Yoga with Melissa

Winter solstice occurs between December 20 and 22nd in the Northern hemisphere and June the 20 and 22nd in the Southern hemisphere. It represents the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Here we sink into the depths of darkness and most likely tiredness envelopes us. It is a perfect time of year to practice the rejuvenating restorative style of yoga. In this class we will focus on restorative yoga poses with props to renew our energy when the darkness and cold of winter envelopes us completely. Legs up the wall, restorative child's pose, supported bridge pose and supported locust pose with draw your energy back into your kidney and adrenals, leaving your feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to welcome the slow return of the light. Winter solstice marks the beginning of water element season and winter. It is a season of darkness, mystery, and inner listening. The seasonal transitions is the theme of my forthcoming book. In this class we will resist the urge to prove that we accomplished something in this past year and the need to define our upcoming year. We do this by aligning with the seasons with the support of restorative yoga. Poetry: Winter Meditation by Denise Levertov Adante Grazioso by Clea Roberts To Know the Dark by Wendell Berry Props Needed: wall, 2 blocks, a bolster, eye pillow and blankets for this restorative yoga class for winter solstice.

In this 30 minute hatha yoga class Melissa West will connect you to the warrior archetype as part of her Masculine and Feminine Polarity Series. Regardless of our gender we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. The masculine and feminine energies within us create polarity within us. When they are in balance and harmony we feel better! Throughout this series, we will bring the unhealthy and wounded aspects of our masculine and feminine sides out of the shadows. The wounded masculine and feminine from our ego, fear and darkness and cause us to suffer. When we bring the light of awareness to the shadow sides of our masculine and feminine wounding, we can heal and transform into healthy and divine energy. This 30 minute hatha yoga class will feature the warrior poses: warrior one, warrior two and warrior three as a way to connect with the sacred masculine warrior archetype. Balanced warrior energy provides the divine masculine with an unsurpassable power source which will fuel the inner masculine to reach their goals, fight for worthy causes, achieve greatness, and leave a lasting legacy.In its balanced state the masculine warrior energy combines effort, energy and initiative.

This restorative yoga class combines restorative yoga postures including reclined bound angle pose and simple, easy reclined flowing yoga poses to connect with our divine feminine energy and in particular our womb wisdom. Regardless of whether you have a womb or not, we can all connect with our womb wisdom. Regardless of our gender we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. The masculine and feminine energies within us create polarity within us. When they are in balance and harmony we feel better! Throughout this series, we will bring the unhealthy and wounded aspects of our masculine and feminine sides out of the shadows. The wounded masculine and feminine from our ego, fear and darkness and cause us to suffer. When we bring the light of awareness to the shadow sides of our masculine and feminine wounding, we can heal and transform into healthy and divine energy. Through our wombs we can explore, express, release and reveal any emotions that have been lurking underneath, waiting to be seen. Anything unfelt, ignored, denied or avoided will arise so you can access your true self. We actually try to avoid unpleasant and overwhelming feelings by blocking them out and other coping strategies. But, it takes more effort to keep the pain at bay than to express it. When we contract our bodies, hold our breath, this constricting and holding, protecting creates tension in our bodies, locks up life force energy and we resist the very emotions that might liberate us. Emotional stress is often felt in the digestive system as well. We we fully feel these emotions and let them travel through us, we will feel empowered, sustained energy, a sense of wholeness and integrity. When we soothe ourselves and heal our emotions we can surrender and feel content. If you would like an infographic of the qualities of the divine masculine and feminine in balance go to: melissawest.com/balance

Regardless of our gender we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. The masculine and feminine energies within us create polarity within us. When they are in balance and harmony we feel better! Throughout this series, we will bring the unhealthy and wounded aspects of our masculine and feminine sides out of the shadows. The wounded masculine and feminine from our ego, fear and darkness and cause us to suffer. When we bring the light of awareness to the shadow sides of our masculine and feminine wounding, we can heal and transform into healthy and divine energy. In our wounded state, we may get triggered by an outside experience or person. The wounded masculine may feel: competitive, controlling, aggressive, withdrawing, intimidating or defensive. When we heal our emotional wounds and traumas, we are able to be present and compassionate with ourselves in difficult and triggering situations. Then the divine masculine is: supportive, present, focused, holds space, assertive, resilient, protects boundaries, lets go of judgment and centered. Poem: Witness by Denise Levertov

The push to hustle and grind is burning out the Divine feminine energy. We know our inner feminine is imbalanced when we experience ourselves pushing to be more productive and trying to make things happen. This leaves the feminine feeling tired and worn out. Perhaps you are feeling caught up in comparison and no longer feel like you can trust the mysterious unfolding of your life. This tension shows up as mistrust in your physical body, pain, and lack of self love and self nourishment. This yoga nidra will activate your Goddess energy to be release the wounded feminine. Regardless of our gender we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. When they are in balance and harmony we feel better! The feminine waters are restored through slowing down, rest, focusing internally and receiving nourishing energy. In short, by being rather than doing. This healing yoga nidra will soften and unwind the unconscious programming that the feminine could ever find their worth in productivity and allow you to unravel into deep restoration. Step into the healing powers of your Divine intuition with this divine feminine sleep meditation.

Regardless of our gender we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. The masculine and feminine energies within us create polarity within us. When they are in balance and harmony we feel better! Throughout this series we will bring the unhealthy and wounded aspects of our masculine and feminine sides out of the shadows. The wounded masculine and feminine from our ego, fear and darkness and cause us to suffer. When we bring the light of awareness to the shadow sides of our masculine and feminine wounding, we can heal and transform into healthy and divine energy. The wounded masculine is withdrawn, avoidant, and unstable. We experience the wounded masculine when we are disconnected from our feelings, abandoning ourselves when we are stressed, anxious, depressed, dysregulated. When we heal our inner divine masculine we are fully present for ourselves, no matter what is happening in our lives, with non-abandoning attention, with loving kindness and without judgment. We are our own biggest supporters. We protect our physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual bodies. We are literally devoted to their well-being. Our inner divine masculine offers us the stability and security we have been longing for. Restorative yoga is the perfect yoga to activate your divine inner masculine because your body is fully supported by the props, the ground and the wall.

