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- What's up everyone?

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Welcome to Yoga with Adriene.
I'm Adriene.

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And today on the
Foundations of Yoga Series,

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we have Dolphin Pose, or
Ardha Pincha Mayurasana.

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This is an inversion.

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Yay. You requested it.

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But it's an inversion in
which we can work in stages

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to grow it mindfully

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and a way that feels
really good and supportive.

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If you have had shoulder injury,

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you want to be really mindful
of practicing this posture

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or maybe just 
skip it altogether.

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Alright, so hop 
into something comfy

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and let's learn Dolphin Pose.

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(upbeat music)

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Alright my friends, let's
begin today on all fours.

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Take your time 
getting down here.

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And then when you arrive,
let's just take a second

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to really be mindful.

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Since this is the 
Foundations of Yoga,

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we're taking the time
to really pay attention

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to our alignment 
into the foundation.

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So you'll take your wrists
right underneath the shoulders.

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And you'll take your knees
right underneath the hip-points.

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And whether this is new for you

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or you're an experienced yogi,

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you've been on 
the path for a while,

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just kind of come into
this as a beginner's mind.

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I find that really
helpful when we're wanting

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to go deeper or learn new poses,

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focusing on everything 
from the ground up.

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Right? From the foundation.

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So take a second to really root

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through your 
index finger and thumbs.

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Spread the fingertips wide,
again,

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wrists underneath the shoulders

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and knees right 
underneath the hip-points.

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So I say hip-points instead
of hips to really, kind of,

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get you to bring 
it right underneath

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where the hip socket is,

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where those bones come together.

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And then for some, 
you're going to start to go,

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"Wow my arms are already tired"

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(laughs)

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because you're starting
to work in a way that's

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really connected to the
earth, hand to earth.

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We call that 
Hasta Bandha, hand lock.

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So you press away 
from your yoga mat.

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You kind of claw into 
your fingertips here

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and then you draw the
tops of the shoulders

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away from the ears.

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You can actually imagine
turning the right palm

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to the right as if 
you're opening a jar

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and the left palm 
to the left your left

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as if you're opening a jar.

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(laughs)

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So lots of action. 
Lots of awareness.

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Then begin to notice if
you're neck is dropping down,

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obviously you're 
going to be looking

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at the video a little bit,

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but hopefully not a lot
because I'm amazing.

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I'm going to guide 
you with my voice.

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No. 
(laughs)

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That's the idea, is to
really give you some time

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to just listen to the 
sound of my voice,

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check in when you need to, 
but give you some time

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to explore this in your body.

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So start to check 
in with the neck

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and just have this 
awareness of the spine

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from the crown to the tail.

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So if you're really lengthening

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from the crown to the tail here,

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the chin wouldn't be collapsed,

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or protruding, but rather
tucking slightly gaze down.

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Then, this is important 
here for Dolphin,

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draw the shoulders 
away from the ears,

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imagine again 
opening those pickle jars

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and just find a little awareness

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through the upper back body.

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So if you're collapsing
the shoulders here,

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this is a good moment
to peek at the video,

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if you're collapsed here,
you're going to want

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to lift up between this space.

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Excuse me, lift up between
the two shoulder blades,

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creating space here, broadening.

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And then, again, 
those pickle jars,

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drawing the shoulders 
away from the ears,

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really firming the shoulder
blades down the back body.

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That's a hard cue to
take, so just play here.

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Basically bringing some
super awesome awareness

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into the upper back body.

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Cool. Then we travel 
down the spine.

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Just notice if you're
collapsed in the lower back,

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see if you can find length
in the lower back, the spine,

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by lengthening the tail towards
the back edge of your mat.

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Navel draws up.

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So now I have all this
awareness in the hands.

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If arms get tired, you
can come to the fists

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for a little bit.

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Takes practice.

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We've all this awareness
from the crown to the tail.

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We're not collapsing
in the upper back body.

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We're not collapsing
in the lower back body.

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In fact, we call this connecting
to that center channel,

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that plumb-line.

