Podcast #163 - "Peaks and Valleys"

"Dwelling between Peaks and Valleys" can be read in full here:
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/dwelling-between-peaks-and-valleys/

The focus of the asana sequence is somehow both psoas work and plank things - playfully. It would be a good idea to have two blocks with you for this practice. As always practice according to your ability and with your doctors clearance.

The playlist I was using for this class is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3MKrBB5Qg0oCoxPAVfeSBu?si=07070928107b457c
As always, please follow me on any socials - including patreon where i post a lot of things for free! @yogastickler

TRANSCRIPT:

04:25

Most of us know who the the name Ganesha, right? There's another name for Ganesh that you need to know for this Mantra. Ganapati. Ganapati is another name. They all have so many names. Just like, how do you have a million names for your cat or your dog, right?

04:46

It's like, Sunny, sunny boy, Sunny bunny. You know, like you, you just come up with, like more and more. At one point I was calling, I was calling Sunny Michael. I don't even remember how I don't even remember what the garden path was, but like, affectionately when you when you like love someone affectionately like that you sort of come up with all these, like different, playful or descriptive, or sort of like, little.

05:16

I think Michael started as an inside joke, and then it just transferred from there. But anyway? These have all these names, right? So ganapati is another name for Ganesha.

05:31

And then, uh, sharanam means like, I take refuge, right? Like, I take solace. I can, like, relax in the presence of right, I can. I can feel the ground underneath me. I feel the roof above me. Shelter and take shelter in the storm. Kind of a thing. Yeah.

06:00

So, we'll do, uh. Uh, let's do call and response at first.

06:37

Om Gam ganapataye namah

08:56

It's snowing. Did it start before you came in? And I only just noticed it was already. It was starting when you came into. Aha, I thought we sang it into existence for a second there. Yeah, oh well, hey, actually, that that's, that's coming from ganesha's PR team. Yeah, so Ganesh, if you like.

09:23

If you sort of open up a book about the deities or something, it'll say Ganesh remover of obstacles, but when you start to read the stories and stuff, you realize that actually. Ganesh also puts the obstacles there so. Is often the reason for the obstacle that mischievous little guy mischievous guy.

09:46

Um. Yeah. It's slowly cut your head off. Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true. And like one Tusk, and like, yeah, what another name for him is like Twisted trunk and one tusk, because in one story, he breaks a Tusk, and there's so anyway, back to that many, many names thing.

10:07

There's a name for all of the different qualities of. Anyway. I'll just close your eyes for a second. And think about.

10:23

Think about, um.

10:30

If you were to finish this sentence? I would like to thank. And then, in your own words, in your own mind, you can finish that sentence.

10:46

And then. Notice how you feel? When? Paying attention? To who you want to thank. Or what you want to think?

11:04

And then, if you were to finish this sentence, what I love about the world is.

11:17

And also notice the feeling that comes about when you're paying attention to what you love.

11:42

And then also make a sentence about. What I hope for? What I hope for is?

12:00

And notice the feeling that comes with thinking about what we hope for. It's. It might be a blend of feelings, even, um, even sometimes like a little. Maybe, like, even a little sadness arises, right? Because what we hope for might feel? Not very possible or far away or something.

12:27

But we can use that. As we can use that last sentence. What I hope for? As a barometer as like a compass for, like, how to sort of point our attention, our actions, our next steps in our life, right? So? Using that as a as? A little bit of a.

12:54

Like, if you just have a little flashlight, and you can only see the next sort of few steps in in front of you. What could those like next couple of steps in that direction be?

13:28

And then, um. Okay, well, you can open your eyes. Yeah, are people, uh? Are people feeling generally? Um. Like when you think about the future? Of the world. Are you? Are you feeling fairly, um? Optimistic, or are you feeling? Pessimistic. Are you feeling neutral, like, how are you feeling when you think about the future?

13:57

Okay, great. Love it. Love it. Yeah. You can be honest. This is a safe space. Yeah, okay, great. All right, I love it. That's amazing. So. Sometimes. As an environmental activist, I don't feel so optimistic. Sometimes, I have those moments where I'm, like, gosh, how? How are we gonna dig ourselves out of this one because it just seems like we keep.

14:26

You know, now it's like, oh gosh, now, data centers and this and that it just feels like we're kind of, um. Going in a particular direction. Particularly with regards to the environment, but Um, there's um, there's a couple of activists who I follow, who are, um, really inspirational, and one of the things I wanted to share with you today.

14:47

Is this idea of sort of practicing radical uncertainty, which? Like, I loved your answer, because because none of us truly know. What direction things are going to take and and the example that, um? That, uh, Joanna Macy and and Chris Johns don't give is like, if you hold up your hand, like this, like, go ahead, hold up your hand.

15:11

Pretend it's a a precious yoga mudra. Hold up your hand, like this, and like you, we're existing somewhere in the center of the hand, and we actually don't necessarily know if, like, are things gonna go down. This direction are things going to kind of continue. The same are things going to go a little bit up in the next moment.

15:30

Our thing is going to go a little more up. Our thing is going to go really up, we don't. We just don't know we're not. We we have to kind of the irony of human life is we sort of have to exist in this state of radical uncertainty, and then, and so, how do we know whether we're at the like bottom of a strict trajectory or at the top of a cherry.