This gorgeous yoga nidra meditation will support you in surrendering into sacred space. It is a beautiful yoga nidra meditation that you can practice to start your day so that you inhabit your day with devotion and sacred attention. You may choose to practice in the early afternoon to support your digestion. You may choose to practice in the evening to support your sacred sleep. The yoga nidra meditation invites you into the sacred space of your body with poetry by Jeff Foster and beautiful quotes by John O'Donohue. Through breath and gently easing your awareness into your body and the sacred space all around you, I will guide you through conscious circulation through your body, contemplation of opposites and finally dropping into the liminal space of yoga nidra. May this practice support you in letting go into divine and sacred rest.

This 15 minute Morning Qigong Yoga Fusion reminds us that we can wake up each morning and that we do not have to earn love or acceptance. We do not have to receive from anybody else. We are already receiving from life before we even get out of bed in the morning. We begin this gratitude qigong yoga fusion by cultivating gratitude energy through the meridian lines, the door of life and the sense organs. Every moment that you are alive, this life has been given to you. When we practice qigong we can feel our life force moving through our body. After generating the energy of gratitude we release all the assumptions, expectations, comparison, jealousy, scarcity, and entitlement that gets in the way of us experiencing gratitude with qigong purging movements. Finally we will circulate the energy of gratitude with heart-centered flows.

Allowing Inner Joy Yin Yoga In this 30 minute yin yoga class we will open your heart to allow inner joy by pulling and pressurizing the tissues of the heart and small intestine meridians. This yin yoga class is a great chest opener for the heart chakra. You will not need any props for this yin yoga class. Yin Yoga Sequence to Allow Inner Joy Bananasana 5 mins Sphinx Pose Thread the Needle Sphinx Pose Thread the Needle Seal Savasana 5 mins (All holds are 2 mins except where noted)

Yoga Nidra for Inner Joy Inner joy is a spontaneous upwelling that arises when we are rested, and our minds are quiet and spacious. Through yoga nidra we can sink deeply into our unconditional hearts and become absorbed by our inner joy over time. Practices like yoga nidra are a quiet act of opposition that let go of the external demands of striving and achieving and advocate for a resting of our minds, bodies, and spirits. When we let go of the struggle to achieve happiness outside of ourselves, inner joy is a wellspring that naturally becomes our more frequent companion. When we are no longer seeking happiness through doing more, achieving more, and accumulating more, we can relax and be saturated in the joy that is right here right now when it chooses to grace us with its presence. Members I have an audio download in our membership that you can listen to absolutely anytime and anywhere in your earbuds.

10 min Morning Yoga In July I will support our members in sympathetic joy with our monthly calendars, daily yoga connection, and live yin class on sympathetic joy. We have something super special coming up in August so be sure to subscribe. This quick 10 minute morning hatha yoga stretch and flow will leave you full of joy. We will start lying on our mats and release our necks with 10 Tigers Running Through the Forest, which will leave our necks and our scalps so happy! From there we will focus on keeping our guts happy with knee to chest pose. When we come to kneeling we will release our spines and open up our hearts with some flexion, extension, sidebending and backbending in cat pose and gate pose. This will leave our spines happy and joyful. In lunge pose we will focus on happy hips by parting yin and yang and further releasing our spine and psoas. When we come to standing we will do some shoulder flossing with a yoga strap, breath of joy and dancer pose. All these poses will leave you full of joy. We will round out our practice with easy twist, circulating our joy with fountain pose. Remember to subscribe to the channel because I have something super exciting coming for you in August!

Morning Yoga Qigong Fusion In July I will support our members in sympathetic joy with our monthly calendars, daily yoga connection, and live yin class on sympathetic joy. We have something super special coming up in August so be sure to subscribe. This qigong yoga fusion flow will begin with cultivating the energy with a heart massage and getting the energy flowing through the heart and small intestine meridians. From there we will move into warrior one pose to do prayer wings to warm up our spine and open our hearts to joy even further. We will cleanse and release stagnant energy with arm swings in chair pose and come into tadasana to circle the radiant joy with a joy facial. Stepping back into warrior one, we will part the clouds to clear the way for radiant joy. In Goddess Victory Squat we will circulate joy with cloud hands to calm our mind and clear our emotions. The lotus flow will continue to circulate the joy through our bodies and radiate joy out into the world. Big Bear Circulates the moon together with chair pose, allows us to circulate the joy that we have cultivated in the class. We will finish our class by gathering and storing our radiant joy for our day.

