Podcast # 169 - Mind Protection

You'll want to have ALL the props for this class, if you can. If you don't have tons of yoga props where you are practicing - get creative! You can use just about anything around your space. This sequence will work on opening shoulders and hips to work towards natarajāsana, dancing shiva

The Jivamukti Focus of the Month "Walking with the Divine" can be read here:
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/walking-with-the-divine/

Follow Everywhere: @yogastickler

 I'm here to teach a yoga class, um. Uh, we're gonna need two blocks today, a belt and. We're gonna there's a couple of places where we're gonna put a knee down right on the floor, so if you also want a blanket for some added knee support, um?

Also grab a blanket, so basically all props. Basically kind of all props.

Actually.

Yeah. Hi, come on in. Don't worry, we haven't even started yet. Okay.

Oh, can I get a thumbs up online just to make sure sound is good, okay?

So, Mantra Mantra is a set of sort of repeated words that are said with intention and one of the meanings of Mantra is like a mind protection, a mind protector. I like that definition because it suggests that the mind is is something precious to be protected, right? A lot of a lot of, like, uh, yoga talk, yoga speak centers around like stopping the thoughts or quieting the mind, or like stilling the monkey mind quashing the ego, this and that, and it all gives this impression that, like, mind, bad, right, but instead having a mind protection, like?

Implies. That it's something that we want to protect. Yeah, so, uh, Mantra is one thing that can help us with that. It can help direct the mind on purpose. Uh, in. In a way that that maybe is different than what we let our minds do. The rest of the day?

You know?

So you know? That's what I love about a small summer class. Let's see every single person that walks through that door. I'm like, what? Um. Love a small summer class because you know the folks who come out are like, it's like my room full of besties right now. Okay, who does come out is like, really, VIP folks, okay?

Okay, anyhow, the muncher we're gonna sing today. It just has a couple of like slightly longer words in it. So, let's just review, say, om. Doing great so far! Say, bhagavate. Say Vasudevaya

This is gonna go great.

We'll do call and response.
Om Namo Bhagavate vāsudevāya

Place hands over hearts. 

Come forward unto hands and knees, and we'll press back to downward facing dog.

I was just reading this morning that we were that, um. Like when we're playing music or. That includes singing when we're playing music or singing or listening to music that are, um, our midbrain. Is active, and that's like the. That's like the sort of deepest emotional centers. And also, if you think about it, it's like, left brain, right, brain simultaneously, too.

So, it's like a really. Really, kind of like. Very deep and sometimes vulnerable experience, but Um. Yeah, it's cool to think about how chanting can affect us in that in that beautiful, deep way. So, bhagavan. The root of the word bhagavan is bhaj, which initially means like to separate or to divide.

Or to? Make distinct. It turns into the word bhuga, which means to enjoy or to Delight in to take pleasure in. And then, that becomes bhagavan, the one who takes Delight in the world. It's of course different than um. You know? We need to divide out. We need to sort of separate out the difference between, of course, taking Delight, taking joy in things, and also like the craving side of desire, right, which is one of the obstacles to yoga, craving, or desire and.

Um. Like aversion, right, disgust, like that? Okay, come on forward to a plank, bring the shoulders forward over the wrists as you exhale, lower the knees, the chest, and the chin to the floor. Hi, Stephen. Hi Elliot, inhale. Slide forward into Cobra exhale. Tuck the toes sit all the way back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward facing dog inhale.

Come forward into a plank. Exhale lower halfway down high to low push up chaturanga inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Walk the feet forward towards the hands and fold forward over the legs. So all the texts discussing? The practice of yoga, you know, the yoga sutras, of course.

Also, the bhagavad-gita. In depth discusses the the obstacles, the Dual obstacles of attachment and aversion, or of sort of craving and disgust the way in which our mind sort of pulls at things that we. Want and sort of pushes away. Things that we don't think that we want. And how that, that, uh, being becoming more aware of?

That attribute of the mind is one way to get closer to the goal of yoga, or one way to achieve chitta Prasadam. Easeful mind, peaceful mind, calm mind. Okay, uh, take the arms behind the back. Now, interlace the fingers together into one fist, stretch the arms away from the back with your inhale, bend the knees, open the chest, and look forward okay. Exhale, extend the legs and fold forward. Inhale, bending the knees, open the chest, look forward. Exhale. Extend the legs and fold. Good inhale bending. Look forward! Exhale, extending to fold. Inhale bending. And exhale extending. Hands on your waist lift all the way upright to a standing position. Where, where did I do?

Okay, uh, for, for another couple of moments, take the arms behind the back again. Take the arms behind the back and lace the fingers together, just like we were now make the legs super strong and firm reach the knuckles down. Like, you're almost trying to reach the knuckles towards the skin of the backs of the heels, but without just flopping into the legs and lower back.

Instead, keep the legs strong and lift your chest towards the ceiling. You can keep looking forward, or you can take the head back almost like a standing shalabasana. You could say a standing Locus, so we're opening the chest, but at the same time, we're trying to keep the, uh, tailbone almost curled under in the legs strong.

Also a good counterbalance for all the forward head posture that most of us are in most of the time. Yeah, kind of lift the head to the center release the arms. Here's another one good for, uh, helping us counterbalance all that forward. Head posture reach the arms up. Take the right hand and try to hold the left ear almost and then left hand trying to hold the right ear now, standing up really tall and strong.

