- Hi everyone and
welcome to Dedicate,

your 30 day yoga journey.

I'm Adriene and this is
Benji and it's Day 3,

Observe.

Let's get started.

(bright music)

Okey doke, my friends.
Welcome back.

Let's begin in a
nice comfortable seat.

Come on down to the ground.

Take your time.

Take a second as you
get settled in here to

just notice how you
feel and why not?

Let's sprinkle a little

or a lot of gratitude
in this moment.

First, for yourself
for showing up here today.

And then also just, you know,
expanding that ripple effect.

Just thinking about all of the
people around the world that are

here actually
truly in this moment,

in another place, but in this
moment with you supporting

you in your practice.

So there's a gratitude for
yourself for showing up and

there a gratitude for those
who are supporting you

and you are supporting
them just by being here.

So there's this essence
that we're all connected.

Cool. And then as you're
ready we're going to

place the hands
gently on the knees.

And you, my friend, get
to decide what feels best.

Palms face up.

Are you kind of craving a
little softness right away?

An opening, a surrender?

A "I'm ready for
my yoga practice.

"Let's move it
out smooth it out."

Or do you need a
little more grounding?

Do you need to
connect a little downward?

Do we need to kind of land in
this moment because maybe off

the mat things have
been a little chaotic.

And we're not really judging
whether it's up or down or you

can do one up and one down.

No judgment, we're just
observing how we feel as we

settle in for today's session.

So find what feels good here,
palms face up or down.

Sit up nice and tall.

Head over heart,
heart over pelvis.

Find a deep breath
in as you breathe

into all four
sides of the torso.

See if you can find
something new with this

big expansion
of an inhale today.

So you can just open your mind
so you you can find something

new that maybe you
haven't experienced yet.

And relaxing the shoulders
down as you breathe out.

Just kind of spiraling in
towards this moment allowing

whatever has gone
on previously today,

whether it's morning for
you or afternoon or evening.

Allowing that to

wash away so that
you can arrive here

in the present moment.

And same goes for
whatever is to come.

Whatever is on your to-do list
or whatever is in the future,

can we allow ourselves
this time and space

to be present?

Can we really dedicate our
focus to what's happening

not in the future or
not to what has happened

but right here, right now?

And please remember
that is a practice.

It's not something we go.

"Okay, cool, Adriene
thanks for the reminder.

"I'm doing that."

It's an intention.

It's the time and the
attention you dedicate

to being present
that matters most.

I always find, you know, like
transformation and change it

comes whenever you're ready for
that transformation or change.

You can't make it happen.
(chuckles)

So I think daily yoga, this
practice that you have embarked

on, is so valuable, so
beneficial in practicing.

Being present.

Presence.

When it feels right, and maybe
you have already done this,

you can allow the
eyelids to soften or close.

And sit up a little taller.

Relax the shoulders
as you breathe out.

And then I'd like to invite you
to just tuck the chin slightly a

bit of a reverent bow
here as we consider our theme.

The focus of today's practice.

The food for thought.

What does it mean

to reside in
the role of the observer

on your mat?

And what can that practice

show us,

reveal, lead us to?

And we don't have
to have the answer.

We're just asking the question.

At the very least, you're taking
some on some valuable time here

in a moment to just slow down.

To turn inward.

Again, a bit of a reverent bow
as you took your chin and just

feel that broadening
through the back of your neck.

Should feel really good.

And then begin to
gently deepen your breath.

Seeing if you can
elongate the inhalations

and extend the exhalations.

And the invitation is out,
it's written.

It's handwritten.
It's not even email.

It's handwritten with love

and the invitation
is to see if you can

allow yourself
to become the observer.

And as we allow ourselves to
become the observer inevitably

we also realize that
we are both the observer

and the one being observed.

So you'll fluctuate
between those two roles.

But I invite you to
just keep that in mind as

we move on the mat today.

As you're ready,
bring the hands to the heart

gently bow the head.

Mind intelligence

to the body intelligence.

