- What's up, party people?
And welcome to Dedicate,

your 30 day yoga journey.

It's Day 23.

And today's practice
invites you to explore

a joyful state.

Hop into something comfy,
and let's get started.

(bright music)

Okay, my friends,
welcome back to your mat.

Benji's here to
welcome you, as well.

We're so glad you're here

and today's practice is
about finding the joy,

the ease, the pleasure.

So I really wanted to
call this day, "Pleasure."

That's the underground
name for this practice.

It is YouTube, so, you know,
we're gonna call it joyful.

Yesterday we explored Sthira,
this steadiness. Right?

This alertness without tension.

Today we're gonna
layer on the good stuff.

The ease, that Sukha.

So, come on down to the ground,
come on down to all fours.

And just want you to
keep that in mind,

even as you come into
this first little posture,

Tabletop Position.

Let your breath
reflect that of Sukha, or ease.

A joyful breath in and out.

Let's admit, sometimes
a breath can be, you know,

hard, to deepen or to
just breathe consciously.

It seems ridiculous
that breathing could be hard.

Sometimes it can
feel rather arduous.

See if you can find a soft,
light, easy breath today.

Benji, come here! (smacks lips)
Come on, bud.

So, as you start to
gently deepen your breath,

you're just gonna
slowly rock the hips.

Tick-tock them a little,
side to side.

Start to bring your
gaze down to the earth

or soften your gaze, and
just land here on your mat.

Breathing deep.

Connecting perhaps
to that audible breath,

that ocean sound.

Awesome, then we'll
bring the hip points

right over the knees and
you're gonna drop the elbows

exactly where the hands were.

And yep, you guessed it, we're
gonna walk the knees back,

finding our Anahatasana,
our Heart to Earth Pose here.

A little Puppy Posture.

Take a second to
notice how you feel

as you stick your
tail up in the air,

rotate through the pelvis,
and invite your heart

to melt down to the earth.

So, being aware of what a
joyful energy state feels like

will take you places,
let me tell ya.

So, find the joy today,
find the Sukha,

the softness, the pleasure.

Option here now to bring
that tick-tock of the hips

back nice and slow.

Listening to the
sound of your breath.

Staying connected
through the hands

and the tops of the feet.

Should feel really yummy.

Do it a couple more times.

Breathe deeply.

Alright, then here we go.

We're gonna carve
a line with the nose,

slowly shift forward,
slide on into home base.

Slide on into home as
you come to a Forearm Plank.

And you're like, "Girl, Forearm
Plank does not feel like home,"

but can we find that?

Can we take that approach?

So finding that Sukha as
you breathe in and out here.

Drawing a low belly in,
hugging the ribs

in toward your spine.

Take a deep breath in here

and then exhale, soft landing.

Slowly lower down.

Slide the hands in
line with the rib cage,

hug the elbows in.

We're gonna do this
with a little breath,

so, little flows.

You're gonna press the pubic
bone down into the earth,

tuck the chin,
inhale, rise up, Baby Cobra.

Then exhale, forehead kisses
the mat, release.

Good, twice more, inhale, find
a little wave of breath here.

We rise and then
it crests and falls.

Start with the
chin tucked into chest.

Last one, inhale, rise.

Exhale, slowly release.

Beautiful,
forehead kisses the mat.

We'll curl the toes under,
press up to all fours.

From here take a deep
breath in, curl the toes under,

walk the hands out
as wide as your mat,

and then peel,
so find a softness,

a pleasure, as you
peel the tailbone up,

changing the
quality of your movement.

Perhaps coming up in a
Downward Dog in a new way,

with a new sensibility,
or at least being open to it.

Beautiful, peddle it out,
head below the heart here,

we breathe a
little bit differently.

Differently, differently.

Alright, doing great.

From here, inhale to
bend the knees, look forward.

Exhale to step
to the top, rag doll.

So, take a nice
wide stance today,

feet hip width apart or
just a little bit wider,

and bend your knees generously,
grab opposite elbow,

and let's love on
the lower back here.

Breathe in deep here,
knees are bent.

Sending some love
to the low back body.

And then you can find a
soft and easy sway here.

Get into it,
find the joy.

And then
we'll come back to center.

Release, moving with the breath.

Inhale, halfway lift,
find length.

And exhale, find a softness
as you bring it back down,

Forward Fold.

Beautiful,
walk the feet in just a bit.

Plant the palms,
step it back to Plank.

So, now, marrying that
steadiness from yesterday

with a little softness,
a little joy.