Push the crown of the head up into your forearms and breathe up into your forms and breathe. That's it. Good for the back of the neck. Good for the posture, shoulders opening and breathing. That's it. Reach the arms all the way up and then switch sides. So left hand holds right ear and then cross the right hand over and then push your the crown of your head up into your forearms, up, up, up, stand up, taller and taller, and taller, yes.

Reach both arms up, interlace the hands together, stretch the arms, exhale Bend to your left side. Inhale lift all the way up to the center. Exhale Bend to the right side. Inhale lift all the way up to the center. Exhale left side inhale Center, assisting the assister exhale right side. Inhale Center and exhale left. Inhale to the center exhale right side inhale lift all the way up. Reach the arms up a little extra and release the arms alongside the body. Take a step forward if you're not there already arms alongside the body with your inhale. Hook your thumbs, reach your arms up and Arch back.

Exhale. Bend the knees, swing the arms behind the back, Lace the hands together, and fold inhale. Touch the hands down. Step the right foot back. Exhale lower the right knee down to the floor and now come up onto the fingertips, stay on the fingertips, lift your head, lift your chest on the fingertips, push your hips forward and option, lift the right foot off the floor and then place the right foot down.

Tuck the toes under press back downward facing dog. He'll come forward into a plank exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog inhale. Come forward into plank. Exhale knees, chest chin to the floor. Inhale. Slide forward into Cobra exhale, tuck the toes, sit all the way back towards the feet, and then extend the legs downward dog inhale, right foot forward exhale, left knee down, stay on your fingertips, inhale lift head, chest hips down, maybe lift left, foot up exhale, step forward feet together. Fold forward into the legs, inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs. Reach up, Arch back, straighten legs, exhale Bend, knees, swing arms all the way around behind these hands together and fold inhale, hands down, left foot steps back. Exhale left knee down, come up under the fingertips, inhale hips forward, heart up, maybe lift left foot up. Exhale downward facing dog inhale forward into plank exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank, exhale knees, chest chin to the floor, inhale slide forward into Cobra, exhale tuck the toes, sit all the way back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward dog inhale left. Foot forward exhale right knee down come up onto the fingertips, hips forward, heart up, option to lift back, foot exhale, step forward, feet together, fold forward, inhale Bend, knees, hook thumbs. Reach up Arch back. Straighten legs at the top exhale, stand upright, and release the arms. Inhale hook thumbs. Reach arms up and Arch back exhale. Bend the knees, swing the arms behind lace, hands together, folding forward inhale hands, touch down, step the right foot back. Exhale right knee down, this time. Inhale hook thumbs reach arms up and Arch back for crescent lun l. Exhale hands to the floor step all the way back downward facing dog.

Inhale. Come forward into plank. Exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward, facing dog inhale plank, exhale knees, chest 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. Inhale, right, foot forward exhale, left knee down, inhale hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, exhale, step forward, feet together, inhale Bend, knees, hook, thumbs, reach up, Arch back, straighten legs, exhale Bend knees, swing arms behind lace hands together, and fold inhale hands down, left foot back. Exhale left knee down inhale hook thumbs, sweep arms up, and Arch back exhale. Step all the way back downward facing dog inhale to play exhale chaturanga. Inhale upward, face exhale, downward face, 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 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. Dance break. Just kidding, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor. Fold forward uttanasana inhale prepare. Look forward. Exhale chaturanga hop or Step back. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale right foot forward virabadrasana one. Reach up. Exhale hands to the floor. Step back and lower chaturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog inhale, left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor. Step back inhale or. Exhale. Uh, so now, one more time, each side inhale right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor, bend the elbows straight back, chaturanga inhale, move the chest forward, point the toes, exhale downward, dog inhale left, foot forward virabadrasana one. Exhale chaturanga dandasana inhale word? Exhale breathe in! Breathe out, inhale! Exhale two. Inhale. Exhale three inhale? Exhale. Exhale, bend the knees, inhale Hopper, step forward, exhale, fold forward, inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up, utkatasana, exhale, stand up, and release the arms inhale. Bend the knees, reach the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor. Fold forward inhale, prepare exhale, hop step, or walk back chaturanga. Inhale upward dog exhale downward facing dog inhale step right foot forward Warrior one. Reach up. Exhale open hips and arms Warrior Two inhale straighten the right leg. Exhale reach to the right for triconasana triangle, right hand down left arm up. Think of almost spreading the soles of this the skin of the soles of the feet across the floor. So, you have, like, these sort of this wide sensitive base to work from pull up through the muscles of the legs, particularly the thigh muscles, upper leg muscles, warm. With your inhale stand all the way upright exhale. Bend the right knee Warrior two hold here. Most of us need a slightly longer stance for Warrior Two, so you can reset the stance if you like. Yeah, stretch out through the arms. Bend the front knee a little bit more, a little bit more a little bit, yes. Inhale straighten the right leg.

Exhale bend the right knee. Place the right hand outside of the right foot. Reach the left arm all the way over the left ear extended side angle one. Good turn. The center of the chest even more towards the wall we're facing and then even look under your left upper arm towards the ceiling.