Sweet, inhale in.

Exhale, slowly release,
open the eyes,

fingertips come to the earth.

What's up observer?

Here we go.
Inhale, halfway lift.

Fingertips out left to right.

With your breath, sync it up.

Exhale, palms come together.

Anjuli Mudra at the heart.

Now you might practice today
retaining the breath here

as you reach behind.
Bring the palms together.

Chin to chest and then
inhale reach for the sky.

All the way up.

Exhale, float it down.

Wiggle the fingertips.

Twice more. Inhale,
fingertips left or right.

With the sound of your breath,
exhale, reel it in.

Maybe pause retain the breath
as you drop chin to chest.

Can't really talk
and retain my breath.

Bring the hands behind.

Good and then inhale reach
all the way up towards the sky.

Exhale float it down.

Once more, just with the breath.
Here we go.

Chin to chest, reach behind.

And exhale to release.

Little bit of a change today.

Inhale, reach the right arm up.

Exhale right arm to left knee.

Left fingertips swim behind.

Gentle twist here.

Inhale to lift the chest.

(clears throat) Excuse me.

Exhale to gently look
over your left shoulder.

Imagine someone's
kissing you softly

on your neck here
on the right side.

And then all the way
back to center, you melt.

And then we'll inhale
reach the left arm up high.

Big stretch.

Exhale, left palm
to the right knee.

Right fingertips swim behind
and I say swim because we're

integrating, right,
at each moment,

connecting the dots and
then inhale to lift the chest.

Exhale, gentle
twist to your right.

See what happens
if you look past

your right shoulder
but don't crank.

That's why I love the
image of getting a little kiss.

A little soft kiss on the neck.

And don't you worry
about who's kissing you.

It can just be your angels.

Just a little kiss reminding
you that you're worthy of love

and that you're loved.

Alright, bring
it back to center.

Let's take it all the
way through onto all fours.

Tabletop Position.

Move mindfully.

Pay attention.

How you move matters.

From your Tabletop
Position right into Cat-Cow.

Inhale, drop the belly,
open the chest.

With your breath exhale,
round through.

Chin to chest.

Find that audible breath here.

Inhale, drop the belly,
open your heart.

Exhale round through.

Claw through the fingertips.

Chin to chest.

Now a couple rounds on your own.

Recognizing,
noticing how you feel.

Establishing that connection
that relationship to your

foundation physically
so alignment based

but also energetically.

Awesome, then start to
bump the hips left to right.

Find what feels good today.

Checking in with your body
again physically but also just

noticing your energy level.

And then take this little dance,
whatever it is you've cultivated

here and make your way to
Downward Dog in your own time.

And then checking in
here with your foundation.

Same thing recognizing
how this feels.

And then bend
the knees generously,

inhale, look forward
and exhale, step.

Hop to step.

Grapevine any which way you
like all the way to the top.

So really make it your own.

And then we'll
meet in a Forward Fold.

Feet hip width apart
or flush together today.

Just nice conscious
footing so taking stock

but really noticing
your patterns.

So if you tend to
practice with the feet together,

maybe today you take
them hip width apart.

And, now back to the breath.

Observing your breath.

And then allowing a big
inhale to lift you up halfway,

your version just
to find some length

in the spine, in the neck.

Remember, the neck is
an extension of the spine.

And then use an exhale to
fold and then take your time.

Take your time as you
slowly roll up to Mountain.

Enjoy this move.

Take your time.

Slowly stacking
up through the spine.

Grounding through the feet.

Mountain Pose.

Now here today I invite
you to take what you need,

anything at all,
but just ask yourself,

"Do I need that?"
Like, "Do I need to fidget?"

"Do I need," and if you do,
this is your practice,

particularly your home practice.

You know, do what you like.

But just be aware, observe.

Like, "Am I kind
of going into some

"nervous fidgeting patterns?"

I'm not saying you are just
something that you can continue

to look out
throughout our journey.

And there's no shame.

Like if you got you know fix
your pantaloons, you know,

move your hair, that's fine.

