Yin Yoga Tutorial: Shoelace Pose

Transcript

hi everyone welcome i'm becky bros the ginn post this week is going to be shoelace pose so have a blanket handy as well as the block so in shoe lace boots we're going to open up the hips so the first option you'll stack the right knee on top of the left knee having the feet by your sides and this bothers your knees at all you may need to add a little bit of height so then you can take a block or a blanket behind you sit on the edge of the block or blanket and then stack your knees one on top of the other once your knees are stacked your arms come stay at your side if you already start to feel opening and the outer hips with your legs like this then stay here for the first minute or so allow the body to open up and then over time as the body starts to open up you'll be able to start to around the back forward coming over the knees if you need somewhere to rest your arms you can bring the block on the front so your forearms can rest on the block once you decided where you want to start your pose just stay there relax the body so relax through the legs the hips the lower back the shoulders and the arms and then just allow your breath to be smooth and even so drawing the breath in through the nose and exhaling out through the nose or through the mouth we're breathing in and breathing out so you can stay here for three to five minutes if you notice the body's opening over that amount of time then you'll just allow your torso to come further forward as you're in the pose when you're ready to come out at the pose walk the hands underneath your shoulders on an inhale you'll press them to the arms to bring your body back up and then extend both legs out in front I like to use my hands to help lift the top leg over and then extend both legs out in front resting back on your hands and you can just bend the knees or start just sway the beat from left to right so spending a few breaths in between size and then when you're ready you'll set up for the opposite side so the right Neil dent bringing the right knee to the center of your body you'll stack the left knee on top of the right and you may find that on one side your hips are more open than on the other so you may or may not need to use a blanket on both sides if your hips are incredibly tight when you first set up just stay with the torso upright for a few breaths developing an even inhale and an even exhale so align your breathing to stay calm so that you're able to relax through the hip area of the body and that as you stay here and breathe the outer hips can start to open you may also start to feel an opening in your inner groins the inner thighs you feel like the body started to open up begin to round the torso forward finding your next stopping place so your next edge may be resting the arms on blocks once you found that new edge to stay with again check in with the body relax all your muscles through the legs the back and the shoulders and then keeping the eyes open or eyes closed stay with a calm breath as you stay here and allow the body to melt open this may be as far as you go today if you have a little more space you can even bring the arms all the way down just resting on top of the thighs on the head rolling forward walk your hands under your shoulders when you're ready to come out press strongly through the hands as you breathe in and then undo the legs so check the weight back lifting the left thigh over so you can straighten both legs in front allow the legs to straighten and the feet to just sway side to side if you go to come into this pose and you feel that the pressures in the knees we're actually not trying to stretch our knees we're trying to get into the outer hips on the inner thighs so if it's too much on your knees rather than straining then you'll come on to your back so take shoelace on your back you'll take both legs up to the sky cross the right over the left left hand grabs onto that outside of the right foot or the right ankle and then you can bend the left knee bringing the right hand outside of the left foot if your feet are far away from you grab a towel or strap on each foot and then just start to pull the feet in closer towards your body so once you set up this variation on your back similar to the folded variation you'll start to feel the opening on the outsides of the hips and then you'll just adjust the tension with your arms pulling a little bit closer to the body to make the post more intense and then when you're done with the first side you'll switch sides taking both legs straight up and then just crossing the left over the right each hand grabbing for the opposite foot or ankle and then pulling the knees into your chest you may find that if you bring the feet further away from the floor that you can get two outer hit better but for some of you bring the feet down lower and pulling the feet in may give you more access to the hips and when you're finished you'll unwind your legs straighten your legs and then you can make your way to your back and take a brief shavasana so enjoy your thinning your hips this week namaste