Turn your head. Five with your inhaled book. Touch both hands down. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. Inhale, look forward halfway. Lift exhale, fold forward, head goes down one. Too good? Here you go for two straight legs, four. Pull the right hip back even more. Five inhale bend the right knee hands to the floor step into a plank.

As you exhale, shift onto the right hand and the outer edge of the right foot. Stack the feet, flex the feet, one breathe in! Breathe out! You think of facing both hit points straight Ahead towards the wall we're facing. Yes, inhale both hands to the floor exhale lower 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. Inhale, step the left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale reach to the leftward triangle. Place left hand down right arm up. Breathe in. Breathe that one. Good to try to deepen that left hip crease, drawing the left hip crease almost towards the right heel or. With your inhale lift all the way upright exhale. Bend the left knee. You could move the feet a little bit further apart and then sit a little bit deeper, stretch the arms, lift the top of the chest exactly four. Yeah, yeah, yeah, why not? That's good. All right, inhale. Straighten the left leg. Exhale. Bend the left knee. Place the left hand outside of the left foot, reach the right arm over the right ear, extended side angle, three good shrug, the right shoulder down the back four. At the same time, stretch right arm even longer and longer five. Inhale both hands to the floor. Exhale start to straighten the front leg. Inhale lift head and chest look forward. Exhale fold forward parsvottanasana breathing. Breathe out! Inhale. Exhale, inhale. Exhale three. Inhale back heel presses down four breathe. And breathe out. Inhale, bend the left knee step right into a plank exhale. Shift onto the left hand and the outer edge of the left foot for side plank reach the right arm up, breathe in, breathe out, wine good inhale. Exhale for two. Inhale. Exhale. Three inhale to plank exhale, touch the knees, chest, and Chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward into Cobra, and then release your forehead down to the floor.

Now, reach the right arm straight forward out in front of you on the floor. Uh-huh. Using your left hand there. Roll onto your right side. Use your right upper arm as a pillow, so you're laying your head on your right upper arm. Flex, the feet, stack the feet straight.

Legs now come up onto the right fingertips and crawl your right hand a little bit further behind you so that you're right here. Ear and your head can come to the inside of your bicep, so now move your head just to the inside of your arm. That's it. Okay, that's an official assist, by the way.

Okay. Bend the left knee behind you. Reach the left hand behind you and hold on to the left foot. Flex your right foot a lot. Keep your right leg strong as you kick your left heel back away from your buttocks back. Try to make space between your heel and your butt.

Now, part of the trick here is the balancing part, and what's gonna help is active, active, right, leg, yeah, okay, let go of your foot. Roll back onto your abdomen. Stretch the left arm forward. Roll to the left side using your arm as a pillow at first, but then walk the left fingertips a little bit farther behind your head so that you can rest your head just to the inside of your upper arm. You can keep the right hand on the floor, of course. Bend the right knee. Reach back with the right hand to hold the right foot now. Left leg super strong and steady so that you can kick the foot into the hand and maintain the balance. That's it. Good. Okay, let go of that foot roll onto the abdomen.

Slide both hands to either side of your chest. Inhale lift forward and up into upward facing dog. Exhale, go back downward facing dog inhale. Step the right foot forward Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side inhale. Straighten the right leg, reverse triangle, reach up and back.

Exhale, bend the right knee. Reach out with the right hand for our ditch and draws, and the right hand could meet the floor or a block. Open the hips towards the white wall side of the rooms. Try to stack left hip over right hip, then optionally you could bend the left knee and take the chapasana variation.

Holding the left ankle behind you and kicking the left heel back. Yes, that's it. Good. Push the hips a little forward, even. Okay, letting go of the foot, both hands to the floor, step back downward facing. Dog. Inhale, step the left foot forward Warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side.

Inhale, straighten the left leg, and reach back reverse triangle. Exhale, bend the left knee, reach forward, and a little to the left with the left hand to step into ardha chandrasana. Good. Try to peel that right. Hip a little bit more open to the side option to bend the right knee.

Hold on to the right ankle. chapasana variation bound variation. Dave, where are your hip bones? Where are your hip bones? Okay? Let go of the foot. Stretch that leg back behind you. Turn to face the floor, both hands to the floor, and step step back to downward facing dog. Coming forward into a plank shift onto the right hand outer edge of the right foot side plank. One more variation for this so you could bend the left knee, hold on to the left ankle behind you with the same sort of back bendy feeling. Yeah, this one bend reach back.

Yes, and that there's a little bit of a theme happening. Spoiler alert, okay, yeah. Go push, push, push push. Yeah, that's it. Make it a backbend, okay, good. Let go of the foot. Come back through plank and then go to the left side. Hang on one second, so bend the right knee.

We're taking the variation of side plank side plank, bend the right knee, hold on to the right foot. Kick your right heel back, the rest of your body is still in a side plank variation, just one second oop. Okay, release the foot. Come back into plank. Exhale downward facing dog.

Good? Yes, we won't be on the hands too much longer, so just keep keep going with us. And when we are on our hands, just take a little rest, but you could always put a forearm down or an elbow down. Yeah, perfect. Thanks, sorry. We didn't get a chance to chat before class.

Uh, okay, bend the knees and look forward. Inhale hop or step feet to hands and exhale fold forward. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up utkatasana. Exhale, stand up, and release the arms. Okay. Step step the left foot back, left foot steps back, a big step, try to have both heels down both legs straight, and try to face both hips, shoulders forward, straight Ahead, a couple of options with the arms.

