- Hi everyone and
welcome to Dedicate,

your 30 day yoga journey.
It's Day 8.

Don't hate,
meditate, feel great.

This is an awesome practice.

This is one in which I invite
you to pause the video and maybe

grab a little blanky or towel.

Maybe grab a little pillow.
Any kind of pillow will do.

And if you don't have
these things, don't worry.

But it might be
nice to have them

for today's extra cozy practice.

Light a candle if you
like and let's get started.

(bright music)

Alrighty my friends,
welcome back.

Let's begin on the ground.

This is a nice low to
the ground practice today.

So as you get settled in

see if you can right
away just begin to

let go of the day thus far.

Quietly, kindly,
brush away your to-do list.

Anything you have
for after this practice

and let's see if we can
really drop in to enjoying this

beautiful moving
meditation today.

Finding the softness.

So we're going to begin
in a nice comfortable seat.

And I'll invite you right
away to just find a little sway,

a little softness in the spine.

So we often start practice like
this when we're doing a session

kind of focused
on getting unstuck

or when we feel like we

don't know what
to do in a situation.

And this is a really beneficial
way to approach your practice

because it's a really
valuable way to approach life.

Often when we're met with
challenges or we feel stuck,

we feel like we have to
work harder, push harder.

So today's practice is just a
beautiful reminder

to relax, lean in,
find the softness,

the ease and allow
your movement to be

more like a moving meditation
rather than muscling through.

And then we can take the essence
of today's beautiful relaxing

practice with us into the more

fiery practices
that are on the way.

But for now, right here,
right now find a gentle sway.

And if this is the first time
you've ever moved like this in a

yoga class or in your life,

just notice what comes up.
Like what resistance?

Like when you
feel kind of silly,

just know that you're not alone
and there are probably thousands

of people doing this
with us right now

that feel the same way.

So don't let that stop you.

Don't let your feeling about
something necessarily

turn you away from it.

See if you can
just kind of smile.

Use all the tools that we've
learned together thus far to

just kind of lean in
and start to integrate

the neck a little more.

And the shoulders.

And then we're going to take
this side sody stretch that

we've been integrating and
you're just going to find a

soft, easy lift of the right arm
all the way up and then take it

over towards the left.

And just like we did on Day 1,

you're gonna find
what feels good here.

Just finding a
little bit of movement.

It can be pulsing.
It can be soft, easy movement.

And then in your own time,
coming through center.

Finding your sway and then
taking it to the other side.

Nice and easy.

And then when you're ready
coming all the way back through

center and we'll bring the hands
to rest gently on the tops of

the thighs or the knees
and take in loving

breath in through the nose.

And as you exhale, go ahead and
breathe out through the mouth.

Close your eyes as
you're ready, and again,

big inhale in through the nose.

And allowing
yourself to just land here.

Whatever you're coming with,
just being honest about it all.

Landing here in
the moment fully.

One more time, big inhale.

Nothing fancy,
just big breath in.

And releasing out
through the mouth.

Just taking a moment
to find stillness here.

Noticing where your thoughts go.

Noticing where you might be
clenching or holding and seeing

if you can right
away start to soften.

Beautiful, then draw the
hands together at your heart,

bow the head to the hands.

Take a deep breath in.

Empty it out

and then flutter
your eyelashes open.

Gently lift the corners
of your mouth just slightly.

Inner smile goes a long way.

Particularly if we
find that we're really,

we've veered quite a distance
far off from like a

moving meditation or
moving with intention,

just a little inner
smile can help remind

you like it's all good.

I can't control
everything anyway.

Only thing I can control is how
I move and then how I move of

course influences how I feel,
et cetera, et cetera.

So here we go.

So we're gonna uncross the legs.

Just bring the
left heel just a bit today

and then bring
the right foot into follow.

So we were in Sukhasana.

This kind of criss-cross
applesauce situation

and now we're
coming into Sidhasana.

So it's just one foot
in front of the other.

So the heels are
going to come in

followed by the right leg and

you're gonna check
in here right away.

Be honest.
Is it tight?

Do I feel
tightness in the hip crease?

Do I feel collapsed?

Can I do something to improve
the length in my spine which is

then going to
help me breathe easier?

And a great thing to do
since we've all brought a little

blanket or towel is to just lift
the hips up a little higher.