Breathing in.

Breathing out as you
press away from the yoga mat.

You're here for one more breath.
You're doing awesome.

Deep breath in.

Feel free to lower the
knees here if you like.

We'll hug the elbows in and
lower all the way to the belly.

Beautiful,
fingertips are going to,

sorry,  got excited,

come off the mat here,
we're gonna press

into the tops of the feet.

Hey, buddy!

And here we go.
(laughs) Perfect!

We're gonna draw the
shoulder blades together,

press into the pubic bone,
inhale, tuck the chin.

Move with your
breath like a wave.

Inhale, it cascades
all the way up.

And exhale, it falls.

Twice more, inhale,

we rise up, nice and slow.

Exhale,

riding the wave,
got into it, sorry.

Inhale one more time,
we rise up with the breath.

And exhale, find what feels good

as you release with care.

Bring the hands
underneath the shoulders,

curl the toes under, press up
to all fours or Plank Pose.

Beautiful, Downward Facing Dog.

Find your breath again.

Listen to the wisdom of your
heart here, not your brain.

Beautiful,
draw the low belly in.

Slowly coming through the spine,

back to that Plank Posture,
we got this.

Can also be here in Half Plank.

We're breathing deep.

Toes are as wide
as the hip points,

so I have a nice wide base here.

I'm gonna inhale,
press into the left palm,

come onto the outer
edge of my left foot,

inner arch of my right foot,
reach for the sky,

grab something, then
bring it all the way back.

Come through, Plank, and then
take it to the other side.

Opening up, reach up,
find a softness in the fingers,

then bring it back.
Turning to the left,

inhale, reach for the sky.

Exhale, bring it down.

Turning to the right,
give yourself an image.

Like, picking a piece
of fruit off the tree.

And then say, thank you
and then come back down.

Okay, and to the left,
keep it going.

Alright, and if
you have it in you,

do one more
on each side. You got it.

Tick-tocking back and forth.

Alright, come
back to your Plank.

Inhale then shift forward.
Exhale, lower to your belly

or in my case, Benji's butt,
and then inhale.

Bhujangasana, exhale, release.

Beautiful, from here
press to all fours.

Bring the big
toes together to touch.

Knees as wide as the mat.

Inhale to drop the belly.

Look forward, let your
heart energy radiate forward,

and then exhale to send it
back, Extended Child's Pose.

Melt your heart to the earth,
close your eyes, and breathe.

Inhaling lots of love in.

Exhaling lots of love out.

So our practice, in particular
the Hatha yoga asana practice

teaches us how to
marry effort and ease,

strength and grace,

stability, a firmness,

but not without joy.

On your next breath in,
carve a line with your nose

to look froward,

and then breathe
out as you lift your heart

walk your knees underneath you,
send your legs

to one side, any side,
and come to a seat.

Send your legs out
in front, Dundasana.

So, find that
stick or that staff,

that image in the spine.

Lift your chest.

It's a breezy day, so the
wind is blowing the trees.

And we're in Texas, and the
pecans are dropping on the house

and dropping all around.

If you hear one,
that's what that is.

It's really beautiful.
Texas pecan tree.

Draw your shoulder blades
together, lift your chest.

Inhale in here.

Exhale, lift your
heart even more

as you relax your
shoulders down.

Really active in the body.

And inhale to reach the
fingertips all the way up.

Big beach ball overhead.

Exhale to take the thumbs back,
pinkies forward,

and lift your
heart up towards the sky.

Beautiful, inhale in again.

Exhale, feel free to bend the
knees as much as you need to

as you take that big
beach ball up and over,

draping the belly
toward the tops of the thighs,

sending your heart energy
forward, forward, forward,

forward until we come
into Paschimottanasana.

Seated, extended Forward Fold.

So, part of finding the joy,

I think, is

creating a practice in which

you're able to

make it your own.

See yourself.

Be yourself.

So with the head heavy here,

there's a softness in
the forehead and in the jaw.

We're gonna
pause here and breathe.

And just,

allow that to sink in.

If it doesn't resonate,
that's okay, but

part of finding the joy, for me,

is giving myself permission

to participate

and engage in
activities and practices

that support me

being me. (chuckles)

Authentically me.

So, I'm not wearing
a disguise, or hiding.

But I'm putting
myself in situations

where I can
safely explore who I am

so that I can get strong
and be steady within that,

even on a really
windy day like today.

Take one more
cycle of breath here,

even if you're
ready to come out,

commit to one
more cycle of breath.

