Podcast #155 - Blind Spots

Using physical movement to explore the often-overlooked "blind spots" in the body and mind. With an emphasis on increasing conscious awareness, the class begins with a traditional chant and transitions into mindful movement aimed at awakening the mid-back and deepening inner perception with a long-ish meditation at the end of class. 

The theme of class is inspired by the Jivamukti Yoga Focus of the Month:
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/as-far-as-the-eye-can-see/

Please follow me on all socials: @yogastickler

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TRANSCRIPT:

01:01

Here's the part that gets a little tricky because as you, as you might know, at the beginning, the teacher sometimes. Uh, sometimes we meditate. Sometimes, we chant at the beginning, so if you're ever running late, you're of course, welcome. But just know that, if we're if I'm like in the middle of guiding the chant or something, it might take me a few minutes, right?

01:23

So you can. You can just wait and know that I'm gonna I'm gonna come get you. I am, but if we're like, right in the middle of chanting, it can be tricky. Had that room like a remote control or something we could do. Uh, so welcome. I, uh, quite a few of you are new to me, and some of you are new to this space.

01:43

So, my name is Jessica. This is chief moved to yoga. We are, so we're going to look on page.

01:59

Uh, on page six, the top of the page there. Don't worry about the um. To have an agree. The Sanskrit lettering, unless you happen to read devenagari, which is very, it's very good. And if you don't, and you want to work on it, I'm happy to work on it with you.

02:16

It's one of my passions, One of my hobbies.

03:04

So, I'm gonna sing it through once. And then, I'm just gonna kind of keep going. So, once you feel like you have the melody, you can start to sort of hum along. Once you feel you have the words, you can start to chant along like that, yeah. 

03:32

Asato ma sad gamaya
Tomaso ma jyotir gamaya
mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya

Om shanti shanti shanti Om

05:58

We just dive right into it. I just love that. Um, so this one, it means. Lead me from untruth asat to truth, Sat means truth. Lead Me From Darkness (tamas) to light. Jyotir is light or Jyotih. Oh, oh, look at you. I love that shirt. It says light on it.

06:27

For those of you can't see. Um, yeah, so you know for lead me from Darkness to light is sort of a metaphor for lead me from truth or unknowing a state of unknowing to a state of knowing a state of consciousness, right? And we use, you know, we? We use metaphor in language all the time.

06:48

I'm sort of obsessed with idiomatic expressions in language. I love learning little idioms from different languages and another idiom that we use. Is? Blind spot. You have a blind spot right, and sometimes it's, it's a very real thing like you're driving. And there's that one corner that you're supposed to just look over your shoulder because there's not a mirrored reflection for it, right?

07:19

For those of us that drive from time to time. Analogies don't go super well in New York City, but here we are okay. Also, if you have some sort of some sort of visual. Uh impairment. There can be a physical blind spot in the visual field. But oftentimes, when we use the term blind spot, we use it to mean something about ourselves that we can't quite see that.

07:48

We don't quite have access to, and then the question. For those of us who want to become more conscious, which is the purpose of yoga to become more conscious. For those of us who for whom yoga is interesting, um, where we want to get curious about those blind spots?

08:10

Our blind spot so? We're gonna start just from a physical standpoint in the physical body. The blind spot is typically the sort of center of the back, the middle of the sort of thoracic area of the back behind the rib cage, and it's that's known to be a spot that you know.

08:31

It's very hard to see, even with a mirror. It's pretty hard to see that spot, and for most of us, unless we practice yoga or are already naturally very flexible. It's also very hard to even touch right so, so, because of that, that's the spot in the body where we have sort of a little bit less conscious awareness a little bit less access to.

09:00

With today and then. You know, just to layer on top of that a little bit, if for you? If for you, you have some other area of the body that's typically more difficult to feel you. You can include that awareness in your practice, too. If you just know that for yourself, it's hard to feel your right pinky toe or your left eyelash or something like that.

09:24

You're welcome to add that, but for the purposes. Services of our practice. Today, we're going to kind of Orient our focus onto that blind spot if you will. Yeah, okay. So, come forward onto hands and knees. Yeah. Yeah, if you just make sure the plastic is over the cover, I can pick them up as I move around.

09:50

Yeah. That's okay, you just leave them by your mat and I'll come pick them up or rev's. Gonna help me because? She's a good friend. Okay. Okay, so from hands and knees, go ahead. Tuck the toes under, lift the knees up, extending the legs into downward facing dog. Good.

10:16

That's it! I lost my train of thought for a second. Oh, yes. Okay. Start to breathe deeply in both directions. Deeper, Fuller inhales, Fuller, more complete exhalees. Hear your breaths saunerous breath, right? The inhales want to sound and feel? Like the exhales.

10:45

Notice there. There might also be a blind spot sort of in the breath, so to speak. So, if you notice that, like the inhale's a little bit harder to feel than the exhale, or maybe even more specifically like the top of the inhale is a little bit more challenging for you than, say, the top of the exhale or something, right?

