TRANSCRIPT:
Well, thanks for that. So also. So also, I do have a podcast. I've had a podcast for like 15 years, like before podcasts were like the thing everyone was doing, and I just post I post like one class per month on my podcast. Um, and so if you are traveling, or like you, you know, you can't.
Excuse you? Can't get to the studio or whatever, all right. I'll start class in a second. Um. Uh, if you're traveling or just, you know, can't kind of like, make your way to the studio, like it's just theirs, or as a resource or whatever. Um, yeah. Been doing that a long time.
I'm gonna I'm just gonna leave the windows. For, like, just what we chant and then? It's hot, right? Okay, all right, just don't don't report me. Don't tell. Spirits out. I know, right? Don't tell the.
Okay.
Let's start with call and response. Mj.
You know what? Let's sing it together. And yes. And again.
Mine again.
Sing. For someone who needs some extra faith and strength and support.
Sing for yourself.
New mind sing for a complete stranger.
All beings everywhere.
So in the story of? Rama and Sita. Um, Hanuman. You know, basically like moves mountains and leaps over rivers, and like overcomes all of these obstacles. Like, because of his love and Devotion to a Sita enroll. And, um, so like thinking about the qualities of of Hanuman and thinking about those qualities in ourselves, the qualities in yourself that like, is capable of moving mountains and leaping over rivers and overcoming obstacles, right?
Um, I find it occasionally. Helpful. Contemplate those times. That I have overcome. And a see what seemed insurmountable at the time obstacle, right? Like, you remember, um, you remember when you were like in high school or whatever, and you're like going through your first breakup ever. And you're, like, you're like, oh my God, it's the life my life is over.
Right, but then like the more life you live. It's it's not, it's not as sure. It's painful. There's grief there's like, you know, there's lots of things. Um, but it's not as like. Devastating necessarily to the sense of self, as it maybe once was, and similarly with overcoming other kinds of obstacles.
Like, the more, the more that you experience yourself. Being strong, being patient being compassionate. When it's difficult to be compassionate being, you know? You know, a solid source of friendship and love for others. The more that you, the more that you experience yourself overcoming these obstacles, then you'll always have.
Like, you have the evidence you have the proof inside yourself that you can do it right. And um, it's so funny, we were just just right before class. You really hit the nail in the head. One of the hardest things I've ever been through started on on Halloween two years ago.
And it was maybe like represents maybe one of the hardest years in my entire life, right, and? Without going into detail. Like, when I think back on that, and like, whatever it is, I might be going through now. I think back on that, and I think, wow. Yeah, but look what I look what I was able.
To get through and I and and got through it. You know from my own qualities and also support from others, of course, because we all need that support of, of course, anyway. Hanuman overcoming obstacles bet you can't guess what we're gonna do today, okay? Welcome to November. Okay. Come forward under hands and knees.
Does everyone have two blocks, have two blocks with you? You can grab blocks on the Shelf over there. Press back. One of the thing to the other day, um, in a garment to drop or something, but someone would say that, like? Just like your body remembers bad things your body.
Yeah, like your cells, remember when you overcome diversity? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, just in the same way just to recap what Teresa was saying, um, you know, just in the same way that we have, you know? Muscle memory, and that we, you know, sort of, store the difficult memories as well, um, in our bodies.
We also store the memories of like having overcome the thing, right, and and also all the all the like, Joys and connectedness, and all, uh. Uh, all the experiences, not just not just the traumatizing ones. Okay, come back into downward facing dog. Yeah.
Come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward over the wrists. And then, with your exhale, lower your knees, your chest, your chin to the floor. Inhaling slide forward into Cobra, point the toes, exhale, tuck the toes under, move the seat back to the feet. And then extend the legs downward facing dog.
Bring the right knee to the floor between the hands right knee to the floor for pigeon, and then fold forward breathe. Pigeon, yeah. Absolutely what? This is the easy one. This is just the warm-up sweetheart.
This is just. I don't know if you came to this class, expecting a restorative class or what? But you might have. Maybe you were thinking of a different Jessica? Maybe if you were thinking of a different? Maybe you're thinking of a different Hanuman Asana, I don't know? Okay, walk the hands back under the shoulders.
Press back to downward facing dog. Yeah, good. And then bring the left leg forward left leg forward for pigeon folding forward over the legs. Yeah. Maybe we'll do? And we'll do this. Maybe, like, a little like fans off Windows, though. Yeah, okay, all right.
And then walk the hands back under the shoulders and press back to downward facing dog. Okay, step the step the right foot forward between the hands step, the right foot forward, and then you're gonna grab your two blocks and check this out. You're going to find the stack of blocks that goes well under your right buttock so you can see.
I've stacked sort of one stack on the lowest setting, one stack on the highest setting, and I've put them together, and I've nestled them right under my right sitting bone a little bit. Yeah, and if you're a different height than me or your legs are much longer, much shorter, you might have to rearrange the height of the blocks to be able to kind of sit your right butt down on them.
Back knee can go down, lift the Torso up hands on your waist, and just just getting into the idea of like sitting down in it. A lot of times, when we do this without support, for example, there's a tendency to like hold back a little bit from going into it, and so, so again, trying to get into the idea of just sitting down in it without, um, without using any muscles.
