Begin face down to the earth, feeling your breath. Internally rotate your legs so that your back feels open. Feel your breath like a buoy in your belly. Notice how it fills along your ribs, pressing your chest into the floor, inflating and deflating the whole rib cage, flaring open your gills.

The process of asana is connected to an awareness of your breath. The beginning of each breath, the middle and the end of each breath. Close your eyes, like a newborn kitten. Imagine that your mouth can see. Lift your face to the light. Your movement originates not from the idea of it in your mind, or the intense focus of your eyes but from a deep elongation of the inner you — along your spine, even along the length of your digestive tract.

Make your way through cats, cows, bird dogs (formerly known as the Stabilization Exercise — with opposite arm and leg extended from all fours), lions, side planks, lunges, half splits, dogs, twists, warriors, triangles, half moons, goddesses, half lotuses, half boats, full boats and more.

Along the journey you may discover that you are holding tension that you do not need. Pushing and straining is no longer necessary. Allow inessential actions and effort to flow along the path of our downward moving wind — into the earth through your inwardly spiraling thighs. This process of letting go must be repeated, gently over and over. With consistent practice you will feel freer and less stress. Be grateful for a practice that enables you to clear away what is no longer helpful to you.