🌲⛰️Yosemite Yoga☀️At Peace in the National Parks

 

🌲⛰️☀️Hey beautiful souls!! A few weeks ago, I finished up our "Healing in Nature" yoga series, where we found healing in the forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans! Our Earth Day yoga flow summarized the last 4 weeks like a gift box wrapped with a perfect little bow! I thought to myself, "Wow, I've created SO MANY series lately, and began this year strong with my "Ancestral Goddess Wisdom" series, and then the "Healing in Nature" series, and here we are in May, and I was officially stumped for ideas of where to go with my next class, much less several classes! Then, it came to me. I follow all of the U.S. National Parks on Instagram, and with the current climate of our beloved parks losing their incredible guides, rangers, and conservationists, I knew I had to honor our Parks with a Yoga Series!! So, here we are! Welcome to our "At Peace in the National Parks" Yoga Series! We will visit so many incredibly breathtaking parks, from Yosemite, The Arches, and Yellowstone, to the Smokies, Everglades, and Olympic National Parks! First up Yosemite National Park! 

 

 

🏞️ 🌲🦌”Nature is the purest portal to inner peace. The earth longs to feel our bare feet and the wind delights in weaving through our hair. We are always connected, we are never separate. This connection to the earth gives us our basic foundation of belonging, home, and safety.” 

 

🌲⛰️🌲Yosemite!! Nearing the end of the Civil War, in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln, put forth steps to protect this beautiful stretch of 750,000 acres in Northern California, in the middle of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. In 1890, Yosemite became the third national park in the U.S! Its beauty is comprised of high elevation cliffs and mountains of El Capitan and Half Dome, the tallest waterfall in the entire country, Yosemite Falls, expansive meadows, deep valleys, Merced River, giant Sequoia forest groves, the largest trees in the world! The indigenous people of this beautiful region are the Awahneechee! People from all walks of life are drawn to Yosemite, simply to breathe in her beauty, from hikers and climbers, kayakers and white water rafters, to photographers, painters, naturalists and conservationists! The famous conservationist and naturalist, John Muir visited Yosemite in 1892, and quickly fell in love with its grandeur, spending the coming years fighting and advocating for its protection, and all the wildlife that existed in the park.  In 1914, notable photographer, Ansel Adams, shared his stunning black and white photography with us, bringing even more visitors to see Yosemite and find peace in her wonder. In 1984, following Adams' death, his ashes were spread at the summit of Mount Ansel Adams, a peak in Yosemite National Park named after the talented artist. Thousands of beautiful animals reside in Yosemite National Park including over 600 bighorn sheep at high elevations, bobcats, a rare sighting of mountain lions, coyotes, mule deer, lizards and amphibians, over 260 species of birds, most notable the California spotted owls, and peregrine falcons, and between 300-500 black bears! 

 

 

⛰️We began our practice in Mountain pose, our Tadasana! This was a must for Yosemite! We were so thrilled to be here in this beautiful land, that we opened with our Breath of Joy Pranayama breath work! As we drew the breath in through our nose, we extended the hands forward, inhaled as the arms extended out to a T, another inhale as the hands stretched overhead to the sky, and with the exhale, we melted into a forward fold. We repeated this two more times, and on the third forward fold, we melted the hips down, into a Toe Squat, a challenging pose because we just increased our heart rated, we slowed down the breath here on our toes, inhaled the hands overhead, exhaled the arms out to a T, twisting to the right,  keeping the hips squared forward, inhaled hands overhead, and exhaled a twist to the left, inhaling the hands through center to the sky, exhale the hands to the heart, we melt to our backs, lengthening long, hands overhead, toes reaching forward, exhale our knees hug into our chest. We inhaled long, exhaled into our Crescent Moon to the right, melting the shoulders and hips to the earth beneath us, envisioning we are in the beautiful deep valleys of Yosemite, the meadows surrounded by wildflowers. We became present in the body and the space we're in, and allowed all of our past events to melt back to the earth, transformed into something new, something for our greater good. We sent our fears and worries and stressors out into the breeze, to be carried further and further away from us, no longer needed to carry, as we become cleansed, and lighter. We anchored to the peace found in this stillness. Our Ujjayi breath followed, even lengths of inhale and exhale through the nose, our grounding, stabilizing breath.