Hold us up out of it, or you know that part of ourselves, that's like, afraid to go deeper a little bit. Okay, uh, no need to press all the way back to downward dog. We can just swap out the legs here. So, go ahead and get the left leg going forward, um.
Probably the same height of blocks unless? Legs are very drastically different lengths.
And then again, even even just breathing into it, like. Can you kind of exhale and just sit your butt even more down onto your blocks? And that's kind of one of one of the few ideas we'll be working with today of of just the idea of, like, letting the hips go forward and down into it.
Think of this even not only just as a preparation for hanuman Asana, but think of this also as a preparation for even Warrior one right, even Warrior one of letting the hips really settled down and forward instead of trying to pull them back. I'll mention it again in more year one, but just as just as.
Precursor. Okay, let's step back downward facing dog. You can move those blocks to the side for now. Yeah. The rumble of blocks being set aside. Okay, uh, come on, uh, walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs. Let the head hang down. Start ujai breathing if you haven't already.
So deep, full inhales, full complete exhales. Making a little bit of sound on the breath. Oh, Frozen a little bit. Not sure why it's freezing. Let me try that again. Okay.
Okay, separate the feed about mat with distance apart or so. Bend the knees come into a deep squatting position with the hands together at the center of the chest. Lifting up tall in the upper body. That's it. Move the center of the chest towards the thumbs, thumbs towards the chest.
And then bring the hands down to the floor, raise the hips up, and fold forward over the legs. Good heel to. Oh hmm, it's freezing again. I don't know what's going on. Hey Zoom, folks. I know that the video just keeps freezing up a little bit. I will try to keep my eye on it and and.
Wiggle it a bit, but um. You'll forgive me if I if I don't get to it right away. Just know that I'll be swinging by and looking at it again. Okay. All right. Uh, bring the feet and legs all the way together. Bring the hands onto the waist. Go ahead and lift all the way upright to a standing position.
See Frozen again already. I wonder what's happening? Huh? Okay. Is it happening? Okay, all right, well. Let's see. Inhale! Hook your thumbs in front of you, sweep the arms forward and up Arch, the back, exhale, bend the knees, swing the arms behind the back, lace the hands together, fold forward, inhale hands down, step the right foot back, exhale downward, facing dog inhale, come forward into a plank.
Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog. Inhale to plank, exhale the knees, chest and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit back towards the heels, and then extend the legs downward dog. Inhale step the right foot forward. Exhale left foot next to right foot.
Fold forward inhale bend, knees hook, thumbs. Reach up Arch back. Straighten the legs at the top. Exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together, and fold inhale. Place the hands down, step the left foot back. Exhale downward facing dog. Don't worry, inhale to plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward facing dog inhale forward into a plank.
Exhale knees, chest, and Chin down to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale. Tuck the toes under, move the seat all the way back to the feet, and then extend the legs downward. Dog inhale left foot steps forward exhale right foot next to left foot fold forward. Inhale Bend knees hook thumbs reach up Arch back, straighten legs, exhale, stand up, and release the arms.
Inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together and fold inhale hands down. Step the right foot back. Exhale lower the right knee down. Just under fingertips and lower the hips forward and down. As you lift the chest again, think of heavying the hips down exhale step all the way back downward facing dog.
Inhale, come forward into a plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward, facing exhale downward, facing inhale forward into plank, exhale knees, chest and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit back towards the feet, and then extend the legs. Inhale, right, foot forward, exhale, left knee down, stay on fingertips, inhale lift, the head and the chest, but soften the hips down and forward more exhale.
Step forward feet together. Inhale bend, knees, hook, thumbs. Reach up, Arch back, straighten your legs, exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind laced hands together, and fold inhale hands down, left foot steps back. Exhale lower the left knee down. Come up on a fingertips, inhale. Lift the head and the chest, hips forward, exhale downward facing dog inhale.
Come forward into a plank. Exhale chaturanga inhale upward 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 back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward dog inhale. Step the left foot forward, exhale right knee down inhale, come up on the fingertips, lift the chest exhale, step forward feet together, fold forward, inhale Bend knees, hook thumbs reach up, Arch back, exhale, stand up, and release the arms.
Inhale hook thumbs, reach arms up, and Arch back. Exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together, and fold inhale hands down. Step the right foot back, exhale right knee down, inhale hook thumbs reach arms up and Arch back. Exhale hands down step all the way back downward, facing dog inhale to plank exhale.
Chaturangan inhale upward facing dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale to plank. Exhale knees, chest 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 knee down inhale hook thumbs. Reach up and Arch back.
Exhale hands down, step forward feet together, inhale bend knees, hook thumbs, reach up, Arch back, straighten legs at the top, exhale bend knees, swing arms behind, lays hands together, and fold inhale hands. Touch down, left foot steps back. Exhale left knee down inhale hook thumbs. Reach up Arch back.
Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale forward into plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale to plank, exhale knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Inhale slide forward into Cobra exhale. Tuck the toes sit back towards the heels and then extend the legs. Inhale left foot forward.
Exhale right 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, stand up, and release the arms. Separate the feet about a step apart, hands on the waist inhale, lift up the chest and Arch back.
