30 Minute Video: Yoga for Inner Space and Inner Strength

Join this gentle yoga session guided by Kate Lynch, and ground yourself through intuitive movement and isometric core strengthening. Experience the present moment fully.

This gentle yoga practice is deal for highly sensitive and empathetic people looking to transform their self-care in less than 30 minutes

This practice includes gentle yoga exercises to:

1. connect with your breath,
2. release tension, and
3. engage your deep core muscles.

Chapters:

00:00 Start with Legs Elevated
00:41 Exploring Intuitive Sounds
02:27 Self-Massage and Body Awareness
07:36 Core Activation and Isometric Exercises
10:21 Hip and Leg Mobility
17:16 Transition to All Fours
18:08 Puppy Pose and Shoulder Mobility
19:51 Diagonal Bird Dog Challenge
21:29 Standing Stretches and Side Bends
25:24 54321 Mindfulness Practice and Homework
27:58 Gratitude

Transcript:

Taking Up Inner Space
===

[00:00:00] Kate Lynch: Okay, we are going to start lying down with your legs up on something, if you have something to put your legs up on. Knees bent ideally, so maybe a couch, ottoman, bolster, a couple of blocks. You could put them up on a wall. You might just want a little space between the wall and your body. And then if you wanted to put a block under your head, if that feels down regulating for you, you can

like to make some noise, please do.

Maybe you can make some noise that really comes up, spills up and out from your gut, your solar plexus, or your heart. There's anything held there that wants to be expressed through your throat center, through your, the vibrational quality of the air. Your voice box and your breath to combine breath with sound

Whatever sounds explore them for yourself. This is going to be a very intuitive practice, so express from the deepest part of you out. OM. You can also try roaring, swallowing, sighing, gargling, gurgling, growling, checking in with your current capacity and honoring that as you settle into the sense of being held. You might put hands on your belly. I invite you to put hands somewhere on your body.

Welcome in softness where there might be resistance or tension. Have a sense of unspooling or unrolling or untangling the viscera and the, sorry, the the deep like connective tissue that surrounds and connects your organs and holds your organs and you can start rubbing your around your belly and it could be a rib cage in an intuitive way you can get into your sides You could touch your thighs, your hips if you'd like, and just feel the warmth starting to generate from your hands, and it, at any time, it feels good to start circling around your navel in a clockwise direction.

You could do that, following the path of digestion. So we have This capacity built in to our mammalness, our humanness, of metabolizing what we take in, turning that into what we need. So you can think now of what, or feel now, what you're feeling and what you most need. Connect with that energy of feelings and needs of self empathy.

As you continue to touch and rub, you might feel friction on your hands. As you do this, especially if you're wearing rougher clothing, you might also feel the warmth from your hands into your gut.

Okay, I'm going to take those hands and place them right over my eyes so that the warmth of my hands is touching the bones around my eyes, my eye sockets, and my hands are resting and molding to my face, settling in there, finding stillness and softness, sending that warmth deep back toward the roots of my optic nerves,

and then anytime letting those hands move a little toward temples. Your hands are soft and resting, curling around your skull toward jaw line, experiencing the warmth settling in neck or throat. Some people don't like to touch their throat, honor that, it's up to you.

Face of your skull or back of your neck,

chest, heart,

side ribs,

with your hands on your side ribs, allow breath to expand your ribs to the sides. And soften feel like without even moving much from within you can take up space.

You can offer a little resistance with your hands into your side ribs, just the amount that feels right. And then your inhale expands toward your hands so you can really feel that connection.

Let your hands return to your gut. Find a place where your elbows can rest. So maybe you're on the sides of your body, not on the center of your belly. That's fine. Just allowing that warmth, receiving, letting your elbows and shoulders soften. If you have something under your head that is okay to take out, you might just do a little wagging and then take that out to feel the difference.

You may need to scooch a little away from whatever your legs are up on to give you space. I'm going to bend my knees more deeply and press the ottoman that I'm using a little away, so I have more space. So my knees are roughly above my hips, my knees are bent,

I'm going to take my hands onto my thighs so my palms can find my thighs, can press on my thighs, and my thighs are going to start to press into my palms. Now I'm noticing my lower back ribs lifting as I do that, so I'm going to invite my lower back ribs toward the floor, and then start that isometric action of having my thighs And my palms are resisting and you can press a little like forward and up toward your knees for that tractioning experience as you feel your deep core muscles.

Recruit it, right? So you're activating those deep core muscles, keeping your neck and jaw and face relaxed, both legs, then release, take your hands onto your knees, bring your knees closer to your gut, separate your knees as much as you'd like, and maybe your palms come to just below your knees on your shins, the fronts of your feet.