Oh yeah, baby,
now I feel amazing!

(laughs) That little lift.

And I love the metaphor behind
these at home yoga practices and

all the yoga practices to be
honest but something like kind

of setting yourself up like this
to just really be an open book.

Really open,
open everything up

and find your way to good.

Okay, so one foot in
front of the other here.

You have your hips
lifted up perhaps today.

We're gonna inhale, send the
fingertips behind the ears.

So just connecting a little bit
to subtle body lines here as you

inhale reach for the sky.

We find that
connection of hip to shoulder,

shoulder to wrist, wrist
to fingertips and beyond.

To infinity and beyond.

Take a deep breath in and as you
exhale melt it all the way down.

Send your heart forward.

We're coming
forward here nice and slow.

Paying attention
to the sensation

as we slowly melt it forward.

You're just gonna come
onto the forearms to start.

And you might find
a soft easy sway here.

And then you'll know if
it's right in your body

to continue the
journey on just a bit.

Maybe bringing

the forehead all the
way down to the earth.

If you have a yoga block, you
can grab it now or sometimes

I just like to stack the fists

like bubble gum,
bubble gum in a dish.

Not everyone will get that
and that's okay but if you do,

awesome. We'll play a
little bubble gum and just give

yourself a little prop
for the forehead to rest on.

And then put some weight, just
some awareness really

in your hips, in your thighs

and start to breathe
deep into your belly.

And one little loving mantra

I like to start with when I'm

doing a moving meditation or
just getting down low to find

balance, not necessarily
embracing a full asana practice

or I also do some
similar exercises.

I always like to start by
inhaling lots of love in

and exhaling lots of love out.

So this is good in a
soft relaxing practice.

Also really good before I run

or anything where
you're going to be uniting

body and spirit,

mind, mental, mental game.

I also like to start inhaling
lots of love in and exhaling

lots of love out
whenever I'm saying a prayer.

It's just a great
place to start so

take it or leave it.
Inhaling lots of love in here.

And then
exhaling lots of love out.

Continuing to notice where you
might be gripping or holding.

And just a little grace notice
so just bring a little energy

into the feet, to the toes.

Start to slow down your breath.

Soften through the face.

And if you were hoping for
a workout today, just trust.

Trust that
everything is as it should be.

This is the practice
you're supposed to

be gifted with today.
So lean in.

Perhaps this time today will

up your game
in tomorrow's practice

or in another
more fiery practice.

And then slowly we'll again
bring awareness to the hips.

Let the lower body be
heavy as you slowly release.

Come all the way back up.

Stacking through the spine.

Stacking head over heart,
heart over pelvis.

On your next inhale, reach the
shoulders so lift the shoulders

all the way up to the ear lobes.

Squeeze and lift, breathe in.

And exhale slide shoulder
blades down the back body.

Awesome, keep the left heel in.

Gently connect to
your center even here.

It's always moving
from a place of connect,

send the left leg out long.

We're gonna flex.

I said left leg, send
the right leg out long.

I'm already Zened out.

Send the left (laughs).

Send the right leg out long.
Sorry guys.

And you're gonna flex your
right toes towards your face.

And just gently turn, turn,
turn so that your heart

and your center
are facing your leg.

And if you're on a blanky you
might just do a little whoop to

shift your hips or your
hip support to move with you.

Cool. Now take the fingertips,
bring them behind the ears.

Inhale, find that connection
to your center as you reach up.

Exhale, think up
and over as we dive

over towards the right toes.

Now wherever the hands
land is perfectly beautiful.

It can be here on the thigh.

It can be here on the shin.

Maybe you're
grabbing the pant leg.

Maybe it's just fingertips.

Maybe in time you work to
pull that right hip crease back.

Create more space
in the front body,

in the back body to
find a Forward Fold.

Maybe traditionally
getting head to knee.

We call this Janus or Sirsan,
Head to Knee Pose.

But honor, so
important to honor you.

Honor where you're at.

In a lot of ways that's what
this journey is all about.

It's dedicating time

with yourself for yourself.

Honoring who you are
and where you are today.

Okay, I'll shut up and allow you

to listen to the
sound of your breath.

Listen to the
wisdom of your heart.

And make sure you're not holding
or clenching in the neck here.

See if you can soften and relax.

Little grace note, little
energy in the toes and the feet.

