Podcast #159 - World of Images

The theme of the class, as always, is based on the Focus of the Month - which can be read in full here: https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/world-of-images/

The physical practice is a mix of some hip and core work with one handstand excersize at the wall. Those of you at home can take this as an opportunity to practice any handstand thing you're working on, or something else! Its only a small moment in the class, so stay with it!

Follow me everywhere: @yogastickler

TRANSCRIPT:

Good morning. Hi, hi online. Hi online, folks! I'm Jessica, if we haven't met yet. And this is Mel. Mel is, uh, currently enrolled in. Uh, mentorship program here, and so Mel will be here, giving some extra Hands-On assist on that topic. If you, if you ever really don't want a Hands-On assist from?

Any of us, either of us, or if you're in one of the other classes here, just let us know. No problem at all won't take it personally. Just communicate, and we're all good. Okay, we're going to start a little differently today, so come forward onto hands and knees.

And then, from your hands and knees, just pick a direction and start to make some circles. So, Circle the body around the wrists around the knees.

Yeah, and then go the other direction.

And then come back to the center and come up onto the fingertips. So, cup your fingertips on the floor or blocks. Although floor might be better for what we're doing next. Cup the fingertips and then keep the weight more over your knees, but walk the fingertips as far forward as you possibly can on the floor without sending the hips forward without sending the hips forward.

Yeah, exactly. Your head can hang between your arms, but do stay up on fingertips so that you're keeping the sort of wrists forearms elbows away from the floor. See if you go to crawl the fingertips even just slightly more forward, and then imagine your fingertips sort of get stuck to the friction of the floor or the sticky mat.

Send your seat back like you're trying to move back to a child's pose, but you can't because you're sort of. Tree frog fingertips are stuck on the floor there.

Lift the head in the chest, a little bit. Walk the hands over to the right side, right corner, like two o'clock or so, and then again, grip the floor with your tree frog fingertips and send your hips back and back and back. Like, you're trying to push the hips back into a child's pose, but it doesn't quite work.

Then lift a quarter of the way up. Walk the hands over to the left corner. And press the seat back, especially the right side, kind of emphasizing that right side stretch. And then come back through Center. Let's add a little bit of a breath to it, so walk over to the right side as you exhale.

Push the seat back. Inhale, lift up. Walk the hands to the left side. Exhale. Push the seat back. Inhale, lift up, switch sides, exhale. Press back. Inhale, lift up, switch sides, exhale seat towards heels. Inhale, lift up, switch sides, exhale seat towards feet. Inhale, lift, exhale. Press back. And then go ahead and come on back to the center play.

Press the hands down and press all the way back to a downward facing dog, so lift the hips up and back, extending the legs.

With your inhale. Oh, dear, Alice. We've got a situation on our hands, don't we? Inhale, come forward into a plank. Exhale lower the knees, the chest, and the 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.

Inhale. Come forward into a plank. Exhale lower halfway down chaturanga high to low push up. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog, soften the knees, walk the feet forward towards the hands, folding forward over the legs. And then for now, so the feed can stay about downward dog distance apart.

So, a little space between the feet and then, for now, walk the hands a little forward of the feet. Press the hands down into the floor. And if they don't press the floor, you could either bend the knees or press them into blocks and then pick a direction and circle around the wrists around the ankles, so bring sort of as much so just circling.

Yeah, the for the very first thing we did, yeah? So, imagine, like you bring as much weight into. For example, the right hand as you can, and then shift over as much weight into the left hand, as much weight as the left foot as much way to the right foot, and so on and so forth, and then switch your directions and go back the other way.

And then widen the feet. Bend the knees come into a deep, squatting position hands together at the center of the chest. Try to feel what part of the arms are inside of the knees and try to slide a little bit more towards the elbow part of the arm, so elbows more towards the inner knees, lift the center of the chest.

Think of lifting the front corners of the armpits higher up than the back corners of the armpits. Bring your hands down to the floor, raise the hips up, and fold forward. Bring the feed halfway closer together, arms behind the back, Lace the fingers together into one fist, stretch the arms away from the back inhale, bend the knees, open the chest, look forward.

Exhale straighten the legs and fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, open the chest, look forward. Exhale, straighten, extend, and fold. Inhale bending! Look forward! Exhale, extending to fold forward last one inhale Bend. And exhale. Extend hands on your waist. Lift all the way upright to a standing position. Reach the arms up overhead.

Clasp the hands together into one fist, inhale a breath, straighten the elbows a little bit more exhale, Bend to the left side. Inhale lift up to the center. Exhale Bend to the right side, stretching the left side of the body. Good inhale, lift up. Exhale left side. Inhale lift all the way up.

Exhale Bend, right? Inhale lift all the way up. One more time, each side exhale Bend. Inhale, lift up and exhale Bend. Inhale lift all the way up and go ahead and release the arms. Quick question, um? Who, how many people in the room sort of like, think in images like when?

When, yeah, some of us know already. But like, for example, when I say. Apple does a picture of an apple come up in your mind. Raise your hand. And then, how many people your hands down, how many people sort of think more in sort of Concepts, or like Vibes or feelings?

Yeah, okay, yeah? So, so not everybody has that thing where you come up with, sort of a literal picture image in the mind, right? So? It's good to know. What you know? Okay, I'm the type of person that thinks in visual images, or if other kinds of Concepts work for you.

