YOGA SEQUENCE INSTRUCTIONSgiven by Rateeshin the Yoga Makes a Difference TT class film

Let’s lay down on our back in ShavasanaAllow to keep the feet wider than our hipsPalms wider than the shouldersKeep the head and neck straightLet’s close our eyes so we can focus to relaxToes fall out to the sidesPalms are softAnd just breathe normally- - Ask the mind to be presentInto your relaxing body- - -While we lay down, just mentally scan our body, our self, And if we find any tension holding areas, Consciously let go, And relax- - -Without paying any particular attention to anything, Allowing the body to relax towards the mat- - -[He is quiet for about one minute]

…And slowly, begin to bring our awareness backBecome aware of the body through the toes, through the fingersAnd through the breathWaking up from relaxation- - -And move your fingers and toesSlowly bring the legs togetherReach the arms up over the headInterlace your fingersJust have a nice stretch on the spine- - -Exhale – bend the knees towards the chestRelease the hands towards the kneesAnd turn over to the right sideRelease the right hand and place the right arm as a pillow under your earAgain, just feel our body weight, the relaxing,On the next inhalation, press the left hand on the floor and come towards the seated pose

Sit with any comfortable sitting position,either in Sukhasana, cross-legged, or sit between the heels or on the heelsLet’s relax the back of the hands on the kneesConnect the index and thumb fingerRest of the palm stay softAnd sit straightWe’ll start with the conscious breathingOr breathing that helps us to find the length of the inhalations and exhalations

While we sit there,Slightly move forward with the upper body

And also, move backwardsTo find the center of our sitboneWhich helps us to sit relaxed but straight and steadyOnce we find the center of the sitting bone,Reach out through the crown of our headSo we find the strength and the length in the mid parts of the bodyAnd let the awareness be insideClose the eyes- - -Just begin to Understand where we want to direct our breath, or From where we want to fill our breathSo we’ll just go through these five specific spots in the bodyWe focus on when we inhale and exhaleAlong the spine

So first, the point behind the pubic boneThe bone that we find at the end of our bellyBehind the pubic bone, that’s where we want to focusFirst, become aware of that area- - -And we move our awareness into the roots of the navelInside of the body, close to the spine- - -And third one is behind the solar plexus, inside- - -Fourth one, right between in the center of the chest, inside- - -And the fifth, all the way into the roots of our throat- - -So those are the five points that we want to fill through the inhalationAnd empty through the exhalationSo let’s say, if we didn’t get to breathe through all that five deep breathWe’ll just stay with the three or four, so we don’t force our breath into it

So before we begin the breathing exercise,Just empty the breath completelyFinish the exhalationEmpty the diaphragmEmpty the lungs- - -Then, we breathe from the first point, the bottom of the belly:Inhale to the back of the pubic bone, OneTwo, navelThree, solar plexusFour, back of the chestFive, all the way to the throat- - -Exhale, start to empty from the lower point, One, two, three, four, fiveFind a gap- - -

Inhale again from the pubic bone, navel, solar plexus, back of the chest, all the way to the roots of the throatExhale: pubic bone, roots of the navel, back of the solar plexus, behind the chest, all the way to the throatInhale, one, two, three, four, fiveExhale, one, two, three, four, fiveInhale, one, two, three, four, fiveExhale, one, two, three, four, fiveInhale, one, two, three, four, fiveExhale, one, two, three, four, fiveTwo more rounds, on your own- - -At any time during the asana practise,The most important for us is to maintain the breathingIn case you find something too challengingOr if you get out of balance,You could easily sit down in this pose or even child pose, or in ShavasanaBut continue to practise the breathingYoga is a breathing exerciseWhen you breathe properly, you’re still receiving that focus in the body

When your exhale next time,We’ll finish our breathing exercise from the sitting poseAnd slowly, open your eyesRelease the handsAnd make your way up to a stand up position, into Samastitihi

Stand just behind the front line of the matIn Samastitihi or TadasanaStretch your arms alongside the body, fingers straightWe’ll just go through SamastitihiFrom the roots of our feet to the crown of our headBecome aware of the shape of our footAnd move the body weight a little in front of the heelsStrengthen the inner angle of our feetAlso, strengthen the roots of the big toes downStrengthen the outer heelsAnd spread wide through our little toesSoften your kneesAnd strenghten the thighsBring the pubic bone [=middle front of the hip bones] parallell towards the tailbone [the last vertebra on the spine, the tail]Lift the chest away from the navelAlso, lift the area between the shoulderblades away from the sitbonesSo the body is evenly lengtheningRelease the shoulders slightly backAnd strengthen the inner upper arms towards the torsoAnd stretch your middle fingers all the way down towards your ankles

Keep the crown of the head straightFacing towards the sky, and parallellAnd make that movement very memorableIn our body internally and externallyWe are trying to practise this sense of awarenessThroughout the asanas

