♪ [opening music] ♪ Support for Yoga In Practice is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

♪ [soothing music] ♪ Hi.

My name is Stacey.

I will be leading your practice today.

Please sit well with your eyes closed.

Breathe deeply.

Every breath offers an opportunity to receive and let go.

To receive love and to let go of pain, doubts and worries.

When we practice asana, pranayama, and meditation, the systems and functions of the body align in an optimal flow of energy, like a clear running stream.

Paying attention to this flow there may be times when we need to slow down and take extra care in your practice.

Restorative yoga is designed to help the body rest and restore with the support of props so that you can integrate the various aspects of yourself into balanced harmony.

For today's practice you will need a bolster, a block, a strap, and two blankets.

Open your eyes.

Joining us today are Chris and Nicole.

Sit in this cross-legged position and pause.

Rest one hand on your heart and one hand down by your belly.

We're going to begin by just focusing on the breath.

This is called a three part breath.

As you inhale, fill out the upper part of your chest, then the abdomen and then down by your navel.

Exhale fully.

Do that a couple of times, inhaling inhale, inhale and then breathe out.

Again.

And exhale...one more time.

And exhale.

Release your hands.

Remain seated.

Take your left hand across to your right knee.

and reach your right hand behind your hips.

Pressing down through your hips, rise up through your spine and slowly twist to the right.

As you turn moving from the left side of your back Turn your head as the last thing.

Gazing over your right shoulder, make sure you're sitting upright.

So if you are sitting up on some height you may need extra height under your hand so you're not leaning backward.

Soften your gaze.

Enjoy the breath.

Then inhale, release forward.

Pause.

Change the cross of your feet.

Sit upright again.

Refresh your posture and change sides.

Take your right hand to your left knee.

Reach your left hand behind you.

Rising up through the spine, exhale as you slowly rotate to the left, turning the head and breathe.

Stay deeply anchored, but be willing to let go of too much effort here.

Be willing to soften your face.

Receive the pose as you are.

Inhale.

Come back to center.

Good.

Please bend your knees.

Plant your feet and holding on to the back of your leg, roll down.

You may need a strap, so have it nearby.

Make sure you have plenty of mat behind you, so that your head is not on the floor, but it's cushioned by the mat itself.

Please hug both of your knees into your chest.

Take your hands around your shin bones.

Let your lower back just settle into your mat Then move your feet point and flex your ankles a few times.

Turn them in circles one way and turn them in the other way.

Then moving your hands behind both knees, hold on to the legs.

As you inhale, stretch your feet toward the ceiling.

Pause for a moment.

Gaze up at your toes and make sure your toes are spreading and you're reaching up through the heels as much as you're reaching up through the balls of your feet.

As you exhale, hug the knees down.

Inhale.

Extend.

Keep your hands behind your knees.

Exhale.

Pull down.

Inhale, extend.

One more time.

Exhale.

Pull down.

Inhale, raise up.

Good and then bend your knees.

Plant your feet onto your mat again and using the strap, take your strap.

You can also use a the hand towel or a necktie.

Slip it across the ball of your right foot and raise your right leg toward the ceiling again.

If you're tighter in this pose, your leg may be further away from you, using more of the strap to help you in the posture.

But, If you can get your leg more upright, keeping a straight leg, find that.

Hold the strap with your right hand only.

Extend your left arm.

And also extend your left leg.

Pressing down through the left leg, spread your toes.

Then, as you exhale, open your right leg about six inches to the right, so you start to feel into the right inner thigh and your hips are level.

Keep the foot and the ankle active.

Inhale.

Pull to center.

Change hands so the left hand holds the strap, the right arm extends and come partially across the middle of your body.

Pressing through the right hip, the right outer thigh, keep your leg evenly stretching through the inner and edge of the leg.

Inhale.

Pull the leg back up.

Change your hands.

Open your left arm and carry the leg across about 18 inches, not to your fullest form but to that mid point, about a 45 degree angle in relation to your spine.

As you inhale, pull back up.

Change hands.

