Side Body: Space and Support

Welcome, and thank you for joining me for this practice with a focus on opening up through the side body and deep front body opening. We'll work toward the yin shapes of banana asana and also dragon pose to really feel into the hips and the front of the body. So you may want to grab two blocks and a blanket for this practice. So let's start by coming on to our backs. So roll on back.

We'll start in constructive rest, stepping your feet as wide as your yoga mat. Let your knees knock into touch. And if it feels okay, rest your hands on your lower belly, and just take a moment to settle, feel the support of the earth beneath you, maybe close your eyes. And start to feel into the natural rhythm of your breath, the rise of the inhale, that letting go quality of your exhale. Then we'll breathe for a four part breath.

So we'll inhale for the count of four. Hold the breath up at the top for the same count of four. X hail for four and hold the breath at the bottom for that same count. Let's just take one round together. As you're ready, breathe in for one.

Two. Three, four holding the breath for one, two, three, four, exhale four, three, two, One, hold the breath out for three, two, one. And then two quick inhales through your nose. And a long breath out through the mouth. Let your shoulders soften. Releasing into the support beneath you.

One more like that too. Quick breath it's in through your nose. And a long breath out through the mouth, let your shoulders soften. Good. And then start to bring your arms on either side of your shoulders with the palms facing down and draw your knees into your chest. Let your shins become parallel to the earth.

And then from here, without using your hands, just start to draw your knees to the right a couple inches. Engage your core as you're doing that. And then when that left shoulder wants to lift, come back through center, engage your core, allow a big breath in, drop your knees to the left, just a few inches. Let the right shoulder melt down, and then notice when the shoulder wants to lift, engage your core and bring yourself back through center. And then we'll do that a couple times, dropping the knees to the right coming back through center, dropping them off to the left, they might start to come a little lower, but stay grounded in your shoulders.

One more time on each side, right side. Coming back, engaging, left side, coming back, and engaging. And then stretch your legs long on your mat, reach your arms up over your ears and stretch through the entire length of your body, allowing a very big full breath in, and then hug your knees in as you exhale, draw your nose up to your knees, hug everything in, and then do that again as you inhale stretch the legs long, reach through your fingertips and your toes. And then as you exhale hug everything in. But one more time, inhale grow long through the side body. Big full breath in, exhale, knee to nose, knees to nose, nose to knees.

Good. And then start to rock up and down, along the length of the spine, building momentum will come to tabletop position. So take your time. As you come to all fours, let your shoulders come over the wrists, let your hips come over the knees, and start to shift your weight from side to side. So c curve, side to side, you could gaze over the opposite shoulder and then really feeling into the body, your hips, as you start to move and notice how that feels. If there's any other movement that might feel good here to start to wake up, maybe take some circles, roll around, shift the weight around, moving energy and feeling into anything that might feel a little stuck.

You might hear some cracking, and your joints totally normal. I'm with you there. Good. And then take your time to meet me back in tabletop with a neutral spine. Stretch your left leg back and tuck your toes. So the toes are on the mat and then start to shift your weight forward and back a few times.

And as you do that, let your shoulders come over the wrist as you come forward and then press back actively through your left heel as you shift back. And then come through center shoulders over wrists, setting up for Artovashi Stasana spin to your left heel. You might kickstand your right shin back a little, bring the weight into your right hand. And sweep your left arm up. And then maybe start to take that left arm up and over your ear so that you feel the side body stretch here from fingertips to back heel.

Big full breath in. As you exhale, come up to stand on that right knee, reach your arms wide, and then gate pose, let your left hand come to the outside of your left leg and reach your right arm up. And over your right ear. So tilting and feeling that length through the right side may be gazing up under that right arm. Beautiful. And then circle your hands back down to the earth, come to tabletop, move around, shift the weight side to side, move in a way that it feels really good to move.

And then from here, we'll stretch the right leg back, tuck your toes. Start to shift your weight forward and back forward and back. Good. And then centering your weight spin to your right heel, maybe kickstand the left shin back, bring the weight into your left hand and sweep your right arm up. And then maybe take that right arm up and over your right ear lengthening from your fingertips through your right heel. Allow a big breath in on your exhale, stand up on your left knee.

