Class #4456

Expansive Chair Flow

55 min - Class
137 likes

Description

James D'Silva guides you to expand into the space around you and dive into the space within you. You start class with simple movements that will build into much more complex movement patterns. With a push and pull cue throughout, James allows us to discover new space and shapes in our bodies. You will be moving so fluidly, you won't even realize that you don't stand up once in this flow.
What You'll Need: No props needed

About This Video

Apr 20, 2021
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Transcript

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Hello, I'm James D'Silva, the founder of the Garuda method. And today I invite you to join me for Dhara or the chair workout, yes. All you need is a stool, and maybe some really even surface space in front of you. Let's start with our feet planted into the floor. So use your heels as though they were taproots digging deep into the floor.

Your toes really spidering out, yes. And then one hand on the lower belly, one hand on the heart. Close your eyes, soften your shin down onto your chest. And consider, yes. All I wanted to do is allow the breath to move in and out of the body.

The invert breath is an invitation, invite the breath into the body. (inhales) On the out-breath host the breath out quietly. (exhales) The in-breath an invitation, the beginning of a smile. (inhales) The out-breath (exhales) hosting out and the beginning of a sigh. As you breath in, let the breath move into the lower belly into the heart to feel a slight extension of the spine.

On the out-breath the softening of the rib cage, the drawing of the lower belly, and a small flection moving through the spine. Breathing in, feel the spine slightly lengthen. On the out-breath as the breath softens through, feel the ribs softened feel the lower belly draw up and under and release. One more breath, please. Breathing in.

(inhales). This time as you breathe out start drawing the skin of the lower belly up and under the navel as the heart softens down. Keep that connection to the lower belly, and breathe in again. (inhales) And again as you breathe out the ribs softening, deepen that scoop of the lower belly. (exhales) Breathing in, lengthen and grow out of the spine.

One last time through breathing out. The softening of the ribs, the drawing and scooping up the lower belly (exhales). Breathing and lengthen, keep that connection to the lower belly and arrive, good. Now the next one, working on Picasso breaths, working for the skin of the pubic bone going up and on the navel a scoping action hand from the heart of the mouth think of fogging this mirror in front of you, we have, huh and huh. You pant the breath off the mouth and huh, rhythmically, (huffing) Think of scooping the lower belly up and under.

(huffing) Let the breath out completely, Completely, completely, completely, good, come back, yeah. So we brought the breath into the body, now let's work into grounding through the feet splay the toes out, push the feet into the floor. Think of the front of the heels moving into the toes, splay them on. That's a pushing action. Now gather the toes and very gently feel, the art as the feet lift as you draw them, back the heels towards your sit bones.

That's the pulling. So to push we widen and we think of the front of the heels pushing out towards the toes and then gathering the feet together arches lifting, feel the back of the heels pull towards the sit bones. So, let's do that a couple of times, widen and push and gently feel the back of the heels pull towards the sit bones and widen and push and then you pull. Now you're gonna push through the right leg and pull with the left leg, push with the right leg and pull with the left leg. And now be aware of the outside and inner sides of the feet.

That's why we worked on the back and the front feel, now the outside foot on the inside foot work on the push and pull, yes. As much as the front and the back of the legs work and good, as we have a push, we have a pull and we have a push and a pull. Now let's find the different lines of the body. If you place your hands behind the knees and you gently push you feel that you're exaggerating into the back of the body, the back line of the body. As your hands move on the knees gather the elbows together and you pull against the knees.

You'll feel the front of the body lifts up automatically. Hands on the outside, and as you push away from the outside you'll feel the peripheral of the body wides you, widen and starts. Hands on the insides as you had ducked your hands against the inner thighs, you'll feel the inner body. I call this a divine line drawing up and under. How long the outer and inside you'll feel a spiral line working for the body.

Hand on the inside and the outside, you'll feel a spiral line working for the body. Here we go. Hands behind the knees and we'll work to the back line of the body. Hands in front and you'll feel the frontline of the body. Hands on the outside you'll feel the peripheral line.

Hands on the inside you'll feel the divine line. Hands on the outside and the inside, yeah. We're gonna work through the spiral lines. Brilliant, one last time. Behind to grow into the back of the body, to pull into the front of the body.

