Gentle Somatic Awareness Yoga: Sequence 3

Transcript

today we're going to do a gentle practice lying on our backs followed by a deep stillness and relaxation it is a gentle practice but it's important that you listen to your body at all times and then you do what feels right for your body i'd like to thank the lovely collet for demonstrating today feel free to look at collette at any time however hopefully my instructions will be clear enough so you can ignore your screen and relax into the presence of your body you are welcome to close your eyes during the practice if this helps you to feel sensations in your body so when you're ready come to lying on the back of your body with your legs bent your knees up and the soles of your feet on the floor with your feet more or less hip width apart bring your arms to the floor relaxed alongside you with your palms either facing up or down or you can bend your arms and place your hands on your belly or your rib cage whatever position feels most comfortable for you and as you settle into stillness invite the whole of your body to relax as much as possible you will be using a few muscles in your legs feet and hip sockets to keep your knees vertical however invite all the other muscles in your body to relax as much as possible into your ability to feel any sensations being generated by your body invite your shoulders your back your spine and all the muscles in and around your face to relax as much as possible and especially invite the smaller muscles of your face your scalp your throat and your mouth to relax as much as possible invite feelings of softness in and around your eye sockets and in the little muscles between your eyebrows relax your jaw with your lips in soft gentle contact also invite softness into the core of your body in your throat and down to your pelvic floor invite all the muscles in and around your pelvis to relax as much as possible including your pelvic floor feel the sensations that reveal the presence of your breathing feel those sensations of your breathing as clearly as possible and invite your breath to flow freely so that you're not doing anything intentionally to your breath let go of any tendency that you may have to pull your breath in on each inhalation or to push your breath out on each exhalation just simply feel the sensations that are being generated by the rhythm of your breathing the rise and fall of your abdomen perhaps or the air entering and leaving through your nostrils perhaps become as intimate as possible with a soft rhythm of your breath and allow your breathing to flow as freely as possible and bring your arms to the side of your body if they're not there already and turn your palms down softly broaden your hands to softly stabilize the contact that they have with the floor check that your feet are more or less hit width apart and are as parallel to each other as comfortably possible and softly broaden your feet to softly stabilize the contact that your feet have with the floor allow the sensations within and around your feet and your ankles to remain soft so that you're not creating any hardness or tension in your feet or your ankles and as you continuously softly broaden your feet and softly broaden your hands also softly lengthen your arms from your relaxed shoulders to your fingertips and lengthen back from your fingers to your relaxed to shoulders so you are lengthening your arms in two directions refine the lengthening of your arms so that your arms are as straight as comfortably possible with your elbows soft and your shoulders as relaxed as possible and as you continuously softly broaden your feet and your hands and softly lengthen your arms in both directions begin on each inhalation to softly roll your pubic bone a little towards the floor away from your chest and on each exhalation let go of this action so you come back to a neutral spine continue with this rocking of your pelvis as softly as possible rolling your pubic bone a little towards the floor away from your chest on each inhalation and letting go of this action on each exhalation each time you inhale and softly roll your pubic bone towards the floor you may feel your sacrum softly lifting away from the floor just a little and the space between your lower back and the floor may increase invite your spine your back and your pelvis to remain as relaxed as possible feel any sensations in and around your lower back and your pelvis and as you continue to alternate between these movements as softly as possible inquiring to the possibility of changing the range of this movement to soften the sensations in and around your pelvis and your lower back and next time you exhale and come back to a neutral spine come to stillness there inviting your breathing to flow as freely as possible and as you continuously softly broaden your feet and your hands and softly lengthen your arms in both directions begin on each inhalation to lift your lengthening arms up and over so the back of your hands come towards but not necessarily all the way to the floor and on each exhalation bring your lengthening arms back to the floor by the side of your body with your palms facing down and alternate between these two movements as softly as possible continuously broaden your feet and your hands and continuously lengthen your arms in both directions softly lengthen your arms in all phases of this movement so that you're lengthening your arms when your arms are by the side of your body when you're moving your arms and also when your arms are to or towards the floor by your ears refine the lengthening of your arms so that your arms are as straight as comfortably possible in all phases of the movement with your elbows soft and your shoulders as relaxed as possible also invite your spine your back and your rib cage to be as relaxed as possible and allow the movements of your arms to generate a soft rotation of your shoulders and also allow your ribcage and your spine to freely respond to the rotation of your shoulders as you're taken into a very gentle backbend on each inhalation and as you take your lengthening arms up and over on each inhalation bring the back of your hands only as close as comfortably possible to the floor but on each exhalation as you bring your lengthening arms back alongside you bring your broadening palms all the way to the floor and alternate between these movements as softly as possible feel any sensations being generated in your back and your shoulders from these gentle movements of your arms an inquire into the possibility of refining the lengthening and movements of your arms to keep your