Podcast #162 - Pratyāhāra

"Pratyāhāra" by Sharon Gannon can be read in full here: https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/pratyahara-healing-the-disease-of-disconnection/

The focus of the asana sequence is twisting as it relates to hip opening. It would be a good idea to have two blocks with you for this practice. As always practice according to your ability and with your doctors clearance.

The playlist I was using for this class is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HYnOejV91yOH6ERqggf8d?si=caea3e04f0024fd3

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

TRANSCRIPT:

01:25

Ah, let's see.

02:30

Just go back and forth a little bit.

02:41

If you can sing higher, please? By all means, I am like a super Alto, so sing at whatever register you can sing at. Yeah, I know, Tom and I are, like, in the same range. Now, I'm laughing. Okay.

03:57

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

06:24

My heart feels better, I. I was telling a friend. Uh, this week, I was, like, I'm so anxious. This week, it seemed like everything was going on, all at the same time. I was, like, I'm so anxious this week, he said. Have you tried meditating? He started meditating two weeks ago, okay?

06:45

I was like, you don't tell me you don't tell me. Um, but, but uh, you know, one thing that's interesting about the? About the different practices. It's like, actually, sometimes some news flash. Sometimes meditation is hard. Sometimes you sit down and because of all the. Activity. Meditation is quite it's quite quite difficult to settle down, right?

07:08

And I found that in those moments. Singing, chanting Mantra is a way to sort of give the mind and the breath and everything, and somewhere to focus and something. To do. That helps me get to a place where I can start to settle down and do other practice, right?

07:34

So? I think last week I shared, and I'm going to re-share it because I still really like it. I think last week I shared that, um, there's been this sort of scientific. Psychological sort of Discovery. You could say where, uh, some people who are working on the science of self-discipline have made a very interesting Discovery, and that is that the difference between self-discipline and not having self-discipline is simply awareness.

08:07

The ability to sit with the seemingly dissonant feelings of? Wanting something craving something right now? And knowing that the that the greater good comes from, maybe either not indulging in that or maybe doing something else productive, right? So, so those two sort of warring factions inside and being able to sit, of course, with that discomfort of being pulled in multiple directions.

08:38

Kind of like yoga, where we do all these wild things with our bodies, and we're being pulled. We pull ourselves in so many different directions, and we sit with awareness and that feeling of sitting with discomfort in order to sort of. Develop not only strength and flexibility and more awareness, but also that that's where inner fortitude comes.

08:59

That's where that inner strength comes. Yeah, so come forward onto hands and knees and we'll press right back into a downward facing dog. So, all throughout the practice, there's going to be all these little. Sorry to report, but there's going to be all these little uncomfortable things that happen, whether it's physical discomfort or mental discomfort, right.

09:25

Uh, emotional. Discover all these little discomforts are going to arise, and as we are practicing, we are developing that ability to kind of ride the wave and not necessarily. React to it, um, unconsciously, but rather respond very consciously to whatever is going on. So, with your inhale, come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward of the wrist as you exhale, lower the knees, the chest, and the chin down to the floor.

10:00

Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, move the seat all the way back to the feet first, and then extend the legs downward facing dog. Inhale. Come forward again into a plank. Exhale, lower the knees, chest, and Chin down to the ground. Inhale slide forward into Cobra, pull the elbows back, and towards each other.

10:30

Exhale. Tuck the toes under. Move your seat back to your heels, but then pause there. Stop there. Push the hands forward and down into the ground so much that the elbows and forearms lift off the floor. So, the arms are a little bit active here. That's it. Pull the right palm of the hand back about two feet, so the palm of the hand is kind of beside the side edge of your mat, kind of near your chest.

10:57

Oh, is that your left hand? I'm a yoga teacher, and I should know my rights and left. Okay, here we go. Tom, I did your wrong hand. Why didn't you catch me? Okay, push. Push the right hand into the ground and turn the chest to the right. So, look towards the windows.

11:16

That's it. Push with the right hand, turn the chest, keep pushing with the left hand in order that the left forearm lifts more and more good, and then reach the right arm forward again and switch sides. Now, the left hand next to the chest push into that left hand and turn the chest turn.

11:39

That's it. Keep pushing into the right hand so that the elbow doesn't drop down to the floor and then reach both arms forward. Press into the hands and step all the way back to downward facing dog. Good, all right. With your inhale, reach your right leg up and back behind you down dog splits.

12:04

Exhale, bring the knee all the way up towards your nose. Shoulders over the wrist for a modified plank inhale down dog splits reach that right leg up and back. Exhale knee to your nose, your shoulders could even go a little forward of your wrist. For more challenge, inhale, reach up and back down dog splits.

12:27

Exhale knee to your nose and then stick your right leg out to the left side. Try to go for, like, nine o'clock on the floor, so your leg is going out to the side. Right leg left side. Try to have 90 degree shape in the legs. Both hands are going to press down Flex the right foot strong.