Hands on the outside, that peripheral line. Hands on the inside, the divine line. Hands on the inside and outside, the spiral line, good. Now let's define all the archetypal shapes that we go through. Hands behind the knees and you're gonna curve and round.

Hands in front, gather the elbows and you're gonna move into an arch. Hands on the inside and outside and you move into a twist and you move into a twist. Let's do that one more time. And push them into curving, have the curve, pull and gather your toes together. Remember, pulling from the feet, don't let that go, that's very important.

And hands on the outside, inside and then twist. And hands on the outside inside then twist, one last time. You curve (exhales) and you gather and you arch and (exhales) you twist, good, and you twist. Brilliant, open the legs out wide this time. And let's go on to pushing.

Again from the heels towards the toes, push I just wanna get off the stool. And then gather pull the back of the heels into the sit bones. So we have the pushing, (exhales) open the toes and gather the toes and you pull. Again push and you pull, and let's push pull and push pull it and push pull and push pull and, good. Now let's move into a side bend, from right leg I push, I lengthen up and I move into a deep side bend.

My weight's on my left leg. So I use my left leg to push up and over, open out and I move out to the right, good. And again, push from my right open a big windmill arms and side, good. And then I push from my left to open and my weight travels onto my right leg, that's add on. And I push from my right big side open, good, and I pulled my left femur into the socket as I twist and curve.

I push the third one back out again, a big side bend and I let them back up again in the center. Pushing from my left leg, big side bend pulling on and a curve. And pushing outside with the leg pushes me back out and have a one last time. And breathe out, (exhales) and breathe (inhales), and breathe out and (inhales) breathe in and push breathe out and breathe in (inhales) and breathe out, good, and at center. Good, come back to center.

And let's go back again into that curve at that arch. So, hands behind the knees and you curve. Hands pull and you arch. Again, curve and your arch, now this dissected consecutively to curve from the tailbone, the lower, the middle, the upper and then the head. Pulling arch from the tailbone, the lower, the middle, the upper and then the head.

Curve from the tailbone, the lower the middle and the upper and the head. Arch from the tailbone, the lower, the middle, the upper and the head. Curve from the head, the upper, the middle and the tailbone. Pulling arch from the head, the upper, the middle and the tailbone. Curve from the head, the upper, the middle and the tailbone.

Arch from the head, the upper, the middle and the tailbone. Come back to center and we're gonna move into the side hips. So, roll the right hip at the side and center. And roll left hip up the side of the center. Really have your hands on the outside, the inside of the thighs, so it helps you anchor through the movement and center, good.

Now we're gonna go to the side then we gonna roll back. We're gonna go side and then we're gonna arch forward, yeah. Diagonal side, diagonal back, diagonal side, diagonal forward. Really hit the front diagonal the side, yeah. The side diagonal the back, the back diagonal the side, the front diagonal and to the front.

Let's go the other way round, and side, back, side. And notice as you come out, roll around, you actually roll around this bones, yeah. And again side diagonal, back diagonal, side diagonal, front diagonal, side diagonal, back diagonal, side diagonal, front, brilliant. Now let's move it to the ribs and again, same thing, open the ribs up, feel them delight out the side and center and the other way, glide out and the center. Glide open, good and center.

Glide open and center, glide side, diagonal back, diagonal side and forward. Side and back and side and forward, side and back and side. And notice I'm using my hands as well, yes. Side on the inside, back behind the knees, side on the inside, outside and on the front. So use your hands to give you the ultimate stretch around the thighs as well, reach and center.

Then the head, glide it out the side and center, reach out and the center, side and center, side and center. Go forward, diagonal side, diagonal back, diagonal side, diagonal front and again move around, yes. The axis and round, good and let's go the other way round. And side, back, side, forward, side, back, side again, hit those diagonals. Back, out and forward, brilliant.

Now, use your left leg as your ankle leg and let's move to the right hip all the way. The femur really moving in and out of the socket. So, we're gonna send the knee forward and the thigh back and again forward and back. As it comes forward, place your hands on the insides should works adaptively and on the outside for the abductors work, inside, good, and so I'm gliding on the femur forward and back in the socket. Then I wanna go forward, let it drop out stir in the hip socket and to the (indistinct) forward, side, back and curve.

Forward, side, back and curve. Forward, side, back and curve. Let's go the other way around, back around and center, back around and center, back around and the center. Let's try the other side. Forward and back, as it comes forward, adduct and abduct up now, adduct and abduct, adduct and abduct and good.