11:07

That, using that to bring more. Awareness. More attention into those sort of, uh, blind spot areas. Because with your inhale, come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward over the wrists. Exhale lower the knees, the chest, and the chin down to the floor. Inhale, slide forward, Cobra point, the toes, exhale.

11:35

Tuck the toes under, move your seat back to your feet like a child's pose, and then extend the legs downward facing dog. Inhale. Come forward into a plank. Exhale, touch the knees, chest, and Chin down to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra. Now, pause there, this time. Touch your forehead down, touch your forehead, or your chin down to the floor.

12:01

Keep your hands approximately where they are, but just lift the hands up one centimeter above where they were just touching. Squeeze the elbows towards each other and up to the ceiling. Keep the head down for the time being and then let the hands touch down. Hands up, squeeze the shoulder blades together, squeeze the elbows towards each other and back.

12:26

And slowly let the hands touch down. And again lift the hands, lift the hands, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Now lift the head and the chest to match. That's it, and then exhale, hands down. Tuck the toes under. Make your way back to downward facing dog. Inhale, bring the knees to the floor.

12:48

Exhale ha, right hand behind your head, right hand behind your head. Inhale open the right elbow to the ceiling, open the chest, exhale, touch the right elbow towards the left elbow. Inhale, open it out. And exhale. Touch the elbows towards each other. Inhale, turn open. Exhale touch, right hand touches.

13:19

The floor left hand behind your head inhale. Open the left elbow up to the ceiling. Reach reach. Reach the point in the elbow. Exhale elbows together. Inhale turn reach open the chest to the left exhale. Touch the elbows towards each other. Inhale open the chest. Open the left elbow.

13:40

Exhale elbows touch good hands to the floor. Now, press back downward facing dog. Can you already start to feel that area a little bit? Yeah, and just waking it up back there, inhale. Come forward into a plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog good. Pull the chest forward. Exhale downward facing dog.

14:11

Soften. The knees start to walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs. Yeah, so. The first? You know, the first order of business is just that sense of curiosity, right, curiosity, and humility will get us. It will get us very far in this practice.

14:37

Right, and then, and then that Curiosity leads to noticing. And then, once we notice some where we haven't noticed before, then we can start to shift it. We can start to open it up. We can start to bring more conscious awareness to it. Okay, widen the feet. Now, bend the knees come into a deep, squatting position hands together at the center of the chest, and then I push the elbows into the knees and lift the center of the chest.

15:11

Try to even lift the front corners of the armpits up a little bit, yes. Good, deep breathing three. All right, good. Bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up, and fold forward over the legs. Bring the feet halfway closer together arms behind the back, lace the fingers together into one fist.

15:39

Reach the arms as much away from the back as is possible. Inhale, bend the knees, open the chest, and look forward. Exhale, extend the legs, and fold forward inhale. Bend the knees, open the chest flat back. Look forward! Exhale straighten the legs to fold inhale bending. Look forward! Exhale extending fold forward, one more inhale Bend.

16:12

And exhale to extend hands on your waist. Lift all the way upright to a standing position. Reach the arms up overhead, interlock the hands together, inhale a breath, exhale Bend to the left side. Inhale lift up to the center exhale right side. Inhale lift up to Center exhale left.

16:43

Inhale lift up to the center exhale right side. Inhale lift up to Center one more time. Each side exhale left. Inhale, lift up, exhale, right side, good inhale, lift all the way up, release the arms, bring the legs and the feet together, inhale hook thumbs reach arms up and Arch back.

17:09

Exhale bend knees swing arms behind lace hands together and fold inhale. Place the hands down, step the right foot back. Exhale lower the right knee down. Now, come up onto fingertips, but keep pressing the fingertips down, even as you lift the head and the chest. Press forward from behind the heart.

17:28

Exhale downward facing dog.

17:38

Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale to plank, exhale knees, chest, and Shin 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 dog inhale right foot forward. Exhale left knee down inhale, press the fingertips down, lift the head, lift the chest, push forward from behind the heart, exhale hands down, step forward feet together.

18:17

Took thumbs. Reach up Arch back, exhale bend knees, swing arms behind laced hands together, and fold inhale hands down. Left foot steps back. Exhale left knee down inhale. Stay on your fingertips, push the heart forward, lift the head, exhale downward, facing dog inhale to plank, exhale chaturanga. Upward facing dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank, exhale knees, chest, and Chin to the floor.

18:58

Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale. Tuck the toes sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs. Inhale left foot forward. Exhale right knee down inhale. Press into the fingertips, lift the heart, exhale hands down, step forward feet together, inhale bend knees, hook thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, stand up, and release the arms.

19:26

Inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind leaves hands together and fold inhale hands down right foot steps back. Exhale right knee down this time. Inhale hook thumbs reach arms up and Arch back exhale hands to the floor step all the way back.

19:48

Downward facing dog inhale to plank.

