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Your hips don't need another passive stretch. They need context, strength, and internal rotation. If you are dealing with a deep glute ache, front-of-hip pinching, or a lower back that takes over every time you move, traditional "hip opening" classes might actually be making your problem worse. Roll out your mat for this full-length functional flow to experience what the yoga industry gets wrong about your hips and discover the exact strength habits that actually bring lasting relief. In this full-length functional yoga class, we challenge the mainstream narrative of passive flexibility. Instead of collapsing into floor stretches that cause your nervous system to grip and lock down, we focus on active ranges of motion, deep hip flexor strength, and the missing link in most yoga practices: internal rotation. By building stability and giving the joint capsule neurological safety, you can finally find true, lasting freedom in your movement. What you will need for this practice: Two yoga blocks If you enjoyed this practice and want to explore more somatic movement education, nervous system regulation, and functional templates that support your daily mobility, consider joining our membership community. https://melissawest.com/membership

Autumn Yin Yoga and Somatic Release for Deep Grounding and Anxiety Relief Is your mind stuck on a non-stop loop, rehearsing future conversations or obsessively trying to predict outcomes just to feel safe? When anxiety takes over, it doesn’t just stay in your head. It locks down your physical body. You might find yourself breathing shallowly into your chest or experiencing total brain fog. Maybe you spent the entire day staring intensely at screens, leaving your eyes strained, your posture rigid, and your energy completely disconnected from your lower body. If you try to go into long yin holds when you're this spun up, turning down the external noise can actually make the internal anxiety feel even louder. Instead of forcing yourself to "calm down" this class creates a somatic bridge. In this 60-minute Yin Yoga class for Anxiety and Grounding, we are doing things differently. Instead of forcing your body into deep, mechanical stretches or fighting a racing mind, we will use gentle, brain-reorganizing and nervous system regulating somatic movements. By using the floor as a tactile mirror, you will learn how to shift your attention out of hyper-rational overdrive and down into your physical center. What you will experience in this class: An Effortless Neural Reset: Gentle, micro-movements that invite the deep gripping in your lower back, jaw, and shoulders to naturally melt away. True Grounding: A structured transition from a scattered, fragmented state into a heavy, safe, and deeply anchored physical presence. Space to Breathe: Somatic mapping that frees up your rib cage, allowing a satisfying, organic belly breath to return without force. The Art of Undoing: A safe container to let go of the exhausting need to manage, control, or perfect your present moment. Whether you are finishing a long day of desk work, feeling emotionally overwhelmed by taking on everyone else's stress, or simply can't find your center, this practice is your rescue line. ✨ PROPS NEEDED: A yoga mat and a 2 yoga blocks

Are you tired of holding everything together, but finding it hard to let go? As autumn routines fill the calendar and the days grow shorter, you may find yourself wanting more rest while still planning, managing, and holding everything together. Unfinished tasks and conversations might be following you into your quiet times, preventing rest. Even when you lie down, your mind may keep working. This 30-minute yoga nidra for letting go offers a place to set some of that down. Through guided body awareness, breathing, and autumn imagery, you’ll have time to soften physical holding, make room around a busy mind, and rest with some questions still unanswered. You don’t have to know how to let go before you begin. You’re welcome here with your thoughts, your feelings, and whatever remains unfinished. In this practice, I’ll guide you through: 🍂 Settling into a comfortable, supported resting position 🍂 Breath awareness with an optional breath for letting go 🍂 A heartfelt intention that gives you permission to rest 🍂 A guided journey of awareness through your body 🍂 Autumn imagery exploring holding and releasing, movement and stillness, fullness and spaciousness 🍂 An unhurried return to your day You will leave feeling more rested, with a little more space around what you’re carrying and permission to let some things wait. Practise on your bed, couch, or yoga mat. Bring a blanket and any pillows or bolsters that help you feel comfortable. You’re welcome to rest on your side and adjust your position whenever you need. 🍂 Continue with me inside the Inner Radiance Yoga Community If making room for rest brings up questions about your time, energy, and availability to others, join us in our current exploration of the metal element through boundaries. I’m teaching this from a brand-new perspective that I haven’t shared before. You’ll also find our metal element course and autumn retreats to support your practice throughout the season. Explore the membership: https://melissawest.com/membership 📖 Practise with my book, Five Element Yin Yoga For a companion to this yoga nidra, turn to the metal element section of Five Element Yin Yoga and continue exploring your autumn practice. Find the book here: http://melissawest.com/book You are welcome to return to this practice whenever you need a rest. With gratitude, Melissa