12:46

Pull the chest forward. Look a little forward. And then see if you could pull your right knee back up into your chest and then place the right knee down between the hands and fold forward for pigeon. Now, I know, sometimes we say, like, here, try to sit right between both hips.

13:07

But for today, go ahead and rock your right hip. Side to side, so you're kind of massaging into. The rain, the outer range of the hip there. Yeah. Good. You can even let the right hip go way down in the direction of the floor. Exploring that range of motion there.

13:30

And then walk the hands back under the shoulders. Tuck the left toes under step right into a plank. Exhale chaturanga lower halfway down. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the reach the left leg up and back. Exhale left knee to nose shoulders over wrist, nose to your knee nose to your knee as well.

13:57

Yes, inhale. Reach up and back. Exhale knee to nose, your shoulders could even go forward of the wrists for a little more. Challenge inhale, reach up and back. Exhale knee to your nose and then stick the left leg out to the right side. Left foot flexes lower the hips down slightly, so you're more in a plank than a downward dog and look forward.

14:23

Pull the chest forward. The hands lift your left knee back up into your chest. Place the left leg down between the hands good. Fold forward. You can rest your head on your hands or something else. The floor, a block, whatever you like and then go ahead and rock side to side.

14:44

I know, we usually. Know, instruct this in a particular way, but feel free to explore it a bit today, opening up that outer hip area. That's gonna play a role in today's practice.

15:03

Yeah, all the way side to side all the way. Find the whole range okay. Walk the hands back under the shoulders. Tuck the right toes under step right into a plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Walk the feet forward towards the hands. Fold forward over.

15:32

The legs. So, one word for discipline in yoga practice is tapas. Tapas also shares the the root for the word fire, so it ref. Like, it's sort of referential to the fact that practice requires friction. It requires difficulty. It requires a little bit of intensity in order to create transformation.

16:01

Come up onto the fingertips. Whether fingertips are on the floor or on blocks is up to you, try to straighten the arms and legs. Move the left hand more to the middle of where the hands just were right hand on your waist. Try to turn your chest to the right as best you can without changing the legs.

16:19

So, you want the weight and the feet, legs, and hips to be pretty even just turning from the waist. Round. Replace the right hand where the left hand just came from left hand on your waist. Turn try to keep the weight even knees, even hips, even. Five good both hands down to the floor wide in the feet heel to the feet wide apart.

16:48

Bend the knees come into a deep squatting position with the hands together at the center of the chest. Now, we're even gonna add a little bit of a Twist here. So, bring your left hand to your right shin. Pull on your ratio and reach the right arm up and then come on back to the center, right hand, holds left shin, reach the left arm up, inhale Center exhale, twist left.

17:19

Exhale twist, right? Inhale Center, one more time each side exhale. Inhale. And exhale inhale lift Center. Exhale hands to the floor, raise the hips up and fold forward. Uh, to stay here, but push the right hip out to the right. So, just swing the outer right hip to poke out towards the window side of the room for a moment.

17:51

And then poke the left hip out to the left. So, pushing the left hip to the left side of the room, both legs are straight, hands are on the floor, just swinging the hip out to the side one more time. Each side swing the right hip to the right.

18:07

And swing the left hip to the left. And come on back to Center hands on your waist lift all the way upright. Join the feet and legs together arms alongside the body. With your inhale. Reach the arms all the way up overhead, hands pressed together, exhale. Fold forward hands to the floor beside the feet inhale.

18:33

Look forward to prepare exhale, hop step, or walk back. Chaturanga inhale upward facing dog? Seal downward facing dog breathe. Breathe out for one! Inhale. Exhale for two. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Inhale. Exhale. Four inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale upper, step forward feet to hands, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms all the way up.

19:21

Exhale release the arms inhale. Reach up hands pressed together. Exhale fold all the way forward. Inhale, prepare, look forward. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog breathing. Breathe out, one! Inhale, exhale. Two inhale. Exhale three breathe in! Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms all the way up.

20:16

Exhale release the arms, one more inhale reach. Exhale fold all the way forward inhale, prepare, look forward. Exhale Hopper step back chaturanga inhale upward dog exhale downward dog inhale. Exhale, one inhale. Exhale. In him. 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 all the way up, exhale.

21:11

Release the arms now, bend the knees, deeply reach the arms up. To the floor. Fold forward inhale. Look forward to prepare exhale, hop step, or walk back chaturanga inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale hands to the floor. Step back and lower chaturanga.

21:46

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

22:21

Downward dog inhale left foot forward Warrior one exhale hands to the floor. Step back slowly chaturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward dog, now bring the feet together. Come forward into a plank shoulders over the wrist now as you exhale. Pivot on the toes, bend the knees to the right, and push your seat back towards your feet.

