Category: Yoga Themes

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Let’s use the breath as we begin as a reset. Finding a gentle cleansing breath, breathing in through the nose and exhaling out through the mouth. Let it go. Inhale in and exhale release the breath out. Take a few more of these cleansing breaths to reset. Each new breath is a chance to start fresh. Take your time and when you feel the shift within you, gently open the eyes. Let’s begin to move together.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• If your mind has wandered from your practice, take a moment to connect to the breath & shift back to the present moment.
• If you begin to observe discomfort as you hold the pose. Reset. Reset the body, reset the mind-space.
• Come out of the pose slightly & reset yourself back into it so that the experience is new either in the mind or the body.

Meditation for Savasana

Recognize all of the thoughts that may begin to swirl in your mind as you find stillness. And then start breathing… and step outside of yourself for just a moment. Let’s reset the mind-space for the rest of our day. See yourself resting here in this space. Recognize your body laying on your mat – your arms, your legs, your head. Your whole body on your mat. See yourself here and recognize all of the thoughts in your mind. Like papers thrown all around the room. But you can allow them to be picked up neatly & orderly and you may file them away so that you can access any certain thought or idea – but only when you need it. Let’s reset the mind to clear the clutter. Listen and count. 5 – a sharp and focused mind… 4 – free yourself of needless worry…. 3 – presence of mind here and now… 2 – resolution and clarity….. 1- a free and open mind. (repeat only underlined words – more concise) And now seeing yourself and feeling your breath, returning here to this very moment. No future or past – only here and now. Breathe into the open spaces, free of clutter. Open and free. Rest here.

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Start to slow it down. Begin to quiet the noise the mind creates as you tune into the breath, noticing your inhales and your exhales. Settle into the sanctuary of your mat, letting go of tension and also letting go of anything that wasn’t perfect today. Make peace with yourself and let go of your judgements of yourself with your next exhale. Let’s move from a space that feels a little lighter.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• If you have judged your pose to not be perfect in your mind, can you set that aside and learn to enjoy the pose in the way it manifests in your body?
• Let go of the expectation of what you think this pose is and instead find ease.

Meditation for Savasana

Find a comfortable position and settle in. Gently close the eyes. Awareness to any part of you that is making contact with the ground. Just feeling your weight being supported. Being held safely. Bringing our awareness slowly inward. Noticing the rising and falling of your chest. Just finding the natural rhythm of your breath as I guide you through a meditation… Maybe you have noticed a heaviness of the heart sometimes that is built up around our expectations for ourselves. Let’s take a deep breath in and let a little bit of that go with a releasing breath out. Let’s do that one more time. Now imagine yourself as a child of maybe 4 or 5 years old. For most of us this is when we began our education in pursuing perfection. In school, in sports. The closer we got to perfection, the more praise, love and affirmation. How to be human and succeed….. As you rest here, I want you to be free to release this. For the 4 or 5 year old you to release these expectations of perfection like a balloon up into the sky. To find the freedom that this notion of perfection is not a real thing and that you can release it. The expectations that have come from many places, but mostly are here now with our permission. So instead of pursuing this exhausting depleting standard of perfection, maybe we release it – up into the sky. To make room for joy. For play. For ease. And if you didn’t have to be perfect, who would you be?

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

As you begin to invite in stillness, look at stillness as being present within yourself, exploring the inside world. Letting go of the outside world for a moment and connecting to the “you” at the center of your being. Calm. Centered. Gather all your thoughts as you breathe in and then completely breathe them all out. Allow the full weight of your body to sink down into the mat.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Allow the energy and sensations of the pose to keep you here on your mat. Feeling the pose in your body.
• Find the balance between holding the pose and enjoying the pose.
• Where is your mind right now? Is it in the past or the future? Or is it in the present, enjoying this present moment of your Yoga practice.
• Allow the breath to keep you anchored in the present moment. Observing where you feel the breath most predominately. Noticing whether the breath feels heavy or light. No need to change anything. Just allow the awareness to rest on the breath. To the breath flowing through you. Cool or warm.

Meditation for Savasana

Find a shape that feels comfortable. Become aware of your points of connection to the mat and relax the muscles around those points with your next exhale, feeling supported by your points of connection with the mat. Become aware that the ground beneath you supports you and now allow your points of connection to relax. You are fully supported by the ground beneath you. Allow the full weight of your body to sink into the mat as every muscle in your body softens. Within this present moment find the stillness within you. Peaceful. Calm. Centered. Rest here at your calm center. Basking in the stillness of your own space.

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths….. Settle into your body. On your next exhale, with a releasing breath, release any feelings of tension … feel a sense of a let-go… do that a few more time as it feels right. Perhaps your intention for this practice is to… just be … here with life … on your mat… just you and your Yoga practice…… When you are ready meet me at seated. Let’s begin.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Create a bubble around your mat & within is only the awareness of breath, awareness of sensation. Close your eyes & stay here for a moment.
• Emotions write themselves on our body. Where is the stress of your day imprinted. In your face, shoulders, hips? Let your next breath flow over you, wiping clear the tablet. Each new breath is a reset to the present moment.
• Let your heart melt to the earth, surrendering to yourself. Letting go for a moment the weight of obligation, of schedules, of the things outside of yourself. For a moment lay down the protective armor of perfection and be with you. You are beautiful and perfect. Believe it.

Meditation for Savasana

Slow your breathing… Relax your muscles… You can rest now. Surrender yourself to the space around you, to the mat beneath your body, to the ground beneath your mat. Literally lay down your arms. Allow your mind’s clamoring agitations to melt away. Focus on being. Stop striving, fixing, solving. Simply be. Simply be. Rest in Savasana, when all is still, when all strivings cease. Let go of all expectations, internal and external. Descend through the layers of tension and rest in the release.

