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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
LEVEL 2
60 minutes
“I forgive, heal and release everything
Reduce Tension & Find
that consciously or unconsciously could
delay or block the complete evolution of
my being.”
Forgiveness – Mario Liani
Fast-paced flow sequence; focus on increasing speed and stability while
decreasing tension in your body. Applicable to your poses, interactions, and
relationships, this sequence will make you feel more porous, more light, more
strong, more soft and more forgiving of yourself and others.

2. ॐ
3 4
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
practicing reduce tension / find forgiveness the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
sankalpa opening chant
welcome, Take a nice seat.
Close your eyes, rest your hands on your thighs and Fold your hands in front of your heart.
Call to your heart, connect to your heart and slow it down.
bring your chin to your chest. This is a sequence
of flowing, delicious, increasing speed. We are If at anytime you feel disconnected,
practicing how to increase speed while decreasing that is your sign that you are longing for more connection.
tension in the body.
Once there was a man who described painting Inhale deeply.
houses during his teens with his father, who was ॐ O M M M M M M M M M (3x)
an expert house painter. His father was in his 60s,
almost three times his son’s age, yet was able to
work twice as fast. The son inquired how he was
able to work so quickly and efficiently; his father
Om Namah Shivaya
reported that the goal is to increase speed while I bow to my deepest heart
decreasing tension in his body.
There are definitive turning points in our days, in Bring your chin to your chest. Stay close to yourself throughout the
our poses, in our thoughts, when we can choose practice no matter how quickly we seem to be going; the closer
you stay to yourself, less contraction you will experience, the more
to turn the tension level down, even amidst an
connected and forgiving you will feel.
increase in velocity.
Practice this; feel sharp, more awake, more porous,
more lit up, be spacious enough to stay forgiving,
no matter the context.

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wave one
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
reducing tension and finding forgiveness
Begin at the top of
your mat.
wave one Palms facing forward. tadasana | mountain pose
sun salutations and Breath into sides of ♥
standing poses
upper body =
jump / space + patience making
switch Close your eyes, and feel where there is tension in your body.
Soften
Soften your toes, breathe into the back of your belly.
jump /
switch
Connect
ॐ feet
2(x)
Stay in the flow, Get sensitive
Stay close to the earth, without slowing the speed
stay close to yourself
In down dog
observe the quality of
your neighbors hands—the
willingness to press down
Smiling!
we are so lucky to be practicing yoga
wave two
hips and shoulder
openers
2(x)
Notice GROW TALLER
the pace and the ease through inner legs
in your body Surya Namaskara A | Sun Salutation
Slow everything down Reduce the tension
space between thoughts
one one without slowing Become more sensitive to your own breathing. Send your breath to the
minute
Water Breath minute
the speed spaces in your body that need your attention the most; this will have
Breathing the effect of slowing down time. Our aim is to slow ourselves down
No thinking
enough to truly listen to what is going on - to the people around us,
and to ourselves at the deepest level.
one
minute
wave three
Be soft,
INversion and backbends be reverent
Keep this empty
sweet void
really listening baseline of
softness and openness
always present
Stay close, connected Get sensitive
and supportive
of yourself without slowing
Legs are like the speed
lightening bolts

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wave one
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Soften
Utkatasana | Chair virabhdrasana II | warrior II
Soften your eyeballs, the sockets of your eyes, and the spaces behind Practice reverence here. Even as you expand through every limb in every
your eyes. Soften your thigh bones down into your groins, soften direction, close your eyes, soften your skin and let there be reverence.
back of belly and lift it up towards your lungs. Gently spread your Reverence is a form of listening, a sensitivity. And that listening is what
collarbones. stops contractions of any kind in your body, in any way—celluarly,
muscularly, in your nervous system—allowing you to stay in the flow of the
present moment.
Reverence =
sensitivity
Stay
close to yourself
Stay
in the flow Listening stops
Sensitivity contractions
is a form of listening cellulary, musculary,
in the nervous system
Stay
close to the earth
Your legs are, at all times, sturdy,
steady, concentrated and earthy.
The rest of your body is open,
sweet, soft, listening, reverent.
Bend your front knee more deeply by bring the
middle of your front seat all the way beneath
you. Lift your inner thigh up and around to your
outer thigh and bend your front knee a little
more deeply. Feel for any place in your body
where there is tension; soften, keep your legs
strong. Your legs should be the only place in the
body where there is work.