Now, you could take secret prayer with the fingertips going up between the shoulder blades, or if that's too harsh on the wrists or the shoulders, you could make two fists and press your knuckles together, so you still have mostly that same shape going on. Okay with your inhale. Lift up your chest, Arch back, keep the legs straight.

Exhale. Fold towards the right leg. Even tried to aim the sort of center of the chest towards the center of the right thigh. So, rather than kind of like armpit or shoulder to thigh, you're really trying to turn your upper body to face your front leg. Then, try to wing the elbows up a little higher away from the floor, so you're also spreading the chest good. That's it. With your inhale. Just bend the right knee. Look forward. Make a flat back so your shoulders are in line with your hips. Pause there. Just pivot the left heel away from the floor, so all 10 toes face forward and then push off the left toes to lift into Warrior three.

We're gonna take a special variation for today's practice. Point your left toes and imagine you want to lift the crown of your head and your left foot, so you're turning it into as much of a back bend as you can a little bit more back bendy than the typical.

You know, Monday through Saturday, Warrior three, okay? It's a Sunday Warrior three. Okay, lift all the way up stand up. Release the arms. Yeah. It's important to distinguish, like. There's like times when we do little special things in the shape for a particular reason, but that doesn't mean that, like your other Warrior three don't go back and make all the Warrior threes like that, you know, okay, let's do the other side. Yeah, mixing it up, we're doing it. We're doing a backpending class today. Okay, spoiler alert. Step the right foot back. Both heels down both legs strong. Yeah, face both hips as much forward towards the window side of the room as you can, and then a couple of options either secret prayer behind the back or secret opposite fists.

Inhale, lift up the chest, Arch back, exhale. Fold towards the left leg and again, see if you could aim the middle of the chest towards the middle of the left leg one, yeah. Two nice press that back, heel down with some effort dream.

Step. Step the right step. The left foot back, pardon me. Set the left foot back. Same idea both heels pressing down both legs straight, both hips facing as much forward as possible. Reach the left arm up. Exhale, reach the left arm all the way forward and down, left hand to the outside of the right foot option to reach the right arm up, rotated triangle one. Good two twisting from the waist, strong legs. Go ahead with your inhale lift all the way up to stand and exhale. Step forward feet together. Other side step, the right foot back, both heels down both legs straight, both hips facing forward. Inhale right arm reaches up, exhale, reach all the way forward and down right hand outside of left foot.

Left arm reaches up is optional. One both heels, pressing two, try to pull the right armpit left, armpit away from the left hip three. Four super strong back leg? Yes. Inhale to stand all the way upright. Exhale, step forward feet together. Inhale, bend the knees, reach the arms up.

Exhale hands down to fold forward. You might just step back to a hands and knees position here. Inhale, look forward. Exhale Hoppers step back chaturanga. Inhale upward facing dog exhale downward facing dog, you okay, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll talk about it. We should talk about it all right.

Inhale, step the right foot forward. Exhale, lower the left knee down to the floor, and uh, here's, where, if you like to have a little bit of extra padding cushioning under that left knee. You might want to put a blanket or a towel or a shirt under there. And even if you don't usually take it, you might want to.

Both hands on top of your right knee. I used to like. I used to be the girl that always like tuffed it out. I was like, I don't need cushioning, and then I'm getting older, and I'm like, I need cushioning. Okay, so hips go forward and down. Lift the chest up, even even go so far as to lean the chest back a little bit. Now, keep the hips more. Try to prevent the hips moving. Try to just let the hips settle where they are. See if you could lift the left foot off the floor. Any amount, maybe it's only a small amount. Maybe it's more than that. Try to squeeze your heel towards your butt, yeah. And then put your left foot down. Did the hips move? Yeah, they sure did. Okay, so try like less hip movement, more foot less, hip more foot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, good, and then release the foot down. At least we're honest with ourselves, that's half the battle. Okay, lift the left foot up. Squeeze it, squeeze it, squeeze it, squeeze it, squeeze it, and then release down. Okay, now there's options. Okay, so you can take the arms behind you, interlace the hems. You can simply reach the knuckles down towards the left knee, or you could bend the knee and put the foot right there in your clasped hands. Yeah. That's up to you. Yeah, that's it. So, hips forward bending into the front knee and then your arms are straight for this variation. In fact, I like to sort of play with kicking my foot back and leaning back a little and then leaning forward with it. A little leaning, almost kind of a seesaw back and forth. Funny how some things don't feel good in the moment. But they feel good later. Okay? Release the back foot. Just shift the hips back slightly, just to give yourself a little relief. And then bend into the front knee. Again, hips. Go forward. Now, we're going to move into a side Bend, left arm, reaches up, move it into the side, Bend, right, fingertips towards the floor.

Yeah. That's one of those hints right about the craving and aversion. Uh, thing that the mind does is like, sometimes we want things that aren't so good for us. Sometimes we avoid things that actually do end up being good for us, like that Crescent lunch thing, right? So? So being able to being able to sort of quiet the response, not quiet the mind.

