No Hands Yoga Flow: 30 Day Challenge Day 7

Let’s give our wrists a well-earned break, they do a lot for us! This practice takes the pressure off the hands while still offering a strong, engaging challenge for the rest of the body. We’ll focus on balance, stability and mindful movement, inviting you to stay present and curious throughout. Expect a few wobbles along the way, and remember, that’s all part of the practice.

Transcript

Hey everyone and welcome to day seven of our 30-day yoga challenge. My name is Candice and today's practice is a no hands flow. So we'll be moving through a little sequence doing our best to not use our hands. We're going to challenge our balance. The movements might not be graceful and that's perfectly fine. So go ahead and meet me at the top of your mat and we can get started. So just starting at the top of your mat, Looking down at your feet. Can you spread your toes as wide as you can? And really grounding down through the feet. Let's start by lifting all 10 toes as best you can off of the mat. Feel the heel of the foot. Big toe edge, Pinky toe edge, Grounding down, And then can you try? To sit down your pinky toe. Just your pinky toe. Then your second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. And your big toe. Spreading the toes as wide as you can. Can you feel grounded through the bottoms of your feet? Soft little bend to the knees. And can we just start here? Maybe sway side to side. Just feel yourself kind of rock from side to side in your feet. Hands resting down beside the body lifting tall through the crown of the head. Maybe you close the eyes or just soften the gaze out in front of you. You find a little sway Feel the weight shift from one foot to the other. And then can you find balance? Can you find somewhere in the center? And find a moment of stillness here. Connect with your breath. Noticing the breath if it's shallow, If it's deep. Not looking to change or control it just yet. Just take a moment to notice. Notice how you're feeling in your body. Can we draw the breath in a little bit deeper now? Soften through the jaw if you have it clenched. Soften the neck and the shoulders, Finding equal breath. And then you can blink the eyes open if they're closed. Take a look down at your feet. Keeping the toes spread, Can you shift the weight into the right foot? Lift just the left heel. We'll start to circle through the ankle. Doesn't matter what direction. Circling around keeping the toes down as you circle through the ankle might hear some snaps and crackles and pops and that's fine take those circles the opposite way Now keep the weight shifted into the right foot. Step the left foot back and behind the right. Standing tall, Can you reach the left arm up and over? Long side bend through the left side of the body. And come back to center. Left foot plants down. Again, Spread through the left toes. Shift the weight into the left foot. Lift the right heel. Find those ankle circles all the way around. Doesn't matter what direction. Take those circles the opposite direction. Now keep shifting the weight into the left foot. Can you step the right foot back and behind the left? Standing tall through the crown of the head, Reach the right arm up and over, Long side bend through the left side of the body. And he'll come back up to center. Find the feet about hips distance apart, Maybe a little wider. Feeling strong through your foundation. As you inhale, We're going to bend the knees and sink the hips. Come down into a chair pose. Take a breath in. As you exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down, And back. Bring the belly towards the thighs. Can you lift the heels up off the ground? Maybe they stay down for now. Or if you can lift them up, Notice, Try not to roll to the pinky edge of the feet. Keep squeezing the inner ankles together, Feeling stable through your foundation. Inhale, Rise back up to your chair. Heels come down. Exhale, Forward, Down and back with the arms. Heels lift up if you want to. And I'll come back up to your chair. Last one. Exhale forward, Down and back. Maybe lift the heels. Inhale, Come up to your chair. Rise up. Can you shift the weight into the right foot? Pick up the left heel. Find one point to focus on. Maybe your hands are up, Maybe hands to heart center. Can you pick up the left knee? Inhale, Take the arms up, Reaching tall through the fingertips. As you exhale, Press the palms forward. Keep the left knee bent, Or if it's available, Kick that left foot forward. As you inhale, Pull the elbows back. Pull the left leg underneath of you. Keep a soft bend to the right knee. Can you lean forward with the heart? Slowly step the left foot back, Back, Back, Back, Back. Left toes find the back of the mat. Drop the left knee down. Inhale, Rise up, Anjaniyasana. Now I say no hands, But feel free to use your hands as much as you need to, To maintain your balance. If you gotta come down, Find your balance for a moment, Maybe have a wall beside you, Do whatever you need to do. Take the arms up overhead if you haven't yet. As you exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back. Pull the hips back. Pull the right leg towards straight. Pull the right toes back behind you for a half split. Take the hands down if you need to or the hands are back here. Inhale, Re-bend into that front knee, Rise up. Exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down, And back. Pull the right leg towards straight. Inhale come forward rise up tuck the back toes under Can you energize through that back leg? Lift the back knee, Rise up to a crescent lunge. Exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back. Pull the right leg towards straight. Kind of like a wide pyramid pose. Inhale, Rise up. Exhale, Pull back. Inhale, Rise up. Exhale. Inhale, Rise up, Crescent lunge. Take the arms up, Energize through the fingertips. As you exhale, Open up to the side, Drop the back heel warrior two. Flip the front palm. Inhale, Reverse your warrior. Left hand slides down the back of the leg. Reach the right arm up. Inhale, Come up, Warrior two. Exhale, Side angle, Right elbow towards right thigh, Reach the left arm up and over. Inhale, Come all the way back, Straighten the front leg, Reverse trikonasana, Reverse triangle. Inhale, Come up. Extend through the arms. Keep that front leg straight. Reach forward through the right