Good morning and welcome to your mat,
To your yoga practice.
My name is Jillian and I'm honored to be guiding you through this class.
And this is going to be a really good class to just very slowly come into your body.
We'll do some really deep stretches.
So if your body just doesn't have a lot of energy,
This is going to be a really good practice for you.
Blocks are recommended if you'd like to have them as supports,
But they're not required.
We're going to get started laying on the back,
But feel free to have a coffee or tea nearby so that you can just maybe take a few sips throughout your practice.
Again,
It's optional.
Settling onto your back.
You can soften through the shoulders.
If there is any discomfort in the low back,
Then have your feet to the ground rather than having your legs extended long.
Beginning to tune into your breath.
And just noticing the rise and the fall of your chest.
An ebb and a flow.
Is your breath shallow?
Or does it feel restricted?
Does it feel really deep into the belly?
Drawn out.
Try to lengthen it.
Notice if your thoughts this morning are loud already.
Or if sleepiness is still holding on,
Allow it,
It's okay.
But if you'd like to set an intention for either your practice or your day ahead.
Now is a wonderful time to do so.
I choose a word or an energy to embody.
Or you can just focus on being present.
Now begin to slowly wake up your body just by wiggling your fingers and your toes.
A little rock of your head from side to side.
Feeling the pressure of your head against the mat.
You can roll out the wrists,
Ankles.
Now take your knees into your chest.
Your hands can rest on your shins or around the hamstrings.
And you could just stay in stillness unless a gentle rock from side to side feels good in your body.
Try to let it be slow and mindful.
And you could circle your knees,
Massaging around your tailbone.
And then switch the direction if needed.
And then settle into stillness.
Keep your hands around your right leg and then extend your left leg either along to the bottom of your mat,
But if there's any discomfort here,
Pinching or straining in the low back,
Just keep your left foot flat down to the ground.
Now using your own intuition here,
What feels right?
So to just keep your knee as is in stillness.
Or maybe you roll the toes around in a circle.
Or point and flex your right foot.
Opening,
Closing your right knee or circling the knee,
Getting deep into the hip joint.
Come back into stillness if you're moving the knees.
And now take your left foot to the bottom left corner of your mat.
Now your right foot cross it either on top of your left ankle or you can just set it beside your left ankle.
Adjust your hips so that they're grounded.
And then you have the option to lift the head and the shoulders over towards the left as well.
Take your arms overhead,
Holding on to either your right elbow or your wrist.
And just breathe deeply into this stretch into the side body.
Yawn if you need.
Gently releasing any binds that you have with your hands,
Ankles.
Bring everything back into a neutral position.
Now take your left knee into your chest and extend your right leg long.
If something doesn't feel good here,
You could place your right foot to the ground.
Either finding movement,
Opening and closing your knee,
Or just staying in stillness.
Now bring your right foot to the bottom right corner of your mat.
Cross your left ankle on top or just set it beside your right foot.
Then bring your hips in alignment so that they're both equal and grounded.
Head and your shoulders can shift over to the right as well.
Take your arms overhead and breathe deeply.
Let this go.
And crossing the ankles,
Step both feet to the ground and find a neutral position.
You can take a couple windshield wipers of your knees from side to side.
Maybe a full body stretch.
And then eventually making your way into a comfortable seat.
You can roll off to your side,
Use your arm as a pillow and just pause for a moment.
Coming up.
You're welcome to sit onto a block,
But if you don't need to,
Then feel free to just sit cross-legged.
Noticing your breath in this new position,
Perhaps it moves deeper into the belly.
Take a deep breath in and sweep your arms overhead.
Bring your palms to touch.
Rather open your hands down to your heart.
Again,
Inhale,
Reach up.
Now as you exhale,
Twist to the left,
Bringing your left hand behind you and your right hand onto your left leg.
Lower the shoulders away from the ears.
Try to sit up tall.
And with every exhale,
Twisting just a little bit deeper.
Keep your right hand where it is and sweep your left hand overhead,
Bringing your right shoulder down towards the right knee for a deep side stretch.
Now just lowering your left hand to the mat in front of you.
Take your right hand beside as well.
Fold forward down,
Maybe just resting on your palms,
Your forearms,
Blocks,
Or you could even get your forehead to the ground.
Now noticing the positioning of your legs.
If your right shin is in front of your left,
Walk your hands over towards the left.
Getting a deeper stretch down the right side.
If your left shin is in front,
Walk your hands over towards the right.
Now lifting yourself all the way back up.
Change the crossing of the legs.
Take a breath,
Reaching the arms overhead,
Inhale.