And just bring the hands into prayer position, bend the elbowsLook towards the tip of your fingersWe’ll chant one round of Ohm together[inhaling]Ooooohhhmm [long, all together]Sahana vavatu [call and response, students sing after]Sahanau bonaktuSaha viir-yamKaravaa waheiTe djus winah [high tone on ”te”]Atii dhamastuu [low tone on ”stu”]MaaviidVishaa wahe-ii [”wahe-ii” in a trembling tone]Hare gi-ohmBow down to our own hands- - -Release the hands downAnd come back to a straight positionWe’ll start with the Surya Namaskara

Inhale deeplyExhale bring the hands in prayer position, press the palmsInhale, lift the arms up over your headKeep lifting the heart and put a gentle arch on the backWhile we press the feet down

Exhale, extend forward from the hipsSlightly bend the knees on the way downPlace the hands on the floor next to the feet, release the crown of the head down

Inhale, stretch the right leg backDrop the right knee, point the right toes Lift the heartMaintain the palms and the fingertips on the floor

Retain the breathCurl the right toes underStep the left leg backFeet togetherA straight position, a plank position

Exhale, drop the knees, chest, chin down on the floorKeep the sitbone floating upwardsStay on the toes

Inhale, lean forwardLift upArch back to a baby cobra

Exhale, curl the toes underLift the hips upAnd press back to the heelsWith the feet together

Inhale, step the right leg forward between the handsDrop the left kneePoint the left toesLift the heart up

Exhale, other leg forwardFeet togetherHead down

Inhale, turn up the pose by bending the knees, bring the arms forwardAnd lift the spine, come aall the way up Begin to find the strenght of the spine and put a gentle arch

Exhale, hands to the side

Inhale deeply

Exhale, prayer position, soften the knees

Inhale, reach the arms UP over the head and arch, liftExhale, extend forward, slow down the movement with the breathPlace the hands on the floor, head down

Inhale, stretch the left leg backDrop the left knee, point the left toesPress the hips down, lift the heart upLook towards the ceiling without arching the neck

Retain the breath, step the other leg back

Exhale, drop the knees, chest, chin down on the floor

Inhale, lean forward, lift up, arch back, keep the inner thighs together, inner toes together

Exhale, curl the toes under, lift the hips and press back to the heels

Inhale, step the left foot forwardDrop the right knee, point the right toesSquare the hips, look up

Exhale, other leg forwardFeet together, inner thighs close, release the crown of the head down

Inhale, turn up the poseHands and the knees come forwardCome aaall the way up, LIFT and open up the heart

Exhale, hands on the side

Inhale deeply

Exhale, prayer position

Inhale, arms UP over the head, ARCH back

Exhale, EXTEND forward, keep the navel in, relax the hands onto the ground, head down

Inhale, step the right leg back, drop the right knee, point the right toes, head up

Retain the breath, other leg backFind the body weight on the hands and feet equally

Exhale, drop the knees, chest, chin down on the floor

Inhale, slide forward, the belly comes on the floor, lift up, arch back

Exhale, press back to the heelsInto an inverted V pose

Inhale, step the right leg forwardDrop the left knee, point the left toes, head up

Exhale, other leg forward, feet together, head down, relax the crown of the head

Inhale, activate the arms, activate thighs, stretch forward, come all the way upLift the heart and arch back

Exhale, hands to the side

Inhale deeply

Exhale, prayer position

Inhale, arms up, arch back

Exhale, extend and fall forward, hands flat on the floor, head down

Inhale, stretch the left leg backHips down, chest up, shoulders back, look up

Retain the breath, other leg back

Exhale, drop the knees, chest, chin down on the floor

Inhale, cobra

Exhale and press back to the heels

Inhale, step the left leg forwardDrop the right knee, point the right toes, heart up

Exhale, other leg forward, feet together and head down

Inheale, REACH the arms forward by the ears, start to lift up the heart, And find the arch from the very very upper parts of our back

Exhale, hands to the sideInhale DEEPLYExhale, prayer positionInhale, arms up over the head, archExhale, EXTEND and fall forwardInhale, right leg backRetain the breath, other leg backExhale, drop the knees, chest, chin down on the floorInhale, cobraExhale, back to inverted V poseInhale, right leg forwardExhale, left leg forwardInhale, come aaall the way up and arch back, lift the heart, extend the armsExhale, hands to the side

InhaleExhale, prayer positionInhaleExhaleInhale, left leg backRetain the breath, other leg backExhale, dropInhale, cobraExhale, back to inverted V poseInhale, step the left leg forward, drop the right knee, head upExhale, other leg forward, feet together and head downInhale, reach the arms up, start to stretch up, stretch the navel up and also draw it inExhale, hands to the sides

