Hello beautiful souls! Fall is officially here, but it still feels like summer over here! Autumn temps and colors and yummy baked treats will soon arrive, so I'm not rushing it! This summer, in our yoga classes, we traveled to our most beloved national parks, from Yosemite and Yellowstone, to Olympic and the Arches, we found so much healing in the outdoors! I think that was my favorite series yet! Everyone seemed to enjoy each one so much! I knew another series awaited to bring much needed healing during uncertain times, or big life changes. This summer was a whirlwind of bittersweet moments as we prepared to send our daughter to college! Phew, I was not prepared for the dizzying array of emotions of letting her go, especially to a school several states away, in NY. But she is thriving, and my heart is happy! If you are feeling the same lately, with the state of the world, or closer to home, maybe job transitions, or family growth and shifts, juggling too much in this fast-paced world, you might be feeling swept away at times, like me, and desperately need to feel a deep grounding. Our society celebrates exhaustion, fast pace, constantly on the go, hurried days, full schedules. I'm the exact opposite. It's a lot, too much, and it feels like we're getting swept away, in flight, scrambling to find a safe place to perch and rest, only to get swept away again. One day our body is going to tell us when to rest either with injury or illness. Let's do what we can to prevent that!

I've always loved the chakras, and I've taught chakra classes before, but this time, we are connecting each chakra to the vagus nerve in specific ways, traveling up the chakras, from the root to the spine, to shift from our busy minds, endless to-do lists, and worries, and back into the body, where we are rooted, grounded, and at home, while releasing stored tension through vagus nerve stimulation! Join me for the next few weeks, on Fridays for a gentle flow, and Sundays for a warm, more energetic flow. Last week, we dove into the fourth chakra, our Anahata, Heart Chakra, and we found so much healing here in heart, the bridge between heaven and earth, body and soul, our compassion, empathy, connection, understanding energy center! This week, we arrive at the fifth chakra, our Vishuddha, Throat chakra!

Our Vishuddhua Chakra, located in the throat, turquoise or light blue in color, the element is ether, or space where we manifest our sound. In this swirling energy center, we find our voice, speak our truth, encourage others to use their voice for good, find freedom expressing ourselves without fear or judgement, where we communicate with others, live our authentic selves, and where we pause our speech to listen, we find the balance between talking, refraining from talking over one another, and being content in the silence. We brought this balance into our flow today, and opened our throat chakra!

Vishuddha's Connected Crystals: Turquoise, blue lace agate, Aquamarine, Blue Kyanite, Amazonite.


Connected essential oils: Chamomile, geranium, lemongrass, myrrh, pine, sage, and tangerine.

When our Vishuddha is *In Balance*:

We live by & speak our truth, are content being quiet in uncomfortable situations, able to express truth without anger, encourage others to speak their truth.

When our Vishuddha is *Out of Balance*:

We lie & manipulate, do not honor our word, have difficulty expressing ourselves, can be overly chatty, give opinion without being asked, interrupt others, critical of others, struggle making decisions.

We opened on our bellies, grounding the entire body, discovering peace, relaxation throughout the length of the body from the crown to the toes, with our left cheek melting to the earth, a soft turn of the neck and throat chakra!  The head and shoulders melt down to the earth beneath, each vertebrae of the spine grounds, hips and pelvis heavy, arms and legs soften. Safe in this childlike, prone position, connecting the heart to the earth. We closed the eyes, and moved into our Pranayama practice, 3-part breath, deep inhales through the nose, filling up to the belly, allowing the belly to take up space, into the chest, expanding the ribs, filling the lungs, all the way to the crown, adding in an extra sip of air at the top, and then long, slow exhales through the mouth, releasing all our past events, and future to do lists, letting them wash away, becoming truly present! We took time just for ourselves, present in this space, in this moment. Nowhere else to be, nothing else to do, but simply be. We slowed down the chatter of the mind! Inhale as the chin floats through center, right cheek meets our mat, melting back into the earth.