We'll, we'll talk about that, too. But, um, I wanted to ask another question. So, in terms of yoga practice, right, how does? Visual imagery. How does like picture, imagery, or mental imagery? Help us with yoga practice. Are there ways in which you sort of use? Images or pictures in your mind or Concepts in your mind to help with your practice, and you're nodding vigorously.

Do you have a? Do you have a thought about that? It just helps you get into alignment. So, if you have awareness around how shape should walk, skin can kind of. Yeah, yeah. You can think about how to and where does that image come from? Like, what image are you thinking?

Are you thinking of your literal bones stacking on top of each other. Oh, very interesting, so you're, you're picturing your own Shin. Mmm, you're picturing like your ankles. Balancing under your knees like that. Okay, interesting. How about the? How about the pose names, right? Like when I said tree frog fingertips did that like, make it more a more Vivid, sort of experience for you, you were, like, oh, now, I.

Good. Thanks. I made that one up. It's not an official pose, but it will be. No, I can't. Or like? I mean, a lot of the poses have visual imagery, like tadasana, the mountain pose, where we start right. So, when I say, okay, when I say, like? Stand as your tallest and strongest and most stable self.

Versus stand like a mountain. Does that evoke something kind of different? Just like stand as tall as you can, right? It's a shorthand, it's yeah. All the long sentence say the whole concept say, every part about it. Yeah, never say the thing it is, it's like a shorthand for saying all of the descriptors of mountain that we're trying to embody right.

So, let me flip that question. Are there ways in which images or imagery can actually be an obstacle or a hurdle for practice, like even patanjali and the other yoga stages have identified that every type of thought every type of thought form we can have can either be helpful to practice or unhelpful.

And. And so are there ways in which imagery might hurt the practice, or it might be an obstacle for practice? Anyone want to say more about that? I'm not a Trader. You're not a tree. That's true. That's true. We still stay in the realm of metaphor. I think when it's complicated when the pose is really complicated, like grasshopper or something okay, when it's when the pose is really complicated, like direct instructions.

You've, you find you need more sort of like step-by-step work when something is, yeah, oh Encompass? Yeah, sure. I'll make a shape of a compass, or like one, one area I thought that presents an obstacle for practice is, um, is like? Instagram. Because Instagram's Instagram not only sh not only sort of limits us to thinking of yoga as sort of Performing?

Shapes in a certain visual image based way. But also Instagram is really bad about showing us what type of person. Is more suited to yoga or not right, which is? A vastly sort of narrow. View of narrow image of like, what yoga practice is and does and can be, and who can do it right?

Any other. Like, any other ways in which, like, the imagery based? World can present an obstacle, or did we kind of cover our bases here? All right, so bring the feet together. Tadasana stand like a mountain arms alongside the body. Lift the crown of the head towards the ceiling.

As you press the feet into the Earth and then bring the hands together for a moment, staying with the world of images, staying with our sort of conceptual. Images. Bring to mind your image of yourself, your image of yourself. If you could see yourself and whatever that entails. Not only how you see yourself, but how you sort of present yourself in the world.

And then bring the arms down alongside the body, preparing for sun salutations with the inhale reach the arms all the way up overhead. Oh, exhale. Fold forward hands to the floor. My apologies, inhale. Look forward to prepare. Exhale Hopper step back chaturanga inhale upward facing dog? Exhale downward facing dog, good inhale.

Exhale. Inhale. Exhale to inhale. Exhale three. Inhale. Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward feet to hands, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms all the way up. Exhale, release the arms again. Inhale, reach up hands, press together, exhale. Fold forward hands to the floor inhale.

Look forward to prepare. Exhale, hop, step, or walk back. Chaturanga inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog breathing. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale to inhale. Exhale three inhale? Exhale four. I can hear two people breathing inhale. Exhale five, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward feet to hands, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms up, exhale arms alongside the body, one more inhale reach.

Exhale fold all the way forward inhale. Look forward. Exhale chaturanga inhale upward, facing exhale downward facing inhale. Exhale, one inhale. Exhale. Two breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale. Four inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward, exhale, fold forward, inhale, stand up, reach the arms up, exhale arms alongside the body, Jiva muktitoria, a inhale hook thumbs, reach up Arch back, exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together, and fold inhale hands down.

Step the right foot back, exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank. Upward, facing exhale downward, facing inhale to plank, exhale knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward, Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs inhale, right, foot forward. Exhale left foot next to the right foot.

Fold forward, inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, Bend knees, arms behind these hands together, and fold inhale hands down, left foot steps back, exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank, exhale chaturanga, inhale upward face, exhale downward, face inhale plank, exhale Knees, chest chin to the floor, inhale slide forward Cobra.

Exhale, right, foot forward, inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, stand up, release the arms, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale hands down to fold forward. I wouldn't, usually, but Chris is all the way from Georgia inhale. Look forward. Exhale Hopper. Step back chaturanga.

Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale right foot forward Warrior one? Exhale, hands down, step back chaturanga. Inhale upward, facing exhale downward facing inhale left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor chaturanga. Inhale upward face exhale downward face one more time. Each side inhale right foot forward Warrior, one exhale hands down.

