winding down - a vinyasa flow to let go of the day

Hi, and welcome to Winding Down, a vinyasa flow to let go of the day that's passed. For a healthy sleep schedule, we need to wind down maybe one or two hours before we go to bed. It's important that we don't work out too late, and maybe you had a hard day or an exciting one. Whichever, you may need to find stillness and calmness before you call it a day. This practice is for you, and yoga isn't about what the positions look like. It's about how you feel, your body, your mind, how you react to challenges. And whichever modifications you want to or need to do, just do them. This flow is to call your body, your mind, and your breath down. To let go, to invite rest, just listen to your body, and listen to your breath, listen to your mind. Start by coming into child's pose, just extending your arms over your head. Let your sit bones come close to your heels, forehead into the mat. Maybe a short reflection over the day that's passed. Maybe moving your knees a bit to the side to really make space for your belly. And just notice your breath here, maybe deepening a bit, and then finding your older breath in and out through your nostrils. And then slowly ask your inhale, just moving forward, coming in to your low cobra. Breathing into your lower back, and then exhale, coming back to child's pose. Just resting, moving with your breath. So on your next inhale, slowly making your way forward, this time all the way into cobra or outward facing dog. And then ask your exhale, coming back to child's pose. Once again, moving with your breath, slow and controlled, inhale, coming down all the way to the mat, and then pushing yourself up, just breathing in to your lower back, and then exhale, coming down, resting your forehead into the mat, extending your arms to the side. Maybe passing for a moment, and then inhale, making your way over to your right side, opening up the left side of your body, left hand towards your right one, bending your left knee, just breathing in to your right shoulder, opening up, exhale, coming back to center, and as your inhale, opening up the right side of your body towards the ceiling. Like leg, bending and right arm, coming towards your left one, maybe gazing upward, breathing into your left shoulder, and then exhale, coming back to center. Moving your hands to the top of the mat, pushing yourself up once again as you inhale, breathing into your lower back, and exhale, coming down, placing your hands next to your body, and then inhale into your downward facing dog. We're going to move with your breath, so as you inhale, shifting forward into your upward facing dog, maybe rolling over your toes, and then exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, shifting forward, just opening up the front of your body, and exhale, down dog. Let your spine move like a wave in the water, inhaling, upward facing dog, and exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, shifting forward, relaxing your shoulders, opening up your chest, and exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, lifting up your right leg, exhale, placing it in between your hands, coming down on your left knee. Inhale into your low lunge, and then exhale, opening up to the left side. Inhale, back to your low lunge, and exhale, releasing your right hand, lifting up your left foot, grabbing onto it into your mini dancer. Just gazing up towards your left hand, slow and controlled. Remember your breath, and then exhale, letting go of your foot, inhaling into your low lunge, and exhale, coming back into your half split. Inhale, once again moving with your breath, opening up the front of your body, exhale, sit bones towards your heel. Inhale, remember to let your left thigh come forward, and exhale, coming back. Inhale, shifting forward, relaxing your shoulders, opening up your chest, and exhale, coming back. Inhale, once again, shifting forward into your low lunge, and then exhale, placing your hands down, stepping through your version of Shatranga, or knees, chest, and chin. Inhale, upward facing dog or cobra, and then exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, lifting up your left leg, and exhale, placing it in between your hands, coming down on your right knee. Inhale into your low lunge, and exhale, open up to the left side. Inhale, back to your low lunge, and exhale, release your left hand, hold on to your right foot, coming into your minute answer, gazing towards your right hand, trying to relax your shoulders, pausing for a moment, breathing into your thighs, your shoulders, and then exhale, releasing, inhale into low lunge, and exhale, coming back to half split, toes towards the ceiling. Animals may be moving your hands forward, may be lifting them up from the mat, just moving with your breath, inhaling forward, opening up your chest, and exhale, coming back. Inhale, shifting forward, relaxing your shoulders, and exhale, inhale, coming back up. And exhale one last time, inhaling into your low lunge, and then exhale, placing your hands down and stepping through your version of Shadranga Dandasana, or knees, chest and chin. Inhale, upward facing dog or cobra, and then exhale, coming down to the mat, moving your hands to the top of the mat, and inhale, pushing yourself up, breathing into your lower back, and exhale, coming back down to the mat. Moving your hands next to your body, and then exhale, child's pulse. Just resting your forehead on the mat, let your belly take space in between your thighs. Your sit bones closer to your heels with every exhale. Just reconnecting with your breath, reconnecting with your mind, your body. Maybe extending your hands a bit forward for a deeper stretch. And then slowly inhale, making your way up to seated, tucking your toes in, knees hip with the part. I'm going to give you a few variations, so either just place your hands on your hips coming up, staying here, or coming back with your head, maybe extending your hands over your head, and then come all the way back down to your heels. Coming into camel pose, opening up the front of your body, work with gravity, and just release your head. And then exhale, coming back down, slowly making your way forward, stepping your feet on the outside of the mat, coming into my last and eye, your yogic squat, palms together, pushing your knees away with your elbows, and then slowly making your way down to the mat, glaying on your back, just coming with your knees towards your chest, and extending your left leg, slowly coming over to your left side. Right knee still bent, shoulders into the mat, maybe extending your right arm, gazing over your shoulder, breathing into your hip, maybe left hand on your right knee for a deepest stretch, and then inhale, coming back to center, hugging your knees in, extending your right leg, and exhale, coming over to your right side, extending your arms, shoulders into the mat, gazing over your left shoulder, maybe your right hand on your left knee for a deepest stretch, and breathing in and out, to your spine, and then inhale, coming back to center, just hugging your knees in one last time, one big hug, maybe rolling a bit from side to side, massaging your spine, and exhale, coming down to shabasana, extending your legs, your arms along your side, and just coming back to your breath, your natural breath, letting go of everything that's passed, during the class, during the day, maybe staying here, or when you're ready, slowly coming over to one side with eyes still closed, just pausing for a bit, feel that you are held, and then inhale. slowly coming up to see that I still closed, maybe placing one hand on your heart's base, one on your belly, to just really reconnect with your breath, maybe placing your palms in front of your forehead, mouth and heart's base. Maybe thanking yourself, remind yourself of kind words, kind thoughts, and just to feel all the emotions that you feel, maybe put a smile on your face, maybe just reconnecting with yourself, you wind it down, you have the time for your sleep, maybe passing a bit before you go to bed, reflection, maybe writing in your diary, turning the lights off. I hope you have a good night's sleep. Namaste!