This lower body practice is the perfect combination of strength and stretch exercises. Enjoy one of my go-to warm ups to strengthen your legs, stretch your hips and protect your lower back. This class can be enjoyed anytime, as either a warm up or cool down.
Meet your Teacher
San Francisco, CA, USA
Transcript
Welcome, Yogis. Today's practice is all about the lower body, But we'll begin standing at the top of our mat. Come to the top of your space with feet hip distance apart and parallel. Bring your hands together in front of your heart and just take a cleansing breath. Breathe in. Open mouth, Exhale, Let it go. We'll begin with malasana flow. Keep your ears and eyes open. Inhale, Arms wide up and overhead. Reach towards the sky. Now take your toes out and your heels in and drop it low into malasana squat. Lengthen both sides of the body as you inhale. And as you exhale, Forward bend, Parallel your feet again, Lift your seat and let your head and neck hang heavy. On an inhale, Come up to a halfway lift, Hands to shin thighs or blocks if you have them nearby. Exhale, Walk back, Downward facing dog pose. Stay or flow. Inhale, Roll to plank. Exhale, Knees, Chest, Chin, Or through a push-up, Come all the way down to the belly. You can stick with Cobra. Hands to the mat. Bend your elbows and lift the heart. Exhale and lower back down. Hands and knees or press up to plank. Exhale back, Downward facing dog pose. Take a breath. Breathe in. Let something go, Exhale, Breathe out. On your inhale, Lift your heels high. Bend your knees wide and step or jump your feet outside of your hands for a squat. Hands to heart center, Full breath in. Full breath out. Another breath to inhale. Exhale, Forward fold. Parallel your feet and bow. Inhale, Halfway lift, Lengthen the spine. Exhale, Uttanasana, Forward bend. Root down to rise up, Stand up. Inhale, Arms by your ears, Reach to the sky. And then just relax again, Arms alongside your body. Let's do that again. Inhale, Arms by your ears, Reach up. Toes out, Heels in, Drop it low, Malasana, Squat. Lengthen your spine as you inhale. Forward fold Uttanasana on the exhalation. Inhale, Lengthen halfway up, Flat back. Downward facing dog as you exhale. From here you flow. Inhale, Roll to plank with control. Lower to the belly all the way down. Cobra pose. Press down through your hands. Hug your elbows by your body and lift the heart up. Exhale and bring it back down. Hands and knees or plank position pushes you away from the earth. Exhale returns you back to downward dog pose. One full breath. Breathe in. Let something go, Breathe out. Inhale, Lift your heels up, Bend your knees wide, Step or jump feet outside of your hands for a yogi squat. Hands to heart center, Full breath here. Breathe in. Open mouth, Exhale, Let it go. Another breath. Inhale to lengthen. Forward bend, Exhale. Parallel your feet, Lift your seat and fold. Ardha Uttanasana, Lengthen, Flat back, Half lift. Forward bend as you exhale bow. Stand up to rise. Inhale. Ordvahastasana. Reach up. And then Tadasana, Just stand tall, Relax your arms. One more, Just like that. Malasana flow. Inhale, Rise, Reach up. Toes out, Heels in, Malasana, Drop it low. Lengthen your spine on the inhale. Forward fold Uttanasana as you exhale. Inhale, Lengthen, Halfway lift. Back you go, Downward facing dog pose. Stay in down dog or flow. Inhale, Roll to plank. Knees, Chest, Chin, Or through a pushup, Come on down to the belly. Cobra Bhujangasana, Inhale, Press down to rise up. Exhale to lower. Hands and knees or plank presses you. And all the way back to down dog stay for the breath. Breathe in. Exhale, Let the breath go. Breathe out. Inhale again, Lift your heels up. Bend your knees wide, Step or jump your feet outside of your hands for that squat. Hands to heart center, Lengthen, Inhale. Full exhalation, Let something go. Another breath, Inhale, Lengthen the spine. Forward fold Uttanasana as you exhale. Inhale, Lengthen halfway, Lift flat back. Forward bend as you exhale. Stand up to rise. Inhale all the way. Reach up to stand. Look up. Relax your arms again, Tadasana. Half a round to get us back. Inhale, Arms by your ears, Reach up. Again, Toes out, Heels in, Sit low, Squat. Extend your spine. Super good for your lower back. Exhale, Uttanasana. Forward fold and bow. Halfway lift lengthen. Downward facing dog as you exhale. This time we stay full breath in. Full breath out. Keep moving. Right leg up and back to the space behind you. Open your right hip. Bend your right knee and twist to the right. Extend right leg straight up and back. Now, Right knee, Right tricep. Bring your shoulders over your wrist. Tap your right knee to your right arm. Inhale, Right leg straight up and back. Again, Right knee, Right tricep. Tap it up. One more. Inhale, Right leg straight up and back. This time right knee, Right tricep, And now step right foot wide outside of your right hand. Lower