Step back chaturanga inhale upward dog exhale downward. Dog inhale left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale, hands down chaturanga. Inhale upward, facing exhale downward facing breathe inhale. Exhale. Inhale, exhale. Two inhale. Exhale three. Breathe in! Breathe out four inhale! Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step exhale, fold forward, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

Exhale, stand up and release the arms, separate the feet a little bit apart, hands on your waist, inhale. Lift up your chest, Arch back, exhale, fold forward, grab hold of your toes, inhale, look forward, exhale, fold forward, head goes down, breathe in. Inhale, good pull the knees up. Yeah, exhale.

Two use the quads, yes, inhale. Exhale, four. Thank you inhale. Exhale with your inhale. Look forward. Slide the palms of the hands underneath the soles of the feet. Exhale. Fold forward. Breathe in. Breathe out, one inhale. Exhale. Breathe in! And breathe out three. Inhale. Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out, inhale!

Look forward! Get your hands out from under there. Walk the hands a little forward of the feet, and once again come up onto the fingertips cup. The hands, let's shift the weight forward and back a bit so we can really feel what's happening in the soles of the feet?

So, shift forward wave forward into the toes, shift back way back into the heels. To the toes side of the foot, shift back to the heel side of the foot again. Go forward. And go back and now try to find even so plant the feet down and try to even out the weight from the front to the back of the feet and then try to keep the weight over the feet.

Walk the fingertips as far forward as you possibly can without shifting the weight forward. So, no longer, are we shifting the weight into the toes? We're keeping the weight centered over the feet. See if you could crawl the fingertips even more forward from where you are now. Walk both hands over to the right corner, like two o'clock.

Weight is still primarily over the feet. Yeah, stay right over the feet, push the hips back and back, just fingertips on the floor. Yeah. And then walk the hands through Center all the way over to the left corner. In particular, push the right heel down and even push the root of the right thigh back a little bit more.

So you're trying to stay even in the feet, even though it's very, very difficult when we're going to one side. Walk the hands back to the center, soften the knees hands on your waist lift all the way upright to a standing position feet together arms alongside the body inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

Inhale, look forward. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the right leg. Exhale triangle treaconasana, right hand down left arm, reaches up one good. Keep breathing to both legs straight for this one.

With your inhale lift all the way upright to a standing position. Exhale bend the right knee. Now, let's practice extending the right leg in a nice way that doesn't snap the knee back, right? So pretend that you're pushing the right foot down into the floor to extend the right leg.

Yeah, exhale to bend. Stand the right leg, push down into the floor, exhale Bend. One more time inhale extend. Now, do that every time, even when I'm not here, and then actually place your hands on your waist. Notice how the right hand is already a little bit lower than the left hand.

Try to lift the right hand up left hip down so that the hands match a little bit closer to level. And then, as you exhale, bend the right knee and notice how the right hip it wants to lower down to the top of the right thigh. Don't let it inhale, extend the right leg again, exhale Bend, but keep trying to lift the point of the Iliad crest up away from the thigh bone inhale extend.

It, like that, reach the arms out Warrior two, one good two, I think, feed a little wide or even three. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Good, okay. Extend the right leg the nice way, no snapping. The knee back exhale bend the right knee. Place the right fingertips to the inside of the right foot left arm reaches straight up.

As you inhale, reach the right arm towards the windows and try to get longer through the right side of the body. Like, try to take the creases out of your shirt. Exhale right hand outside of the right foot, inhale right arm reaches long again. Try to stretch from the hip to the armpit to the fingertips.

Exhale right fingertips to the inside. That's okay, come in inhale reach.

Exhale. Place right hand to the inside of the foot. Now, pause there. Keep your right shoulder touching up against your right knee. Reach the right fingertips far towards the long edge of the mat that you're looking at. And then start to extend the right leg, even if the shoulder and the knee don't stay all the way together.

That's okay, but try and then see if you could just wing the left arm back a little bit more and more, so you're turning the chest, almost making a little bit more of a like back bend shape than we might usually do in your triangle inhale. Bend the right knee hands to the floor, either downward dog or plank chaturanga upward dog.

In downward dog. Yeah. Inhale, step the left foot forward virabadrasana one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Extend the left leg exhale triquanasana triangle left hand down right arm up one yeah, two both legs straight. Three, try to spread the toes, relax the toes. Inhale to stand all the way upright exhale.

Bend the left knee. So, again, let's practice pushing the left foot down to extend the leg. No stress on the knee exhale Bend. Inhale to extend? Exhale Bend good, setting it in as a little more of a habit. Inhale extend both hands on your waist. Notice the left hand had already trying to drop down, lift the left hand up right hand down a little bit, exhale Bend, try to keep the hands level as you go, inhale extend.

Exhale Bend. Inhale extend last one exhale Bend again. Try to keep a little bit of space between the left iliac crest and the left thigh, and then reach the arms out Warrior two, one lift, the top of the chest shoulders, drawing back yes, three. With your inhale, straighten the left leg, the nice way.

Exhale. Bend the left knee. Start with the left fingertips to the inside of the left foot, right arm, reaches straight up, inhale. Reach the left arm towards the front of the room. Get long through the left side of the waist. Exhale left fingertips to the outside of the left hand inhale reach the left arm lock.

Exhale left hand to the inside. Inhale reach. Exhale outside last one inhale reach. Exhale left hand to the inside. Touch the left shoulder up against the left knee, but then crawl the fingertips towards the long edge of the mat. The one that you're looking at. Now, keep the shoulder and the knee touching together.