Stick with it.
Lean in, soften, allow.

And then from your foundation,
that which is touching the earth

here and your
energetic body, slowly roll up.

Yes.

From here, ground down
through the sits bones.

Inhale,
fingertips behind the ears.

Reach for the sky.

From your center, dial all
the way over towards the left.

Gentle twist to your left.

Right hand can come to the
outer edge of the left leg,

left fingertips
behind and we breathe here.

So we're flexing the right foot.

We're breathing deep.
We're sitting up nice and tall.

Working to create
a healthy flow of energy

that runs up and down the spine.

Gently just moving aside
anything that might be stuck,

any cobwebs, any stagnant old

things that we just don't need
to carry around with us anymore.

Cool, and then slowly
releasing back to center.

We're gonna take the right foot.
We're gonna bring it in.

We're going to
re-center if we have a blanket.

And then we'll switch.
Take the right heel in.

Left foot to follow.

Check in here. Bring in
the hips a little bit high

so that your
knees can fall down.

You'll feel really cozy.

And then when you're ready
fingertips behind the ears,

inhale, take the deepest
breath you've taken

all day as you reach up high.

And then exhale,
soften into it, lean into it.

Nice and slow,
forearms to the earth.

Find a little sway here.

Gently opening
up through the hips.

And then find
what feels good here.

Maybe coming all the way down.

Maybe bringing the fist together
for a prop up for the forehand.

And depending on what time of
year that you were doing this

you have any
sinus pressure this can be

a insanely awesome thing.

It shouldn't be so good that
something this simple can help

you feel a clearing out

but this little pressure
right in the

center of the
forehand between the brows.

Okay,

find the mantra.

Inhale lots of love in.

Exhale lots of love out.

And don't try to
think too hard here.

Just allow.
Feel it out.

Inhale lots of love in.

Exhale lots of love out.

Remembering our
observe practice.

Can I reside in the
role of the observer here?

Notice if you're
clenching anywhere.

See if you can soften,
maybe around the hips,

energetically,
around the ankles.

Perhaps the shoulders,

the traps.

Let the weight of your
head go for one more breath.

And then enjoy this blossoming

as you slowly let the hips get

heavy and roll
it all the way up.

Stack through, hands come
to the knees or the thighs

and notice how you feel.

Amazing. Love for sale
except the love is free.

Everything's free.
So great. I love it.

Okey doke, here we go.

Keep your right heel in,
kick your left leg out

and if you need to do a little
shift with your blanky, you can.

We're gonna turn the
torso to heart space,

(clears throat) excuse me,

over towards that left foot.

Flex the left
toes towards your face.

When you're ready,
big breath in.

Fingertips reach behind
the ears all the way up.

And think up and over as if
you're maybe taking your belly

over a little
beach ball or pillow.

Dang it.
We have a pillow right here.

You can use your pillow.

Inhale, reach up and over.

And then same thing,
any amount that the body,

you know, listen to your body.
Body talks, we listen.

That's the way it goes and

that's why regular yoga
practice is amazing.

'Cause you can see how that
conversation just fluctuates

and then we get out of the doing
the yoga and we really create a

practice of experiencing
and listening and responding.

So wherever you are
today, ah, be there.

It's all good.

Maybe you need to bend the
knee generously to kind of

find your way to
good here today.

And then we
allow and we release.

We breathe and we let go.

Just keep noticing
where your thoughts go.

And remember this is
time that you've dedicated

to yourself, for yourself.

Trust it.
Trust the process.

Trust that it's valuable.

Trust that you're worth it.

Then get really
heavy in your bum.

Heavy in the
hips and nice and slow,

super slow, roll it up.

Back to center.

Inhale, reach the
fingertips behind the ears.

And exhale, gentle
twist to the right.

Oh yeah.

Little buddy.

He loves Day 8.

Breathing deep.

Inhale, breathe into
your belly, your guts.

Your instincts.

Cool and then come all
the way back to center.

Awesome, okay.

So from here we're
gonna bring both feet in.

We're gonna take the blanky

and we're just gonna
bring it to the side.

You'll kick your
legs out on your mat.

And if you brought
a pillow to practice

go ahead and grab it now.

Okay, so from here we're gonna
take the pillow and it can be a

couch pillow,
it can be any pillow.

