Yin Yoga For Upper Body And Hamstrings (1 Hour Class)

A passive practice where you need to relax and remain in the postures for anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes, targeting deep connective tissues, including the fascia.

Props: Wall/Chair, Blocks/Books, Pillows, and a Blanket

Yin Sequence: Standing Forward Fold, Seated Broken Wings, Cobra Pose Variation, Scorpion Twist, Half Splits, Toe Squat with Reverse Prayer Hands, Staff Pose with Eagle Arms, Revolved Head to Knee Pose, Bridge Pose with Support, Waterfall Pose.

Enjoy!

Transcript

Hello everyone,

My name is Silvia from Yoga Aranjani and welcome to this Zen Yoga class for the upper body.

Just keep in mind that this is recorded from a previous live class,

So if you have difficulties in following the class,

Please send me a message and I will send to you the pdf with all the poses that we are going to do today.

So let's get started.

Today's class is going to be about the upper body,

But we are also going to work on hamstrings and legs just a little bit.

For the ones that are new to gym yoga and to my class,

My name is Silvia.

I'm right now in Dubai,

It's 8 p.

M here,

And I'm going to tell you just to remind you the three principles that we follow in gym.

First of all,

In gym we try to breathe using ujjayi breath.

Normally ujjayi breath is only used in the nose,

But in gym we can also exhale using the mouth.

And we try to do this sound like the waves of the ocean,

Closing the back of the throat.

I will explain you later.

The first principle that we follow is to find your aid once you go first into the pose,

Because we are going to hold the poses for a long period of time,

So you are going to be able to go deeper after if you want.

The second one is to be still,

Try to not move,

To let the muscles relax.

Of course you can move if you need to,

If you have pain and you need to come out of the pose,

And if you want to go deeper.

And the third principle that we follow is to hold the pose for the same period of time.

Don't worry if at the beginning you can't stay with me at the end,

That's fine,

But try to remind to remind the time that you achieve,

And next time do it the same or even longer,

But never less than the first time.

So let's start.

For today's class you are going to need two blocks and maybe two books if you don't have blocks.

I have one bed pillow and one sofa pillow.

You can have two bed pillows or whatever you have close to you,

And a blanket maybe to paddle the knees.

Okay,

So we go to the mat and we are starting in a comfortable seated position with your hands on your knees,

Your thumb and your index finger touching.

Relax your shoulders back and down and close your eyes.

We try to have the shoulders just above the hips.

To do this maybe you need to lean backwards a little bit.

Try to relax the muscles of your face,

Your shoulders away from your ears,

And let your knees drop towards the floor.

Feel your sitting bones touching the floor,

Feel yourself grounded,

And start to turn in inwards.

Take a deep breath in through the nose,

Exhale through the nose or maybe the mouth.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Deep inhale,

Exhale,

Exhale.

And now let's try this ujjayi breath,

Breathing with sound.

We are going to inhale through the nose and then when we exhale we are going to close the back of the throat just a little bit,

Doing this high synth sound like the waves of the ocean.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Inhale,

Exhale.

And during the practice we are going to do the exhalation longer than the inhalation to activate our parasynthetic nervous system and this way allow our muscles to relax a little bit more and target the connective tissue of our body.

A few more breaths.

When you exhale,

Put your hands in front of your chest together and we are going to start the class singing one time om.

You are welcome to join me or maybe you just want to listen,

That's fine.

Inhale,

Om.

Exhale,

Release your hands on your knees and try to feel the vibration of the om sound inside your body,

Preparing yourself for the practice.

Open your eyes,

Look to the floor or maybe you want to keep your eyes closed,

That's fine.

We are going to start doing some neck rolls,

Really really slow.

If doing the full circle is too much for you,

You can always do half looking up and then the other half looking down.

You can change directions anytime you need to.

I just want you to bring some movement to your neck and maybe if you feel tension,

Stop and breathe,

Trying to release the tension that you may have.

And again,

Continue the movement until maybe you find another tension point.

Stop and breathe.

Remember to keep breathing with every breath.

And slowly come back to the center.

Put your right ear towards your right shoulder and your left fingertips on the floor by your hips.

You can stay there or maybe if you want to go a little bit deeper,

Rest your right hand on the top of your head but don't press down,

Just rest your hand on your head.