22:50

Arms stay straight. Inhale out to plank straight arms and legs. Exhale bend the knees to the left. Inhale straight arms and legs. Exhale Bend, right side. Inhale plank exhale Bend left side inhale plank again exhale, right? Inhale plank last times exhale left. Good inhale plank now touch the knees, chest, and Chin down to the floor.

23:26

Inhale slide forward Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward dog breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale three breathe in! Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward, exhale to fold forward, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

24:12

Exhale, stand up, and release the arms good. Reach the arms up overhead and bend the right knee up into the chest. Arms up right knee to chest. Hold it here. Exhale good. Straighten the arms more exhale. Feel like the more you stretch the arms. The more you can haul the whole rest of the shape up and up and up.

24:39

Tail bend, the left knee, cross the right ankle over the left thigh, sweep the arms out around to the sides, hands to Heart Center sit lower and send the hips back. Pull the left knee back. Try to deepen the fold at the top of the pants there. Or Flex the right foot, and then even feel like you could push your right kneecap more away from the midline.

25:06

Five. Now, with your inhale, sweep your arms out around to the sides as you stand up. Reach up, lift the right knee. Exhale, release feet, and legs together. Good, bend the left knee reach the arms all the way up. Hold here, one. Try not to lean back to pretend there's like a wall behind you, so you're standing up as straight and tall as you can.

25:30

Three navel draws in straighter arms, four breathe in. Breathe out Bend, right, knee, cross, left ankle over right thigh, and then sweep the arms out around to the side. Sit low. Sit back, deepen that hip crease. Look forward, one. To flexing left foot three. Push the left knee out to the side of it for five with your inhale.

26:00

Sweep the arms out around to the sides and up. As you stand up, bend that left knee higher and higher up into the chest, exhale, release feet, and legs together. I love it. When that happens, you can't ever really plan it, but it's always a nice coincidence. Okay, hands together at the center of the chest.

26:19

It's the simple things that I take joy out of okay. Feed and legs together, so push down into the bulbs of the feet and lift the heels high up heels high. Now, keep the prayer hands together, but reach the arms up overhead. In fact, let the prayer hands press together towards the center, and then let that remind the rest of the body to squeeze in towards the center.

26:44

So, the elbows squeeze in the upper arms squeeze in even the upper body squeezes and the legs squeezing the feet, squeeze in everything kind of compacting in towards the midline. Now, simultaneously start to bend the knees and bend the elbows start to float your hands towards Heart Center. As you bend the knees and hover your seat just above your raised heels.

27:16

So you can sit more upright, more vertical, and squeeze the inner legs together. Draw the navel in and up for extra balance. Open the knees wide apart. Hands onto the floor. Moving into Crow bakasana, Slide the knees high up the insides of the upper, the outsides of the upper arms, shift the weight forward, see about balancing on the hands.

27:40

Now, you could practice with both feet on the floor or practice one foot, lifting off the floor or two feet, lifting off the floor three good.

27:54

Good with your exhale hop step or walk back. Chaturanga inhale upward facing dog. That's why there's options exhale downward facing dog. There's lots of options, and everyone can. You know, you yo. I encourage you to challenge yourself, but I also encourage you to be wise about choosing the variations that are right for you today.

28:19

Yeah, okay. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the right leg. Exhale. Reach to the right for triangle. Place the right hand down left arm reaches straight up one good turn the right foot out, so it points towards the shorter edge of the mat to yeah.

28:47

Three breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale with your inhale. Stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the right knee for Warrior Two. Hold one. Good two breathe in. And breathe out three inhale. Exhale four. Breathe in! Breathe out five inhale! Straighten your right leg, exhale Bend, right knee. Place the right hand outside of the right foot.

29:29

Reach the left arm over the left ear for extended side angle for one inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale three breathing. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale five inhale both hands to the floor. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. You can sneak the back foot in a little closer. You can have hands on blocks as you like, inhale, exhale, fold forward parts, foot tanasana, breathe in.

30:14

Inhale. Exhale for two breathing? Breathe out three inhale! Exhale four. Breathe in! And breathe out. Inhale bend the right knee hands to the floor step right into your plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the left foot forward. Reach up Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale.

30:57

Straighten the left leg. Exhale reach to the leftward triangle trigonasana breathe in. Breathe out, one good inhale. Exhale. Two, that's nice. Keep breathing for three, inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale with your inhale. Stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee Warrior Two. Hold one breathe in. Breathe out for two.

31:33

That's right, both arms parallel to the floor for three. Yeah, inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale with your inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot. Reach the right arm over the right ear. Extended angle. Breathe in. Breathe out, one inhale.

32:03

Exhale for two. Breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out five. Inhale both hands to the floor. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. Inhale halfway lift. Look forward. Exhale to fold forward breathing. Inhale, let the head hang down for two. Inhale. Exhale three breathe in!