Exhale fold all the way forward. Reach down. Grab hold of the big toes with the piece sign fingers of the hands as you inhale, lift the head, lift the chest, lengthen the crown of the, head forward towards the windows as you pull the tailbone towards the back of the room, try to make space through both sides of the waist here and then.
As you exhale, fold forward. Exhale for two inhale? Exhale for three breathing. And breathe out four inhale. And exhale with your inhale lift head and chest. Look forward. Slide the palms of the hands underneath the soles of the feet again, lengthening crown of head away from tailbone and then fold forward.
One inhale. Exhale for two inhale? Exhale three. Exhale. Inhale. And exhale with your inhale. Look forward. Exhale hands on your waist. Inhale to stand all the way. Upright exhale feet and legs together arms alongside the body, good it. Bend the knees reach the arms up utkatasana chair pose. Exit weight, exhale, stand up, release the arms open.
Hey, let's try something with your heels together. Open your feet apart, almost like a ballet position. Put your hands on the sides of your hips, just the sides, the sort of like roundest part of the sides of your hips. Okay, now push the pinky toe side of your foot more down.
Imagine even like if you want to lift up the big toe, and you can. That's fine. Go ahead and do that. Just feel what it feels like to really press the pinky toe edge of the foot down. And do you feel look? There's a lot of stuff between your hand and the muscle.
I'm trying to get you to feel, but somewhere deep in that region. Do you feel a little something happening? Relax. It's okay, if you don't. It's just that the area of the hip that's going to engage when you push the pinky toes down. Try it again. Push the pinky toes down.
Feel something happening, kind of in there. Like, way deep down in there, yeah, okay. Relax, okay. Put your feet together again. That's going to come in later. Okay. Yeah, inner thighs too. Yeah, absolutely. But this is the just wanted to point it out. Yeah, bend the knees to reach the arms up.
Yeah, just because you feel something different than what I'm mentioning doesn't mean it's wrong. Exhale hands to the floor. Fold forward inhale. Look forward. Exhale chaturanga Hopper. Step back. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Okay, step the right foot forward between the hands pause. See that your right foot made it all the way up there between the hands, and if not, take the extra steps necessary to get it up there.
Now, turn the back foot down at an angle, like Warrior, one in the back foot, but pause there come up on the fingertips and move the hips a little down and forward, like you're trying to sit down into it a little bit, reach the outer edge, the pinky toe edge of the left foot so hard down that maybe you can even feel that little hip muscle happening again.
Reach the arms back alongside the body, reach the arms back. Lift the upper body just enough that you're not leaning on your right leg, and then send the hips forward good. Now, using the strength of the back leg lift the Torso upright, head upright, and then float the arms all the way up for high.
Yeah, for Warrior one, keep that back foot active. Yeah, especially the outer edge of the back foot. Yeah, got a little inspiration from Ruth last week, okay hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. It's so nice to be in a community of teachers where you can take so much good inspiration from each other.
It's really wonderful. Step the left foot forward between the hands. If it doesn't, make it on the first try. Do what it takes to get it up there. Turn the back foot down to the floor and especially push the pinky toe edge of the back foot down. Bend the front knee more.
Send the hips a little more forward and then just reach the arms back alongside the body and lift the Torso just enough off the left leg that you're not leaning on it and then find the strength of the back leg is what helps you to lift up to your Warrior one and then reach the arms up?
Yeah, don't lose the connection between the outer edge of the foot, though, keep it keep it. Oh, yes. Good hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. Inhale step the right foot forward, left heel down, reach all the way up Warrior one. See if this Warrior one can learn something from that other Warrior one.
We just did exhale open hips and arms to the side. Good inhale. Straighten the right leg with both legs straight. Press the pinky toe edge of the left foot down harder, and then don't lose it even as you reach into triangle. Right hand down left arm reaches straight up good breathing one.
Try to pull the head and the chest back a little bit more so you're hovering directly over the right leg. Yes.
And five. Try pressing into the back foot to help you lift all the way up right. Keep pressing the outer edge of the back foot down as you bend the right knee for Warrior Two, yeah? One have both arms parallel to the floor. Can you sit a little more into your Warrior Two?
So notice there is this tendency to kind of hold back to hold yourself up out of it a little bit. Just try to settle the hips a little bit more down. Good inhale. Straighten the right leg. Exhale bend the right knee again. Keep attention on the outer edge of the back foot, this time.
Place the right hand outside of the right foot left arm reaches over the left ear. Again, push the pinky toe edge of the left foot down super hard, starting from the pinky toe of the left foot reach longer and longer through the whole left side of the body all the way up to the finger tips.
Good, both hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. Step the left foot forward. Turn the right heel down as you lift up Warrior one. See if you can bring in call in whatever we just learned from that other Warrior one and then exhale. Open the hips and arms to the side inhale.
Straighten the left leg pause there push the pinky toe side of the right foot down harder and keep that connection even as you reach to the left for triangle. Don't lose the connection to the back foot. Yeah, one. And then, even while we're in Triangle for these few breaths.