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wave one
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
jump
jump switch
switch
Uttitha Parsvokonasana | side angle Trikonoasana | triangle
For side angle, place your fingertips on the little toe side of your front foot. Hug your feet in energetically toward one another. As though drawing a
Press your front knee into your upper right arm; this stabilizing point of line upward, lift up from your inner heels to your inner groins, and move
contact helps you wrap your right seat underneath you more deeply. Keep your inner, uppermost groins back and wide. Lengthen your tailbone down.
the outer pad of your back foot rooted down into the floor, and feel the inner Curl your upper body softly and respectfully back. Lift your lower belly
edge of that outer pad of the foot. Nikki Costello, my Iyengar teacher, offers away from the floor and receive your breathing for a few breaths. Then
this distinction, subtle yet so powerful. To connect to your foundation in this bend your front knee deeply and jump to switch the feet.
way grants access to the back of your body, opening your heart. It makes us
softer, more sensitive without losing groundedness or strength. Bend your See the beauty in this transition as you jump to switch your feet.
front knee more deeply, breathe into the back of your belly, and curl into
a slight backbend as you lengthen your tailbone down and beneath you. The most profound impact of this type of attention is in our interactions
Expand energy from your hips downward and outward. Soften your eyes. and conversations; we more readily feel the ground beneath us. Begin to
hear without imposing or insinuating assumptions or opinions.
Jump to switch your feet. In such a state of listening, we feel more porous, more receptive.
upper body = Cultivate pure strength and stability in the lower half of your body.
space + Practice complete listening, space and patience in the upper half. curl up into
patience upper body
4
in a way that
brings more lengthen
3
softness tailbone down
upper, inner
groins back
2
and wide
grant access
3
to the back of your body
draw a line
1
up inner heel to
upper arm +
1 inner groin
outer knee
is a point of contact
press down
2
the inner edge of the
outer pad of foot

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wave two
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
one
minute
Ashva Sanchalanasana | Galloping horse adho mukha shvanasana | downward facing dog
Long trajectory forward, stay strong through your legs and get softer Strong legs; send your upper inner and outer thighs back.
in your upper body.
we can change the way we see
everybody in our lives, and the way they see us notice how this
increases your
sensitivity,
keeping you soft
your mouth is
slightly open,
just barely parting
your lips.
Water Breath
by
sally kempton

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wave two
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Uttanasana | standing forward fold
Hanumanasana | splits
Step your left foot all the way to the back of your mat; and shimmy
your front foot all the way to the front of your mat. Pause. Almost in
Hanumanasana, splits pose, hug your feet energetically toward one
another, creating strength and clarity. Then fold your upper body forward
onto your front leg.
The distinction:soften your face and your neck. Dare to do this in your
conversations; hold your ground but be very receptive. Listen. You will have
the same reaction over and over unless you know where your ground is. Smiling!
Practice trusting. Soften your upper body to receive this understanding. we are so lucky to be
Every single one of us has the capacity to “see” beyond what our senses practicing yoga
perceive; with this practice we get quiet enough to do so.
Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana | Standing splits
adho mukha shvanasana | downward facing dog
your legs have never Step your right foot forward, lift your left leg high, and flex your left foot.
been stronger Press the ball of your left foot up. Hold the back of your right heel with
and your upper body your left hand. Lengthen upward from your inner left thigh to your inner
has never been softer left heel, and draw the top of your head in towards your right shin. Soften
the features of your face and receive your breathing throughout your
upper body. Breathe several breaths, and then switch sides.
increasing speed
without
increasing tension