15:50

How do we know if we're at the peak or at the valley? There's no way to really know, because we don't know what will happen next and.

16:08

Over again. It might go up from there, or it might go down a little bit more. From there, we just don't know, and you can impo. You can almost think of it like a fractal, like it goes in infinitely in all directions, right, and all we can really do is first of all like meet the moment with resilience, right?

16:27

They talk a lot about resilience. What is resilience? What do we think about resilience? Bounce back to keep going to take whatever the present moment is presenting to us, and kind of do. Best to to put another foot forward on the path. Yeah. What do other people have? I mean, Jamie's answer was fabulous, but do other people have other input about resilience?

16:53

Responsibility response response, right? This this ability to respond to the moment exactly, and you know, that's a big part of. I think what we're practicing in yoga as well is, you know, even as the even as these little challenges arise in the form of yoga movements. Are we sort of responding to the moment?

17:18

Are we doing just exactly the same way as we did yesterday? Are we curious about something new about it? Are we, um? Are we a little distracted today? So, we're not really paying attention to the teachers instruction. We're just going through the motions. Are we like just to kind of be aware of sort of how we're existing in the present moment and to be able to sort of, like, respond with a fresh awareness to that.

17:42

Yeah, I think that's excellent. Of something to add about resilience or responsibility. I love that. You're giving yourself the energy to be able. Yeah, yeah, that's part of it. And respond your ability to respond to whatever is happening is very, very important. Yeah, I. Yeah, right. If we're if we're tired or not in, if we're not current with our practice, certainly like just the typical sort of like human responses of just being tugged around by the emotional state, right?

18:24

I'm? Tired, I'm angry. Yeah, yoga. After that, wow, what a concept. That's what it's all about, right? We're prac what we're practicing on the mat is meant to be tools for off the mat. Yeah, okay, let's come into downward facing dog. So, yeah, the idea being, um? Like, especially when you're encountering a challenging thing, you could notice you could notice like, what's my typical response, um, some of the typical responses when things get challenging are?

19:01

A contraction contraction pulling away from the problem. I used to, and I still do if I'm not aware of it. But, um, I used to, like, throw myself full force into the challenge, so it just like kind of charge it, like the tourist that I am Horns down. Charge forward, get into it, right?

19:24

Avoidance run away from the problem. The teacher calls handstand and you run to the bathroom. Oh, argue, yeah, like, resist the moment like, this can't truly be happening. This isn't happening to me. No teacher would ever teach tabletop. That would be so rude. Why would any teacher teach this right or other ways of of?

19:54

Right, fighting the moment fighting the fighting the circumstance? Yeah. Good. Okay, come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward over the wrist, exhale lower the knees, the chest, and the chin to the floor. Good 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.

20:22

He'll come forward into a plank exhale lower halfway down chaturanga inhale upward, facing dog exhale downward facing dog. Walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs one.

21:02

Go to the heel toe, the feet apart. Go almost as wide as the width of the mat. Bend the knees come into a deep, squatting position hands together at the center of the chest. Lift up through the upper body and then the more we're aware of those different responses, then the more choice we have, the more we can pause.

21:22

Put a little space between us and our reaction. And actually choose. Like, actually, I'm gonna respond this way. I'm gonna respond that way. I'm going to investigate your yoga license.

21:40

Bring both hands to the floor. Raise the hips up and fold forward over the legs. Bring the feet and legs halfway closer together. Arms behind the back, lace the fingers together into one fist, stretch the arms away from the back with your inhale. Bend the knees, open the chest, look forward.

22:04

Exhale. Straighten the legs and fold forward. Bend the knees to open the chest and look forward. Exhale, straighten the legs and fold two more inhale bending. Exhale extending. Inhale to bend. And exhale. Extend hands on your waist. Lift all the way upright to a standing position. In release, the hands in front of you and then press the palms of the hands forward, straighten the elbows, reach the arms all the way up overhead.

22:42

And then side bend over to the right, uh, sorry to the left side. Pause there, soften the elbows a little bit out to the sides, push the upper arm bones back behind the line of the ears, and then straighten the elbows like crazy. Push the palms of the hands away from the top of the head as hard as you can do, that one more time bend the elbows, a little bit, push the upper arm bones back, and then press the hands away from the top of the head as best you can, and then lift all the way up right.

23:08

Bring the arms forward and down. Invert the Palms. Look at your hands notice, which hand starts the interlace and then switch it so that the other hand starts the interlace of the fingers. Press the palms of the hands forward, straighten the arms.

23:29

Elbows push the upper arm bones back and then straighten the arms as much as you can push the palms of the hands away from the top of the head, one more time, bend the elbows a little bit, push the upper arm bones back, and then straighten through the arms as best you can and stand all the way up and release the arms.

23:46

Now, take the hands to Cradle the back of the head, cradle the back of the head, and then draw the upper arm bones towards each other so that the upper arms are more parallel to one another rather than wide, then I'm going to try to describe an inner experience.

24:03

That's always the challenge of teaching yoga is. I'm going to describe an experience I was having, and I hope it translates. And if it doesn't, just do your own thing. Okay, so reach the tips of the elbows higher up to the ceiling tips of the elbows, and then imagine you want to start that action down at the armpits.

