Latest / Ten-Minute Mornings / Find Your Balance This Monday | Morning Yoga & Mindful Choices
Transcript
- James @ Daily Flow: Hello friends. Thanks for downloading the audio version of today's 10 minute mornings practice. The YouTube video is linked in the show notes. And if you're staying with just the audio, don't worry about doing it right. Just move and breathe in a way that feels honest. That's enough. James: Maybe the weekend was a little too good, but Monday got here anyway. We better try some yoga. Hello friends, welcome to your daily flow 10 minute morning's practice. My name is James. Be sure to practice till the end. We'll pull a card, set some intention together for the day. And of course, be sure to like, subscribe and leave comments and do all the things. Come to stand at the top of your mat. Place a hand on your heart and one on your stomach. Feel your feet firm on the floor and gently try to pull the mat apart with your feet. that activate your legs. Feel that energy rising up. Nice inhale. and exhale. Interlace your fingers in front of your chest. Flip your palms inside out, press them forward around your back body. Open up through the shoulder blades and give the front of the pelvis a little tilt. So you're in cat pose essentially. Inhale. Exhale. And now float those interlaced fingers up to the ceiling. Exhale, fold forward, lead with your heart, release those hands. Inhale, look forward. and then step back to a plank position. Top of a pushup, 10 fingers spread wide, wrap your elbows under, pull your heart forward, inhaling. Exhale, lower your knees, your chest and your chin. Inhale, cobra pose. And then tuck your toes and send your hips to your heels. Roll yourself forward to plank. Downward facing dog. Do that again. Roll forward to plank. Exhale, lower the knees, send the hips to the heels. Still keep that grip in the finger pads through all of this. Inhale, roll forward, lift the knees. Exhale, downward dog. Third time's the charm. Exhale, child's pose, toes tucked. Inhale, roll forward. Exhale down dog and then let's stay here. Paddle out those heels, shake out the head. On your next inhale, roll yourself forward, release the right knee onto the mat. Exhale, inhale, float the right arm and the left leg. Exhale, bring the knee to the elbow. Twice more, inhale, lengthen. Exhale, knee to elbow. Really try to find a crunch in this knee to elbow. So there's a purpose in it. You're finding a stretch here as you lengthen. You're finding a little core engagement as you round, which it also takes some core engagement to balance, course. Lengthen again. Set the right hand down, step the left foot back. Now left arm to the ceiling. Roll out that left wrist. Maybe float the left foot like half moon. Maybe hold the left foot. It feels like the foot is too far away. It is. So don't worry about it. Kick the heel away. Look up. Inhale. Exhale step your left foot back set the left hand down down dog split the right leg And then downward dog set that right foot down pedal out your heels Shake out your head does your right side feel any different from your left check in? Down roll yourself forward to plank lower the left knee Give that right. I mean that right leg a little sawed. It feels like it wants it extend your left arm forward flow your right foot inhale Exhale knee to elbow. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale knee to elbow. One more time, inhale. Feel a stretch. Exhale, feel a little gentle core engagement. Lengthen again. Set the left hand down. Step the right foot back, right arm to the ceiling, supported side plank. I'm gonna roll that right wrist out. Maybe float the right foot. Maybe hold the right foot. Inhale. Exhale. Go ahead and set that right foot back, set the right hand down. Feel the tuck of those right toes and then push the floor forward and away, down dog split. And then set your left foot on the floor, downward facing dog. Walk your feet forward to your hands. Bend your knees, separate your heels, or separate your feet a little bit. Bend your knees and sway out, holding opposite elbows. Let your head be heavy. And then release that. Roll yourself up to stand. One vertebra at a time. So what if we did that exact same thing except for on our feet and standing versions of the same thing. If you want to, of course, you can release your knees to the mat again. I won't. and we'll see how it goes. Who knows? Feel your feet on the floor. Inhale, float your arms overhead. Exhale, bow forward. Inhale, lengthen. Start by stepping the left foot straight back. Come up to a high lunge. Inhale. Exhale, look forward, shift forward, Warrior III. Now I am going to try to bring my right elbow to my left knee. Wrap it under. Inhale, lengthen. Next up is Warrior II. Carve yourself open, how'd it go? Straighten the right leg as you inhale. Triangle pose as you exhale. Take a pause here, feel your feet firmly rooted, look up at your left thumb. Inhale, exhale, Warrior II. Peaceful Warrior. And we're gonna take this Peaceful Warrior II Half Moon Pose. So you can repeat Triangle Pose if you'd like, if you're not quite feeling warm enough for the balance yet. And then maybe you hold the left foot in your left hand. Maybe not. Take a breath. Exhale, step that left foot back. one, Warrior two, apologies, inhale. Exhale, cartwheel the right hand all the way down to the mat. Down dog, split the right leg goes up, inhale. Exhale, can you tap the knee to your nose one time around the spine? Inhale, exhale. Let's take a vinyasa. Roll yourself to plank. I'm gonna try to keep that right foot hovering in the lower halfway. Upward facing dog and then downward facing dog. Inhale, exhale, bend the knees and look forward. Inhale, step or float to top of your mat. Exhale, bow. Inhale, reverse, swan dive, rise up. Exhale, mountain pose. We'll do the other side. Inhale, fold to the arms. Exhale, fold. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale, step the right foot back, runner's lunge. And then rise up, high lunge. Feel the grounding of your feet. Look forward, shift forward. Warrior three, inhale. Exhale, can you bring the left elbow to the right knee, round your spine? Inhale, lengthen. Exhale, big step back, warrior one. Open out, warrior two. Inhale, lengthen the left leg. Exhale, triangle pose. Look up at that right thumb. Remember, it doesn't matter how far your left hand gets onto the... shin, be way up high if you want, but try to stack those hips and shoulders. Inhaling, exhale, re-bend the left knee. Peaceful warrior. Remember, you can repeat, half moon. Shift your weight, find a point of focus on the floor. That helps quite a lot. So we're just a little out ahead of you. And then maybe the right foot grabs the right hand, grabs the right foot. Inhale, exhale, big step back, warrior two. Pause for your inhale, cartwheel your hands down to frame that left foot. Down dog, split the left leg, inhale. Exhale, knee to nose one. Inhale up and back. Pause for an exhale. Inhale, roll forward to plank. Exhale, maybe hover that left foot as you lower halfway. Inhale, upward facing. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale. Exhale, bend your knees and look forward. Inhale, step or float top of your mat. Exhale, bow. Press down, rise up, inhaling. Exhale, mountain pose. Separate your feet about as wide as the mat. Heels on the mat, big toes off. Give your shoulders a nice roll up and back. I'm gonna reach my arms forward. Bend my knees a lot. Coming to a malasana squat. Try to... do ground those heels. If you don't go as low as okay, if you have something to sit on like a block, feel free. If your heels really won't make it, you can put a cushion under them or a rolled up towel. Take your left hand down, right arm up. Nice twist. Open up your chest. Release that right hand down, left arm up. Open up deep in those ribs. Release. Look forward, release your hips onto the floor. Take your boat pose. Inhale, exhale lower five, four, three, two, one. Lower your feet onto the floor. Lift your hips for a little bit of a bridge pose. Interlace your fingers, walk your shoulder blades together. Firm the feet, soften the glutes, inhale. Exhale, lower down the way you came. Cuckooing your knees to your forehead, your forehead to your knees. And then let's take happy baby pose. We never do it. We don't really have time. Usually take your knees wide, flex your feet to the ceiling. Interlace your fingers around your right big toes, around your big toes rather. If that's not happening, you can hold ankles or even the backs of the thighs. And then pull your knees down into the side of your body. So I'm trying to get my knees to the floor and I'm using my back body to pull my feet down. And now, press your heels up to the ceiling. So you're giving some resistance. Your legs are very strong. So push your heels up, pull down with your upper body, and maybe you feel the whole length of your spine. One of my teachers years ago gave that cue and it changed my happy baby. I feel that stretch in their thighs and I actually got my tailbone onto the floor for the first time. And so this is how I teach it. exhale, let it go. Maybe you come to a little bit of a Shavasana or maybe you come to sit. I'm gonna grab the cards. If you're taking Shavasana, it's a nice time for it. Let's close your eyes for a second. Feel the weight of your skeleton on the floor and see if you can soften and just let my voice be a little bit of a guided meditation in your Shavasana time. Let's take this one. pose is a wide straddle split. Unconscious, the mindful actions of the higher path lead to contentment. The mindful actions of the higher path lead to contentment. If you make choices that align with your morality, with your path, your higher self, your deeper self, universal, all of it. Deliberate choices that are aligned with your values, with your morals, with your ethics, lead to contentment. We've all known that person. We've all come across them in work or school or life. makes the best choice maybe for the moment. I believe everybody's really trying to do the best they can. But they don't decide to align it with that higher self. I'm... The example that comes up for me in my life is gossip. It is really hard for me if I heard something that I think someone else will think is funny, even if it's putting down that other person. I want the joke. I want to make somebody laugh. I want to have this moment of bonding with this other friend. And so sometimes I say the thing. really tried to stop and I mostly have. But it was because that choice did not align with my own values. Putting someone else down, even in a playful, joking, non-serious way, did not lead me to my higher path and it made me feel bad about myself. And every now and then, it still comes out. But when it does, then it gets to be a reminder when you do that thing that you've really decided maybe doesn't align with your higher path, is not a mindful choice for your higher path. Then it's a moment at least to pause and reflect, apologize if it seems appropriate, and then make the next choice when it does align. And when you do, trust me, you just feel better. Not in a self-righteous way, although maybe sometimes. But in real way, you feel better. You feel more contentment. Let me know what you think. Let me know what that thing is you struggle with maybe. I'd love to know. Thank you as always for spending this time. The light that is in me bows to honors and is extraordinarily grateful for the light that is in you. Namaste. Thank you, thank you for getting here on this Monday morning. I was on the struggle bus, but I feel better. It's amazing. Practice what I preach. Make the choice for my own higher path. Please take a moment to like, share, subscribe, leave comments. And of course, check out my podcast, Hello Friends with James Donaghan. First episode came out last week. Second episode will release next Sunday. An interview with my friend, musician, composer, Medipow, who writes some really, really cool mantra-inspired music. And we got into her process with that and what brought her to this calling. I think you'll enjoy it. I did. great day, have a great week. Namaste. James @ Daily Flow: a follow or review goes a long way. And of course, you're always welcome to practice live with me on YouTube, 8 a.m. weekdays.