Keep that awareness just on the outer edge of the back foot to help inform the rest of the shape. Good with your inhale stand all the way up, right? Imagine it doesn't quite work like this, but imagine that the left knee is only going to bend because you press the right foot down so hard.
Just try, it's not exactly like literally how it works, but you can try. Yeah, sit a little bit deeper down into it. Imagine you had like a stack of blocks here that you could just sit that right thigh down on a left thigh down onto. Inhale, straighten the left leg.
Exhale. Bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot. Reach the right arm over the right ear. Good, reaffirm that connection with the outer edge of the back foot. Press the pinky toe side of the right foot down. As you press the pinky toe side of the right foot down, can you reach longer and longer through the whole right side of the body?
Good inhale both hands to the floor. Exhale downward facing dog. Bend the knees and look forward. Inhale Hopper step feet to hands. And exhale. Fold forward inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up in a chair pose. Exhale, stand up, and release the arms. Bend the left knee, point the left knee, straight forward out in front of you, try to lower the left hip down a little bit, so you're not hiking it up as you lift the knee and then your left hand holds your left foot or ankle.
Now, pull the left knee as much to point down towards the floor as possible. So, we're trying to get the thighs like flush with one another. At the same time, try to try not to let the tailbone go back. So, I'm embedding my tailbone forward and down. If you like, you can hold the left foot with both hands here.
To keep lifting the chest, lifting the crown of the head three.
Good point. The left knee forward out in front of you as you let go of the foot. Bring the left ankle kind of right underneath the left knee, so your knee is in like a 90 degree angle and then release feet together. Point the right knee, forward, straight forward, and then, with the right hand, hold the right ankle and pull your heel up against your glute or as close as you can, and then start to point the right knee straight down in the direction of the floor.
Like, you're trying to get the thighs flush with one another. Push the tailbone more forward into the body. Reach up through the crown of the head top of the chest lift. Good, and then point the right knee forward as you let go with the ankle. Bring the foot right under the knee and then release feet and legs together.
Inhale bend the knees to reach the arms up. Utkatasana. Exhale hands to the floor. Fold forward. Inhale, prepare, look forward. Exhale chaturanga Hopper step back, good inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Step the right foot forward between the hands, but don't change the back foot now. Back foot stays as is.
Put that right foot all the way forward between the hands, even if it didn't make it on its own, and then start to straighten that front leg, don't change the feet. Inhale Bend, right knee, look forward. Exhale straighten, right, leg, fold forward. Inhale Bend, right knee. Look forward. Exhale, straighten right, leg, and fold.
Now, keep the feet the same. Keep the legs straight, fold forward, and breathe. Imagine you're trying to push the right foot forward and down against the floor. Even think of pressing now. The little toe side and the big toe side of the foot equally dumb, so the inner Edge outer edge of the feet both pressing forward.
And then bend the right knee. Hop the back foot in a small step closer and anchor the back heel down, so back foot turns at a little bit of an angle. Keep that connection between the pinky toe side of the back foot and the floor start to straighten the right leg again and fold forward for one.
Good two. Keep pushing the outer edge of the back foot down. Lift the right hip up and back a little bit more three. Whether you're on blocks or on the floor, come up onto fingertips, fingertips, and crawl the fingertips. Any amount forward, either a little bit forward or maybe a lot bit forward and then fold again so that your head hangs between your arms.
And as you're reaching, fingertips forward push more weight into the back foot. Try to pull the right hip crease back slightly more. At the same time, can you open the right side of the body a little bit more? Find a little more space there. Okay, walk the hands back to frame the right foot.
Now, rotated triangle. We're going to place the left hand to the outside of the right foot, right arm, reaches up turn one, yeah. Right armages, so turning towards the blankets unless there's a reason you're not turning.
I had bend the right knee hands to the floor, step back downward facing dog. Inhale, step the left foot forward between the hands. Don't change the back foot, but see that the left foot got all the way up there between the hands. As you exhale, start to straighten the left leg.
Inhale, bend the left knee. Exhale straighten the left leg. Inhale bending. Exhale extending stay there! So, even here, even with the feet remaining the same, try pushing the left foot forward and down into the floor, the right foot, pushing back form.
Good, and then soften the left knee. Move the back foot in a small step closer, anchoring the heel down, meaning you might have to turn the foot at a little bit of an angle. Keep the outer edge of the back foot, pressing down start to straighten the front leg and fold forward.
Good.
Five good bet, uh, come up onto fingertips. Walk the fingertips any amount forward out in front of the left foot, a little or a lot head can hang between the arms. That's it. See if you can find a little bit more space along the left side side seam of the body, relax the toes, press the outer edge of the back foot down.
Good, and then walk the hands back to frame the left foot. Right hand reaches over and across to the left side of the left foot for rotated triangle. Reach the left arm up one.
Good Outer Edge and back foot, and in fact, that's where the stability of this is. Originate. Five okay, both hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. Step the right foot forward between the hands step, the right foot all the way forward between the hands. If it didn't make it up there.
Put it up there. Come up onto fingertips. Now, let the hips lower down more into gravity. Let the hips go kind of heavy, even if your hips are below the front knee. That's okay, just keep the back knee off the floor for now, and then lift the hips just to the height of the right knee.