20:02

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. Inhale, right, foot forward, exhale, left knee down, inhale hook, thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale, hands down, step forward feet together, inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs.

20:30

Reach up Arch back, straighten legs, exhale Bend knees, swing the arms behind interlock hands, folding forward inhale hands down, left foot steps back. Exhale left knee touches down inhale hook thumbs. Reach up Arch back. Crescent lunge exhale hands to the floor. Step back downward dog inhale forward into plank.

20:56

Exhale chaturanga.

21:05

Inhale to 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. Inhale left foot forward, exhale right knee down, inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale, hands down, step forward feet together.

21:31

Inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, stand up, and release the arms good. Arms up utkatasana. Uh, oh, exhale, stand up, and release the arms okay. Take one of your blocks. Take one of your blocks and put the block between. Your hands is such that you don't want the wrists hanging off the end of the block.

22:07

You'd rather have the fingers hanging off the block and then hold the block straight out in front of you straight arms. Press into the block like you're trying to crush the block with both hands. Like, so many Friday night white claws, just kidding. Then reach the arms.

22:33

We can lift the black three centimeters higher just by stretching the arms move from the middle of the back to stretch the arms and then keep the arms lifting up evenly stand. In front of you, okay? Don't worry, no, you hold the block you keep holding it, but I want to show something.

22:59

So, oftentimes, when we go into utkatasana, like, look, how, because I'm better, I love the upper body kind of drop down, right? Instead, let's at least for today. But actually, for every utkatasana ever for the rest of your life, try to keep up. But it's not just dropping down into gravity and letting go into gravity.

23:28

The arms will feel heavier if you're not working from the back. The arms will feel lighter if you're connecting the arms into the back. Okay, so holding on to your block again. Yes, yay! Block! Reach the block forward. Press the hands straight into the block like you're trying to crush the block.

23:47

Reach all the way. No bent elbows, no soft elbows. Reach the block up even more lengthen, lengthen so much that you feel it up in your way.

24:09

Up up up through the upper body good and then. Release the arms. Okay, good. The simple things, right? I think it just got five degrees hotter in this room. Okay, now you can put the block to the side. Now, reach the arms up, but, but with this same amount of energy, similar amount of energy or more that you were squeezing your block, stretch the arms, stretch up through the arms so that such that you feel it in the sides of your waist, maybe even down in your hips, maybe even down in your feet, and then keep some of that upward, lifting energy, even as you descend.

24:42

Bend the knees, katasana, yeah. Think of the arms as starting in the mid back, not just holding them up from your shoulders and then exhale, hands down, fold forward. Head goes down good inhale. Look forward. Exhale chaturanga.

25:06

Downward facing dog inhale. Step the right foot forward, left heel down. Reach up Warrior one. Similar idea. Your arms start in the middle of your back exhale hands to the floor. Step back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the left foot forward virabadrasana, one Warrior One.

25:33

Exhale, hands down, step back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale right foot steps forward. Warrior one reach up, up, up, up, up, up, up, exhale hands to the floor. Step back chaturanga. Inhale upward down. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the left foot forward viraba draw snow one.

26:08

Exhale hands to the floor. Step back chaturanga. Inhale or vamuka? Exhale out breathing. Breathe out, one! Inhale. Exhale. Two good breathing. Breathe out three. Inhale. Exhale four? That's it. Exhale, bend the knees, look forward. Inhale Hopper, step feet to hands, exhale to fold forward, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

26:49

So even though we're coming from the ground, try to get that upward lift happening in the upper body. Good exhale, stand up, and release the arms inhale. Bend the knees, reach the arms up. Hold forward. Inhale, prepare exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing inhale. Step the right foot forward.

27:23

Turn the left heel down. Reach up Warrior one. Now, for, for now, bring the hands behind your head. Cradle the back of your head. Scoop the elbows forward and up. That's it. So it's like you're trying to lengthen from the armpits to the tips of the elbows, even lean.

27:43

The weight of the head back into the hands a little bit, bend the front knee more, that's it, and then keep the upper body the same. Just reach the arms up and press the hands together from right where you are. Reach the arms up. Ah, perfect, and look towards your hands.

28:02

Yes, look towards your hands, four? Yeah, amazing. Five. Take one more inhale, exhale. Open the hips and arms to the side inhale to straighten the right leg. Exhale. Reach to the right for triangle, right hand down, left arm up. Let's explore something here as well. Bring the left hand like to the sacrum area, or even the tailbone kind of where the Lululemon stamp would be right.

28:33

If you and then push, push your left hand sort of forward, so you're sort of embedding the sacrum and tailbone forward into the body. Roll the left shoulder up and back, and then squeeze the tip of the left elbow more back towards the window wall more towards the wall behind us, and then try to keep that engagement of the upper back.

28:57

Just reach the left arm, straight up triangle, and then kind of feeling how the left arm now connects into the center of the back, rather than just doing whatever it wants, which is sometimes what it does.

