Etude · Restorative

The Open Sky

For days when you feel momentum, hope, or readiness to expand.

2 Hours · 7:00 – 9:00

When to reach for this routine

Something shifted. You slept well, or a decision is bearing weight, or the life you’re building felt real instead of theoretical. This is the day to expand. The routine builds upward: core, heart openers, inversion. Use it when the honest answer to "how are you?" is "I’m ready for more."

Warm-Ups (Optional)

Neck rolls, shoulder circles, seated twists, wrist and ankle rotations. Wake up with intention.

Pranayama · Nadi Shodhana — Alternate Nostril Breath

Right hand in Vishnu mudra. Close right nostril — inhale left. Close both; pause. Release right; exhale. Inhale right. Close both; pause. Exhale left. Five rounds. The channels balance effort and surrender.

Poses · Root to Crown

◆ Muladhara — I am rooted. From here I can grow anything.

Pose 1 · Root

Balasana – Child’s Pose (Reverse Chair Version)

7:15 – 7:28

Benefits – Calms the mind; relieves lower back tension; grounds the body before expansion; props anchor before the practice opens upward; Root. Cautions – Hip or knee issues; pregnancy — use standard Child’s Pose with wide knees. Alt: Balasana – Floor Version; Balasana – Reverse Wall Version.

“I relax from outer involvement into my inner haven of peace.”

Before a tree reaches the sky it grows its roots. This pose is preparation, not passive. From this ground you can grow anything.

◆ Svadhishthana — I welcome growth. I am ready for more.

Pose 2 · Sacral

Upavistha Konasana – Seated Forward Fold

7:28 – 7:46

Benefits – Opens and elongates the spine from hips to shoulders; stimulates the digestive system; calming and cooling for the nervous system; may lower blood pressure; Sacral. Cautions – Hip or knee replacements; back injuries; spondylolisthesis. Support abdomen in pregnancy. Alt: Seated upright over bolster with chair support; Baddha Konasana – Supported.

“I welcome every opportunity for further growth.”

Fold forward in gratitude, not defeat. Welcome the growth, bow toward it, rise to meet it.

◆ Manipura — Within my every breath is infinite power.

Pose 3 · Solar Plexus

Navasana – Boat Pose (Supported)

7:46 – 8:01

Benefits – Activates core strength and Agni (digestive fire); stimulates abdominal organs; builds steady inner power and confidence; Solar Plexus (Manipura). Cautions – Lower back injuries; hip flexor issues; pregnancy; recent abdominal surgery. Use full prop support. Alt: Balasana – Reverse Chair Version; Instant Maui.

“Within my every breath is infinite power.”

Feel the solar plexus alive — steady, renewable. The fire at your center is ancient, sufficient, yours.

◆ Anahata — I offer every thought as a bridge. I am ready.

Pose 4 · Heart

Setu Bandhasana – Bridge Pose

8:01 – 8:16

Benefits – Opens chest, shoulders, and heart; may improve thyroid function; counteracts forward-collapsing posture; builds physical and energetic foundation for heart-opening; Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat . Cautions – Neck injuries; spondylolisthesis; pregnancy. Alt: Mountain Brook; Matsyasana – Fish Pose.

“I offer every thought as a bridge to divine grace.”

Chest opens to the sky — a genuine reaching. The soul is more resilient than anything that has happened to it. Rise.

◆ Vishuddha → Ajna — I rise above past and future into the Now.

Pose 5 · Throat → Third Eye

Rajakapotasana – Supported Pigeon Pose

8:28 – 8:46 (both sides)

Benefits – Stretches hips and hip flexors; relieves tension in lower back, shoulders, and hips; massages digestive organs; deeply calming; hips store emotional memory — this pose releases what words cannot reach. Cautions – Hip or knee replacements; sacroiliac issues. Pelvis level; support hip of front leg fully. Alt: Supine Figure Four; Baddha Konasana – Supported.

“I rise above all thought of past and future, into the Eternal Now.”

Side 1: breathe space into the hip; release on the exhale. Side 2: above all stories there is a version of you simply here. Rise into it.

◆ Sahasrara — I am He! Blissful Spirit, I am He!

Pose 6 · Crown

Sirshasana – Supported Headstand • then Savasana – Burrito

8:46 – 9:00+

Benefits – Headstand: inverts the entire system, stimulates Crown, builds confidence and new perspective. Savasana – Burrito: integrates all poses; profound sense of being held on all sides; releases identification with the body. Cautions – Headstand requires trained spotters at all times — see pose sheet. Skip to Savasana if needed. Pregnancy: Side Lying Savasana. Alt: Skip Sirshasana → Savasana – Burrito directly; Viparita Karani – Simple.

“I am He! I am He! Blissful Spirit, I am He!”

The world looks different upside down. Then Savasana: blissful spirit is what you are underneath. Intact, radiant. Rest.

Exit cues

Sense your body returning. Wiggle fingers and toes. Deep breath. Roll to one side. Press up to seated. A few minutes of silence.