Exhale your hands to your heart center.
Inhale,
Reach up.
Exhale,
Twist to the right,
Placing your right hand behind you.
Left hand to the right leg.
And then twisting in a little deeper with every exhale.
Keeping your left hand on the knee,
Take your right fingertips overhead.
Find your side bend.
And folding down to the mat,
Lower your palms in front of you.
Going as deep as it feels good in your body.
Now if your left shin is in front,
Walk your hands over to the right.
And if your right shin is in front,
Walk your hands over to the left.
Lifting yourself back through center.
And now you can make your way into a tabletop pose.
Moving through our cats and our cows,
Pushing the mat away.
Through the hands,
The tops of your feet.
Hug your belly in slightly.
And then lift the tailbone,
Lower the belly,
Lift your gaze and take a deep breath in.
And then rounding the spine,
Bring your chin to your chest and push your hips forward.
Inhale,
Open the front of the body,
Look forward.
And exhale,
Round.
Feel free to go really slowly this morning,
Just paying attention to how your spine is feeling.
Maybe you take a bit of dynamic movement,
Just shifting forward and back on your hands and your knees.
Bye.
Coming to a neutral spine.
Tuck your toes under and find a downward facing dog.
Sending your hips up to the sky,
Allow a deep bend to come into your knees.
And either taking a few slow paddles,
Carefully finding length into the backs of your legs,
Or you can just bend one knee and reach the opposite heel to the ground and spend a few moments there.
Switching sides.
And let both heels melt to the ground.
Lift your right toes up high to the sky for three-legged dog.
Bend your right knee and stack your hips.
Then place your right foot forward in between your hands.
Now blocks are a really good option here to frame around your right foot,
Especially if you're feeling compressed already.
And then we're just going to shift forward and back.
Gradually you can start to straighten your right leg a bit.
Are you letting it be a journey?
You don't need to get a full straight leg right away.
But eventually you might even try pulling your right toes towards your face.
Feel free to linger.
Feel a deep stretch into the front of your left hip when you sink into your lunge and then a big stretch into the back of your leg when you send your hips back.
Now lower your left knee down to the ground,
Untuck the toes,
And take your arms overhead,
Anjaneyasana,
Deep breath in.
And then sinking a little bit deeper into your hips,
Breath out.
Lowering your left hand inside of your right foot.
Take your right fingertips up high to the sky.
If it feels like you're being compressed,
You can either have your left hand to a block or just send your hips back a little.
And just finding a bit of dynamic movement here through the spine.
Take a breath in.
And then as you breathe out,
Lower your right hand down inside of your right foot.
Really press the knee into the arm and take your left fingertips up high.
Now switching again,
Lower the left hand down,
Inhale your right arm up.
Exhale,
Lower.
Inhale left arm.
Exhale,
Lower.
Inhale,
Right arm.
Exhale,
Lower.
Inhale.
.
.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Now frame your right foot,
Placing your right hand outside of the toes.
Tuck your back toes under and then straighten your right leg for half split.
Drawing the right toes towards your face.
Slow down your breath.
Walk forward into your lunge.
And take both hands inside of your foot while walking your right toes to the edge for lizard.
And tuck the toes in the back.
And then we're going to be here for a few moments,
So feel free to explore all your options.
You could just stay as you are.
You can open your right knee,
Maybe hold that here,
Just open and close it.
You can lower onto forearms,
Onto blocks,
Or take a twist,
Right palm to the knee.
Look over the right shoulder as you push the knee away from you.
After a few moments and you have the mobility,
Maybe you even take a quad stretch,
Reaching back with your right hand for the left toes.
You can come back up onto your hands.
Close the knee back into the shoulder if it was open.
And then find pigeon pose,
Walking your foot across the top of your mat.
Lowering your right knee down by the wrist.
And then slide your left leg further back.
You can use blocks underneath your hip here if it's just floating off of the ground.
Give yourself some support.
You can lower onto your forearms or stay lifted.
I'm coming up onto your palm.
And then roll onto your right hip.
And turning to face the wide edge of your mat,
Have your left leg extended long beside you.
And then have your right heel by your hips.
Now take your left arm down the left leg and sweep your right fingertips overhead towards the toes.
Now a bit more support,
You can bend your left elbow supporting your head with a fist.
Or if you'd like to bring a bit more engagement,
Starting to really wake up your body,
You could float your left hand and reach for the right wrist and then pull it towards the toes without folding your chest down towards the ground.
Strong belly,
Rise up.
Place your right hand behind your hips and reach your left arm overhead.