We’ll do two rounds with the mantraInhale deeplyOhm bur buva swahaTat savitur vare-nyamBargo deva syati-mahiDiyoyo naha pracho taya[3 times for each side of the sun salutation, or 6 times for the whole sun salutation. We do two sun salutations here which means 12 times]

Stand up tallBe aware of our heart, our breath, feet

Standing asanasStart with the Virabadrasana A on the right side[note: in our version we start with Vrikshasana, the Tree Pose]

Step the left leg back, one leg lengthBring the hands on your hipsSquare the hips, bend the right knee, parallell towards the mat

Lift your arms up over the headPress the arms either in the air towards the center, or bring the hands close towards each otherSend your gaze over your nostrilsAnd BREATHE- - -Inhale all the way down towards the hipsExhale, lengthen the chest up, lower the sitbone downOne more breath, inhale deeeplyExhale, empty the breath, finish the exhalationAnd last inbreathExhale, empty the breath, release the hands out into the sideTurn the back hips toward the back heelWiden the legs if you needReach the handsAnd keep the hands on the side of the shouldersLook towards the front hand[Virabadrasana B]- - -Stay with the breathIntensify the pose according to our abilityBring the right ancle and right knee in lineOne more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breathLift the back foot off the groundAnd bend the back leg, bring the both hands on the floorStep the back foot little forwardLift the chest upOnce you find the height of the chest, Lift the back leg upSquare the hipsAnd when you find the balance, lift the hands off the ground, prayer positionBoth hips facing downModification, hands on the floorAnd if you find it balanced, maybe you can even stretch your hands forwardOr stay in the pose [note: we did not do this pose in our version of the sequence]One more deep breath- - -Exhale, release the hands on the floorAnd we’ll lower the leg towards the other leg

Interlace your fingers behind the backAnd stretch your hands awaaay from the body, breathe inAnd exhale, reeeach out with the hands- - -Release the hands onto the floor firstAnd bring the hands upon the thighs, Inhale, press ourselves all the way up to standing

Other side, inhaleExhale, step the right leg backSquare the hips

When we’re ready, reach the arms UP over the headPress down the outer part of the back footLift from the back side of the bodyOne, two, three, four, Exhale, one two three fourInhale, one two three four, separate the arms out into the side, Virabadrasana B- - -Bring your shoulders and hips in the same lineKeep the left knee towards the center of the left footStay with the breathSend your gaze towards the front handLower the shoulder height, stay with the breath, release our jawOne more deep breath- - -Exhale, EMPTY the breathSquare the hips forward and lift the back heel off the ground, and bring the hands on the groundStep the foot forward, walk the hands forwardWhen you’re ready, lift the back leg upFind the balance, square the hips, hands in prayer position- - -And stay with the breathAnd develop the poseAccording to our abilities, if you want to stretch the hands forward or not, stay with the breathIt’s ok to go out of balance and come down of the poseSo we can continue to study- - -Exhale, bring the hands on the floorDraw the heels and lower the leg towards the floor

Interlace your fingers behind your backBreathe inAnd breathe out, stretch your arms awaaay from the buttocks- - -Release the hands onto the floorThen lift the hands, place them on the thighs, inhale, breathe in, press the handsAnd come up, step towards Tadasana

Take one deep inbreath- - -[Utthita Parsvakonasana]Exhale, step the left leg one leglength backwardsAnd bend the right knee, place the right hand inside of the right heelReach the left arm UP over the head firstOpen up the heartFind your length,By bringing your left shoulder and left hip in the same lineIf it feels ok, bring the left arm up over the earAnd follow the palm with a straight neck, breathe inBreathe outOne more deep inbreath- - -

[Ardha Chandrasana]Exhale, empty the breath, look down, place the both hands on the floorAnd walk the back foot a little forwardAnd walk the hands as wellFind the complete length of the upper body with the placement of the handsAnd lift the back foot off the groundFlex the toesOpen up the left side angle, left hip and shoulder in the same lineAnd when you’re ready, lift the armEither off the ground to the thighs, or from the thighs to the ceiling, breathe in- - -Breathe out, press the back leg INTO the wall behind, breathe in- - -Breathe out, exhale, look down, place the hands on the floor, square the hips and lower the legs towards the groundAnd release the hands into Uttanasana- - -Hands on the thighsInhale, press yourself up and come back upExhale, step the right leg back directlyCome towards Parsvakonasana, with the hand on the inside of the heelWhen you’re ready, lift the arm UPFind the length, Remember: the position of our right side of our body is going to follow on the next poseSo bring the arm up, overNeck straightOne more deep inbreathExhale, release the hand on the floorEase the back heel and walk the hands forward, until you get the body straightThen, turn the right toes sidewaysLift up the legsAnd choose your options, either hand on the hip, or stretching the hand upAlso maybe challenge yourself to bring the palms towards the ground, it’s all up to you, how we want to practise it today- - -One more deep breathOpen up the shoulders and the chest- - -Exhale, look downRelease the hands on the floor, and bring the right leg close to the leftUttanasana, fall forwardRelease the hands on the thighsInhale, breathe in and come aaall the way up, press yourself upExhale, release the hands onto the sides