Now let's go for circles. And as you circling the hip socket, notice the work happening around the foot as well. Is around good and out around the heel inside foot, toes. Yes, out and let's go the other way around, back of the heal, round the side of the foot, toes, big toe inside, yes. As you work around the hip.

This leg constant as a wall here, giving you that anchorage to work all the way through, in that nice kind of stirring action, around the other side, good, and arrive, brilliant, place your feet properly on the floor let's go on some footwork. Ball point move the outside feet side of the feet, back the heels and center. So ready work. Kneed your feet in and around the floor, yes, and three, good. And four, let's take it round the other way.

And one, and two, good, and three, open those toes out, good and four, good. Lift the toes up, place it little pinky down, place the big toe down, and the little pinky and the big toe, the little pinky and the the big toe, the little pinky and the big toe. Let's go, little pinky, big toe, little pinky, big toe. So alternating out and your toes are so important guys, yes. Really worked them all the way through.

Now lift the toes from the little pinkies, place each toe down, yes. Lift the big toe and then take all the toes back up again. From the little pinky, place them down to the big toe, and then for the big toe, you lift them back up again twice and all through that and lift last one through down and lift place your feet on, good. Let's go for windscreen wipers. So from side to side move, and don't take your big toes off the floor, keep all the toes, let them kinda really drag along the floor.

You wanna get the perineal muscles, really perineal tibial muscles, really working to hard, not inwards and outwards. Notice as I work my knees kinda stay held in place out and open, close, open and close. Now caterpillar your feet forward. Curl under, lift, open, curl under, lift, open, curl under, lift and under and through and walk back under. Crumple, lift up.

Crumple, lift up. Crumple, lift up. Crumple, lift up and again go forward, crumple and good. Really tredor through those toes, the heart, and open that and arrive, stay there. Flex and bend the right knee and the left.

Alternate and get length out of the hip as you do so. Reach out good, push, yeah, pull and push, use the back of the heel to pull, yeah. And the front of the heel to push. (exhales) And walk and walk. Now gather the feat, turn them out open flex and one, open reach out and two, brilliant.

And three, good, and four, let's go the other way round and all one and two, good. And three, brilliant and four that's right bends, left bends and you circle and left bends, right bends and you circle, good. Right and left and you circle, left and right and you circle one more time. Walk, walk, and circle and ball point flexible, ball point flexible and you circle. Now, like you did with your caterpillar walks, both feet crumple and lift, yes.

Both feet crumple and lift, good, and the pull and pull, crumpled, dig, scoop, lift, flex, yeah. Scoop, flex, crumpled, dig, scoop, flex, scramble, dig, scoop, flex, last one. And let's go one leg at a time, yeah. I spent a lot of time on feet over here. That's so important, I make them pretty dextrous every possible way and then reverse it out throughout, run out through, walk through walk, walk, and good.

And walk your feet back, caterpillar them back here. Crumple, roll through, crumple, roll through and arrive and then jump, use your feet. Five, six, seven, slightly lean forward, so you get a little bit more connection to the low belly. Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Open two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and one, two, three, four five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And run back, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and run, run, run, run, run, run, run, and well done, good, well done. Bring your feet back, so by a couple of inches now, little pinky spirals, middle finger lengthens out on the diagonal and you almost wanna lift off the chair, but you don't and you soften back. Brilliant, so the idea is that you keep your diagonal line, the fingers lengthen and you wanna lift up, good, and then you back out again, and again to move those little pinky spirals middle finger lengths grow and lengthen back. Last one's for the pinky spirals, middle finger, lengthens out, grow and you center.

Now I have my left foot forward, my right hand, yeah? Working opposition got that reach and I come back. I changed legs and I reach up, good and I come back, don't heave yourself, yes. Let the lines in the body, yeah, take you the energy or you reach you out of your chair, and go to grow and you come back to center. Good, well done.

That was to get you to lengthen out as much as you want to do round. We wanna have that two way pull and push happening through the body. One hand behind the sacrum, one hand behind the back of the head. And as you breathe out, lengthen and curve. On the in breath, place a hand on the hip, lift the heart, lift the chest from there, move on from the elbow into a side bend, move across into curve, move back again into your side bend, lift up and change homes.

