After yesterday's beautiful chaos, today asked for something softer. This is a slow, nourishing yin practice for the parts of the body that quietly carry the most — the hips that hold our days, and the upper back that bears the weight of all we lean toward.

We begin in supine rest, settling into the ground beneath us, and move through Figure 4 on each side to open the outer hips and gently release the lower back.

From there, Mermaid invites a long, supported side body opening — one of those shapes that always gives more than it asks for. We soften into a restorative twist over the bolster, letting the spine and shoulders unspool, before moving through Half Dragonfly and Butterfly to tend to the outer hips and the inner thighs. We close in Savasana sunshine rest — the body warm, open, and quietly grateful.

This is a practice that does its work slowly. You may not notice the depth of it until you stand up afterward, and feel the way your shoulders have dropped, your hips have softened, your breath has lengthened all on its own. Scout joined me today in his gentler mood — a reminder that presence wears many faces, and the practice meets us in whichever one shows up.

Props you'll need: a bolster, a block, and something soft to land on. A labradoodle is optional but, as ever, encouraged.

Jen xx