[Parivrtta Parsvakonasana]Inhale deeplyExhale, step the left leg far out

Drop the left knee, point the left toes, bring the hands in prayer positionInhale deeplyExhale, bring the left elbow outside of the right kneeOr maybe even that left shoulder comes downKeep opening the shoulders, bring the thumbs close to the chestAnd breathe- - -Every time you exhale,Reach the right parts of the body away from the left thighs- - -One more deep breath- - -Exhale, look downKeep maintaining where the knees are, see if we can step the other leg forward toParsva UtkatasanaTwisted Half Chair poseLook towards the right shoulderblades, one deep breath- - -Exhale, look down, release the pose, release the handsGrab the hands on the back of your legs[note: we didn’t do this in our version]Inhale, lengthenExhale, fall forward, stretch the navelAnd release the hands towards your thighsInhale, press yourself up, come back to stand up straightBreathe in

And breathe out, step the other leg backLower down on the knees, hands in prayer position- - -Breathe IN- - -When you breathe out, twist yourself towards the opposite sideBoth sitting bones go directy backAnd bring the spine in the center of the sitbone, turn UPUse your shouldersUse your arms, use your bellyOne more deeep breathIn the end of the exhalation, curl the back toes under, step forward, look downAnd, when you find the pose, look up towards the left elbowDraw the navel in, bring both knees parallell to each other- - -Exhale, look down, release the head, And hands towards the back of the chin bonesInhale, lengthenExhale, fallRelease the hands on top of the thighsInhale, press yourself, come all the way upExhale, release the hands

- - -Taking a deep inbreath- - -[Trikonasana]Exhale, step the right leg back,One leglengthHands wide out to the sidesInhale deeply, make sure the feet are parallellExhale, reach out for the right sideLower the right hand towards the outer right chinbone, left hand upAnd turn the palm toward the direction of our ear, and see if we can bring the arm over our head,Or maintain where you areThe important is that the hips stay parallell,the back hip doesn’t follow the front hip One more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breathUSE your breath, pull your left arm up, come back to the centerExhale, go to the other sideReach outRelease the left hand downReach UP through the right arm and find the position of your own handsNavel in- - -Exhale, empty the breath, lengthen both sides of the bodyOne more deep inbreath- - -Exhale, finish the exhalationAnd lift the arm up, come back to the center, hands wide

And we’ll go to the twisting pose

Bring the left hand toward the outer right foot or in front of the right footOr you just twist as a modificationOnce you place the hand, stretch the right arm up over the headAnd bring the head back towards the line of your sitboneIt is hard to get it exactly but that’s the direction we want to moveStay with the breathAlso, make sure that the feet are not compromising, turning outAlways find the modification according to our needs, but trying to discipline our body- - -Exhale, look downUse the breath and bring the right hand down on the floorAnd walk around to the other side- - -And when you’re ready, lift upTwistAnd reach the arm up

Another modification is to bring the right hand in the center of the mat and reach the other hand upStay with the breathThe upper body wants to go awaay from the hipsOne more deep breath- - -Exhale, look down, release the hands onto the floorAnd bring the hands on the hipsPress the thighsInhale, come up, and we’ll jump [or walk] our feet together to the center

Turn forward, bring the feet together in the front of the matGarudasana [Eagle pose] in a modification[this is an instruction for beginner level, not exactly how we did it in Berlin, but it can be made advanced as well]So let’s step ourselves into the right end of the matBring the right foot in front and place the right leg over the left leg, crossing the legsIt’s a very easy pose that probably many of us could practiseBend the knees in 45° angleBring the arms in front of you, and bend themThe right elbow comes on the outside of the left,place the hands in prayer positionLift the chest up, lift the elbows up, but you still lower the hips down- - -And if you want to develop this pose, you take up the right leg, and put it in the outer side of the left chin bone, or wrap it around- - -Breathe – one And now, we find the wind in the roomThree Four, sloowly, bring your hips upWhen the legs are almost straight, let the legs come down, and release the handsWe’ll step both legs to the other sideInhale, the left leg comes out, crossing in front of the right legAnd bring the hands into the positionIf the left leg is in front, the right hand comes on topBend the keesFind the position, either you’re pressing the legs right out onto the side,Or pressing the left foot into the outside of the right chinbone, Or wrapping the left foot around the right chinboneAs the hips come down, chest and elbows go upOne more deep breath- - -Exhale completely, empty the breath- - -One deep breath- - -And while you exhale, lift the hips upSlowly release the legs firstAnd release the hands down

