Welcome to Week 1 of our 52Week Challenge

Our Hope is that you will find a quiet place upon your mats and will invite the Holy Spirit to come and move in you as you practice each pose for at least 5-10 minutes. Even when you cannot practice the pose for whatever reason, please still come to the mat and meditate with us! If everyday you find some space for Him in this practice, you will begin to see so very much and He will begin to bind your brokenness and heal your hearts! Enjoy! Rest In Him~

Nicole

MEDITATION/ MESSAGE

Within the dark valleys of life there also stands God as our “light” and mountain, to guide us through the darkness. As we practice this posture we can imagine God standing with us, guiding us through “Mountain Pose”. While in Mountain we can imagine “inhaling” as God approaches your heart. Gently holding the “inhalation”, becoming aware that God remains with you. Upon the “Exhale” imagining yourself in His perfect strength; breathing out the “exhalation” as you surrender to God.


Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me Psalms 23:4

MOUNTAIN POSE DESCRIPTION

~Standing with feet about hips distance apart, rooting into the ground using the four outer edges of the foot to create a strong solid base & making sure not to place weight into the toes

~Tightening the thigh muscles & lifting the knee caps. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward. Tuck the tailbone towards the floor, while tilting the pelvis towards the navel. At the same time rising up long & tall, creating length in the abdomen

~Lift the shoulders slightly, so they line up with the base of your neck. All together, draw the shoulder bone heads back behind you. Keeping the natural curve in the back of the neck, draw the shoulder blades down towards your waist. The shoulder blades should lie flat on your back, instead of winging out. Feeling the chest rise, resisting the urge to pinch the shoulder blades together

~Keeping the head in a neutral forward gaze; the base of your chin in a straight line & the tongue flat on the floor of the mouth. Imagining a line of energy radiating up through the body & out the crown of the head

***SPECIAL NOTE ON SHOULDER DEPRESSION

One of the few times depression is a good thing, is when talking about shoulder blades. However, most people aren't in the habit of depressing their shoulders; a tendency to slouch & lift the shoulders to the ears throughout the day is more common. Prolonged improper alignment of the shoulders & shoulder blades can also increase shoulder injury risks or create tension. Shoulder rolls are a good exercise to begin to re-align & focus on lowering the shoulders.

Shoulder rolls - Roll the shoulders up, back, & down. Focus on moving the shoulders down the back    Repeat 10x

Sarah 

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

The process of releasing and receiving is an integral part of our spiritual journey! We find ourselves constantly tightening up when under stress, experiencing heartache or dealing with disappointment. We tighten as if to encourage our bodies to grasp onto these things and try to control them, but instead they tend only to end up controlling us. We must learn to release and to receive, it is a practice, it takes time. Pigeon is a pose that can help us cultivate a receptive stance; releasing the tension of our control and receiving Him into every situation. So get into the pose and take a deep breath. Release it slowly, whispering quietly to yourself: I release this thing, and I receive You, Lord to fill my need. Sometimes in this pose the release is so powerful you will find yourself overwhelmed with emotions. Don’t resist, let it flow. If tears come, follow Him where He leads you and simply release......what you will receive in it’s place is remarkable! 

Do not fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray (release)! Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life! Phil 4:6-7 

PIGEON POSE DESCRIPTION

~First off, please work from where you are today, do not do more than you need. I want you to feel this release in a way that transcends your normal yoga practice. So give yourself grace, let Him be your guide and only challenge yourself when you know that is what He is calling you into today!

~ You may start from either table top ( on your hands and knees with a flat back) or in Downward Facing Dog (click link for description) Taking 5-7 breaths, beginning to mentally prepare for release.

~ Bringing your right knee forward towards your head and then crossing your foot to the left side of your body, creating a triangle shape with your right knee

~Gently lower your hips towards the floor, sliding the left leg back as far as you are able

~ Keeping the hips turned down towards the floor; both hips smiling at the ground.

~ You can simply hold here or go into a deeper expression by lowering down onto your forearms, again remembering that breath and that whisper. Stay here for awhile breathing into the release and receiving all He has for you.

**** Or move into the other variations pictured above

~You may bend your left knee and reach back your right hand grabbing hold of the ankle, blade of the foot or the great toe. Creating a bind between your hand and foot. You may remain here the rest of the practice or go back to a less intense practice. 

~Sometimes you have to dig really really deep to help yourself release. Lets admit it, some of us are much more controlling and tense than others...so if your body is willing here is a nice deep variation. Bending your left knee, reach both hands back for your great toe, drawing the elbows together and towards the heavens, allow the shoulders the fall away from the ears and let your head rest in His loving hands......RELEASE and Breath in, RECEIVE His sweet sweet presence.

SONG RECOMMENDATIONS

Set my Spirit free by Isa

Breath you in by Thousand Foot Crutch

Restless by Audrey Assad