29:16

Knee inhale, reverse the Warrior, reach up and back. Stay there for one breathe. Breathe out what you've got again. Spending this knee, you can breathe out too. I'm just kidding. Very good. Stronger. Straighter back leg, four inhale. Seal. Keep the rest of the body the same inhale. Just straighten the right leg.

29:40

Reach to the back exhale. Bend the right knee. Place the right hand outside of the right foot and reach the left arm all the way over the left ear extended side angle. So, keep the keep the relationship between the left arm and the head the same. But for a moment, just turn your head and your chest towards the floor.

30:01

That's it. And then, with your exhale twist, turn the chest open more, more, more, more, more more. Head and the center of the chest to face the floor. Keep the left arm stretching and then open last time. See if you could turn the chest open even more than you did the first time.

30:22

Yes, inhale both hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward, facing exhale downward facing. Inhale, step the left foot forward Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale hands behind your head. Cradle the back of your head. Scoop the elbows forward and up, like you're trying to open from your armpit to the tip of your elbow lean the weight of the head back into the hands.

30:56

That's it. So, with the center of the chest, lifting this little upper back bend. Go ahead and extend the arms, reach the arms up, good. Press the hands together, including the pinky finger side, yeah, four.

31:14

Oil, open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Reach to the left for triangle. Place the left hand down right arm up, one bring the right hand to the base of the spine there right above the tailbone. Push the right hand forward towards the center of the body and then rolling the right shoulder up and back.

31:38

Squeeze the tip of the right elbow even more back towards the wall behind us. Keep that feeling in the chest in the upper chest and upper back. Reach the right arm up and again. Reaching with that sense that the arm is connecting into the mid back, not, not just hanging at the end of the.

31:59

Shape. Inhale stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee inhale, reverse the Warrior, reach up and back. Exhale. Stay one. Good for two. See that the left knee is bending all the way over the left ankle three. Four good? And five. Keep the rest of the body the same inhale.

32:28

Reverse triangle straighten the left leg. Exhale, bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot, right arm, reaches alongside the right ear for extended side angle, and then think of keeping the same relationship between your face and your right arm as you have now, but just turning the chest and the nose down to the floor for a moment.

32:55

Turn the chest open and see if you could spin the chest even more open than you did the first time. And then again turn center of chest and nose to face the floor and then kind of using that momentum of turning. Turn the chest open, open, open even more.

33:12

Inhale both hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward down. Exhale downward dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale hands on your waist, straighten your front leg. Inhale, lift up the chest, Arch back a little, pour some weight into the back foot, keep waiting the back foot.

33:47

As you go halfway, I was like waiting. It sounds like waiting. Okay, anyway, go halfway forward chest parallel to the floor. Look forward with the eyes, even reach forward with the chin. Reach forward with the collarbone. Squeeze the elbows towards each other. Use your hands to almost tilt your sitting bones higher up and back behind you for a moment.

34:10

And then, with your exhale hands, touch the floor or blocks. Go ahead and fold the rest of the wave forward for parsfortunasana. One good try to straighten both legs two. Yes, that's it. Draw the right hip crease back more three inhale. Breathe in! Breathe out, inhale! Look forward! Exhale hands on your waist inhale to stand all the way upright and reach the left arm up.

34:47

Exhale, go halfway forward chest parallel to the floor, left arm parallel to the floor. Pause there. Look forward, and then with your right hand. Pull your right hip back a little as you lengthen the left fingertips more forward and then go ahead. Cross the left hand to the other side of the right foot for rotated triangle.

35:08

Good, right arm reaches up for one press that left hand down if you have. Secure. Connection between the left hand and either the block or the floor. It'll make it better for the balance and better for the twisting. It's very good. With your inhale, bend the right knee hands to the floor plank.

35:33

Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale hands on your way. Straighten your front leg. Inhale Arch the back! Exhale, just go halfway forward chest parallel to the floor. Look forward. Squeeze the elbows towards each other and then even use the hands to kind of tip the tailbone a little higher up and back behind you.

36:08

It's almost a better stretch than having the hands down, huh? Okay, exhale hands to the floor or blocks. Fold the rest of the way forward, one good. Two good? Keep drawing the left hip, a little bit back three, push the left foot down to really extend through the back of the left leg.

36:33

Good four breathe in. And breathe out. Inhale, look forward. Exhale hands on your waist. Inhale stand all the way up and reach the right arm up. Exhale. Go halfway forward. Pause there. Look forward. Use your left hand to help you pull your left hip crease back. Reach the right fingertips forward more?

36:59

Oh, God so close, and then place the right hand all the way to the other side of the left foot rotated triangle turn. Turn the chest too good. Push both heels down strongly in affirmatively three.

37:21

Breathe out, inhale. Bend the left knee hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale step the right foot forward between the hands. Don't change the back foot. Exhale, lower the left knee down to the floor. Now, bring both hands onto the top of the right thigh.