But just keep asking yourself,
"Do I really need that?"

Each time you come to
Tadasana, Mountain Pose,

it's a great opportunity to
check in with those moments.

Just kind of like your patterns,
the moments in-between, right?

The space in-between because
the space in-between is when the

magic really happens. Right?

I love Yo-Yo Ma talks about them
the moment in-between the notes.

Maybe I'll include something
about that in the email.

So hopefully you're here and
if you did do a lot of stuff,

awesome, power to you.

That's just about awareness and
it's my job to just keep asking

questions and inviting
you to go a little deeper.

So at the very least though

we're grounding
through the feet.

We're drawing in towards center

a little bit by drawing
the navel in and up.

And then I'd like for you to
consider this lift of energy

through the front body and
then it's kind of like a loop

it goes down the back body.

And again, this is a lot of
what Hatha yoga is all about.

Sun energy,
Moon energy coming together.

Masculine, feminine,
light, dark.

Up, down.

What goes up must go down.

After we expand,
what comes after that?

Contract, so it's
a really nice way

to balance out
your energetic body

but if that's not
something that resonates for

you, I mean, this is
stuff that we learn

in strength training too.

We're learning to create a brace
for the body so it can work in

the best capacity,
in most functional way.

So there's a lot to
chew on here. (laughs)

But I want to kind of start to
introduce these things so that

once we start to build a
vocabulary you already have

them maybe living inside.

Okay, let's draw
the hands to the heart.

Take a deep breath in and lift
the sternum to the thumbs and

just play with that lifting
up through the front body.

Some of you have heard
me say this a million times,

I'm gonna do it anyway.

You can kind of give yourself
the image of like Kate Winslet

at the front of the boat.
It's like my heart will go on.

Your heart's
lifting, lifting, lifting.

Your energetic
body is just at the top.

Celine Dion singing
at the top of her lungs.

And then the back body we
balance that out by

grounding wherever we can.

Shoulder blades hug in
and slide down the back body.

You might tug a little
weight in your elbows down.

We dig into the heels.

And then now a big gust of wind
could come through the room

and you would be centered.

You'd balance the
up and down energy.

You have that connection
or you're working toward it.

Finding center.
Take one breath here.

Use your exhale to
relax the shoulders

and then let's let it go.
Fingertips go down.

We inhale reach
for the sky to come up.

Big beach ball up and overhead.

Big beach ball.

Exhale, you're
gonna bend your knees.

Right fingertips
are gonna go forward,

left fingertips
are going to go back.

Open twist to the left.

'Kay, keep the loop
of energy up and down

through the front
and back buddy.

Here we go, inhale.

Reach it back up through center.

Exhale, bend your knees.

Big open twist to the right.

Right fingertips back,
left fingertips forward,

breathe.

Awesome, come back to center.

Inhale to reach it up.

Wiggle the fingertips
as you bend the knees,

rain it down.

Inhale, halfway lift.

Find length in the neck.

Reach through the crown.

And exhale to soften
everything and Forward Fold.

Awesome work. You're gonna bend
the knees, plant the palms here,

step the right toes back,
step the left toes back.

I'm gonna give you a
break on the Planks today

so come all
the way to the belly.

Awesome, press into
the tops of the feet.

Squeeze the elbows
into the side body.

Inhale, tuck the chin,
unfurl or on curl

as you inhale, Baby Cobra.

Exhale, forehead kisses the mat.

Twice more, inhale.

Rolling up slowly.

Exhale to release.

On the third one,
listen carefully.

Press into your foundation.

Inhale, roll up.

And then when you feel like
you've hit a nice place where

you're not muscling
through the arms,

you're going to lift
the palms all the way up.

Breathe.

Strengthening the
back body mindfully.

You shouldn't be clenching
or holding or in pain here.

If you are, just
come down a little bit.

Awesome, inhale.

Lift your figurative heart space
up between your shoulder blades

just a little high rise and
then catch a wave and fall.