 

🌲We came through center, melting into our Crescent Moon to the left, through center, feet reaching to the sky, T-pose, waterfall legs, we connect to Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in the U.S.! We crossed the right leg over the left, reclined cow face, reaching for our shins, gently puling our knees to our chest, rocking side to side. We unraveled the right leg out to the right side, right hand cradling the right thigh, as the left hand pulled the left shin toward the left shoulder, opening through the hips! We held this, then folded the right leg over the left and melted the knees to the left, supine twist! We floated through center, extended the feet to the sky, T-pose, and found our reclined cow face by crossing the left leg over the right, opening out the left leg, opening the hips, and melting into a twist. After we hugged the knees into the chest, we rock n rolled along the spine to meet in a comfortable seat, crossing the legs or finding a half lotus. We anchored the sit bones, lengthened each vertebrae toward the next in line, crown to the sky. We inhaled our hands overhead, and formed our Bear Grip Mudra, fingers gripping the opposite hands' fingers, elbows pulling out toward the walls. This mudra connects us to the black bears of Yosemite, and it helps us conquer challenges, and connect to our wisdom and intuition. The hands lifted overhead, and met in our Anjali mudra, prayer hands. We rubbed them to create some heat, some healing energy, remembering that our hands are tools for healing, and cupped the hands to the eyes, sending healing energy to the soul. Hands floated to the crown, sending healing energy to the mind, calming the chatter. The mind can become stuck in the past, ruminating over things that have been, or travel too far forward into the future with worry, but the body is always present, so here we connect and stay present. One hand floated to the forehead, and the other to the base of the skull, gentle pressure into our vagus nerve, serving as a nervous system reset button, finally bringing the hands to the heart sending gratitude to the heart and lungs, for the work they do every moment of every day, for us.

 

 

🌳We set an intention for our practice. We inhaled the hands overhead, and to the right for a twist, peeling the right shoulder back to open the chest 5% more, opening our Anahata chakra, heart chakra, sending compassion, understanding, love out into the world. We arched the right hand to the sky and toward the opposite knee to open the side body, and then brought it to the left knee, crossing the arms, arching the back and dripping the chin. We honored the other side, and then came through center, planted the fingers behind us, opened the chest, arching the spine into a backbend. We exhaled melting forward into our forearms, tail to the sky, heart melting to the earth beneath us into our Puppy pose, today our Coyote! Lots of coyotes in Yosemite! We melted the hips down into our child's pose. We walked the hands to the right, hips draw back and to the left, through center, hands walk to the left, hips draw back and to the right, through center, bend into the elbows, palms together, they drip overhead, thumbs drape down the back of the neck. We thread the right hand under the left arm, through center, left hand under the right arm, through center, floating up into our Table Top. 

 

 

 

🐅Our cat cow flow followed as we warmed up the spine, adding in organic movement, hips swaying side to side, or rolling forward and back into Childs pose waving back and forward into our table top. We moved to our breath, our own pace, making our cat cow our own. We came into our neutral table top, inhaled as the gaze and right foot reached to the sky, bending at the knee, exhale the knee hugs into the chest, rounding the back, inhale 2 more times, we lift, exhale nose to knee, on the third inhale, reach the left hand back for the right foot, opening the chest, in our Tiger pose, today it's our Bobcat! The left hand releases the foot, planting down, right knee into the chest, tuck the left toes, and extend the right leg high, 3 Limb Downward Dog. Inhale extend, exhale right knee into the chest, melt the right shin down, melt the hips, and roll onto the right hip, pivoting to the back of the mat, left hand reaches for the left foot, right hand overhead, Fallen Tree. Inhale we cartwheel the arms around, right hand plants top of the mat, lift the hips, Rainbow Arch, left hand extends overhead toward the top of the mat. Exhale we melt the hips, and come through center, a round of cat cow, and honored the left side!

 

 

⛰️In our downward dog, we created plank waves, floating into our plank, exhaling up into our Downward dog, 3 times, and pranam knees chest chin, into a low cobra, and up into our downward dog. We floated to the top of our mats into a forward fold, hanging heavy, and began to root to rise, we slowly lifted up, one vertebrae at a time, the head the last to come through, into our Tadasana, our mountain pose. We felt the grounding energy from the sand pull at the soles of our feet from the toes to the arches to the heels, anchoring us. This energy circled around the legs, to the pelvis, the hips, around each vertebrae of the spine to the shoulders as they melt down from the ears. The crown reaching for the heavens, we are stable, rooted, and anchored. We inhaled hands overhead, right hand to the left wrist, bending to the right, through center, side bend to the left. We came through center and to exhaled forward into a swan dive melted into a forward fold. We planted the hands and moved through a vinyasa flow, pranam knees chest chin into a low cobra, or a chaturanga flow to upward dog, or skipped the flow completely, stepping into downward dog. Always your choice!