Open your right arm and pull this leg halfway across.

Spread your toes, press through the hip and breathe.

You should be experiencing this along the back of the leg and into the side of the hip.

Raise back up as you inhale, one final time.

This time go into the fullest form of the pose.

Open your right leg out to the right.

Try to keep your hips balanced, extending and feel this through the inner thigh, out through the inner edge of your foot.

And then inhale, pull back up.

One final time, pulling across.

Come all the way over until your right leg is parallel to the floor.

Spread the toes.

Press through your heel and move that right hip down towards your left inner heel.

Make sure both of your shoulders remain flat on the floor.

Extend and lengthen both legs.

Inhale.

Raise the leg back up.

Take a breath.

Clear the strap.

Lower the legs.

Take a deep breath.

Then bend your knees and let's do the second side.

So, slip the strap across the ball of your left foot.

This pose is called Supta Padangusthasana.

It's a good hamstring stretch.

Holding on with your left hand, open your right arm out to the side and open your leg to the left.

Slide your right leg long.

Soften your face.

So part of restorative yoga is the attitude that you practice with.

Learning to receive the benefit of the pose.

Don't fight yourself.

As you inhale, bring the leg back up and change your hands.

Come across halfway.

I find that this stage of the pose is actually pretty intense.

You should be feeling this along the outside of your hip, rolling your hip toward the opposite inner heel.

Inhale.

Raise back up.

Change hands.

Go to the mid point.

Push out.

Breathe.

Keep the leg strong.

Pull the leg out and across to the left.

And anchor your shoulders.

And make your left leg strong.

Try to keep your right leg rooted down to the floor.

Inhale, pull up.

Change hands again.

Open your left arm wide.

Come across halfway, not all the way, just reaching out.

Check in with the foot, the heel.

Extend from the outer hip out through this outer heel and roll your hip toward the opposite inner heel.

Inhale.

Rise up.

This is your third and final one.

Switch hands.

Go into the full form of the pose open out, extending your right arm out to the side.

Breathe.

Notice how your hips are trying to turn with you.

So roll back toward your right hip and try to balance the weight across your hips and your lower back.

As you inhale, rise back up, change hands.

Open the left arm and pull over and across.

Spread your toes.

Breathe.

And then anchor that left shoulder and roll the hip down towards your right heel opening room along the left side of your body.

Inhale.

Raise the leg back up.

Clear the strap.

Lower both legs.

With your arms extended and your legs extended take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale out through an open mouth.

Do that a few times.

Inhale.

Reach out and lengthen.

Exhale.

One more time.

Inhale.

And exhale.

Good.

Please bend your knees again.

Planting the feet, hip distance apart, cross your right ankle over your left leg and open the leg wide.

You could hold here, just keeping the left foot planted but if it's possible, reach through your legs, holding on to the back of your left leg, interlacing your fingers.

Spread your toes.

Broaden the right hip.

As you draw the left leg in a little bit closer, breathe and now try to lift the small part of your lower back off the floor.

And what you'll notice is that increases the sensation you feel in the hip stretch.

Good.

Now, keep your ankle crossed the way it is.

Release your hands.

Take them out to the side.

And lower your left foot.

Please walk your left foot wider to the edge of your mat.

And then lower the legs to the right.

Press your head into the floor.

Check in with your left inner knee.

So if this creates any discomfort on the inner edge of the left knee, you can uncross the ankle.

This is called windshield wiper pose.

It's just a nice rotation into the back, into the hips.

Now, keeping that ankle crossed, inhale, pull your legs back to center.

Once the legs are back to center, lower the legs over to the left.

Plant your right foot.

And to intensify the pose like Nicole can show what you want to do is pull the legs up towards your elbow and feel this through the outer edge of your right leg, which is your I-T band.

Sometimes you feel there's quite a lot.

Other times you don't.

Just breathe into whatever you're feeling right here.

Inhale.

Pick the legs back up.

Uncross your ankle.

Plant your feet.

Take a deep breath in.

And let's change sides.

