forward for the feet.

01:07:13

Lift all the way upright to a seated position. Take the legs wide, open to the sides. Start with the hands actually behind you on the floor, so I have my fingertips behind me. Yeah, if you want to turn to the side, that's okay, yeah. Uh, my fingertips are on the floor behind me.

01:07:33

I'm pushing the fingertips down in order to lift the chest up, and I'm even sort of tilting forward on my sitting bone, so I'm literally trying to sit just a little forward over my pelvis and then push the legs down into the floor, push the heels down, push the backs of the knees down, push the backs of the thighs down so heavy the legs into the floor.

01:07:55

Now you can stay like this, or you could reach out grab hold of the big toes. If you've got hold of the big toes, don't go forward yet. In fact, keep hold of your toes, but think about pulling your chest up chest up, head up, crown of head, almost lifting towards the ceiling.

01:08:13

Yeah, pretty intense. Okay.

01:08:22

Sees sometimes those in between moments are the real kind of key. To the Asana. That little in-between moment of lengthening before going forward makes all the difference.

01:08:45

Lift all the way upright Bend both knees into the chest, open the knees out to the sides, hold on to the feet or ankles, go forward bada konasana bound angle.

01:09:25

I'd lift all the way upright. Keep the shape of the legs the same, but lay down on your back. You can rest the hands on the body, or you can rest the arms out to the sides if you like. Now, you're welcome to stay like this in soup to batakunasana or.

01:09:48

You can move into shoulder stands salumba, sarvangasana.

01:09:58

Or if there's some other way? You would like to finish out round out your practice? That's okay, too.

01:10:14

And then, if you are practicing shoulder stand as it relates to this class, you could also try, uh, straddling the legs. Or, you could try batakanasana feet, but again, try to have the heels like, just barely in front of the line of the pubic bone. Yeah.

01:10:55

So, learning how to breathe well learning? How to move? With better distribution of our energy in the world, right? Not exerting too much, knowing just enough to exert when we need to exert, not too much when we need to relax, but knowing just the right amount. Being able to?

01:11:21

Kind of walk through life with that equanimous mind. Calm mind, shitta Prasadam.

01:11:37

I'll just. Just a tiny bit of a heads up where, actually, after shoulder stand, we're actually going to sit up and take pranayama practice. So, even if you're finishing your shoulder stand early, just? We're not quite going into shavasana yet. Prepare yourself.

01:11:59

I know I get that way too. It's like, you know, it's coming. And then you're like magnetized towards the floor. Okay, if you are practicing shoulder stand, go ahead, come into plow halasana.

01:12:30

And then, if you're in plow start to. Roll down out of it.

01:12:44

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

01:13:11

And then bring the chin to the chest and just lay the back onto the Earth for a moment. Take a breath or two there. And then, before you get too comfortable, hug the knees into the chest, roll to the right hand side, come on up. Seated position.

01:13:34

Okay. So, uh, have your left hand have the first and second finger of the left hand folded in, so I'm not going to be able to mirror you. I'm doing the same hand as you because it's too tricky to. It's too tricky to mirror you and remember the rights and lefts so.

01:13:53

Hand left hand first and second finger fold in. We're alternately closing the nostrils, but it takes a very, very, very light touch lighter than you think to get the air to block to block through the nostrils, so try not to push the nose around a whole bunch. It doesn't doesn't need all that okay.

01:14:13

Pattern is, we're going to inhale the left nostril. We're going to hold exhale right side, and then we inhale, right side, hold exhale left. That's the pattern. I'm speaking it out loud so that you know. And then, if I make a mistake, you can do the right thing. Okay, so get your hand ready.

01:14:33

Start by closing the right nostril inhale left. For, hold both retain. Four right side exhale. For a stay there, inhale. Foreclose, both retain. For open left exhale. For inhale. Four retain. Four right side open. For stay there in here. Foreclose, retain. For left side open. Four inhale. For retain.

01:15:44

Four right side. Four inhale. For you. Keep it going. Keep the pattern and keep the timing.

01:16:44

Keep going without interrupting the pattern. Just the next time you exhale out the left side. The next time you exhale left just to release the hands and let the breathing return as normal.

01:17:33

Try to be.

01:17:41

Stay relaxed. Attention is open. Natural.

01:18:45

You're welcome to stay in meditation if you like. Otherwise, move into shavasana.

01:28:54

Take a moment to stretch or move. Anywhere you need.

01:29:07

I'm gonna gather up the knees. Roll to the right hand side.

01:29:18

It's slowly come up to a seated position.

01:30:16

Shanti. Thank you all so very much for making time for practice today and for all of your very, very hard work. As always, if you have any questions about something we did today or just about your own yoga practice, uh, let me know again. My name is Jessica. For those of you who are new today, and uh yeah, come say hi.

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