Noticing

Hi and Welcome to your Journey into Yoga! I’m Avery Rich and am so happy to have you along for the ride 

Before we dive in to today’s episode, you will need a prop for our practice today - a strap, something that can be fashioned into a strap - it doesn’t have to be stretchy but if it is, we can work with that too! A robe tie, a belt, even a scarf can work….I know, I can envision you all roaming around with your headphones on looking for said article - the beauty of the podcast - you can walk around and no need to press pause 

Last time we had an opportunity to examine shavasana - which I will refer to lovingly as yoga’s “closer” pose - that which ends each yoga session, and which without a doubt, is a pose that puts a smile on my face :) As we dive into a different sequence a bit later on, I am reminded of a certain word - that word is NOTICING

Ever notice how we fail to notice?? We move through life, we have stuff to do - whether its preparing a meal, working a job, driving from point A to point B…In fact, we often have so many things on the “go” that sometimes we barely even NOTICE what we are doing at all!

Noticing is easier said than done;   I mean, if we were to notice all of the tiny minutia of our days it would be beyond overwhelming  However, that doesn’t discount the fact that many  things ARE very worth noticing -  yet, we often still fail to do so.   Why?

IN ORDER TO NOTICE SOMETHING, WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT

Paying attention is hard because it may lead to our discovering things we don’t like about ourselves.  -

For instance, if we start to pay attention to our spending habits, we may realize that we are over spending…Let me throw out another example:  if i start to notice our eating choices, we may become aware that our choices aren’t the best ones we could make…

Yuck! I wish I never noticed these things in the first place; then I wouldn’t have needed to pay attention to these things!! }}

But what if noticing and paying attention are the keys to positive change?? What if noticing and paying attention help you  to make positive healthy changes to your life?? Now that doesn’t sound so bad does it?

Today for our guided practice, I want you to pay attention to noticing (see what I did there???!!!)  Our practice today will include yoga poses that we perform on each side of the body at different times. Sometimes these are referred to as ASSYMETRICAL POSES  Simply put, we will work with one side of the body first, and then we will work with the other side of the body - Each side will receive the posture but not at the same time.  Make sense?  Lets dive in!

GUIDED YOGA SEQUENCE  - Suptapadangustasana A, B and C (okay say it three times fast — just kidding!)

-Find a place where you are able to lie down - if you have a yoga mat available even better, but a towel or blanket or something flat you can lie on will also work fine

-Bend both legs and rest your feet into the floor

-Notice when you bend your legs how your low back is able to release towards the ground - cool hey? I bring attention to your low back because our first posture will help bring some space to that specific area :)

-now, keeping your left leg exactly where it is, draw your right knee towards you - and holding one side of the strap with each hand, loop the strap underneath your right foot and then extend your right foot up towards the ceiling straightening the right leg as you go.  SO, your left leg is bent with foot on the floor, and your right leg is straight, strap looped underneath your right foot with one end of the strap in each hand - and yes, if you feel a stretch on the back of your right leg you are exactly where you need to be!  Finally, you can extend your left leg straight out along the floor, so now both legs will be straight.  (hold here for 10 breaths).

From here, we are going to take both of the strap ends into our right hand and then, holding onto both strap sides, reach higher up as if you are grabbing for your right foot - remember to keep that right leg straight!  once you have that high grip, place your left hand on the floor beside your left leg and then draw your right leg over to the right - it needn’t go anywhere in particular, maybe it only moves slightly off centre maybe it is able to release a little further over - the important thing is for that leg to remain straight…try to keep your left leg and sit down resting on the =ground (we don’t want your body rolling over with this action)  [hold for 10 breaths]  complete the exhale…holding onto the strap ends, guide your right leg back up to centre, now, take both strap ends into the left hand, again find that high grip up the strap, guide your leg over to the left this time - I don’t men to repeat but it bares repeating, keep that leg strict - this may mean that the crossover is very slight - if you ahem space you can cross the leg over more but remember - there is no destination, just the journey [hoold for 10 breaths]  now draw the leg back up and release.

HERES THE AMAZING PART - NOTICE/PAY ATTENTION - to the difference in the two sides of the body - amazing hey?? Im guessing your right leg feels longer than the left?  Maybe even that entire right side body feels relaxed and more settled into the earth than the rleft side? Yoga magic.  Okay let’s even up!!

now that we have learned side 1, side 2 will come a bit easier

Bend both legs and rest your feet into the floor

-Notice when you bend your legs how your low back is able to release towards the ground - cool hey? I bring attention to your low back because our first posture will help bring some space to that specific area 

-now, keeping your right leg exactly where it is, draw your left knee towards and holding one side of the strap with each hand, loop the strap underneath your left foot and then extend your left foot up towards the ceiling straightening the left leg as you go.  SO, your right leg is bent with foot on the floor, and your left leg is straight, strap looped underneath your left foot with one end of the strap in each hand - and yes, if you feel a stretch on the back of your left leg you are exactly where you need to be!  Finally, you can extend your right leg straight out along the floor, so now both legs will be straight.  (hold here for 10 breaths).

From here, we are going to take both of the strap ends into our left hand and then, holding onto both strap sides, reach higher up as if you are grabbing for your left foot - remember to keep that left leg straight!  once you have that high grip, place your right hand on the floor beside your right leg and then draw your left leg over to the left - it needn’t go anywhere in particular, maybe it only moves slightly off centre maybe it is able to release a little further over - the important thing is for that leg to remain straight…try to keep your left leg and sit down resting on the =ground (we don’t want your body rolling over with this action)  [hold for 10 breaths]  complete the exhale…holding onto the strap ends, guide your left leg back up to centre, now, take both strap ends into the right hand, again find that high grip up the strap, guide your leg over to the right this time - I don’t men to repeat but it bares repeating, keep that leg strict - this may mean that the crossover is very slight - if you ahem space you can cross the leg over more but remember - there is no destination, just the journey [hold for 10 breaths]  now draw the leg back up and release.

If you have the time, pause for a bit in shavasanna…until next time!