32:43

Breathe out four inhale! Exhale with your inhale. Bend the left knee hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog. Now, only step the feet in, like two inches, not too far, just shortening the dog a little bit with your left hand. Hold your right foot or ankle or shin or whatever part of the right leg you can hold on to look under the right armpit.

33:22

Push both heels down strong and even push that right hand down a little stronger, and then switch sides left hand to the floor. Sorry, right hand, yes. Left hand, the floor right hand holds the left shin ankle. Whatever you can find over there, try to push both feet down.

33:40

Equally push that left hand down a little bit harder for.

33:52

Inhale plank exhale lower the knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra. Exhale tuck the toes sit all the way back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward facing dog. Keep your hands flat on the floor. Walk your feet as close to the hands as you can while keeping your hands flat.

34:19

Over the wrists, arms straight up and down to the floor. Tuck your chin to your chest almost like you're trying to look towards your belly button and then lift your heels up as high as you can lift your heels. Super duper high hands press down. It, and then, when you need to rest, put the heels back down on the floor, shift the weight into the feet again.

34:41

Do that again. Shift the weight forward into the hands. Lift the heels as high up as you possibly can, and then heels down one more time like that heels up and up and up chin on your chest, heels, heels, heels, heels, heels. So, close next week, okay? And then, okay, here's the thing.

35:05

You can keep the same practice, just lifting and lowering the heels, or we can turn this into a little tuck jump, where both feet kick towards the buttocks. You're welcome to try one or the other or even a combination of the two. Try three or five more as you like three.

35:36

Good. When you are finished when you're totally over it, just hang forward over your legs. Okay, uh, take one block. Put your block under your right foot. Right foot steps on the Block left foot next to the block, but on the floor. So right, foot next left foot would be next to each other if that pesky block wasn't in the way.

36:06

Hold the other block with both hands, reach it forward, and then reach that block a little over to the left. So, let's say, 11 o'clock or so? Push the right foot down. Try to straighten the right leg with your left foot remaining on the floor. I know it's a little tricky, yeah, three.

36:35

Okay, come back through Center. Switch your feet so left foot steps onto the block, right foot right up against the edge of the block, and then walk your head your. Walk your hand block over to the right side. Push the left foot down. Try to straighten the left leg as you keep the right foot down both feet.

36:57

Stay down.

37:05

Okay. Get your blocks out of there. Come back to the center, get the blocks out of the way, hands on your waist, lift all the way upright to a standing position feet and legs together. Oh yeah, I know, really gets right into that side hip area there. Okay, step the left foot back about two and a half, maybe three feet, maybe more.

37:31

If the legs are longer, bring the arms behind the back, either secret prayer with the fingertips going up between the shoulder blades. Or if that's too harsh on the wrists, you can make two fists and press the knuckles together, keep the legs straight. Inhale, lift the chest and Arch back, keep the legs straight.

37:52

Fold forward over the right leg, pause one.

38:03

The elbows higher and Higher away from the back three good? Four breathe. Breathe out now! Look forward flat back shoulders in line with hips. Pivot up that left heel and soften the front knee. Push off the left foot to lift into varabadrazana. Three Warrior three, uh, elbows still winging up away from the back.

38:29

So, spread the chest, lift the elbows, back leg is straight and strong, three good. With your inhale. Stand all the way up feet together. Exhale release. Okay, other sides. Step the right foot back two and a half or three feet or more have both hips facing forward hands, either secret prayer or secret opposite fists.

39:03

Inhale, lift up the chest. Exhale, fold forward over the left leg. Breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale three breathe in! Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale, bend the left knee, look forward. Flat back, push off the right toes, lift up into virabadrasana, three variation. You can keep the arms the same.

39:43

Good, straighten the back leg more and more. Try to lift the elbows a little higher away from the back. Good. Two more breaths.

39:57

With your inhale stand all the way up feet and legs together. Exhale release the arms, step the left foot back again, same stance, this time reach the left arm up, so right foot is forward. Reach the left hand all the way forward and down for rotated triangle, so the left hand can find either the floor or a block here, turn the chest towards the windows good option to reach the right arm up.

40:29

Twisting back heel stays down, grounding to yes.

40:42

And five inhale to stand all the way up right. Hardest, part of the whole thing. Exhale. Step forward feet together. Step the right foot back, right arm, reaches up, exhale, reach all the way forward and down. One option to reach left arm up two. Try to press both heels down three, both legs straightening four inhale.

41:15

Exhale with your inhale stand all the way upright. Exhale feet together, legs together good, bend the knees, reach the arms up utkatasana. Exhale hands to prayer, twist to the right side. Hook your left arm outside of your right leg, good knees together, knees side by side together, so try not to let the left knee sneak forward three.