Now you might just stay here for a modified Joy Pose,
Or you can point the left toes and lift up onto your right shin,
Turning your chest upward.
And take a deep breath in.
Breath out,
Lower your hips down.
Bring your left forearm back down the leg and sweep your right fingertips overhead.
And inhale.
And an exhale.
And then with your breath in,
Rise up.
Exhale into joy pose.
Hold for your inhale.
Exhale and lower into your side bends.
Inhale,
Rise up.
Exhale,
Lift the hips.
Hold,
Breathe in.
Exhale and lower into your side bend.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Taking a twist,
Lower your hips,
Bring your left hand beside your right knee,
And then look over the right shoulder.
Good,
Plant your hands down,
Tuck your toes under,
Lift up into a downward facing dog.
And you're welcome to just stay in your downward dog.
Otherwise,
You could move through a flow,
Shifting forward into a plank.
Take an inhale.
Knees up or down,
Lower Chaturanga.
Finding a backbend of your choice,
Baby cobra,
Maybe a cobra strengthening your arms.
I will meet in a downward dog when you're ready.
Now lift your left toes up high,
Three-legged dog.
Bend your knee for scorpion down dog.
Grounded high lunge,
Step your foot forward.
Keep your back knee off the ground and feel free to use blocks underneath your hands.
And you could start off by just shifting forward and back on your toes.
Gradually starting to straighten this left leg.
Maybe even pulling the toes towards your face.
The next time that you shift forward,
Lower your right knee to the ground and untuck your toes.
Rise up into Anjaneyasana,
Arms overhead.
Then sinking deeper into your hips,
Press down through your feet.
Take a full inhale.
Exhale,
Lower your right hand down inside of your right foot,
Sorry,
Your left foot.
Turn your whole chest to the side,
Not just pulling the arm back.
Good,
Now bring your left hand down inside of your foot,
Pressing the knee against the arm.
Open your right fingertips up high.
Good.
Now finding a flow here,
Just start with a breath in.
Breath out,
Lower your hands.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale… keep flowing.
Last one,
Reaching your left arm up.
Then frame your foot with both hands.
Find half split tucking your right toes under straight in your left leg.
Come forward into your lizard.
Walking your left foot to the edge of your mat,
Untuck the toes in the back.
And then move through any and all the variations you'd like to feel here.
Without comparing this left side to the right,
Allow it to be its own side,
Its own differences.
Certain things may feel right on the other side that don't feel right on this one.
And you can come back up onto your hands if you are lowered.
Then walk your foot across the mat for a pigeon pose.
Lower the knee by the wrist and slide your right leg back.
Feel free to use blocks under your hip.
Maybe you stay lifted for a few breaths or you can fold forward.
And slowly rise up onto your palms.
And then turn to face the wide edge of your mat.
Bringing your left heel in by your hips.
Of your right leg extended out at an angle.
Place your right forearm to the inside of your knee,
Push into the leg,
Turn your chest towards your bent leg.
And then sweep your left fingertips overhead.
Maybe bending at the elbow and supporting your head with your fingertips,
Or a fist.
Or to find a more active variation,
Make sure your right foot is flexed.
You can reach your right hand up towards your left wrist without collapsing through the chest.
Inhale,
Rise up.
Exhale,
Lower your left hand down,
Point your right toes,
Then lift your hips all the way up.
Enjoy a pose.
Lowering your hips down,
Bring your right forearm down the leg.
Inhale,
Sweep your left arm overhead.
And then just hold for your exhale.
By nerve flow,
Inhale,
Rise up.
Exhale,
Lift your hips.
Hold for a breath in.
Breath out,
Lower down,
And take your left arm overhead.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Hold.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Inhale joy.
Exhale,
Lifting your head.
And now lower your hips,
Find your twist,
Right hand to the bent knee.
Downward facing dog,
Plant your hands,
Tuck your toes under.
And step your left foot back beside the right.
Pedal through the legs.
Feel free to move through a flow.
Shifting forward to breathe in.
Finding your chaturanga,
Your backbend.
Then lowering your knees down to the mat.
Bringing your hips back to the heels.
Now just taking a seat.
As you are or sitting cross-legged.
I installed it.
Notice your breath.
Your heart beating.
Coming back to your intention that you set for your practice and for your day.
Close off this practice with a final breath together.
Inhale,
Reaching your arms overhead.
Exhale,
Bring your hands to heart center.
The light in me sees,
Acknowledges,
And honors the light in you.
And knows that they are the same.
Namaste.
Thank you so much for joining me for this video.
I hope that you enjoyed the practice.
Maybe give it a heart,
And I will see you in another class soon.