And again lower the hips down down. Let the hips really go into gravity here, heavy them down, and then lift the hips just to the height of the right knee. And then one more time. Let the hips go as low as they can go without touching the right knee down to the floor.
Lift the hips just to the height of the right knee. So, the right thigh wants to be parallel to the floor. Now, straighten the back leg a bit more and then keep your legs the same as you lift all the way up to high lunge Arms. Reach overhead. Inhale straighten the right leg.
Exhale Bend. Try to wrap the left hip a bit more to Face Forward inhale straighten. Exhale to bend. Inhale to straighten. Exhale Bend one more inhale straighten. Keep the legs straight, lean the upper body back. Any amount head chest arms go back one. You could also look up towards the ceiling for more challenge to the balance if you like.
Form okay. Lift the arms straight up. Exhale. Bend the right knee and bend the left knee and gently touch the left knee down to the floor, both hands on top of your right thigh. Yeah, Pat up under the knee if you want to. Okay, so here's a challenge for you.
Try not to lift up any taller than where you are now, so try not to let the level of the head change as you lift the back knee up and try to straighten through the back leg, try not to lift any taller, yes. And then lower the back knee down.
I know, absolutely brutal. Okay, lift the back knee up. Try to straighten the back leg again. And place the back knee down, no bobbing up and down. Keep your head right where it is. Lift the back knee up straight in the back leg. Oh yes, straight, more straighten, more straighten, more straighten, more.
I knew you could do it and then place the back knee down. Scoot the right foot a bit more forward. Both hands are still on your right thigh. Look. I didn't invent it. Has existed much longer than I have, and will continue to exist when I'm gone. So, take it up with Hanuman Asana, not me.
Okay. Okay, so listen, uh, sink, the hips, sink, the hips even more forward and down, like as if when we were sitting on the blocks, like, imagine you could just sit yourself down into it a little bit more, and then move your hips back. And then go forward again.
Let the hips go forward as much as they can go when you think you're at the end of where you can go forward. See if you could just ease the hips a little bit more forward, another millimeter or something, and then take the hips back. And then one more time, third time.
Here we go, ease the hips forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, pause there. You're welcome to stay here, or you could hook your thumbs, reach your arms up for a crescent lunge one. Two, yes. Three good lift the arms all the way up, right? Bring the right arm down alongside the body.
Move it into a side Bend, left arm, reaches up and over one. Good two. Oh yeah, three, hello, hip flexors. Good reach all the way up. Both arms reach overhead exhale downward facing dog. Step the left foot forward between the hands all the way forward. Don't change the back foot if the left foot didn't make it there.
Put it up there manually. And then come up onto fingertips. Let the hips sink down into gravity. Let the hips go low. And then bring the hips back up to where they came from. And then again, let the hips sit down into gravity. Don't touch the back knee down.
And then bring the hips back up where they came from last one. Let the hips go as low as you can without touching the back knee down. And then lift the hips just to the height of the front knee. So your thigh bone is like parallel to the floor, straighten the back leg more.
Keep the legs exactly the same. What they are now reach both arms up for high lunge. Inhale, straighten the left leg, reach up. Exhale to bend. Wrap the front of the right hip more forward inhale straighten. Exhale to bend. Inhale straighten. Exhale to bend one more inhale straighten. Now, keep the legs straight.
Lean back any amount a little or a lot. That's up to you. You can look straight ahead, or you can look up for a little more challenge to.
Lift the arms straight up overhead. Bend the left knee, bend the right knee, and gently touch the right knee down to the floor. Both hands on top of your left thigh. So, try. Try to stay exactly as tall as you are now, so imagine they built the room. They built the drywall on the ceiling just above the crown of your head, and you can't move any higher and then go ahead.
Try to lift the back knee up straight and through the back leg. Yes, and then put that back knee down. Again, lift straighten out that leg as best you can. Oh yeah. And then back, knee down one more time, straighten through that back leg, more more, more straight and straighten straight and straighten.
And then lower that back knee down. Crawl the left foot a little bit more forward. So probably a horrible time to remind you of this, but a lot of times the way that yoga works is like the things that feel the hardest are often the things that we probably need to work on a little bit more.
Okay, this the things that come easy to us. We don't have to work on it so much. It comes easy already. Okay, move the hips forward and down. Imagine you're kind of like aiming to sit down on a pair of blocks, just like we did earlier in the class, so that sense of really lowering the hips and then move the hips back.
And then again, let the hips go forward and down forward and down. Feel how the muscles they want to contract around the problem. We want to create tension around the problem. Try to let it go a little bit. See if you can go a little more into it, and then take the hips back third time.
Here we go, let the hips go forward and down, ease them forward. Forward forward heavy, the hips heavy, the hips, that's it. And then you can either stay here or crescent lunge, reaching the arms up and back one, yeah. Three good lift the arms straight up overhead, left arm down alongside the body, turn it into a side Bend, reach up and over good one.
How are you doing on your sacrum with this sequence? Oh. Oh, oh, no, okay. Do what you need to do to take care, okay. Lift the arms all the way upright. Exhale hands to the floor downward facing dog.