41:43

Keep the knees bent. Reach the arms up to the center utkatasana. Exhale. Twist to the left side right away. Breathe in. Breathe out, inhale! Exhale. Inhale. And exhale. Keep the knees bent, inhale. Reach up, exhale, hands down, fold forward, inhale, prepare, look forward. Exhale, Hopper, step back chaturanga. Inhale upward dog.

42:18

Exhale downward facing dog. Okay, step the right foot forward between the hands. Don't change the back foot right now. Slide the fingertips as far forward on the floor as you can reach for now. Yeah, your hands could also be on blocks also good. Push off the left toes and lift the left leg parallel to the floor again.

42:43

You could be on fingertips so that the chest is more parallel to the floor than dipping down, and then we're moving into rotated half moons. So, reach that right arm up. As you turn more and more into your rotated Half Moon, the back leg has to work stronger and stronger to lift.

43:01

Yes, it wants to drop down, but you work against that happening. Yeah.

43:11

Step back downward dog. Step the left foot forward between the hands. Slide the fingertips as far forward as you can. Hands could also be on blocks, push off the right toes, lift the right leg parallel to the floor Flex the right foot. Yes, that's it. And then, uh, reach the left arm up, rotate it, Half Moon party.

43:37

And the more you twist, the more you want to counterbalance by lifting the right leg higher and higher and higher three good. Both hands to the floor step. Step back to downward dog. Good step, the right foot forward again between the hands. Start a similar way, so you're just gonna sweep the fingertips as far forward as you can, and then reach all the way up.

44:09

And as you stand up straight in the front leg. And exhale right away. Bend? Inhale straighten the right leg. Exhale to bend. Inhale straight exhale Bend! Stay there right hand on your right thigh inhale. Lengthen the left fingertips longer. Maybe you can even feel the stretch all the way down the front of your left leg.

44:33

Exhale twist hook, left arm outside of right leg. Palms of hands pressed together. One good try to move the thumbs closer to the chest, too exactly. Straighter and stronger back leg for three breathing. Inhale. Exhale with your inhale, both hands to the floor. Cross the left knee behind the right foot, come to sit down.

45:05

Seated spinal twist. So, once you have your seat arranged, let's do this. Up, put your hands on your hips for a second. Hands on your hips now. Tilt the hips, a little forward feel, how that helps you set up a little taller until the hips back until dams forward until then's back and last time tilt the hips forward.

45:25

Take the rounding out of the lower back, sit up as straight and tall as you can, and then go ahead and reach both arms up. To twist, reach the right arm behind the back. Left arm can hook outside of the right leg for Arda matsiandrasana. Good. Use the strength of the arms to help you turn and turn and turn.

45:52

Kind of inhaling turn to face forward. Exhale to counter twist. Inhale turn to face forward. We're actually going to stack up the knees for for gomukasana, so right. Knee Stacks kind of over the top of the left knee if that's awkward, or if it's not. Awkward! Welcome to the party, but if it's not quite happening, right?

46:18

One option is to put a block under your seat. Another option is to kind of wiggle them together as best you can do your best. Take right arm under left arm, twist the arms together, and then think of reaching the tips of the elbows forward of the front knee reach forward.

46:38

That's it. One way, I was also practicing and exploring was placing my elbows or forearms on a block. You're welcome to try it if you like. For me, it actually made the stretch more intense because I had something to kind of rest into but up to you.

47:06

I lift all the way up right to a seated position. Unwind the arms. We're going to add a Twist with the legs in the same position. So, go mukasana legs, but we're twisting to the right side again. I'm pushing my left forearm against my right leg a lot to help me twist.

47:25

Good inhaling face front. Exhale to counter twist. Inhale face front. Make your way back to downward dog any way you like. If that involves jumping through and a chaturanga and an upward dog or something else entirely, you go ahead. Everybody meeting in downward dog. Great! Step the left foot forward.

47:53

Think of making a huge circle in the air in front of you. Sweep the fingertips forward up. Stand up straight in the left leg. Exhale Bend, left knee. Inhale straighten. Exhale to bend. Inhale straighten. Exhale Bend! Now, keep the legs the same left hand to left thigh. Reach up so much through the right arm that you can feel it all the way down the side of the right, the right side of the body, and then twist to the left hands pressed together.

48:26

Turn the chest towards the thumbs more and more. Two breathe in. Three inhale. Exhale four straighter back leg. For five, both hands touch the floor right knee crosses behind the left ankle come to sit down. Once you're seated, get yourself arranged a little bit hands on your hips. As you tilt the hands forward, sit up taller as you tilt the hips back, feel how the lower back rounds tilt forward, sit taller, tilt back, lean back.

49:06

That's it. Tilt forward and sit taller. Now, maintain that reach both arms up. Feel like you can get so much length coming through the sides of the body now, yes, and then twist to the left side. Take the left hand all the way behind you. Right hand, uh, right, arm, rather helping to kind of pry you deeper into your twist.

