Vinyasa Yoga | Eagle Flow

Enjoy this full-length yoga practice inspired by Eagle Pose, Garudasana. We will work actively with the body to get some energy and breath flowing. Enjoy postures targetting hips and shoulders, while connecting to your inner world. Following along with an audio-only yoga class can provide a focused experience, especially with headphones on.

Transcript

Namaste,

Welcome back.

This is a 60 minute vinyasa yoga practice,

So an active flow,

And this one is my eagle inspired flow,

So I hope you enjoy,

Let me know if you have any feedback.

Namaste.

Finding shavasana together at the beginning.

Feel your breath.

Find an inhale through the nose.

Big exhale through the mouth.

Big exhale through the mouth.

Again,

Inhale through the nose.

Inside that exhale.

One more as a signal to yourself that you're arriving into this hour,

You're arriving into this space,

This container that you're creating for your well-being.

Let's rotate through the wrists and the ankles,

Waking up those joints.

Switch the breath to flow through the nostrils.

Inhale,

Reach your arms towards the back wall.

Exhale,

Hug the knees into the chest.

Again,

Inhale,

Stretch the body long,

That pencil stretch,

Point the toes forward.

And exhale,

Hug the knees into the chest.

One more movement like that,

Stretching long,

And squeezing in.

Rock side to side into your lower back.

Plant the feet onto the floor for a moment and let your knees fall side to side.

Windshield wiper,

Giving your lower back some rotation.

Now lift those legs up into the air.

Hold onto the shins for a moment,

But then set your arms out into a big T position,

Open chest.

Using your core,

Engage through the belly,

Take an inhale.

Exhale,

Lower your shins down to the right,

Hovering them a couple inches off of the mat,

Off of the floor.

And inhale to squeeze back through center.

Lower the shins over to the left.

Side to side at your own pace,

Inhale through center.

Exhale to work through the core to lower those shins to that hover position over to one side.

Keep it going.

Bring the shins back up,

Hold onto them for a moment.

Now keep your big toe mounds touching,

So the joints of your big toe that create that ridge in the foot.

Those are connected,

But open your knees up.

It's kind of like you're going into butterfly with your legs up in the air.

And then reach your arms between the legs and press your palms towards the ceiling,

Lifting the shoulder blades,

Crunching up.

So you're in crow position on your back,

Training those core muscles,

Training those upper back muscles.

Inhale at the top of this supine crow,

Exhale to relax down.

Inhale,

Pressing up,

Supine crow,

Reclined crow,

And let it go.

One more,

Really use your core,

Shoulder blades lift,

Arms press so that your knees are on the outer edges of the arms.

And then release your knees to outer edges of the triceps.

Let it go.

Head all the way down on the mat,

Cross the ankles,

And rock forward and back,

Getting momentum.

Come over the legs into tabletop.

Inhale to lift the heart and the tailbone,

And exhale to round.

Keep that flow going.

Last breath in and round the spine,

Last breath out.

Back towards your heels,

Up tall on the shins.

And let's reach the arms overhead,

Interlace hands,

Extend the index fingers straight up to the ceiling.

Inhale,

Getting longer through the sides of the torso.

Exhale,

Side bend towards the right wall.

Hold here,

Three breaths.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Through the nose.

Inhale through center,

Exhale towards the left.

Inhale through center,

Find child's pose,

Rest here.

Getting more grounded,

More connected to your intention for a few breaths.

This is a great place to rest if you need to take a break.

Listen to your body,

Honor the stories it's telling you.

Taking modifications,

Taking opportunities to advance throughout the sequence.

All with that intention of bringing well-being to your body,

Your mind,

Your heart.

Let's draw forward to tabletop.

Tuck the toes,

Lift to down dog.

Huddle through the heels,

Swivel through the hips.

Getting a sense of this foundational posture,

Remember to evenly displace body weight into the hands.

Press into the big toes and bend the knees if the hamstrings are tight today.

Let's lift the right leg up to the ceiling,

Finding three-legged dog.

Try to spread the shoulder blades apart and stay centered in your down dog with this added weight of the leg.

Right toes are pointing straight down at the floor.

Inhale here,

Exhale,

Bring the right knee towards your nose as you draw forward to plank.

And hold here,

Really press the palms away from you and try to hug the right heel tight to the torso.

One more breath.

Send it back to three-legged dog.

Those toes come down to meet the other foot.

And let's lift the left heel up to the ceiling.

Three-legged dog on this side.

Long back body line.

Find an inhale,

Pull the knee towards the nose.

Hold here,

Tighten up through your core.

Last breath.

Step back to down dog.

Shake it off,

Bend the knees,

Walk to the front of the mat,

Forward fold.

Find the feet as wide as the hips.

