Upper Body Flow

This all levels practice focuses on activating your upper body. Explore a few familiar weight-bearing poses to build heat and strength in the upper body before finishing the practice with some prone backbends.

Transcript

Welcome yogis. Today's practice is all about the upper body. You won't need any props for today's practice. You'll just need a yoga mat. Let's start in a tabletop position and we'll start with a little shoulder drill. So retraction and protraction of the shoulder blades. Draw your heart towards the mat and squeeze the shoulder blades behind you, But keep the arms straight like you're just hanging in the shoulder girdle. And then exhale, Push the earth away and separate the shoulder blades behind your heart. Do that again. It's kind of like cat cow, But a little different. Melt your heart towards the mat. Keep your arms towards straight. Sit in the shoulder girdle. Exhale, Push the earth away. Dome out the back of your heart, Round your back body. Do that a couple more times. Mat. Exhale, Push the earth away and dome out the back body. Twice more on your own. Retraction of the shoulder blades. And then exhale, Protraction of your shoulder blades. Your shoulders should start getting warm here. One more time. Squeeze the shoulders, Melt the heart. Exhale, Push the earth away and dome out the back body. Good. Come on back through center. And we'll move into down dog. So from tabletop, Walk your hands about a footprint out into the space in front of you. Tuck your toes under. Lift your kneecaps. Melt your heart towards your thighs. Pass through bear pose. And then finally extend your legs towards straight and come into a downward facing dog pose. Look at your hands spread through all ten fingers. Subtle. Try to feel an internal rotation. That means your forearms are rolling in towards the center of your mat. As the forearms roll in, The eyes of the elbows face each other. And then you'll externally rotate your upper arm bones away from your ears. So there's this internal rotation of the forearms and external rotation of your upper arm bones. So your arms are online. And from there, You'll melt your heart towards the thighs. Don't force it. Create space in both sides of the body as you inhale. And maybe melt chest towards your thighs a little bit more as you exhale. Take another cleansing breath. Breathe in. Let something go. Breathe out. One more time. Inhale. Roll forward. Plank position. Look forward. Lower. Halfway only. Low pushup. Yes. Use those triceps now to extend the arms again towards straight. Exhale, Back, Down dog. Getting warmer, I assume. Inhale, Let's move on. Roll forward to plank. You can always drop towards your knees if you want to modify. Otherwise, Keep your knees lifted and lower for five. Take it slow. Four. Three. Two, All the way down on one. That was a tough one. Untuck your toes. Keep your hands where they are. Set the shoulders down the back. Squeeze the elbows towards one another. Press into the tops of the feet and baby cobra. Inhale, Lengthen from toes to crown. Exhale and bow. Do it again. Press into your hands. Maybe grow a little bit taller. Cobra, Baby cobra. Bhujangasana. Exhale and come on back down. One more time. Press into the tops of the feet. Press into the hands. Set the shoulder blades down the heart and lift up. Bhujangasana. Legs are active. Arms are active. And exhale, Come on back down. Well done, Yogis. Tuck your toes under. Walk your toes closer towards your kneecaps. Lift the thighs off the mat. Straight legs back to the space behind you. Look forward, Breathe in. On an exhale, Exert, Press up to plank. And back downward facing dog pose. Well done. Breathe in. Open mouth, Let it go. Breathe out. Let's keep moving. Inhale, Right leg straight up and back to the space behind you. Open your right hip, Bend your right knee, Twist into your three-legged dog. On an inhale, Extend, Right leg straight up and back. And now knee towards your nose. Step forward, Right foot to your right thumb. Lower the left knee to the mat. Inhale, Arms forward up and overhead. Exhale, Cactus arms. Bow your elbows wide and lift the heart. Do it again, Yogis. Inhale, We pulse. Reach up, Arms by your ears. Exhale, Expand arms wide and your heart rise. One more time. Inhale, Push down to rise. Exhale and open wide. Stay in your depth. Keep your arms wide and then release your arms alongside your body. From here, Let's interlace your grip behind your lower back. Stay for a breath. Breathe in. And then exhale, Extend your arms towards straight to the space behind you. Melt your hips forward and lift your heart high. Hold it for three. A little counter action from all that shoulder work too. And then one release arms by your ears circle up and then lower hands down to the mat plant the hands to the mat tuck your left toes under lift your left knee up step to plank right to meet your left and we'll take our plank for a walk lower your left forearm down Lower your right forearm down. Bring your right hand to the mat. Bring your left hand to the mat and switch. Right forearm down. Left forearm down. Left hand up. Right hand up. Switch, Left forearm down. Right forearm down. Right hand. Left hand, Try not to use your body too much. Left forearm down. Right forearm down. Right hand. Left hand, Switch. Right forearm down. Left forearm down. Right hand. Left hand, Good. Right forearm down. Left forearm down. Hold it for three, Forearm plank. You can do it. Legs straight. Two. And then one, Lower your hips to the mat. Sphinx pose. Press into your hands. Press into your forearms and lift your heart. And then lower all the way down. All the way down this time, Circle your arms alongside your body. Circle out through the rest. And then maybe keep your arms alongside your body or you can interlace your grip again just like you did in the lunge. Bow chin or forehead to the earth. Find your breath. Breathe in. On the exhale, Rise, Exert. Lift your legs and your arms. Find the back