YIN | Journey to Shoelace
Hello yin friend!
Welcome to my new website and updated blog. Here you’ll find all of the same sequences and articles that you did on my previous site.
Today I wanted to kick things back off on my Let’s Talk Yin blog with a sequence for shoelace pose that I recently taught for my Youtube Members. It felt great in my body and I hope it does in yours too. If you want to practice live with me, access my on-demand videos or watch my yin yoga webinars - check out my Youtube page and click “join” to learn more. You can cancel anytime.
This class will probably take about 60 minutes but feel free to take more or less from the suggested hold times for your personal needs.
Props1-2 blocks
Bolster
Blanket or small cushion
Seated Meditation (3-5 min)
Pause for a few moments to breathe and connect. Scan the physical and emotional bodies to gain an understanding of how you’re doing today and where you have needs within. Give yourself permission to take just that during this time.
Half Butterfly (5 min)
Extend one leg in front of you and bend the other knee so the foot plugs into the inner thigh. Align your chest with the extended leg or more open toward the inner leg if you’d like. Take time to fold forward and settle into the various layers of sensation. Stay folded or take a side body stretch
Seated Pigeon (1 min)
Rise up from the previous pose and gently place the bent leg’s foot on the extended legs thigh. Lean back onto the hands and start to bend the extended leg to come into a seated pigeon/swan. Sway side to side and feel out the joints and outer hips. Pause where it feels nice.
Square (4 min)
Begin now to stack the legs or cross the top leg in front of the base leg. Sit upright until the pelvis settles a bit. When ready, fold forward and support yourself with props along the way. I like to place something in between the legs to start to help support my joints on the way into this posture. Avoid forcing anything along and pause at every moment of sensation.
Half Shoelace (1 min)
Sit back up and extend the bottom leg once more. Cross the top leg now all the way over. Take a moment to find a sense of settling here. When you are ready to transition take a side body stretch by extending the arm out to the side that is on the same side as the top leg. So if your left leg is on top, take the left arm out to the side. Reach the opposite arm overhead and take a side body stretch. Breathe into the ribcage and accentuate that stretch for the intercostal muscles.
Shoelace (5 min)
We finally made it! Now as you sit back up, decide if you want to also cross the bottom leg under by bending it. Once you feel settled and ready to fold, begin to inch yourself forward and take your fold. Stay here the full length of time or use the last minute to come into a twist over the top leg.
Windshield Wipers (1 min)
Come up and out of shoelace and unwind the legs to drop them side to side through some windshield wiper motions.
Repeat these postures on the other side
Supported Bridge (3 min)
To close the practice, take a few minutes in a supported bridge pose by placing a block or bolster under the lower back. Take any arm and leg shape that calls out to you.
Savasana (5 min or more!)
Finally, find your way into savasana. Any shape that sounds nice for your body at this point. Give yourself these few minutes to absorb the shifts of physical and emotional energy you’ve nudged throughout the body.
Namaste
Did you enjoy this sequence? Want to learn more from Nancy?
Join her for her 13-hour immersive Yin Yoga training in Grapevine, TX on February 23-25.
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