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I often refer to it as the
danda, the line of the spine,

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the stick, or the staff.

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You might also hear to
it, hear to it? (laughs)

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Hear it referred to as

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the mid-line, 
the center plumb-line.

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So we're just finding a
little bit of containment

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in the front body length
through the spine.

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Awareness in the back body.

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Cool, then go ahead and
curl the toes and walk back

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and just take a little break.

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Maybe rotate the 
wrists a little bit.

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Maybe give yourself a
little forearm massage.

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I don't know where, 
but I read once

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that massaging the forearm is

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like a good foreplay massage,

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like a weird 
aphrodisiac stimulus.

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(laughs) Bonus.

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Bonus reason to share
this Dolphin video. No.

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I don't even know 
if that's true,

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so don't believe everything
you hear on the internet.

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So if I'm ever getting this part

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of my arm massaged by anyone,

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I'm always trying 
to not be weird,

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but just notice, "How
does this make me feel?"

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Usually it's me 
rubbing my own arm

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(laughs) in yoga.

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Okay, let's come back to
the pose, back to the focus,

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preparing for Dolphin.

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So I'm going to come back
to my table top position.

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You join me whenever 
you're ready.

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And once again, going
through your checklist:

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knees underneath hip-points,

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wrists underneath the shoulders,

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draw the shoulders 
away from the ears,

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awareness in the back body.

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A bit of containment, 
drawing energy

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up through the front body.

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Navel up, heart lifting up
between the shoulder blades.

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Lengthen the spine and then
try to maintain that length,

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that awareness at least.

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Tops of the feet 
pressing into the earth.

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So often they're 
going to come in,

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we're just not 
spreading the awareness

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all the way to the toes.

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So keep that awareness,
spreading through the toes.

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And I'm just gonna 
drop one elbow

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right exactly where 
that hand was,

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so it's right 
underneath the shoulder

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and the other right
underneath the shoulder.

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Right away I'd like 
you to pay attention

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to what happened to the wrists.

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See if you can keep the forearms

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that I just so eloquently

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referred to (laughs) in
that massage moment...

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See if you can them parallel
like two railroad tracks.

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And then for now, just
see if you can go through

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that same checklist here:
length through the crown,

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length through the tail.

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So you probably will draw
the navel up a little bit.

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And then just notice if you're
collapsing in the shoulders,

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find that broadness
through the upper back.

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Okay, it's really important
as you're learning a posture

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to focus on the sensation
rather than the shape.

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I can't tell you how
many times I personally,

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especially when I was
younger, would just kind of

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bypass that exploration time.

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And then I was never actually
able to embody a shape

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fully, joyfully, 
safely in my body.

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So yeah, just focus 
on sensation here

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as you grow your posture, as
you learn or relearn your body.

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Cool, one more breath here.

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You should feel 
this in the shoulders,

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tops of the shoulders,
drawing away from the ears,

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pressing away from the yoga mat.

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Again, root that 
index finger and thumb.

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And then we'll take a
break, Puppy Posture.

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Great opening for the shoulders.

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You're just going to
walk your knees back.

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I'm actually going to walk
up just to stay on my mat.

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But walk your knees 
back and try to keep

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on those railroad 
tracks best you can

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and try to keep the index
finger and thumb rooted.

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Now, if you have 
super tight shoulders,

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which a lot of people do,

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you might not be able to bring
the forehead to the mat here,

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in which case you 
can use a blocky

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to bring the 
forehead to the block

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or you can use a little
pillow or rolled up towel.

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And then this 
is a really nice way

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to prep Dolphin, Puppy Posture.

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To open tight shoulders,
open through the chest,

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and to really work on the
integrity of your foundation.

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So a lot of times as you
start to come into this shape,

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the fingers will come in,
the wrists want to come in

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because that's how I feel
better in this shape.

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But if we're wanting to
get into the right areas

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of the body, we're going to
work slowly and mindfully.

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Keeping the hands where 
they are. Two parallel lines.

