Today, we will be looking at how to we can incorporate the lessons we learned in the past few weeks into a restorative session. In the first part of the class, we will go through a brief asana practice, which will help get us in touch with our bodies before we settle down for supine and seated meditation. As you do the poses — mostly supported standing forward bends such as Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, and Prasarita Padottanasana — pay attention to the soles of your feet. You might notice that by making a conscious effort to anchor or ground yourself through your feet it will become easier for you to go deeper into the bend. After all, if you feel unsteady, your feet are much more likely to tense up. This, in turn, causes the rest of your body to become tense. So, by steadying yourself, you can attain more freedom in your movements.
Once we get through the asana practice, we will settle down for pranayama. Today’s pranayama session will be accompanied by detailed guidance that will allow you to gain a more nuanced understanding of the principles of deep relaxation and breathing meditation.
