Flow through an assortment of star and moon shapes in this moderately-challenging, balance-heavy class. While you practice, think of what the stars and moon represent: hope, guidance, and beauty! These seemingly tiny glimmers of light are everywhere and the more you focus on looking for them, the more you'll see.
Meet your Teacher
Polk County, IA, USA
Transcript
Hi, I'm Jen, And this is Stars and Moon Yoga. We'll be exploring various star and moon poses and putting them together in a strong, Powerful, Yet graceful flow. If you have some yoga blocks, You might find those helpful. We'll start in tabletop. Come onto your hands and knees. Spread your fingers wide. Inhale, Cow pose. Lower your belly. Look forward. Exhale, Cat, Round your back, Roll your chin into your chest. Flow between these two. Inhale to cow. Exhale to cast. Then begin to turn your fingers to face back toward your knees to stretch your forearms. So thumbs pointing out to the side, Fingers back to your knees. Another round of cat and cow. Inhale, Come back to tabletop. Reorient your hands the correct way. Plant into your right hand. Inhale, Kneeling side plank. Step your left foot to the back of your mat and reach your left hand up high. Think about making a long line from the back of your head, Through your spine, Through your left leg, All the way to your heel. Now lift your left heel off the ground. Kneeling, Balancing half moon. That's how I like to think of this posture. Balancing half moon just with the knee down so here's our first moon shape today option to look up at your left hand if that feels good in your neck Inhale, Stretch your arm over your head. Get long. Exhale, Elbow to knee crunch. Inhale, Reach long. Exhale, Crunch. It's perfectly fine if your elbow does not touch your knee. Just feel that engagement in your core, In your left oblique. One more crunch right here. Inhale, Stretch out. Exhale, Tabletop. Other side, Plant your left hand. Breathe in, Kneeling side plank, Right hand high. Step your right foot to the back of your mat. Make that long line from head to heel, Belly engaged. And then float your right leg up off the ground. Kneeling, Balancing half moon. Maybe see what it feels like to look up at your right thumb here on this side. You're gazing up. At the night sky. Breathe in, Reach your arm overhead. Exhale, Elbow to knee crunch. Inhale, Stretch long. Exhale, Crunch. Move with your breath. Sailing as you crunch in. One more crunch. Inhale reach. Exhale tabletop Sit back on your heels for a moment and circle out your wrists. And then come into downward facing dog. Push your hips up and back. Let your knees be really, Really bent as you first get started in Downward Dog. Focus first on straightening your arms, Lengthening your spine, By pushing your hips up and back. Your belly might even touch your thighs. Pedal out your feet by pressing one heel down at a time. And then find a breath of stillness. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your nose. Inhale, Bend your knees, Look forward. Exhale, Ragdoll. Walk your feet to your hands. Let your head and your arms dangle. Breathe out. Inhale, Slowly rise all the way up. To standing. Samasthiti equals standing pose. I invite you to close your eyes and bring your hands to heart center. Today we'll be practicing stars and moons. And these objects glimmer with light in the night sky. It may not be as bright or as warm as the sun, But to me, A glimmer represents hope. And you can still find your way just with that small glimmer of light. So I ask you to consider where you notice glimmers of hope in your life. Even if things feel a little bit dark or uncertain right now. What are those sources that you look to for hope and direction? Take a deep breath in. Exhale, Release your hands to your side. Inhale, Mountain with steeple mudra. Point your fingers up, Thumbs behind you, Other fingers interlaced. Exhale, Standing half moon to the right. Side bend to your right. Use your right hand to pull your left arm up and over and gaze up past your left elbow. Breathe out. Inhale, Come back to center. Reset by reaching up high. Exhale, Standing half moon to your left. Breathe out. Inhale, Come back to center. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Bring your hands to your shins or your thighs and pull your shoulder blades together. Exhale, Lower down to your belly. Reach your arms out in front of you. Inhale, Superman. Reach your arms and your legs high. Now, It's often called Superman Pose, But I like to think of this as a lifted star. So if you'd like to lean into that star sensation, Maybe you spread your arms a little bit wider, Bring your feet a little bit farther apart. Stay here for another breath in. And out, Release down. Inhale table. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Deep lengthening breath in. Let it go. Inhale, Bend your knees. Exhale, Step to the top forward fold. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale mountain with steeple mudra. Exhale, Standing half moon to your right. Inhale to center. Exhale to your left. Inhale to center. Exhale, Fold forward. You can keep those steeple mudra hands on the way down. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale lower down to your belly. You can come through tabletop or plank to get there. One more time through your lifted star or Superman breathe in. Breathe out, Let go. Inhale table. Exhale, Down dog. One more time, Just like that. Bend your knee. Forward fold. Inhale, Lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale mountains, Steeple mudra. Exhale, Standing half moon right. Inhale center. Exhale, Standing half moon left. Inhale center. Exhale, Fold forward. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale lower to your belly. Breathe in, Lifted star, Superman. Exhale, Release. Inhale table. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Anytime we're in down dog, If you would rather be in tabletop or child's pose, You are welcome to take a break off your wrist. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale, Float your right leg high, Three legged dog. Exhale, Low lunge. Drop your knee down. Inhale, Crescent moon. Reach your arms high. Take your gaze forward or slightly up to really lean into that crescent shape. Inhale. Exhale, Half split. Straighten your right leg until you get a good hamstring stretch. Reach your chest toward your ankle. Hands to your mat or to your block. Breathe out. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Opened-armed twist to your right. Stretch your arms wide hands to shoulder height look toward your right or maybe all the way toward the back of your mat. Inhale, Kneeling, Exalted warrior. Lift your left hand up and bring your right hand to touch somewhere on your backside body. Maybe your hamstring is a good fit. It could be the back of your hand to your lower back for a half bind. Deep breath in. Exhale, Crescent with airplane arms. Lift your back knee as you sweep your arms to the back of your mat. Keep your right knee bent, Your left leg straight. Look down at the top of your mat. Breathe out. Inhale, Star pose. Our basic star pose right here. Lift your hands. Maybe you close your eyes, Take your gaze up. Feel the expansiveness of the shape. Inhale. Exhale, Side lunge to your left. That's the back of your mat. Bend your left knee, Sink your hips back. Look down at the ground. Exhale. Inhale, Launch to your right foot, One-legged mountain. So you're standing on your right leg, Lift your left knee up. It's a really big, Powerful move. We're gonna practice it a few times. Deep breath in. Exhale balancing star make star shape through your arms and Your legs you're just on one foot instead of two and know that if you want to tap your left toes down at any point You can certainly do that. Just tap your big toe down if you need that extra support. Inhale, One-legged mountain, Lift your knee. Exhale, Standing, Figure four. Cross your left ankle over your right thigh. Bend your standing leg just like chair pose. Sink your hips back. This left ankle will stay glued to your right thigh. Inhale, Straighten your standing leg. Exhale, Twist to your front. You'll land in a cross-legged forward fold. Left leg over your right. Drop your head. Your knees can be as bent as you need them to be. This cross-legged fold can be pretty intense. All right, Let's unwind out of this twist. Your left foot stays where it is. Inhale, Lift your right leg, Standing split. Hold right here. In your standing split, Squeeze your right glute. Look down toward your left foot. Deep breath in. Exhale, Low lunge, Plant your right foot. Your right knee. Inhale, Crescent moon. Now, If you ended up a little bit shifted to the right on your mat, No problem. Recenter yourself. Bend your left knee. Reach your arms. Take your gaze slightly up. Breathe in. Exhale, Half split. Push your hips back. Reach your heart forward. Exhale. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Opened-armed twist to your left. Look to your left, Maybe all the way back toward your left hand. Find your steady breath. Exhale. Inhale, Kneeling exalted warrior, Reach your right arm high. Use your left hand to touch somewhere on the backside of your body. Breathe in. Exhale, Crescent airplane arms. Lift your back knee. Sweep your arms back. Point your thumbs out, Your palms face down at the ground, And drop your shoulders away from your ears. Exhale. Inhale, Star pose. Take a moment to just find this strong, Stable star pose. Done a lot of balance already. A lot of postures that might feel a little bit more precarious. Let's see how good it feels to stand firmly on two feet. Breathe in, Expand. Exhale, Side lunge, Right leg toward the back of your mat. Bend your right leg, Keep your left leg straight. Bum back. Chest leans forward with a flat spine. Exhale, Get ready to launch. Inhale, One-legged mountain, Top of your mat. You can tap a toe down just like I did on the way there, No problem. Find your strong, Tall mountain with your head over your shoulders. Your shoulders, Over your hips, Breathe in. Exhale, Balancing star. Float your right leg. Straighten it out. Reach your arms high and wide. Exhale. Inhale, One-legged mountain. Bend your right knee. Lift it up. Exhale, Figure four. Right ankle over your left thigh. Let your right knee drop open. Sink your hips back into a chair. Gaze down at the ground for more stability. You'll keep your right ankle glued to your left thigh. Inhale, Stand up straight. Exhale, Twist to the top of your mat, Cross-legged, Forward fold. Your right foot is in front of your left. All right, To unwind, Keep your right foot where it is. Inhale, Lift your left leg, Standing split. Hold here in your split. Strong standing leg, Strong lifted leg. Make them both active. Inhale. Exhale, Low lunge. We begin to flow breath to movement. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Half split. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Open arm twist to your right. Inhale, Kneeling, Exalted warrior. Exhale, Crescent airplane arms, Lift your back knee. Inhale, Star pose. Exhale, Side lunge to the back. Get ready to fly. Inhale, One-legged mountain. Exhale, Balancing star. Inhale one-legged mountain. Exhale, Figure four. Keep your ankle suctioned to your thigh. Inhale, Stand up. Exhale, Twist to the top of your mat, Cross-legged fold. Inhale, Lift your right leg, Standing split. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent moon. Your left foot is forward. Exhale, Half split. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Twist. Inhale, Kneeling, Exalted warrior. Exhale crescent airplane arms. Inhale, Starve. Exhale, Side lunge, Bend your right leg. Inhale, One-legged mountain, Big step to the top of your mat. Exhale, Balancing star. Inhale one legged mountain. Exhale, Figure four. Inhale, Straighten your standing leg. Keep your figure four. Exhale, Twist to the top of your mat, Cross-legged fold. Inhale, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Low lunge. We'll repeat once more. Each side, Breathe in crescent moon. Your right foot is forward. Exhale, Half split. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Twist right. Inhale, Lift your left hand, Kneeling exalted warrior. Exhale Crescent Airplane Arms. Inhale, Star pose. Exhale, Side lunge, Left. Inhale one legged mountain on your right foot. Exhale, Balancing star. Breathe in one-legged mountain. Exhale, Figure four. Keep your figure four legs. Inhale, Stand up. Exhale, Twist to the top of your mat. Inhale, Lift your right leg, Standing split. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent moon, Your left foot is forward. Exhale half split. Inhale, Crescent moon. Exhale, Twist to your left. Breathe in kneeling, Exalted warrior. Exhale crescent, Airplane arms, Lift your back knee. Breathe in, Star. Exhale, Side lunge. Inhale, One-legged mountain. Exhale, Balancing, Star. Breathe in one legged mountain. Axial figure four. Keep your figure four, Inhale, Stand up. Exhale, Cross-legged, Fold. Inhale, Standing split, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Step together, Forward, Fold, Pause a moment here. As you drop your head. Deep breath in. And out. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga if you want it, Or downward facing dog if you don't. We'll meet in Downward Facing Dog. Inhale, Lift your right leg high. Exhale, Low lunge. Keep your back knee lifted this time. Inhale, Crescent lunge or high lunge. Right knee is bent. Left leg can have a gentle bend in it if you'd like Reach your arms up high. And just like you did with your back knee down, If you would like. Lift your chest slightly. Take your gaze skyward. To lean into that crescent shape. Breathe in. Breathe out crescent airplane arms. Sweep your hands back. Look down. Inhale, Star pose. Exhale, Goddess. Bend your knees. Bring your elbows to shoulder height, Face your palms forward. And the steady two-footed posture. Find your stability. Let your breath anchor you. Exhale. Inhale, Star pose. Exhale, Balancing half moon to the back. Step on your left foot. Left hand points down at the ground or can physically touch the ground a block a wall whatever you need for support Lift your right hand up to the sky. Lift your right leg. If this feels pretty comfortable for you and you want a greater challenge, Shift your gaze. So instead of looking down. Look to your right. Take your time. Maybe all the way up at your hand. That one's pretty tricky. Exhale. Inhale, Balancing star, Top of your mat. Stand on your right foot. Float your left leg, Stretch your arms out. Now here's the fun part. Let's flow between these. Exhale, Balancing half moon on your left foot. Inhale, Balancing star on your right. Now keep going here, And if it feels a little tricky, Make sure you're not taking too big of a step. So you can step your feet nice and close to each other as you transition between this, Rather than taking a huge step to the back of your mat, Which is definitely more challenging. Balancing star. To balancing moon. Last time through your moon. Inhale, Star pose on two feet. Exhale, Wide-legged forward fold. Drop the crown of your head down to the ground. Relax your shoulders, Your jaw, Your forehead. One more breath out. Begin to pivot your toes to face the top of your mat. Inhale, Crescent lunge with your right foot forward. Exhale, Opened-armed twist to your right. Breathe in exalted warrior. Hang out here a moment. Lift your left hand. Bring your right hand to your hamstring, Your lower back, Your glute. Inhale. Exhale, Chaturanga if you want it. Straight to downward facing dog if you don't. Breathe in, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Low lunge. Keep your back knee lifted. Inhale, Crescent lunge and breathe. Find your crescent moon shape through your back and your arms. Breathe in. Exhale, Crescent, Airplane arms, Hinge forward. Look down at the ground. Inhale, Star pose. Exhale, Goddess. One more round here. Bend your knees. Point your knees out over your toes. Elbows to 90 degrees. Let your breath go. In HealthStar. Exhale, Balancing half moon on your right foot toward the back of your mat. Use a block, Use a wall, Use whatever you need. Right foot is the only thing touching the ground here unless your right hand is there for balance. Lift your left arm up. Lift your left leg. Think about lifting through your outer heel. Then maybe try to shift your gaze if you want. That extra challenge. This is plenty challenging all on its own. Exhale. Inhale, Balancing star on your left foot. Step to the top of your mat. Float your right leg up. Try and stand up really straight here. Stretch your arms out wide. And you know what's coming, This challenge to flow between your star and moon when you're ready. Balancing half moon, Right foot. Balancing star, Left foot. A smaller step in between the two. Will help you to find your footing. Just flow this at your own pace. You can take two or three breaths in each posture. If you'd like to slow it down. One more time through your balancing half moon. Inhale, Star pose on two feet. Exhale, Wide-legged forward fold. Breathe out. Begin to pivot your toes to the left. Inhale, Crescent lunge, Sweep your arms forward and up. Exhale, Opened arm twist to your left. Inhale, Exalted warrior. Lift your right hand. Bring your left hand to your hamstring or your back. Inhale, Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in, Upward facing dog. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Inhale, Shift forward to high plank. Exhale, Lower to forearm plank. Hold right here and breathe. Separate your feet about hip distance apart. Your arms can be pressing flat into the ground with your palms. Sometimes I like to bring the pinky finger side of my hand to the ground and touch my palms together. Making an A shape with my forearms. Breathe in. Exhale lower to your belly. Inhale, Sphinx Pose. Pull your shoulders back. Breathe into your collarbones. The very center of your chest. You feel your rib cage expanding underneath your arms from left to right. Notice if you feel your belly pressing into the ground with your breath. Just a moment to slow it down Inhale. Exhale, Release all the way to your belly. Inhale, Come back up to forearm plank. Transition to your right forearm for forearm side plank. Pivot your forearm 90 degrees. Lift your left arm high. Bottom knee can drop down for extra support here. Inhale, Star side plank. Float your left foot up. And