Bedroom pillow.

You're gonna hug it
right up to your sweet belly.

Right in your hip creases and
then you're gonna take your

hands, yeah, baby and move

the fleshy part of the
buttocks aside.

Feel your sits bones kind of
move down to the ground

or maybe not.
Maybe you don't feel 'em.

Maybe you won't.

And we're just gonna move our
nice booties to the side so we

can at least visualize
this grounding down to lift up

through the ground.

The Crown, did you
watch "The Crown" on Netflix?

So good, so amazing.

If you did, tell me down below. 
So great.

Hug your pillow in toward your
body so squeeze it up and then

when you're ready, inhale, reach
the fingertips towards the sky.

And then exhale think up and
over as you bend your knees

Paschimottanasana, you're gonna
rest your chest and your heart

on your pillow,
maybe your forehand.

You can also bring your
blanket or your towel into play

and create a little lift
so you can relax

your forehead
down on the ground.

Down on your prop.

Okay, then in time you can
work to straighten your legs and

we're gonna be here
for about seven to ten breaths

depending on the
rhythm of your breath.

So we're gonna let it all go.

Breathing into the back body.

Calming the nervous system.

Smoothing out any frayed nerves.

Relieving any tension.

Enjoy.

So holding this posture, feeling
the breath and noticing how

the breath can stretch
the skin of the back body.

And I invite you
to find depth here

so don't shortchange yourself.

Once you find a
nice place to be stay there

for seven to ten breaths.

Relax your tongue in
the base of your mouth.

Soften through
the skin of the face.

Inhale lots of love in.

Exhale lots of love out.

One more quiet
breath on your own.

The slowly we'll release.

Come back up mindfully. Enjoy.

Just melt as you
release all the way up.

Okay, check it out.

We're going to take
the blanket to the side.

If you have it,
you're gonna take the pillow,

bring it to the top of your mat
for your head and then you're

gonna bring your blanket or your
towel back into play and it can

either fold up or
you can roll it up.

We're gonna bring it underneath
the backs of the legs.

The leggies.

Heck yeah!
Okay, here we go.

Come on down to your back.

Get situated.

Where's my breathing bolster?

Come here breathing bolster.

Take a second to
get situated here.

You're gonna wanna maybe
shortchange yourself of this too

if you're used to really moving
fast and you're a busy person

like me but man, I'm telling ya.

Stick with this, okay?

This is part of the commitment.

So when you get here you're
going to allow your toes to just

open up just a bit and
allow the inner thighs

to get a little sunlight.

Hey-o, I've never
said that before.

(laughs)
You brought that out of me.

Okay and you're gonna get cozy.
That's the thing.

And we're gonna
find stillness by bringing

the hands to the
rib cage or the belly.

And when you feel cozy
you're gonna soften everything.

Inhale in deeply.

Exhale, close your eyes
and begin to find stillness.

Now allow your
breath to just return to

it's natural ebb and flow.

And enjoy

a moment of
complete and total relaxation.

And if you find
you're not relaxed,

you're distracted,

cool. Way to be human.

Remember this
is just a practice.

Do your best to
practice relaxing.

Practice being still.

And if you're wondering
if you're doing it right,

the answer, my friend, is yes.

Sweet.

Now slowly bring your
awareness back to your body.

Wiggle the toes.

And slowly we're going to
open up through the left arm.

Palm face up to the sky.

Open up through the right
arm, palm face up to the sky.

Then we'll rotate the wrists and
the ankles and start to bring

awareness to just the
quality of air in the room

or wherever you're practicing.
Maybe outside.

Gently begin to deepen your
breath and bring your awareness

now to the quality of air in
your practice space and to the

light in the room
or wherever you are.

And now to any sounds,
any noises you can hear.

And let everything go.

And on your next big inhale,
bring the palms together.

Thumbs to third eye.

Thank you so much for
going on this journey with me.

You are doing an awesome job.

I hope that you know and
feel that what you're doing for

yourself is not only an
incredible thing for you and

your personal
journey but I think,

I'm biased,
but for the world. Right?

So thank you so much for sharing

your time and
your energy with me.

Let us know how today's practice
went in the comments section

down below and I'll
see you tomorrow for Day 9.

We're gonna get high tomorrow.

Okay, but for now I love you.

Namaste.

(bright music)