And we have a lengthen and carefully hand on the hip, and lift arm around the top, yeah. Forearm on the thigh, move into a side bend, big side bend. Now push the thigh out of the socket has a curve, and then twist move back into a side bend, good, open windmill, the arms on and again, and lengthen and curve, and gain lift the heart, lift the chest, forearm against thigh, roll the thigh into side bend push the thigh out the curve. Again, roll it in side bend, lift up, open out the last and I'm through please. And lift and curve, yeah.

And from there, pull and you arch then move sideways into a really nice big side bend, push the farther move back against sideways, open that arm, good. Let's go back into pushing and pulling with the feet. Push, let the arms, suspend it and pull, good. And again, notice what happens now. As I push, I wanna move into a curve.

As I pull, I wanna gently move into enough. Now, as that happens, you feel the undulation, the natural undulation spine and pull, good. And push, good. And pull a key that natural undulation that pushed the arms are down. As I pull and move into my spine, my little pinky spirals, good.

Center, as I push my thumb turns and I'm bring the arms down, pull, my arms move up a little higher push turn and soften down. Pull even a little higher, good and push widen and down and again, pull arms, even higher, push widen and down, and pull arms move together in a prayer, breathing out, pull down and again breathing and pull into a prayer, breathing out and through. Breathing and pull into a prep and breathe out and through. My right hand spirals across the forehead turn the thumb down and through, my left-hand spirals, tell the thumb and through. And my right and through, and my left hand, I really push against the outside of my foot, I get some twisting action and down, and I move across one the diagonal into a side bend, move out of the ribs and then I stopped breathe in.

(inhales) Breathe out. Breathe in and breathe out and twist. On the diagonal reach and I come back and twist. On the diagonal reach out and I come back, both arms breathing through center and fountain the arms, good. And again, through center, breathe in (inhales) and (exhales) lost and through center breathe in, (inhales) and out, now hands moving to fist pull, pull the toes and push, pull the toes fist the hands here the hand flexed in and, (exhales) and, (inhales) and, (exhales), and (inhales).

(huffing) Bring the arms down. Open up again, breathing in, and you feel the heat of the body by this point and you come down. And again, and reaching the arms up and pull down last one through breathing in, not left elbow squeeze against the right, you twist and then you come back up again, and the right squeezes against the left, good. And you reach back out again, left again to the right and a pull down through, good. Glide reach open out wider bring the arm down and roll up.

Breathing in to lift, breathing out elbow to elbow, squeeze and reach down, lean back, all, bring it down and through. Can we do that one more time, please breathing in to lift, bringing up elbow to elbow, squeeze, reach down, and pull down, roll up and big in breath and out breathe lengthen across, reach back open, pull it down and center. Well done guys, here we go. This time working on the feet, the legs, we send the right leg forward parallel, bring it back, rotate it out, send the leg out to the side, pull the foot in, rotate it out and draw it in and center. And again, forward and pull back.

Little pinky spirals, pull the foot, rotate it out drag it in and pull it back, one more time, please forward and back, rotate it out, pull it under and reached out, bend and close it in. Some of them are forward circle, open, pull in and center. And again, out always lengthen out of the side of your sitting on. Yeah, you could almost get off the stool, that's the whole idea and close and reaching out widen open pull and close that. Reverse it up, yeah, and for tons, keep it parallel, draw it back.

Use the peripheral line, yes. Use the big to the divine line, keep that divine line, use the back and the body one more time out and reach, pull it through and center. Let's go for the other side and forward, pull it back. Little pinky spirals, good. Turn the foot, reach the back of the heel and then a duct.

So many things happening in front of the leg, yeah. The back of the leg, the side abduction, the adduction, the abduction, up, hamstring work and then abduction and circles out or open, good and close. And again, reach, open out and close, forward, open out and close. Forward, open, out and close, reverse. Send it out, forward, lengthen, draw it back.

Use the outer leg, extended it, big toe, forward, pull it back and reach out forward and back. And reach out, forward and back. Let's try both legs, send both feet out, widen open and close, reach, widen and close. Reach, widen and close, good. And reach widen and let's reverse it.

Open it out, forward and pull, open it out, widen and pull open it out, widen and pull, open it out, widen and pull, good. Come back to center, send the left arm up in a fist, grab all the risks and give it a good stretch, good. And the other side, grab and stretch, and grab and stretch, good. And grab and stretch, bend from the elbow hand behind the shoulders. Gently pull against the elbow back of the head there, open up and that's what do you move it to the side ribs as well, good.