49:29

Spine, so sit a little forward on this seat. Take any rounding out of the low back, no leaning back. Good inhale, turn face, front exhale to counter twist. Inhale, turn to face front. We're stacking the knees. Knee knee over knee? Golmukasana cow cow face okay, left elbow crosses under right elbow.

49:59

Reach the elbows forward and down. One, yeah.

50:11

Breathe. And breathe out four. Inhale. Exhale, inhale, lift up, unwind, the arms, exhale, twist the left side, look all the way over the left shoulder, breathe in. Breathe out, one inhale long spine. Exhale two. Imagine you're pressing the crown of the head up into the ceiling. Yes, three. Breathe in.

50:40

Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale with your inhale turn to face forward, exhale, count, or twist. Inhale turn to face forward. Make your way back to downward dog any way you like for today. Yeah.

51:08

Good walk. The feet towards the hands and fold forward over the legs feet can be a little bit apart. So, like downward dog distance apart, you could say. Soften. Both knees soften. Both knees lift the right heel up. Left hand holds the outer edge of the right foot. Right hand holds the inner edge of the right foot.

51:33

Now, push down into the left foot, try to lift as much up to a standing position as you can. If you need to just hold the knee instead. That's also an option. Lift your chest straight standing leg. Reach the right arm up. Send the right hip down a little.

51:52

It's trying to hike up, but you're going to drive it down and then start to twist. So, the right leg extends forward. The right arm reaches back one good balancing.

52:09

My dip is that inhale? Reach the right arm up. Exhale hands to foot inhale a breath here. Optional nose towards your knee. Inhale, lift up. Bend the right knee into the chest and then exhale. Slowly replace that right foot down and hang forward over the legs. Great! So now we get to do the other side.

52:34

Very exciting. Yes, okay. Lift the left heel. Do as much as you can within reason, right? We're we're here to challenge ourselves, but not, you know, stress ourselves out okay? Push down into the right foot lift all the way upright. Beautiful! Lift the chest straight and standing leg more.

52:58

Reach the left arm up. And then left him down a little good start to straighten that left leg forward. Reach the left arm to the back of the room gaze can be forward for more balance or to the side or even to the back for more challenge.

53:19

Try to stick with it now. Inhale left arm reaches up. Exhale. Hold the foot of the knee with both hands. Inhale optional. Exhale. Fold. Inhale lift, chest Bend, left knee. Try to stick with it the whole way down. If you can exhale, place the left foot down and fold forward.

53:43

Okay. Child's pose. Whoo. I thought you'd never ask.

53:56

One day. This was a couple years ago. One day, a student asked, why don't you ever tell us child's pose? Because I. Cause I don't believe in it. No, I'm just kidding. Okay, we're gonna work on head standing practice next, so especially if you're new. In fact, everybody, let's have a look.

54:16

Let's, let's just have a look at the situation. I have some things to say about it if you're newer, and I have some things to say about it. If you're a bit more experienced. So the way it starts is elbows on the floor. Hands are clasped, head is on the floor.

54:34

Knees lift up, and this might be enough of a challenge today to stay like this and hold this. Yeah, otherwise, the more you practice, you're gonna bend one knee in to the chest and second knee into the chest. Worth hanging out in this little tucked position so that you can get used to what it feels like to be upside down.

54:55

Before you start to extend the legs, I'm I'm going so slow to extend the legs so that I can feel as the balance shifts a little in my arms. Now, if you are more experienced and you feel very steady in your headstand, you could try this variation, adding a Twist into it.

55:15

So I'm going to split my right leg forward. My left leg is straight up, and I'm going to twist. I'm going to turn. Middle of my body. And then, of course, you do the other side. If just if you want to kind of try a variation, maybe you've never tried it before or if you want to try a variation that's sort of within our theme of twisting today.

55:36

That's an option. Okay, so we're all gonna try it. Everyone's in a different place with it, so it's all good. Start with your forearms on the floor hands together. Yeah. Everybody had a first day at headstanding, just as a reminder, okay. Head on the floor, lift the knees up, half heads down.

55:59

Could stay like that the whole time if you want to and even come down and rest. Otherwise, you're bending one knee into the chest at a time. Yeah, slowly, super slowly. Starting to extend the legs? Yeah.

56:25

So the the? The yoga teachers of the past had this had this big Insight, right, that like one of the problems with our mind? One of the things that creates suffering in our mind is that whenever we interact with any objects in the outside world, we tend to either want to grab them and take them.

56:48

Or run away from them, reject them, get rid of them right, and this is involved with our twisting. So, one is called Raga. Craving one is called davasia. Rejecting, we'll say. Right, and so the the objects that we encounter don't have that quality in them themselves. We are projecting that quality onto them.

57:15

We are projecting that, like, love or hate that like or dislike that judgment or.

57:28

And so right and left twisting? Right, and left twisting has to do something with understanding that you're all right. It happens. It happens to all of us. Don't worry. The good thing is that you're kind of already on the floor so you can somersault out of it if you need.