just like you did in your kneeling, Balancing half moon, Look up at your hands. Breathe in. Exhale, Lower to your right side hip. Roll onto your belly one more round of Sphinx Pose. Before we try the other side. Forearms to the ground. Lift your head, Pull the backs of your shoulders together. Take a breath in. And out, Release your chest. Inhale, Forearm, Plank. Lift your knees, Lift your bum. Transition to your left forearm. Forearm side plank. Lift your right hand. Remember your bottom knee can come down to the ground for support. Inhale, Star plank. Float your right leg. Keep lifting everything up, Trying to reach out as far as you can with your shining light. Breathe in. Exhale lower to your left side hip. Onto your belly, Plant your hands under your shoulders. Inhale, Low cobra, Peel your chest up. Point your elbows back. Exhale, Lower down two more times. Inhale, Low cobra. Maybe you lift just a little bit higher. Exhale, Release. Last time low, Cobra. And take it all the way down. Inhale, Table. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Breathe in, Sail your right leg high. Exhale, Half pigeon. Bring your right knee forward. Toward your right wrist. Shimmy your left leg back. Bring your elbows wherever it's comfortable. So they might come all the way to the ground. Or onto your block. Deep breath in. Let it go. You need to press back up onto your hands and return to your three-legged dog, Right leg high. Bend your knee, Heel to glute, Rotate your hips to the right. Hold right here. Feeling that stretch across your right hip flexor. Your quad. Breathe in. Exhale, Downward facing dog, Plant your right foot. Inhale, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Half pigeon. Left knee toward your left wrist. Scoot your right leg back. And come down wherever is comfortable and accessible for you. Could stay lifted with your palms on the ground. Elbows to your blocks or your mat. Take a breath in. Let go completely. Bring your hands under your shoulders. Back to your three-legged dog at your own pace. And then bend your knee, Heel to glute, Rotate your hips to the left. Inhale. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Or down to your knee. Come onto your back. Hug both knees into your chest. You can hold onto your knees. Behind your thighs, Use a strap to hold your shins. Rock side to side. Then come into supine twist with your legs to the left Your right knee is over your left knee. I'll stretch your right hand. And if it feels okay in your neck, Twist your neck to look toward your right thumb. Breathe out. Inhale, Return to your back. Knees to your chest. Another chance to rock and roll. And then supine twist other side. Left knee over your right. Stretch your left arm out wide and look toward your thumb. Exhale. Inhale, Come back to center. Knees to your chest one more time. And release into your Shavasana. Take time to make yourself comfortable. And then take a steady breath in. Let go completely. You're welcome to remain here in stillness for as long as you would like. But if you are ready to awaken, Begin to wiggle your toes and fingers. Reach your arms overhead into a long body stretch. And roll to your side. When you're ready, Press up to a comfortable seated position. Thank you for joining me today in this stars and moon practice. You know, When you're outside looking at the stars, Sometimes they can be a little bit difficult to see at first and it takes time for our eyes to adjust. But if you're patient and you look long enough and hard enough, You'll eventually start to see more and you'll notice that there are more stars than you could possibly count. I hope that if you are looking for glimmers of light in your life, Those sparks of joy and. . . Hope that you'll continue to look for those. And the more you look, The more you'll find. Thanks again for joining me today. Namaste.
5.0 (2)
Sabi
June 3, 2026
It was challenging for me to keep up the pace (breathing in and out in reverse) but surprisingly I remembered the moves with the repetiition. This was my morning wake up and I got sweaty. I will try the left to right side on my own in slow-mo, but by myself I don't challenge myself so I appreciate these lessons. The crossed legs forward fold to standing splits was a fun unraveling. ( imagine if we could slow the speed of these tracks, it would be nice to start at 70% then work up to full speed) Also the glimmer of hope is memorable. 🦜 Thanks [KEY: 5=Insightful, immersive, engaging experience and quality audio (or can overlook noise) 4=Interesting, may have noise, 3=Okay, but somewhat superficial 2=Not For Me, 1=Irritating]