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So this could be,

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if you're feeling it here

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and you'll know your shoulders
will be speaking to you,

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telling you sweet nothings,

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whispering sweet nothings.

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You might just stay here

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and not actually even
work in Dolphin today.

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Just breathing deep and then
working on your foundation

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slowly from here, 
drawing navel up,

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lengthening through the crown,

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sending your gaze 
towards your knees.

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This might be your Dolphin.

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So we have this Puppy Posture,
also called Anahatasana,

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Heart to Earth pose.

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Or you can begin to
work your Dolphin there

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just nice and slow.

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So, again, you're
releasing, heart to earth,

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or you're starting to
work your Dolphin here

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because you'll feel too
tight in the shoulders

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to go any further.

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If you're ready to go
a little bit further,

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maybe you're returning to
this video or you're like,

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"I wanna give it a try",

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we're going to slowly
lift the heart forward

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between the elbows.

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If you need to take a
break too for a second,

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you just curl the toes, 
come back,

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lift your heart 
over your pelvis.

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But if you're ready to
go into this inversion,

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deeper inversion,

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we will move 
from Puppy Posture

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all the way back 
to where the heart

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is between the elbows here.

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And I'm just using 
literally my eyeballs

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to check out my foundation here,

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rooting down 
through that index finger,

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drawing the shoulders 
away from the ears,

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and, again, shoulder
blades down the back body.

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Then curl the toes under
if they are not already,

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take a deep breath in,

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and a long breath out.

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Keep an awareness on your
breath as you inhale in again

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and this time, on a exhale
lifting one knee then the other.

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Take a second to pedal it
out just a little bit here

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and keep a nice strong
foundation in the arms.

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Now, nice and slow, I'm
going to come to stillness

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00:10:38,638 --> 00:10:42,208
but I highly recommend you
keep your knees bent here,

251
00:10:42,208 --> 00:10:43,943
especially if you're 
new to the practice.

252
00:10:43,943 --> 00:10:48,314
And eventually we'll come all
the way to this shape guys.

253
00:10:48,314 --> 00:10:50,350
But even my hamstrings are
a little tight here today,

254
00:10:50,350 --> 00:10:53,179
so nice and soft, 
bending the knees,

255
00:10:53,179 --> 00:10:57,257
we'll come into a place of
stillness and allow the breath

256
00:10:57,257 --> 00:11:00,989
to fill this body here, 
this shape.

257
00:11:02,555 --> 00:11:05,465
Gaze is towards 
the toes or the knees.

258
00:11:05,465 --> 00:11:07,300
Eventually we can take
the gaze straight down,

259
00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:11,471
especially if we're working
up to pincha mayurasana.

260
00:11:12,572 --> 00:11:14,207
Right?

261
00:11:14,207 --> 00:11:15,842
Kicking up.

262
00:11:15,842 --> 00:11:18,811
Breathing deep, 
take one more breath here,

263
00:11:18,811 --> 00:11:21,114
and then slowly lower the knees

264
00:11:21,114 --> 00:11:24,626
and come all the way to seated.

265
00:11:26,152 --> 00:11:28,415
Flip the palms, inhale.

266
00:11:28,415 --> 00:11:29,822
Lift the heart.

267
00:11:30,624 --> 00:11:33,259
Exhale, relax the shoulders.

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00:11:34,861 --> 00:11:36,029
Inhale deeply.

269
00:11:37,263 --> 00:11:38,565
And exhale completely.

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00:11:38,565 --> 00:11:40,320
So for me, in the 
Foundations of Yoga,

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it's really important 
that I'm not

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just showing you the posture

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00:11:43,113 --> 00:11:45,038
because you can see that
anywhere on the internet.

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00:11:45,038 --> 00:11:47,340
This is an opportunity 
for us to workshop,

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00:11:47,340 --> 00:11:51,901
to explore these shapes and
the sensations of these shapes

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00:11:51,901 --> 00:11:55,048
in our body at home, 
safely and mindfully.

