Etude · Restorative
Tending the Ember
For days when you feel low, heavy, depressed, or numb.
2 Hours · 7:00 – 9:00
When to reach for this routine
You feel heavy. Something was taken, or something hasn’t arrived. The temptation is to skip practice. Don’t. This routine meets you on the floor. It does not ask you to be strong — only to show up while the ember stays lit. Winter turns.
Warm-Ups (Optional)
Begin lying down if needed. Shoulder shrugs, spinal circles, neck rolls.
Pranayama — Extended Exhale Pranayama (4:8 Calming Breath)
Inhale four. Exhale eight. The long exhale activates the parasympathetic — signals safety to a body that has been bracing.
Poses — Root to Crown
◆ Muladhara — I am still here. That is enough.
Pose 1 of 4
Balasana – Child’s Pose (Reverse Wall Version)
7:15 – 7:32
Benefits – Calms the mind; relieves lower back tension; weight of thighs against belly provides grounding compression; stimulates digestive system; Root. Cautions – Hip or knee issues; pregnancy — use standard Child’s Pose with wide knees. Alt: Balasana – Floor Version; Balasana – Reverse Chair Version.
“I relax from outer involvement into my inner haven of peace.”
Side 2: radiate to soul-friends, known and yet to be known.
◆ Vishuddha — My truth has value. I am not invisible.
Pose 2 of 4
Heart Opener – Supported Backbend
8:28 – 8:43
Benefits – Opens chest, throat, and collarbones; activates Heart; counteracts forward-collapsing posture; promotes expansion of awareness. Cautions – Heart conditions; neck injuries; spondylolisthesis; pregnancy. Lower block if neck uncomfortable. Alt: Reclined Pose; Mountain Brook.
“With calm faith, I open to Thy Light.”
You don’t have to say anything today. Let the chest open. The light is there.
◆ Ajna → Sahasrara — I trust the larger arc of my life.
Pose 3 of 4
Viparita Karani – Simple
8:43 – 8:53
Benefits – Drains excess fluid from legs; reduces exhaustion and fatigue; deeply calming for nervous and cardiovascular systems; gentle and accessible on hard days. Cautions – Glaucoma; serious neck injuries; pregnancy after first trimester. Alt: Instant Maui; Savasana – Simple.
“Awake, my sleeping powers, awake!”
The ember is not out. You are tending it right now.
◆ Sahasrara — I surrender the weight. I am held.
Pose 4 of 4
Savasana – Side Lying Pose • Final Relaxation
8:53 – 9:00+
Benefits – Gentle containment for an overwhelmed nervous system; instinctively soothing for grief and heaviness; integrates all previous poses; safe for all conditions including pregnancy. Cautions – Alternate sides for extended holds. Full support under head and between knees. Alt: Savasana – Burrito; Savasana – Stonehenge.
“Bones, muscles, movement I surrender now; anxiety, elation and depression, churning thoughts — all these I give into the hands of peace.”
You are allowed to rest. Small and steady is enough. The ember keeps itself.
Exit cues
Sense your body and the room. Wiggle fingers and toes. Roll to your back. Press up to seated. A few moments of quiet.