Gentle Yoga Warm Up, #1 Of A 4-Part Yoga Series

This is a Gentle Yoga warm-up, #1 of a 4-part Yoga Series. Focus is on the Neck, Shoulders and Spine. We move slowly and thoughtfully to stay focused and present. Each of these 4-part Yoga series recordings can be practiced alone or combined to create your own personal practice.

More will be coming soon! A #4 - closing practice - Shavasana is available now. I suggest you always take a few moments in meditation or Shavasana to complete your practice. Namaste!

Transcript

Welcome.

My name is Pamela and I will be guiding you through a gentle yoga warm-up.

This warm-up focuses on the neck and shoulders and spine and it can be used as a beginning to your yoga practice or perhaps just on its own.

So come into a comfortable seat,

Whatever that is for you,

Settling in where you can have that nice tall spine.

Hands and arms wherever they feel comfortable and remember this is your practice.

Listen to your body,

Listen to your breath.

Find variations as you need to.

Make this your practice.

So you might gently close the eyes and just start to tune in.

How does your body feel?

Notice where there might be areas of tightness or tension,

Even discomfort.

Just notice those areas without criticism or judgment.

Just awareness and curiosity.

Be present and aware without attachment and notice your breath.

Notice if it's smooth or choppy,

Shallow or deep.

Notice where you feel the breath in the body.

Maybe the chest or the belly,

Maybe the nostrils.

And then take a nice deep inhale and a slow soft exhale.

A couple more breaths like that.

Nice full inhale and a slow soft exhale.

One more.

And then gently open the eyes if they're closed.

Reach the arms out and up.

Hands might touch and exhale bring your hands down to your heart.

Take another inhale,

Reach the hands straight up to the sky and exhale lower them down beside you.

Take an inhale,

Reach the left arm up and on your exhale right hand beside you,

Side bend over to your right.

Notice how this feels.

Lengthening the left side body.

You might look up straight ahead or you might gaze down.

Only go as far as feels comfortable to you.

On your next inhale come back up and exhale lower your left arm down and inhale lengthen through your right side.

Exhale side bend over to your left.

Again you might choose to look up straight ahead or release the neck and look down.

Find your variation and breathe normally here.

On your next inhale come all the way up and lower the arms down by your side.

Take another inhale lengthening through the spine.

On your next inhale turn and look to the right.

Exhale bring your head back to neutral.

On your next inhale turn your head to the left and exhale back to center.

Again turn your head to the right as you inhale and exhale slowly back to center.

Inhale look to your left and exhale slowly return to center.

One more time inhale look to your right and exhale back to center.

One more time inhale look to your left and exhale back to center.

Another inhale here and on your next exhale chin to chest and then slowly take your right ear towards your right shoulder.

Pause here and feel that stretch in the left side of your neck.

Think of dropping that left shoulder away from your left ear.

Listen to your body never force.

Let this be a gentle stretch.

And then slowly take chin to chest and on your next inhale left ear goes towards left shoulder.

Pause here breathing normally and allow that right shoulder to drip away from the right ear.

Feeling that stretch in the right side of your neck.

Slowly on your next exhale take chin to chest and on your inhale head comes back up to neutral.

Bring your hands to your shoulders and start to roll your shoulders.

Notice which direction you're going.

Notice how this feels in your shoulders.

Perhaps even sounds coming from your shoulders.

And then thoughtfully reverse direction and again notice how this direction feels maybe a little different than the other.

One might be smoother or feel a little easier.

And then bring your arms by your side once more.

Take another inhale here and this time on your exhale we're going to twist to the right.

Hands and arms wherever they feel comfortable to you.

Your right hand might be behind you.

Your left hand might be on the floor or mat or maybe on your right leg.

Find your variation.

Shoulders are level and initiate this twist from your upper back and then head and neck follow.

Spine is nice and long.

Breathe normally here.

Notice how this twist feels.

Remember keep it gentle.

Never force a twist.

Slowly on your next inhale come back to center.

Take another inhale here and on your next exhale twist to your left.

Again hands and arms wherever they make sense to you.

Keep the spine nice and tall.

Shoulders level.

Being light on your back hand.

So you're not really leaning on your back hand but you're using that back hand and arm for support.

Slowly on your next inhale return back to neutral center and then thoughtfully make your way into a table pose.

Hands and knees.

Knees about hip distance apart.

Wrists under your shoulders.

Take an inhale here.

Lengthen your spine.

Crown of the head reaches forward.

Tailbone reaches back and on your next exhale round the spine into cat.

Looking down.

Tailbone tips down.