37:51

You could optionally scoot the right foot a little bit forward. Let the hips move forward and down. Inhale, reach the arms up, and then exhale. Taking a side Bend, right arm reaches down alongside the body. Left arm reaches up and over good. Try to keep this as much in the side bending range for now as possible.

38:17

Even though we're going to change it in a second.

38:22

We have like matching script on our collarbones. I never noticed that before. So interesting. Okay, all right. Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled program here. Okay, so keep the upper body the same. Turn your chest open to the ceiling, even look up to the ceiling. And then turn your chest to face your right leg.

38:42

Turn your head to face the floor and reach the left arm diagonally across. Like, you're trying to touch whatever this plant is right here. Inhale, open the chest. Look up towards the ceiling. Exhale, and I should know I'm the plant girl. Okay, reach the left arm across. I cannot remember for the life of me.

39:02

Okay, inhale. Reach across. It would have been a better joke if I had exhale, turn, and reach across. Feel like you could reach even more across diagonally. Yes, like, you want to touch the upper left corner of the room. And cross your left elbow over the other side of your right thigh.

39:21

If you want, you can use your right hand to kind of push your right knee higher up towards the back of the armpit. Press the hands together before you do anything else as you push the hands together, straighten out the spine and open up the chest. So, from the crown of the, head to the tail long column, a long spiral action, then optionally tuck the left toes under lift the left knee up, or it can stay down for now.

39:53

God, just kidding. Yeah, I've had zero in my whole life. I'm still holding the record. Okay, inhale both hands to the floor plank pose. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale, step the left foot forward. Exhale lower the right knee down. Good, both hands on top of your left thigh.

40:23

Scoot the left knee a little left foot a little bit forward. Hips descend down, inhale, reach the arms up, exhale side, bending to the left, right arm, reaches up and over one. This is how you can tell you're getting a little old right. Is that in my brain, I was like, I was like, white claws aren't even like in anymore.

40:45

It's already, like, that's already dated. That's already. So, past so 2020. Okay, inhale. Open the chest to the ceiling. You find out about things a lot slower as you get older. I'm sorry to say, okay, turn to the chest to face the floor reach the right fingertips across, like, you want to touch the left corner of the room.

41:06

Inhale open the chest. Exhale, turn reach across. I just passed a birthday is why? Inhale, turn the chest my 84th birthday. Exhale, turn, and reach. Okay, now reach a little bit farther in that diagonal Direction, stretch long, and then cross your right elbow all the way to the left side.

41:30

The left knee hands together try to straighten out the spine and open up the collarbones. And then, from that place, see about extending the back leg or not. Totally optional, too good? Three.

41:53

Good inhale both hands to the floor plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Good inhale to plank feet together. Exhale shift onto the right hand outer edge of the right foot for side plank. Left arm reaches up, but see if you can find that same like plugging into the center of the back action so that you're not just winging the arm wherever it's gonna.

42:28

Up there. Okay, inhale to plank. Exhale onto the left hand outer edge of the left foot right arm reaches up, and then again, try to plug the like. Feel the root of the right arm starting in the center of the back. Inhale to plank. Exhale, knees, chest, and Chin to the floor.

42:51

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. Okay. Bend the knees. Look forward. Inhale Hopper step feet to hands? Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Try to feel again the arms, starting in the center of the back.

43:23

Exhale stand up. And release the arms. I have a bit of a dilemma, a teaching dilemma. But here's how I think we're gonna work it. Okay? For starters. This half of the room, including you. Is going to go against this wall, so everybody put your the short edge of your mat tight against this wall.

43:55

This half of the room is actually going to go along the little itty bitty wall. Don't worry, I've got a plan. There is a plan, but go ahead and put the short edge of your mat up against part of that wall, and this side of the room bring one block with you.

44:13

Actually, wouldn't be so bad for you to have a block with you, either everyone. Bring everyone gets a block, right? Everyone bring a block. You go this side. Okay. So? Oh, uh, were you, you can go. You can make it. We can make it. Yeah, yeah, come, come, come.

44:35

It is doable. Is that door locked? Yes, okay. Okay so, uh? Oh yeah, yeah. So this, let me just show, and then and then, I'll um manage it. Okay, so? Everybody. Watch what this side of the room is doing because your site is going to have to do this side.

44:57

Yeah, okay. Watch how I'm taking a block. I'm starting on my hands and knees. Now, here's the tricky part. Here's the tricky part. I'm going to try to put my elbows as close up into the crease of the wall as I can. Then look how I'm going to try to feel.

45:16

No, I can't see it. So, I'm working with my sort of blind spot here, right? I'm going to turn my block so that the medium width is coming out the wall, not, not the short one. So try to feel the medium width coming out away from the wall, and then I'm going to actually tuck my toes under and lift my knees up and press my upper back into that block now.

45:42

If this is intense, you can walk your feet back a little. You can bend your knees. There's many things you can do if you want it to be more intense, you can walk your feet forward. You can also lift your heels up and push more of your back against that block.