 

 

☀️Our flow began in Tadasana, and floated into Sidebends to the right and the left, exhaling through a swan dive into a fold. We moved through our own flow, pranam or chaturanga, low cobra or upward dog, meeting in downward dog. We rolled forward into our Plank, into Mountain Climbers, right knee to the right elbow, and back, left knee to left elbow, and back. The heels dripped to the right, as we grounded into the right hand, the left hand floats to the sky, into our Side Plank, hips lifting toward the sky, we roll through center, and the heels float to the left, Side Plank, the right hand floats to the sky, through center, hips lift Downward Dog. We inhale as the right leg lifts, exhale right knee to left elbow, inhale lift, exhale right knee to right elbow, inhale lift, exhale right knee to the chest, right foot steps between the hands, we rise up into Warrior I. Hands lift to the sky, shoulders draw down, we inhale cactus the arms out, and find a bind behind the back, interlacing the fingers, inhale we lift opening the chest, exhale we bend forward humbling our warrior. We lifted two more times, and on the third humble, we floated forward into our Warrior III, left leg floating chest parallel to the earth, we opened our arms out toward the back of our mat, into a V, just like a paraglider flying over Yosemite, we inhale, exhale left toes tap to the outside of the right side of our mat, 3 times, our toes tapping the top of Half Dome! The left toes came through center, planting to the back of our mat, straightening the right leg, left hand down, right hand high, Sky Archer. We cartwheeled the arms around, right elbow to right knee, left hand overhead, Side Angle. The left hand grounds inside the right foot as the right hand lifts, Twisted Lunge. 

 

 

🌲The right hand threads under the left arm, walking the hands into our Wide Leg forward fold, we allow the head and shoulders to hang heavy, a little bend into the knees. The heels turn in, as we roll up to stand into our 5 pt Star, fingertips reaching for the sky, deep inhale, exhale we bend the knees, and cactus the arms, into our Goddess pose, a little dance side to side. Hands to the heart, we inhale and floated into the right foot, left foot meeting the right leg, into our Sequoia Tree, option to hook the big toe of the left foot, and extend the left leg out. We came through center, into our Goddess pose, and floated into our Sequoia Tree to the left, hooking the big toe of the right foot, and extending the right leg out. We came through center, inhaled up into our 5 pt Star, arms out to a T, and melted forward into a Wideleg forward fold. We walked the hands to the left foot, melting the hips, Skandasana, left hand grounding inside the left knee, right hand to the sky, opening the chest, right hand down, we float to the top of our mat, left hand down inside the right foot, right hand high, Twisted Lunge. Right hand grounds, we float forward, left leg lifts, Warrior III, paraglider toe taps to the top of Half Dome, 3 times, and on the third, we float the left knee forward into our Pilar pose, and wrap the left foot around the right leg, Eagle the arms, inhale we lift, exhale we crunch in, 3 times, our California spotted owl, on the third, we let her soar unraveling the arms and legs, left hand to the left foot, right hand high, we reach, exhale we begin to melt the chest toward the earth, left foot to the sky, into our Dancer! We let our Dancer go, plant the left foot back, hands ground into our Pyramid, right hip back, left hip forward, melting the heart. We look like the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range! We step the left foot forward, melting down into our seat, soles of the feet together, we hook the big toes, and open up into our straddle pose, legs extending out to the walls, our Balancing Black Bear, and roll to our back, Hands to the outer edges of our feet, rocking side to side, Happy Baby, today, Happy Bear! We melted the knees to the right, center, and left, Supine Twists, through center, rock n rolling along the spine up to our Tadasana, Sidebends, our flow, and beginning the same flow on the left side!

 

 