Gentle Beginner Somatic Pilates for Core Stability | Single Leg Circles | YWM 774 Explore core stability without strain in this gentle beginner Somatic Pilates class. Through somatics you will mobilize your pelvis, hip joints, ribs and breath before building toward the beginner Pilates Single Leg Circle. This class will help you: Discover core support Improve awareness and mobility in the hip joints Reduce unnecessary effort in the neck, jaw and ribs Explore Single Leg Circles with more comfort and ease

Gentle Lung Opening Qigong Yoga Flow for Autumn Draw in the pure qi of the heavens and let each exhale release what is complete in this Gentle Lung Opening Qigong Yoga Flow for Autumn. Inspired by autumn light shining through the leaves like cathedral windows, this practice invites you to experience each inhale as inspiration. Each breath is an opportunity to receive fresh, nourishing qi. Each exhale offers space to soften, release, and let go. This gentle qigong yoga flow for the lungs includes breathing from the heels, Cloud Hands, Circling Sparrows, Crane Qigong, White Healing Mist, and flowing yoga movements for the spine and rib cage. Together, these practices encourage whole-body breathing, create more space around the chest and lungs, and connect your breath with the support of the earth beneath you. Drawing on the wisdom of the Metal element, this autumn qigong yoga flow supports strong lungs and better breathing while honouring the seasonal movement of receiving and releasing. Let the breath move through you like autumn light, illuminating what continues to nourish you and gently carrying away what is complete. Members Check out our Autumn Metal Element Course Here: https://www.members.melissawest.com/five-element-theory-courses/metal-element-course/ Try an Autumn day of Silence: https://www.members.melissawest.com/Community/forum/229-autumn-2015-day-of-silence/ Or a 2 Day Metal Element Retreat https://www.members.melissawest.com/Community/forum/414-metal-element-retreat-autumn-2019/

Feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or like your nervous system is on high alert? Are you feeling ungrounded or dysregulated, like it is impossible to find a sense of safety within your own body? YMaybe you feel "tired and wired" or you have a racing mind, or a persistent sense of anxiety that makes it hard to be present.  This somatic meditation will welcome all of you, including the parts that feel anxious and dysregulated In this guided somatic meditation (YWM 772), we focus on: Connecting with Support: Realizing that you don’t have to carry it all alone. We explore the support that is already present beneath you and around you. Grounding through Presence: Moving from your "thinking" brain into your "feeling" body to find stability. Emotional Regulation: inviting your nervous system to move from a state of high alert into a state of reassurance and ease. The Power of the Pause: Cultivating the confidence to stop, notice, and simply exist in the present moment without judgment. If you are navigating a stressful season or just need a moment to reset your nervous system, this practice offers you reassurance and emotional regulation. No previous experience with somatic work is required. If you found relief in this practice, you might also enjoy: Somatic Meditation for Daily Nervous System Regulation |YWM 769 https://youtu.be/ik3yDGbvdWQ?si=Zr-EuCnynyRIVinS  Join the Community: Subscribe to Yoga with Melissa for weekly somatic practices, restorative yoga, and tools for a regulated life. Take Your Practice Deeper: Join Our Membership Community If you are ready to move beyond daily regulation and create lasting change, I invite you to join our Yoga with Melissa membership community. When you join, you’ll gain immediate access to our comprehensive two-month nervous system reset: Month 1: Settle Your Nervous System – Focus on calming the "tired and wired" state and finding your baseline of safety. Month 2: Expand Your Capacity – Learn to grow your nervous system’s resilience so you can handle life’s stressors with more ease. In addition to these programs, members enjoy an extensive library of somatic movement education classes designed to help you inhabit your body with more freedom and less pain. Join us here and start your journey: https://melissawest.com/membership

Are you feeling stiff and tight? Many of us have achy hips, tight hamstrings, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. When your nervous system is on high alert, it’s hard to find your center. In this Hatha yoga class, we use the story of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, to help you move through the physical and emotional blocks holding you back. Through deep hamstring stretches, hip openers, and the stabilizing challenge of Half Moon pose, you will: Release Chronic Tension: Ease the physical "grip" in your hips and legs that contributes to lower back pain. Regulate Your Nervous System: Shift from a state of burnout or shock into a grounded, calm presence. Cultivate Inner Stability: Use balancing poses to build the inner resources needed to handle life’s obstacles with ease. This practice will help you feel more centered, focused, and ready for your day. In this video: Ganesha storytelling for overcoming life’s hurdles Deep hamstring and hip opening sequence Step-by-step guidance into Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) Calming Hatha flow for stress relief