We shift from being in the mind, to being in our body beginning our sensory scan. Even though the eyes are closed, we notice what we see beyond the lids, finding peace in the darkness, knowing light is always nearby. We notice what we hear in the room, the hum of the furnace or air conditioner keeping us comfortable, the breath of our neighbor, pinpointing an instrument in the music. We notice what we smell, notes of pine & sage, chamomile hovering overhead, tapping into our throat chakra. We scanned to our taste, noticing the last thing we may have eaten, or a sip of cup of tea, coffee,  lingering in the mouth, separating the teeth, the tongue falling from the roof of the mouth. Lastly, we noticed our sense of touch, what we feel against the skin, the warmth of the air against the skin, the softness of our clothes, the stickiness of our mat, supporting us, cradling us, serving as our anchor, as we shed the layers that accumulate on the body and mind from daily life, bringing us back home to ourselves, lighter, more free.

We found our Ujjayi breath followed, even lengths of inhale and exhale through the nose, our grounding, stabilizing breath. Inhale the hands plant under the shoulders, forehead to the earth, fingers spread wide, inhale we lift up into our Low Cobra, exhale we melt, inhale lift, exhale melt. Hands plant outside of the mat, tent the fingers, elbows to the sky, inhale we lift, long thru the throat, exhale left ear taps the mat, inhale thru center, exhale right ear taps, 2 more rounds, inhale we lift up into the forearms into our Sphinx pose, drip the chin, inhale lift up, exhale gaze over the right shoulder, thru center and to the left, thru center, melt down, hands long by the hips, palms to the sky, inhale we lift the chest, gaze, hands, feet, into our Locust, exhale melt down, 2 more times up into our Locust, and melt to the earth. Form a little pillow with the palms, forehead to the pillow, and slowly rock the pelvis right to left, massaging the solar plexus, relief for the low back. Hips come thru center, inhale right knee lifts, flex the right foot, Half Frog. Inhale right arm extends forward, left arm threads under the right, we open up to our backs, Supine Twist. Roll back to the belly, pelvic rocks left to right, and Half Frog to the left, ending in our Supine Twist.

We came all the way onto our backs, facing the back of our mat, inhale lengthening long, exhale knees to the chest, rocking side to side, massaging the lumbar spine, inhale T-pose, flex and point the toes, right crosses over the left, reclined Cowface, stacked knees, inhale arms cactus out, right over left, Eagle arms, constriction to the throat chakra, inhale hands reach overhead tapping the earth as the toes tap down, exhale crunch in, elbows tap knees, inhale we tap down, exhale crunch in, one more round, arms cactus out, hips scooch to the right, knees fall to the left, Supine Twist. Inhale through center, T-pose, finding rotation, and Eagle crunches with the left over right, 3 times, meeting in our Bridge pose, another Throat Chakra constriction, as the chest lifts up toward the chin, 3 times, exhale we lower, knees hug in, and rock and roll along the spine 2-3 times meeting in a seat, swivel around, to face the top of our mat, into a comfortable seat, or Half Lotus.

We formed our Vishuddha Mudra, hands meet in prayer, right hand clasps around the left thumb, and the right thumb meets the fingertips of the left hand. we placed our mudra at our throat chakra to connect to this powerful energy center. Release our mudra, and rub the palms together to create some heat, healing energy, and cupped the hands to the eyes, sending healing energy to the soul. We floated the hands up to the crown, sending healing energy to the mind, calming the chatter, the constant activity. Sometimes the mind gets stuck in the past, ruminating over things that have been, or the mind travels too far forward into the future with worry, but it is here, in this moment, that the body is always present. We bring the left hand to the forehead, and  the right hand to the base of the skull, stimulation to the vagus nerve, we tell the brain that the body is safe here. Hands float to the heart, we set an intention for our class, for our day, our week ahead. We released it, reaching the hands to the sky and to the right for a twist, peeling the right shoulder back to open the chest 5% more. We arched the right hand to the sky and toward the left knee to open the side body, and then brought it to the left knee, crossing the arms, arching the back and dripping the chin. We twisted to the other side, and then came through center, planted the fingers behind us, opened the chest, arching the spine into a backbend, and then walked the hands forward into a fold. We unraveled the legs and melted the hips back into a child’s pose, walking the hands to the right, center, and left.