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Let’s become fully present in this room…..on your mat…..connected to you. Pratyahara, the withdraw of senses, the withdrawal of external stimuli, and the turn inward. With your eyes closed, use your senses to explore the the room around you. And then the space of your sanctuary on your mat. Now tuning in to the breath and to you. Feel the breath moving through you….. Bring your awareness to the lift of your heart with your inhale….. Let’s connect to this energy as we move today. Letting our practice lift our hearts with calm, beautiful energy.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Feel the beautiful energy you are creating. Let it flow through you.
• Lift the heart and tilt the face up to the sky. Feel the energy flow from you and to you.
• As you move into the pose, glow the heart forward.
• As you reach the arms, feel the heart lift upward.
• Energizing & uplifting breath in, grounding breath out.

Meditation for Savasana

Let your head settle on your mat. Release the weight of your arms and legs. Let the rhythm of your breath rock and soothe you. (pause) Let your dristi move inward. Bask in the experience you have created for yourself today. Let it flow over you, through you and from you. Allow it to heal, revive and rejuvenate…..

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Come to your back & sway side to side for a moment… eventually finding stillness. Let the eyes close. Let the breath becomes slower and smoother. Let it begin to flow like a wave….. wave flowing in with the inhale and flowing out with the exhale – let yourself enjoy 10 flowing breaths. Through our practice today use the flow of your breath – expansion & release to help you flow a little bit more. Releasing holding. Learning to go with the flow a little bit more.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Let energy flow freely through you. Observing any areas where you resist.
• As you hold the pose, scan through the body and explore where you may soften slightly. Where your body is trying to hold you up, but doesn’t really need to.
• Is your mind resisting the pose more than your body. What does it look like for you to let that go?
• Full breath in and let everything go with your exhale.
• Safely rooted to the earth, release and let go.

Meditation for Savasana

Slowly release any last holding or gripping with each exhale out. Release holding in the hands & the feet. Observe your legs and arms and where you feel yourself still holding try to let that go. Release the tightness you hold in your face and the back of your head. And lastly release any last gripping in the belly and chest. As you become more free, visualize yourself floating on a lily pad in a calm pond. You may feel we want to control the direction you travel. Instead release that and allow yourself to be gently guided by the soft breeze. Taking pleasure in the different areas of the pond. The sights, the habitat in different parts of the pond. The different sensations and temperatures as you move in and out of the shade. Enjoying letting go of control and just allowing yourself to experience the moment.

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

As you begin to follow the breath, take a few moments to unwind. To ease into your practice today. Releasing anything weighing you down. Releasing the busyness of life. Slowly arrive at your practice. Every time you make it to your mat, you continue your journey. Today’s leg of the journey is to allow in peace & healing to body, mind & soul. Let’s begin to welcome that in together.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Breathe in healing. Release out the unusable.
• Explore how you may adjust to find the pose more soothing.
• Feel your heart uplift with your inhale. Feel it be soothed with your exhale.
• The breath is a balm, soothing and nourishing your nervous system. Let the gentle movement soothe you.
• Take a moment to find stillness, tapping into the peace and tranquility of the pose.

Meditation for Savasana

During your practice you have warmed the body and moved to transform mobility. In savasana we cool the mold in a healing pose of rest & restore. Becoming aware of your breath. Feeling your belly rise and fall. Soften your face; soften your shoulders. Follow the rhythm of your breath. Soften your arms, your legs, and your feet. Release every muscle to your mat as you find stillness and serenity. Let yourself rest and allow yourself to be healed.

---

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Close the eyes & begin to draw inward. Let the breath guide you there. The breath flows in like a wave and out like a wave. Slowly & Smoothly. (pause) You find your center of calm – the place where you feel grounded and centered. Before movement we will come to center.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Before movement come to center.
• Find stillness and connect to the calm within you.
• Use your breath to dissolve any busyness. Let that go with your exhale, and as you center, find your balance.
• As you find focus through the breath, move into your pose.
• Find your dristi, soften the gaze. As the mind centers, the body finds balance. Let that focus take you into the pose.

Meditation for Shavasana

Allow your body to settle. Begin to tune into your breath. Following the rise and fall of the belly with each breath. Allow the full weight of your body to sink into your mat as every muscle in your body softens, your bones become heavy.

Observe where you feel yourself breathing. Maybe it’s in movement of air in and out of the nose. Maybe it’s the rise and fall of the chest or the belly.

Maybe you want to allow awareness to move between the spaces you feel the breath. Or perhaps you want to focus on one area where you feel the breath most. There is no right or wrong, just exploration of the breath. Rest & restore in the centering of your breath.

Opening Meditation & Thoughts to Begin Class

Gather anything you carry with you into your practice today. Anything you carry in the heart or mind. Gather it all up……… And with your next exhale let it all go. Let’s do that again…. releasing the weight of it all.

Maybe you notice that you feel a little lighter? Let’s continue through our practice today to bring release and lightness to heart, mind & body.

Cue Words Related to the Theme

• Observe how you may find more lightness into the pose. Can you release more?
• Is it letting the ground do a little bit more work for you? Is it making a slight adjustment?
• As you lift the heart, feel everything become lighter.
• With your breath out, feel yourself become lighter.
• With your exhale, feel your body & mind become lighter.
• Where you feel heavy in the pose, with your next breath, invite in lightness.

Meditation for Shavasana

Close the eyes or soften the gaze and allow the full weight of your body to sink into the mat. As your muscles release maybe your heart feels a little bit lighter. Maybe you have more space to breathe. Feel the beauty of just resting and breathing. Any thought, sensation or emotion that comes in that doesn’t feel light, let it go with your next exhale. Let your body rest here in tranquility.