When lower back pain makes it difficult to sit, stand, walk or even lie down comfortably, it can feel as though there is no safe way to move. Maybe the pain returns every morning, flares “out of nowhere,” or has left you carefully monitoring every bend and twist. Perhaps you have tried stretching, strengthening, physiotherapy or chiropractic care and still feel at your wit’s end. This gentle 35-minute yoga practice offers a simple place to begin, with easy-to-follow movements to help ease tension, mobilize your spine and hips, and help your body feel less guarded. At the end, I will guide you through a short somatic experiment that may reveal how much effort you are using to protect your back and what else might be possible. ✨ The real gold is inside my Inner Radiance Membership, where we move beyond temporary relief and explore how to rebuild comfort, movement choice and confidence. In Lower Back Pain Relief | Somatic Movement Education, our new 60-minute class, you will discover how to move so your lower back does not have to do everything. In Lower Back Pain Flare-Up Relief | When Every Position Hurts, you will receive a gentle 30-minute practice for those difficult moments when sitting, standing and lying down all feel uncomfortable.  Join the membership to access both complete classes and learn how to inhabit and move with your back differently: https://www.melissawest.com/membership #yogaforbackpain #lowbackrelief #gentleyoga

If you are feeling overwhelmed by chronic stress, physical tension, or just "tired and wired" you are not alone. Especially in the summer heat, heatwaves, and hot weather most of the world has been experiencing this summer. When your nervous system is stuck in a state of high alert, it can manifest as persistent anxiety, chronic pain, and a mind that won't shut off. This somatic meditation is designed to find safety in your body, helping you move from a state of survival into deep, restorative rest. By the end of this class, you’ll experience a sense of inner calm, reduced physical discomfort, and a more regulated vagus nerve, leaving you feeling grounded and resilient for your daily life. Take Your Practice Deeper: Join Our Membership Community If you are ready to move beyond daily regulation and create lasting change, I invite you to join our Yoga with Melissa membership community. When you join, you’ll gain immediate access to our comprehensive two-month nervous system reset: Month 1: Settle Your Nervous System – Focus on calming the "tired and wired" state and finding your baseline of safety. Month 2: Expand Your Capacity – Learn to grow your nervous system’s resilience so you can handle life’s stressors with more ease. In addition to these programs, members enjoy an extensive library of somatic movement education classes designed to help you inhabit your body with more freedom and less pain. Join us here and start your journey: https://melissawest.com/membership

30 min Somatic Pilates for BEGINNERS: Build Core Strength with Ease | YWM 768 Link to Become a Member https://melissawest.com/membership Experience a 30-minute Somatic Pilates class designed specifically for beginners who want to build core strength without the traditional "burn" or unnecessary tension. In this class, we move away from high-intensity precision and instead focus on ease, coordination, and relational movement. Many traditional Pilates classes focus on isolating muscles, which can often lead to aching shoulders and neck strain. Through my somatic lens, I’ll show you how to distribute effort throughout your entire body, allowing your core to strengthen naturally as part of a whole-body symphony. In this 30-minute somatic pilates session, you will: Learn to move with ease rather than force. Widen participation across your body to reduce muscle over-recruitment. Improve coordination and find your natural alignment. Build sustainable core strength that feels good in your body. Whether you’re new to Pilates or looking to rediscover it through a gentler, somatic approach, this class is for you. We start with total body awareness, ensuring every movement is easeful and effective. If you enjoyed this somatic approach to strength, let me know in the comments! How did your body feel moving with ease today? #beginnerpilates #corestrength #somatics

This Yoga Nidra is designed to help you meet exhaustion with loving acceptance. By shifting your nervous system out of activation and into a parasympathetic "rest and digest" state, you allow your body to prioritize recovery over vigilance. Studies suggest that just 1 hour of Yoga Nidra can provide physiological rejuvenation comparable to multiple hours of conventional sleep. This practice gently leads you through alpha and theta brainwave states, mimicking the deep, restorative repair processes of sleep. In this session, you will: Shift from "doing" to "being." Release the grip of exhaustion through gentle, easy attention. Support your nervous system’s natural recovery. Experience deep rest that refreshes your energy. This is a practice of total permission. Over the next 30 minutes, you have nothing to do and nowhere to be. Whether you stay awake or drop into sleep, you are exactly where you need to be. All parts of you, including your exhaustion, are welcome here.