The mind is going to think its thoughts, but quiet the response to whatever it is right. Lift all the way up. Reach up and then move the hips back a little bit for a little relief. We're going to move into a Twist, and for this, I like to scoot the left knee a little bit forwardReach both arms up. Hands to prayer. Twist to the right side. Option to tuck the back toes under, lift the back knee up. Good, both hands to the floor. Step back downward dog if you are. If you want to move through extra vinyasas, extra chaturanga stuff like that you can, of course. Okay, step the left foot forward right knee down padding under the right knee. If if you want, um, okay, both hands on top of the left leg.

Move the hips forward. Lean the shoulders in the chest, back hips forward and down. Try to prevent the hips moving. Lift the right foot up and try to squeeze the right heel towards the right glute squeeze squeeze crown. Squeeze. And then slowly release down. Notice the thoughts that run through the mind.

God, Jessica is so mean. Why would she ever do this to us? Okay, lift the right foot up, squeeze the right heel. Towards the glute. That hamstring strengthening program I was doing didn't work. I'm just getting released down. One more time, lift the heel, squeeze the heel towards the butt.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, and release. Okay, now options hands behind the back, clasp the knuckles together, and then you could just simply reach down the back leg to get the chest opening, or you could put your foot in your hands. And if your foot is in your hands, your arms are straight.

As an option, you could kind of see soft forward and back, like, kick your foot back and let it drag the chest back a little and then kick forward and then kick back and then chest reaches forward. So there's a little bit of dynamic movement inside of it. Yeah.

And then both hands to the floor. I like to scoot my hips back just for a moment. Uh-Huh and then reach are both arms up hips forward and down. Moving into the side Bend, right, arm reaches all the way up and over one. I mean, I make jokes about sort of blaming the teacher or blaming your hamstring training program, but that's kind of.

The point is that the the mind often sort of reaches out for? Uh, you know? Especially when we're in a version mode. We reach out for, like, blame, and you know all this extra stuff makes it worse. Okay, lift the arms all the way up. Aha, that's it. So we're gonna move into a Twist.

I like to scoot my right knee, just a little forward in this transition. You're welcome to reach the arms up and then go ahead. Twist to the left side hook, right arm outside of left leg. Tuck the right toes under lift the right knee up, one good draw the shoulders back even more too three.

Five, both hands to the floor step all the way back downward. Facing dog, you can move through an extra Vinyasa if you want to. Okay, move blankets and stuff off to the side. Bring the knees to the floor and bring the forearms and elbows to the floor. Tuck the toes under.

Lift the knees up, so you're in a forearm down dog.

Walk the feet a little bit closer. Don't let the shoulders move. Feet a little closer, and then lift your heels up high. Keep the shoulders moving back, armpits moving back, and then walk the feet in a little closer, and then lift the heels High. Keep your shoulders moving back, armpits moving back one, more time. Step the feet in a little closer, lift the heels, but keep the shoulders moving back. And then walk the feet back where they came from and rest the knees on the floor.

Again, tuck the toes lift the knees. You're in your forearm down dog. Tippy Toe, the toes, just one step closer to the elbows, then lift the left leg up, and at the same time, lift your right heel up. And then put both feet down, lift the right leg, and the left heel simultaneously, both feet down lift, right leg, left heel switch.

And then put it down and then switch. Keep going side to side, but try to work on this coordination of the timing of your actions, so it's the timing of raising the lifted leg and the heel at the same moment with breath, preferably. Uh-Huh! When you feel like you're about even on both sides rest?

You know? A lot of, um, a lot of the inversion stuff, even even a lot of the other tricky stuff like armbounds. Things like that a lot of it is just more so coordination and timing than it is, like, strength, right? So that's what this particular practice is good for is you're, you're working on the timing of getting that leg and opposite heel at the same time, and so you can keep working on this, and you can keep switching the legs just like we just did. You're welcome to continue that. It's very helpful if you want to turn it into a hop. It's the same idea, right? It's the it's the lifting of the leg and the hopping. At the same time, it's coordinating. The lever leg and the Hop so that they happen more simultaneously.That will give you a lot more. Sort of buoyancy in your hops and? Here's the secret. The lifted leg is doing more than you think. So, at first, for many, many years, I thought. The hopping leg was the important one, right? I'm hopping, and I'm hopping, and I'm trying so hard.

Actually, the lifted leg being strong and the lifted leg coordinating. With the bottom leg is the that's the, that's the one that's the thing. So, it is more of a timing thing than a. Who just pushing into it. Thing, yeah. Okay, so you're welcome to do the first practice we did of just switching the legs. No feet have to leave the floor, otherwise practice some hops, but with that idea of timing, and with that idea of the up leg being the. Being the. Primary actor.

So, physical practice Asana practice gives us this very sort of useful, helpful time in which to, like, sort of watch the mind to sort of get to know the. Various. Desires and versions of the mind. In fact? Already, for the first part of the class, you've probably had thoughts like, oh, like, I hate doing x and x.

I wish we weren't doing. Ardha Chandrasana, or like, I love Forum stands so much. I'm probably the best in the whole room a tForearm stand, right? So we, we all, have you know, we all have shapes that we like a lot. We all have shapes that we don't like. We all have, um, you know?

Different music choices or different, like, even thoughts, might be going in your mind that have nothing to do with class, right? Whatever it is that you're worrying about in the outside world could also have to do could also be categorized into desire aversion, right? Are you thinking about what's for lunch after class?

