You may find that through the “daily grind,” it’s difficult to shake off the challenges of life and appreciate life’s gifts. You want to find more freedom around this through a deeper connection with your own heart, the intuition of your body, and your feminine essence, but you’re not sure what kind of practice would help.

This is an intuitive movement practice John taught live for the men of the 2019 Embodied Men's Leadership Training in California's Panamint Valley desert. It's a great practice for anyone, regardless of gender, to listen to and trust your body's intuition to open your heart more fully while maintaining a state of flow, to free yourself of anything you might be holding onto that isn't serving you in your life, and to experience gratitude in a deeply embodied way.

It begins with a Biological Breathing practice, inspired by the work of Cass Phelps, to open your body, then a Shaking practice to let everything go that you are holding on to, and completes with an Embodied Celebration of Gratitude.

If you’d like a comprehensive practice for opening your body, connecting to your heart, releasing that which isn’t serving you, and celebrating the gifts of life, this 32-minute practice is a solid one you could do anytime.

Begin relaxed into a comfortable position. Close your eyes and allow your body move in a way that feels good. Move in concert with your breath. On the inhale, breathe into a certain part of your body that needs breath and openness, and on the exhale, relax that part of your body and allow your entire body to move in a natural, spontaneous opening. You will maintain this rhythm for several minutes, keeping your eyes closed.

Then you will stand and shake from the center of your body and out into your extremities - shaking off any doubt, self-hatred, guilt, shame, resentment, or fear that you carry.

You will finish standing and moving in such a way that your body becomes a celebration and offering of gratitude for everything in your life. Allow your body to explode with appreciation.

To complete the practice, stand as the deepest embodiment of your consciousness and love, and allow it to ripple out into the world.

Disclaimer: Although anyone may find this practice to be useful, it is made available with the understanding that we are not engaged in presenting specific medical, psychological, emotional, sexual or spiritual advice. Nor is anything in this practice intended to be a diagnosis, prescription, recommendation or cure for any specific kind of medical, psychological, emotional, sexual or spiritual problem. Each individual has unique needs and this practice cannot take these individual differences into account. Each person should engage in a program of treatment, prevention, cure, or general health only in consultation with a licensed, qualified physician, therapist or other competent professional. Any person suffering from a sexually transmitted disease or any local illness of his or her sexual organs should consult a medical doctor and a qualified instructor of sexual yoga before practicing the sexual methods described in this practice.