🦉Our Somatic practice gives us tools to regulate our nervous system, to stimulate the vagus nerve that begins at the base of the brain and runs throughout the body touching every organ system! We agitated emotions stuck in the body, to help them release, and to serve as a reset button. I usually alternate between these tools each week! We began in our Tadasana, brought the right hand to the left upper side of the chest, and extended the left arm forward, palm facing the sky. With a deep inhale, we kept the hips forward, as the left arm slowly traveled out to the left side, gaze following, to the back, paused at the back with the gaze over our left shoulder, and on the exhale slowly brought the arm back toward the top of our mat. We repeated this two more times, inhaled as the arms reached overhead, palms gathered at the heart. We brought the left arm to the right upper side of the chest, extended the right arm forward, palm facing up, and with the inhale slowly traveled the right arm out to the side as the gaze followed, to the back, and paused opening the chest. With the exhale we brought the right arm slowly back to the top of our mat, and repeated 2 more times!  We rubbed the palms together to create some healing heat, and we brought the fingertips to the crown, massaging the fingertips all over the crown and behind the ears, even the base of the skull. We moved into the temples, massaging circles here, we dripped the fingers to the jaw, the hinge where we open and close the jaw, the perfect release for jaw clenchers like myself, and maybe you too. We pulled down on the ear lobes, pulled the middle of the ears out to the sides, up to the top of the ears pulling toward the sky. With one hand to the base of the skull, pressing into the vagus nerve, the other hand brought the index and middle fingers to the hairline at the forehead and began rolling the fingers down the forehead, between the eyebrows, down the bridge of the nose to the tip, repeating 3 times, and switching out the hands. We brought our fingertips to the base of the skull, pressing into our vagus nerve, and melted the fingertips toward the ears, along the jawline, and down the front of the neck to the collarbone. We repeated this 2 more times, releasing tightness in the throat. We tapped into the collarbone, with slow rythmic taps, all fingers in unison, into one of our acupressure points in the body. We brought this tapping to the sternum, center of the chest. We slowly tapped here, either with the fingertips or Bilateral Butterfly taps using cupped hands over one another on the chest, activating both hemispheres of the brain, continuing as we inhaled, paused to bring the hands to the heart, stacked on top of one another, and as we exhaled we audibly hummed into our bee breath🐝! If you hold tension here in the chest, this is a nice release! Humming is a somatic release, also good for respiratory infection season to break things up in the lungs, and humming has shown to reduce anxiety better than sleep! We crossed the arms at the chest, and squeezed into opposite shoulders, down to the biceps and triceps, and into the forearms. We brought the hands to the shoulders again for a squeeze, and swiped the hands down the arms, chest, abdomen, low back, and legs, making sure anything still tethered to the body is fully released. We released everything from last year, last month, yesterday, that we need to let go of, swipe it away, let yourself be freed of it, so we don't carry this heaviness any longer! Allow it to melt down your back! Let it drift into the breeze, the water, no longer needed in this moment!

 

 

🍃We came into stillness, then swayed right and left, and found stillness again, noticing the effects: we can feel cool, heat, or tingling sensations, even a spontaneous yawn! All signs of a regulated nervous system. We removed anything stuck, anything harmful & toxic still attached to the body! We stimulated the vagus nerve, the super highway of information from the brain to the body! We sent messages to the brain that the body is not under threat, it does not have to exist in a continuous active state (fight /flight/freeze mode). We helped our body to experience a larger capacity to sit in discomfort, and not immediately reach for unhealthy soothers, or run from it. We welcome space for triggers to be felt and moved through. We have the ability to help our nervous system shift fluidly between states when each are needed, the sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems! Both are useful and 100% needed, but we do not want to become stuck in one state for too long. These practices are so useful off the mat as we encounter stress or triggers in our daily lives! We find balance! We find freedom!

 

 

🐻Our cool down began in Tadasana, we inhaled hands overhead, exhaled with a Swan dive, and planted the hands, as we stepped back into our downward dog. We inhaled as the right leg lifted, exhaled knee to chest, inhale we lift, exhale bend the knee open the hip, finding rotation, or flipping into Wild Thing. We came back through center, right leg high, exhaled knee to chest, and thread the right foot through to the left, Fallen Star, left hand high, left hand down, right knee into the chest, and right shin forward, as we melt the hips, left shin parallel to the left side of our mat, 90 degree legs, coming into our Deer pose! We inhaled hands overhead, shifting our hips and chest to the right, toward our right knee, and melting forward, connecting to the mule deer of Yosemite! We unraveled the right leg high, finding rotation, right foot down to meet the left, knees drip down, we melt back into our Hero pose, sidebands to the right and left, a backbend, and melting forward into our Coyote, threading the arms to the left and right. We float up into our Downward Dog, and honor the left side!

 

 

🦌As we unravel up, from our Deer, we roll onto the left hip, bringing our right leg around to cross over the left, our Cowface pose, eagle the arms, inhale we lift, exhale we melt forward. Inhale we unravel, lifting up, planting the hands behind the glutes, fingers forward, feet plant hip width apart, inhale we lift the hips into our Reverse Table, our picnic table, as we camp in the valley of Yosemite! On the exhale, we lower the hips down, remember to put your food and trash away, there are black bears nearby! haha! We bring the soles of the feet together make peace fingers with our hands, hook the big toes, and open out the legs into our Straddle pose, today our Balancing Bear, floating on the Root! We micro bend the knees, while holding our toes, and oh so gracefully roll to our back along the spine into our Happy Bear, reaching for outer edges of the feet, rocking side to side! We lengthened long, finding our Crescent Moon side bend to the right and to the left, through center,  knees hug into the chest!