24:22

So, stretch from the armpits to the tips of the elbows.

24:36

To the sternum to the armpits to the tips of the elbow. So it's like you're trying to stretch the whole front line of the body, the fascia of the skin, everything. Started the pubic bone to the belly button to the sternum to the armpits to the tips of the elbows.

24:48

Start at the knees. See if you could reach from your knees to your pubic bone to your belly button to the tips of your elbows. See if you can start all the way at the soles of your feet and Arch all the way back. Reach the tips of the elbows even farther away.

25:05

And all the way upright and release the arms. Bring the feet and legs all the way together. Oh, it's really going now. Hook your thumbs. Reach your arms up and Arch back. Exhale, bend the knees, swing the arms behind these hands together, and fold inhale hands down right foot steps back.

25:27

Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale plank exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog. Inhale to plank, exhale knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward, Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit all the way back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward dog. Inhale right foot forward?

26:01

Exhale left foot next to right foot. Fold forward. Inhale bend, knees, hook, thumbs. Reach up Arch back, straighten legs at the top, exhale bend knees, swing arms behind lace, hands together, and fold inhale, hands down, left foot back, exhale downward, facing dog inhale forward into plank, exhale chaturanga. Upward, facing exhale downward, facing inhale to plank, exhale knees, chest and Chin to the floor.

26:39

Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale. Tuck the toes sit all the way back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward dock. Inhale left foot forward exhale right foot next to left foot fold inhale Bend knees. Hook thumbs reach up Arch back straight and legs at the top exhale, stand up, and release the arms.

27:02

Inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together and fold inhale hands down right foot steps back. Exhale lower the right knee down inhale hook thumbs reach up! Arch back exhale, hands down, step all the way back downward, facing dog inhale forward into plank.

27:27

Exhale chatturanga.

27:37

Plank exhale knees, chest 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 up Arch back. Exhale hands down. Step forward feet together, inhale bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale Bend, knees, swing arms behind, lays hands together, folding forward, inhale hands touch down, left foot steps back.

28:11

Exhale left knee down inhale hook thumbs. Reach up Arch back. Exhale downward facing a dog. Good inhale plank exhale chaturanga inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale to plank exhale knees chest and?

28:47

Left foot forward. Exhale right knee down inhale hook thumbs. Reach up Arch back. Exhale hands touch down. Step forward feet together. Inhale bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, stand up, and release the arms inhale. Deeply bend the knees, reach the arms up utkatasana. Tail hands to the floor.

29:13

Fold forward. Inhale halfway lift look forward! Exhale hop step or walk back chatturanga! Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale. Step the right foot forward, left heel down. Reach up Warrior one. Exhale, hands down, step back and lower chatturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward facing dog inhale left foot forward, right heel down.

29:47

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

30:22

Step back chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog breathing. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale three inhale? Exhale four breathe in! Breathe out, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward feet to hands, exhale fold form, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up, chair pose, exhale, stand up, release the arms inhale, bend the knees, reach arms up.

31:15

Down. Fold forward uttanasana inhale. Look forward. Exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Step the right foot forward, left heel down, reach all the way up Warrior one. As you exhale, straighten the right leg and bring the hands behind your head. Cradle the back of your head again.

31:40

Draw the upper arm bones towards each other a bit, so they're more parallel than out to the sides and then turn the hips and the shoulders as much to face forward as possible. Lean back a little bit to push more weight into the left foot and then keep weighting the left foot, even as you bend the right knee.

31:59

Now, draw the tips of the elbows higher up to the ceiling, just like we did in the warm-up. Imagine you're now reaching from the armpits to the tips of the elbows and then stretch from the sternum to the armpits to the tips of the elbows and then reach from the belly button to the armpits to the tips of the elbows and then reach from the pubic bone to the armpits of the tips of the elbows and then stand all the way up.

32:22

Reach the arms up.

32:32

Great one, that's it. Left arm, reaching straight up for two, uh, almost everyone pulled the head and the chest back a little bit. So it's like, there's a wall behind your back. You're trying to lean against for yeah, inhale. Stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the right knee.

32:51

Place the right hand outside of the right foot and reach the left arm all the way over the left ear for extended side angle, one good two breathing.

33:08

Exhale. Inhale. And exhale. Inhale both hands, touch down, exhale, straighten the front leg. You can adjust the back foot. You could have Hands-On blocks whatever you need here. Exhale, fold forward, parsvottanasana, one breathe in. Breathe out! Inhale. Good exhale. Three inhale exhale for four breathing. Breathe out! Inhale bend, the right knee plant, the hands to the floor, step into your plank, and hold plank for a moment.

33:55

Straight arms and legs arms perpendicular to the floor. So straight up and down and parallel to one another. Not too narrow, not too wide with the hands, then turn the inner elbow forward towards the front of the room. Lift your chin a little and imagine you want to pull the collarbones a little bit forward and then press back to downward facing dog inhale.

34:19

Step the left foot forward, right? Heel down, reach all the way up Warrior, one exhale, straighten the front leg, hands behind your head, draw the elbows towards each other, so upper arm bones are looking parallel to one another, turn the hips and the shoulders forward, push into the right foot.