Great. Forehead to the mat.

Great work.

Curl the toes and lift the
kneecaps, tone the quads.

Here you go.
Inhale in. Big transition.

Exhale, press up
to Plank or all fours.

Inhale, and again, exhale,
Downward Facing Dog.

Awesome work.

Pedal it out here.

Find a little
more depth of breath.

Whatever that means to you.

Spiraling back to your heart's
song listening to your breath is

a practice of listening to the
wisdom of the heart. Right?

Instead of your brain.

So if that's not motivation
to breathe and listen to your

breath I don't know what is.

It's what I love about it.

It's like we talked
about it and Discern.

It's like we're recognizing why.

We're not just breathing
deep in yoga because

that's what you're doing yoga. 
But why?

What's the connection?

And from that little
conversation comes I think the

real benefits which
are unique to everyone.

Okay, ground
through the left heel.

Here we go, inhale.
Lift the right leg up high.

Dial the right toes down.
You got this. Baby pulses.

Right heel just baby
pulses up towards the sky.

Claw through the fingertips.

If this is too
much for your body,

gently come down on to
your left knee and do it here.

Now coming back to
the role of the observer.

What's going on in your face?

What's going on
with your breath?

Can we maintain shoulder
stability by drawing

the upper arm bones out?
Biceps towards the face.

Baby pulses for three, two, one.

Awesome way to get strong.

Squeeze the right
knee all the way up and in.

We're going to come off those
wrists by bringing the right

foot forward,
pivoting on the back.

Front knee over front ankle.

So front knee is bent and we're
gonna roll it up and as you roll

up, keep the left
inner thigh engaged.

Yes, so much energy and
power when we really connect

to that which we already have.

Hands can come to the waistline
if you're feeling a little off

balance today otherwise
take the arms all the way up.

Warrior I.

Big breath in, inhale.

Exhale, Warrior II.
You got this.

Widen your
stance if you need to.

Find that loop of energy.

Lifting up through
the front body,

grounding through the back body.

Here we go, inhale in.

This time exhale, we're
gonna bend the right elbow.

Slowly bring it to the
top of the right thigh.

Then take your left hand to your
right rib cage and you're gonna

imagine you're
smearing some honey

or some delicious substance.

Hey-o, first
Hey-o of the series.

Okay, so smooth
you're delicious (laughs).

Let's stick to the honey.

But then there's
the issue of the bees.

Okay, but let's
smooth something.

Just an image,
all across the belly.

Hopefully this will
help you remember this.

This spiral, all the way up.

So heart's working to
spiral up towards the sky

without collapsing
in the right shoulder,

right neckline so
keep it nice and long.

Charge, engage your left inner
thigh and then find that loop.

Extended Side Angle.

So wonderful for
connecting with Dunda.

Creating a healthy
flow of energy that runs

up and down the spine.

Strengthening the
glutes while opening the hips.

You can stay here or inhale,

send your left
fingertips to the sky.

If you want a little more,
just a little more heat,

you might try sending
your right fingertips

all the way down to the earth.

Breathe into your belly,
strong legs,

open your heart
for one more breath.

Big inhale.

Exhale, take your
left fingertips down,

pass through your heart
space all the way through.

We're going to
pivot on the back foot.

We're gonna open
up the right foot just a bit

so take a nice wide stance.

And then you guessed it,
big open twist to your right.

Reach right
fingertips to the sky.

Breathe into the belly.
Reach back with your left heel.

You got it.
One more breath.

Wiggle the right fingertips.

Exhale bring it
all the way down.

Plant the palms,
step the right toes back,

Plank or Half Plank.

Lets get out of here,
I promised.

Inhale, look forward exhale
slowly lower to the belly.

Inhale, Baby Cobra.

Inhale, lift up.

Exhale, soften and bow.

Curl the toes under.
Lift the knee caps.

Here you go, inhale.

Exhale press up to
Half Plank or Plank.

Inhale, and again, exhale,
Downward Dog.

Observe your breath.