Feel the stretch on your neck.

First try to have your chin up and maybe after a few breaths,

Chin down.

Inhale,

Come back to the center.

Let's do the other side.

Left ear towards your left shoulder,

Right fingertips on the floor and maybe left hand on the top of your head.

Chin up,

A few breaths and then chin down,

Chin towards your armpit.

Inhale,

Come back to the center.

Exhale,

Inhale,

Hands up above your head,

Arms together.

Exhale,

Put your left hand on your right knee,

Other hand behind your back,

Doing a nice twist.

Inhale,

Lengthen the spine.

Exhale,

Twist a little bit more.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Go deeper.

One more,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Inhale,

Hands up together.

Exhale,

Right hand on your left knee.

Inhale,

Lengthen the spine.

Exhale,

Twist.

Look above your left shoulder.

Inhale,

Lengthen.

Exhale,

Go deeper.

One more,

Inhale and exhale.

Inhale,

Come with your hands up and exhale,

Interlace your fingers behind your back.

Keep the heels of the palms together even if you need to bend your elbows a little bit.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then start raising your arms up as much as you can.

Keep your chin down to release your neck.

Inhale,

Higher,

Exhale.

Inhale,

Go higher,

Squeeze your shoulder blades.

Exhale,

One more,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Then release.

And now put your hands behind your head,

Interlace your fingers and same as we did before,

Don't go down,

Just rest your hands there.

Tilt towards your chest.

Maybe you want to round your back.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Round your back just a little bit more.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Last one,

Inhale,

Inhale,

Come up.

And then let's start with our first yin pose.

I didn't mention it before but maybe you need a wall or a chair.

If you are close to a wall you don't need the wall for this one but it's always nice.

If you have the wall you are going to put your glutes on the wall and your feet one hand away from the wall.

Bend your legs and start bending forward.

Bend your knees as much as you need to and maybe grab opposite elbows and stay and stay here.

This is to work on the hamstrings and the flexion of the spine.

If you have lower back problems you don't want to round your back so maybe use a chair and keep your back straight or maybe use two blocks.

We are going to hold it for four minutes so make yourself comfortable and relax your neck and keep breathing through the nose.

With a breath,

Breathe in with sound.

Feel the stretch on the back of your legs.

If you want to work also on this one on your shoulders you can interlace your fingers behind your back and then try to reach the floor with your hands.

But it's going to be more intense so be careful with this.

If you feel your mind is wandering just come back to your breath and to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation calm your mind.

One minute left,

Almost there.

Three more deep breaths.

We do it together.

Inhale through the nose,

Exhale with sound.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Last one.

Inhale and exhale.

Inhale,

Release your hands on the floor and from here let's do a squat.

Your hands together in front of your chest and your elbows inside your legs maybe pushing your knees away each other.

If this is too much for you,

You can always sit down on a block and if your heels are not touching the floor that's fine.

Maybe put a towel or a blanket under your heels.

You hold this one just for a few more breaths and then you can stay here or you can sit down on a block.

You're going to put your hands on your back,

The back of your hands on your back and then put your elbows inside your legs.

You can also do this on the floor and feel the stretch in your shoulders.

Also a nice one for your wrist.

If this is too much for your wrist you can do it one arm at a time and grab your elbow with the opposite hand instead of putting the arm inside your legs.

And you can also,

If it's too much for your hips,

You can also cross your legs.

If you do first one arm and then the other one I will tell you when you need to change.

Look down to release your neck.

If you want more intensity then press your knees towards each other trying to close the gap between your elbows.

Change your side if you were doing first one and then the other one.

Just one more minute left.

Two more deep breaths.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Inhale,

Exhale and slowly release.

For the next pose I'm going to give you three options.

The first one is the easiest,

The last one is the more deep.

The first option is in child pose with your hands in front of you.

You can have your hands on the floor,

Maybe blocks or books under your hands or maybe you have a chair close by or a wall with your hands up on the chair or the wall.

Option two,

In puppy pose with your hips above your knees and your hands in front of you 90 degrees in the chair or in the wall and then your chest towards the floor.

This is also a good option if you have lower back problems to keep your spine straight.

And option three,

You are going to lie down on your belly and you're going to start walking up with your hands on the chair or on the wall and then look down to release your neck.