bend, But don't force it. Remember, Length is more important than depth. So you will reach the toes back towards the back of your space. The crown of the head reaches forward towards the front of your space. And you lift your chest and your thighs in opposition to that reach for three. And one, Release all the way down. Hands by your breastbone. Again, Tuck your toes under. Walk your toes a little bit closer towards your kneecaps. Then the kneecaps will lift and the thigh bones lift with them. Look forward, Breathe in. One fell swoop, Exhale, Push. Downward facing dog. Nice and easy good breathing. Let something go. Exhale, Breathe out. Here we go, Left leg up and back to the space behind you. Indulge in the pause. Bend the left knee and twist it out to the left. Rotate. Inhale, Extend. Left leg high up and back. Now knee towards your nose just enough so you can step forward. Left foot to your left thumb. Lower the right knee down again. Pad as you need to. You'll rise. Crescent moon. Arms by your ears. Find your breath. Breathe in. Exhale, Cactus your arms, Lift through the heart, Maybe look up. Do it again. Inhale, Push down, Back away and rise. Exhale, Open up, Expand. One more time, Yogis. Inhale, Push down to back away. Reach up. And exhale, Open the wings wide and lift the heart. Stay in the depth from here, Swim your arms alongside your body, Interlace your grip behind your lower back. Breathe in and then maybe press the knuckles down as you breathe out. Knuckles back, Hips heavy, Heart rises. You lift your gaze and hold for three. Breathe two. And then once. Stay low. Inhale. Arms by your ears. Anjanayasana. Exhale. Hands to the mat. Plant the hands outside of your front foot. Tuck your right toes under. Straighten the right leg. Step left foot to meet your right. Plank position. And once again, Drop down to your left forearm. Drop down to your right forearm. Forearm plank, But a little different. Bring your toes together to touch. Look forward. Breathe in. Exhale, Drop both heels to the right and maybe tap right hip down to the mat. Lift your hips up, Lift your heels up and switch. Heels left, Maybe left hip dip. Hips up, Heels up, Switch, Heels right, Dip your right hip. Hips up, Heels up, Switch, Heels left, Dip your left hip. One more each side. I know this is intense. Heels to the right. Center, Heels to the left. Center come back to forearm plank you can do it hold it for three maybe feet hip distance apart and parallel two And then again, Lower hips to the mat on one. You can stay in sphinx pose from here, Or maybe take seal pose. Take your hands to the edges of your sticky mat. Palm spread wide and you might have enough strength to press down through your hands, Straighten your arms and lift through the heart for three. And then one, Come all the way down to the belly. Swim your arms alongside your body again. Hands by your sides or interlace your grip the other way. Maybe left thumb on top of right thumb. Bow forward, Breathe in. On an exhale, Breathe out and rise. Shalabhasana locus. Reach the toes back. Reach the fingers back. Reach the crown of the head forward. Lift the heart up. Lift the thighs up. And rise for three. And one, Release. Come on down. Take your gaze to the left. Rest your right ear to the mat. And maybe you like to rock the hips a bit side to side. Hmm, We'll keep going. Into a variation of Shalabhasana that will take us into Dhanurasana. So Locust Pose to Bow Pose. Stay with it. Return to the center, Chin or forehead down to the mat. Look forward. Take your arms forward like you're Superman. And then bow chest, Chin, Or forehead towards the mat. Find your breath. Breathe in. Exhale breathe out lift everything lift the arms lift your legs take another breath inhale to reach forward now exhale cactus your arms wide take another breath inhale lift the heart lift the thighs and then as you exhale maybe circle your arms back behind you maybe bend your knees and hold on to the tops of your feet with your hands Bow forward, Chin or forehead to the mat. Take a full breath, Inhale. And then exhale, Kick. Feet into your hands, Hands into your feet. Try to squeeze the inner thighs together. Anchor the thigh bones down, Lift the heart, Lift the chest, And look up for three. Tchoo! And then one, Release. Look to the right. Gaze right, Left ear down. And then again, Maybe a little windshield wiper side to side. Good news, You get to do that one more time. Know that there's always different levels. You can stay with the Superman variation. You can go back to locust pose or progress. Into the full expression danyarasana here we go bow chin or forehead to the mat again arms out into the space in front of you Chest, Inner forehead, Lower to the earth. You're fully prone on the mat. Take a full breath in. And then exhale, Lift everything off. Lift your arms, Lift your legs like you're floating. Take another breath, Inhale to lengthen. On the exhale, Cactus your arms wide. Bend your elbows and lift the heart. Take another breath. Inhale. On the exhale circle the arms back maybe bend your knees and hold on to the tops of your feet Bow forward again. Chest, Chin or forehead to the mat. Gather your strength. Breathe in. And let's get it kicked. Feet into your hands, Hands into your feet. Try to draw the knees and toes towards the center. They do not have to touch. Thigh bones pressed down. Heart rises in opposition. Maybe kick and rise a little higher. Bow pose for three. For two. And then one release. Your rest is child's pose. Come on up to hands and knees. Knees wide toes to touch send your hips back towards your heels and ground it might feel nice to stack your hands one on top of the other And rest your forehead on your hands and take a fold. Hmm. When you're ready, Slowly roll on up to seated. Well done, Yogis, Nicely done. I hope you feel nice and warm in your upper body. You're ready for your day. Thank you so much again, As always, For joining me for this practice. May it be of benefit. Namaste.