Start to straighten the left leg if they come apart. So be it, but just see what happens, and then wing that right, arm back and back and back. That's right. Say hello to the box seats. Inhale, bend the left knee hands to the floor, either step back to downward dog, or you can move through an extra plank chaturanga up dog.

Ending up in downward facing dog. Good step, the right foot forward between the hands. Egg seals start to straighten the front leg, move the back foot in a small step closer, anchor the back, heel down, come up onto the fingertips, or you could even be on fingertips on tops of blocks and then keeping the feet and legs the same.

Walk, the fingertips and or the blocks as far forward of the right foot as you possibly can. Because we're reaching forward, you might need to push the left heel more assertively down. Now that we've been here, a few more breaths, Steve, you can walk the fingertips a little bit more forward.

Keep breathing. And then I walk the hands a little over to the right corner. Walk the fingertips over the right corner, almost crossing the right leg with the body, and again push the left heel down even more strongly. See if you could reach the left fingertips a little further out away and then walking the hands back through Center.

Try not to change the hips and the legs too much. Walk the hands a little over to the left side. Notice that right, hip, it's going to try to swing out towards the blanket side of the room. Try not to let it try to keep the right hip moving in towards the midline, both legs straightening both heels, pressing down, walk the hands back through Center, Bend the right knee, either downward dog, or you're moving through plank chaturanga upward dog.

Step the left foot forward between the hands exhale start to straighten the left leg. Scoot the back foot in a little closer. Come up onto fingertips or be on fingertips on tops of blocks, anchor the back, heel down strong, and then slide the fingertips or the blocks, or both, as far forward as you possibly can, and then anchor that right, heel down even harder into the ground.

See if you go to crawl the fingertips just a little bit more forward now. To the left corner, crossing the left leg with the upper body, push the right heel down strong. See if you could reach the right fingertips a little farther out away. And then walking the hands back through Center, keep the hips and the legs as much the same.

As you can, try not to distort the legs, walk the hands over to the right side. And again, try not to let the left hip go crazy out to the side. You're still tacking it, sort of back and down, yeah. Walk the hands back through Center. Bend the left knee, either downward dog or plank chaturanga upward, facing moving back into downward facing dog.

But step the right foot to the outside of the right hand. Step it wide. Lift the head and chest look forward. Walk the hands forward one or two steps, and then you can optionally work on bringing the elbows down in the direction of the floor for lizard. Try to straighten out the back leg, opening the left knee high.

You're up to the ceiling. Try to spread your collarbones a little bit forward, yes. Squeeze the right knee a little bit more in. I've gotta walk the hands back under the shoulders, straighten the elbows, take the right leg up and back down dog splits. Open the right hip to the right side.

Bend the right knee point, the right toes, reach the right toes so far towards the opposite wall that maybe the right hand starts to feel a little lighter. Just come up onto the right fingertips cup, the hand just play with it there. Then press the right hand down again.

Straighten out the right leg Flex, the right foot. Turn the outer right hip down. Lift the left heel high away from the floor and lift the right leg a little higher. And then bring the right knee all the way up towards the nose modified plank. Take your right leg all the way up and back again.

Lift the left heel higher and higher and higher and lift the right leg higher. And then bring your right knee all the way up towards your nose. Pause there. Push both hands so hard into the floor. You can pull your thigh and your shin and your foot closer to your chest and then set your knee down to the inside of your right thumb, setting up for Pigeon.

Walk the right foot to the left, untuck the left toes, and fold forward. Try to sit right on the right in the center of the hips, not rolling to the right or left side.

Go ahead, walk the hands back under the shoulders, tuck the left toes under, take the right leg up and back again down dog splits open, right, hip, Bend, right, knee point, right, toes. See if you could play with coming up on the fingertips. Or if you want to flip your dog over if that's part of your practice, you can go ahead and flip.

And then right hand returns to the floor, right. Leg reaches up downward facing dog. Step the left foot to the outside of the left hand. Look forward. Walk the hands a little more forward, either. Stay on your hands or bring the elbows down to the floor lizard. Good work on straightening the back leg.

Try to spread the collarbone, spread the front of the chest, squeeze the left knee a little bit more in towards the middle. I've walked the hands back under the shoulders, straighten the elbows, take the left leg up and back down dog splits. Open the left hip to the left side.

Bend the left knee, point the toes, see if with control. You could just come up onto the left finger tips and then press the left hand down again straight and left leg Flex. The foot lift the right heel high up away from the floor, lift the left leg higher.

Your left knee towards your nose shoulders over your wrists. Inhale, reach the left leg up and back. Lift the right heel higher and higher. Exhale knee towards your nose. Pause there. Push the hands so hard down into the floor that your back pushes up to the ceiling your abdomen pulls in, and you pull your thigh, closer to your chest, and then set your knee to the floor.

Set up for Pigeon, fold forward.

Because just the other day as a student was telling me she was like, she was like, I don't get why this one is called pigeon. Like, I get some of the other shapes, but this, this one just doesn't visually sort of make sense to me. So I, and I realized, yeah, like, some of them don't make total sense to me.

They're like gomu kasana. Cow face is one that I'm like, where's the cow face part of this? I don't quite see it, right? That change your connection to that Asana, or do you have more trouble with that Asana or more ease? Or just kind of a mystery middle area.