And then we'll move into gate pose, so letting the right hand come to the outside of your right leg reach your left arm up and over your ear stretching up and out of the left side body. Beautiful, and then circle your hands back down to the earth. Let your shoulders come right over the wrists and then stretch both legs back for plank pose and find that shift forward and back, forward and back a few times, and lifting your hips up and back for downward facing dog. And as you come into this first down dog, pedal it out, maybe shake your head. Yes. No. Maybe sway your hips side to side and see if you can really lengthen through the side body here as you press actively through your hands and let your torso drape back to the top of your thighs. Good. And then shorten your stance in downward facing dog a little bit. So step your feet up and maybe a little bit wider than your hips.

Pick up your right hand and take it to the outside of your left leg and take a peek under your left arm and really stretch and lengthen through the left side body as you do that. Feel free to soften your knees any amount. And then switching sides. Right hand comes down, left hand to the outside of your right leg, gaze up under that right arm, lengthen through the right side body. Go ahead and replace your left hand back down, step your feet back.

To your normal downward facing dog, and then rise up onto toes and then let your heels sink down. Float your right leg all the way up and back, bend your right knee, open up through the right side body here, and you might come up onto your right fingertips and take a gaze under that right arm. And again, just feel that lengthening through the side body. Flatten your right hand if it's up on the fingertips and then straighten out through your right leg gaze forward and take a big step through between your hands and set up with your left knee down. Take your block, one of your block to the outside of your right hip. I like to have it on the highest height.

You could play around with your height. Once you have it there, sweep your arms up for Anjaniasana. Good. Now you can take a hold of your left wrist and tilt up and over to the right. And then maybe take that right hand to your block and deepen the experience just a little bit. So as you tilt to the right, keep reaching left fingertips up and over side bend.

Good. And then come back through center, release your hands on either side of your front foot and shift back for a hamstring stretch. And then maybe come in and out of those two shapes a few times. So as you inhale will re bend, as you exhale straighten and fold, inhale to re bend, coming back to your lunge and exhale, folding over that front leg. Good. And then, re bend your right knee and step back, downward facing dog, right foot meets the left, maybe pedal it out, allow a big, full breath in and a long full breath out. Beautiful, and then sweep your left leg up and back, bend the knee open the hip, maybe come up onto your left fingertips and feel that opening through the left side. You might gaze under your left arm and breathe, flat note your left hand straighten your left leg gaze forward, big step through.

Let the back knee lower, maybe set up with your block on the outside of your left hip, and then find your center, come up into Anjanee asana, sweep the arms all the way up, sink in, let your shoulders soften. Take hold of your right wrist, tilt up and over to the left. Maybe take your hand to the block or the earth if that's there for you. Just go easy without force find that gentle opening through the right side body, finding that receptive quality as you breathe to create a little space. Good. Come back through center.

Let your hands. Frame your front foot. Shift your weight back. Arta Hanasana hamstrings stretch. And then maybe move in and out of those shapes a couple times, let the inhale bring you forward.

Let the exhale bring you back, let the inhale bring you forward, and let the exhale bring you back. Good rebend, step back to downward facing dog, left foot meets the right, and then take a slow walk front of the mat. And as you find your forward fold, just roll up slowly. One vertebra at a time, let the head be the last thing to arrive. And maybe take your shoulders up towards your ears, fix your costume, whatever you need to do to take a moment to arrive and find stillness.

Maybe one hand to your heart, one hand to your belly, tuck your chin in towards your chest and observe. You're here and now experience. Feeling into the experience of your breath, your body, the flow of energy, the prana, that life force energy, the chi. Beautiful. And then as you're ready from here, sweep your arms up, take hold of your left wrist, tilt up and over to your right, maybe gazing under the left arm, get heavy in your left foot. Side body stretch.

And then then come back through center, hold your right wrist, reach up, tilt to the left, and dig your gaze under the right arm. Go ahead and then come back through center. Dive forward, uttanasana soften your knees as you fold on and inhale lengthen through the side body come halfway up, and then plant ear palms in step to plank pose, shift forward halfway or all the way down, Chaturanga. Maybe there's a cobra pose here, shoulders away from your ears, length, and through the side body. You're welcome to come up into up dog straight in the arms from the thighs up off the earth and then roll over your toes for downward facing dog.