relaxed shoulders away from your ears you may want to try bringing your arms a little wider as you bring your arms up and over or you may want to only raise your arms a little without bringing the back of your hands anywhere near to the floor and on each inhalation as you take your arms up and over begin also to softly roll your pubic bone a little towards the floor away from your chest and on each exhalation let go of that action as you bring your arms back alongside you and alternate between these movements as softly as possible and on each inhalation as you take your arms up and over and you softly roll your pubic bone a little towards the floor away from your chest begin also to softly lengthen from your pubis to your throat so that your chest moves slightly closer to your chin into a gentle backbend on each exhalation let go of the rolling of your pubic bone and the lengthening from your pubis to your throat and as you lengthen from your pubis to your throat into a gentle backbend on each inhalation if there are any sensations in your lower back that indicate or suggest pressure or tension then also softly lengthen from your sacrum which is at the back of your pelvis to your throat as well as from your pubis to your throat and as you continue to alternate between these movements as softly as possible refine the lengthening and movement of your arms to keep your relaxed shoulders away from your ears and also to soften the sensations being generated in and around your shoulders also inquire into the possibility of changing the range of the rocking of your pelvis to soften the sensations in and around your pelvis and your lower back and next time you inhale and bring your lengthening arms up and over feel free to either continue with these movements or come to stillness with the back backs of your hands to or towards the floor and your pubic bones softly roll towards the floor also lengthening from your pubis and perhaps also your sacrum to your throat feel as clearly as possible any sensations in and around your lower back your pelvis your shoulders allow your breathing to flow as freely as possible and after your next inhalation as you exhale bring your arms back to the side of your body and come to stillness there relax your arms alongside you with your palms either facing up or down or you can bend your arms and place your hands on your belly or your ribcage if this feels more comfortable for you feel any sensations in and around your shoulders and your neck and your throat and invite your shoulders your neck and your throat to relax as much as possible and keeping your head in contact with the floor at all times on each inhalation begin to softly roll your head just a little to one side and on each exhalation bring your head back to center continue to roll your head very softly in one direction on each inhalation and back to center on each exhalation inquire into the possibility of changing the range of this movement to soften the sensations in your neck and your shoulders and invite your spine your back and rib cage to remain as relaxed as possible and next time you bring your head back to a central position come to stillness there and invite your breathing to flow as freely as possible and bring your arms to the side of your body if they're not there already and turn your palms down and softly broaden your hands to softly stabilize the contact that they have with the floor check that your feet are more or less hip width apart and are as parallel to each other as comfortably possible and softly broaden your feet to softly stabilize the contact that your feet have with the floor and as you continuously softly broaden your feet and softly broaden your hands also softly lengthen your arms in both directions refine the lengthening of your arms so that your arms are as straight as comfortably possible with your elbows soft and your shoulders as relaxed as possible and as you next exhale without using your hands bring your right knee a little towards your chest it does not need to move very far and as you inhale softly bring your right foot back to the floor where it was before and as you next exhale bring your left knee a little towards your chest and as you inhale subtly bring your left foot back to the floor and alternate between lifting your right and your left foot from the floor and softly bringing your knee a little towards your chest keep your lower leg relaxed with your heel close to your buttock bones at the end of each exhalation you are just softly bringing your knee a little towards your chest as you invite your spine to relax and feel the changing sensations being generated from these movements of your legs maybe in your pelvis your lower back or your groins inquire into the possibility of refining the movement of your legs to soften the sensations in your pelvis your groins or your lower back you could reduce or increase the range of your movement or change the position of your feet perhaps and next time you bring your left foot back to the floor keep it there so that both your feet are in contact with the floor broaden your feet and your hands and also softly lengthen your arms in both directions with your arms as straight as comfortably possible with your elbows soft and your shoulders as relaxed as possible and now also softly lengthen your spine continuously from your sacrum which is at the back of your pelvis to the base of your skull but inviting your rib cage and back to relax into this lengthening of your spine and as you continuously softly broaden your feet and your hands softly lengthen your arms and also softly lengthen your spine on your next exhalation raise your right broadening foot as high as comfortably possible lengthening down the back of your leg and as you inhale bend your right leg and bring that foot back to the floor where it was before and then change legs alternate the lifting of your legs on each exhalation bringing your right sorry bringing your thigh towards vertical and also inquire into the possibility of bringing your shins towards vertical also however your leg does not need to make it there it is just moving in that direction on each exhalation as you raise one broadening foot as high as comfortably possible lengthen your raised leg in both directions whilst emphasizing the lengthening down the back of your leg from the center of your heel to your buttock bones also continuously softly lengthen your spine from your sacrum to the base of your skull feel the changing sensations in your groins and your hip sockets and inquiring to the possibility of refining the movement of your legs