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exhale yoga: nurture, reach up, nourish your heart

your weekly dose of a mini yoga sequence, mediation, and reflection

Author

Jack Manzella
November 15, 2024

find a quiet place to set an intention for the day, connect with your body, meditate, and reflect

Intention (Sankalpa)

“What you focus on grows, so choose your thoughts and intentions wisely.”

What do you want to nurture and grow in your life today?

Postures (Asana)

mountain pose, standing side body, backbend, forward fold, twist, repeat (3x)

Mountain pose (Tadasana)

  • Mountain Pose (Tadasana) Begin standing tall, grounding through your feet.

  • Inhale, raise the arms to High Mountain Pose (Urdhva Hastasana).

  • Exhale, push your hips to the right, drop your left arm to your side as your right reaches up and over your head, creating a crescent shape.

  • Inhale, move through center. Exhale, switch sides.

  • Inhale raise your arms through center. Exhale.

  • Inhale, cactus your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together, push your hips forward for a gentle backbend.

Forward Fold (Uttanasana) 

  • Inhale, reach up

  • Exhale, hands move through hears center, fold forward into Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

  • Inhale, halfway lift, hands come to your shins, lengthening the spine

  • Exhale, forward fold, bend your knees, grab opposite elbows, let the head hang heavy and sway side to side

  • Inhale, halfway lift, hands come to your shins, lengthening the spine

  • Exhale, bend your left leg as your right arm reaches up to the sky for a twist. Switch sides

    (repeat full flow 3 times)

Meditation (Dhyana)

Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a deep breath through your nose, exhaling slowly through your mouth. Take two more deep breaths like this, feeling your ribs expand with each inhale.

Imagine holding a seed in your hand—this seed represents something you wish to nurture, like peace, strength, or love. Visualize planting it in the soil of your heart. With each inhale, feel yourself watering it, providing nourishment, and with each exhale, release any fear or doubt that may block its growth. Silently repeat a word or phrase that represents your intention, letting it take root.

After a few breaths, gently open your eyes, feeling grounded and ready to nurture your growth.

Reflection (Svadhyaya)

The Bhagavad Gita teaches, “Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” (17.3), reminding us that our focus shapes our reality and our being.

Explore what you want to nurture and grow in your life today. How does consciously choosing your thoughts and intentions affect your sense of purpose, connection, and fulfillment? Are there habits or distractions you can release to create space for this growth?

Thanks for reading. Until next week…

Inhale, exhale.