fingertips as if something's just barely out of your reach. Drop the right hand down to your knee or your shin. Reach the left arm up. Trikonasana Triangle Pose. Strong through the side body. From here, Look down. Soft bend to that front knee. Sweep that top arm back down and around. As it comes forward, Turn your torso forward. Can you lift the back heel? Kind of like you're prepping to come back into your crescent lunge, But instead we're gonna shift the weight into the front foot. Maybe shift that back foot in a little bit so you can get your center of gravity more forward. As you shift the weight into the front foot, Can you stand up, Drag the left toes on the mat, Sweep the arms up, Left knee comes up. Left foot comes down. Shake out the legs. Find the feet about hips distance apart, Standing tall. Inhale, Sink down into your chair pose. Exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down, And back. Can you lift the heels? Keep squeezing the inner ankles together. Inhale, Heels come down. Chair pose, Right? Exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back. Lift the heels. Inhale, Heels come down, Rise up. Can you stand up? Lift the right heel, Shift the weight into the left foot. Find one point to focus on. Feeling stable. In that left foot, Can you pick the right leg up? Leg at 90 degrees. Knees straight out from the hip. Reach up through the fingertips, Inhale. Exhale, Press the palms forward. If it's there for you maybe kick the right foot forward. Inhale, Pull the elbows back as you pull the right leg underneath of you. Keep a soft bend to the left knee. Shift your heart forward. Keep pulling the navel in. Slow step back. Keep bending into that left knee as you slow, Slow, Slow. Maybe the right toes come down and you're dragging the toes back. If the leg is hovering, Reaching all the way to the back of your mat, Drop the toes, Drop the knee. Anjaniyasana. Again, Do what you need to do to find your balance. When you're ready, Take the arms up. Next exhalation, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back. Pull the hips back, Pull the left hip towards straight, Pull the left toes back towards you. Inhale, Rebound into the front knee, Rise up. Exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back as you come back to that half split variation. And I'll come forward. Exhale back. Inhale, Come forward, Rise up, Tuck the back toes under, Keep pulling the navel in, Energizing through the inner thighs, Lifting through the hips, Can you energize that back leg, Lift the knee. As you exhale, Sweep the arms forward, Down and back. Pull that left leg towards straight to that kind of wide, Modified pyramid pose. Inhale, Bend into the front knee. Sweep the arms up. Exhale, Come through. Inhale. Back south. Inhale, Crescent lunge, Rise up. Exhale, Warrior two, Open up, Drop the back heel, Open up through the arms, Soften the arms. Soften the shoulders but still strong through the arms. Flip the left palm up. Reverse your warrior. Slide the right hand down the back of the leg. Reach the left arm up. Exhale, Left knee towards your left thigh or knee. Reach the right arm up and over. Inhale come up straighten the front leg reverse trikonasana Slide the right hand down the back of the leg, Reach the left arm up. Exhale, Come up, Extend the arm. Kind of shift the hips back towards the back of the mat as you reach the left fingertips forward like something's just barely out of your reach. Drop the left hand down to your knee or your shin. Take the left arm up. Triangle pose. Stacking one shoulder on top of the other, Strong through the side body. Take a look down at your mat, Soften into that front knee, Sweep the right arm back down and around. As it comes forward, Your torso turns forward as your back heel lifts. Almost as if you're about to come into a crescent lunge. But instead, You're going to shift your weight forward, Maybe hop the back foot in a little bit as you slowly start to stand up. Take the right knee with you and take the arms up. Exhale, Right foot comes down. Shake out the legs. Stable through both feet, Spread through the toes, Stand tall, Sweep the arms up. Reach tall through the fingertips. Exhale, Press the hips forward. Let's take cactus the arms. Pull the elbows back. Lift your heart. As you exhale, Take the arms back behind you, Hands to your hips, Or. . . Clasp the hands behind the back. Roll the shoulders back in space. Pressing the hips forward as you lift your heart, Lift your gaze. Exhale soften the knees. Let's fold all the way down. If your hands are clasped you can keep them there. And then on the exhale, Let's all take our hands down, Forward fold. Maybe just let the arms relax or you cross the arms, Grab opposite elbows. Head, Neck, And shoulders relax. Maybe you sway from side to side. Coming back to the breath if you've lost it. And just being gentle with however you're feeling right now. I find especially with balance and things like that can get quite frustrating if you're constantly falling or wobbling. But just know that's part of practice. There's no right or wrong. There's no good or bad. It's just wherever you're at today. Sometimes your balance is there, Sometimes it's not, And that's just what it's like. That's just practice. So finding, Can you find acceptance for wherever your practice was today? Wherever your practice is today. If you have your elbows, Go ahead and let the arms relax down. Heel toe the feet wider than the hips. Bring the heels in, Toes out. We'll sink down into a low squat malasana. Just for a moment. Take the elbows to the insides. Of the knees take the hands to heart center And then we'll exhale, Take a seat. Get there however you need to. Use your hands. Take a seat. Closing the eyes. Coming back to the breath. And feel free to stay here. For as long as you need or as long as you have time for. Maybe you want to lay down, Take your Shavasana. Or maybe you want to restart the video and try again. The first time doing movements like that can always feel a little bit awkward. There's nothing wrong with that. Embracing the awkwardness. If you're ready to move on to the rest of your day, Take the hands to heart center. Feeling grateful for this incredible body of yours that carried you through that practice. And blink the eyes open. And thank you so much once again for joining me. And we'll see you again tomorrow.