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wave two
the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
downward facing dog | adho mukha shvanasana
Your hands are part of your foundation; make your hands and arms strong,
keep your internal organs soft and spacious. Care of my dear friend and
one
minute colleague Christina Sell, enjoy a one-minute down dog, When practicing, ask -
can I get softer in my brain, my eyes, my heart?
pavritta Anjaneyasana with Anjali Mudra
High lunge with hands to heart twist
From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward. Inhale, and exhale
hands to prayer. Take a deep breath to make space inside and twist to your
right, left elbow outside of your front knee. Hug your back foot and front
foot together, lift your back leg inner left thigh. Get softer in your upper body
so you can receive another full breath in your top lung, then twist from your
bottom lung as you expand from your hips out through your feet, decreasing
tension. Notice the pace and the ease in your body for 2 more breaths.
Release hands to floor, Downward Facing Dog, and do the second side.
Utkatasana | Chair
Interlace hands behind you to open up your shoulders. Bring your hands
closer to one another. Breathe space between and beneath your integrated
shoulder blades, below and behind your heart. Breathe to become both more
integrated, and more soft. Fold down to bring your arms up and over your
head. Straighten your legs, relax your toes. Lift from your inner heels > your
inner knees > your inner groins; grow taller through your inner legs. Also from
Nikki Costello, to lengthen the space between your inner knees and your
taller inner thighs stabilizes your sacrum and allows you to receive more breath and
through inner heels space in your lower spine.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Vrksasana | Handstand Bakasana | Crow
Go to the wall, or work in the middle of the room. Keeping your lungs open and receptive, from Downward Facing Dog, place
Keep your arms strong, your legs strong and your your knees onto your upper arms and walk your feet together behind you
foundation clear. Soften your organs, your belly, on the floor until your toes touch. Breathe into the backs of your lungs
your face. Keep your legs and arms strong so the and squeeze your knees into your upper arms; exhale your heart and gaze
rest of your body can receive your breathing. forward. Inhale again, hug your knees in, lift your feet as you round your back
slightly. Exhale to life your feet and seat higher, and send your gaze and heart
forward, take two more spacious breaths here.
Legs are like
Keep this empty sweet void
lightening bolts between your thoughts by
keeping your organs and your upper body
really open and really listening.
Breathing.
No thinking.
jump
switch
Return to Downdog.
Parivritta Anjaneyasana | Modified twist
From Downward Facing Dog, bring your right foot outside your right hand,
raise your right arm high to the sky. Keeping your legs strong, fill both lungs,
stay soft interiorly. Lift your top lung to twist your bottom lung forward and
up for 5 breaths, expanding from your hips out through your feet, no tension
in your body.
Return to Downward Facing Dog, switch sides.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
SECOND TIME
HANUMANASANA | Splits right side Invite more patience into your upper body even as you
make the effort to strengthen and expand; you become
From Downward Facing Dog, place your right foot between your hands.
Notice the anticipation, the speed in your mind. Slow everything down in more and more beautiful. Your face softens, your facial
your brain; put a space between this thought and the next. As you hug your muscles ease into the sweetest neutral, and there is such
feet towards each other, create the conditions for alignment by bringing
beauty. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look
muscles to bones. Notice the patience in that action. As you widen your left
seat to the left, wrap the middle of your right seat back and down - feel the like, there is more beauty when you invite more space and
participation of the right side of your belly and breathe into your right lung patience into your upper body even amidst moments of
more fully and extend your legs longer. Feel the patience in your entire body.
effort and velocity.
Return to Downward Facing Dog, switch sides.
Use muscle energy to slow down time, widen
your right seat to the right, wrap the middle
of your left seat back and down, and extend
your legs as you breathe into your left lung.
Downward facing dog to
hanumanasana | Splits left side
Step your left foot forward, use muscle energy to
slow everything down slow down time, widen your right seat to the right,
space between wrap the middle of your left seat back and down,
thoughts and extend from your hips out through your legs
actions as you breathe deeply into your left lung for 5
breaths. Notice the space between your thoughts,
notice the space between each action and the
next. Notice the softness in your face; that is your
practice, your contribution, your perfection.
Return to Downward Facing Dog.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
one
minute
adho mukha shvanasana | downward facing dog Practice Downward facing dog > PLANK > UPWARD FACING DOG >
patience COBRA > LOCUST
Strong foundation, strong limbs, super soft organs: heart, belly, kidneys, in transition,
digestive system. Make your inner body more porous, more expansive. Notice From Downard Facing Dog, keep your arms straight,
so you can
the quality of attention, of acceptance, of forgiveness that wells up in your curl forward into Upward Facing Dog.
become
heart and send that light down your arms out to your hands, and to your hips, an expert
down your legs, to your feet. Bend your elbows to lower your ribs down into Cobra,
in patience
and then lower your chest onto the floor;
no matter
Lift into small Cobra.
where
you are.
Keep your upper body exactly as it is, slightly lifted,
Interlace your hands behind you for Locust.
Now from the very top of your thighs,
right where your thighs meet your hips,
Lift your legs up off the floor.
Lift from your thighs, then
Lift your feet.
Feel the effort, the speed,
and decrease any tension remaining interiorly.
Hug your knees toward one another and bring your feet closer.
Keeping your neck long and your eyes soft,
Lift your upper arm bones and head, high away from the floor.
Lengthen your tailbone long and soften your kidneys and adrenals