Yin Yoga This 30 min yin yoga will open your heart and pressurize the tissues of your heart meridian to create the conditions for compassion and self compassion to naturally arise within you. This 30 minute yin yoga class will focus on your upper body, fire element and is great for your posture as well. We all innately embody compassion. We have been taught to take refuge in our minds, and to not embody the heart space of the body. What is most fundamental in our lives is love. Compassion is when we meet some internal or external suffering. With compassion, there will be a felt sense of tenderness in our bodies. In yin yoga we are not trying to get somewhere or get over anything. We are interested in allowing the felt sensation of gentle pressure of the qi in our bodies to be our compassionate guide through our class. Yin Yoga Sequence Fish Pose Half Heart Melting Pose Broken Wing Pose Fish Pose Props Needed: 2 blocks

Non Sleep Deep Rest for Beginners In this non sleep deep rest I will gently guide you through a body scan to help you relax, reduce stress and fall asleep more easily. Non-sleep deep rest, or yoga nidra, is the kind of rest you get when your body is in a relaxed state, but your mind is still awake. NSDR involves slowing down your brain wave frequency, similar to what happens during sleep, only that in this case you're awake. Non sleep deep rest is a very easy guided meditation that you do lying down. It will take you into deep non-REM delta wave sleep while you are completely awake and aware. It is deep awareness, stillness, rest and relaxation that you can do at any time of day or night. Think of it like a relaxing body scan. Non sleep deep rest is recommended by Stanford neuroscientist and researcher Dr. Andrew Huberman. According to Dr. Huberman, non sleep deep rest can put the body in a restorative state, similar to sleep. I feel grateful to have been listening to Dr. Huberman's podcast for several years and to have heard him lecture here at University of Victoria here in Victoria BC.

Vagus Nerve Qigong Exercises for Emotional Regulation 1. SHAKE THE TREE 2. PALMS MASSAGE at HEART 3. SWIMMING DRAGON Shake the Tree - Releases sympathetic activation, that feeling of anxiety or anger, the need to fight or flee which will bring you into ventral vagus activation and a feeling of resilience, connection and safety. Palms Massage at Heart - Rotate Palms at heart. When we are feeling emotionally regulated we feel safe to connect within, with our pets, with people, nature and in harmony with spirit. Swimming Dragon - Place hands in prayer position. Push Hands one way and rotate head the other way. The vagus nerve travels through the neck. Healthy vagal tone means better emotional regulation. * Remember, the most important thing for vagus nerve function is safe connection. HUGS! belonging helps you to feel safe and secure. When you are connected, you are calmer and more positive

10 min Morning Qigong This beginner qigong yoga fusion flow will combine some of the best yoga and qigong from a standing position. No props are needed, not even a yoga mat. The sequence will begin with knocking on the door of life to generate the vitality and life force energy that you need for your practice. You will follow with some purging qigong exercises to release sympathetic activation and negative qi so that you can move pure qi through your body during your morning practice to set you up for your day. From there we will follow up with several movements that will release your shoulders and your neck combining qigong movements in your upper body, with yoga shapes in your lower body. We will round out our qigong morning routine with a soothing yin massage and drawing down the heavens so that you can gather in whatever energy you need for the day. Morning Qigong Yoga Flow for Beginners Sequence: KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF LIFE SHAKING LIKE A TREE DROPPING THE POST ROOSTER SPREADS ITS WINGS in WARRIOR ONE COMPETING DRAGONS in WARRIOR TWO WHITE CRANE SPREADS ITS WINGS from TADASANA YIN MASSAGE DRAWING DOWN THE HEAVENS

10 min Morning Mudra Flow This moving mudra series along with guided meditation and affirmations for your day will support you in self trust, trusting your inner guidance, finding freedom, harmony, balance, connecting with your inner truth, centering and grounding in your radiance light. Props Needed: Meditation Cushion or Chair for Sitting Mudras in the Series: Vajrapradama Mudra Hridaya Mudra Garuda Mudra Matsya Mudra Samputa Mudra Trimurta Mudra Prithivi Mudra Surya Mudra Bhu Muda

Vagus Nerve Restorative Yoga The pathway of the vagus nerve runs from the brainstem through the neck, throat, lungs, heart and digestive system. This restorative yoga class for the vagus nerve will focus on regulating your vagus nerve so that you can move through your days with more safety, connection, and ease. When your vagus nerve is regulated you will be able to go with the flow, feel safely embodied, connected with yourself, people, pets, spirit and nature. You will feel at home in your environment and in harmony with your spirit. The common irritations of the day will not bother you and life will feel more manageable. In this restorative yoga class for your ventral vagus nerve, we will focus on regulating your vagus nerve through the use of supportive props like a blanket, bolster, eye pillow, and blocks. Restorative Yoga Sequence for Your Vagus Nerve Vagus Nerve Reset Myofascial Release for Diaphragm Psoas Release over Bolster Supported Fish Pose Supported Twist Savasana Poem: From Blossoms BY LI-YOUNG LEE

Yin Yoga Grace This 30 minute full yin yoga class with props will support you in cultivating grace with long holds. The focus will be on hips and hip openers with the support of props and lots of modifications. This full yin yoga class is great for back pain and lower back pain. It is suitable for beginners and intermediate level yin yogis and suggestions will be given for each level with props and modifications.  30 minute Yin Yoga Sequence for Grace:  Centering Sleeping Swan Shoe Lace with Rotation Savasana

Oceanside

Qigong Yoga Fusion This hatha yoga qigong fusion class will combine hatha yoga with fountain pose from qigong. Starting in mountain pose, moving to tree pose. We will focus on the kinds of abundance that you want to draw into your life. Additionally, this class will open up your lungs so that you can breathe in more inspiration and good quality and integrity of qi. We will practice fountain pose from easy pose and finish our class in savasana with a poem by William Bly. This short yoga class for abundance will focus on drawing in prosperity and abundance in a simple and easy way. It would be a great class to practice during the full moon to celebrate abundance and prosperity. Poem: The Shocks we Put Our Pitchforks Into William Bly

Morning Energy Boost In this short yoga class we will create an energy boost for focus and relaxation. By starting with centering we will gather the energy in stillness, connect with the energy of the earth and breathe into the deep resource of your kidneys to draw on the integrity of your qi. Moving on to the spinal energy series we will release your spine and draw on the deep well of energy in your lower dantien, moving in through your body with ease. Inspired by qigong, we will shake our body to draw energy into our organs and our joints. Locust pose will focus on the deep resource of prenatal qi available to us in our kidneys. Finally with matsyendrasana we will release excess qi and come back to our centers. Our poem for today is: I am laid bare by Zoey Quiney