Bring the feet back to the center [in front of the mat]- - -Lift your heels off the groundAnd bring the hands into shoulder heightReach out through the crown of the head, press the thighs togetherAnd without putting your heels down, bend your kneesHalfway down, open the knees out into the sideSet your sitbone back onto the groundLay down on your backWith feet together

We’ll take two full deep breathsTo prepare for the next poseLay down in Tadasana with feet together, hands close to the body, palms facing downStart to breathe from the bottom,Inhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four fiveInhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four five- - -Prepare for the Single Leg Rise exercisePress both hands down, press both feet down, heels downAnd inhale, stretch the right leg with the breath, ninety degree angle towards the ceilingExhale, lower the right leg down towards the groundInhale, left leg up, keep the other leg strong on the ground, strengthen the sitbone,Exhale, left leg downInhale, right leg, one two three fourExhale, one two three fourInhale, use the breath to synchronize the poseExhale, sloowly bring the leg downInhale, lift your right leg up ninety degree angleRelease the hands off the ground, catch your leg wherever you canTry not to hold it behind the knee, that may force you to bend the knee- - -Press the right leg towards the front of the matOr towards the floor where it wasAnd also, resist that with the shouldersSo we really want to get the work between our right hip joint and our shoulders, The shoulders want to stay towards the groundAnd the sitbone wants to ground towards the front of the mat- - -Without lifting the head, see if we can intensify the hug of the leg towards the body Also, find the breath, moving through these five spots up, and down [conscious breathing]- - -Hold the pose for two more breathsContinue to strengthen the opposite thigh on the floor

We want to keep that thigh stable, to open up the hipsAnd the muscles on the right leg- - -Inhale deeplyExhale, walk the hands all the way up towards the heelAnd lift the chestAnd feel that chest through the shoulders,Bringing the chest between the shouldersAnd continue to strengthen the other thigh And sit up towards the lower back- - -And hold the poseContinue to work on the opposite directions, duality,The right leg is still pressing forward, Chest is coming up,Shoulders are moving down,Strengthen the other thigh,- - -Exhale,When we lower the head down, we want to hold the leg in that position to find the challenge If you want to modify the pose, just bend the knee, that’s perfectly fineOtherwise, we just keep that strengthAnd release the space between the right hipbone and the right side of the bodyFind a gap- - -Exhale, release the hands towards the floorKeep the leg right thereWithout using the hands, challenge yourself if we can move the legs towards the opposite direction of the headWe start to see that shaking comes on the legJust breathe- - -And slooowly, bring the right leg towards the floor with a strong thigh bonePrepare for the other side

Feet together, hands close to the bodyInhale, lift up the left legCatch up with our handsAnd find the poseWe want to find exactly the same actions and reactions that we’ve created in the body on the other sideWhere the shoulders never go flat on the floor, at least the outer shoulders,So we want to keep the shoulderblades towards the ground,But the shoulders come towards the line of our earsAlso find a gap between the left side of the body and the left pelvic boneLet the breath go deepInhale deeplyExhale, walk the hands up towards the heels, lift your head upChest up, shoulders down

Continue to strengthen the right femur bone [thigh bone] through the entire legDrag the right heel forwardLift up the kidneys off the groundOne more deep breathFlex the feet- - -When you’re exhaling, keep the hands still where they are and bring the head and shoulders back onto the groundKeep holding it right there for a momentIn that final stage, see if we can bring the hip bone parallell- - -And exhale, release the hands towards the groundAnd continue to reach the legs, Use the mind to stretch your leg towards your face- - -Exhale, slooowly lower the leg towards the center

Come back to Tadasana and take one deep breathEmpty the breath, finish the exhalation- - -Inhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four fivePrepare for the Double Leg Rise exerciseIf we have a sensitive back, or if we’re not that strong enough yet,We’ll bring both hands and place them just above the line of the buttocksOtherwise, keep the hands on the floor- - -With and inbreath, lift both legs half way upSo when you’re lifting the legs up, we really want to sync the movements, So it’s not the legs coming first and then we finish the breath,- - -Exhale, lower the legs close towards the groundBefore we touch the floorInhale, lift up againModification, bending the kneesThree, four, fiveExhale, one two three four fiveInhale, use your breath, one two three four five

Widen the hands out into the sideBend the kneesInto a ninety degree angle, so we want to have the top of the chin bones in parallell with the skyExhale, either keep the head straight,Or you can look onto the opposite direction from where the legs goSo turn the legs half way down to the right sideOur goal is not to bring the legs on the floor, just to find that twistTry not to lift the left shoulders off the groundKeep the heels still alignedStrengthen your spineStrengthen the shoulderbladesOne deep breath into the opposite kidneys