Bring the hands back under the shoulders. Tug the right toes under. Lift the left leg up and back. Open the left hip to the left side. Bend the left knee. If you would like to, you can flip your dog. And then working all the way back over left hand to the floor.

Downward facing dog. Step the right foot forward between the hands. Lower the left knee down to the floor. Inhale reach the arms up. Exhale hands to prayer. Twist to the right side. Hook the left upper arm outside of the right leg. You can stay like that or lift the back knee up, standing spinal twist, work the hands closer and closer to the center of the chest Center chest closer and closer to the hands.

That's right, three. Spread open the top of the chest. Try to straighten out the from the crown of the head to the left heel. Okay, bring both hands to the floor. Now, push off the left toes, lift the left leg up for standing splits. Come up with the fingertips.

Walk the fingertips as far forward as you can reach, and in fact, walk them so far forward that the weight does go on purpose into the right ball of the foot. Then keep your frog tree frog fingertips stuck to the floor, but pretend someone comes up behind you and pulls you by your left ankle so that your heel presses back down to the floor.

Let's do that again, just in case you missed it. Walk the fingertips a little more forward. Bring weight into the ball of the right foot, maybe the right heel, even lifts, and then your fingertips get sort of stuck to the floor, even as you pull back and push the weight into the heel again.

Walk the hands halfway back inhale. Look forward. Exhale. Bend. Both knees. Cross the left knee behind the right knee. Don't sit down yet. Inhale extend. Both legs reach up, exhale Bend, both knees. See if you can come closer to the floor without setting down inhale, extend, lift, and reach exhale.

Bend both knees spiral all the way to sit seated spinal twist. Reach left arm up. Exhale. Twist to the right side. Look all the way over the right shoulder and breathe one.

Including the big toe side.

And with your inhale turn to face front exhale counter twist. Inhale, turn to face front, stack up the legs for ankle to knee right ankle over the left knee, or sometimes it's called fire log pose Agni stambasana, right? So, if that helps give you a visual of how the legs, uh, are sort of stacked up one on top of the other, then that's good.

Flex the feet and fold forward. Reach the fingertips forward. Maybe that visual makes it more frustrating. That's, that's. A perfectly valid part of practice, right practice with? Frustration or? Uh, difficulty. No obstacles isn't much practice. Okay, walk the fingertips a little over to the right side. Pretend you want you the weight of your head, chest, and upper body to go a little more towards the right leg for a moment.

Yeah, so let the head hang down, let the chest hang down. And then walk the hands all the way over to the left corner. And again, let the weight of the upper body, the head chest. Torso go towards the left leg now. And then walk the hands back through Center lift all the way up.

To a seated position, cross The Shins. I like to even sort of pull my feet back towards my seat, and then you can roll over your feet and come into downward dog or move through your chaturanga upward dog. And downward dog. Left foot forward. Right knee down? Inhale arms.

Reach up. Exhale to twist. Twisting left. Yeah, you can stay here or lift the back knee one. Good. To try to draw open the front of the chest, even the tips of the shoulder blades kind of drawing down the back three. Debbie bend your front knee a little bit more.

Good inhale both hands to the floor, reach the fingertips forward as you lift up into standing splits. Fingertips walk as far forward as you can reach, and then even a little more forward on purpose. Put weight into the ball of the left foot. Maybe the heel even lifts, walk the fingertips more, and then imagine someone comes up behind you, holding you by your right ankle to pull you back and pull your heel back down to the floor.

Try that again. Walk the fingertips so far forward that the weight goes into the ball of the foot, and then as if someone came up behind you pull. Okay, that was maybe a little too much. Sorry, I didn't mean to okay. There we go. And there we go. We'll find a balance here.

Okay, inhale. Look forward. Exhale. Bend both knees. Inhale, extend, reach up, exhale, bend. Both knees come even closer to the floor without touching down inhale. Lift open and extend exhale spiral all the way down to sit seated. Spinal twist inhale left arm reaches exha, sorry, right. Arm reaches exhale, twisting left.

Too good?

Good inhale face front. Exhale to counter twist. Inhale, turn to face front, stacking up the legs. Agni stumbasana fire log pose ankle to knee can also help because it gives us a demarcation like the ankles need to be relative to the knees. Yeah. Fold forward, I know. Hey, listen.

Didn't say it was going to be easy. You just said the ankles need to relate to the knees, okay? Don't blame the messenger. Walk the hands a little over to the left. Everybody fold forward one.

And then walk the hands a little over to the right. Fold forward one.

Got to walk the hands back to the center, lift on up to a seated position, set the feet onto the floor in front of you. Slide one hand behind each of your knees. Come up onto the tippy tip toes and then use the strength of your arms to pull your chest forward and up.

Even try to find the front edge of your seat and think of lifting the front corners of the armpits higher than the back corners of the armpits start by lifting the feet off the floor. You can hang out here, or you can reach the arms forward, keep lifting the front of the chest.

You can hang out here, or if you can do so without leaning back, you could extend the legs one. Keep leaning forward. Three breathe in. Breathe out for! Inhale exhale feet on the floor. And then reset one hand behind each of your knees. Come up onto the tippy tip toes.