We moved in yummy ways, with a yummy warm up flow of Cat-Cow, adding in organic movements, hips swaying side to side, child’s pose waves, listening to what the body needs! We could stay in Childs pose for the rest of class! Coming into our neutral spine, inhale we lifted the gaze while extending the right toes to the sky, bending at the knee, exhale nose to knee, curl the back, extending 2 more times, opening the throat chakra! We reached our left hand for our right foot, into our Lion, grabbing our Lion tail, deep breath in, exhale Lions Breath, audible, tongue out, we roar, activating our throat chakra! Release the right toes to the back of our mat, inhale left knee up into the chest, curl the back, exhale left knee down, a little pushup, nose to the earth, bend the elbows, right toes to the sky, 2 more times, then cross the right leg over to the left of our mat, gaze follows over the left shoulder. Inhale the right leg floats thru center and to the right of our mat, exhale sink the hips back, 1-leg Childs Pose.

Our Tadasana flowed into our fun Balance vinyasa flow forming crescent moons, palms together overhead, Sidebend to the right, through center to the right, through center, with control, hands to heart float down into a Toe Squat, This flow will be hands free! Try your best to not touch down the fingers or hands until completely needed! Hands to heart center, lift up and step the left foot back, Cresent Warrior, twist to the right, elbow hooks the knee, deep inhale in, exhale pivot and melt to the left foot, Skandasana, inhale to the right foot, Crescent Warrior twist, exhale left foot Skandanasana, inhale right foot, Crescent Warrior twist, plant the back foot, we rise Warrior I, hands overhead, shoulders melt, inhale cactus the arms, find a bind behind the back, interlaced fingers or Reverse Namaste, inhale we lift, Throat is open, exhale humble in, leaning forward toward the knee, bind to the sky, inhale life, exhale humble, 3 times, then float forward, Warrior 3 square hips to the earth, left leg floats, still binding the hands, inhale strong through the right leg, horizontal line of energy from the crown to the left heel, exhale left foot taps down to the right of our mat, inhale lift, exhale curtsy tap, 3 times, left foot steps back, we lift with our bind, Warrior I, long through the throat, exhale humble in, melting into our WideLeg fold, bind to the sky, bend into the right knee, melt the chest toward the right thigh, through center, to the left, center, realease the hands to opposite shins, Sailor's Knot, activating our Vishuddha here! We inhale rising up 5-pointed Star, exhale Goddess, deep bend in the knees, cactus the arms, a little dance side to side, right forearm to the right thigh, sidebend, left hand overhead, thru center, and to the left, thru center, inhale extend 5-pointed Star, arms out to a T, left toes turn back of the mat, reach the left hand forward, hinging from the hips, left hand down toward the earth, floating at the shin, right hand to the sky, Trikonasana, Triangle, our symbol of change and transformation into this new Fall season. Right hand melts down, we can touch the earth now, left hand reaches up, Twisted Lunge. Left hand down, right leg floats into our Half Moon, right hand high, right foot steps back, we rise Warrior I, hands lift, palms together, interlace the fingers, index fingers to the sky, like we're holding a sword, inhale high, exhale humble in, hands reach back toward right toes, like we're slicing through everything we no longer need to carry with us into the new season. Inhale lift, exhale slice, 3 times, melting to the right foot, Skandasana, hands to heart center, inhale we lift to the left foot, Crescent warrior twist, elbow hooks the knee we twist to the left, exhale to the right foot Skandasana, inhale crescent twist, exhale Skandasana. Walk the hands top mat, frame the right foot, right hand floats up, Twisted Lunge, right hand down, right foot sweeps thru center and up, 3 limb downward dog, exhale knee to chest, inhale lift, bend the knee open the hip, maybe flip into Wild Thing, thru center, exhale knee to chest, thread the right foot through to the left, Fallen Star, left hand to the sky, right knee to chest, exhale right shin down, hips melt, left toes peel to the back of our mat, inhale we lift, tented fingers to the outside edges of the mat, exhale we melt into our Pigeon, elbows to the sky, inhale lift, lengthen the throat, exhale melt, 3 waves, right leg unravels to the sky, roll forward into your Plank, maybe right leg floats, moving through your flow, Downward Dog, forward fold top of the mat, meet in Tadasana, to honor the left side!