34:39

Oh, I got you all right. Push into the back foot. Keep weight in the back foot even as you Bend into the left.

34:58

From the sternum to the arms into the elbows and then keep working down the front of the body. So it's like you're trying to stretch that whole front line of the body, yes? Five, okay, inhale. Straighten left leg reach both arms straight up. Keep the legs straight. Exhale Open Arms and hips to the side.

35:16

Keep the legs straight. Reach out for triangle left, hand touches down right arm, reaches up, Purl one good. Better on this side, too. Spread the toes, relax the toes three. Four breathing. And breathe out. Inhale stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot.

35:45

Reach the right arm all the way over the right ear for extended side angle for one good. Exhale, three strong and straight back leg for four breathing. And breathe out. Inhale both hands touch down. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. Make any adjustment to your stance that you need and then exhale.

36:15

Fold forward good breathe and. Breathe out, one inhale. Exhale for two inhale? Exhale three breathing. Breathe out four inhale! Exhale, inhale. Bend the left knee hands to the floor. Step into your good plank, so shoulders over wrists, straight arms and legs. Pull the collarbones forward. Now you can stay like this, or you can rock forward and back so shoulders forward of the wrists, shoulders, back, shoulders, forward shoulders back.

37:03

And then the next time you go back, press all the way back downward, facing dog good inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the right leg. Exhale. Bend the right knee. Place the right hand inside of the right foot.

37:26

Left arm reaches straight up one. Exhale two. Try to tuck the right buttocks a little bit more under the side body. Three breathe in, so a little bit more in towards the midline of the mat, four breathing. Breathe out, left hand to your waist, reach the right fingertips as far forward on the floor as they will reach, and a little to the right, or you can put a block under your hand, push off the left toes, lift the left leg parallel to the floor.

37:58

For ardha chandrasana, turn the left shoulder to stack more over the right shoulder. Turn the left hip to stack more over the right hip. As an option, you could bend the left knee behind. You hold on to the left foot with the left hand. So, for this one, try to kick the heel straight back towards the windows, not really up.

38:23

Like, for this one, the foot shouldn't be that much higher than the left hip push straight back. That's it. Look at all that space. Okay, now let's see if we can change the orientation to gravity. So, keep hold of your foot if you have it. If you don't, you're gonna still do the next part.

38:44

Turn and look at the floor, turn the shoulders to face the floor, turn the hips to face the floor, even the top of the left thigh faces the floor and then try to lift your left leg a little higher. Whether you're holding your foot or not? Good, both hands to the floor step.

39:01

Step back to your plank. Now, just see if you could like cup the right fingertips onto the floor and set them back down and cup the left fingertips onto the floor and set them back down. Now, try to reduce the amount that the hips are twisting as you do so, right?

39:20

Fingertips. And down left fingertips and flatten that hand against the floor. And if that's going well, try to lift the right hand all the way off the floor left hand all the way off the floor right hand and replace it left hand. And replace it. Press back to downward facing dog.

39:41

Aha! Step the left foot forward virabhadrasana one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side of your arbitras and a two inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Reach to the left foot TR. Nope, exhale. Bend to the left knee, my fault. Place the left hand inside of the left foot.

40:03

The wrong words came out, reached the right arm, straight up one, yeah, two. Good. Get your thumb out of there. Three, yeah, four breathing. Out right hand onto your waist, look down, reach the left hand as far forward on the floor or a block as you can, and a little to the left push off the right toes.

40:27

Lift the right leg parallel to the floor, starting an ardha chandrasna first. Peel the right hip a little bit more open to the side. Peel the right shoulder a little bit more over the left shoulder, and then optionally, you could bend the right knee reach behind for the right foot.

40:47

Foot push the hips forward as you kick the right heel back and try to go more behind you with the foot rather than up towards the ceiling. Yes, exactly more behind more behind. Now, whether you have your foot or not turn to face the floor, turn the chest and the shoulders to face the floor, even turn the right hip and right thigh to face the floor and whether you have hold of the right foot or not.

41:13

Everybody lift the right leg higher. Okay, let go of that. Both hands to the floor step into your plank. All right, we tested out the arms here. Let's test out the feet, lift the left foot up. And place it back down. Lift the right foot up and place it back down.

41:33

Lift the left foot up. Place it back down right foot up. Place it back down. Now, let's see if that's going well. See if you can lift the left foot and the right hand and place it down. See if you can lift the right foot and left hand. Place them down again.

41:48

Switch opposite hand opposite foot and switch. A downward facing. Step the right foot forward between the hands. Lower the left knee down to touch the floor and then lift your torso upright. Even move the hips back slightly and bring both hands sort of to your left side. Yeah, just hold on to the left side with both hands.

42:23

Tuck your tailbone under. So, tuck the pelvis, squeeze the left glute. Pull up, not only through the front of the left thigh. I even like to use my hand to suggest it pull up through the navel, pull up for the through the pubicone. Keep all that happening now. Bring your hands to encircle your ribs, your bottom, most ribs.

42:46

Oh, it's so icky. No, I'm kidding. Okay, okay, good. You don't have to. You don't have to. Okay. Okay. Who needs to be normal? Oh yeah, sure, sure. Okay, slide your hands a little further back around your ribs so that your thumbs are touching the back couple of ribs, and then can you almost push your ribs into your thumbs.