Yoga for Mood Swings Drawing on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh we will bring mindfulness and compassion to the emotions of irritability, impatience, aggression, lack of motivation, difficulty concentration, stress, tension, nervousness, anxiety, sadness, depression and melancholy. This Restorative Yoga for Mood Swings with props will have long 10 minute holds. These restorative yoga poses will calm your emotions and support you in emotional regulation. This restorative yoga class is great for emotional release, stuck emotions, emotional overwhelm, coping with strong emotions, and emotional healing. Restorative Yoga for Mood Swings Pose Sequence Burrito Savasana Supported Child's Pose Supported Bridge Front Lying Twist Burrito Savasana Props Needed: Blanket, Bolster, 2 blocks, Yoga Strap

Yoga Nidra for Chronic Pain Welcome to this yoga nidra for chronic pain. Living with chronic pain can become all-consuming, affecting all aspects of our lives and over time it can feel like there is no way out. No matter how hard we try there is no escape. It is easy to feel hopeless and helpless. I have found that offering myself self compassion and attending to the secondary bracing that can come from the pain can help to create some space around the physical, mental, emotional and energetic effects of chronic pain. Please know that you are not alone in this experience. Unfortunately, globally it is estimated that about 1 in 5 people or 1.5 billion people worldwide experience chronic pain. I know that pain can be so isolating, but you are not alone. Others feel this too. May you offer yourself the compassion that you need in your chronic pain May you accept yourself, exactly as you are, even in the midst of chronic pain. May you forgive yourself for experiencing pain and know that you are worthy just for being alive. May you be patient May you known your strength Resources: Kristen Neff: Self Compassion The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3z1iTrT Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3shH8iM

Yin Yoga for Creative Fuel Part 2 This yin yoga sequence for creativity we will practice yin yoga poses to generate creativity. The poses will be accompanied by readings from Chris-Anne's Sacred Creator's Oracle Deck to inspire creativity and innovation in your life.  Yin Yoga Sequence for Creativity  Centering 5 mins  Pigeon - 5 mins each side Dragon - 3 mins each side Twisted Roots - 3 mins each side  Savasana - 5 mins    Resources:  Sacred Creators Oracle by Chris-Anne  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/2XjSB5V  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3siKnGJ    To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3shHciu  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3k1kk3f 

Yin Yoga In this yin yoga sequence for creativity we will practice 4 yin yoga poses to generate creativity. The poses will be accompanied by readings from Chris-Anne's Sacred Creator's Oracle Deck to inspire creativity and innovation in your life.  Yin Yoga Sequence for Creativity Centering - 5 mins  Butterfly - 5 mins  Shoelace Legs with Eagle's Arms - 3 mins each side  Bananasana - 5 mins each side  Savasana - 5 mins    Resources:  Sacred Creators Oracle by Chris-Anne  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/2XjSB5V  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3siKnGJ    To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3shHciu  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3k1kk3f 

Restorative Yoga We are going through a profound time of spiritual awakening. Even for those of us who have been on the spiritual path for many years, decades even, are being asked to awaken to new and deeper levels of trust, love and peace. Our souls are encouraging us to let go of old habitual ways of being where we hustled for our worth, listened to our inner critic, pushed to do more and be more, and were caught up in people-pleasing. To a certain extent we put our trust in our reactivity and our inner critic, This is a transitional time. It is one where the old ways have not fully let go even though we can see clearly to embrace trusting peace and calm. The intention in this class is to trust being peaceful, calm, warm, non-reactive, loving and kind towards ourselves more than we trust our reactivity, distress, stress, suffering, anxiety and depression. Can we trust the place of CALM within us and TRUST that that place of peacefulness is a WISE place to be. There is safety inside of us. As we gradually surrender more and more to this place of peace and safety within us, we no longer need to invest in the habitual ways of rushing, anxiety, pushing ourselves, inner criticism, and being in conflict with our reality. Props Needed: Bolster, Blocks, Meditation Cushion, Eye Pillow, Yoga Strap, Blanket Trust in Calm Restorative Yoga Sequence Gentle Legs up the Wall Front Lying Twist Supported Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold Reclined Twist Supported Bridge Gentle Legs Up the Wall Poetry: De Colores by Angie Trudell Vasquez At This Age by Mary Wehner To Friends by Michael Koehler Over the Weather - Naomi Shihab Nye

10 Min Morning Yoga In this morning yoga class to align with spirit we will cultivate a greater integrity of our heart by slowing down the pace of our lives. By approaching our yoga practice in a more relaxed and gentle way we can be more in tune with our spirit. When we slow down we feel the flow with spirit and feel a deeper connection with our more inspired and heart centered selves. This short class invites you to connect with your femininity, fluidity and intuition as you move and draws on the teachings of Matt Kahn. This class includes alternate nostril breathing pranayama.

10 min Morning Yoga If you are experiencing perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal mood swings you are not alone. Anger, frustration, irritation, anxiety, depression are common emotions that move through our bodies during the menopausal years. In this class, we will draw on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh to embrace our emotions with kindness and compassion. Rather than struggling against our emotions or trying to understand them logically, we will simply meet ourselves where we are and take good care of ourselves with this yoga class that will feel like a mindful hug.  Props Needed: Block 

Qigong Yoga Fusion This is a 10 min Women's Morning Qigong Yoga Fusion to clear heat from your body. Heat that might cause perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, migraine headaches and sleeplessness. We will tap the body to release anger, frustration, and irritation. There is also tapping to relieve depression. Focusing on relieving heart heat will support us in relieving anxiety and emotional overwhelm. There are no props needed for this practice, not even a yoga mat! Whatever goodness we have accumulated from our practice may we dedicate it towards the happiness and welfare of all.