to soften these sensations and the next time you raise your right foot come to stillness there refining into the presence of softness and then change your legs and again come to stillness refining into the presence of softness and on your next inhalation bring your left foot back to the floor and relax your spine your hands and feet allow your breathing to flow as freely as possible and feel any sensations that you can feel in your body and bring your arms back alongside your body with your palms facing down if they're not there already and move your arms a little bit further away from your body so they're at least 45 degrees away from your body and bring your knees together and your feet and ankles together with the soles of your feet still in contact with the floor and softly broaden your feet into the contact that they have with the floor and softly broaden your palms and lengthen your arms in both directions and keeping the soles of your feet in contact with the floor and keeping your knees together on each inhalation begin to softly roll your knees just a little to one side and on each exhalation bring your knees back to a vertical position on your next inhalation take your knees just a little to the other side and continue to alternate between these movements as softly as possible and as you continue with this movement softly rolling your knees one way back through center and then the other way keep the soles of both of your softly broadening feet in contact with the floor at all times so this means that you know your knees won't actually go very far the movement of your knees is just a small movement as you softly move your knees perhaps a little more perhaps a little less feel as clearly and deeply as possible the changing sensations being generated by this little soft rolling of your knees especially the sensations in and around your pelvis and your lower back and next time you roll your knees a little to one side feel free to begin to also roll your head just a little in the opposite direction to your knees and on each exhalation bring your head back to center as your as you bring your knees back to a vertical position and continue to alternate between these movements as softly as possible invite your spine your back and your rib cage to relax as much as possible and feel as clearly as possible any sensations being generated from these gentle movements especially in and around your pelvis your neck and in and around your shoulders and inquiring they're possibly changing the range and quality of the gentle movements of your knees and the gentle rolling of your head to soften the sensations in and around your pelvis your neck or your shoulders and the next time you roll your knees in one direction slowly begin to reduce the range of the movement of your knees and your head until you eventually in your own time come to stillness with your knees in a vertical position and your head centered and in stillness separate your feet and knees with your feet more or less hip width apart and relax your arms alongside you with your palms also relaxed either facing up or down or you can bend your arms and place your hands on your belly or your rib cage whichever is most comfortable for you and invite your breathing to flow as freely as possible we've now come to the last part of this session which is a deep stillness and relaxation when you are ready in your own time prepare yourself for relaxation by covering yourself with a blanket or putting on more clothing to keep warm if you think this may help you to relax lie in the most comfortable position possible with your arms and legs wherever they feel most relaxed you can lie on your back with your legs bent with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor or you can release your legs one at a time along the floor it can be really nice to place something under your knees to support the release of your lower back you can use the support under your knees such as a bolster a rolled up blanket or a cushion if this helps you to feel more relaxed and comfortable however if you're using a support under your knees check that your heels are in contact with the floor take your time to make yourself feel as comfortable relaxed and warm as possible allow your eyes to lightly close perhaps or feel free to cover your eyes with something feel the contact that your body has with the floor and relax into that contact feel the many sensations generated by the contact that your body has with the floor and let go and as you settle invite the whole of your body to completely relax relaxing as deeply as possible in your own time and sequence as you invite your body to settle into the generosity of gravity relaxed supported and warm in whatever position feels most comfortable for you feel as clearly and deeply as possible any sensations as you invite the whole of your body to relax as much as possible and as you feel any sensations in your body respond to any sensations that might be asking for you to change your position perhaps or to make yourself more comfortable or warmer invite all the muscles of your body to relax as much as possible and especially invite the smaller muscles of your face scalp throat and mouth to relax invite feelings of softness in and around your eye sockets in the muscles between your eyebrows and in your jaw with your lips in soft gentle contact and with your tongue heavy wherever it lies also invite softness into the core of your body softening the muscles of your throat and the muscles in and around your pelvis invite the muscles in and around your pelvis to relax completely including your pelvic floor feel as clearly and deeply as possible the sensations being generated by your body in this relaxed stillness softening as much as possible and also invite your mind to relax as much as possible into your body relaxing as much as possible allow your mind to express itself completely freely simply invite your mind to relax into the presence of your body by way of feeling as deeply as possible with sensations that your body is generating invite your mind to just simply relax into what is actually happening in your body as it relaxes and softens as much as possible invite your body and your mind to relax as much as possible into your ability to feel continue to feel any sensations as deeply and intimately as possible in a moment i'm going to end this recording you are very welcome to remain here as long as feels fruitful and nurturing for you ideally at least five or ten minutes there is no goal or a gender just simply feel as deeply as possible any sensations in your body the