Step the right foot forward again between the hands. Reach the arms right up to high lunge. Reach the arms all the way up. Exhale. Twist to the right side and open the arms out to a t shape. Okay? Inhale, reach the arms up to Center. Exhale open to the left side.
Inhale reach right up to the center exhale twisting, right? Inhale, reach up, exhale, open left. Inhale, reach up, exhale. Twist to the right stay. There left hand holds right knee. Pull on your leg in order to turn more. Try to turn both shoulders as much to face towards the blanket side of the room as you possibly can twist more and more and more and find those special twisting muscles in the middle of the body and twist a little bit more.
And then inhale reach the arms all the way up overhead. Exhale gently touch the left knee down to the floor and then reach the arms up again. Hands to prayer. Twist to the right side. Hook your left upper arm outside of your right leg for one. Yeah, you have the option to lift the back knee up to try to move the hands closer and closer to the center of the chest.
Three nice hit. Think of hips going forward and down again. Kind of the theme of the practice today. Five good both hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. Step the left foot forward between the hands. Reach the arms all the way up high lunge. As you exhale, twist to the left side, opening the arms out to shoulder height.
Inhale. Reach up to the center. Exhale open to the right side. Inhale. Reach up to the center. Breathe with me. Exhale left. Inhale lift up to the center exhale, right? Inhale, lift up, reach up now! Exhale! Twist to the left. This time, we're gonna stay here. Right hand holds left leg, yes, and then pull on your leg to turn.
I got you, I got you. Don't worry, turn. Turn the upper body more, more, more, more, more, more. Oh yes. Okay, reach the arms all the way up to the center high. Lunge lower the right knee down to the floor hands in prayer. Twist to the left side. From here, you do have the option to lift up the back knee, of course.
If you want to too?
Got both hands to the floor. Step back downward facing dog. Okay, step the right foot to the outside of the right hand step wide. Walk the hands forward two big steps, so right foot to the outside of the right hand. Walk the hands two big hand prints forward, and you can either stay on the hands or start to bring the elbows to the floor for lizard chin forward, eyes forward.
Yeah, that's it. So, even pulling the collarbones forward, try to straighten through the back leg more. And then, if you want to, you could like Rock forward and back a little in this one forward and back forward and back. Good, and then walk the hands back under the shoulders.
We're moving into down dog splits, so take the right leg up and back behind you, right? Leg reaches up, open the right hip to the right side, bend the knee, point the toes, so you're reaching the right kneecap sort of up towards the crease between the wall and the ceiling and then straighten out the right leg square off the hips.
Step the right foot again to the outside. Of the right hand, this time lower the left knee down. Walk the hands forward and lower the elbows down to the floor. Now, for this one, you know, for the first one, we rocked sort of forward and back, and for this one, I was finding kind of a side to side thing.
So, rocking a little bit like, almost like you want to bring the left hip towards the floor and then rocking to the right, so you can just find a little side to side movement for this one.
Good, and then walk the hands back under the shoulders. We're going back into a down dog split, so right leg reaches up and back. Yeah, and then. This time, though, keep the right leg straight point. The right toes have the right hip facing straight down towards the floor. See if you can lift the left heel up.
And as you do that, lift the inner right thigh, higher the inner right thigh, and then lower the left heel down. Lift the right leg higher. Uh-huh. Bend the left knee a little bit, and as you do lift the right leg higher. And then straighten the left leg and lift the right leg even higher spicy.
Um, place the right foot down. Step the left foot to the outside of the left hand step wide. Walk the hands forward two big steps. Option to bring the elbows down in the direction of the floor. Keep the back legs straight and keep the shoulders gliding back away from the ears for this one.
If you want to rock forward and back with it. You're welcome to explore a little forward to back movement.
And then walk the hands back under the shoulders down. Dog splits take the left leg up and back. Open the left hip to the left side point, the left toes reach the kneecap, the left kneecap higher up towards the ceiling behind you. Good, and then straighten your left leg Square, the hips.
We're stepping the left foot to the outside of the left hand again, so step it wide right knee down. You can stay on your hands or go to forearms and elbows, and this time again, you're, you know, you're welcome to do as you like, but In my practice, I was exploring a little bit of side to side movement, so just rocking a little right, rocking a little left, yeah.
Good, both hands to the floor. Take that left leg up and back down dog splits. This time, keep the left leg straight. Point the left toes, even point the front of the left hip straight down as you lift the right heel. Can you lift the inner left leg a little higher?
And then press the heel down. Keep that left leg lifting High. Bend the right knee so you can lift the left leg a little higher. Keep the left leg lifting high as you press through the right leg and straighten the right leg again. So spicy, both feet to the floor.
Bend the knees and look forward hop or step feet to hands and exhale. Fold forward inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up utkatasana chair pose. Exhale, stand up, and release the arms. We're gonna go to the wall. Bring your mat over against part of the wall. Plenty of space today.
You could be all along the white wall. You could be all along the salmon wall. You could even be under these sconces over here, but try to avoid the pillars, especially the ones with the camera and the thermostat on it. Yeah, you can see there. It's fine. Okay, we're gonna start, not this one.
There's a camera. Yeah, go right up against there. Yeah, right. There, perfect. Okay, start on hands and knees facing the center of the room. Scoot yourself all the way back so that your heels are against the wall feet and heels against the wall. We're not doing what you think we're doing.
