Power Yoga: "I Am Steady Like An Oak"

Tree pose is the spotlight of this 30 minute power flow. Expect a flowy sequence and several challenges on one leg!

The following affirmation is the foundation of the practice: "I am steady like an oak. I am firm in my foundation and patient with my growth. I remain flexible so I can bend and not break."

Transcript

Hi, I'm Jen. Welcome to yoga. This will be a vinyasa class built around the posture of tree, One of my favorite yoga poses. So because we are going to be spending some time in tree and specifically trying to bend and not break an hour tree, If it would help you to feel more comfortable with the balance, Then please set up near a wall or a chair. Go ahead and come down to your belly to begin. Just turn one cheek to the mat. Arms can go wherever it's comfortable. And if being on your belly is not a comfortable position to start in, Then try child's pose. Or roll to your bat. So being on your belly. Or really even in child's pose, A face down position is considered a grounding position. Physically, Literally connecting to the ground. I feel the support beneath you. Feel how safe you are to give your full weight to the ground. And take a few deep breaths if you haven't already. Feeling your belly press into the ground. Your back, Lift away. And slowly begin to send your right leg out into a half frog position. So you'll slide your right knee off of your mat until your knee is in line with your hip and you have about a 90 degree angle at your knee. Bring your hands out wide. I like them all the way off the edges of my mat for a wide-armed cobra pushup. Inhale, Lift up to cobra. Peel your chest off the ground and exhale, Slowly roll back down. Flow that here. Inhale, Lift. Let your head be the last to lift and exhale, Float back down, Lead with your chest. Inhale, Lift your back. Your head, Exhale, Lower down. Take just a couple more. At your own pace. Can think about this. Kind of like you do with cat and cow. Letting your spine switch from flexion to extension. Rounding the back of your neck as you lift. And then come back to center. Bring your right leg back in where it started. Send your left leg out to half frog. So again, Looking for that 90 degree angle in your knee, But that's just a starting point. You can adjust from there to find what's comfortable. Bring your hands out wide. I like just my fingertips on the floor. Inhale, Lift to cobra. Exhale, Lower down. Inhale, Lift. And exhale, Slither back down. Flow with your breath. Last one. Lower all the way back down. Bring your left leg in to meet your right. And press back to child's pose. Widen your knees. Sink your hips to your heels, Stretch your arms out in front of you and release your forehead to the ground. Breathe out. Inhale, Come up your tabletop. Hands underneath your shoulders, Knees underneath your hips. Keep your right hand anchored, Rooted to the ground. Inhale, Modified side plank. Step your left foot to the back of your mat. Reach your left hand up high. Broaden across your chest. Gaze up to your hand. Breathe in. Exhale, Float your left hand down toward the ground. It doesn't have to touch the mat, But just lower it down. As you inhale, Drag up the length of your right arm across your chest or collarbones and back up to the ceiling. Exhale, Float your arm down. Inhale, Drag up and open. So this drag open is to promote an open chest and then flow that. Link it together with your breath. Exhale to look down at the ground. One more time to lift. Broaden, Open your chest, Exhale, Tabletop. Transfer to the other side, Left hand down. Inhale, Modified side plank, Right foot plant. At the back of your mat, Reach your right arm high, Look up at your hand. Breathe in. Breathe out, Float your right fingertips down toward the ground. They don't have to touch. Inhale, Drag up the length of your arm across your collarbones. Reach up to the ceiling. Exhale slowly lower. Inhale, Drag up and open, Letting your chest broaden. Couple more times. One more time to lower. Last time to lift. Exhale tabletop Good, Tuck your toes underneath you. Push your hips up and back, Downward facing dog. Straighten your arms. Elongate your spine, But let your knees be as bent as they need to be. Maybe you even intentionally and deeply bend your knees to find that length in your upper body first. And then one at a time, You can straighten the leg out just a little bit. To feel the hands during a calf stretch. Exhale. Inhale, Bend your knees, Look to your hands. Exhale, Forward fold, Step your feet to your hands. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Standing at attention. Samastiti. Equal standing pose. All right, If you're comfortable, I invite you to close your eyes. And envision an oak tree. Oak trees are known for being huge trees with thick trunks. And extensive root systems. They are slow to grow, But they can live for hundreds of years. They're known for their dense, Hard wood, Yet they are flexible enough to not break in high wind and storms. So keep that image of the oak tree in your mind as you affirm to yourself. I am steady like an oak. I am firm in my foundation and patient with my growth. I remain flexible so I can bend and not break. Breathe in to seal this affirmation. Exhale, Release your hands to your sides. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale, Side bend to your right. Take your right arm and swoop it in front of you, Reaching in the opposite direction as your left arm. So we're creating a counter force here. Bend and not break. Exhale. Inhale, Come back to center. Exhale, Side bend to your left. Swoop your left arm out in front of you. Think of this bottom arm as your anchor. Hold to the ground as you reach the crown of your tree up and over. Let's flow between. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale side, Bend to the right, Swoop the right arm forward and across. Inhale center. Exhale to the left. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale one more time. Bend to the right. In center and out to the left. Inhale, Mountain Pose. Exhale, Forward Fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Place your hands on your shins or your thighs. Keep your knees just a little bit bent here and draw your shoulder blades together and down your back. Breathe in. Breathe out Chaturanga. From plank, Lower halfway down. Inhale, Upward facing dog. Flip to the tops of your feet. Lift your chest. Exhale, Downward facing dog. You can always choose to modify or skip your chaturanga. You can take it from your knees, You can hold a high plank, Or you can skip it completely and just step back to downward facing dog. Inhale, Bend your knees. Exhale, Step forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Mountain Pose. Exhale, Just one side bend to your right. Back to center. And one side bend to your left. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in upward facing dog. Exhale, Downward facing dog. One more time to build some heat. Inhale, Look forward. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Lift halfway. And fold. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale, Bend to your right. Breathe in Mountain. Exhale, Bend to your left. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in upward facing dog. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Anytime we're in down dog, If you would rather be in child's pose or tabletop, Those are great alternatives to get off your wrists or to give yourself a little bit of a rest. Take a deep breath in. And a long breath out. Inhale, Lift your right leg, Three-legged dog. Exhale, Low lunge. Step your right foot up between your hands. Inhale, Crescent lunge. Breathe. Lift your arms high above your head. Face your chest forward, All 10 toes forward. Lift your back, Heel up. Deep breath in. Exhale, Warrior two. Ground your back heel. Keep your right toes facing forward. Stretch your arms out wide, Hands at shoulder height. Breathe out. Inhale, Reverse triangle. Straighten the right leg. Reach your right arm up high. Take that left arm and swoop it forward just like you did in mountain pose. So think about reaching it toward your right toes. Inhale. Exhale, Wide-legged forward fold, Optional bind behind your back, Interlace your fingers. Lift your knuckles up toward the ceiling high above your head. As you tilt down to the ground Breathe out. If you have that bind, You can hold onto it. Inhale, Star with a bind. Exhale, Low lunge, Top of your mat. Inhale, Step your left foot forward, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale, Tree pose. Standing on your right leg. Lift your left foot and place it somewhere on the inseam of your right leg. It can be all the way down toward your ankle, So your toes of your left foot contact the ground. So this gives you that stronger foundation. It's just another root. Anchoring you to the earth. Wherever you land, If you want to increase the challenge at any point, Close your eyes. Exhale. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in, Up dog. Exhale down. Inhale, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent lunge. Her left knee is forward and bent, Right leg is back. Broaden your chest, Point your thumbs behind you as you reach your fingertips up high, Like they are the very highest branches in the tree. Breathe in. Exhale, Warrior two. Ground your right heel down. Stretch your arms out wide. Exhale. Inhale, Reverse triangle, Straighten the front leg. Lift your left arm. Take the right arm and swoop it forward toward your front toes. Breathe in. Breathe out wide legged forward fold with a bind another option is just to place your hands on your lower back drop your head Keep your bind. Breathe out. Inhale, Rise up. Bound star. Exhale, Low lunge top of your mat. Inhale step to halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale tree on your right, Excuse me, On your left leg. Bring your right foot up to the inseam of your left leg. Hands at heart center feels like a pretty steady place for me usually. You might like having your hands out to the side as counterbalances. What would it feel like to close your eyes for just a second here? It is totally okay to bend and to wobble. The oak trees do it all the time. And that wind gets strong. You see them swaying. Inhale back to mountain pose Exhale forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in upward facing dog. Exhale, Down dog. Let's flow that breath to movement. If you need to slow down the pace or you want to skip anything, Welcome to do that. Breathe out. Inhale, Lift your right leg. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent lunge. Exhale, Warrior two. Inhale, Reverse triangle with that swoop in your arm. Exhale, Bound, Wide-legged fold. Inhale slowly, Bound star. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Step up, Halfway lift. Exhale fold. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale, Tree standing on your right foot. Pause here. We're gonna repeat tree pose several times today. And each time you come back to it, Let it remind you of that vision of the oak tree. And of your affirmation. I am steady like an oak. Inhale. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in UpDoc. Exhale down dog. Inhale, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Lunge. Breathe in crescent lunge. Exhale, Warrior two. Inhale reverse triangle with a swoop. Exhale, Wide-legged fold with a bind. Inhale, Bound star. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Step to halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Mountain. Exhale, Tree standing on your left leg. Pause. Feel your foundation. Let your left foot. Anchor you firmly to the ground. Let your breath anchor you as well. I am steady like an oak. Inhale, Exhale forward fold. Breathe in, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in, Upward facing dog. Exhale, Down dog. Once more through each side, Breathe in right leg high. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent lunge. Exhale, Warrior two. Inhale, Triangle with a reach. Exhale, Wide-legged fold with a bind. Inhale, Bound, Star pose. Exhale, Low lunge, Top of the mat. Inhale step to halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale, Tree standing on your right. Moment to pause. After all that movement. Find your foundation once again. I am steady like an oak. Inhale. Exhale, Forward fold. Breathe in halfway lift. Breathe out, Chaturanga. Inhale, Upward facing dog. Exhale, Down dog. Breathe in, Lift your left leg. Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Crescent lunge. Exhale, Warrior two. Breathe in reverse triangle with a swoop of your arm. Exhale, Wide-legged fold. Option for that bind. Inhale bound star pose lift up tall Exhale, Low lunge. Inhale, Step, Halfway lift. Exhale fold. Inhale, Mountain pose. Exhale, Tree standing on your left foot. You haven't tried it already what would it feel like to close your eyes here It's okay if you fall over. Are you swaying? Breathe in. Breathe out Forward Fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Chaturanga. Breathe in, Upward facing dog. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Deep breath in. Long breath out. Inhale, Bend your knees, Look to your hands. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. The inhale slowly rise up to standing. Samastiti. Equals standing pose. Connect back to your affirmation. That image of the oak tree. What anchors you? All right, We've practiced tree pose many times. Let's up the challenge a little bit and add some wind to our tree. So a flowing tree pose, If you will. Stand on your right leg. Make tree pose by bringing your left foot somewhere on your right leg. And maybe you do have it touching the ground for a little bit of support. Reach your arms high over your head. And then side bend to your right. Take that right arm, Swoop it underneath and across you. And then come back to center. Side bend to your left. So with the left arm, Across your body. Opposite forces, Reach with your right, Reach with your left. Let's flow with breath. Inhale to center. Exhale, Side bend to the right with your swoop. Ian held his center. Exhale, Side bend to your left. If you don't bend very much here, Take your time. Inhale to center. Exhale to the right. Almost there. One more time back to center. And last time to the left. Inhale, Come back to two feet. Standing at attention. Maybe you shake that right foot out a little bit. And prepare for side two. All right, Find your foundation. Feel your left foot rooting into the ground. And when you're ready, Lift your right foot. Tree pose. Reach your arms over your head. Side bend to your right. The right arm swoops under and across your body. Back up to center. Slowly to the left. Swoop your arm across. All right, When you're ready, Let's try and flow that with breath. Inhale center. Exhale, Bend to the right. Inhale center. Tail bend to the left. It's okay if you fall over, Get right back in, Inhale center. Last time to the right. Inhale center. Exhale to the left. Breathe in, Come back to two feet. Samastiti, Equal standing pose. Doesn't it feel so good to have both feet back on the ground? Deep breath in. And out. Come down to your back. Set up for a bridge pose. Bring your heels close toward your hips, Your hands flat to the floor. Exhale. Inhale, Bridge. Breathe. Peel your hips, Your lower back off your mat. Keep your nose pointed up to the ceiling. Smooth out your inhales to your exhales. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly, Lower down. Inhale back to bridge pose. This time, Swoop your arms all the way up. And over your head, Maybe your fingers or your thumbs touch the floor behind you. Exhale, Lower everything back down. Inhale, Bridge, Lift up, Rainbow your arms over. Exhale flow it down. Do that a few more times on your own with your breath. One last time to your bridge. And lower all the way down. Let your knees knock in together. Fallen bridge. Hands can rest wherever it's comfortable. Start to draw your right knee into your chest. Send your left leg long and create some movement at your right hip. By shimmying your leg from right to left. Or rotating in a circle. And send your knee across your body. Supine twist. Use your left hand to hook behind your right knee. Stretch your right arm off to the right and look toward your right hand. Exhale. Inhale, Come back to center. Squeeze your right knee in. And switch it for your left. Pull your left knee into your chest, Stretch your right leg out. Create some movement through your left hip joint. And supine twist. Cross your knee over your body. Hook the side of your knee with your right hand. Stretch your left arm out. Look toward your left hand. Exhale. Inhale, Bring yourself back to center. Squeeze your left knee in one more time. And come into Shavasana. Stretch out comfortably on your mat. Take a deep, Supportive breath in. And release it with an open mouth sigh. If you would like to rest a little longer in your Shavasana, Then please stay exactly as you are. If you're ready to awaken, Wiggle your toes and fingers. Reach your arms over your head for a long body stretch. And then roll to one side. On your way up to a seated position. Thank you for joining me today. I hope you had a little fun. I hope you got to see how strong you are and that it's okay to wobble. We bend so we don't break. We'll close our practice by bowing to one another to honor the equal worth in each of us. Namaste.

Reviews

Counterbalance arms and move with breath for swaying tree, the move and the symbolizing a tree makes this my new favorite yoga pose. The warming challenge was fast but pushing myself beyond what I would do solo is the reason I seek guidance 🦜 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]