Are you thinking about, oh, I should have done this before class instead of I shouldn't. I should have done this to this. Those are those could all be sliced into either a craving. A wanting of something or a pushing away? Yeah, okay. If you're finished. Come into downward facing dog.

With your inhale, come on forward to a plank. Exhale lower all the way to the floor. Good. Bring the arms behind the back and Lace the fingers together into one fist. Press the tops of the feet down, lift the head chest and arms up shalabhasana. Good, and then exhale release on down. Reach your arms forward out in front of you, reach the arms forward. Cup. The fingertips on the floor tent, the hands cup, the fingertips on the floor. That's it, so just fingertips. That's it. Feel how feel how? If you drag your fingertips towards you against the floor, it will lift your head and your chest.You can kind of drag your head in your chest to lift. Yeah, lift. Aha. Lift the right hand off the floor, lift the left leg off the floor, keep dragging the left fingertips against the floor to lift your head in your chest, reach right arm, forward left, toes back, get longer and longer and longer through the side shape, and then release that and switch sides, so your left hand reaches up your right leg reaches up.

Your right fingertips are pulling against the floor, so it's a little bit of a cross. Body action. And then release down. Again, fingertips on the floor. Drag the fingertips against the surface of the floor in order to lift head and chest. Pull on the floor and then bend the left knee reach back with the right hand to hold the left ankle. Keep pulling the left fingertips on the floor. Lift your, uh, lift your left heel away from your buttocks. Yes. And release on down switch sides. Bend the right knee. Reach back with the left hand. Hold and go lift, lift up, keep pulling the right hand against the floor. Go ahead and then slowly release down. Okay, bend both knees, reach back, catch hold of both ankles. Inhale, lift up! Dhanurasana head chest knees one! Go ahead as you exhale, slowly release down. Bend the knees again. Reach actually. Before you do that, just we're going to take a little bit of a variation. Just make sure there aren't like blocks and water bottles directly to the right and left of your mat. You can push blocks a little forward, or, you know, something like that, but just have a little bit of a clear space on both sides?

Bend the knees, hold the ankles, lift up dhanursana. Aha, then roll all the way to the right side. So right, hip, right, shoulder to the floor?

That's it. Keep kicking the heels away from the buttocks. Yes. Two, three. Good. Come on back to the center, lift up a little higher, and then roll onto the left side. Kick your heels away from your buttocks good!

And then come on, back to Center, lift up a little higher. And exhale release on down. Place the hands either side of your chest. Inhale to Upward facing dog. Exhale, go back downward facing dog. Take the feet just a little wider than maybe your Monday through Saturday downward dog.

And then even grab the sides of your mat with your hands. Pull your mat forward, like you're almost trying to pull your mat out from under your feet, and then send your legs back a little further. So, using using this particular downward dog shape is a little bit more of a neutralizing.

Moment for the back. Okay, narrow the feet. Place the hands where they came from coming back to regular downward dog. Come forward into a plank. And lower all the way to the floor. Prop up onto the forearms and elbows for Sphinx. Whether you know it or not? I put a belt next to you.

And whether you know it or not. I put a loop in the belt for you.

So, take that Loop. Take that preset Loop and hold it in your left hand, so I'm going to stay. Actually, maybe I should go here so that they can see me online. Okay, you're gonna stay prop. No, that's all right. You can stay propped up on the right forearm, bend the left knee, and hook your left foot.

Did I not do one for you? Take this one. Oh, take this one. It will take less time. Okay. So, unlike what we usually do, where we hold the tail like that instead, put your left hand inside the loop. Like, the fingers are up inside the loop. Yeah, and then the the hardest part, in my opinion, is getting the elbow in the right direction.

So, imagine you're like putting a bag on over your shoulder. You're gonna try to get your elbow to face forward. You're gonna put a half a turn in your belt so that there's just a Twist right in the center of that Loop. Hang on, I'm coming, I'm coming, yeah, elbow forward.

That's it. Half a twist. Perfect. Okay, now try to lift your hand away from your back as you kick your foot into your belt, kick your foot into your belt, kick your foot into your belt. Imagine you're trying to open up the crease of the left elbow. Yeah, that's it, yes. Because he says left lift lift lift. And then slowly release down. Let's do the other side. So, put the loop around the right foot. Have your hand inside the loop for this one and then swing that right elbow kind of. I imagine I'm almost like slinging my bag over my shoulder. When I'm getting ready to leave, I sort of swing my elbow to the side. And up and over my shoulder. Yes, put a half a Twist in the belt. Get the elbow forward. Yeah, we're just gonna swing it around, like putting a bag over the shoulder. That's it. One twist in the belt, one twist. That's it. Perfect. Now, lift your hand away from your back as you kick your foot into your belt. Keep your arm narrower to your ear to the side of your face. Yes, good. And then try to open up the crease of the elbow a little bit more. Without slingshotting anyone behind you, slowly release down.

Feels bad is good. There's, so there's whole categories of things like that, like, feels good, is bad, is a category, feels good, feels bad, is good, is a different category of things. Okay. Uh, place the hands either side of the chest inhale to upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Okay, bring the knees to touch the floor. Stand up on the knees. Step your right foot forward. Step your left foot forward, stand up. Let me. Oh, grab a grab a block. I almost forgot the best part. I'm gonna love it. Grab a block. Okay, so you're gonna put your block.

