Welcome all to this 20 minute yogasana class (suitable for all!) celebrating the theme for November: COMPASSION (Karuna) – an essential tool if we are to combat the struggles of depression, addiction, and eating disorders, among other challenges in life.

The video (watch below or via YouTube) includes meditation (dhyana) and a modification for your vinyasa – enjoy and please read the health & safety information below and contact me if you are struggling – I would love to hear your story and learn from you how to help.

Heath & Safety’s

– Please do not practice if your are pregnant in your first 12 weeks; and your first eight weeks after giving birth, and make sure to have clearance from your doctor before practicing, please.
– Practice Ahimsa, non-harming, the first of the Yamas (universal moralities); non-harming to yourself, to others, to the world and to animals. So don’t do anything which will cause you or anyone else harm. Listen to your body, how it feels today; and if you feel any new, sharp or shooting pain, come out of what you are doing and take balasana (child’s pose) or savasana (corpse)–these are still active asanas, you are still breathing!

**Props and Health and Safety notes on some of the asanas in these videos:**

Adho Mukha Savasana
– Use blocks under your hands in Adho Mukha Savasana to help create length and space.
– If your heels don’t reach the mat it doesn’t matter, just bend your knees and keep heels lifted. Daily practice will see you progress.
– Cautions: Back and neck injuries – please do not practice inversions (AMS is an inversion.) Further cautions: Avoid inversions if you have high blood pressure.
– Contraindications for Adho Mukha Savasana include hypertension, stroke and heart disease – take it easy (move gently) when coming into the asana and don’t hold for too long.
– For tight hamstrings, bend you knees and lift up your heels in Adho Mukha Savasana (Downward Facing Dog);

Forward folds
– For tight hamstrings, lower back issues or just feeling stiff, you can soften your knees (keeping them slightly bent) for forward folds including Uttanasana in the Namaskar sequence and Dangling (Ragdoll/Baddha Hasta Uttanasana) in warm up sequence.
BEGINNERS sq NOTE: Bend your knees and hold back of your ankles until you can work towards placing your hands flat on the mat (or on blocks) next to your feet.

Cross-legged seated asanas
– Use a folded cloth/eye pillow/folded belt between your knees in cross legged seated asanas (i.e. sukhasana, easy pose) for extra padding. Caution: knees, ankles, hips
– Place blocks/pillow/bolster under your sitting bones to elevate your hips higher than your knees for your dhyana (meditation).

Contact: If you are struggling with addiction, eating disorders and/or depression, please reach out to me and read the About (https://sarahclairepicton.blog/about/) page for context; and touch base via comment below or the Contact page, here (https://sarahclairepicton.blog/about/contact/)

Sources and Inspirations: All the Warriors of Light out there fighting for LOVE; Family; our beautiful, kind adopted cat Cinnamon Girl; Friends; Teachers, StewG @ ELSY and Khaled Kendsi