- - -Exhale, empty the breathInhale, use your breath to return your legs to the centerExhale, lower the legs towards the other sideKeep parallell the heels and the knees, press the right shoulderbladesEither keep the head straight, or look over the opposite shoulder- - -Exhale, empty the breathFinsish the exhalation, inhale, use your breath to come backBring the hands alongside the bodyStretch your feet up towards the ceiling

So when you’re stretching, you still want to drop the heels towards the sit bonesFind the strength- - -So when you’re gonna come down to the floor,Make sure that we don’t lift the shoulders up, or draw the head back, Keep the head straightAnd slowly lower the legs in the count of tenOne, two, three, four, five, six, shoulders down, head straight, strong legs, nine, and ten- - -And separate the legs, separate the handsLet’s come back to the mat, if you’ve gone away to the side of it, just return your body into the matClose your eyesWe’ll take three conscious full deep breaths- - -It’s important to find the breath and relaxing between the posturesIn case any of the previous asanas created some sort of stress in the bodyWhile you lay down, it’s easy to let that goAnd also, when you relax after a pose, that’s where the asanas’ benefits are received by the body- - -Two more long deep breathsContinue to visualize that the breath is filling all the way from the bottom of the belly towards the throat[he is quiet for about half a minute]

And we prepare for Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana[The Bridge][note: we did another version, without hands lifting]Preparation – bring the feet of your both legs underneath your kneesKeeping the heels sit bone width apartHands alongside the bodyKeep the head and neck straightSo we syncronize the movements with the breath, When you inhale, with the breath you lift the hips up, and the hands follow all the way back to the back of the mat - - -Inhale, use your breath to lift the sitbone, and also

hands come up, one, two, three, four, fivePress the back of the hands on the floor, press the heels down- - -Exhale, return the pose down, hands down, one two three four fiveInhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four fiveInhale, one two three four five, hold the pose up there, and release the hands towards the back of the body, interlace your fingersPrepare to press down both legsAnd press the left heel down, lift the right leg upOnce the leg is up, draw the right heel towards the right sitbone,Strenghten both thighs towards the centerFeel the breath- - -Exhale, empty the breath, finish the exhalationBend your right knee and bring the foot down on the floor- - -Inhale, use your breath to lift the other leg upStrengthenExhale completely, empty the breathTake one more deep inbreath to stabilize the sitbone and the thighs towards the centerExhale, bend the knee, slowly return the foot down on the floorRelease the hands, bring your arms up over the head againInhale, lift the heart, lift the hipsExhale, slowly, synchronize your movements, the hips come down, the hands come downBend your knees towards your chest and give yourself a hug, flex the feetAnd lift your forehead towards the knees- - -Exhale, place the head back onto the floor- - -And roll up towards the sitting positionAnd lay down on your belly

Make the hands as a pillow, relax the forehead on topJust let the breath move along the spineSo we can feel that the body is heavy again on the groundAnd the breath will grow into the back of the body- - -We’ll prepare for our next poseHalf DhanurasanaFirst we will slowly rise ourselves and place the elbows directly underneath the shouldersWith both feet straight togetherInhale, bend the right kneeExhale, reach the right arm around the right ankleFlex the feetStart to press the right heel back, away from the right buttockStill bring the right shoulder forward

And if that’s still ok with our back, we’ll lift the left elbow on the ground [keeping the hand on the ground]And lift the heartAnd try to stay up on the pose, by using the back legBreathe in and out on the back of our bodiesBring the breath developing inwards- - -And some of us may want to develop it more by lifting the left hand slowly off the ground [hand in Gyan mudra, index finger and thumb together]But keep maintaining that relaxed body- - -One more deep breathExhale, slowly bring the left hand down onto the floor, come on the elbows And release the right hand and lower the leg back

And we’ll take the other legFeet togetherAnd then, bend the left kneeGrab the left hand on the left ankleAnd inhale, with the breath, press your heel upAnd stretch the leg backContinue to bring the shoulders forwardAnd ease your right elbow off the floorOr even come up on the fingertipsContinue to press both sides of the hips onto the floor, use the breath to stay upStrengthen the legsExhale, lift the right hand off the floor [volontary]- - -Come down on the elbowRelease the legAnd prepare for the Parshava Bekasana (??)[we did not do this pose]Bend the right kneeTake the right hand backIf possible, take the hand from the inside of the foot and turn the fingers forwardAnd press the hand towards the foot while you move the knees inOr you can anyhow just hold the leg and hug the footPut the heel towards the buttocks, lift the heartLook straight ahead and breathe- - -Exhale, empty the breathMaintain the knees more towards the centerOne more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breath, slowly release the hand, and bring the leg down

Exactly the same pose on the other sideWhen your’e ready, goStay with the breath all the timeMaintain that knee towards the center line of the matThe left shoulder forward, the heart upBreathe in

And breathe outOne more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breath, and release the handMake the hands as a pillowAnd lay your forehead down

Before we do the full round of Dhanurasana Just prepare, release the lower back[He is quiet for half a minute]