Our Somatic practice gives us tools to regulate our nervous system, to stimulate the vagus nerve that begins at the base of the brain and runs down the neck, and throughout the body touching every organ system, communicating between body and brain! 80% of these messages are from the body to the brain! We agitated emotions stuck in the body, to help them release, and to serve as a reset button. I usually alternate between these tools each week! We rubbed the palms together to create some healing heat, and we brought the fingertips to the crown, massaging the fingertips all over the crown and behind the ears, even the base of the skull. We moved into the temples, massaging circles here, relieving migraines, we dripped the fingers to the jaw, the hinge where we open and close the jaw, the perfect release for jaw clenchers like myself, and maybe you too. We pulled down on the ear lobes, pulled the middle of the ears out to the sides, up to the top of the ears pulling toward the sky. With one hand to the base of the skull, pressing into the vagus nerve, the other hand brought the index and middle fingers to the hairline at the forehead and began rolling the fingers down the forehead, between the eyebrows, down the bridge of the nose to the tip, repeating 3 times, and switching out the hands. We brought our fingertips to the base of the skull, pressing into our vagus nerve, and melted the fingertips toward the ears, along the jawline, and down the front of the neck to the collarbone. We repeated this 2 more times, releasing tightness in the throat. We tapped into the collarbone, with slow rythmic taps, all fingers in unison, into one of our acupressure points in the body. We brought this tapping to the sternum, center of the chest. We slowly tapped here, either with the fingertips or Bilateral Butterfly taps using cupped hands over one another on the chest, activating both hemispheres of the brain, continuing as we inhaled, paused to bring the hands to the heart, stacked on top of one another, and as we exhaled we audibly hummed a "HAM" sound connecting to our Throat Chakra, activation for us to speak freely! Our bee breath🐝! If you hold tension here in the chest, this is a nice release! Humming is a somatic release, also good for respiratory infection season to break things up in the lungs, and humming has shown to reduce anxiety better than sleep! We crossed the arms at the chest, and squeezed into opposite shoulders, down to the biceps and triceps, and into the forearms. We brought the hands to the shoulders again for a squeeze, and swiped the hands down the arms, chest, abdomen, low back, and legs, making sure anything still tethered to the body is fully released. On the way up, we formed fists, pounding into the body, until in Tadasana, swaying the arms left to right, ending in Tadasana. We noticed the effects, feeling heat, cool, tingling, maybe even a yawn, all signs we've moved closer toward regulation in the nervous system. The goal is not to simply feel calm, it is to use these tools off of our mat to better cope with stressors and triggers, sitting with these difficult emotions, for longer periods, allowing ourselves to FEEL, rather than run from them or mask them with unhealthy things. We can help ourselves come out of a state where we feel stuck or stagnant in a fight or flight or freeze state. We need these states at certain times of our lives, for survival, but we don't want to live there. We can pendulate in and out as needed using these important tools. We released everything from last year, last month, yesterday, that we need to let go of, swipe it away, let yourself be free of it, so we don't carry this heaviness any longer! Allow it to melt down your back! Let it drift into the breeze, the water, no longer needed in this moment! We found lightness, balance, and freedom!