And move it to the side ribs, good. And outside ribs and out. Again, fist the hand work against the wrist, push and move it to the back ribs, good. And the back ribs and the back ribs and the back ribs. Now grab, hold the wrists open the heart up in the chest.

Pull the elbow and go to hand again. Elbow pulls the arm away, open the heart, good. And pull the arm away, good, and pulls it away, brilliant. Little pinky spirals from spirals back here, shoulder circles and to now see if you can push with the feet, pool with a feet here. The feet constantly dictate the moving chest and through it, come from the back and forward, back and forward, back and forward, last one through back and forward.

Now, pull backstroke, arms back around and curve. Little pinky slices, middle finger scoops and brings the arms through, little pinky slices and middle finger scoops as one, back. Let's go the other way round, thumb back, thumb cuts and forward, thumb back thumb cuts and forward, thumb back and forward. Last one, thumb and forward. Now, take the right arm down back the diagonal, scoop it over the head and the spiral down diagonal over the head and then through, your crawling arms, yes.

And all over the head and through and back. Over, let's change it down, on the diagonal over the head and through. Down, diagonal, over and through. Down, diagonal, over and through. Last one, down, diagonal, over and maybe spiral and backstroke up, diagonal and scoop under, up, diagonal and scoop under.

Up, diagonal and scoot under. Up, diagonal and scoop under and to the other side, up, diagonal and under. Up, reach back up and under, up diagonal and under. Up, diagonal and under. Both arms are figure of it down back wall ceiling, down, back wall ceiling down, back wall ceiling down, back wall ceiling, back wall down scooping up.

Yeah, back wall. So, lots of work around the waste, guys. Lift, down, reach and down and arrive and sound together, in a prayer, pull your prayer down. Breathing in, lengthen and lift. (inhales) Compose yourself with these prayer arms up and push the feet and pull and arrive through, good.

And feet and knees slightly bent out slightly curving to the body, open the legs up wide into second. Hands on the inside, duct against, lean back. Again, sit up to open and duct and lean back. This, sit up to open a right, feel the strength of your sit. Turn the knee in, yeah.

Reach out and establish a really nice long lunge position. Then place the side of the foot down, feel that wonderful warrior two position, ball the foot, open into that Sumo waist second position, and then call back in on them. Open on one, roll and push out, two. Pull hips and foot down, everything's square, open out tall and then close back. Open on one, rotate two, and three, feel the open, so legs four and close five.

Open one, rotate and a push two, feel three. Second pull it, really strong, yeah. Again, I could get off the chair and you give more. Three, rotate, four again, get off and close off, five. This time open out tall and reach the arms out wide.

We're gonna go for the qigong warrior. Wrist, elbow shoulder, I'm pushing from my right leg as my right arm reaches across, and I'm pulling on my both, pull on my both the same leg, same arm, but work together. My left arm, left leg, push my left, arm left leg pull. And again, push, move across and pull to open and push, move and pull to open. Push, move, circle the arm all the way round and then you pull and push circle and push.

And then you pull, same arm same leg, same arm same leg pushes, same arm same leg pulls, same arm same leg, pushes and pulls. Left arm, left leg pushes, left arm pulls, and pushes and good. Now variation on this, and you turn the leg, good. Rotate and pull, let's just do that simple one. And turn the legs and rotate and pull, and turn the leg on the ball, rotate and pull and turn the leg on the ball, rotate and pull hard work, guys.

Yes, and turn the leg, rotate circle and turn the leg in and pull and turn the leg in and the pull, and turn the leg in and pull. Stay there, pushing out, five and four and three and two and one and arrive. So a little for the full close the legs in, draw the knees up and open out of one, gather (exhales) pull and two. And gather, three and open, gather four, pull and open. Pulling up, gather, reach the leg out, draw it and open and pull it in extend, under and open.

Pull it under extent, deepen and open. All this is good, strong abdominal back pull and reach. Pull it under and often adding on beats, put it up, extend five, four, three, four, one extend. five, four, three, two, one, pull and open. Again pull in, extends to the left.

Five, four, three, two, one. Extend the right, five, four, three, two, one pull and arrive and curve in through, extend five four, three, two, one. Extend five, four, three, two, one pull and sit up. Last one through, here we go. Good, it could work guys.