Whatever you think we might be doing, it's not that. So, in other words. That's a signal to listen a little bit more carefully so that you know what we are doing okay. Lift the knees up so that you're in like a downward facing. Dog heels are still at the wall.
Stick your left leg. Stick your left leg all the way up the wall. Tuck your toes under. Tuck your toes on the wall so that you can try to point the left hip more towards the wall. If you want this to be more intense, you can walk the hands back towards the wall, back back, more back more.
You could also. You could also bring the right heel to the floor right beside the wall, your heel. You push your heel down. That's it. Keep turning this hip more down more down more down more down. I forgot to say the other part if you want it to be less intense.
You can walk the hands further away from you. I meant to say both parts at the same time. Okay, walk the hands a little forward, come down hands and knees, bad yoga teacher bad, okay. Let's go! Let's go other side, so press back into your downward facing dog. Stick the right leg up the wall behind you, yes, and then.
Tuck the toes under so that you can better Square the hips, so you want that right hip to be facing more towards the wall you're facing. If you want it to be harder, walk the hands back a little bit more if you want it to be easier. Walk the hands forward a little bit more.
You can also put the left sole of the foot down on the floor as well. Good, yes. Okay. You can walk the hands forward a little bit both knees to the floor. Hands and knees. Okay, now we are doing what you think we're doing so a couple of options, since we're here anyway.
We're going to do a little bit of inversion practice. Yeah, so you can practice handstand from. No, that's right, you can practice handstand from this same shape we were practicing, you can turn around and practice kicking towards the wall. Whatever you want to do here for your handstand practice.
Yeah, about 10 breaths, or you know, five breaths each side of your hopping, go ahead. If you don't know what to be doing right now, let me know. And I will find something. There's, so yeah, there's so many options. Even if you don't want to be upside down, there's options.
Just let me know so that we can get it going. Yes. What do you want to do? You want to do this one? Do this one. Yeah, do what he's doing. Walk your hands forward a little bit. Yeah, yeah, both feet, both feet right on the wall here, right?
There perfect look, you're in a handstand. It's a perfect and amazing walk. The feet up just a tiny bit more. Ah, so good.
Good, good, good, good, good?
If you want to keep working on handstand a little bit longer, you're welcome to otherwise. If you'd like to take about 10 breaths for a forearm stand practice, so forearms and elbows on the floor. Any version of forum standing practice go for it. One or you can stick with handstand, okay?
Two. Yes, go kick. Come on. Kick right through that wall. Come on, kick, that's it. More power. Whenever you want to come down, you just split the legs. I'm here for you. Yes, that's it. Wonderful. Yeah, oh yeah, try one foot two feet. Both. Oh, hi. I gotcha. That's it.
Just like that, now push your chest back more. Yes. It's excellent. Okay, if you want to continue hands down or forearm stand, you're welcome to otherwise moving into a bit of head standing practice to round out our time here.
Yeah.
And even if you know? That's one beautiful thing about practicing in a group is like. Is like everyone around you, even the folks around you who are like holding, uh, you know, very steady and easy looking headstands. They've all been through every single. Struggle every single step. Every single frustration, every single obstacle to get to that point as.
Everyone else in the room, right? So, if you are at any point with with your inversion practice? Um. Just know that, like every single person in the room has been through all those. Uh, has walked that road. That what Rocky Road? And then there is something so beautiful about seeing the sort of like ease and lightness in.
Someone who has been practicing it for a long time and who has moved through all those difficulties. We can take that as kind of inspiration for our own path, you know? And not just headstand, but like whatever it is you're practicing, you know? Most of, you know? By now, I'm studying, you know, music and Sanskrit.
And, like, those have their own struggles? Okay, if you need a little more time, feel free to take a little more time. Otherwise, we're going to start to move our way back to the middle of the room back to the center.
You know, I was talking to someone the other day who was, like, you know, what you don't talk about enough in class? You don't talk about Sanskrit and music enough in class and how hard they are to learn. I'm just kidding. Talk about them every Sunday, pretty much. The Sunday crew is like, yes, we know.
Okay, step back downward facing dog.
Yeah, good. Inhaling come forward into a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Arms alongside the body. Lift up head, chest legs, shalavasana one.
And then slowly release, but Eileen, you'll miss Hanuman Asana. I'm just joking. Okay, uh, prop up onto the for? Forums for, uh, we're gonna move into half frog now, so bend the left knee reach back with the left hand and hold the left foot or ankle. And then push the left foot down left, start left.
Yeah, because the left leg will be the first one. In the. Extending position in Hanuman Asana.
All right, and then release that switch sides. So bend the right knee, press the right foot down. Yes.
And then release that come back to the center. Slide the hands back where the elbows just came from. Inhale to Upward dog, pull forward and up, point the toes. In fact, pause there, press the left foot down so hard. You could lift the left, lift the right foot up, lengthen through the right leg, and then place the right foot down.
Press the right foot down so hard you could lift the left foot up, lengthen through the left leg. Place the left foot down and then press all the way back downward facing dog. Come on forward to a plank exhale lower all the way to the floor. Bend the knees, reach back, catch hold of the ankles, inhale lift up, head chest, and knees for Don narasana, one.