Trust that everything
is as it should be,

so that as we together release,

and begin to rise,
rolling up through the spine.

We lift the head,
and maybe, just maybe,

find a little lightness.

A little bit of
pleasure in this moment.

Take any soft, easy
movement that you like here.

Then we'll send
the fingertips forward.

Take a deep breath in,
and on an exhale

you're gonna take your
left hand to your right wrist

or forearm and just
guide it across the body here.

It should feel really
good after all of your Planks

and beautiful conditioning
that we participate in

to get strong,
but also to know thy self.

If this is causing your
lower back to get fussy,

you can just come to a
nice cross-legged seat.

Okay, ready for a
little loopty-loo?

Now you're gonna slide
your right hand to your elbow.

Check it out, bring it
all the way up and around,

and your right hand's gonna
come just to the upper back body

as you feel a nice
stretch now in your tricep

and your shoulder.
Breathe deep.

Again, feel free
to cross the ankles.

Cool, then inhale, reach all
the way up towards the sky,

and exhale to release it down.

Inhale, send the
fingertips forward.

This time, exhale
right hand to the left wrist.

We're gonna take the
left arm across the body.

So, maybe we've done this
stretch in gym a million times.

Maybe not, but maybe.

So what can you bring to
it that feels like yoga?

Yoga, again not
just being the shapes

but this kind of
feeling of oneness,

of support.

And maybe it's just
breathing consciously.

Maybe it's lifting a little
bit up from the pelvic floor

so you're not
cruising in your low back.

Maybe it's just
finally realizing,

"Oh, my gosh, this
is really precious time

"that I'm spending with myself.

"It's gonna influence
all my other relationships

"and all of my other tasks.

"So proud and happy
I'm doing this for myself."

Right hand now, here we go,
little loopty-loo

is gonna come to the left elbow

and then slowly I'm
gonna lift that left elbow

all the way up and over,
left hand comes

to the small of the back
here, and I feel this awesome

stretch in the tricep. Try to
keep lifting your heart here.

We're not here for long.
You're doing great.

Keep breathing.

Again, our daily practice,
not just good

for the physical body
but for our energy state,

energetic state,
for the internal organs.

For our mental health.

Inhale in, reach the
fingertips all the way up.

Exhale, send them forward.

Slowly begin to roll down on
your back, take your time.

If you're wearing a mic pack,
slide it to the side

so you don't hurt your back.

Just kidding, and
then slowly roll down.

When you get there, ah,

just let everything spill out.

Let any stress or
tension just milt, melt.

Not milt, melt. (chuckles)

Take your arms
gently to your side.

Take a deep breath in.

And relax as you breathe out.

Inhale in again, as you exhale
bring the palms to the earth.

On your next inhale,
listen carefully,

you're gonna draw the
right knee all the way in

and across towards your left
shoulder and then around,

outer edge of the
right foot hits the ground

and you release
the weight of your leg

as you extend it out.

Let's go again, lifting
the right knee all the way up

and across, finding
that softness, that ease.

Outer edge of the
right foot comes through.

Little one-legged Baddha
Konasana and we slide down.

Great, let's do one more.
Inhale.

Little hip release,
and then exhale, send it out.

And when you get to full
extension in the right leg,

just tick-tock the right toes
back and forth a couple times.

Awesome, now we'll
repeat on the left side.

Left knee comes across the
body towards the right shoulder

and then around
and out and down.

Inhaling, comes up
across the body and around.

Outer edge of your
left foot kisses the earth

so you can find release here.
Release, release, release.

And then down,
and one more time.

And when you find
full extension in the leg,

just tick-tock the left toes
mindfully back and forth.

It should feel really
yummy in that hip socket.

Lot of tick-tocking
in this practice.

It's time for joy.

More joy.

This video's
sponsored by Ke$ha.

No, I'm just kidding,
okay, here we go, release.

You're gonna open the palms.

Let's take one more
final breath in here together.

Close your eyes for this one.

Lean in, go inward.
Inhale, lots of love in.

And exhale, lots of love out.

Thank you so much
for sharing your time

and your energy with me
and all the beautiful people

practicing around the world,

working to spend more
quality time with ourselves

so that we can be the
best versions of ourselves

that we already are.

So that we can uncover who that
is and what that feels like

so we can be good to each other.

You rock! Here we go,
bring the palms together,

thumbs up to third eye.

Take one final breath in.

And a long breath out.

And we'll whisper,

Namaste.

(bright music)