I'm gonna hold my block long ways with this small surface, sort of up against the bottom of my butt cheek. So it's like, I'm just like lifting that little left butt cheek up a little bit with the block. Okay. And then I'm gonna bend my knee and hold my block there with my left foot.

Go ahead, try that. Yeah, so you have to hold the block a little bit at an angle to be able to catch it if you're holding it straight back. Your heel won't be able to find it. You gotta hold it at a little angle to catch okay. Squeeze your heel into your glute. I mean, squeeze your heel into your. Please squeeze. Try not to lean forward. Stay upright. See if you could point that left knee a little bit more back behind you without leaning forward. Back, take the knee back. Oh yeah, and why? Is that? Because the hamstrings are a little weak, huh?

Okay. Come back to neutral. No, don't release the block yet. Just neutral, just neutral. Okay. Squeeze your heel. Take your knee back without leaning forward. I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Squeeze. And take the knee back and hold it there. Squeeze even harder and hold it and try to take the needle and hold it and squeeze it even harder and take it back further. Try to squeeze and squeeze and squeeze. And then hold on to your block before you let it go just to save your toes. Look, I see a lot of. Eye darts. Okay, I've seen a lot of like eye daggers. What I will say is this, everyone in yoga loves to focus on hamstring, opening him.

We all wanted more flexible hamstrings, but we also need to have a nice, strong hamstrings too. So sometimes we end up accidentally neglecting. The strength part because we all desire the stretching part, right? Okay. Let's go other side, so block right up against the right buttock. Right heel holding that block?

Squeeze your heel into your block, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze without tipping forward. Try to take your right knee back a little uh-huh without tipping forward, and then come to neutral. Squeeze your block. Take the right knee back and back and back and back and squeeze and come back to neutral third time's the charm.

We got this. Squeeze your heel into your block to yes. Take your block back and squeeze it even harder and then take it a little farther back and then squeeze it even harder and then take it a little further. Squeeze yes. And then hold on to your block before you let it go.

Oh no, I'm not doing that to you look. I already see the death stare. Okay, no, all right. Remember that belt? Yes, Jessica, remember, okay, great. So? Actually, just watch first, actually, because there's a couple things I want to point out that are a little hard to communicate when you're like in it, and you're, you know, kind of in the in the mix of things.

So it's a similar idea where? I hope they can see me. It's a similar idea where I'm going to Loop the foot. I'm gonna have my hand inside the loop. Look how my fingers are inside the loop, and I'm going to do that maneuver of like swinging my arm up and over.

So, again, I always imagine, like, I'm putting my backpack over my shoulder. Now, there's a couple of choices here. You could go stand by a wall or a pillar or something so you can have your freehand touching for some support. You also have the option of reaching back with both hands and catching the loop.

The action is trying to lift the hands away from the back as you kick into the belt. Now, here's the other thing. If you get in trouble, right? If you start to lose balance and you're getting into a lot of trouble? It can cause a little panic right, and when we're panicking.

And we don't know how to get out of it. We might grip tighter, so we want to have an exit plan. The exit plan is let go with your hands and step out of it. But it's hard because, like, when you're panicked, you want to grip harder. The instinct is to grip harder, so if you just already know what the exit strategy is.

You can just remember, okay, I'm losing balance, losing balance, losing balance. Just let go with the hands and step on out of the thing. If you want to go stand over by one of the walls or counters or pillars or whatever for a little extra support, you're welcome to!

Natarajasana - Let's go with the left foot first, so you're going to Loop that left foot inside the belt, sling your backpack over your shoulder, elbow starts forward, elbows points forward at first. Yeah. What happened?

It's musical musical belts. Yeah, yeah, you can just make it a little bigger. Elbow forward, yes, Virginia. Good. And then you're, uh, yeah. Try to keep the upper arms pretty parallel to one another. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Hold the foot. Why the hell, not? Don't let me hold you back.

Jeez, all right.

Okay, slowly, slowly let go. Step out of it. Okay. Other side. The excitement in this room right now! Effervescent really? Okay, put your right foot into your belt, sling your backpack over your shoulder, elbow points forward, that's it. And then standing up really tall, one or both hands can hold the loop, yes.

Kick your foot back, lift your arms higher. That's good. It's good.

If you need another moment with this, feel free to take it. Take all the time you need when you're ready, of course.

Sit down. Fancy transition? Creative Dancy choreographic transition? Lay down on your back.

Yeah, lift the hips up. Enter weave the hands together.

God, it's separate. The hands release the back down to the floor. When I said we were doing backbend to back bends today, about half the online people disappeared. Okay, we're gonna move into Wheels, right? So you can, of course, continue with half wheel. Whatever else you need to do otherwise, I'm going to call out three wheels. urdhva dhanurasana

As is usual for Jivamukti yoga, okay, place the hands place the feet. Go ahead, lift on up.

Chin to the chest slowly release on down. Second time. Place the hands, place the feet. Inhale, lift up!

Squeeze in. Lift higher. Yes. Chin to the chest slowly release down. Third time. Place the hands, place the feet with your inhale, lift up.

And chin to the chest, slowly release down. Instead of hugging the knees directly into the chest first, just straighten the legs out along the floor, straighten the legs out, and reach the arms overhead. And then. You could either do, like, uh, like, kind of miming apple picking or kind of miming rope climbing just to kind of.