43:19

So from the front side, so it's not a back instead. It's almost like you're pushing your chest a little bit back. Yeah, you feel your left thigh lighting up left front and left thigh. Yeah, that's what we're trying to get at. We're trying to get at that psoas and hip flexor area now.

43:36

Can you keep all those things tucking the tailbone under squeezing the glute, pulling up through the belly button, pulling, pulling back through the low ribs. As you lift the left knee up, try not to raise up any higher. Just lift the knee up. It doesn't have to straighten all the way.

43:51

Try to keep everything else lower the knee down.

44:01

Keep the pushing back of the ribs. Place it down. Good lift up! Reach the arms up. Try to keep as much of the rest of the shape as possible. Inhale straighten both legs, exhale Bend, right knee. Inhale straighten. Exhale to bend. Inhale to straighten. Exhale, Bend, inhale, straighten both legs, keep them straight, lean the upper body back.

44:31

Any amount so head, chest, arms, lean back a little or a lot is up to you.

44:44

Good, lift the head chest up right, and now bend the right knee. Place the hands either side of the front foot. Point the left toe, sorry, lower the left knee down first. That would help and then point the left toes come up onto fingertips, open the chest forward, then push into the top of the left foot to lift the left knee away from the floor.

45:07

Good, try to have the left foot going straight back, not turning in or turning out. Yeah, and then try to lift the inseam part of the left leg a little bit higher. Yes, okay, place the left knee down. To walk the hands back and sit to the inside of the left foot for a half virasana shape.

45:32

If that's bothersome on your knee or it makes you tilt way over to the side. Feel free to sit up on blocks or blankets or a combination of things. Reach Forward either. You're holding your foot with your hands, or you're going to Loop your yoga belt around your foot.

45:50

Try to hold particularly the ball of the foot. Hold that, and then imagine you're trying to push the ball of the foot forward into the hands so that it's almost like I'm sliding into a little bit of a heel. The ball of the foot is further forward than the heel, and then pull the center of your chest forward.

46:08

Imagine you're trying to draw the center of the chest towards where your hands are holding for a moment and then go ahead. Go the rest of the way forward with the shape one.

46:28

I had lift all the way upright to a seated position, bring that right foot on the floor, hands behind your back. I like fingers pointing to the sides, so either flat hand or fingertips pointing to the sides lift the hips up, push the left foot, left shin down. Try to tuck your tailbone a little bit to whatever extent you can try to squeeze your left glute.

46:56

Cut it and then go ahead and sit down. Extend the right leg forward. Walk the hands forward to frame the right foot, bending into the right knee. Step into your plank straight arms and legs. Okay, we, we tried. We experimented with lifting opposite hand and foot off the floor.

47:16

Now, experiment, get curious with what would have to happen. If I wanted to lift same leg, same arm like left leg left arm at the same time or right arm right leg. At the same time, just give it a try. It doesn't have to. Like, almost without. Judging the result.

47:36

Just staying curious about the process? Yeah. Yeah, okay, good, and press back to downward facing dog. And then step the left foot forward between the hands lower the right knee down. Both hands lift your torso have both hands on your right side now right side of the body. Tuck the pelvis under.

48:00

Tuck the tailbone under squeeze the right glute. Pull up, like, from the knee to the hip crease to the pubic bone to the belly button, and then lastly encircle the ribs with the hands even slide the hands back a little, so the thumbs can touch those bottom most ribs and then push the ribs back into the thumbs, so it's almost like I'm pushing the center of my chest back a little bit, but instead, let's think about it as the ribs pushing back.

48:29

See if you can keep some of that happening, even as you lift the right knee up. Again, the right knee doesn't have to straighten all the way. I'd prefer you keep the squeezing of the glute and the tucking of the tailbone and the pushing of the ribs instead and then lower the right knee down.

48:54

Thumbs up! Inhale straighten left leg. Exhale, Bend, left knee, keep squeezing the right, glute, inhale, straighten. Exhale Bend. Keep tucking the tailbone inhale straighten. Exhale to bend last one inhale. Straighten this time, stay there. Lean back any amount.

49:23

Lift all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee inhale hands to the floor either side of the left foot. Exhale lower right knee down Point, right toes, come up onto the fingertips. Look forward. Push the right foot down to lift the right knee up for this, uh. Actually, even in my sequencing notes, I call it Sharon's lunge because it's definitely a Sharon Gannon sequencing moment before.

49:49

Good?

49:54

Place the right knee down. Shift the right foot a little to the right. Walk the hands back and sit to the inside of the right foot. You can always sit up on things if that helps you, and then lift the head, lift the chest, reach forward, hold on to the ball of the left foot, or hold on to a belt, but in particular, put it around the ball of the foot and then on purpose.

50:18

Don't go all the way forward yet. Let's do this little bit of setup so we can get a little bit more out of it because we all know yoga is about getting the most out of everything we possibly can okay. Push the ball of the foot a little forward.

50:31

Press the ball of the foot into the hands. Feel how that livens up the leg, and then keep your hands where they are. Pull the center of the chest forward, and that really livens up that leg. Oh my goodness, and then take all that new found space and sensation and go forward with it.