And separate the hands, bring the forehead on the floorStretch your arms back towards the side of the hipsBend your kneesAnd lift the arms off the ground and grab your anklesKeep the feet at least sit bone width apartFlexing the feet, that’s an imortant part of the first round of Dhanurasana- - -The soles of our feet are more parallell towards the ceilingWe’re gonna come up only using the heelsTo lift upHeels are pressing away from the buttocksAlso, try not to lift the kneesSo using the heels backShoulders sligthly go forward to maintain the line of the earsKeep breathingStay with the breath- - -One more deep breathKeep using that chest to hang the legs backwards- - -And exhale, slowly bring the forehead down on the floorThis time, we move the hands to the middle of the feetPrepareBefore we lift up the chest, truly press the feet up towards the ceilingKicking the legs in the air, and come UP on your bellyAnd while you breathe deeply, your body starts to rock back and forth because the legs are up, the chest is up, if the breath goes deep it massages all the internal organs inside the bellyOne more deep breathUse the legs- - -And exhale, slowly release the chest down first, knees down on the ground, and let go of your hands- - -Place the hands again as a pillowEither relax the foreheadOr one of the comfortable cheeksRight or left

Keep the toes touching together

Heels fall out into the side- - -So the lower back has been working the most in the last poseSo see if we can breathe into the back of the bellyLet the back of the belly stretch and release from the previous pose- - -One more deep breath

And prepare for the Budjangasana, the Cobra poseFeet togetherThe sides of the big toes, sides of the heels togetherThen place the hands underneath the shouldersFingertips come in line with the shouldersThe shoulderblades are not squeezing, the top of the shoulderblades is going out and away,The tip of the shoulderblades come close together towards the center of the spinePress the handsPress the top of the feetWith the breath, move the chin forwardChest forwardPress the hands, and lift the heart upUse the breathExhale, lower your chest, sternum, and forehead down, prepare for the second roundMove your hands just a little backward- - -Inhale, drive your chest forward from the hipsAnd keep stretching and stretching and stretching and liftingStretch the back of the neckSend your gaze towards your foreheadOn an exhale, slooowly come back down on the ground- - -For the last round, we move the hands a little further backSo just notice, we don’t want to lift the chest, we want to drive the chest away from the hips and use that length to come upContinue to lengthenOpen up the heart, elbows close to the body, shoulders wideTry not to tense our buttocks, and use the heart, the spine, to lift up- - -One more deep breathPress the feetExhale, slooowly come down

Release the handsWe’ll go directly to the next pose, by taking both hands underneath the body, palms facing down[note: we didn’t do this pose]It’s important to place the palms down for the pose, but if that is too difficult, or if you have any knee or elbow injury, you choose the pose – either you make the hands face towards the thighs underneath the body, or you just leave the arms alongside the body

Try not to force the shoulders, around the shouldersGet ready- - -Inhale, lift your right leg up as high as you can, with the hips squareExhale, right leg downInhale, left leg up, strengthen the hipsExhale, left leg downInhale, right leg upExhale, downInhale, left leg upExhale, downInhale, stretch the right legBend the left knee, and keep the left knee on the ground, and place the right thigh on the center of the left footWe want to find that balance of both hips parallell towards the groundIt’s an easy, relaxing poseOnce that leg is held up by the other leg, we’re not doing much, we’re simply hoplding the pose to release the lower back muscles and the spineSo just maintain the breath, try not to press the breath too much into it- - -In order to protect the neck and the chin, we stabilize the shoulders back and down towards the floor- - -One more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breathContinue to inhale and stretch the right leg higher up to free the left legAnd slowly straighten both legs down towards the groundExactly the same pose on the other side

Inhale, lift the left legAnd bend the right knee, place the left thigh on the right footMost probably, that left hip will lift off the floor, so we want somehow to find a balance to bring them parallell towards the ground- - -Pressing down the outer shoulders to protect the chinUse the breath, the breath comes into the back of the body- - -Releasing the back and and the back of the diaphragm- - -One more deep breath- - -Exhale, empty the breath and activate the left leg deeply in and liftAnd slowly release both legs downStay there for a moment- - -Then turn to one side, release the hand

And the other side and the other handMake the hands as a pillow againJust relaxTake one deep breath