57:44

Yeah.

57:50

So that creates to. We even have you know, even when you meet new people, do you ever do this like? Well, I like peaky blinders. Well, I like Dexter. Well, I don't like that. Well, I do like that. You know you, you kind of get to know each other by way of this list of likes and dislikes, which I've always found very strange.

58:14

So we even associate it with our identity, right? We even create an identity around likes and dislikes.

58:46

Okay if you're still working and you need a little more time. You could take a little more time. No problem at all. If you're over it, come down.

59:02

That's valid. No problem. Okay. Uh, when you've come down, come into downward facing dog. Notice even the mind, like? Rejecting or hanging onto the yoga poses too, right? Like, I hate twisting. I love back bending. It was just an example. Inhale, come forward into a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor.

59:33

Good arms alongside the body palms of hands facing up to the ceiling, lift head, chest, and legs up shalabasana one.

59:53

Good exhale release on down.

01:00:02

If you want to change the arms, you can but keep the legs the same inhale. Lift up Charles of us in a second time. Now, keep the legs straight, but if you want to change the arms, you can.

01:00:21

Okay, and then slowly release down. Now bend the knees, hold on to the ankles. Inhale lift on up head, chest, and knees. Dhana Asana.

01:00:39

All good. Keep breathing. Yep. Good, and then slowly release on down. One more bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, and inhale lift on up head, chest, and knees one.

01:01:10

And then slowly release on down. Place the hands on the floor either side of the chest, inhale lift to Upward facing dog, pull forward, exhale, go back downward facing dog. Lift the heels high up, bend the knees, look forward past the hands, Hop or walk all the way through to sit down.

01:01:35

And lay down on the back. Feet on the floor. Feet on the floor, lift the hips up, interlace the hands behind the back into one fist, shrug the shoulders more towards each other, puff up the chest. Good.

01:02:30

And separate the hands and release back down to the floor. Now you can either repeat the same one, or if you'd like to take a full wheel, place the hands on the floor either side of the ears. With your inhale, go ahead, lift on up.

01:02:57

Good.

01:03:02

Chin to the chest slowly release down, keep the feet on the floor. Feet, stay down. Again, you could do half or full wheel. Decide what you're gonna do. Set up the hands and the feet. And then inhale lift on up.

01:03:42

And slowly come down feet. Stay down last one. Place the hands and place the feet. So, another one that goes away instantly if if we don't do it. Oh, it's driving me crazy. Okay, lift up. Gotta do it all the time where it goes away. And then you gotta start over again.

01:04:06

Yes, you did it before. Why not? Yes.

01:04:20

Okay, chin to the chest, slowly release down, hug the knees into the chest. Don't worry, it's almost over. We're in the home stretch, as it were metaphorically and, and funnily. Okay, we're gonna borrow a little a little stretch that I was working with in in my practice. So, cross your right ankle over your left thigh, kind of like a figure four.

01:04:51

And then, just like when we lift your left foot off the floor, so bring your knees into your chest. Just like when we do that reclined Twist from regular practice, we're going to twist again. Like we did last summer. Okay, take both both legs over to the left. It's a little preview for karaoke.

01:05:12

No, just kidding. Uh, so you're Le. Your right foot is almost stamping flat down into the floor, reach the right arm out like we do, and then take your left hand and push your knee away. Push your knee more away towards the corner of the room away from you.

01:05:29

Now, push yes.

01:05:41

And then now pull the right knee a little bit closer in towards the chest. So just pull the right knee in this time. Yeah, and then just from right where you are left hand could hold the outer edge of the right foot. Reach down and then straighten that right leg out to the side for that moonrise variation.

01:05:57

Yeah. That shape that we took when we were standing. Yeah, uh-huh. That's alright, bring it. Yeah. Hold the knee. Just hold the knee for now. That's good. You'll next week next week. We'll worry about it. Okay, bring the knees all the way up to the center. Hug the knees in.

01:06:22

Cross the left ankle over the right. So, just like our other reclined twist, you're going to take both knees over to the right side of the body, the left foot stamps flat down into the floor like a footprint, and then for now push the left knee away, almost straightening the right arm.

01:06:40

As you push the left knee towards the front of the room, yes?

01:06:50

And then pull the left knee in a little bit. Right hand can just slide down towards the foot to extend into that. Kind of moonrise look and stretch. Yeah.

01:07:06

All right, careful Tom. Spatial awareness. We've established our our bubble, our yoga bubble. You stay on your mat. I'll stay on my. Oh, oh, so it's Revenge time. Yoga Revenge! Okay. Gather up the news. Come on up to a seated position, sit upright. Straighten the legs forward out in front of you.

01:07:38

Flex the feet, sit up tall, and then, uh, reach forward. Hold on to the feet poshumo tanasana.