50:47

Keep the ball of the foot pressing into the hands. So there's this continuous amount of like effort.

51:03

Lift the head, lift the chest all the way up right. Bring the left foot flat onto the floor, hands behind your back fingers, point to the sides. Lift your hips up, push your hips forward and up. Push the right foot right shin right knee down into the floor, tuck the tailbone under, squeeze the glutes as best you can.

51:28

Good, okay, slowly release down. Extend the left leg forward and then crawl the hands forward, bending into the left knee for lunge. Step right into your plank straight arms and legs. Bring the feet together. Balance on the right hand and the outer edge of the right foot for side plank.

51:54

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Come back to the center. Put your knees down. Let's clear a little something up. First of all. So? If you're, if your hands are shoulder with distance and your feet are at the center, then actually, if you try to move your hand. I know it feels like moving your hand is gonna bring it more to the center of gravity, and it does when you're in this position, but when you roll to the side, then then your weight is behind the line of the arms.

52:25

You see that, whereas if I leave, if I leave my hand there and I move towards the right side, then my hand and my feet are all lined up on that same plank of of flooring, so it's actually more architecturally sound. Yeah, let's try it like that. Feet together.

52:47

Don't move the right hand. It's already in the right place. Roll onto the outer edge of the right foot, balancing on the right hand, reach the left arm up, Flex the feet, squeeze the inner legs together, and then try to lift up out of that, right, wrist. So, it's like you're trying to pull the forearm up away from the floor, bring the left hand down to the floor, come back through your plank.

53:08

So again, don't move the left hand it's already in the spot. It needs to be shift on to the left hand, right arm, reaches up one.

53:20

Three good inhale to plank? Exhale, lower the knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Slide forward into Cobra. Exhale, tuck the toes, sit all the way back towards the feet. And then extend the legs downward dog. Okay, step the right foot forward between the hands. Lower the left knee down.

53:45

Uh, lift the Torso upright again. Start with all that same alignment business. What we did, so tuck the tailbone under squeeze the left glute. Pull up through the pubic bone in the navel and then imagine you want to push the low ribs slightly back and then start to descend the hips forward and down, but keep as much of that happening as possible so that we're really focusing on the psoas and the hip flexor opening today, the front of the thigh opening.

54:16

That's right, you can stay like this, or if you'd like to hook your thumbs and reach your arms up and back, obviously, you can't keep the ribs pressing back to do that, you have to kind of let go of the rib part of the situation to Arch back. And that's okay.

54:38

Arm where it is right arm down alongside the body, reach the left fingertips up. Like, you're trying to touch the ceiling and then side Bend into it.

54:54

Good reach all the way up right hands to prayer. Twist to the right now. Hook the left upper arm outside of the right leg. You can do any arm variation you want. You can also lift up the back knee if you want for standing spinal twist one.

55:24

Both hands to the floor. Step back to downward dog, only just downward dog. Let's do the other side step. The left foot forward lower the right knee down, lift the Torso up. Move the hips back just a little bit so you can get organized. Tuck the tailbone under squeeze the right glute.

55:45

Pull up through the navel and through the pubic bone, and then imagine again you're trying to push those lower ribs back a little. Happening start to descend the hips forward and down, but again, try to keep some of the alignment what we worked on. And then, if you like to stay here.

56:04

Fine, if you're adding the hook of the thumbs and arching back, then you have to let let the rib part of the alignment go, you know? No problem. Hold the ribs, said the vegan. No, no. Lift the arms all the way up. Uh, uh, where are we? Left arm down, not alongside the body.

56:30

Reach the right fingertips up first and then reach all the way up and over side, bending one.

56:48

Okay, lift all the way up. Reach both arms up hands to prayer. Twist to the left now. Twist. We side. We just side bended. We did the other side on the first side. All right, I don't know. We met, we must miss something here. Okay.

57:13

Could both hands to the floor step back downward facing dog? Okay, come on forward to a plank feet together again. Don't move your right hand. Shift your weight onto your right hand outer edge of right foot. Now, this time, you have the option to bend the left knee behind you.

57:31

Reach back with the left hand and hold the left foot or ankle and then kick your left heel back away from your buttocks. Push the hips forward to counterbalance. Push the hips forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, yes. Back through Center left hand to the floor. Shift onto the left hand outer edge of left foot.

57:54

Bend the right knee behind you. Reach back and hold the right foot or ankle, kick your foot back away from your glute back. Yes, straight arm pubic bone forward hips forward. Come back to the center rest. The knees on the floor child's pose. One of my classes was joking that I never teach child's pose.

58:16

They were giving me a little bit of a hard time about it, and I was like, well, fine, it's a new year so. Knew me. I'm gonna teach child's pose now. Okay. Come up onto hands and knees. Okay, so now we practiced. We practiced the back bend, balancing on one side.

58:39

Now, just how we practiced, lifting sort of same arm and leg in our plank before. Let's play with, like, what would have to happen to get the same hand and foot into that back bend while facing the floor? With it, stay curious and open about it. It doesn't have to look a particular way or come out a particular way.

59:02

It can just stay a bit exploratory, right? Yeah. One knee down is a great way to do it. Yeah.