So crossing your left knee over your right, reach through your legs, holding onto your right leg.

Take a deep breath, lifting the foot and pull in.

Enjoy the breath.

Always when you're in this type of pose try to arch the lower back It's not letting your back flat into the floor but pull up and in and that will intensify the hip opening.

If you have the ability pull the leg in a little bit tighter.

Enjoy the breath.

Check in with the eyes, the jaw.

Then inhale, release.

Plant the foot down.

Open your arms wide.

Windshield wiper pose.

Move both legs to the left and walk your right foot out to the side a little bit.

Breathe.

Shoulders back.

Inhale.

Pull yourself back up to the middle.

Good.

Now change directions, lowering both legs to the right and planting the foot.

This is the I-T band stretch.

Open the leg.

To intensify the pose just sweep the leg up toward your right arm a little bit more, and feel like you are pushing your left leg out and away from you, opening into that left outer hip.

Inhale.

Come back up.

Uncross your legs.

Breathe.

Good.

And now hug both knees back into your chest.

What we're going to do is go into a reclined cow faced pose.

Cross your right knee over your left knee and pull both legs into your chest.

Hold on to your knees, your calves and if you can, reach down and hold onto the outer edge of your feet.

Roll the head back if you brought it off the floor and then pulling the feet towards your shoulders, press the feet down towards your mat more.

Try to arch the low back like you did a moment ago and feel your inner thigh muscles press apart.

This is a very deep hip stretch.

Then exhale, release.

Switch legs.

Left knee over the right knee.

You can roll up toward your legs.

Find the best position for your hands, either up on the knees, to the outer calf or reach down and hold across the top of your feet.

Your head is up.

Roll it down.

Take a deep breath and then as you draw the feet up to your shoulders, try to press the feet down towards your mat.

Hold that.

Arch the back.

Open through the inner thighs.

Watch that you're not holding your breath.

Just keep that breath, breathing in, releasing, breathing in and releasing.

Good.

And release the whole pose.

Uncross your legs and hug both knees into your chest.

Please roll up to seated.

Good.

Sit up on height if you need to.

And if you have a block, a cushion, you can place it between your feet.

We're going to do seated bound angle pose.

Stage one is just the feet touching each other.

I'm mostly interested in you maintaining good alignment in your lower back as you open through the inner thighs.

To intensify the pose, put a narrow block between your feet.

Rise up.

If you can go further, take a little bit wider block.

Open.

And further, still, turning the block to its widest point, pull up through the ankles, the heels.

Open your inner thighs.

Squeeze the block between your feet and then bow forward if that's possible.

If you find that you're feeling this in your lower back, please stay upright.

Make sure you have enough height under your hips.

Good.

And then release.

Clear your block.

Raise your legs and extend your left leg forward and bring your right leg in.

Hold onto the foot.

Raise the heel and then pull your foot across toward your left shoulder.

Now, support your ankle strongly.

So if you're just coming here.

This is great.

You can also just rest your ankle across your left thigh.

If you have the ability, pull in that shin towards your shoulder, you can wrap your elbow around the sole of the foot.

Hold on.

Rise up and just let your hips sway a little bit, moving into that right hip.

Stay extended through the back, through the crown of the head.

And then exhale.

Release.

Shake your legs.

Let's do the second side.

So root your right leg.

Bring the left leg up and hold and then pull the leg across and recognize that especially when it comes to hips, one side may be more open than the other.

So just figure out where you need to be.

Enjoy the breath.

But always with hip opening, there is a releasing quality you have to bring into the posture of letting go.

Check in with the face that it's not tightening up.

Breathe down.

Feel like you're releasing energy into the floor into the earth.

Breathe.

And then exhale.

Release.

Stretch both legs out.

Good.

Shaking your legs, you may want to slide your hands up underneath the hips, broaden the hips back.

Inhale.

Raise your arms overhead.

And exhale.

Sweep forward.

Bring your hands to your shins, to your ankles, to your toes.

You can also put a strap around the ball of the feet, like Chris is demonstrating.

Make the legs strong.