Allow a big breath in lengthening and a long breath out. You reach your right leg all the way up and back, step all the way through between your hands, setting up for crescent, maybe widen your stance a little bit, sweep your arms up as you find your stability, soften through your back knee, reach up and out of your sideways, energize through your fingertips. And then take a moment to just land and settle in. Allow a big breath in and then sweep your arms back behind you, hover up off your front thigh, engage through your core. Reach your left arm forward and then let your left arm guide you up and open for warrior two to face the side of your mat and take a moment to sink in.

You might come in and out of that shape a few times to find your alignment. Good. And then as we reverse our warrior, flip your front palm tilt back to reverse, would take your left hand to your right wrist. And tilt back from here as you gently draw that right arm back and feel into the side body stretch. Good. And then drop your right elbow off on your right thigh and reach your left arm up. And over your ear extended side angle, all the way through the side body through your fingertips, to your left heel.

Good inhale up and back, straighten your front leg, reverse triangle. And circle down, step back, plank, chaturanga, cobra, or upward facing dog, big breath in, and downward facing dog long, full breath out. Breathe in. Stay for your exhale. Breathe out.

Flute your left leg up. Inhale. Step through exhale. Coming up to crescent as you're ready. Take your time, soften your back knee, sweeping your arms up. Reach up and out of the sideways.

Let your shoulders soften. And then take hold of your right wrist, tilt up and over to the left, feel that stretch through the side body. Good. And then inhale back through center. So you exhale sweep your arms back and hover up off your front thigh. Engage through your core as you're hovering reach your right arm forward, and then bring it up in open warrior two.

Take a moment to sink in, land. Again, you might come in and out of the shape a few times until you find your expression of the pose inviting in some stillness, some focus, beautiful. Flip your front palm, tilt back, catch hold of your left wrist with your right hand, reverse warrior, tilt a little bit more into that side body stretch. And then as you come into extended side angle, drop off your left elbow on top of your left thigh, and you can reach your right arm up and over your ear. Length from fingertips to back heel.

And breathe, find some spaciousness in your breath, your spine, space between your thoughts. Good up and back straighten your front leg reverse triangle, big breath in, and then circle your hands down to the earth, step back for plank, shift forward, chaturanga. Cobra or upward facing dog, big breath in, and meeting back in downward facing dog. Good breathing. Breathe out to release, let something go. Rise up onto toes, bend your knees, look forward, step or float front of the mat.

Inhale to lift halfway and lengthen, exhale fold, chair pose, bend your knees deeply, utkatasana arms sweep up, and then press to stand, feel the lift in the heart space. And draw your hands together in front of your heart, taking a moment. Sacred pause to observe to notice where that lands. Good. And we'll take one more round with this, adding on just a bit, flowing with your breath. When you're ready, come back to chair, utkatasana, knees, bend deeply, arms sweep up.

Big breath in, exhale forward fold, release, let that go. Inhale lengthen through the side body to come halfway up, exhale plant ear palm, stepper float, vinyasa. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog, landing back in downward facing dog. Right side, inhale right leg lifts, exhale step through, inhale crescent. Exhale right away just sweeping the arms back, hover up off that front leg.

Reach your left arm forward, and then let it guide you up and open. Warrior to flip your front palm as you tilt back. Hold on to your right wrist, reverse warrior. Extended side angle elbow to thigh, left arm sweeps up and over. Good up and back straighten your front leg reverse triangle, and then coming into triangle pose, right hand below the knee.

Left arm reaches straight up. Maybe take your left arm over your ear reach both arms forward engaging a lot through your core, your right quadricep. Whereas, come back up parallel your feet face the side of your mat. Draw the elbows back, lift the heart coming into wide leg, forward fold, prosarita. Let your hands fall.

Wherever they fall as you inhale find some length. I'm holding my ankles. You might have hands on earth, blocks. And then see if you can lengthen through the side waist as you let the crown of your head melt down. Engaging through your quadriceps to lift up on your kneecaps, allowing a few full deep breaths.