Pull on your legs to pull your chest forward, lift the feet off the floor, reach the arms forward. Now, you could either hang out here or reach the right arm up and extend the left leg forward. Now, see if you can go low to the floor. Go low. Don't touch the left leg down, but get as close to the floor as you can, and then don't touch the shoulder blades down, but so you could touch the right thumb to the floor behind your head.

Touch the right thumb all the way to the floor. Shoulder blades stay up. Shoulder blades stay up and then lift all the way back up. You can hang out here or left arm reaches up right leg extends. See how low to the ground you could go without touching the tips of the shoulder blades down now without a lot of momentum.

Like, try to go up slow and with control.

Okay, walk the hands under the knees. Reset here come up under the tippy toes. Pull your chest forward and up. Feet. Lift off the floor arms. Reach out. You can hang out here, or you can bring the whole thing low to the floor low to the floor. Don't touch the tips of the shoulder blades down.

Also, optional. You could reach the arms alongside the ears for one. For. Three shoulder blades are off the floor, straighten the arms more. Five, without yanking yourself up so you could come up as little yanking as possible, could exhale feet on the floor. Go back into downward facing dog.

Okay, so where you are in downward dog now? Walk the hands forward and the feet back, so you're making a longer downward dog. Walk the hands forward in the feedback. Make your downward dog longer. Don't be afraid to go off the mat. You might have to. Okay, bring your knees to the floor.

No one's doing it. Okay? So, we're trying to. We're trying to essentially make as close to this shape as we can. But now, in the other direction to gravity. So, from your downward dog, you're going to walk your feet in your hands as far away as you possibly can, and you're going to try to hold, even if it's just for a millisecond.

Try to hold as close to the floor as you possibly can. See where that line is. So, starting downward dog. Walk the feet forward, uh of. Sorry, feedback hands forward. Get as low. Make the longest. What's the longest dog you can think of? A dachshund, yeah, and maybe that helps.

Maybe that helps visualize if we need imagery? Yes, hold it. Yeah, get those shoulders going. Hold it. Get your tip of your nose, almost touching the floor, and then go ahead. Release down cut. Stay right where you are. Reach the arms forward legs together. Make two fists with your hands.

Gonna go high, like in shalabasana and back bending. We're trying to lift up instead. We're going to stay low to the ground, but we're going to get along, so lift your arms off the lift your legs up the floor, but try to reach long in both directions, punch the air with your hands, reach the feet back.

That's it. Get longer and longer and longer and longer and release down. Do it one more time. Lift the arms, lift the legs, reach long in both directions, get longer and longer and longer and longer and longer, and reach and reach and exhale release down. I don't know who put on this sleepy music for core work.

Need something a little more invigorating? I feel okay, hands on the floor either side of your chest. Lift up upward facing dog! Downward facing dog.

Yeah, okay. Now, we've made the longest downward dog ever in the history of downward dog. Now, let's make the shortest downward dog in the history of downward dog, so keep your hands flat on the floor, but walk your feet, maybe halfway in, or even a little bit more. Then have your feet together.

Move your shoulders forward over your wrists, even your shoulders could be like a millimeter. Past your wrists, lift your heels up. Hands are flat, hands are flat. If you can do a fingertip handstand, I should be taking your class. Instead, lift your heels up, lift the heels up as high as you possibly can push into the hands round the upper back round the space between the shoulder blades, push lift the hips higher, higher Debbie go.

The heels down for a moment. Okay, hands flat on the floor. Shift your weight forward into your hands and then even have your shoulders like a millimeter forward of your wrist. Lift your heels as high up as you possibly can. Try to come up under the skin of the tips of the big toes, and then lift your left foot off the floor.

Squeeze your left knee towards your chest, knee towards your chest, one hold it two, yes, oh, three. Switch your legs right knee to the chest, lifting as high up onto the left tippy toes as you possibly can. One shoulders a little forward shoulders a little forward Arch around the upper back.

Okay, release down. Hands flat to the floor. Lift bold heels up. If both heels bend the knees, hop and kick your heels towards your buttocks, and then land back down. And then do that four more times for a total of five. Two, three. Yeah.

Okay, good release down. Grab. Um. Get. A partner. And get a belt. One belt per two people. And then go over to the white wall.

The first step is, hi, my name is. Hi, hi, I'm Jessica. Hi, hi.

In fact, uh oh, actually. So due to our technological, um? Set up here. Due to our Tech setup, I have to demonstrate way up here. So, if you wouldn't mind, everyone needs to come here so that I can demonstrate for the people who are online. And then you'll. And then you'll go back to the wall.

Actually online. People might have a little trouble doing this one, but um, you can still practice your hopping right. You can still do your donkey hops just the way we practice. Everyone come to the side. You need to be able to see. So, I'm standing with my butt against the wall and my knees are bent and my feet are wide.

Mel is actually going to put her hands between my feet so forward. That's right. First thing that happens is Mel is just going to take one hop with both feet just so I can see how high she's hopping. Okay, all right then, the next five hops. I'm not gonna let her lift up at all.

In fact, go ahead, do five quick in a row. I'm gonna push her. I'm gonna push her mercilessly back down to the floor. Then, I'm going to take this belt. I'm going to put it right up across the hip crease. So, right up against the um top of the pelvic crest there, but then look how close my hands are.