This restorative yoga video is intended to support women in their perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal years who don't sleep well in the night. Not sleeping well during the normal sleeping night hours is incredibly common for women over forty-five. Sleeping peacefully through the night, is no longer the norm and so in this class we bring awareness to the outcome of sleepless nights. We begin by offering ourselves acceptance to kindness instead of fighting the fatigue with the habit of productivity. Turning to restorative yoga allows us to greet our fatigue and exhaustion with gentle and tender care. Dropping the struggle allows us to let go of unrealistic expectations and drop into compassionate restoration.

Yoga Nidra for Winter Winter gives us pause to become aware of our own energy reserves and the way we conserve them. Yoga nidra allows us to drop into meditative rest to conserve our energy. This yoga nidra for winter will allow you to contemplate the blessings of rest and the gift that it is to be able to restore our energy reserves with practices like yoga nidra. In this yoga nidra we will embrace the quiet stillness that winter gives us, sending forth prayers of restoration for all those who need rest including yourself. For this practice all you need is a comfortable place to rest. Maybe a bolster or a pillow for under your knees if your low back bothers you when you lie on your back. A blanket to pull up over you can provide extra warmth and comfort. An eye pillow can align you with the darkness of the winter season. Let yourself be cozy. I want to acknowledge you for setting aside the time to tend to your energy reserves at this time. For this nourishing self care. What is the best time to do yoga nidra? According to traditional Chinese medicine, from 1-3 pm fire element and your small intestine meridian is most active. Your small intestine meridian is often overworked from “sorting the pure from the impure.” This is an excellent time of day to bring in conscious rest, such as yoga nidra, to provide your mind a break from all the mental processing you do through the day. Winter is one of the best times to practice yoga nidra. According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season of water element and the kidneys which are responsible for your source energy. When we do practices like yoga nidra we can tend to our energy reserves. What are the stages of Yoga Nidra? These are the stages of Yoga Nidra that I teach, however I sometimes vary the order and may not include every stage in every yoga nidra. 1. Centering/Permission/Introduction of Theme: Allows students to become comfortable and Prepare for Practice 2. Sankalpa or Intention Setting 3. Body Sensing/Body Scan/Circulating Awareness Through the Body 4. Breath Awareness 5. Awareness of Opposites 6. Resting in Yoga Nidra 7. The Return What happens if you fall asleep during yoga nidra? It is not a problem. It means that you need the sleep and I am glad that you got the rest. When your body is rested you will experience yoga nidra as sleep with awareness. Dr. Sarah C. Mednick, a Harvard trained research scientist and a pioneer in nap research found that even if you do “fall asleep” in yoga nidra, you will receive the same nourishment to cognition and wellness as a full night's sleep. What happens in Yoga Nidra? Yoga nidra is a guided meditation that allows you to rest deeply in a state of consciousness that is somewhere between waking, dreaming and sleep. Through this guided meditation your attention is drawn inward a body scan, breath awareness, and awareness of opposites, inviting your mind into a conscious deep sleep. What is the difference between yoga nidra and meditation? Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation where you rest back and you are guided into a conscious sleep. With meditation you often practice seated and your awareness is often on a single point, such as your breath. Generally in meditation the hope is that you stay alert and conscious, whereas in yoga nidra you go into a sleep-like state.

10 min Morning Yoga Stretch Hello sweet hearts, this is yoga for real people, yoga that you can do! This week's bonus video is another gentle and quick 10 minute morning yoga full body stretch that even beginners can do. I love this class to ease into your day without control. It is great to do first thing in the morning. I love the spinal release, hip openers, balance, and creativity in this sequence. This class uses 2 yoga blocks. This gentle, full body morning yoga stretch will ease your body into the day with loving kindness and compassion. I have included some gentle phrases of loving kindness to start your day as well. “May ease in your body translate to ease in your mind, ease in your heart and ease in your day today.” 10 min Morning Yoga Stretch to Ease into Your Day Sequence Staff Pose Cat Pose Variation Toe Stand Lunge Variation Pyramid Pose Standing Knee to Chest Pose Dancer Pose Tadasana

15 min Qigong Yoga Flow for Winter This is a short qigong inspired yoga flow to bring energy to the kidney organs and water element this winter season. We will learn some fun “bear” inspired qigong movements and create a yoga fusion class that will build your energy reserves this winter. Is Qigong the same as Tai Chi? Qigong is a skillful way to cultivate and work with your energy. Tai Chi on the other hand is a martial art. What is Qigong good for? Qigong will lubricate your joints, improve your circulation, help you to improve your focus and your intentioned awareness, encourage optimal diaphragmatic breathing, lower your stress hormone cortisol, stimulates digestion, calms anxiety. Does Qigong really work? Qigong uses your own body weight in a series of standing postures that flow from one to the other. These flowing movements stimulate the acupuncture meridian lines and their organ systems to create healing in your body by moving blood and oxygen through your body. Because of the way you focus your mind and intention on your physical movements, your mind will calm which relieves emotional stress and mental anxiety. The flowing poses create a moving meditation that helps to lower stress and improve your mood. Which is better yoga or qigong? Yoga and qigong are complementary practices, both of which are focused on cultivating and working with our internal life force energy or qi. Yoga focuses on building strength and flexibility with their postures. Whereas yoga corresponds to the Ayurvedic school of medicine, qigong refers to the Traditional Chinese school of medicine. Generally yoga puts more emphasis on static stretches and qigong focuses more on flowing movements. Can you do qigong at night? You can do qigong at night. Focus your attention on calming your energy to prepare for a deep night's sleep and to cultivate your energy for the following day. Can I do Qigong everyday? Yes you can do qigong everyday. What time of day is best to do qigong? There are two times of day that could be good for your qigong practice. 7-9 am is the time of Earth Element and your Stomach Meridian Good time to exercise, have breakfast, good time to receive nourishment (on all levels - physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, spiritually) This is a good time of day for a moderate and nourishing qigong practice. 11 am - 1 pm is the time of Fire Element and your heart meridian This is your most expansive energy of the day. It is a good time to be active, connect with others and a good time for exercise again. This would be a good time for a more vigorous qigong practice. How long should you do qigong? You can practice qigong anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. As long as you are cultivating qi and not draining yourself of qi. How long should you practice qigong daily? You can practice qigong anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. As long as you are cultivating qi and not draining yourself of qi. What is the best Qigong exercise? I think the best qigong exercise is whatever your present favourite is. Does Qigong help balance? There are many qigong exercises that come onto one foot and support you in cultivating balance. Poses like crane, Soaring Dragonfly, Buddha Praying, bouncing ball, walking on clouds are all balancing poses. Does Qigong build muscle? Can Qigong make you stronger? Qigong helps you build muscle and grow stronger, especially in your legs when you move low and slow. Poses like retrieving the moon from the sea, pushing mountains, swimming dragon, embracing moon, bear pushing a wall, yin opens yang closes, twist to look at the moon, all build strength in the legs.

