by Shalaka S
Explore a flowing yoga practice built around twists, core engagement, and mindful movement. This session focuses on movement through the spine and hips, with gentle strength work through rotation. Follow your breath and move gradually into each shape without forcing your range. Use the practice as a chance to pause, reconnect with your body, and finish feeling more settled.
Transcript
Hi, My name is Shalaka. Today's flow is focused on the power of twists. So whether you're looking to ease some stiffness in your spine or your lower back, Or to gently stimulate your digestive system, This flow is for you. The compression during a twist and the release afterward is set to enhance blood flow to your abdominal organs, Potentially improving their function and nutrient supply. You might even notice a little boost in your energy and metabolism. So join me on the mat. We're going to begin seated. So find a tall spine. Deepen your breath. Lengthen your spine with your inhale. Soften your shoulders with your exhale. You might take a couple of moments just to settle in. Bring your awareness into your body. It's taking a couple of moments to center around your breath. Listen to the sound of your breath at the back of your throat. And gently open your eyes. Notice the shift in energy. Reach your arms up. Inhale. Join your palms together. Bring your hands to heart. Exhale. Deep breath in, Find some length. Exhale, Twist to the right or as for a bread. Return to center, Deep breath in. Exhale to the other side. Pause for a breath. Come back to center. Deep breath in, Reach your arms up once again. Join your palms, Find that length in your spine. Press your palms, Your fingers into each other, Even your fingertips. On your next exhale, Twist to the right. One hand to your knee, The other all the way to the back. Bring it back to center, Arms reach up, Maybe join your palms. Exhale to the other side. Try to maintain some length. Gaze over your left shoulder. We're still easing into our twists. There's no rush. Come back to center, Arms reach up. Exhale, Bring your hands to heart. Notice the effect of. . . These gentle twists on your body before we move on to something more challenging and deeper. Try to maintain that length in your spine. Plant your hands. Find your tabletop. Hips over your knees, Shoulders over your wrists. Spread your fingers wide. Press your palms, Your fingers into the mat. Activate your arms, Hugging them in. Lengthen your spine with your inhale. Exhale to draw your belly in. Squeeze your glutes together. Inhale lift your chest up, Find your cow pose. Exhale round your back find your cat a couple of more on your own Try to get your spine moving. Notice your tailbone reaching to the ceiling or the sky. Find the length back. In your neck. And bring it to neutral spine. Deep breath in, Step back to plank. Find your hips in line with your shoulders and knees. If you need to modify, You can come down to your knees. Try to maintain that plank shape. Keep your arms active. Actively press your mat away. Next breath in, Hold. With your exhale, Find your downward facing dog. Steady your breath Feel that hamstring stretch. Soft bend at your elbows, Feel the muscles in your arms engage. And you can gaze at your feet. Walk your hands all the way back to your feet. Find your forward fold. Bend your left knee, Straighten your right leg. Reach your right arm up. Switch sides. Keep that steady breath. Release your arms, Roll your spine all the way up one vertebra at a time Find your mountain pose. Tarasen. Deep breath in, Arms reach up. Exhale find your forward fold, Soft bend at your knees, Inhale halfway up and exhale forward inhale rise press your feet into the mat exhale hands to heart, Inhale reach up Exhale, Bend your knees, Fold. Half way up in here. Exhale, Back fold. Inhale, Rise, Lengthen your body. Exhale, Hands to heart. Take a deep breath in. Deep breath out. Take a moment to notice your alignment, Press your feet into the mat, Hug your belly in, Squeeze your glutes together, Lengthen through your spine, Draw your ribcage in slightly, Broaden your shoulders, Soften them. Find some length in your neck, Take a deep breath in. Exhale twist to the right in health center. Exhale, Lift. In health center. Exhale to sit back, Chair. Arms reach up. Your heels, Your feet are digging into the mat. Squeeze your glutes together, Lengthen through your spine. Inhale here. Exhale, Fold. Have a fair Payne Health! And exhale back fold Inhale back to your chair. Exhale hands to heart, Twist to the right. You can keep your elbow on your thigh. Help support you in the twist or you can keep your elbow off your thigh. Just keep it more of an active twist. Squeeze your glutes together, Keep your spine long. You can gaze up. Try to find a soft breath. It's challenging because everything is working. Inhale, Arms reach up. Exhale, Hands to heart, Twist to the left. And enjoy the silence. The sound of your breath. Inhale, Arms reach up. Exhale, Fold. Release your head. Inhale, Rise. Press your feet into the mat. Exhale, Bring your hands to heart. Let's take a moment to notice. If you feel any muscles activated. Notice what your breath was doing. Notice what your mind was doing. And hell arms reach up. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale half way up exhale walk it forward to your down dog Press your mind away. Lengthen your spine. Deepen your breath. Inhale, Right leg reaches up. Lift it up higher, Use your glutes. Keep pressing your mouth away actively. Make sure you're breathing. Bring your right knee. To your chest. Pause for a breath. And step through. Coming to Runner's Lunch. Adjust your lunge so your legs feel strong we're going to add a twist to your lunch. Press into your front foot. Use all your toes. Spread them wide. Press into your back toes, Lift that back heel off the mat. Your spine is long, Your neck. Long Deep breath in, Rise to crescent lunge. Notice your breath. Inhale. Exhale, Hands to heart. Twist to the right. You can rest your elbow. You can keep it off. Take a moment to play around with gaze. If you gaze down, It helps you. With your balance. You start to gaze up. You'll notice the shift in balance. Rise with your inhale, Arms reach up. With your axe, You'll find your warrior too. Gaze past your right fingertips, Press your mat away with your back foot, Deepen your lunge. Maintain the length in your spine. As you inhale, Reverse your warrior. Breathe. With your exhale, Find your extended side angle. Bring both hands to the mat. Come back into your runner's lunge. With your inhale, Gaze forward. With your exhale, Straighten your front leg. Can stay here or you can add a twist reach your right arm up Find your breath. And release down. Lower your back knee down. Inhale, Rise. Exhale, Open arm twist to the right. Gaze past your right shoulder, Fingertips. Then reverse your twist, Left arm reaches up and back. Plant your left hand, Reach your right arm up. Press into your left hand. Pivot around, Come into supported side plank. You can either hold your supported side plank or you can take a full side plank. Either way, Try to find some distance between your tips of your shoulders. Keep that bottom arm active. And release down, Come into your plank. Lower down to your belly with your exhale. Inhale, Lift your chest up, Cobra. Exhale all the way down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Pause here. Soften your gaze. Keep your gaze right in front of you. And release down with your exhale. And shift your hips side to side. Give your lower back a break. And then tuck your toes, Press your hips up and back, Find your down dog. Opposite side left leg reaches up lift it up higher engage your glutes, Use your glutes to lift that leg up. And your knee to chest. Pause here. Step through, Find your runner's lunge. Inhale, Rise to crescent. Deep breath in here. Exhale, Hands to heart. Twist to the left. Find your own challenge in this twist, Whether it's elbow on the tie, Whether it's gazing up. You're wobbly Try to keep pressing all your toes, Even your big toe into the mat. Front and back foot. Inhale, Rise all the way. Xl warrior 2 gaze past your left fingertips, Far far away. Maintain that length in your spine. Really stand tall. Press actively into both feet. Reverse your warrior. Inhale. Endure length back. Find your extended side angle. Deepen your breath. Bring your hands down to the mat. Find your runner's lunge. With your inhale gaze forward, With your exhale straighten your front leg. You can stay here. Or you can. . . Reach your left arm up. Coming into a revolved triangle. You can let your back heel lift up. If it wants to. You don't have to keep pressing that back foot into the mat. It's too uncomfortable. Return your hands to the mat. Lower your back knee down. Inhale, Rise. Exhale, Open arm twist to the left. Find your breath. Inhale, Reverse your twist, Find your length back. On your next exhale, Right hand to the mat. Left arm reaches up. You can pivot around, Find your side plank. You can take a full side plank or supported plank. Really doesn't matter. I'm dealing with a. . . Sensitive wrist today. So I'm gonna take a modification. Release your hands to the mat. Find your plank. Deep breath in. Exhale, Lower to your belly. Inhale to lift your chest up. With your exhale, Twist to the right. Back to center. Over to the left. Come back to center. Tuck your toes back to your down dog. Right foot reaches up, Inhale, Bend your knee. Stack your hips. Bring your foot around so your right ankle is on your left thigh. Walk it all the way back. Now, You might need support here. Place your hands on a support. Or on the mat and stay here. Or you can find your way up. Or if you feel comfortable. Take a deep breath in, Find some length. With your exhale, Twist to the left. Maybe you bring your elbow to your foot. And then slowly come out of it. Release down, Walk it forward. Back to your down dog. Nice job, Wherever you are. Left foot reaches up Bend your knees, Tuck your hips. Bring your foot around. Plant it on your right thigh. Slowly walking back You can either stay here. Where you can find your balance. Just take a moment or two, Press into that bottom foot. Maybe you lower into your chair. Once you feel comfortable, You can twist to the left. Come back to center, Release down. Walk it forward. Lower your knees down to the mat. And swing your feet forward. Find some lint. Hug your left knee in. Look over your left shoulder. Steak this time. To downregulate. It's softening your face. Each with sides. Look forward and lay down on your mat. You can open your arms out wide. Let your body soak in. All the work that you just did. Your brain knows how to connect everything together. But it needs space and time. As usual, You can stay here as long as you want. Thank you for joining me.