the left knee to the mat. Feel free to pad as you need to. Come onto your fingertips. Feel free to add blocks if you like. Press your pelvis forward, Lift the heart, Low lunge. Exhale, Wide leg half split. Straighten your right leg and pull your hips up and back. Do that again. Bend into your front knee, Lower the pelvis, And lift the heart. Wide leg, Low lunge. Exhale wide leg half split. Dig into your right heel and pull your hips up and back. One more time, Yogis. Step into the right foot, Lower the pelvis, Lift the heart. Exhale, Bring it back. Wide leg half split. Before we progress, Let's keep adding. Bend the right knee, Plant the right foot down. Take your left hand slightly wider than your sticky mat. Take your right hand to your right inner thigh, And then gently twist to your right. Stay here, Maybe bend your left knee. Circle the right arm back to the space behind you and hold onto your left foot with your right hand. If you need more height, You can rest your left hand on a block or even pop up onto the left fingertips. For this one, Try to indulge in the opening. Let the pelvis drop, Let the heart rise, And lift your chest. If you want a deeper expression, You can lower down to your left form. Maybe grab onto the left big toe and draw your heel towards your butt. And at the same time, Kick your foot back into your hands so you actively stretch the front of your left leg. Hold for three. Breathe. Two. And then gently release the left foot on one. Come on back to all four. Come on back onto your fingertip. Wide leg lunge. Tuck your left toes under. Lift your left knee up. And now again, Step left foot outside of your left hand. Drop it back to good old malasana squat. Find your breath. Breathe in. Full breath, Exhale. Another breath to lengthen. Forward fold uttanasana on the exhalation. Halfway lift, Lengthen, Flat back. And this time we step back right away, Downward facing dog pose. Find your breath, Full breath in. Let it go. Exhale. Okay, Left side, Left leg up and back. Open your left hip and twist to the left, Rotate it out. Inhale, Left leg straight up and back. Left knee, Left tricep. Bring it wide and give it a tap. Again, Inhale, Left leg straight up and back. Left knee, Left arm, Shoulders over your wrist. Again, Inhale, Left leg straight up and back. Left knee, Left tricep, And now step left foot outside of your left hand. Come onto your fingertips or add blocks. Lower down towards your right knee. Press your pelvis forward. Wide leg, Low lunge. Maybe inch your right knee back as you straighten through the left leg. Dig your left heel into the mat and stretch through the hamstrings and calf muscles. Do it again, Please. Step into the left foot. Bend the left knee. Lower the pelvis and lift the heart. Exhale bring it back wide angled half splits pose Good one more time step into the left foot lower the pelvis lift the heart. Exhale nice and easy. Give that left hamstring and calf muscle some love. Feels so good. Okay, Re-bend your left knee. Take your time with this. Right hand maybe off to the right. Left hand to the left inner thigh and then you twist to the left. Maybe that's enough for you. Maybe you stay or maybe you bend your right knee. Circle your left hand around and hold on to the little toe edge of your left foot. Know that if you need more height, Pop up onto the right fingertips or use a block beneath your right hand. Allow the pelvis to drop, But allow the heart to rise in opposition. This is more of an opening, Right? If you want more intensity, Maybe drop down to your right form. Maybe grab onto the big toe side of your right foot as you draw your right heel towards your seat. Kick your foot into your hand. Create that resistance so that you're strengthening that area that is being stretched. Hold it here for three. Breathe. If you feel rushed at all, Please stay longer. Otherwise, On one release, Bring both hands down inside of your front foot. Come back up onto the fingertips. Tuck your right toes under, Lift your right knee up. Last time, Step right foot outside of your right hand, Drop it low, Malasana. Hands to heart center, Full breath, In. Full breath out. Another breath, Inhale. Forward fold, Exhale. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale forward fold root down to rise up. Inhale arms wide up and overhead reach towards the sky. And again, Tadasana Mountain Pose. From here, You'll turn to the side of your mat. Take your feet nice and wide, And we'll set up for some other standing poses, The Warrior Series. Let's start with the right side. Turn your right toes to face the top edge of your mat. Angle your left toes in. Level your hips, Level your shoulders, And then bend the right knee deeply so the thigh moves towards parallel with the earth and the arms go wide. Stay for the breath. Breathe in. Let the breath go, Breathe out. Let's flow. Reverse, Left hand down, Right arm to the sky. Lengthen the right side of your body. Exhale, Come right back. Viravadrasana, Two pose. Extended side angle elbow to thigh left arm up and over reach forward Exhale and come back. Warrior two. Again, Reverse. Left hand down, Right arm high. Exhale, Vera 2. Extend elbow to thigh, Left arm alongside your ear, Reach forward. Exhale and rise one more each direction. I know you're feeling it keep going inhale reverse Exhale and rise. Inhale, Extend. And maybe this time you'll lower your right hand to a block or to the mat inside of your right foot for Parsvakonasana will hold it. Connect your elbow to your knee, Knee into your elbow. Three breaths. Breathe in. Create length and space in both sides of the body. Breathe out, Maybe twist your torso towards the sky. Breathe in, Lengthen and lift. Breathe out, Lean into it, Open through the heart. One more cycle. The release, You'll bring your left arm forward in front of you, Left hand to the mat, You'll straighten your right leg and all 10 toes are gonna face the side of your mat, Wide leg forward fold. Come onto your fingertips. Halfway lift, Lengthen. One round, Skandasana. Turn your left toes out. Bend your left knee. Keep your right foot planted. Side lunge. Back through center, Inhale. Bend your right knee, Straighten your left. Look to the left, Exhale. Back through center, Return your feet towards parallel. Come onto your fingertips, Halfway lift. Wide leg forward fold. Press into the feet and stand up all the way up. Reach up towards the sky. And here we go, Other side. Left toes turn to the top edge of your mat. Right toes angle in. You'll notice my right hip kind of lifts up as I do that. So I level my hips, Level my shoulders. Take the arms wide and bend the left knee. Left thigh is moving towards parallel to the earth. Stay in Viravadrasana 2 for a full breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your base reverse right hand down left arm up and over. Exhale, Rise back up, Warrior two. Feel those legs working. Extended side angle, Elbow to thigh, Right arm up and overhead reach forward. Exhale and rise back vira two legs stay the same reverse right hand down left arm high Exhale, Rise. Vera, Two. Extend elbow to thigh right arm up and overhead reach forward Exhale and rise. Vera, Two. I know you're feeling it. Feel the burn. One more time. Inhale, Reverse. Exhale and rise. Extend elbow to thigh, Right arm up and over. Maybe you stay or maybe you lower left hand to a block or to the mat inside of your left foot. A lot of weight is going to the front foot. Don't forget about that back leg. Maybe right arm alongside your ear. Parsvakonasana, Three breaths. Push into both feet. Inhale, Lengthen both sides of the body. Exhale lean into it twist the torso towards the sky Breathe in. Breathe out. One more on your own. Take your right arm alongside your ear if it's not already there. Lower your right hand down next to the left. Straighten your left leg. And in that process, Turn to the side of your mat again. Wide leg forward bend. Inhale, Halfway lift. Turn your right toes out. Bend your right knee. Maybe this time you flex left foot towards the sky and sit a little bit deeper into your skandhasana, Side lunge. Inhale back through center. Turn your left toes out. Bend your left knee. Maybe flex the right foot and sit a little bit deeper into your side lunge. Only an option. Come on back through center. This time we'll walk the feet a little bit closer towards each other, Towards the center of the space. And then final time, Toes out, Heels in, Malasana, Squat. Here we'll take it into some twists. So you know you've been here plenty of times. You can stay here, Maybe rock a little side to side if that feels good. Otherwise, Get low. And take your right arm across your right shin bone. Plant the right hand down wide. Take the left arm to the sky. Full breath in. Full breath out. Switch. Left arm goes across your left shin bone. Left hand comes down and the right arm goes to the sky. Full breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Let's do it again. Back through center. Right arm down, Left arm high. Inhale. Exhale twist release left arm down right arm high inhale exhale twist release other side right arm down left arm high inhale Release, Exhale, Left arm down, Right arm high, Inhale. And release. Last breath. Hands together in front of your heart. Press your elbows to your knees. Knees back into your elbows. Malasana. Breathe in. Open mouth exhale. Another breath. Inhale. Uttanasana, Forward fold. Parallel your feet, Lift your seat and bow. And then from here, Let's bend the knees, Roll on up, Vertebra by vertebra by vertebra. Come on up to stand. Well done, Yogis. Nicely done. Bring your hands to heart center. You did it. Acknowledge yourself for showing up and committing to this practice. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time. Namaste.