I'm holding the belt really close to the hip creases. I'm not back here or something like that. So, now I'm gonna get my face out of the way, and then she's going to hop one more time. Same way, I'm gonna gently pull her hips towards me as she hops.

We just coordinate the timing. Go ahead. And then I'm. And then she can extend her legs if she wants to. Yep, and, and then she can balance as long as she wants when she bends her knees into her chest. All know that it's time for her to come back down.

And then we can go down together. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yes, question. Notice that as she started bending her knees, you didn't just let go. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I just kind of go with. With The Descent a little bit. Thanks for pointing that out, so all you have to do is pick one person to lean against the wall.

First, the other person can have hands on the floor. You can use the floor. You don't necessarily need the mat. Are you up for this? I know, I don't think so. Okay, you can partner, though. Okay, yeah, you could partner. Want to be? Yeah, do you have a partner not vertical?

I can't do. Oh yeah, yeah, but you can be a partner. Yeah, okay, this will only be like 90 more seconds. Yeah, so it won't last long. Okay, hang on, hang on everybody. Hello, hi, everybody! Okay, so whoever's leaning against the wall who's lever leaning against the wall go ahead, lean?

Go, whoever's assisting. Put your butt against the wall. Okay. Feet are wide. Bend your knees. Whoever's practicing hands on the floor between your feet? Now, give them one hop, give them one hop just to show. Excuse me, folks, one hop just to show how high they're hopping. One hop.

They're gonna hop on their own, don't touch them. One hop, then five times you push them push. Push. Be mean about it. Don't let them come up. Yeah, take out all your pent-up aggression. There you go. And then on the last one on the last one, you're looping. You're looping the belt around the hips.

As, yeah, hands are close to the hips. Lean. Yes, that's it. Get your face out of the way up. Try one more time. Try one more time. You can do it. Try one more time show. No, no, you stay there. You stay there. Try one more time, hands feet more forward, hands more.

Yeah, lean your butt against the wall. That's bend your knees now. As she hops, you just lean back into the wall a little. Ah, yeah. You go, no problem. Okay, if you haven't already switch your partners. Switch your partners. Yeah, good, all right. That's it! Bend your knees, bend your knees, come up yes, all right.

Okay, one hop for free switch. If you haven't already one, hop for free. Hello. I'm losing. I'm losing them. Oh, dear. We're losing the plot here. Have both Partners done. Did both Partners go? Okay, no, we're almost done. We're almost done. Okay. If you're done, come back to your mat.

If you're done, come back to your mat. If you're still working, keep working.

We did it. If you can hear my voice? If you can hear my voice, lay down on your abdomen. If you? If you can hear the sound of my voice, lay down on your abdomen. Lay down on your abdomen. Your abdomen is the front of your body. Great! Our arms alongside the body.

Lift up head, chest, and legs, shalavasana. That was a fun adventure. Wasn't it okay?

You know, I? I also used to be the person who, like, as soon as the teacher was, like, partner work. I was, like, no, don't make me do it. And then, but then you okay, release down. But then there's so many things that when we have the support of each other like we can, we can experience things that we can't necessarily experience just on our own.

Yeah. So, it's just worth that moment of. Extreme discomfort at the beginning. Okay, one more time, lift up shalavasana. Yeah, yeah. Good with your exhale release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale to plank exhale lower all the way to the floor.

Bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, inhale, lift up head, chest, and knees one.

Good exhale release on down. One more, bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles again, inhale lift up, head chest knees, one.

And exhale release on down. Go ahead and turn all the way over onto the back. Feet on the floor. Lift the hips up. Interlock the hands behind the back into one fist. Yeah. Two, try to make the feet more parallel. Yeah. Turn more. Okay, separate the hands. Release the back down to the floor.

You can repeat the same, or if you want to take full wheel, place the hands on the floor either side of your head, and then with your inhale lift on up. Either of the two five breaths. Too good?

Chin to the chest slowly release on down. Again, half her full wheel. Decide what you're going to do. Set up the hands and the feet. And inhale. Lift up.

Chin to the chest. Come on down. Again, get ready third time. Here we go. Inhale lift! Steal your baby!

Good chin into the chest. Slowly release on down. Hug the knees into the chest.

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

And bring the knees all the way up to the center and then go the other way knees all the way over to the right side.

Bring the knees all the way up to the center. Come on up to a seated position. You can actually stay facing that direction for now, straighten the legs forward. Oh, no. Actually turn to face the front. Forgot one important thing. Straighten the legs forward. Flex the feet. Fold forward.

We have a little bit more to do after pashimo tanasana.

So, just returning back to that, um? Image of yourself from? Earlier. How specific was it what you know? Could you see, like, sort of details, or was it just a general Vibe? Is?

You know, I keep. I keep coming back to this. Thought of like when? When you're a teenager and so, and you have to like, you have feel compelled to like put a bunch of posters up in your room so that you can sort of whoever comes over. You can sort of show them who you are, right?

I like this band, and I like this thing, right? And then. Lift all the way up right to a seated position. Take the legs out into a straddle, wide legs, and fold forward. You can either catch the feet or walk the hands forward. To some. In fact, to some extent or another, we still.

Kind of, do that, right? I just moved my bedroom posters onto my body, no? No, but we all have ways in which we sort of project. Our image to our of ourselves to the outside world. Do you have? Do you ever have a little bit of a differential between how the outside world perceives you and how you feel inside, like age?