Standing Vagus Nerve Rest | Gentle Yoga Flow for CALM | 30 mins| YWM 766 Check out my two month long programs on calming your nervous system https://melissawest.com/membership Feeling overwhelmed, over-stimulated, or just need a vagus nerve reset? This 30-minute standing gentle yoga flow is designed specifically for Vagus Nerve regulation and nervous system support. Most vagus nerve exercises look like the same few techniques repeated over and over. In this standing yoga practice, we'll explore lesser-known nervous system resets that combine movement, breath, vision, sound, and sensory awareness to help you feel calmer, more grounded, and more connected to your body. When stress, anxiety, and overwhelm leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, your nervous system needs a reset. In this standing yoga practice, we'll explore creative movement, breath, sound, eye yoga, and awareness practices designed to help you shift out of survival mode and reconnect with a greater sense of ease, presence, and regulation. Why Subscribe to Yoga with Melissa? I specialize in science-backed, somatic yoga and nervous system regulation. My goal is to help you move from a state of "survival" to a state of "thriving" through nuanced, compassionate movement. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly classes!

Qigong Yoga Flow for Summer Insomnia: Release Heat & Anxiety to Sleep Deeply |YWM 765 In this nourishing Qigong yoga fusion, we focus on the Fire element to help you release the accumulated heat and restless energy that often lead to summer insomnia. When the Fire element is out of balance during these long, hot days, it can manifest as a "tired but wired" feeling, racing thoughts, and a literal physical heat that makes deep rest feel impossible. This class is specifically designed to soothe the Heart protector and calm the nervous system through gentle, cooling movements and rhythmic breathwork, allowing you to transition from the active "Yang" energy of the season into a restorative "Yin" state for the night ahead. We will move through a series of yoga flows and traditional Qigong clearing exercises to vent excess heat and dissolve the anxiety that keeps you awake. By focusing on the meridian lines associated with the heart meridian, this practice helps ground your energy and quiet the mind, making it the perfect "apothecary cure" for those struggling with seasonal sleep disruptions. Whether you are dealing with a busy mind or a restless body, join me on the mat to exhale the day’s tension and prepare your entire being for a night of profound, cooling, and uninterrupted sleep. For more nourishing practices to support your seasonal well-being, our Yoga with Melissa membership offers a library of Qigong yoga flows and a dedicated 4-week Fire Element course to help you stay balanced all summer long. If you’d like to dive deeper into the theory and practice of the seasons, my book, 5 Element Yin Yoga, features an entire section on the Fire element with specific sequences for the Heart and Small Intestine meridians. Explore more here: Book: melissawest.com/book Membership: melissawest.com/membership

Yoga Nidra Quiet Your Mind & Rest Your Body | Yoga with Melissa 764 🌙 If your body is tired but your mind keeps going… this Yoga Nidra is for you. This practice is an invitation into quiet. You are already whole and complete. You have the inner resource of quiet and rest within you.  In this Yoga Nidra we explore: ✨ quieting mental noise ✨ resting the nervous system ✨ sensing opposites ✨ receiving support ✨ allowing the breath to soften naturally If you practiced today, I’d love to hear: What shifted for you during the practice? 💛 And if you want more support for deep rest, sleep, nervous system regulation, and restoration… Inside my membership community there are over 100 downloadable Yoga Nidra recordings you can listen to anytime in your earbuds 🌙 ✨ Join us here: https://melissawest.com/membership

12 Daily Standing Yoga Poses for Vagus Nerve Regulation & Morning Calm Join the Yoga with Melissa Membership Community here: 👉 https://melissawest.com/membership Reset your nervous system and find instant morning calm with this daily standing Hatha yoga routine. In today’s prop-free outdoor class, we’ll move through 12 essential standing yoga poses designed for Vagus nerve regulation and somatic release.  This is a yoga mat free and wrist free yoga class.  If you’ve been looking for a somatic yoga flow to soothe anxiety or a daily standing routine for longevity, this Qigong-inspired fusion is for you. We focus on gentle, rhythmic movements that follow the natural rhythm of the day, making it perfect for practicing in your garden, a park, or even during a travel break. In this video, you will experience: Vagus Nerve Reset: Specific standing movements to transition from "fight or flight" to "rest and digest." Prop-Free Mobility: A full-body Hatha flow that is entirely wrist-free and no-mat friendly. 12 Essential Poses: An updated look at the daily poses you’ve told me have become a cornerstone of your practice. Somatic Grounding: Techniques to help you feel centered and connected to nature. This practice is ideal for those who prefer standing yoga or have limited mobility. Whether you are a beginner or a long-time practitioner of Hatha yoga, these movements will help you maintain balance and vitality every single day. Resources mentioned in this video: My Original 12 Poses Routine: https://youtu.be/5R1CG84aRkI?si=smjXJfVZrWz6ndp9  More Nervous System Support: https://youtu.be/tvceg8unRPQ?si=amM7NBZHKPTqe3ET  Join the Yoga with Melissa Membership Community here: 👉 https://melissawest.com/membership