Restorative 6.24.08

9 peeps showed up this evening.
I am grateful to each one of them.

There was one woman who was completely new to yoga. She shared that she has anxiety and that her doctor had encouraged her to try yoga.

We opened our practice with a seated meditation and breath awareness- 5 min.
I am beginning to feel more and more comfortable setting peeps up in meditation and holding the space in silence. Five minutes can feel like eternity, like I'm holding them hostage, but I'm sensing that opening the practice with a meditation helps
to center, ground, and set the tone of the class. It give me an opportunity to relax into myself and tune into the group. This worked quite well today.

Supported Baddha Konasana with bolster under spine and blankets under head and knees.
Guided relaxation meditation. Exploring the 4 parts of the breath: the inhalation, the very top of the inhalation, the exhalation, and the very bottom of the exhalation. 15 min.

Slow transition extending the legs and arms. Ankle circles in both directions.
Transition into a cushy side lying rest pose. Visualize washing the breath down the spine. 5 min.

Forward fold with the choice of baddha konasana (bound angle pose) or uppavista konasana (seated ankle pose). 2 people chose uppavista konasana. 5 min.

Elevated reclining twist. This is my new favorite restorative pose. Good for digestion and massaging the internal organs. Offers a nice stretch across the low back, through the side ribs and shoulder. 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

Slow transition into side lying rest pose.
All fours for cat/cow stretch. Supported childs pose with bolster. 10 min.

Legs up the wall with bolster under hips. 8 min. Baddha konasana at the wall.

Savasana
Namaste