Gender. I still feel like a 14 year old kid inside, you know, it's like. Yeah. And then lift all the way upright to a seated position. Keep the shape of the legs, but turn towards your right leg. Use your hands or fingertips on the floor to help you turn.

So, the spine is upright. The head is stacked over the spine. You're turning and turning. The left hand, the one that's on the floor between the legs, keep it on the floor, but then slide it as far forward out in front of you, as you can, as far towards the windows keep trying to turn the chest to the right to whatever extent is possible, and then keep the left arm on the floor.

Sweep it back to catch the in the step side of the left foot and then the right arm reaches over for the side Bend. Right, hip. Lift up a little off the floor.

And then lift all the way upright, and now twist to the left turn towards the left leg. Use your fingertips, sit up tall. Spiraling the spine?

And now, with your right hand, the one that's on the floor. Go forward and forward and forward. Keep trying to turn the chest to the left, even though it's less and less possible. The more forward. You go keep trying to turn the chest open, though, and then sweep that right arm all the way back to catch the InStep side of the right foot and then left arm can reach up and over side.

Bend, I do love a side Bend.

Lift all the way upright to a seated position. Bend both knees into the chest, open the knees out to the sides. You can always do the classic thing of holding the feet to go forward for this particular sequence. For this particular practice, I was working on crawling the fingertips forward and going forward in that way.

And then, in keeping with the sort of rest of the sequence, you could also experiment with like walking the hands a little over to the right, walking the hands a little over to the left. You can stay on each side, or you can kind of swing side to side.

Welcome to explore that.

And then, if you are going side to side, just see that it's relatively even on both sides. Coming back to Center lift all the way up to a seated position and then keep the shape of the legs the same, but lay down on your back. You can stay like this, or you could come up into shoulder stand salumba sarvagasana.

If you're not practicing practicing shoulders down, but you would like some other option, let me myself or Mel know, and we will. Be happy to help out.

So, if you were to imagine or visualize or bring to mind? An image of a spiritual person. What's the? Image that comes to mind. Just just like, notice what the first few things that come to mind are.

And.

Just curious, is there a big differential between? The image of yourself and the image of this spiritual person. Are they from a different part of the world than? Are they a different gender than you are, they? Dressed in different clothing, or do they have lots of other? Accessories. Like, what would you?

As you currently are, have to do. To close the gap between you and this spiritual person, would you have to go shopping and to do it? Get a bunch of Mala beads and! By. Spiritual clothes and? A meditation cushion and.

Okay, if you're still in shoulder stand, come into halasana plow.

If you're in plow start to roll out of it, if you were practicing shoulder stand, come into fish Matsiasana. Crown of the head to the floor.

And then, from a fish, lift the chin into the chest. And release down, setting up for and coming into shavasana.

Start to deepen the breath.

Let's start to bring a little bit of movement into the body.

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

Gathering the knees. Roll to the side, making your way up to a seated. Position. And setting up for a meditation practice.

So?

So? Image and images of ourselves. Our self-concept exists entirely in our mind, including.

Including, you know what? Try very much to put forward about ourselves, including our perhaps our insecurities or the things we try to. Kind of to pull back from the outside world and. But it all exists in the mind, every part even. Uh, even the parts of ourselves that feel, you know?

You know, quite solid. That's all. Existing in the mind. And then the the mistake we often make when it comes to? Spiritual practice is a lot of us tend to think. That spiritual practice involves adding something involves. Changing our clothes, adding more. Teachings, adding more meditations, adding more Mala beads, adding more.

Um, images of Buddha to our bedroom, so that everyone knows how spiritual we are. Um, but rather the spiritual. Path is more so. Involved in? Removing. Concepts and images. In. Everything that we can think of that we can sort of take away. And then what's sort of left? That just pure radiant?

Wise, compassionate. Clear self.

That is our true nature.

And then there is a way of saying that in Sanskrit.

And that way is so hum. Which means I am that. And I am. That means something like? I am that which is beyond. My image of myself, my age, my name. Where I was born, what books I like, what? Bands are like? Etc.

So hum, so we'll sing a little bit. You can listen first. So, I'm so. So, I'm so. So I'm. So, I'm so. Let's try that together. So hot, so? So I'm. So?

So, I'm so we can keep it going so.

So? So? I'm a little louder, so I'm. So I'm.

Last times.

So I'm.

Thank you all so much for making the time today to practice for all of your very hard work and your sense of humor as always. And thanks to Mel for awesome assists today. Thanks Mel! As always, if anyone has any questions about anything that we worked on today or just something coming up in your practice that you'd like to chat about?

Let me know. If not, we will see you next time I'm here. Fridays at 10 and Sundays at 11, and um. My good friend dial is having a kirtan on Saturday, the 9th at 5 PM, and he is so. Silk, like his voice, is so silky, and he's all.

He also gives like little sweet stories and teachings sort of between the chants, and so it's just really lovely to be in his presence. So I'm planning to be here. I hope you will, too. See you later. Thanks.

Thanks, Zoomers. Thanks! Thanks Trio! Thanks, Robin. Thanks Anna.

Hmm, yes, question, comment, concern, okay, tell me. Yeah. History, a mountain as the Earth upon which it sets also nonsense. Well, that's up to you. I've been wanting to actually for a while. Yeah, where do you put your shoulders for downward facing dog?