4 Yoga Poses Before Sleep I learned recently from one of my students that if physical therapy clients were given 5 or more exercises by their physical therapists there is no chance they will do them. However if physical therapists give their clients 4 exercises, not only will they do them, but they are much more likely to do them multiple times a day. This sparked an idea in me to prepare classes that were only 4 poses in length and see what they did not only in my motivation to prepare them as a teacher (it went through the roof by the way) and also your motivation to practice them as my students. I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Here are 4 yoga poses to do before sleep organized into a full hatha yoga class sequence Legs Up the Wall Child's Pose Janu Sirsasana or Head Beyond Knee Pose Moon Channel Breathing Savasana

Yoga Nidra for Relaxation This yoga nidra for relaxation will guide you into inner peace and calm. A full body relaxation yoga nidra intended for relaxation, release and letting go. Yoga with Melissa offers some of the best yoga nidra on YouTube for relaxation. So if you are searching for yoga nidra for complete relaxation and stress relief, yoga nidra that will support you in relaxation and sleep, you are going to love this yoga nidra.  Yoga nidra guided meditation supports you in doing less. It teaches you how to stop doing more and start being. Through guided breathing and body awareness techniques you will be guided into progressively deeper states of deeper relaxation and non-doing. It is said that just 45 minutes of yoga nidra can be as restorative as 3 hours of sleep. You will step away from this yoga nidra deeply relaxed and restored. 

Morning Yoga Stretch Hello sweethearts, this is yoga for real people, yoga that you can do! This week's video is a quick 10 minute morning yoga full body stretch that even beginners can do. If you are short on time, but want a great full body stretch, you are going to love this yoga class. Relieve the aches, pains, and stiffness that are lingering from the night as you move into your morning. This class is beginner friendly. It will bring positivity to your day. If you have flexibility goals, this is a great class to do on a regular basis to improve shoulder flexibility, open your chest, and hips. It will release neck tension and strengthen your core.

Pick A Card Yoga You loved my last pick a card yoga class and I loved creating it. Today I am creating a pick a card class with the Urban Crow Oracle and the Earthbound Oracle. Links to where you can purchase these decks are below. Same as before, there will be 3 piles each one represents a different yoga class. Tae a few moments to center yourself and focus on the three card piles. Choose the pile that you resonate with the most and then click on the time stamp in the description for your yoga class. These hatha yoga sequences are suitable for level 1 or level 2, beginner or intermediate level hatha yoga students. The first two classes are more hatha yoga in style and sequencing. The first class you will need a wall. The second class you will need a yoga strap. The second class is mostly standing postures.   Poem: Still Life by Kristin Lee from Collective Wisdom Magazine September 2020 edition  https://www.collectivewisdommagazine.com/   Within you for you by Justine Beck from Collective Wisdom Magazine  https://www.collectivewisdommagazine.com/   Deck Used in these Videos  Urban Crow Oracle https://crowtarotshop.com/products/4th-printing-urban-crow-oracle-pre-order-releases-june-2021 

CALM your NERVOUS SYSTEM This restorative yoga class to calm your nervous system will support your parasympathetic nervous system, in particular healthy ventral vagus and dorsal vagus activation of your nervous system so that you leave feeling “zenned out, ” meditative and contemplative.  Props Needed: Bolster, 2 blocks, blanket, yoga strap, eye pillow   Restorative Yoga Sequence Poses to Calm Your Nervous System  Restorative Cat Pose  Front Lying Twist with Bolster  Restorative Yoga for Your Eyes  Restorative Downward Facing Dog  Side Lying with Bolster  Supported Shoulderstand    Poem: Mary Oliver, The Swan  In our membership community we have a 5-class series for Ventral-Vagus Activation that will further support your nervous system in safety, connection, & resilience.  Link for members: https://www.members.melissawest.com/courses/ventral-vagus-activation/  Link to become a member: https://melissawest.com/membership-landing-page/   

Ease Gas & Bloating Here are 4 yin yoga poses for gas and bloating. These yoga exercises will pressurize the colon or large intestine. They will also lengthen the large intestine or colon to relax it so you can release the gas and bloating. This is a yin yoga class with long five minute holds.