Good. And then walking your hands under your shoulders to lengthen and then come back to your runner's lunge. We'll step back to plank, shift forward, Chaturanga. Inhale cobra or upward facing dog. Meeting back in downward facing dog, allow a big breath in, clearing that side. In a long breath out, flow ear left leg up and back, inhale, step through exhale, crescent inhale.

Sweep back, exhale hover. Right arm reaches forward. Let it guide you up and open face the side of your mat. Reverse warrior, catch your left wrist with your right hand sink in. Extended side angle drop off the elbow, sweep the right arm up and over your ear.

Inhale up and back reverse triangle lengthen through the left side body. And then finding your way in two triangle pose, left hand below the knee, right arm lifts. Maybe you're taking both arms and reaching them forward, really reaching through the right side body engaging through your left quadricep. Good. And then from your center, come up to warrior two. Straighten your front leg parallel your feet face the side of your mat.

You might interlace behind your low back, draw your shoulders away from the ears lean back, lift your heart big, full breath in, and then gently finding your way into your variation of prosarita, maybe doing something different with your hands this time. Feel free to bend your knees, letting the crown of your head melt down, head heavy. All the benefits of going upside down, what might you release. Good. And then releasing if you have the interlace, hands will come under the shoulders, lengthen the spine. Come all the way back, runner's lunge, front of the mat, step back, plank, chaturanga, and then your choice cobra or upward facing dog.

And then exhale meeting back in downward facing dog, and then step your feet together at the back of your mat, glide to plank, roll to the outer edge of your right foot, bring the weight into your right hand and reach your left arm up. You're welcome to lower your right knee down to the ground like how we started. Vashi Stasana, maybe take your left arm up and over your ear. Maybe gaze up. And breathe and embrace the movement.

Strengthening will slowly come back to plank, feet together, roll to the outer edge of the left, Bring the weight into your left hand, sweep your right arm up, and we reach that right arm up and over your ear, you could gaze up, lift the hips, feel that stretch through the side body. Big breath in. And then slowly come back to center and lower all the way down. Reach your arms on either side of your body, maybe catch an interlace, you're welcome to grab a strap, or just reach your arms back actively for Shalabhasana, lift up through the chest, the legs, tuck your chin, Allow the back of the neck to be long and just feel that nice length and strength through the back body gently engage your core, protect your spine, holding for five. Four, three, two, release everything down.

Maybe bring one cheek to the earth, sway your hips. Side to side, you could reverse windshield wiper, breathing into your lower back. Anywhere else you feel this softening, and then gently press back. Two child's pose for a moment. Let your hips sink back to your heels.

Head rest on something. And then reach your right arm forward a little. Reach your left arm forward a little. Really stretching and lengthening through the side. Waist, breathing into your rib cage, all those little spaces between your ribs, settling in, noticing where that vinyasa practice lands in your body as we make our transition into our yin shapes, balancing it out. Practice and presence.

What if the practice was presence? And so take your time to roll up. We'll start with Dragon pose. Coming to tabletop, I'm gonna set up with a couple blocks at the front of my mat. I'm gonna start with the blocks on the highest height. You're welcome to take a blanket underneath your knee as well or take some padding under your back knee that might feel nice, especially as we hold these shapes a little longer.

It can get a little, intense on that back knee. So we'll come to tabletop. I'm gonna take my knees onto the blanket and then step my right foot forward between my hands. Crawl my hands up onto the blocks, and we're in our lunge. So I'm walking blocks back a little bit, so they're just about under my shoulders.

And then again, I'm not finding the fullistic expression of this shape. I'm finding my edge. I'm softening, and I'm finding a place where I can be with be with the breath. Be with sensation, finding softness in the muscles. Quality of releasing, of letting go.

There's still a bit of activation happening as I'm holding myself up. And this shape, you may notice as you hold for a longer period of time can be quite intense. There's a lot happening here in the hips, so as also the side body, the deep in the front body. Again, finding that place where you can seek stillness. Maybe close your eyes.