You can also put a block under your head if you want and the closer you are to the wall or to the chair,

The deeper the stretch is.

Focusing on opening the shoulders and the upper back and try to relax your legs.

You don't need to feel your lower back in this pose,

So if you feel pain in your lower back,

Go away of the wall or the chair.

One more minute.

If you feel a tingling sensation on your hands,

Maybe put your hands away from each other or come out of the pose.

One more deep breath and slowly come out of the pose.

Lie down on your belly and rest your ear on the floor with your arms by your sides.

Open your arms perpendicular to your body,

Making a T-shape and then with your left hand close to your chest,

Push the floor away and turn around the right side of your body,

Keeping your right arm straight.

You can keep your legs together and bend your legs to make it easier or put the left foot behind your right leg.

Rest your head on the floor or maybe on a block and you can keep your left hand on the floor,

Option one.

Option two,

The arm towards the ceiling.

Option three,

Left arm behind your back or maybe interlace your fingers,

Hands together.

In this pose we are targeting the neck,

The shoulders,

Arms but also the hips and the lower back.

30 more seconds.

Keep breathing through the nose,

Making the exhalation longer than the inhalation and then slowly come back to your belly and let's do the other side.

Extend your left arm perpendicular to your body and with your right hand push the floor away and turn around your body.

Your left side,

Keep your legs together and bend or maybe right foot behind your left leg,

Right arm on the floor or maybe up towards the ceiling,

Maybe right hand behind your back or maybe interlace your fingers.

Deep breath,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Inhale and exhale.

Come back to your belly,

Grab opposite elbows and rest your forehead on your forearms.

Slowly put your hands by your chest,

Leave your hips and come to all four,

Hands and knees.

You're going to put your right foot between your hands and then try to stand your right leg half split.

Keep your left hip above your left knee,

Hands on the floor in the same line of your heel or maybe help yourself with two blocks or books and keep your right foot flexed.

Keep your spine straight,

Run around your back,

Project your chest towards your toes and we hold it for two minutes.

Try to square your hips and the right femur goes back towards the socket of the hip.

Look down to release the neck.

Always try to have the neck in the same line of the spine.

If you feel pain on your back knee,

Put the blanket under your left knee.

Deep breath,

Inhale,

Exhale with sound.

Slowly inhale,

Come back to tabletop and exhale with change the side.

Left foot between your hands,

Extend your left leg,

Flex your left foot,

Hands on the floor or maybe hands on the blocks.

Try to have your right hip just above your right knee and open your chest just towards your toes.

Keep your left leg a little bit back to put the femur on the socket of the hip,

Making the exhalation longer than the inhalation.

Aware of the sound of your breath,

Movement of your chest.

Try to be present,

Try to be aware of everything that is happening in your body.

Where do you feel the stress,

How is your breath?

Notice if your mind is wandering.

A deep breath in and exhale,

Making sound and slowly come back to tabletop position.

Tuck your toes under and then we are going to sit down on the heels.

Keep your feet together,

Your knees together and you're going to try to keep the contact with the floor with the ball of your toes.

Sit down on your heels,

Hands in prayer behind your back.

You should be pretty open on your shoulders now but if this is not accessible for you,

You can grab opposite elbows.

If you feel too much pressure on your toes,

Try to lean forward to release the weight or you can put a block or a pillow under your knees.

Use one minute for this one because it's pretty intense.

Use two more breaths.

Almost there,

Inhale,

Exhale.

Then to come out of the pose,

Release your hands,

Put your hands on the floor and then sit down and extend your legs in front of you.

Keep your legs hip-width apart and bend your knees as much as you need to.

Maybe you're going to need a block for this one,

A block or book.

Put it in between your legs and then we are going to do eagle legs.

Your right hand under your left one,

Double cross your hands and palms together.

If you cannot put your put your palms together,

That's fine.

Wrap your forearm or maybe your hands to your shoulder base and from here you are going to bend forward and rest your elbows on the block or maybe no block and rest your elbows on the floor.

If you have lower back problems,

You're going to do the same but don't fall forward,

Stay up keeping your elbows in the same line of your shoulders and your hands away from your face.

So I don't want you to do this,

I want you to do this.