Spread the fingers wide.

Anchor through the right heel.

Here we go with the breath.

Inhale, lift the left leg up
high, Three-Legged Dog.

So hugging,
connecting to that foundation.

Hugging to the midline.

So we're not collapsing in
the right side of the body.

We're clawing
through the fingertips to

take pressure out of the wrists.

And then dial the left
toes down, baby pulses.

You got this.

Building in moments of challenge
so that you can practice.

How do I treat myself?

How do I react in moments

of challenging, heated moments?

Can I stay calm?
Present?

Can I reside in the role
of the observer as I grow?

You're doing great.
You're here for three, two, one.

Here we go. Nice work.

Squeeze the left knee
all the way up and in.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze and
then step it all the way up.

Nice low lunge.
We'll come off the wrists.

Here we go,
pivoting on the back foot.

Front the over front ankle.

Particularly if you've been
practicing for a long time,

you have an opportunity here to
create the strongest base

for Warriors that ever existed.

No, (chuckles) that maybe you've
ever done before by rolling up

you can really
ground to the feet.

You can imagine drawing your
feet into center as you keep

that front knee
over the front ankle,

also building stability
in the knee this way,

and roll up through the spine.

Yes.

Hands come to the waistline,
if you need.

If you like I should say.

Or fingertips
reach up to the sky.

Now as you bring
the fingertips up,

you have to claw through the
outer edge of that back foot.

Everything
working together as one.

Negotiating.

Beautiful, inhale in.

Maybe looking up.

And then exhale,
Warrior II, opening out.

Find that loop of energy.

Staying with your
breath returning to the breath.

Head over heart,
heart over pelvis.

So mindful.
So beautiful. So caring.

Take one more breath.

Exhale, bend your left elbow.

Bring it to the
top of the left thigh.

Left hip crease pulls back just
a bit as you claw through the

outer edge of your back foot so
you can create some space here

and then take the right hand
to your left rib

and schmear.

Find something to smooth
across your rib cage (laughs).

I think I'm going to get in
trouble for this one but smear

some beautiful (chuckles)

honey and open your
chest up towards the sky.

So this is big and if you're new
to the practice you're going to

get very far so
be patient, be kind,

and that's why this
power of touch goes a long way.

Just kind of
opening, opening, opening.

Keep the right
inner thigh engaged.

Super important.

Tailbone reaching
down, down, down.

Heart lifting up. That loop.

Then I'm not collapsed in the
neck here or the shoulder

so I can take my right
fingertips up towards the sky.

Take your time.
Move with your breath.

Beautiful, beautiful.

Remember, creating a
100% full body experience,

not moving parts.

Working one body
part of your time.

But working
with the body as one.

If you want take in the left
fingertips all the way down.

This will challenge your breath

so you will breathe
down into the belly.

Slow and with control.

Good, then inhale in again.

Use your exhale to take
your right hand through

close to your heart space.

Bring it all the way
down to the ground with care.

You're going to pivot
on your back foot,

walk the left foot
out just a bit.

Just to give
yourself a wider base.

Then right hand to
the earth and here you go,

big open twist to the left.

Oh, yeah.

Back knee can be
lowered if you need.

Breathe into your belly.

Imagine there's a little bell
up there and you're gonna reach,

reach, reach and try to ring
the bell with your fingers.

So wiggle
your fingertips, inhale.

And then exhale, bring
it all the way back down.

Awesome work.
Plant the palms. Step it back.

You're gonna go straight to
Downward Dog here

and just pedal it out.

Deep breath in through the nose.

Long breath out
through the nose or mouth.

One more just like that.

Big inhale in
through the nostrils.

And then long exhale
to let something go.

Awesome. From here you're going

to step to the
center of your mat,

just the center of your mat.

Feet hip-width
apart or flush together,

doesn't matter to me.
Just nice conscious footing,

toes pointing forward.

As you're ready, inhale,
let's take it up halfway.

Nice flat back position,
long neck.

And then exhale to
soften and release.