45:58

So? This side of the room will do the block bit this side of the room forearm stand, and then we'll switch okay. Good luck! Go ahead, turn to face the wall. Turn to face the wall. You can, optionally, if you're practicing forums down. If you like having a block between your hands like so, that can be helpful that I leave that up to you.

46:23

So, start in a forearm down dog facing the wall. Uh-Huh! Facing the wall. Lift the knees up. Yeah, extend the legs. One leg lifts up one leg, lifts up. Just lift one leg. Yeah, that's it. And then, uh, go ahead and either hold it there or take some hops.

46:47

Mm-Hmm head is off. The floor head is off the floor for this one. Yep. Don't worry if you're new. Just hold on to that block.

47:04

How's the blog going? Great, isn't it? Nice, actually. It looks like it's going to be terrible, and then it's nice. Okay, okay. Yes, okay, good, okay, relax, relax everyone. Okay.

47:30

I wish we knew each other better than we could just switch without having to switch mats. But go ahead and go ahead and do the full Switcheroo. So go ahead and pull your mat over to the other side of the room. I love the windows, but I would love to have more walls at the same time.

47:47

Somehow we need both.

47:53

But every space has its own unique. Advantages and disadvantages. Okay, so this side of the room forearm standing this side of the room is working with the block behind the back. If you're, if you don't remember what to do, don't worry. I'm gonna talk you through it again. Holding the block in one hand.

48:13

Walk your elbows as close to the wall as you can. Let the head hang down block on the medium side. Yes, exactly, turn the block medium, yes, and then. Tuck the toes under, lift the knees up, extending the legs, and then forearms stand side. Hang on slow. Take it slow.

48:32

Take it slow. First of all, your head needs to be off the floor for this one. Head off, lift your head. Yes, okay, now keep your head lifting. Don't drop your head down now, kick. Like you mean it? Yes, okay, good. Good. Yeah. Maybe you find the block is too much in the way?

48:56

That's okay, too. If you don't like the block, don't use the block. Yeah. Good. That's it.

49:08

Okay. If you, if you like, need a couple more seconds to feel and experience what you're feeling and experiencing. Please take it. Take the time you need, but if you're like, totally over it. Start to make your way back to the middle.

49:29

Oh. Look, we did that so organized. We still managed to get it done. I love that all right. Come on back to the middle.

49:47

Speaking of blind spots. It used to be when I first when I first started going to GMOT yoga back in the day. When the teacher would be like, okay, let's move our mats to the wall. I'd be like, oops, time to use the restroom. And I would like swiftly exit the room and be and magically be gone for a couple of minutes until until the teacher was, like, hey, if you find you're always leaving the room at the same time?

50:17

Notice that that might be some avoidance happening. That might be your blind spot coming up, right? Okay. Go ahead and come forward onto hands and knees. And we'll press back downward dog.

50:32

And sure enough. And then it. It just took that one teacher, pointing it out for me to be. Like, yeah, you know what? I need to. You know, stickler up and face this thing. Come forward into a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Good, um? Hands behind the head actually, so bring the hands behind your head.

50:59

Lace, your fingers together, elbows wide, elbows wide, yeah, widen up the elbows perfect. Now, keep your right elbow there on the floor. Lift your left elbow. Lift your head up so you're like doing a half turn and then left elbow down and then left right elbow up. Keep the left elbow touching the floor and then right elbow down.

51:19

Good, keep going left. Elbow reaches up up up, so kind of engaging this upper back twist a little bit and set it down and left elbow reaching sorry, right elbow, reaching up.

51:36

Yeah, good.

51:49

Good. And then, when you're finished arms alongside your body, inhale lift up head, chest, and legs for shalabasana good. Squeeze the shoulder blades towards each other. Lift the roundest part of the shoulders up a little higher, yes.

52:10

Good. And then, with your exhale, slowly release on down. This time, uh, interlace, the hands behind the back. But let's start actually with the hands kind of open and the backs of the hands are on the sacrum, yeah. So the fingers are interlaced. Open face sandwich style. And then squeeze the elbows towards each other.

52:40

Squeeze the palms of the hands towards each other, but the knuckles stay pressing into the back of the sacrum, and then lower the elbows down, open the hands up. Yeah, like, open up the elbows, so lift the elbows squeeze the hands and then let the elbows go down towards the floor again.

52:57

The elbows squeeze the hands, this time. Keep the elbows squeezing up to the ceiling as best you can start to lift the hands away from the back, straightening the elbows, but keep the arms lifting as high as you possibly can, and then lift the rest of the shape. Lift head, chest arms, arms, arms go, go arms.

53:17

Yeah, arms know, extend straighten, yes. Awesome! Good and then exhale. Slowly release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest, inhale, lift forward and up into upward dog. Exhale, go back downward facing dog. Inhale to plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Take the hands a little wider, even hands off the sides of the knot a bit.

