Props: Strap, bolster, folded blanket, blocks

Tags: Beginner, 2Shavasana, Foot presses, balancing, mostly lying down, 90 minutes, nov2025, longer, hip therapeutic, shoulder therapeutic, Stop Relax Go, Quiet Breathing, 4 parts to the breath,

Today, the students joining me were 2s and 3s and one 4. There were two injuries that we worked with today: one pulled a pec muscle at the gym, the other hurt their psoas somehow getting up and around this morning. Before the practice, therapeutically I talked about how we can work with our injuries as a meditation, doing the movements more slowly, over a smaller range of movement, stopping before the hint that pain could happen. Learning what we can do without sparking pain.

We started on our back with inquiry - “Why am I practicing today? When I could be doing anything else right now - why am I choosing to do this practice.” From there we explored a slow hip sequence, building to a stronger bridge repetition using Stop Relax Go variations. We went belly down for hip and shoulder strengthening, building towards shoulder weight bearing, then lunges. Once we were standing we explored shoulder opening with the strap, and then explored the shoulder opening variations in tree pose. Practice ends with your choice, shavasana or seated meditation. Enjoy!