yin yoga poses for lungs Yoga with Melissa 596. Join Melissa in another beautiful location on Vancouver Island to practice yin yoga to boost the immune system with these 4 yin yoga poses that will support you in boosting your immune system this autumn season. Immediately boost your immune system with simple yin yoga you can do for real people just like you. This is an easy 4 yin yoga pose sequence that you can follow along with senior yoga teacher Melissa West, Ph.D. while she demonstrates how to pull and pressurize the lung meridian in a way that will boost your immune system. Melissa's calming demeanor, explanation of the poses and their uses, poems and quotes will provide you with a great overall experience. One of my students told me that if physical therapy clients were given 5 or more exercises by their physical therapists that there is no chance they will do them. However if physical therapists give their clients 4 exercises, not only will they do them, but they are much more likely to do them multiple times a day. This sparked an idea in me to prepare classes that were only 4 poses in length and see what they did not only in my motivation to prepare them as a teacher (it went through the roof by the way) and also your motivation to practice them as my students. I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Here are 4 yin yoga poses for lungs. These yin yoga poses are ideal for lung health. They will expand your chest, relieve lung congestion and pull and pressurize the lung meridian. This is a yin yoga class with long five minute holds. 4 Yin Yoga Poses for Your Lungs Sequence Broken Wing Pose Seal Melting Heart Pose Supported Fish Pose Salty Absolution by Estora Adams From the October 2020 edition of Collective Wisdom

Yoga Poses for Your Low Back One of my students told me that if physical therapy clients were given 5 or more exercises by their physical therapists that there is no chance they will do them. However if physical therapists give their clients 4 exercises, not only will they do them, but they are much more likely to do them multiple times a day. This sparked an idea in me to prepare classes that were only 4 poses in length and see what they did not only in my motivation to prepare them as a teacher (it went through the roof by the way) and also your motivation to practice them as my students. I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Here are 4 yin yoga poses for lower back pain relief. These yoga exercises will release back pain and help you to feel better. This is a yin yoga class with long five minute holds. Yin Yoga Sequence for Lower Back Pain Relief: Keyhole Child's Pose Dragon Pose Half Happy Baby Pose

Restorative Yoga Sequence Receiving Grace In this restorative yoga class for grace we will focus on the receptive qualities of grace such as yielding, opening and flowing with all of life. By resting deeply in our bodies and experiencing the sensations without effort, force or trying we can yield to the healing qualities of grace. Allen Snapp says that “grace needs to be the air we breathe and the atmosphere we live in.” In this restorative yoga class, grace will be the air we breathe and the ground that holds us. Join us for a restorative yoga class that invites you to open to grace with readings, quotations and poetry that will inspire grace to enliven your soul. Savasana, Standing Forward Fold, Reclined Goddess, Reclined Twist, Savasana Props Needed: 2 blocks, bolster, eye pillow, yoga strap, blankets Member Bonus: Our members will have the option to meet directly after the livestream for a reflective journal writing in their yoga journals. We will begin by collectively reviewing the front of our journals. From there we will do a journal writing practice that will support us in contemplating how we can personally expand the themes from the class based on the yoga journaling we are doing in our community.

Yoga Nidra This 30 minute yoga nidra sleep meditation for deep rest. Yoga nidra powerfully heals and restores your body on a physical level giving you an opportunity for deep rest in reclined meditation. This yoga nidra is designed to give all parts of your body deep rest. All the organs and systems of your body from your ventral vagus nervous system, your heart, your lungs, your kidneys, your liver, your brain and rest and rebuild.  It is a deep rest meditation that will guide you for 30 minutes into a yoga nidra healing experience. Allow Melissa West to guide you on this healing yoga nidra journey into deep restorative sleep and into a deep rest frequency.  Yoga Nidra meditation is easy because it takes your brain into the same frequency when you are in deep sleep even though you are awake allowing for deep rest. Your body will naturally begin its process of rejuvenation and healing. Your vital, rested, and restored body is the first step towards releasing stress and finding inner peace. This guided yoga nidra meditation will take you to brainwave states where your entire body and mind will have a chance for deep rest and rejuvenation.   Members Only Audio Link

Chair Yoga for Balance Join special guest, Sherry Zak Morris, who specializes in Yoga for people with movement limitations, chronic conditions and age-related degeneration. Today's Chair Yoga class is focused on Improving your Balance. Balance is one of the first things that degrades as we age and it is something we can improve with practice. A special thanks to Dr. Melissa West of Yoga with Melissa for sharing this video on her channel. Come on over to Sherry's YogaJP's channel and enjoy a Beginner Yin Chair Yoga class with Melissa that will help release your fascia and connective tissue so you have less pain and stiffness. In this Balance-focused class, we will work on 3 aspects to good balance: 1. Your Vision and Eye Health - so you can see and anticipate your surroundings 2. Your Proprioception - knowing where your body is in space so if you stumble, you won't fall 3. Your Muscular Strength - to keep you strong, steady and sturdy As always, check in with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. We will be using a chair throughout this class, so find one that is sturdy with no arms, and let's begin. ​

Throat Chakra Yoga This 30 minute hatha yoga class will unblock your throat chakra and support you in following your truth. It is a 30 minute hatha yoga sequence that is suitable hatha yoga for beginners or hatha yoga for intermediate. This hatha yoga class is a that yoga level 1 or hatha yoga level 2.  The hatha yoga sequence includes:  Supported fish pose with blocks Neck and Shoulder Release Cat Pose with Lion's Breath Thread the Needle Eagle's Pose with Options and Modifications Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold Sphinx Reclined Twist Savasana    Lots of options and modifications are given in this throat chakra yoga. Big thanks to Anodea Judith for her teachings on the throat chakra

Restorative Yoga for Autumn Slow down and align with the autumn season with this restorative yoga sequence for fall. These autumn restorative yoga poses will prepare  you to restore for winter's long rest. With readings and poetry from John O'Donohue, Mary Oliver, David Whyte and Melissa West's forthcoming book: The Elemental Self | Five Element Yin Yoga you will be soothed in fall restorative yoga poses while slowing down to prepare for a season of hibernation.  Member Bonus:  Our members will have the option to meet directly after the livestream for a reflective journal writing in their yoga journals. We will begin by collectively reviewing the front of our journals. From there we will do a journal writing practice that will support us in contemplating how we can personally expand the themes from the class based on the yoga journaling we are doing in our community.  