53:56

The feet a little wider. Push down into the hands, lift the head, lift the chest, lift the abdomen up. You could move towards straightening the arms, but keep the lower half of the body relaxed, and then again feel like you're pushing forward from behind the heart. So the center of the back, pushing forward in order to Arch back a little bit more good, and then slowly release on down.

54:22

Would come up onto fingertips and then go ahead and push down. Lift up head chest parts of the abdomen again. Push forward from right behind the heart, yes. And slowly release down. No clenching the buttocks here. No clenching the glutes. One more time, lift up head, chest, abdomen, center of chest, forward shoulders, back head can go back now.

54:50

Slowly, and I mean, slowly, slowly start to bring yourself down. But the moment you can free up the hands, take them behind you for shalavasana again, so stay at the highest possible point you can and turn it into shalavasana. Oh, it's so much higher than the first time just coming at it from a different direction.

55:15

We get this extra little boost. Yeah, okay. Release on down.

55:25

Place the hands either side of the chest. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing. Inhale to plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, inhale, lift up down your Asana one.

55:53

Three. Good exhale release on down. Again, bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles. Inhale lift on up head chest knees! Don your Asana lift lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, good! Now try to keep the head, the chest, the knees away from the floor. As you let go of the feet or ankles, stretch the legs back to shalabasana last times reach back, reach back, reach back.

56:33

Oh my goodness, you're flying! Exhale release down. Dating. Okay, turn all the way over onto the back. Wow!

56:54

Feet on the floor. Lift the hips up. Interlock the hands behind the back. Into one fist. Yeah. Christmas music.

57:17

Separate. The hands release the back down to the floor. You could either repeat the same, or if you'd like to take a. Wheel, then place the hands on the floor either side of your head, and then, with your inhale, go ahead, lift up.

57:44

Three good? Shin to your chest, slowly release down. Take their hands a little wider. Oh yeah, even more. Oh yeah, hang on. Okay. So, now you know, the options half wheel and full wheel. We're gonna do two more. You can do one and one or two and two, whatever, okay, go ahead.

58:09

Five breaths, each with a little rest in between. Go ahead, lift up. Ah, okay, sliding. I can't do as much about the sliding part, but.

59:07

Good, no rush. No rush when you are finished. Hug the knees into the chest.

59:40

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

01:00:05

Bring the knees up to the center and then go the other way.

01:00:36

And bring the knees on up to the center. Come on up to a seated position, sit upright. Straighten the legs forward out in front of you. You can stay facing this direction. Flex the feet, sit up tall, and fold forward.

01:00:57

They took a great. I took a great class on Thursday with another teacher who was having us turn this way in that in this way, and that, and she even at one point was like, it's good to let the students see the other side of the room that they don't normally see, and I was like, yes, yes, it is.

01:01:13

Here we are.

01:01:24

I used to have a teacher that did that on purpose he would like, especially if you were really attached to being at the front of the room or the back of the room he'd on purpose, turn you around and be, like, okay, this is the new front. Okay if you're holding your feet, or you're holding your belt or whatever you're holding, keep it.

01:01:43

Don't let go with the hands, but move as if you're trying to go to sit up again. Pull the center of the chest forward, shoulders back lengthen from the tailbone to the crown of the head, push the heart forward, forward, forward, forward forward, and then fold forward second time.

01:02:00

Ah, magic. There's more space.

01:02:07

Works every time.

01:02:18

Good lift all the way upright to a seated position. Bend the left knee into the chest. Open the left knee out to the side reach for the right foot or use your belt around your foot. Fold forward Johnny.

01:02:39

It's.

01:02:54

Okay, keep hold of your foot or your belt go as if you're trying to sit up. Pull the crown of the head away from the tailbone, pull the center of the chest forward, forward, forward forward. Keep going, keep lengthening, keep lifting, and then go forward second time.

01:03:23

Lift all the way up right. Extend the left leg forward, bend the right knee, open it out to the side, fold towards the left leg, John you sure.

01:03:53

And then keep hold of whatever you got a hold of. Lift, like you're trying to sit up, pull the center of the chest, forward shoulders back. So moving forward from this from almost pushing forward from the center of the back, lengthen, lengthen, more lengthen a little bit more. Lift the crown of the head a little bit more, and then go forward last times.

01:04:26

All right, and then lifting all the way up, extend both legs forward. Bend the knees, set the feet on the floor. Take a little space between the feet. And then, uh, hands behind the back fingertips, pointing forward. Push down into the hands. Lift up tabletop. And again. Can you lift up a bit more by lifting from the spot between your shoulder blades?

01:04:58

Wow, yes, like magic.

01:05:07

Go ahead chin to the chest, slowly release down, let the knees open out to the sides feet together, hold on to the feet or ankles, and go forward. Fold forward.

01:05:49

Lift all the way up. Keep the shape of the legs the same, but lay down on your back.