Go inward. Let this be an internal experience and observe. Allowing a few more full deep breaths here in these long held, passive shapes. We're finding that quality of receptivity and allowing the energy to flow freely. Slowly entering and slowly exiting as you back off, you might straighten your front leg.

Finding any other movement that might feel good, and then we'll find a neutral shape as a rebound to observe. So I'm taking blocks out to the side. I'm sliding my write me back to the earth to my blankets. Now I'm gonna find child's pose. Take what works for you. But do take that sacred pause to notice.

Notice where that lands in your body, maybe bring your palms to face up receiving energy. Going inward to that inner knowing, in alignment with your truth. Couple more breaths wherever you are. And then take your time, make your way to tabletops, Feel free to wiggle around and we'll set up for the second side. I'm gonna take the same situation here with blocks under hands. This side might feel a little different, so you can honor that.

Move blanket under my back knee, stepping the left foot forward, walking blocks back a little so that my hands are flat on the blocks. I'm sinking into the weight and yielding into the support beneath me, letting gravity do the work. And then where might you soften the effort just a little bit more? Finding that place where you can be with with the breath. With this quality of receptivity of spaciousness, ease in the effort, strength, and stability. I'm bringing your awareness back to your breath.

Take your time very slowly. Make your way out of the second side. Might straighten through your front leg, finding that counter balance. Okay. Slide your left knee back. Maybe move your blocks out to the side.

I'm gonna take a moment to sit back on my heels and observe. You might find child's pose or seated position. Let that land. Let that integrate. And without needing to change anything, just observe. I'll take our time to come on to our backs. For this next shape, Banana Asana, you probably don't need any props.

If you would like anything at all, feel free to grab that. Otherwise, roll onto your back, start by hugging your knees and maybe rock a little side to side. And then stretch your legs long on your mat. Start to shift your hips over to the left a little. Scoot your legs over to the right corner of your mat. You could cross your left ankle on top of your right ankle reach your arms up over your ears.

Maybe hold opposite elbows as you let your torso tilt over to the right or you might hold on to your left wrist. And reach that left arm up and over. I'm gonna take opposite elbows. So you're in the shape of a crescent of a banana. If you can imagine that where both of your limbs are reaching and tilting to the right as your hip shift to the left.

And then notice what would feel appropriate with your head, your gaze, if it would feel comfortable to close your eyes, and then can you feel into your left side body? The left ribs, the spaces, between your ribs. And then where might you soften your experience a little more? Where might you release and let go? Just a little bit more.

And as you notice, what might come up for you here, can you allow it to be knowing that all things transform? Change, dissipate. And allowing the energy, any stuck energy that you may notice to flow freely in the energy channels that not ease. Ridians. Let's see if you can allow the breath to fill the entire left side of your body from the tips of your toes all the way up through the crown of your head.

And then gently slowly uncross your legs, release your arms, center your weight, maybe scoot your hips to the right a little bit. Find your center and just take a moment to land and notice. Notice the right. The left, any difference, observing any sensation, any rush of energy. And then we'll cross the right ankle on top of the left, scoot your legs toward the left, your hips to the right, reach your arms up over your ears with the opposite elbow on top, tilt the upper body in a banana shape.

Over to your left. Breathe into the entire right side of your body. And then allow gravity to do its work, yielding into the support beneath you. This practice of presence. One of my friends put it radical presence.

What if presence was the practice? And allowing your breath to deepen very slowly. Snail like energy. Come back to center. Maybe bend your knees, bring the soles of the feet to the earth, lift your hips, and place them back down, finding center.

You could stay here or stretch your legs long and rest into great Shavasana. Start to allow your breath to deepen serving what's around you, rock your head side to side, reach your arms up over your ears again, just stretching through the entire length of your body up and out of the side waist, the deep front body. Your knees into your chest, draw everything up into a tight little ball and make your way to seated, to just take a moment to land. Gathering hens in gratitude in front of your heart, checking in with one thing you feel grateful for. Thank yourself for showing up for you, for your practice.

Bowing to the teacher within. Thank you for sharing this practice with me. The light and love in me greets and honors, the light and love in you, shanty shanty. Shanti. Thank you.