And five, four, three, two, one it's expected chair workout to be easy, three, four, five, pull and arrive toe, breathe. (exhales) Good, let's go back again and center, bring your feet back and then let's go for, a little bit of a stretch. So you send your right leg out, yeah. Hip square, shoulders, and set the side bends up behind you move into a hand string stretch. Ankle of a knee, open out move into a glute stretch, go ankle over ankle and you twist, hand under the foot, good.

And you twist the other way. Open the knee, open the foot out, move into a big side bend, good. Come out of it and move across the other way and glide the arm under, lean back, good. Hand on the inside of the thigh, pull, good. And lean back, come out of it, good.

Shin sides and lengthen and forward and ankle. Reach, open and lean forward, good. Knee over knee, good. And twist, hand on top it and pull. Open the knee and go big side bend.

Come out of it and reach across, glide on the shoulder, lean, open back and then turn it parallel. Hand up on the thigh, twist and arch back, back, back. And you center, that one more time, yes. And going forward, lift and widen, grew out of the hips and close them and twist (indistinct) and twist. Move across, good, and big side bend, and come across and reach, move across, twist and open under, reach out and lean.

Come back into it, last time through and forward and one. Open and move shin sides and pull, good. Open, grow big aside and move across and open, lean. Open the hand, lean back as far back as you can, good. I'm gonna turn through, pull, open and cut back and settle, well done guys, good.

Open the feet out a bit, under the knees starting and arch move forward and done and undulate push, and finish in a node. Call the head down, dive, lift and finish in a curve. Let one more time. Pulling in an arch, go forward and finish in an arch, starting a curve, dive the head down, lengthen and finish in a curve. Open the legs out, good.

Move out, big side bend, from that thing, spiral, move into the feet. Feet, spiral, move all the way around and reach out, good. Open outdoor and the other round, go big side bend. From the thing your in, the heal come up tall and move across and center. One more time and go side bend, and rotate, and rotate back and finish grow and got a side bend and rotate and reach grow, side bend and grow and come back to center, good.

Let's go back into that same combination we started early. Where you send the leg out tall, grow, lift ankle against knee, open, lean, forward, knee over knee and you twist. And across, it'll open. Open the knee, open the foot high, go big side bend, move across. And again, big side bend, move through, reach out, come through, pull and lean.

Open knee out, find your warrior two. Move out from the side, all there back, moving to submissive warrior back into valiant warrior, and move out. Find the position, move through, elbow over thigh and lengthened, then lie the arm done against the ankle, yeah, push up, hand against the hip and push widen out, come back up again. Let's do that one more time. Move up into valiant warrior.

Moving from back in to submissive warrior, in to valiant warrior. Move back out of it, good. Find the warrior two position, move elbow resting upon thigh, good. Get the lungs, get the ribs to come right up, then glide that down, go for really nice big bend, good. Then hand against the back of the seat, good.

Widen, good, and come back out tall. Now turning to the back knee scope under, reach on the diagonal, lengthen and worried. And again, down and scoop. Wide lengthen and warrior two last one through. Under, now change your mind, bring that elbow across the knee, twist and arrive.

Stay there, bring the hand across the heart, foot, knee, hip, ribs and arrive through. Bring the knees and everything to the other side, well done guys, and leg, ridges lift and cross. Pull, lengthen and fold and knee cross knee, and you twist. Come on the inside and good. Open knee and foot and a side bend.

Move across and the other way, move shoulder and widen, hand comes across the inner thigh, pull open, open the leg up, find the strength of your warrior too, good. Reaching a tall lengthen, big lean back, move in at your submissive, move out into the valiant. Out toe, good. Go, elbow against, bring the ribs around, hand moves through down, hands behind the sacrum and you twist, good. Come back out again and again, moving to your valiant, big side bend and move into the submissive, move back into the valiant, bring it through, strong second warrior position out and lean, first open then move across, then all the way through and you come back to center.

Turn the back knee, pull it up and you open and throw, good. And again, side bend and through. This time scoop, reach up change your mind, bring the elbow, twist, stay there for three minutes and take a... Hip, ribs, open that and you come back, brilliant. Drawing the right knee towards you and left.