01:08:04

So? These ancient yoga teachers, right? They recognized this problem of like craving an aversion and how that causes suffering in the mind, and so what they, what they suggest, what they recommend is a practice called prathyahara. Means literally prati, pulling back from ahara from that which you can grasp or gain or hold on to or.

01:08:40

Snatch card, grab.

01:08:46

So, how do we do it, right? I think I think those very same yogis could never have imagined the amount of distractions we have now. Never, I mean. They were saying practice pratyahara in in what we would consider a relatively. Low-Key, kind of environment. Like, what were the big distractions happening, like?

01:09:12

An ox cart rolling by. Right, like so, so even more important nowadays to have some sort of practice where we can draw our attention away from all those objects away from all that distraction. So can so that we can then notice what it's doing, you know, to our mind functionally.

01:09:36

Lift all the way upright to a seated position. Bend both knees into the chest, feet on the floor, hands behind you for table top, swing the hips forward and up, head goes back one.

01:10:06

And then chin to the chest, release the hips down, knees open to the sides feet together. You can hold your feet if you want to, or if you'd like to take a slightly different variation. Today, I was reaching my hands forward on the floor to go forward, and then I can even kind of pull on the floor to pull my upper body more forward.

01:10:33

If you happen to be reaching your arms forward with me, walk both hands a little over to the right and let the left hip, relax down to the floor, so you might even feel the left buttock starts to try to get lighter against the floor. You keep it resting down.

01:10:52

The surface of the ground. And then walking the hands back through Center. You could walk the hands a little bit over to the other side. And again, keep letting that right hip drop down down down.

01:11:14

Walk the hands forward lift all the way upright. Keep the shape of the legs the same, but lay down on your back so knees will still stay open to the sides. Feet will rest together. You can rest your hands on your body, you're out to the sides.

01:11:41

So, the idea with pratyahara is to? Is to practice in a way. Um, either through meditation or or in other contexts, that then, when you are in the outside world, encountering all these objects, all these advertisements messaging that you can still kind of keep a little sense of distance from it, that your brain isn't just like gobbling up every last thing.

01:12:13

If you'd like to stay here, you can stay here or come up into shoulder stands to finish your practice.

01:12:41

There's a book I highly recommend, called stolen. Which doesn't have any references to yoga, but I think it's. Important read for anyone interested in? The health of our mind, and uh in it, you know. In it, the author suggests many ways to. Um, not be so pulled around by our our phone right to not let our attention be so.

01:13:17

Um. Entwined with what's happening on the phone? A lot of them I already do. Because I'm a yoga teacher, so my phone's on silent pretty much all day because? Between classes. They don't bother to turn it back on, but that's one of his suggestions or turning. Like, all notifications off for the app, so you, you're only checking apps when you decide to do it.

01:13:41

I like that one too. Anyway, there's plenty of ways you can think of your own ways to practice Pratt your heart to practice limiting the amount of. Input you're interacting with, yeah?

01:14:03

In the spirit of pratyahara. I took Tick Tock off my phone on December 1st and I'm planning to go the whole month of December without Tick Tock. May not mean a lot to you people, but it means. It's significant to me. Anyway, maybe you've noticed that your attention is going towards something that is?

01:14:31

Helping you that is? Good for you, right? So you can, uh, you know you can play with these things? Okay, if you're still in shoulder stand, come into plow halasana.

01:15:09

And then, if you're in plow start to roll down out of it. If you were practicing shoulder stand, come into Matsy Asana fish. Crown of the head. To the floor. Yeah, like that, Roxanna's showing us, yeah.

01:15:51

And. To the chest and release on down. Setting up now for Shah vasana.

01:18:33

My words.

01:19:06

Very so?

01:23:21

Tonight, I am.

01:24:04

It's my shame.

01:24:34

Summer.

01:25:45

Slowly start to deepen the breath.

01:26:04

Start to bring a little bit of movement into the body.

01:26:21

Take a moment to move or stretch. And then slowly come up to a seated position.

01:26:43

So, meditation fundamentally is about observing awareness. And. How, how it works, right? What, um? Fundamentally feeling the ability to focus the awareness. But also when the awareness gets pulled away. What does it get pulled towards? A sound, a thought a particular kind of thought. Of physical sensation, right? So, just being aware, like, oh?

01:27:15

Hmm, the mind went over this way, right? Oh, that thought seems to keep. Coming up. Okay, bring it back like that.

01:27:33

So be still just reducing or eliminating. Any movement, any adjusting? Focusing for now on the breath. Just observing the movement of breath in and out?

01:27:55

And again, wherever the Mind wavers to just notice it. Try to come back. Back to the breath.

01:30:06

Thank you all so much for making time for practice today and for all of your hard work. Sense of humor as always. Have a wonderful rest of your day and! Well, we'll see you next weekend. I'll be here. I'll be here all December. So even, uh, even between holidays.