Hold on to opposite elbows,

The forearms creating a box shape.

And rock side to side,

Dangle here.

Let the knees bend in this first fold.

Shake out the neck.

Let's inhale to a half lift,

Flat back,

Hands to shins or thighs.

Exhale,

Fold forward.

Roll up to standing,

Stretch the arms way up overhead.

Hands to heart,

Exhale.

Half salutations.

Inhale,

Sweep the arms out and up overhead.

Exhale,

Bend the knees,

Fold forward,

Reach towards the mat.

Half lift,

Inhale,

Flat back.

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale to sweep the arms overhead.

Exhale,

Hands to heart.

Inhale,

Arms overhead.

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale,

Half lift.

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale,

Root to rise,

Arms up.

Hands to heart.

Inhale,

Arms overhead.

Exhale,

Forward fold.

Inhale,

Half lift.

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale,

Arms overhead.

Exhale,

Hands to heart.

Settle here,

Breathe into the feet.

Breathe into the palms.

Inhale,

Let's lift the right knee up to 90,

Standing on your left foot.

Hands can be on the hips or at heart center.

Balancing here,

Engage through the low core,

Glutes.

Inhale.

Exhale,

Let's find warrior three,

Kick the right foot way out behind you.

Leveling out through the chest.

Sometimes called airplane pose.

Inhale here.

Exhale,

Let the right toes tap down.

Let the right knee tap down.

Find a low lunge,

Lift the arms up.

Reach the arms straight out in front of you.

Wrap the right arm under the left.

Bend the elbows fingers up to the ceiling.

It's eagle position with the arms.

Encourage your elbows to move out and up.

Feeling this through your upper back and traps.

Remember to hug into your core and still stay active in your low lunge.

Inhale here.

Exhale,

Hinge forward from the hips,

Bringing those eagle arms down,

Closer towards the mat.

Inhale to lift them up again.

And exhale,

Hinge.

One more time with that.

Unravel the arms,

Step back to down dog.

Inhale,

Forward to plank.

Exhale,

Let's lower the knees,

Chest and chin come down,

Modified chaturanga.

To baby cobra,

Hands by the ribs,

Lift just the chest as you push into the tops of the thighs.

Tops of the feet.

Exhale,

Soften.

We'll do two more of those.

Inhale to lift to baby cobra.

Exhale,

Let it go.

Last one.

Hands can plant.

Step back,

Down dog.

And shuffle back,

Down dog.

Let's lift the right leg up to the ceiling.

Draw that foot between the hands.

Find the low lunge on this side.

Left knee down.

Arms reach out.

Wrap the left arm under the right,

Bend the elbows,

Fingers up.

Inhale,

Arms up.

Exhale to hinge,

Forward and down with the arms.

Two more of those.

Long,

Slow breaths.

Unwrap the arms,

Bring hands to hips.

Lift from low lunge to crescent lunge.

Pick up the left knee off of the floor,

Lift that lunge higher.

Start to lean into the right foot,

Front foot,

Until the left heel lifts off of the mat into warrior three.

Finding a balance,

Level,

Flat,

Active,

Kick through that left heel behind you.

Bring the left knee up to nine knee,

Standing on that right foot.

Activate through the outer hips,

Hands to heart,

Or maybe the hands reach up for a challenge.

Let that foot come down,

Tadasana,

Hands by your sides,

Deep breath.

Beginning again,

Hands to heart,

Inhale to lift the right knee up to 90 degrees.

A couple breaths here,

Option,

Reach your arms up to the ceiling.

Start to hinge forward,

Find warrior three,

Kick the right foot way out behind you.

Try to activate through your spine.

Long,

Strong body.

Let the right toes tap down,

Find crescent lunge,

Arms reach up.

If you prefer to do the low lunge again,

Go ahead and adjust.

Same thing with the arms,

Reach them out in front,

Wrap the right arm under the left for eagle position.

Twist tie the forearms together.

Inhale up tall,

Exhale to hinge forward,

Strong breath,

Inhale,

Lift,

And hinge.

One more time.

Lift up through,

Arms are still wrapped,

Let them unravel.

Hands plant,

Step back to plank.

Hold in this plank.

Shoulders over wrists,

You can be on your toes or your knees.

Walk in through the core,

Let's take five breaths,

Feel free to sigh it out.

Three more,

Wrap the triceps in,

Firm up through the quads,

Push out through the heels.

Let's rock forward on the tiptoes and plank.

Lower to chaturanga or modified chaturanga.

Inhale to lift to baby cobra or up dog.

And exhale back to down dog.

Inhale to lift the right leg,

Exhale,

Step in between the hands,

Rise to crescent lunge.

Right foot is forward,

Arms up.

Reach the strong arms out in front,

Wrap left arm under right,

Twist tie the forearms together.