Lower legs and you can press both shins, both knees into your hands without lifting any part of your spine. So your lower back ribs still feel that connection and your feet pressed toward the space like away from you toward the, either the ceiling or the bottom of your mat, whatever works or your wall and then release.

All right, let one hand be on each knee. Let your knees drop open. Your palms are just gently resting. on your kneecaps. So you're feeling, you can even rub your kneecaps and feeling your kneecaps knees dropping open. Maybe there's something like a wall that your feet are on. That's fine. Sometimes for me, this feels very supportive and grounding to have something for my feet to touch.

My palms are going to grasp my kneecaps. And then without changing this, I'm taking my tailbone closer to the floor. It's a very subtle movement and I am not lifting my lower back ribs. So it's just the very end of my spine.

Just think of that tiny bone at the very end of your spine, moving closer to the floor. And then relax. So your tailbone might curl back up and that's fine or it might feel more released. Okay, so if you have space you can draw some tiny circles with your knees using the strength of your arms.

And then go the other way.

Alright, I'm going to put my feet back on my ottoman. Maybe you have a couch or a wall that you're putting your feet back on. I'm going to take one foot up. The one foot is going up and I'm going to circle that foot. The other leg is resting, soft. Deep hip flexor, soft. You might even prefer to have your foot, your bottom foot on the floor.

That's fine too. Whatever works for you. Remember, this is a very intuitive practice. You might want to stretch out that bottom leg so you're releasing the front of your hip if you have space and you want to. So you can move away from the wall. It's fine. We're circling, circling. If you haven't changed directions, go ahead and change directions.

Articulating through your foot, thinking of all those different bones and joints in your foot. Playing with your toes a little. And then we're going to, from the hip, draw a small circle. So I'm drawing a circle with my foot on the ceiling, but now instead of my ankle, it's coming from my hip joint.

And go the other way. Lubricating that hip joint.

I'm taking that foot out to the side, staying in control, doesn't have to go far, and then crossing it across the other thigh any amount. So it's opening on the inhale, on the exhale, crossing any amount. A couple of times. If you notice that your either hip is rocking, stabilize through your deep core muscles, or don't go as far to the side.

Alright, if that leg crosses and it feels good to do take your ankle onto your bottom thigh. Rock your bottom knee a little bit. Now make this work for you. Make adjustments so it feels good.

How's breath?

Okay, please uncross. Have that knee bent. Take your opposite hand inside your knee. and you're resisting hand and knee toward each other. If it's hard to reach across and find that inner knee, take your block and your hand comes to your block and your block is inside your leg and then feel those lower back ribs soften toward the floor and that engagement in your deep core crisscross muscles.

You might think of curling in on yourself, of having things drawing toward rather than away from you and then release and reach your hand and foot far away from each other, even if they're still off the ground, it doesn't matter, but they're reaching away from each other. All right. If you'd like to twist a little after that I'm going to twist a little I feel that in my lower back ribs. Feel free to twist, and then we'll change sides.

If the twist doesn't feel good, maybe you're hugging your knees, making any other adjustments. All right, so the other foot is coming up and we're circling that foot on the ankle.

You get to decide when you change directions. Maybe you change directions a few times.

Okay, relax that foot, and when you're ready, drawing those circles from the ankle. Your hip socket.

I find small, smooth, and contained can feel good. Remember, your bottom leg has options, too. Explore those options. If

you haven't gone the other way yet, please do.

When you feel ready, you can try taking your foot out to the side, while keeping your opposite hip contained, and then crisscross. So open and cross a few times the amount that feels good.

Reconnect with your breath if you have moved away from that.

take your ankle onto your bottom thigh. Rock your bottom knee a little bit. Now make this work for you. Make adjustments so it feels good.

[00:15:57] Kate Lynch: Feel your lower back ribs connected to the earth. Feel the support of the earth. Alright. Then bend that knee and we'll take hand inside that opposite thigh. So opposite hands to inner thigh. And find some compression there. You decide how much. So this is an isometric action. So you get to decide how much.

If you want something to help you connect your palm to your inner thigh, you could use a block on any height.

And feel those crisscross deep, deep muscles. engaging. Your deepest core is curling in on itself while you breathe.

When you feel complete with that, you'll reach your hand and foot away from each other. Inhale, reach, reach, reach, and release. And again, if a twist would feel good, go for a little twist.

Maybe you want to hug your knees and rock. Let's roll to one side. Pause.

Then we're going to press top hand down. Come on up to all fours. Now you may want something to support your elbows here if you'd like to be a little higher up. Or you can take your elbows right to the floor or blocks. So we're having our forearms on the floor.

You could have your palms up, down, or in a prayer pose. I've got my knees directly under my hips. Feel free to pad under your knees.

And let your head go, please.