Our final flow began in Tadasana, palms to the heart, melting down into our Toe Squat, twisting to the right, elbow hooks the knee, option for Side Crow, thru center, twisting to the left, holding or Side Crow, thru center. Left foot steps back, Crescent Warrior twist to the right, elbow hooks the knee, palms thru center, left knee down, Low Lunge, palms overhead and behind the head, melt the hips down, palms come down, tip the hips back, Quarter Split, melt the heart, inhale forward, heel toe the right foot out, Dragon, twisting open to the right or melting down into the forearms. Inhale lift off the left knee, step the left foot up behind the right foot so the left shin grounds, pivot to the right of our mat, right knee is stacked over left, Cowface, anchor the sit bones, tall spine, crown to the sky, inhale hands lift, exhale into a fold, inhale we lift up, unravel the right leg out to the back of our mat, left foot tucks into the right thigh, side bend, right hand to right foot, left hand overhead, cartwheel the hands around, left hand down top of the mat, hips lift, Rainbow Arch, right hand overhead. Right hand down, both hands top of the mat, right foot back of the mat, left foot sweeps thru center and up, exhale knee to chest, step the left forward, Crescent warrior twist elbow hooks the knee, to honor the left side!

After our Rainbow Arch on the left side, we ground the hips, pivot to the back of our mat, Straddle pose, V-shape extend the legs, inhale we lift, exhale we fold forward. Inhale help the knees inhale, plant the feet, palms behind us, fingers toward the heels, inhale lift the hips, Reverse Table, rocking forward and back or side to side, throat freely opens to the sky. Exhale lower the hips down, inhale lift the feet and palms, Navasana, Boat pose, inhale lift, exhale lower hover down, inhale lift, exhale lower hover, 3 times, then grounding to the mat, reconnecting to the soil beneath us, back to the Earth. We lengthened long, hugged the knees into the chest, extended the arms and legs out into our Star, coiled inward into a cow face, right over left, hugged the thighs together and reached for shins gently pulling the knees toward the chest. This lengthens the IT band, and helps to soften where the sciatic nerve travels, releasing any pain we may have there. We released our shins, planted the bottom foot for a supine twist! We honored the opposite side! We lengthened long, hugged the knees in, lengthened long again, and formed our Crescent Moons once more, honoring our Sun, warm, active right side, and our Moon, cool, yin, restful, left side, coming full circle in our practice, embracing the balance. We made time to come into any final poses we needed before our final rest, such as legs up the wall, bridge, plow or wheel, or coming into Savasana early!

We made it to our PEAK POSE: Savasana! Together, we completed a full body cleanse! We found meditative peace, a calming of the mind, opened our Vishuddha, found insight into ourselves, found our voice, we experienced growth, fearlessness, release, and freedom. Yoga helps us shed what we no longer need, so we may see our most purest selves! We connect to divinity! To slow down means to heal! That is why savasana is the peak pose, the most important pose, the goal, the pinnacle. To find peace. In the stillness! We surrender. We discover ourselves again without the layers, the armor, the walls. They all come down, revealing our divine self.

🦋 I loved creating our Vishuddha + Vagus Nerve Healing playlist! Listen here!!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZOuetrGaRZq0Z2K3ZaaQC?si=6517Br3GS_-KlSzm-vSYcw&pi=u-bCiqvax7RgOB

🌳🍎 It's almost time for all the yummy Fall treats!! We recently visited our local apple orchard and Finn filled our bag to the brim! So I made some delicious apple turnovers with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar and topped with caramel! YUMMMMMM!! Here’s the recipe!!

🍏 APPLE TURNOVER Recipe!🍏

https://thelightpouredinyoga.com/blogs/news/falling-for-these-apple-turnovers

🍃Come practice with me on Fridays for a gentle flow at 11:30, and on Somatic Sundays for a warm flow at 10:00am!🫶🏻 ✨🌿