to soften your entire upper body even as you strongly lift.
Keep your tailbone long and invite your breathing into your lower back,
connect to yourself with full acceptance.
Take 5 breaths
with soft eyes.
Gently release down
and rest, with your head to one side.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Dhanurasana | Upward Bow With this distinction in your physical body, Supta tadasana Urdhva Dhanurasana | full wheel
see the presence of both groundedness and Reclined Mountain
Bend your knees; reach back to hold your feet. complete release. In any situation, we can apply Place your hands by your ears, and bend your knees to place your feet on
Bring your knees closer together. Forehead on either or both qualities - in our interactions, our Roll over onto your the floor. Draw energy up from your inner heels, to your inner knees, to your
or near the floor, chin to chest. Breathe into your relationships, our ways of communicating with the back. With your legs inner thighs, and then root back down into the floor. With strong legs, lift up
heart circumferentially, all the way up underneath people near us. There are some people with whom long and straight, flex into full wheel, and send your heart forward over your wrists. Lengthen your
your collarbones. Lift the tops of your thighs. we should be more grounded, more stable - with your feet, root your legs, press your feet down and soften your whole upper body to receive the
At the same time and with the same velocity, them, our foundational awareness will positively thigh bones down, feel breath. Take 3 steady, open breaths in, even as it feels fast and strong in your
lengthen your tailbone towards the back of your impact our time with them. There are others in our the earth beneath you. body in the pose.
mat so that your legs are doing all the work. lives with whom we are completely unable to listen; Draw energy up from
everything inside contracts and speeds up when your inner heels, up Gently lower down. Rest with your knees together, feet apart.
Lift up and back through your thighs, your knees, we are in their presence - with them we can be into your inner knees,
your feet. And let your upper body just hang and more receptive, and cultivate this quality of release, up to your inner thighs. Every time we rest, every time we do the poses themselves with the
be lifted with the movement of your legs. With of allowance, of acceptance. In both cases, even as Root your inner thighs slightest bit of intention, we have the opportunity to heal generations of
your upper body, just receive the breath. Two more things get amplified or hastened, we can reduce down, inner knees people, generations of fear, of haste, of disconnection. This healing is a real
breaths ~ then gently release down. Turn your the tension in our bodies and generate profound down, inner heels down. phenomenon, happening in our bodies right now. In honour of all the people
gaze to the opposite side, palms facing up next to healings for everyone involved in that moment. Root your outer hips, who’ve preceded you, make space for true patience, for real release, for
your hips. your outer knees, your the healing.
Where you feel the most resistance is where outer heels. Maintain
you can place attention. Listen for those little your strong, deliberately Second time, place your hands to come up: reiterate the strength in your legs
resistances, they will give you the guidebook to grounded legs, and and arms, and the sweetness and open receptivity in your heart.
where you can put more of your steadiness or notice how the rest of
more of your listening. your body is completely
open, spacious,
accepting, receiving.
Keep that awareness
Take 5 breaths here,
and bend your knees, say close, connected
and lower down. place your feet on and supportive
the ground. Barely of yourself
possible, but you see
the level of sensitivity
they want us to
work from.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Supta Padangusthasana B shavasana
Reclined big toe corpse
Lengthen your legs long on the floor, flex your Lie flat. Place your
feet, root your right thigh down into the floor hands on your body as
strongly. Bend your left knee into your chest, then you wish; left hand on
interlace your hands behind those hamstrings, your heart, right hand
Notice the baseline of
down close to your groin. Lengthen your left leg on your belly - or if your
long. Bend your elbows to peel your back body mind is still rushing,
softness and openness
off the floor, and lift your nose all the way up to place your right hand always present.
your shin. Stay strong in both legs and soften on the top of your
your face, your neck, and your shoulders. Extend head with your elbow
from your pelvis out through both feet for a few resting on the floor, and
more breaths, then release down slowly. Rest for breathe some space
2-3 breaths. between your thoughts.
When you feel ready, Root your left thigh and bend your right knee to Rest.
switch sides. hold the back of your right hamstrings, peeling
your back away from the floor to bring nose to
right shin. Strong left thigh grounded; send your
right thighbone into the hamstrings, expand from
your hips out through both feet and breathe 3
slow, patient breaths.
We are cultivating a certain consistency, so no
matter what the circumstance, your upper body is
soft, and your foundation is clear, with a quality of
stillness. No longer are you strong with one person
and soft with another; we’re reducing tension
and moving towards healing no matter what
the context.

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the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness the art of attention reduce tension / find forgiveness
Awakening
Very gently begin to deepen your breathing.
Slowly draw your knees into your chest.
Come up to sitting through your right side.
Fold your hands in front of your heart in prayer.
Our ability to increase speed and remain stable while
decreasing tension has so much to do with the softness,
the porous spaciousness we’ve cultivated in this
practice - which yields profound forgiveness.
Practice it on yourself. Silently in your own heart
say at least twice:
“I forgive, heal and release everything
that consciously or unconsciously could
delay or block the complete evolution of
my being.”
– Mario Liani
Bring your chin to your chest. To all of our teachers,
to our family and to all the ways in which we can
bring patience and forgiveness to every realm,
every moment of our lives.
NAMASTE.