Help to start to neutralize the back so that we're not moving from deep, deep back, bending right into that, hugging the knees shape, yeah. Okay, and then, um. Lift the knees off the floor. I mean, sorry, lift the feet off the floor, a slightly different. Lift the feet off the floor, but again, don't go into that deep knee hugging situation yet.

Bend the knees, hold on to your kneecaps with your hands straight arms. Sacrum and shoulders down heels can go towards your buttocks, straight arms, yeah, straight arms. That's it, good breathing here. And then we're going to kind of incrementally go towards hugging the knees into the chest. So come like halfway in halfway in ah.

Yeah, and then go towards hugging the knees into the chest nice and slow. Yeah. Good.

Set the feet onto the floor again. Take the feet a little bit apart and the knees a little bit apart and then place your hands on your thighs, but slide your hands way down towards the root of your thighs towards where the thigh meets the hips. And then push the thigh bones back towards your feet push away.

Yeah, so you're, it's almost like you're trying to straighten the arms, even if they don't straighten all the way. That's it, and then release that take the feet even wider apart. Maybe the feet even feel the edges of the mat knees together. Slowly, swish knees side to side right to left side.

Okay, the next time the knees are going over to the left side stay there. You also have the option you could pick up your left foot, and uh, anchor it kind of over the right side towards the knee. So you have a little bit more? Yeah, that's it.

Good, all right. Come back to the center and we'll go the other way. So again, you could. You take both knees or the right. You could hook the right ankle over the left. Thigh towards the knee. If you want that little extra added sensation.

Come on, back to the center, both feet on the floor. Go ahead and come up to a seated position. Sit all the way up, right? Turn around to face the front, straighten the legs forward, Flex the feet, and fold forward one. I couldn't face either way.

Lift all the way upright to a seated position and then make your way into either shoulder stand. Or if you want to put legs up into vippery decroni legs up the wall. Or if there's something else that you would like to finish your practice with, feel free.

I, I feel like there always needs to be a little caveat or a footnote when we talk about. Craving an aversion. It doesn't mean it doesn't mean you can't enjoy things, right? It doesn't mean you can't want things or want certain things not to happen, but it's about how we choose to react to it, right?

Someone who is just pulled this way, and not by their desires and aversions. You know you're you're? Like, kind of controlled by these urges, whereas the yogi, the person who wants to be sort of free can, can watch. Can watch the mental. Events happen and then decide. Choose how to respond, choose how to react, choose whether to pursue a certain thought, or to let it go or to.

Um. You know, Etc, it just gives, gives so much more. Options.

If you're in shoulder stand, come through. Plow and halasana. If you're in headstand? Come through child's pose. But leave enough time for, um. Those finishing shapes to happen.

And then, when it is your time? Coming into shavasana.

start to deepen the breath.It's starting to bring some movement into the body. The moment to move or stretch any way you need.

And then gather up the knees into the chest. Roll to the right hand side. Come on up to a seated position, sit all the way upright. And, uh, it's a good idea to support your seat from underneath with a blanket or block. So? For today's meditation. Um, you know, same basic instructions.

Be still. Watch the breath. One additional instruction for today's practice is. If. If a thought does come up? Couldn't be me. No, I just can't. If a thought happens to come up? Just try without sort of investigating the content of the thoughts too deeply. Just try to put it into one or the other category.

This is a craving thought. This is a thought about something I want to grab for, or this is an aversion thought like something I'm trying to get away from. So, even the thought of like, I don't really want to do meditation, or I wish we were doing something else.

Or, you know, even those kinds of things that come up. I wish the cars were quieter outside. I wish that you know all all these thoughts in one sense could be categorized into one or the other column. Yeah, so just see, like, as a thought percolates. Let it come up, and then just see if you can sort of file it into one bucket or the other, just as an exercise to understand the Mind a little bit more deeply.

So, start with choosing a good seat. So that the body is as least of a distraction as it can be.

Do your best to be still so that again the body is as least of a distraction as it can be.

Attention on the breath, noticing the in-breath and out breath.

And then, if and when a thought comes up. Just see if you could put a simple label. On it. Desire or aversion? Craving or discussed like one of those?

Even as we were meditating today, I thought. I thought. I, I thought, well, what's the, what does it feel like to be in a space that's not one of those two states like, there must be other states that exist. So, what does it feel like to occupy a different than those two spaces?

I thought, I thought, sort of, as long as you're sort of in just pure awareness and curiosity. That seems to be the space where we're not like getting. Pulled this way, and that by by all the thoughts. So, maybe, uh, you know, so the practice is also the remedy awareness, awareness awareness, just staying in spacious awareness.

Yeah, okay, thanks, everybody! Thank you so much for making time for practice today and for this wonderful opportunity to practice together. I love it. And, uh, if you have any questions about today's class, let me know. If not, um, we'll see you next time. I also teach Fridays at 10 A.M, which for the next few months is designated as a community class, which means it's just 14 to drop in.

So, you know, tell all your friends who you know you are students and social workers. And, like all the people that could use a little extra yoga and could use a little extra break on the yoga price. You know, and uh yeah, we'll see you next time. Thanks, everybody.

Yeah.

Thank you and the pleasure.