Now you could either keep the foot on the floor, all the feet, just an inch off, deep and head to foot. head and turn, forward to knee and good. Now twist, opposite and (indistinct) and two, good. And three, good. And four, good.

Now, scissor and two, two and three, two and four, two and across and reach, and reach, and reach. (exhales) Come back to center, that's quite a workout, good. Here we go. A long, long stretch. Now for the next one you could keep, yeah.

The standing leg bend once you do everything else or you could follow me. So you could just give us knee bend whilst we work all the way through or do what I do, okay? So, here we go. I'm gonna send my right leg off, we're gonna start exactly the same way, as I lift my leg and either keep this here all the way through or extend, good. Then I open the leg out to the side, but that knee would have stayed there, and I bring it back, good.

And again, I open it up and I bring it back. Again, I open it out and I bring it back. I change hands, I send my arm back around under armpit against elbow, against knee and I place chin down and I pull forehead to knee. Again, reach on the diagonal, lift arm against knee and arm down. Low, central and reach, yeah.

This time, grab hold the foot pull it in towards the chin to the forehead, then sit up tall and arrive. If you doing the simpler version it would look like this, and reach out and I lift, I opened my leg out to the side and I center. I open the leg out to the side and I center, I opened the leg out to the side and I center. Hand comes through, I circled the arm back and I land them down. Again, all to the back and I let them down.

I take it back, good. And I grab hold of the foot, but in towards me, bend the knee, pull up, sit up tall and I sit back through it, good. Can we do all, I can't believe this. Okay, there we go and, so send the leg out and lifted it, open it out and center, open it out and center, open it out, good and center, hand goes through and swap and pull down. And again, send the leg out, good, reach knee into armpit, good, bend and seat.

Last one through and reach hand comes around and pull, chin, forehead, bend, sit out of the legs and arrival. last one through please, and send the leg up tall and lift, open out tall, good. And open up tall and lift, open out tall and lift. Graveled and reach the arm back, bend and down and reach the arm back, bend and down. Last one through, reach the arm back, circle attack, grab, pull, bent, arrive and down, good.

And we have reached the arms up tall and pulling a prayer down, let the arms move down the front of the body, armpits resting over knee, soft lay the head down. Push against the knee, so lift a half of the chest, soften the head back down again. Hand against the outside ankle, push and twist and softening down. Hand against the outset ankle, twist and soften. Both hands, against lift the heart, lift the chest and soften, roll back up again.

Let's start one more time, please breathing and lift it. (inhales) Breathing out (exhales) soften and all the way through. Armpit against knees heel the hands against ankles, lift the heart, lift the chest and the you soften out. Opposite hand against opposite outer ankle, push grow up and then soften to normal and go push grow up and soften normal. Grapple to the ankles, pull, grow, soften curl up and arrive, good.

Move the hands off to the side, pull the hands into a prayer, as you arrive in the prayer. Yeah, feel the warmth of the hands gently work one hand against the other, soften and a circling through. Energetically feel what's happening between the hands, take the warmth of that energy and wash your feet. Feel your fingertips really move through the brows, and then all the way down through the scalp, all the way in to the back of the head, around (indistinct) that a good, let's go down into the upper traps into the neck, yeah. All the way back to the neck.

And then move all the way into the jaw and the chin, move down the thyroid to the parathyroid, the MTR. And then work through opening on this parathyroid, open pectoral muscles again, opened up all the way through. And then move your fingers in under the diaphragm here, so drop and push and dig out and scoop under, good. And dig out and scoop, good. And dig out and scoop, good.

And from there, move into the kidney area and, good. And rub your hand at the back of the wrists against the area and then move all the way down and behind the side balls, move the lymph all the way in and behind the knees down to the back of the heels, good. And around the ankles in one direction, yeah. And then the other direction and then move your hands in between the toes and the mess, again, worked through them and then up into the knees and knuckle your knees in one direction, good. And knuckle your knees in the other direction, good.

And then work to the adapters and things we know, that's good. And then navel, up heart, opposite hand and opposite shoulder and ring the arm off them. And hands through. Then take the arms up and breathe in, pull hands on the head. The third eye space, the lips, throat, the navel all the way through.