Hands away from your face,

Elbows in the same line of the shoulders.

Feeling how your shoulder blades are away from each other.

If you want to make yourself more comfortable you can also sit down on a pillow to keep this antiversion of the pelvis.

Try to relax your legs.

Come up if you are down,

Change the cross of your arms.

Now the left one is under the right one,

Double cross,

Arms together or maybe hands on your shoulder blades and exhale again.

Fall forward.

One more minute.

Inhale through the nose,

When you exhale uncross your arms,

Come up,

Remove the blocks and then open your legs wide.

You are going to bend your right leg and put the right sole of the feet towards the left thigh.

Maybe you need a block for this one or a pillow.

You can put your left elbow on the floor and maybe rest your head on your hand.

Right hand above your ear or maybe right hand behind your back or maybe right hand on your head,

Sorry,

Or maybe right hand behind your back.

If you cannot touch the floor with your elbow,

Put a block under your elbow.

Do the same.

Try to open the chest towards the ceiling and feel the stretch in the right side of your body,

Also in your left hamstring,

Groin.

Try to relax your left leg.

Inhale,

Come up and let's do the other side.

Stand on both legs and then bend your left one,

Put the sole of the foot towards your right thigh and then exhale.

Right elbow on the floor or maybe on the block,

Left arm above your ear or maybe left hand on your head,

Maybe left hand behind your back.

Try to have your chest towards the ceiling,

Opening the chest,

Feeling the stretch in the left side of your body.

Relax your right leg.

Inhale,

Come up.

Straighten your left right leg slowly and plant your feet in front of you.

Put your hands on the floor behind your back and slowly move your legs from side to side just to do some internal rotation.

Counter pose.

For our last pose you're going to need two blocks or books or maybe a pillow.

I'm going to start with the pillow.

Big pillow is better.

Lay down on your back and put the pillow under your sacrum.

If you have two pillows and you want to try with two pillows,

Go ahead.

The higher the more intense is the pose.

You can stay here with your legs bent and just relax or maybe extend your legs and feel the stretch in your hip flexors and in your sacrum.

With the blocks it's going to be a little bit more intense.

I like to have two blocks together and put them under your sacrum,

Not the lower back.

Use the sitting bones.

Keep your legs bent or maybe extend.

If you have lower back problems or maybe sacroiliac joint problems,

Don't do this one.

Just lay down on the floor.

You can do the same with legs bent but no blocks or pillows under your sacrum.

Your arms by your side or maybe arms above your head.

One more minute.

Now slowly start bending your legs,

Your feet on the floor and then rise your legs up 90 degrees,

Keeping your blocks or pillows under your sacrum.

A little bit of counter pose.

If you don't have the blocks or the pillow under the sacrum,

Do the same with your back flat on the floor.

Just for a few breaths and slowly go down with your legs,

Put the feet on the floor,

Lift your hips,

Remove the props and slowly lie down completely for Savasana,

Resting pose.

Keep your legs open,

Mat wide apart,

Your hands with your palms facing up towards the ceiling and your shoulder blades resting on the floor.

Breathe normally,

Don't control your breath anymore.

Feel your body heavy,

Feel the gravity in every muscle of your body.

Your mind is calm,

Just focusing on your breath and your body is relaxed.

Take a deep breath in through the nose and when you exhale start bringing some movement to your fingers,

Your toes,

Move your feet,

Your hands,

Your legs and your arms and maybe stretch yourself.

Bend your legs and lie down to the left side of your body.

Keep your knees close to your chest in fetal position whenever you're ready,

Keeping your eyes closed.

Go to a comfortable seated position,

Rest your hands on your knees,

Thumb and index finger touching,

Keep your spine long,

Your shoulders away from your ears and shoulders above your hips.

Relax the muscles of your face,

Relax your tongue,

Your jaw and just take a moment here to feel the effects of the practice in your mind and in your body.

Bring an inner smile to yourself and slowly put your hands together in front of your chest.

We are going to finish the class singing one time Om,

Three times Shanti.

You're welcome to join.

Inhale.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I hope you enjoyed the class as much as I did and maybe you feel your upper body a little bit more open than before.

Have a good day.

Namaste.

Reviews

Great class, feeling very relaxed now. Thank you 🧡