Keep the spine long.

If you have the ability, you can go even further, placing a block at the sole of the feet like Nicole is showing.

Just find your level and be willing to find the release of the pose.

Don't fight yourself.

Enjoy the breath.

Inhale.

Rise to seated.

Good.

Cross at your ankles.

Make sure you're seated comfortably.

Place one hand at your heart.

One hand down at the naval.

Close your eyes and practice three part breath again.

Let's bring the breath in intentionally and pouring it out finding the letting go.

Inhale.

Receive love.

Exhale.

Let go of disappointment.

When you breathe out, release your hands.

Open your eyes... Good.

Now, we're going to use the bolster.

We're going to use a block, as well.

So take your bolster.

And on your mat, place it behind you lengthwise.

You will be lying down on this bolster.

Your head will be on the mat.

So make sure your bolster isn't too far back, that the mat is going to cushion your head.

The block is going to be used to support the back of your ankles, the low part of your calves.

We're going to lie down on the bolster.

So come up sit down.

Scoot back a little bit and then roll down so that your shoulders are resting flat onto your mat.

Make sure your head is resting flat and feels comfortable.

And then bring your feet up, resting the back of your ankles onto the block and stretch your arms out nice and wide.

This pose is supported bridge pose.

The bolster is opening the chest.

It's creating a natural back bend in your upper back, a place that's really hard for us to get into, but with the support of the bolster, you can actually find greater opening here.

Make sure your eyes are closed and that you feel settle.

And soften yourself into the support of the bolster.

If you don't own a bolster, you could also use the thick sofa cushion or stack two bed pillows together.

Just something to get yourself up a little bit.

Enjoy the breath.

The hardest part about restorative yoga is to receive the pose, to let yourself rest and restore, and to move slowly sometimes.

When you're ready, bend your knees.

Raise your feet off the bolster, plant your feet down on the mat.

And then shift off to the side.

Roll to your side, and then push yourself up to seated.

Good.

We're going to continue to use the bolster for the next pose.

So, with the bolster remaining lengthwise, pick up your block and turn it to it's highest point.

Place the block under the end of the bolster and make sure it feels secured.

That the block is steady.

You've created a diagonal shape with the bolster.

Now you're going to use two blankets or you can use blocks, pillows, towels.

Place one blanket folding it more thickly over onto the side.

Then come in front of your bolster, not sitting on the bolster itself but sitting right in front of it.

Nestle your lower back into the bolster.

Join your feet together.

This is back to bound angle pose like we did earlier and wedge the blankets, the blocks, the pillows up underneath your outer knee so your legs feel supported, You don't feel any tension in the inner thighs.

Now, bring your hands back.

Support yourself and slowly, slowly roll down onto the bolster.

The bolster is supporting the curve of your back.

Bring your arms out.

Rest your head back and close your eyes.

I love this pose.

Notice how it supports the curve of your back, gently.

Notice how with the hands out and resting on the floor, the heart is fully open here Don't forsake... your restorative poses.

The tendency is that we want to rush and just finish the practice and go.

See if you can slow down a bit and receive.

Enjoy your breath.

♪ [soothing music in background] ♪ "The truth is, unless you let go, "unless you forgive yourself, "unless you forgive the situation, "unless you realize that the situation is over, "you cannot move forward."

♪ I invite you to truly remain in this pose longer if you wish.

When you are ready to move, begin by sliding your legs out, wiggle your toes.

Then bend your knees and rolling completely off of the bolster over to your side.

Press down into the floor with both hands.

And slowly walk yourself back up to a seated position.

Use any props that you may need to sit up.

At the end of the practice, you feel more integrated in a sense of balanced harmony.

Enjoy that.

Bring your hands together to your heart.

To honor yourself, and to feel gratitude for our practice that helps you feel more connected.

Thank you for practicing with us today.

Namaste.

♪ [music full] ♪ ♪ Support for Yoga in Practice is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

♪ Download the SCETV app now and watch Yoga In Practice with Stacey Millner-Collins on demand.

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