59:17

I know it's a pain. It's such a pain. It's absolutely chaotic. And what do we do? What do we do when when things get, uh? Mysterious and complicated and confusing and difficult and Wiggly and? Unbalanced. Okay, all right, when you've had about enough of that, go back into child's pose.

59:56

Uh, come up onto your hands and knees, and then bring the forearms and elbows to the floor. Forums and elbows to the floor. Lace the fingers together into one fist. And then tuck the head to the floor behind the hands for head standing practice. Tuck the feet under, lift the knees up, straightening the legs.

01:00:19

And then walk the feet a little bit closer in bending one knee into the chest at a time. Once you have both knees in, you can lift all the way up to head standing. Go ahead.

01:00:40

On Saturday. Sometimes when I'm practicing headstand, I remember. I remember the trials and tribulations of practicing headstand. It took me. Really long time. I want to say like eight or nine months. Of trying it every single day and struggling struggling with it. And so, for those who are in headstand, it can be good to remember.

01:01:21

Like, remember where you came from? And then, if you're not in headstand yet, don't worry. Everyone who's in headstand has been through the exact same process as what you're going through now.

01:01:47

Good. If you're up and you want to try some specific variation, you're welcome to. If you've come down, you're welcome to rest early or give it another try up to you.

01:02:04

But that is, you know, even that is a little bit of an example of resilience, like? Like that willingness to override the part of the brain that goes like, nah, that's probably enough, and instead listen to the part of the brain that. That's, like, let me try it just that one more time.

01:02:20

Let me take this one more opportunity to give it a try. That's a version of resilience. Yeah. Okay. If you're still up. You can slowly. Don't rush. Take your time if you need a little extra time. Take it. Slowly, eventually making your way into child's pose.

01:02:52

And then press back to downward facing dog. With your inhale, come on forward to a plank exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale to plank exhale knees chest chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward into Cobra, and then release the forehead down to the floor. Keep your hands where they are, flatten the floor, but maybe pull the hands back a centimeter or two.

01:03:34

And then draw the legs and feet together. Push into the hands, lift head, chest, and legs. Shalabasana, one draw the elbows towards each other, too. Yes. Three, lengthen the legs. Exhale, release down. Interlace, the hands behind the back into one fist. Inhale lift up head chest? Legs. Arms, one.

01:04:10

Three.

01:04:17

And exhale. Slowly release on down. Prop up onto the elbows and forearms for Sphinx. Lift the chest, press the upper arm, bones back slightly, draw the navel in and up, and then, uh, bend the right, sorry. Bend the left knee rather. Hold on to the left foot with the left hand.

01:04:44

Start to press the left heel down towards the outside of the left hip for half frog. Left elbow could Bend up to the ceiling, turn the shoulders, and the tip of the nose to face forward. When your left foot is as far down as it's going to go today, keep it there, hold it there.

01:05:02

Don't let it move, but kick up into your hand so the hand is holding the foot, but the foot is resisting. Kick me, kick me, break my hand. More like it. Okay, release that. Come back through the center again, shoulders, back chest, forward navel, drawing in Bend, right knee.

01:05:24

Reach back, hold on to right foot. Push the right heel down towards the outer hip. Turn the shoulders forward as best you can tip of the nose straight Ahead, and then, when your left right foot is as far down as it will go, kick your foot back up into your hand.

01:05:39

So, again, kind of trying to bring a little bit more sensation to the front of the left hip kick knee. Good, and then release that come back to the center. Place the hands on either side of the chest, inhale, lift forward, and up into upward dog. Exhale go all the way back downward, facing dog.

01:06:05

Bring the knees to the floor, stand up on The Shins. Point your toes. Bring your hands onto your waist, tuck the tailbone under, squeeze the glutes, try to pull up through the pubic bone in the navel. Bring your hands around your ribs and again, try to push the low ribs back into the thumbs a little bit, so tail is tucking.

01:06:28

Glutes are squeezing navel, drawing in ribs, pushing back, reach both arms forward. Keep everything else the same lean back as far as you can, keeping all that together, keeping everything what we set up all together. Go ahead, lean back in back and back and back, and Lean Forward good.

01:06:58

Do three to four more on your own. Ribs, pushing back keeps squeezing the glutes.

01:07:11

And then, when you're all the way upright again, hands on your waist, tuck your toes under same idea. For the most part, you're tucking your tailbone, you're squeezing your glutes. You're drawing your navel in and up. This bring your hands onto your ribs, what?

01:07:30

It's all right. Okay, this time, though, we're not going to push the ribs back, of course, because we're going to Arch back. So, lift the center of the chest. Spread the collarbones, start to Arch back, keep squeezing your glutes, keep your hips right over your knees. See if you could reach back and hold your heels or ankles for ustrasana.

01:07:56

Two head can go back if you're holding the feet or holding blocks. Yeah. For. Are you still squeezing your glutes? Are you still trying to tuck your tailbone? Are you still drawing up through the navel? Put hands on your waist, lift upright hands to the floor, step back downward facing dog.

01:08:17

Inhale forward into a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles. Inhale. Lift up down your Asana, head, chest, and knees.