Let Go In this yoga nidra for letting go, I will lead you in a guided meditation through the layers of your body into a calming sleep-like state. Your brain waves will let go of mental activity such as problem solving, thinking and decision making. Your brain waves will slow down to the deeply relaxed theta state associated with sleep while still maintaining a trace of awareness. This form of meditation will allow you to let go of physical tension and emotional stress by calming your nervous system. It may also improve the quality of your sleep, improve your mental focus, let go of resentment, control, anger and guilt. We will begin our yoga nidra practice with a beautiful letting go quote by Jeff Foster.  Readings from:  Jeff Foster, You Were Never Broken Poems to Save Your Life  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3AMObmJ  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3jNTyuY

Yin Yoga for Letting Go In this yin yoga practice for letting go I will provide you with yin yoga poses for letting go alongside yoga quotes for letting go. The quotes for letting go will support you in letting go of the past, letting go of fear, letting go of resentment, letting go of shame, letting go and moving on. While you are in your yin yoga poses for five minutes at a time I will read you beautiful, meaningful and moving quotes and poetry on letting go.    Yin Yoga Sequence for Letting Go Centering - 5 mins  Revolved Child's Pose - 5 mins each side Reclined Cow's Face Arms - 5 mins each side  Savasana - 5 mins    Readings from:  Jeff Foster, You Were Never Broken Poems to Save Your Life  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3AMObmJ  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3jNTyuY    Daring to Take up Space by Danielle Koepke  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/37XasSx  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3iLVGUB

You Are Worthy In this meditative restorative yoga class for self worth we will allow beautiful quotes about self worth to wash over us as we deeply rest and let go into our restorative yoga poses for self worth. These self worth restorative yoga quotes will act as self worth affirmations in the context of a restorative yoga class. Consider this a self worth meditation in the setting of a deeply restful restorative yoga class. We will explore the meaning of self worth as we rest into a sequence of yoga poses for self worth and listen to the beautiful, poetic words of John O'Donohue and Danielle Koepke reminding us that we are worthy, no matter what.    Restorative Yoga Sequence for Self Worth    Supported Savasana - 5 mins  Restorative Frog - 5 mins  Supported Child's Pose - 10 mins  Supported Pigeon Pose - 5 mins each side  Supported Reclined Twist - 5 mins each side  Gentle Reclined Twist - 5 mins each side  Supported Savasana - 5 mins    Readings:    John O'Donohue,  Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/3AKy0GC  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3iLVGUB    Daring to Take up Space by Danielle Koepke  Amazon.ca https://amzn.to/37XasSx  Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3iLVGUB   

Yoga Nidra We are not at our best when we are depleted. This yoga nidra is designed to revitalize your body from the inside out, breathing new life and energy into your being. Restoring your mental, emotional and spiritual landscape. Welcome to the power of being well-rested. This 30 minute yoga nidra is a guided meditation practice that will take you through a full body scan. You can find my full yoga nidra playlist on YouTube here: Yoga Nidra Playlist In this 30 Minute Yoga Nidra for rejuvenation, I will guide you through a body scan that will leave you feeling re-energized when you are depleted. Yoga Nidra is a form of meditation that helps with insomnia, anxiety, stress, adrenal fatigue, PTSD and so much more. Through this guided meditation I will lead you into a form of conscious sleep where you will be physically, mentally and emotionally relaxed and yet aware. You will move through your waking state, travel through the dreaming state and enter into a deep sleep state, all while remaining fully awake. In this state of deep relaxation you will receive clarity of mind, stillness and calm. The restorative quality of this meditation often leads to deep insight. Research on yoga nidra suggests that just one hour of yoga nidra is equivalent to four hours of healthy sleep. Prepare to release tension and anxiety while being rejuvenated to a state of inner calm in this 30 minute guided yoga nidra meditation full body scan. What is the best time to practice yoga nidra? According to traditional Chinese medicine, from 1-3 pm fire element and your small intestine meridian is most active. Your small intestine meridian is often overworked from “sorting the pure from the impure.” This is an excellent time of day to bring in conscious rest, such as yoga nidra, to provide your mind a break from all the mental processing you do through the day. What are the stages of Yoga Nidra? These are the stages of Yoga Nidra that I teach, however I sometimes vary the order and may not include every stage in every yoga nidra. Centering/Permission/Introduction of Theme: Allows students to become comfortable and Prepare for Practice Sankalpa or Intention Setting Body Sensing/Body Scan/Circulating Awareness Through the Body Breath Awareness Awareness of Opposites Resting in Yoga Nidra The Return What happens if you fall asleep during yoga nidra? It is not a problem. It means that you need sleep and I am glad that you got the rest. When your body is rested you will experience yoga nidra as sleep with awareness. Dr. Sarah C. Mednick, a Harvard trained research scientist and a pioneer in nap research found that even if you do “fall asleep” in yoga nidra, you will receive the same nourishment to cognition and wellness as a full night's sleep. What happens in Yoga Nidra? Yoga nidra is a guided meditation that allows you to rest deeply in a state of consciousness that is somewhere between waking, dreaming and sleep. Through this guided meditation your attention is drawn inward through a body scan, breath awareness, and awareness of opposites, inviting your mind into a conscious deep sleep. What is the difference between yoga nidra and meditation? Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation where you rest back and you are guided into a conscious sleep. With meditation you often practice seated and your awareness is often on a single point, such as your breath. Generally in meditation the hope is that you stay alert and conscious, whereas in yoga nidra you go into a sleep-like state.