Arching the back like a Halloween cat.

Rounding the spine.

On your next inhale arch the back into cow.

Look forward.

Belly goes toward the mat.

On your exhale round again into cat and on your inhale arching into cow.

Continue to move with your breath between cat and cow.

Maybe using the ujjayi breath.

That soft ocean sounding breath.

Done breathing through the nose with a slight constriction in the back of the throat producing a soft ocean sound.

It'll sound audible to you and it might sound something like this.

Continue to move through cat cow.

Inhale into cow and round into cat.

And then return to neutral table.

Find any movement that feels good to you.

So moving organically here.

How does your body want to move?

What would feel good?

You might move your shoulders or hips in a certain direction.

You could bend the arms or move the spine in another variation of sort of a barrel roll like your spine is a jump rope moving slowly.

Whatever feels good to you.

Make sure you feel even on both sides and then return back to neutral table.

We're going to come into another shoulder and upper back stretch called thread the needle.

So from table pose you're going to move the right hand a little bit further forward on your mat.

Sweep your left arm out to the left for a little twist.

Look to your left and on your exhale left arm is going to come underneath your right.

Bring that left shoulder and arm all the way to the mat and your left ear to the mat.

So your head is on the mat or maybe a prop if the floor or mat seems too far away.

So your head is supported.

Left arm is relaxed.

Right hand might stay by your head with the right elbow up or any variation that works for you.

Breathe here and notice where you feel this twist and stretch.

Keep the breath easy and soft.

And then thoughtfully make sure that right hand is near your head.

On an inhale press into your right hand and bring yourself back into the table pose.

Left hand might move maybe an inch or so further forward on your mat.

Coming to the other side sweep the right arm out to the right for a little twist and exhale thread the needle.

Right arm comes underneath the left arm all the way onto your right shoulder right side of the head.

Relax the right arm.

Thread the needle.

Make sure you feel comfortable here with the head and neck and observe where you feel this twist and stretch.

Hips stay just about over the knees.

Any variation with that left arm or hand that works for you.

Breathe normally here.

Allow that right arm to relax.

And then thoughtfully make sure that left hand is near your head.

On an inhale press into that left hand.

Bring yourself thoughtfully back to table pose.

From here tuck your toes and find a downward dog.

If down dog doesn't work for you you can always find child's pose or you could come into a variation of down dog with your hands on a prop such as blocks or a chair.

Coming into a variation of down dog.

Whatever works for you.

So if you're in down dog maybe finding a little movement,

Pedaling the feet.

Whatever would feel good.

If you're in child's pose relax the shoulders.

Make sure your head is supported.

Take your hips towards your heels.

If you're in down dog you'll take the heels towards the earth.

So whichever variation you've chosen take a few more breaths here.

And if you're in down dog,

Thoughtfully lowering the knees down,

Coming into a child's pose or any position that feels good to you.

And if you are in child's pose,

Thoughtfully maybe bringing yourself back up to a seat.

This is the end of our warm-up.

Feel free to continue your practice with another part of the yoga series or anything else that works for you.

Thank you for joining me today.

I wish you a lovely day.

Namaste.

Reviews

Feel-good stretches. Grateful for the tip to use a block to rest my head for Thread the Needle as it made it much more comfortable.

Hello beautiful 🌼🦋🌼🦋🌼Thank you so much for the wonderful warm up practice ☀️☀️☀️it makes me feeling so relaxed with sunny glimmers 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️Namaste

Wow. That was so lovely. I love your calm voice and gentle invitations. Thank you and namaste

Also Pamela, I havn’t found # 2 & 3 in the 4-part series. I only see #1 & 4. Am I missing it or is it still in the works? Thank you!😊

Excellent routine! Perfect timing! Calm voice!Thank you so much!🙏

Lovely. Beautifully paced. I used this as a taster to see if I would like your Live sessions, will definitely be signing up to one.

Lovely calming voice very enjoyable w

Wonderful for my morning stretch! I appreciate the detailed reminders along the way. I look forward to the next one.

Great start to my yoga practice—fully warmed up! Clear instructions and perfect pace. TY🙏🏼❤️

This a was super helpful with clear instructions that I could manage just by listening

Excellent Thankyou so much 😊🙏

Good, clear instructions. This helped with a low energy spurt in the late afternoon. Thank you & namaste.

Nice! Perfect for getting back into it, especially with my knee issues. Looking forward to more. Than you so much!

fantastic for a sweet outdoor session! thank you! blessed be

I really appreciate your gentle guidance, explanations and making space for all bodies through the movements.