And then slowly release on down.
Again, bend the knees. Reach back, catch hold of the ankles. Inhale, lift up head, chest knees.
Exhale release on down. Place the hands either side of the chest. Lift forward and up into upward dog. Lift the left foot off the floor, lengthen through the left leg, put put it down, lift the right foot off the floor, lengthen through the right leg, put it down, press all the way back downward facing dog.
Step the right leg through the arms for Hanuman Asana. Least surprising? Ending ever. No! So I, I have a strong preference for having blocks under the hands for today. You're welcome to explore lots of different variations whatever you want, but blocks of the hands actually allows me to straighten through the back leg, which if the back knee is down doesn't get a lot of straightening, so it helps to get that back leg going.
You could also like support yourself on a block like we did. In the beginning, you could also you could do many, many things. Up to you today! Because we have all month.
No, but then it's the thing you might need to work on. Okay, step all the way back downward dog. Right, that's one of the. That's one of the nice things about Jiva mukti is, like the way that it's structured. We always touch on all the major movement groups, including the ones we don't necessarily want.
So, I'm always developing my back bending, even though I would rather not. Step the left foot, quite frankly. Step the left foot forward. No, but we all have sort of natural disposition natural inclinations. Some people in the room are like, what do you mean I love back bending? It's my favorite part, right?
Some people love twisting. Some people can't stand twisting. Some people love the foremen. Some people hate the fordmans, but that way, we're like. Asking ourselves to cultivate sort of a well-rounded? Was that enough of a pep talk for you to okay, great?
Pull that right, hip more forward, right, hip, right, hip, right, hip? Oh yes, more, more more. Okay, press all the way back downward facing dog. And come on forward to a plank. Lower all the way to the floor and then flip over onto the back. Flip over onto the back.
Place the feet onto the floor. Lift the hips up. Enter weave the hands behind the back into one fist one.
All three.
Because separate the hands, release the back down to the floor. You can repeat the same. Otherwise, place the hands on the floor either side of your head, preparing for full wheel. And then, with your inhale, go ahead, lift on up one.
Okay, chin to the chest, slowly release down. Oh yeah. Right? It does help the opening. The hip flexors does help with, uh, with all the back bending work. Okay, you can, uh, you can do two more back bends on your own, either two wheels, two half wheels one and one you count them.
You count your breaths.
I love back bending. It's my favorite.
No rush at all. Keep going if you still have more to do. No rush when you are finished. I think you're too close to the wall. Actually, yeah, take a little step forward. I know that's part of it. When you're finished, you can hug your knees into your chest, but again, take take the time you need no rush.
Hands push against the Wall Street in your arms. And then just take one step down. See yeah, and then straighten the arms from there. Every time. Straighten the arms. Yes, push the hips forward. Get used to this feeling yes. And then push.
Yeah, maybe we should work on that a little bit. That's a good idea. Okay. Take your knees over to the left side. Twist.
Okay, bring the knees up to the center. And then go the other way knees over to the right side. Look over the left shoulder.
Hmm, bring the knees all the way up to the center, and then come on up to a seated position. Sit all the way upright. Straighten the legs forward out in front of you. Flex the feet. And fold for you can face either direction. Just fold forward poshumo tanasana.
If you want or need a little more time in pashimo tanasana, go ahead and take it. Take all the time you need when you feel ready, come up into either shoulder stand or vippery to karani or legs up the wall something. Something to kind of round out the energy of the practice.
So, even if you're not inverting today, you could like, take a long pigeon on both sides or something like that.
No rush. No rush. If you want a little extra time, feel free to take a little extra time. But if you're in shoulder stand, just make sure that you leave some time for plow and fish.
And if you're doing, if you're doing something else, just just know that we're eventually making our way towards shavasana, but no rush. Take all the time you need.
Probably start to deepen the breath.
Bring some movement into the body.
Take a moment to move or stretch. As needed.
And gather up the knees. Roll to the right hand side. Slowly come all the way up to a seated position.
In some sense, meditation is where we can kind of grow. That inner resilience that inner strength by? By cultivating. Awareness with. Sort of a non-reactiveness, right? Um, like being able to being able to like, respond. With Clarity to a situation rather than? Uh, just reacting with the first impulse.
So? Feel, feel the seat feel whatever you're sitting on, and imagine you could almost just like, sit down into your seat a little bit more. Affirmatively.
And let the feeling of sitting down in your seat lead to a sense of sort of groundedness. The Earth coming up to support your seat from underneath.
And then set up a little taller. Other than the energy that it takes to sit up tall, try to relax.
Try not to recall. Right now, just let the past stay in the past for the time being. Try not to plan.
Try not to. Sort of cognize on things. Just try to stay in a relaxed, open awareness. It's a natural state, the most natural state.
Thank you all so much for making time for your practice for making time for yourselves today. And thanks for this opportunity to practice together. It's always, it's always better together. Um, if you borrowed one of our mats, there's some spray bottles in the back of the room you can.
Hang up the mat right outside this room. And if you have any questions at all about today or just about your yoga practice generally, let me know. We'll see you next time. Thanks, everybody.