Root to rise here.

Send the fingertips
forward as you inhale,

reach up and back.

Maybe slight back bend here as
you lift your heart to the sky

and then exhale hands to heart,
Mountain Pose.

Take what you need here.

Leave what you don't.

Close your eyes.
Observe your breath.

Then gently open your eyes.

Keep your chin lifted and
without looking down, okay?

So you know you're gonna take
your eyeballs and you're gonna

put them on the
soles of your feet. Right?

And you're just gonna pop them
down there and you can look at

the video if you like
but try not to look down.

You're gonna put your eyeballs
on the soles of your feet.

As Mr. Shakespeare once wrote,
"See feelingly."

You don't need to look down.
Draw the feet together.

No need to look down.

If you did look down,
no worries.

This is a learning experience.
It's beautiful.

Isn't it so cool that we're all
participating in this beautiful

learning experience where in the
end the benefits are we just get

stronger, leaner, more
flexible, have more energy?

Like, it's just, it's a
win-win so remember that.

Not here to do the yoga.

We're here to
have an experience.

So feet are together.

We'll shift the
weight to the left foot.

Again, try not to look down.

Your foot knows
what to do, okay?

Left foot grounds.

Slowly we're going to
lift the right heel up.

Maybe right knee up to
Standing One-Legged Tadasana

but that's up to you.
Maybe we're a little tight here.

Maybe our balance is off today.

So we might just keep
a big toe on and ground.

Okay, if you're in a
Standing One-Legged Tadasana,

you might lift the chest.
Find that loop of energy.

Take your right foot
and bring it in

towards the inseam of your leg.

Maybe heel comes all the way up
towards the base of the spine.

Or maybe below the knee or if
you're on the big toe you can

just open the hip here and
keep the big toe on the ground.

Okay, so we're
coming into your version

of Vrksasana today, Tree Pose.

Our last shape where we get to
practice being in the role of

the observer on our mat today.

So find that loop of
energy wherever you are.

Stand up nice and tall.

So instead of collapsing
into your standing leg,

you're lifting up out of it.

And then I'm going to quiet down
for a second and allow you to

just listen to the
sound of your breath.

Find a focus out in front if
you need a challenge today,

send your focus all
the way up towards the sky.

And if you need more,
close your eyes.

Now don't decide where it ends.

Maybe you take
it into a variation.

And then when you're ready,
follow your breath,

whatever that means to you, all
the way back to Mountain Pose.

Inhaling deeply when you land.

And exhale completely.

Now try not to look down
but if the feet have

come apart,
bring them together.

And we'll do the same
thing on the other side.

You're doin' awesome.
Stick with it.

Nice smooth breaths.

Lifting left heel up.

You might stay here.

Taking everything
we've learned thus far

and putting it into this moment.

Putting it into that right foot.

Hugging into the midline.

Maybe you take it to the
Standing One-Legged Tadasana.

And then maybe you find a
version of Tree that you've

never done before on this side.

Maybe heel all the way up.

Maybe on the calf.

Maybe big toe's on the ground.

And then same thing, I'm going
to quiet down so that you can

really allow your soundtrack
to be the sound of your breath.

Take it away.

And taking a last beat
here to take a variation.

Arms up, arms behind.

Maybe you don't move an inch.

And then following your breath
to take it all the way down.

And if you fall,
we'll catch you. Don't worry.

Falling is part of the game.

So if we learn to fall
gracefully in yoga

or learn to love
ourselves through the fall

instead of feeling
shame or embarrassment

you don't need me
to tell you the rest.

It's good stuff.

We'll meet in Mountain Pose.

Palms together, Anjuli Mudra.

So stand up nice and tall here.

Take one last breath in.

And as you exhale,
relax the shoulders down

and bow your head to your heart.

Before we sign off today,

take one final quiet moment

to observe the breath,

observe the body,

and observe the mind.

Inhale in.

And exhale out.
You're done. Awesome work.

We quietly whisper,

Namaste.

(bright music)