01:06:10

Now, you could, uh, you could stay just like this. Or, you could come up into shoulder stand. Or you could even, uh, take any other sort of finishing move that you need to make if you? Would rather do a headstand if you would rather do like a long pigeon on both sides.

01:07:15

So, again, just returning to the process of.

01:07:23

Opening up our? Ability to see you or investigating our blind spots, right? How, how do we? How do we see our blind spots? Right. One one technique is, of course, being on the yoga mat. In fact, the yoga mat in some ways can be. Sort of a mirror. For our minds, Amir, showing us sort of.

01:07:53

Um. Like, maybe where we take a shortcut or relief for the bathroom and headstand or we, you know, like, all these different sort of ways that we?

01:08:12

Of ways that we have our little blind spots when it comes to encountering difficulty or encountering an obstacle. Um. Also meditation, right? The the process of getting to know? The mind. We can't just sort of turn our eyeballs backwards. And look. At ourselves, but we can use meditation to create enough spaciousness in the mind to see what's going on in.

01:08:49

Just like, how, in order to see each of you, there has to be space in the room. Same with our mind in order to. In order to observe our thoughts in order to? Get to know our minds. There has to be a little bit of space. Yeah.

01:09:14

And then, of course, teachers. Trusted teachers can be a good reflection for us. Of our blind spots. They can point things out that we.

01:09:30

Had a had a misunderstanding about or thought we were doing, and really, it wasn't happening.

01:09:46

And then also even in our relationships do. Do I have? The kinds of relationships that. Um, you know, be honest with me and reflect back to me something that I'm. Being, uh? Stubborn or ignorant about? If you're still in shoulder stands, start to come into plow.

01:10:26

Yeah. Find your way. Oh.

01:10:36

But we need we need each other. We need each other. It's all about relationships. Okay. We help each other okay. Find your way into, um, shavasana. Took me a minute to get the words out, didn't it?

01:17:02

To deepen the breath.

01:17:11

Start to bring some movement into the body.

01:17:22

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

01:17:37

I'm gathering the knees into the chest. Roll to the right hand side.

01:17:47

And then slowly come on up to a seated position.

01:17:57

Setting up a seat for your meditation practice so can be helpful to sit up on a little something a blanket or. Block or something? Yeah.

01:18:17

Feel your body. Feel your body feel your body. In particular, feel the. But against the cushion or the floor. Whatever it is that you're sitting on. Feel. Weight of the butt against the cushion. Feel the texture of the cushion or block or floor. Feel the feet, feel any parts of the feet that are in contact with the floor.

01:18:50

Feel the toes and whatever parts of the toes are in contact with the floor. Ankles shins. Feel your butt against the floor, feel your toes feet. Shins and ankles all at once. Every part of you that's connected to the floor. Feel it all at once, almost like a meditation footprint against the Earth.

01:19:18

And then simultaneously let all of those points get a little heavier into gravity. So just letting yourself sit down into your footprint? Your meditation footprint a little bit more.

01:19:39

From that. From the seat slowly scan upwards. Through the interior of the body. And any place along the way where you feel some residual tension or clinging or holding on. Try to let it go on purpose.

01:20:18

When you get to the crown of the head, feel that there's almost like a feeling of openness, like the crown of the head is almost blossoming. Open towards the sky, like a flower.

01:20:33

Wherever you imagine your mind to be, wherever you experience your mind, whether it's behind the eyes or behind the forehead. Something like that on purpose now. Drop the Mind down into the body. Drop the mind down into the body, so that mind is no longer just located behind. The eyebrows, but now the mind is dropped down into the body.

01:21:01

And the body is on the earth.

01:21:09

Feel the breath. Feel the movement of the belly in and out as you breathe. Feel the sides of the ribs. Moving out as you breathe. Including any clothing, the sides of the rib might touch. Feel how the sides of the ribs maybe brush against the inner arms. Feel the movement of the back.

01:21:38

Feel the movement of the top of the chest. Feel the air flowing in and out of the tip of the nose. And even that slight drying sensation that comes with the inhale. Feel everything that there is to feel about breathing.

01:22:01

And then, for the next five breaths count. The breaths inhale exhale is one. Count to five and at the end of the five counts. Let the counting fall away, but the attention remains.

01:22:50

Stay relaxed. Stay open. Natural open awareness. Mind in the body body on the earth.

01:24:01

May all beings be happy and free? Oh, come, some star.

01:24:43

Thank you all so very much for making time for practice today and for making your way here. However, far you came from, and however, many obstacles you encountered to be here. And um, and of course, for this opportunity to practice together, it's always so much better when we, when we do it together, isn't it?

01:25:03

Uh, especially if you're new to me. Come say hi, I'd love to get to know you a little better. Get to know your practice. And if you do have any questions at all, either about today's class or just in general about something you're experiencing, please do. Let me know.

01:25:16

Um, Beatrice will be teaching tomorrow's class. She's a teacher from LA, and she's visiting, and you should come take her class, so hopefully see you tomorrow. Thanks, everybody. My.