Press the forearms together actively.

Inhale,

You're tall.

Exhale to hinge.

Press through those legs to lift up.

In this last one we do really slow,

Up and down.

Arms can unravel,

Up tall,

Hands to heart,

Power up through the right foot,

Lean into that foot until the left heel rises,

Warrior three.

Hold here,

Lengthen the back body,

Option to reach your arms forward towards the front of the room.

Bring the left knee up to 90,

Hold here,

Arms might be reaching towards the ceiling.

Last breath in.

Exhale both feet down.

Tadasana,

Hands by your sides.

Strong breath.

Beginning again,

Hands to heart,

Inhale,

Right knee rises up.

Cross the right ankle over the left thigh and slow with the hips.

Right ankle over left thigh.

You're still balancing on that left foot.

Temple pose.

Option to place your hands on tall blocks if you need more help.

This offers an outer hip stretch as we're stabilizing through the core and pelvis.

Standing up strong,

Out of that bring the knee back up to 90,

Right leg kicks back,

Find warrior three just like we've been doing.

Inhale here,

Right toes plant down,

Crescent lunge,

Inhale.

And exhale warrior two.

Left toes forward,

Left heel intersects the right arch and we lunge deeply into the left knee.

Arms stretch and stretch and stretch out wide.

Facing your side wall,

Reach the arms there and wrap the right arm under the left,

Finding those equal arms again.

As you inhale,

Lift the forearms,

Press actively together.

Now with these eagle arms,

Try to spin the forearms towards your front leg.

Inhale here,

Lift the forearms a little bit higher.

And exhale,

Pull your elbows towards your belly button in warrior two.

Just a little bit of a crunch action.

Inhale to lift the forearms up,

Little bit of a reverse warrior.

And exhale,

Crunch.

One more time.

Unravel the arms in warrior two,

Hold here,

Strong hips,

Press into both big toes.

Last breath in warrior two.

Windmill the hands down,

Step to plank.

Holding plank together.

Inhale to rock forward.

Exhale,

Lower chaturanga.

Inhale,

Up dog.

Exhale,

Down dog.

Bend the knees,

Step or jump to the front of the mat,

Forward fold.

Half lift,

Inhale.

Exhale,

Sit to chair pose,

Low C,

Arms can lift up.

Bring hands to heart,

Standing on the right foot,

Left knee comes up to 90.

Deep breath in.

Cross left ankle over right thigh,

Sitting low through the hips to temple.

Again,

Option for hands on blocks or hands on the hips.

Option to reach towards the floor,

Getting deep into that outer hip.

Stand up strong,

Bringing the left knee up to 90,

Kick the leg back,

Warrior three.

Land the left foot back,

Crescent lunge for a moment,

Arms reach up,

Spin the body for warrior two,

Lunging into your right knee.

Adjust the feet.

Arms reach towards your side wall,

Left arm wraps under the right.

Eagle arms drop the shoulders.

Slide the shoulder blades down your back and spin your forearms towards the front leg.

Inhale to lift those proud eagle arms higher and exhale to crunch into the belly.

A couple more times.

Open the arms in your warrior two,

Reach as long apart as you can,

Create that resistance in the legs,

Experience the strength of the quad muscles,

Of your glutes,

Of the calf muscles.

Hold here,

Maybe close the eyes and feel the breath travel to the belly.

Windmill down,

Step to down dog.

Inhale forward to plank.

Exhale chaturanga.

Inhale long slow up dog.

Open chest,

Strong triceps.

Exhale down dog.

Walk the hands and feet together,

Mid mat.

Bring the feet close together.

Bend the knees a lot so you're crouching down close to the mat.

Hands on the floor,

Heels lifted,

Standing on the tiptoes in this crouched position.

Open the knees wide so that they're on the outside of the arms.

Take a look down,

Plant the hands underneath the shoulders.

Start to puff the body up,

Lifting your hips higher and squeeze your knees,

Inner knees,

Onto the outer arms or place the kneecaps on top of the triceps.

Start to lean a lot into the hands as you lift through the tailbone and squeeze the core.

As you lean into the hands,

Let the elbows bend,

That creates a shelf for you to place your knees on the triceps.

Take a look down at the arms when you bend those elbows,

That shelf is created.

Look way out in front of you.

Practice rocking forward and back like you're going into chaturanga and then coming out.

But you're in this crouched position and working into crow pose.

If you're feeling steady,

If you're feeling ready,

You can rock forward into those elbows.

Look way out in front of you and lift one set of toes off of the mat and then the other set of toes off of the mat,

Finding this arm balance.

If you're confused about what this should look like or how to get into it a little bit more,

You can always look it up after class for a visual.

Practicing your crow push-ups or balancing in crow,

A couple more times find your breath.