From the relaxing position, we’ll place our elbows underneath our shouldersInterlace your fingersLift your chest upCurl the toes underAnd we’ll lift the body, lift the thighs and lift the belly off the groundWe want to keep the body parallell,Lengthen the chest up and forward, sitbone downJust to get out of that arching of the backAfter we become flexible, we want to strengthen again so our lower back lifts up,Kind of straight back- - -And we’ll slowly walk the feet forward with feet together for a DolphinOr an upper body strengthening exercise which helps for the head stand- - -Exhale, lower the chin towards and over the hands, hold itInhale, bring the chest back and look at the navelExhale, pass the chin forward, bring it all the way to the ground if we canInhale, pull the hips back and look towards the navelExhale, last round, bring it forwardMake sure the elbows are not sliding outwardsKeep the elbows hugging, lift the sitbone up, stay, stayThen inhale, press back, look at the navel and stayDraaaw the head in towards the body- - -Exhale, slowly bend the kneesSit downIn a child’s pose, take your hands backKeep the head still on the groundJust leave a couple of breaths, releasing the shoulders, releasing the kidneys[He is quiet for about half a minute]

[Ardha Matsyendrasana, Half Spinal Twist]With an inhale, lift your heart upTowards a sitting poseFrom the child pose, we’ll slide towards the left buttock, outsideBring the right foot forwardPlace the right foot outside of the left knee [the left leg is bent]So we don’t place the foot all the way inAnd catch the right chinbone with the inside of the left armAnd if that is too difficult, we want to grab the right leg from the insideKeep the legs close towards the chest, lift the heart upPlace the right hand behind the spine

Keep extending both sides of the ribsPress the right sit bone down, turn your head backAnd look at the right shoulderbladeAnd feel your breathProbably our breath gets shorter because our lungs are being twistedKeep the breath developing from the first pointAll the way upWhen you exhale, gradually make that twist deeper- - -Two more breaths- - -Exhale, empty the breath, look forwardRelease the left handAnd cath the outer right foot with the left handIf that’s ok, slowly straighten the leg in front of youAnd stretch the right hand in straight line with the left shoulderTurn your head back, look towards the right shoulder againGrow out of the right thigh, but still press the right sit bone down, Breathe in, sit tallExhale, empty the breathLook forwardAnd bring the right hand forwardThen release the leg back towards the left foot [so that you sit on both heels]

Slide over to the other side, sit your right buttock on the floorBring the left heel outside / in front of the right thigh / kneeAnd pick the position of your right armInhale, place the left hand behindBreathe inExhale, turn around- - -So the twist should come from moving the left hip in line with the [something, didn’t hear], and chest comes up, With the exhalation, turning the heart away from the left thigh- - -Two more breaths- - -Make the twist gently deeper by exhalationsBoth shoulderblades move downHeart comes upOne more deep inbreath- - -Exhale, empty the breathLook forward, catch the right hand outside of the left footLift the leg upKeep the knee, and second toe, and hip in a straight lineStretch the left hand backKeep opening the heartPress the left sitbone downReach out through the fingers

Press the left foot forward, breathe inExhale, empty the breathBring the hand forwardRelease the left heel on the floorAnd stretch the right leg out

Stretch both legs forwardAnd keep the feet a little wider than our hipsInhale, reach the arms up over the head, interlace the fingers, palms facing upExtend your armsFlex the feet, inhale deeply- - -And while you’re exhaling, keep the lower abdomen still in towards the body, Stretch forward and try to see if you can bring the hands over, in front of your left footOr, modify the pose the way you wish toInhale, come back upExhale, go to the other sideTrying to find that length in the lower abdomenInhale, lift upExhale, towards the leftInhale, upExhale, rightRelease the hands, while you release, grab the right foot with the right hand, left foot with the left handAnd let go of that lengthening of the lower belly, just relax all the way down- - -Take two breaths[He is quiet for a little while]

And with a deep inhaleWe’ll lift the head up, chest upRelease the handsAnd bend your knees and cross the anklesSit with a comfortable cross-legged position- - -Releasing the hands on the knees, palms facing upConnect the index and thumb fingers together into a Chin MudraAgain, sit straightFrom the center of the sit boneAnd find it by moving the body forwards, backwards, side to sideOnce we find that centralized sitting, lift the crown of the headKeep te shoulders relaxedTake two more rounds of conscious breathingInhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four fiveInhale, one two three four fiveExhale, one two three four five- - -From now, we just let go of that focus and concentration in the breathSimply keep the body straight and steadyTo find that complete stillness in the spine, so we’re not movingOur focus should be to bring the spine completely

stillLet the breath go in and out by itselfSpontaneous inhalation and exhalation

And focus the mindSomewhere insideEither inside of the chest, inside the bodyOr in the center of the eyebrows, insideJust stay inside of yourselfJust sit still[He is quiet for some time]

So before the Shavasana, if we find time to sit still, even for five minutes, it will bring the effect of the practiseBecause after you’ve been practising, you will be able to focus, to sit still and keep the spine stillAnd while we keep that sense of relaxationKeep the eyes still closedRelease the hands, stretch the legs forwardAnd lay down on your mat in Shavasana- - -And separate the hands and feetClose your eyesKeep the neck longAnd let go- - -Notice that you’re not focusing on anything, breath, or any positioning of the toes or fingers, allow them to simply be, and be soft

Namasté