And very plain and simply, yeah, you're right little pinkies spiral up from the pubic bone to the temples. The fun turns and think of opening a curtain not, just the side and the little pinky guides the arm down from the elbow here, and you lift up. This is one half circle, turn the thumb, this is another half circle and from a little pinky, bring the arm down and breathing in, and out. And you're clearing the clouds, yeah, from the head above, and try the other side and lift, thumb turns little pinky pulls down and lift thumb turns and back down. And then lift thumb turns and pulls down.

Now let's all to be at thumb and reach up and let down and reach up and letbdown, and let down. And maybe you're slightly turn towards the side and turn towards the side and the turn towards the side, turn towards the side, turn towards the side. Turn and turn and turn, and then reach and reach. Still a gentle pulling and pushing from the feet, yes. And reach, and reach, the last one through, and reach Bring the arms down, both arms lift, open the curtains of the mind and soften them.

And again, reach, open and down. This in itself as a meditation people, yes. So open and down, and reach, open and down and reach. Open and down. Last one through, reach, open and down, good.

Take the arms up from the side, yeah. Ribs, armpits, elbows, hide of the hands fingers. And again, back of the arms reach. Ribs, armpits I'll gently push for the feet. Gently pulled with the feet (inhales), gently push for the feet, gently pull with the feet (inhales), and gently push handle the knees, open the arms up like satellite dishes, the hands, yeah.

Again, the softening of the sternum, yeah. The gentle drawing of the lobe belly. Again, feel as you sit here, that you really grow out of the sacrum out, but the same time, your sit bones connect into the heels, so you have a drawing down, but a lifting up at the same time. And as you sit here with your eyes closed, feel the space behind you, grow into it. As you sit there, feel the space under you, (exhales) and feel the space in front of you, grow into the space in front of you.

Feel the space above you, grow into it. Feel the space on the right of you, grow into it, move into it and feel the space to the left of you. So now expand into the space around you. Keep expanding, keep expanding. Now dive within the space within you, so really feel this cosmos of space within you, open into it, dive off, you dive you could never, never reach any corner of this dive because it's endless.

Stay there, eyes closed, couple of breaths. Again, the breath should be soft, long and contained. Nothing pulled, nothing pushed. Again, just let the breath move in and out of the body effortlessly, but with length. And then in your own time, opening your eyes out, good.

And reaching the arms from the sides. Again, effortlessly the hands just float up in a prayer, as they come together, gently draw them down on the crown, third eye space, the lips and the throat, the heart, the navel, the pubic bone and arrive. I thank you so much for joining me on this little journey. Yes, I hope it means some kind of sense to you, yeah. But, yeah, it's the Dhara, Dhara which means the energetic flow, yes.

And so, in this chair workout, something I made for my mother a long, long time ago, and then I just kind of it worked into a much more advanced stage. I came up with a certain kind of simple solving on a very simple movement and working into more complex patterns, yeah. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for joining me.

Comments

BOO WILLIAMS
Thank you for sharing this wonderful movement James. I am so excited to have found your classes. This is everything I believe in about movement  and more than I thought I could ever find. You have a gift. I am a Pilates teacher and totally inspired. 
1 person likes this.
Thank you very much for this class. It was SUPERB!!!
1 person likes this.
Amazing. Loved it. The energy did flow. Thank you very much :)
4 people like this.
Very Gyro-y! Love it. Thanks!
3 people like this.
I didn't have a stool, so I used a folding chair. That worked for me. Class is very different from most classes at PA. So I had to pay close attention, and that made the time fly. There is lots and lots of spinal extension, flexion,  and rotation, which made me happy. It's not that hard from a workout standpoint, so I am not sure why PA labeled it a level 2/3 class. But it was a great class. I feel much better and I had a good time taking it. Thanks James:) 
1 person likes this.
It made  complete sense. Thank you James 
4 people like this.
Today I woke up feeling I needed something very different from the standard pilates...vwa la! Thankfully,  another ringing out of every organ, muscle and ligament by James.  It was a wonderful workout, stretch & coordination challenge. James has a gifted talent for expanding all spaces throughout the body. This is medicine for mind, body and soul. Namaste, James :)
1 person likes this.
This was amazing! I LOVED this class -- it was so much fun yet challenging!!! I offer chair yoga, and am so excited to keep playing with these archetypal movements and incorporate some of your ideas into my movement teaching.  Thank you so much, James Garuda + Pilates Anytime
Makes me cringe how it’s so Gyrotonic. Sad.
Rina S
1 person likes this.
I had a very difficult time following this class.
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