01:08:41

And slowly release on down good. Turn all the way over onto the back. Set the feet onto the floor. Lift the hips up. Inner weave the hands together. Behind the back into one fist.

01:09:23

And separate the hands. Release the back down to the floor. Place the hands on the floor either side of the ears for a full wheel. And then, with your inhale, go ahead, lift up.

01:09:46

Good Connor. Try to turn your tote yes. Yes.

01:09:58

And chin to the chest. Slowly release on down. Keep the feet on the floor feet. Stay grounded. Second time. Place the hands, place the feet. With your inhale, go ahead, lift on up.

01:10:43

Go ahead chin to the chest, slowly release down. One more, one more. Place the hands and place the feet. And then, with your inhale lift up last times. One, two.

01:11:29

Okay, hug the knees in, give the knees a squeeze.

01:11:41

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

01:12:10

More, yes. Good, bring the knees all the way up to the center. And go the other way knees over to the right.

01:12:40

Good, bring the knees all the way up to the center. Come on up to a seated position, sit all the way upright, straighten the legs forward out in front of you. Flex the feet, sit up tall, and fold forward. Reach for the feet. Could play with a similar thing here where, if you're holding onto the balls of the feet, try pushing the balls of the feet forward into the hands so that it's almost as if the balls of the feet are a little bit forward of the heels and actively pressing forward.

01:13:10

You feel how that activates? Yeah, it's just a different way. It's not that other ways are wrong or something. It's just a specific way to practice today.

01:13:31

If you need a little more time here in pashimo tanasana, take it. I take all the time you need it, and then when you're ready to come up into shoulder stand, you can come up into shoulders down or something else. If you need to take legs up the wall or block under the sacrum or something, go ahead.

01:14:46

So, the name of this book is actually called Active Hope and the authors sort of propose that, rather than thinking about Hope, as just a feeling that maybe is dependent on. External circumstances or inner sort of feelings that that hope, much like gratitude, for example, is a practice and something to.

01:15:17

Um. Kind of cultivate. Uh, similar to similar to gratitude, right, the the power of gratitude practices is that, uh, we don't just feel gratitude when something good happens to us, but we even and especially, and more importantly, practice gratitude when maybe the circumstances aren't as we would like them to be.

01:15:46

That it's something that we. Strengthen. Through our practice rather than just hoping that it happened. Or, you know, wishing for gratitude to occur to us one day? Well, maybe when I have a better job, I'll feel gratitude. Maybe when I have? A different partner. I'll feel gratitude have a better house.

01:16:05

I'll feel gratitude, you know. We cultivate gratitude whatever the circumstances are.

01:16:22

If you're still in shoulder stems, start to come through plow and fish. At least five breaths in plow at least 10 breaths in fish. You can count your breath since we're all kind of moving through it in different timings.

01:17:08

And then, when you're finished with your? 10 breaths or so in fish?

01:17:18

Come on down and set up for shavasana.

01:25:59

Start to deepen the breath.

01:26:09

And bring some movement into the body.

01:26:20

Take a moment to stretch or move.

01:26:38

And then Gathering the knees.

01:26:46

Roll to the right hand side. Come on up to a seated position.

01:27:27

Settle the body into your meditative seed and then be.

01:27:38

Just training your awareness on. The breath.

01:27:47

Noticing any time that the mind wanders away from the breath and then just being willing to bring it back?

01:28:00

That's also a former resilience. Just the willingness to start again. The willingness to come back to the moment? No matter what's distracted us, no matter what's transpired.

01:30:03

Thank you so much for making time for practice this morning, and for all of your very hard work. As always, have a wonderful rest of your weekend, and we'll see you next time. And if anyone has any questions about today's class, of course, let me know. And, uh yeah, thanks so much everybody.

01:30:29

Keep hope alive people! Keep hope alive!

01:30:42

Your yoga teaching license is under investigation.

01:30:55

My left mind in Spain. Your hope! Your yoga teaching license. No, you brought it back with you. Okay. Did you pass the investigation you pass internal investigation? Yeah, pending pending.

01:31:25

Oh boy!

01:31:32

What a Time, what a time? It's always the time. It's always the time you know. What I, I do sometimes think about that because, like. I do kind of always think about that. Like, there people were always peopling. There were always something you know always thinking animals are always dying.

01:31:57

It's never gonna be right here. Yeah, we're just, we're just. We just gotta kind of, like, do our best, do this. Yeah, people saying, like, oh, when are we not gonna be living in unprecedented times? It's like, yeah, we ever, not living again. Yeah, like everything is always changing, and there's always world events, and there's always I think I think one of the things that's happened is that our?

01:32:26

Our sphere of awareness is so large now, like? Even 20 years ago, yeah, even 20 years ago, we didn't have the same access to like information that we do now, and certainly 50 or 100 years ago. We weren't aware of, like the minutia of different political things happening in different lands quickly.

01:32:48

Yeah, yeah, you found out about it, but it wasn't in real time. But like, now, we just have so much information. And yet, our sphere of influences still. Men, right? It's still human size. I think that it's also functional, like, our empathy. We always have this level of empathy, but now, it's because of all of this influx of information there.

01:33:13

Yeah, I think that's a really good, um. Point, is that the the size of our empathy has always the capacity of our empathy is so large? Oh, we'll see 50.