So think of this puppy pose. Maybe you want to wag your puppy tail a little. Breathe toward your side ribs and back ribs. And we're going to start a small action of place between your shoulder blades. So you press your forearms into the earth. Gather up your heart toward the ceiling, your inner organs toward the ceiling, and then let your heart melt toward the floor.

You can inhale or exhale here and then do the opposite as you round and lift. So the place between your shoulder blades is moving toward and away from the floor. You may at some point want to move your elbows further away from your knees while keeping your hips above your knees. You can always separate your elbows more.

Make sure that your shoulders feel good about this.

come up to all fours. We're going to circle our shoulders. So shoulders come toward your ears, then toward the ceiling, then away from your ears. and then press the floor to round the place between your shoulder blades up so you feel like your shoulders are moving in all those directions and then go the other way

check in with your wrists if you'd like to switch to fists it's fine we're going to try a bird dog but diagonally so your spine is long press the earth away lift your lower belly and take one hand out diagonally and your opposite foot out diagonally And then return and let's try it on the other side.

So it's a little bit it's bird dog, but a little more challenging for your deep core. Then we're going to switch it up. The first side and then curl in on yourself any amount. If you want to press your hand into your thigh, you can. So reach, curl,

two more. And if diagonally doesn't feel good, go straight forward and back. All right. Rest in child's pose. Feel free to circle your wrists.

Come on back up, second side, diagonal bird dog if that's available. Reach, curl. Five of these.

I don't know if that was four or five. When you're done, you could go to child's pose or right to downward dog, your choice.

Okay, walking your feet toward your hands or your hands toward your feet or coming up to stand in your own way. Please take your time and when you get to stand,

take your feet wide, your arms wide. Take up a lot of space. Reach, reach, reach. And then take it into a side bend. So both your feet are grounded. Reaching up and over. Reach way across, deep breath into those side ribs, grab an imaginary rubber band, and pull it down toward your shoulder, across and down.

Reach up and over,

and again.

Reach up and over your head, grab the side of your head from the top, so we're lifting the head using the strength of the hand, press your head into your hands, now your nose is above your chest, you're all lined up through your central channel, your feet are solid. And you're pressing your head into your hand isometrically.

Relax your front, lower ribs. Move your hand to the back of your head. If this hurts, use the other hand. Please don't create additional suffering. So my gaze is directly forward. I'm pressing my head directly back. I'm breathing,

relaxing.

All right, take up space, reach. Let's do a wide squat. Reach. Big star shape. Take up space. Wide squat. One more time. Then reach, reach, reach. Side bend the other direction. Feel those side ribs as if you can release the space between each rib. Now grab the imaginary rubber band.

You're drawing it across on your exhale and down toward your shoulder.

Reach over, please. Grab the side of your head, lift it up so your nose is above your spine. Press your head into your hand. Your hand resists it. Make a sound.

Take your hand to the back of your head when you're ready. Make sure that shoulder is okay with it. Soften your front ribs. Press your head directly back. Your gaze is on the horizon line. If there's an affirmation that helps you to remember how resilient you are. For some reason, I'm thinking of that. I am stardust.

Kind of hippie and corny, but if it works for you, please use it. Relax your hands. I am love.

I am loving awareness.

All right, keeping your feet wide, take your arms to the sides. And slowly turn in one direction, letting your back heel lift up, looking behind you. Inhaling to center. Slowly turn in the other direction, letting your back heel lift up. Turning, looking behind you, any amount.

Taking in the space around you.

Okay, relax your arms, relax your feet. Find a comfortable position, whether you're standing or sitting. We're going to end with a mindfulness practice that may feel very basic to you. I'm giving you homework. I'm challenging you this week. I'm challenging you to teach this to someone else. It will not be boring and basic to them. Look around, find five things you see.

Don't judge them. It's not about picking at your housekeeping. Five things you see without judgment, make a list. We're not ranking them in order of better to worse. There's simply things that you can see. All right, you got a list of five things. There won't be a quiz.

Now, if your vision is not great, but your hearing is awesome, start with that. Does that make sense? You can switch this up. Four things you can feel. Sense on your skin.

Three things you can hear.

Two things you can smell.

One thing you can taste.

That's it. 5-4-3-2-1. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to teach it to someone. and blow their minds and help them. We all have someone we know could use a little more. Connection to the present moment, mindfulness, however you see it, to be able to take in what's here right now. It can ground us, it can downregulate us, just like that. You don't have to go to a training to be someone who can spread more presence, more calm, more ease, more love, more mindfulness. All right, deal. Gimme a thumbs up if you're gonna do it.

Thank you. Tell me you're gonna do it.

OM. Shanti. Shanti. Shanti. OM.

Thank you.