Feel Grounded Again: Half Moon Pose for Stability – YWM 771

Melissa's Blog Posts, Yoga with Melissa Episodes

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

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Somatic Meditation for Daily Nervous System Regulation |YWM 769

Melissa's Blog Posts, Yoga with Melissa Episodes

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

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Release Summer Anxiety | Gentle Qigong Yoga Flow for Better Sleep |YWM 765

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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

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Yoga Nidra Quiet Your Mind & Rest Your Body | Yoga with Melissa 764

Melissa's Blog Posts, Yoga with Melissa Episodes

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

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Standing Vagus Nerve Reset: 12 Poses for Daily Regulation

Melissa's Blog Posts

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

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Yoga Nidra for High Functioning Anxiety & Burnout Recovery |YWM 762

Melissa's Blog Posts

Yoga Nidra for High Functioning Anxiety and Burnout Recovery YWM 762
Join the Yoga with Melissa Membership Community here: 👉 https://melissawest.com/membership

Do you feel “tired but wired”? Like you’re constantly “holding it all together” while your nervous system is screaming for a break?

If you identify with high-functioning anxiety or feel on the edge of burnout, your body doesn’t just need a nap, it needs a neurological reset. In this Yoga Nidra session (also known as NSDR or Non-Sleep Deep Rest), we move beyond simple relaxation into deep nervous system regulation.

In this 30-minute practice, we will:

Reset your Vagus Nerve: Transition from “fight or flight” into the restorative “rest and digest” state.
Release the “Armour”: Gently soften the physical tension in your jaw, shoulders, and eyes that high-functioning anxiety leaves behind.
Practice NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest): Use science-backed protocols to replenish your cognitive energy and reduce cortisol levels.

Your body is allowed to soften. It is safe to let go of the effort. Whether you use this as a midday “Nidra nap” to save your day or as a deep evening recovery session, this practice is your safe space to land.

✨ Ready to go deeper into Nervous System Regulation? ✨

If you are looking for long-term resilience, I have two comprehensive, month-long programs inside our Membership Community specifically designed to heal your nervous system and recover from burnout.

Join the Yoga with Melissa Membership Community here: 👉 https://melissawest.com/membership

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