Walk it out to down dog.

Pedal through the heels,

Reset.

Exhale,

Lift the right heel up to the ceiling.

Big inhale.

Exhale,

Pull the knee towards your nose as if you're drawing forward to plank just like we did at the beginning of class.

Inhale,

Right leg is up tall.

Three-legged dog.

Exhale,

Bring that knee towards your right tricep.

Inhale,

Lift that leg up again.

Exhale,

Right knee towards left tricep,

Twisting through your core.

Hold here.

Kick the right leg long.

Kick it straight out towards the left.

Lean into the right palm,

Lift your left hand up to a side plank position.

Lift through the bottom hip,

Bottom side of the core.

Inhale here.

Exhale,

Hands down,

Step back.

Three-legged dog,

Right leg is still up.

Inhale.

Exhale,

Right knee towards right wrist for pigeon.

Right shin is across the mat,

Left leg is long behind you.

Hands are planted today,

Left toes are tucked.

Engage through the core,

Press into the palms,

Try to lift that front shin off of the mat in your pigeon position.

Strength,

Exercise in this pose before we relax.

Inhale to lift the shin,

Hug the heel close to the body,

And then let the hips fall down into pigeon.

A couple more of those lifts.

Try to signal your hip to lift that leg.

Try one more.

Let the back toes relax,

Let your body weight drop into the hips,

You can stay on the hands or walk down to the forearms.

If you're experiencing pain in this position,

We can flip onto the back body instead,

Fine thread the needle,

Crossing your right ankle over the left thigh,

And picking up the left thigh.

Enjoy the stretch.

Last breath.

Walk up to the hands,

Step back to down dog,

Option to keep the right leg lifted as we draw forward to plank and take a vinyasa.

One legged chaturanga,

Optional.

Move through it at your own pace.

Settle in down dog,

Inhale for a sigh.

Left heel rises,

Three legged dog.

Get used to that position,

Strong through the fingers,

Wrap the triceps in,

Spread the shoulder blades.

Inhale,

Exhale left knee towards your nose as you draw forward to plank.

Inhale,

Leg lifts up high.

Exhale,

Bring it towards the outside elbow,

Your left tricep.

Inhale to lift the leg up.

Exhale,

Bring it across the body towards the right tricep and kick that shin out long.

Inhale,

Kick that leg long,

Long,

Long.

Lean into the left hand,

Right arm reaches side plank.

This kind of star position,

Side plank and open wingspans.

Move through the bottom hip,

Bottom side of the core,

Find an inhale.

Hands down,

Step back,

Three legged dog,

Left leg way up.

Knee towards left wrist for pigeon.

Drop down lower but keep the right toes tucked.

Hands are planted.

Press the mat away from you,

Lift the shin off of the mat up into the core,

Hug the heel tight and soften.

Do that drill a couple more times.

Settle into your pigeon,

Enjoy.

Walk up to the hands.

Step back to three legged dog,

Left leg rises,

Shake it out.

Option for a one legged chaturanga in the svinasana.

Inhale forward,

Exhale lower.

Inhale,

Heart rises.

Exhale,

Down dog.

Walk the feet up to the hands,

Mid mat.

Plant the hands down,

Move the feet closer together.

Open the knees so that your arms are reaching between the legs,

Setting up for crow once again.

Press into those fingertips.

Rock forward,

Shifting body weight into that tricep shelf.

Hover the feet if that's in your practice or work on those push ups.

Those crow push ups.

Leaning bend the elbows and press back to your crouch.

When you're lifting off in crow,

Exhale as you lift and engage your core as you lift.

Look way out in front of you.

Come out of that practice,

Sit down,

Cross the ankles.

Right chin in front of left shin,

Arms reach up to the ceiling.

Fold over the legs,

Hands plant on the mat out in front of you.

Sway side to side with the heart.

Maybe you're standing on the very tips of your fingers and letting the heart hang open.

And dangle side to side.

Switch the cross of the shins as you roll up.

Reach the arms up to the ceiling.

Reviews

Awesome! Thank you!

Loved this practice! Thank you 🙏🌻💛

Excellent instruction along with clear voice. Thank you! It was just what I needed. ❤️🙏

I love it! Gives my body a good peace of mind! 🕊️🧘‍♀️🙏🏻

Great practice, really enjoyed the pace. I struggle with chaturanga, was able to modify easily without any detriment to the practice 🌟

Wonderful class. Great audio teacher. So glad to find you! 🙏🏻💗

Excellent eagle Vinyasa for folks who are already familiar with yogic poses. The poses are about medium level of advancement.

Great practice - strengthening and working my aching shoulders and back. Thank you ❤️

Beautifully sequenced class, powerful and well balanced. Thank you so much!