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00:11:55,048 --> 00:11:56,716
So you need to
be really mindful,

278
00:11:56,716 --> 00:11:59,686
definitely if you have something
going on in the shoulders,

279
00:11:59,686 --> 00:12:01,047
but everyone, really mindful

280
00:12:01,047 --> 00:12:04,023
as a way of exploring
your practice and growing.

281
00:12:04,023 --> 00:12:05,758
So we're going 
to take locust arms here,

282
00:12:05,758 --> 00:12:07,794
interlace the fingertips behind,

283
00:12:07,794 --> 00:12:09,696
knuckles drawn down and away,

284
00:12:09,696 --> 00:12:11,281
Just a little counter pose.

285
00:12:11,281 --> 00:12:15,862
And then we'll check out
Dolphin one more time.

286
00:12:15,862 --> 00:12:17,470
Deep breath in.

287
00:12:18,304 --> 00:12:19,639
Deep breath out.

288
00:12:20,873 --> 00:12:22,475
One more big inhale

289
00:12:23,543 --> 00:12:25,378
and exhale to release.

290
00:12:26,879 --> 00:12:30,450
Alright from all fours,
we'll dive back in.

291
00:12:31,551 --> 00:12:34,721
Dropping the elbows 
where the hands are.

292
00:12:34,721 --> 00:12:37,257
And right away finding your
foundation, not collapsing,

293
00:12:37,257 --> 00:12:40,360
but pressing away 
from your yoga mat.

294
00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,228
Root down through 
the index fingers.

295
00:12:42,228 --> 00:12:46,366
So in this second round 
we'd offer a couple variations.

296
00:12:48,301 --> 00:12:51,004
But for now, wrists in
line with the elbows,

297
00:12:51,004 --> 00:12:53,366
elbows right 
underneath the shoulders,

298
00:12:53,366 --> 00:12:55,388
and when you're 
ready we'll walk it back.

299
00:12:55,388 --> 00:12:58,481
Puppy Posture first,
you might just stay here

300
00:12:58,481 --> 00:13:01,481
working on Dolphin by
drawing the navel up,

301
00:13:01,481 --> 00:13:04,183
finding that containment
through the mid-line.

302
00:13:04,183 --> 00:13:08,187
Or if you're ready, 
we'll curl the toes under,

303
00:13:08,187 --> 00:13:09,392
inhale in

304
00:13:10,561 --> 00:13:13,807
and exhale, 
lifting hips up high.

305
00:13:15,595 --> 00:13:18,965
Now this time, whether the
knees are bent or straight,

306
00:13:18,965 --> 00:13:21,347
ankles, heels reaching
down towards the earth.

307
00:13:21,347 --> 00:13:22,619
Heels do not have to touch.

308
00:13:22,619 --> 00:13:24,370
Mine are not touching today.
I'm not warmed up.

309
00:13:24,370 --> 00:13:26,005
Eventually, if I'm in 
the middle of class,

310
00:13:26,005 --> 00:13:28,174
I can get to a Dolphin where
my heels are on the ground

311
00:13:28,174 --> 00:13:30,543
but I'm not going 
to rush that today.

312
00:13:30,543 --> 00:13:33,846
Again, focusing 
sensation over shape.

313
00:13:33,846 --> 00:13:36,015
Couple of action points
to grow your practice:

314
00:13:36,015 --> 00:13:38,785
draw energy up from the
ankles, the inner ankles,

315
00:13:38,785 --> 00:13:40,133
the arches of the feet,

316
00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:42,378
all the way up through the
inner thighs into the groin,

317
00:13:42,378 --> 00:13:44,657
lifting hips up 
high towards the sky.

318
00:13:44,657 --> 00:13:47,026
Almost as if you're
lifting your butt cheeks

319
00:13:47,026 --> 00:13:49,395
up towards the ceiling.

320
00:13:49,395 --> 00:13:51,230
Keep breathing.

321
00:13:51,230 --> 00:13:55,134
Tops of the shoulders externally
rotate away from the ears.

322
00:13:55,134 --> 00:13:56,803
Breathing deep here.

323
00:13:57,817 --> 00:14:00,440
Navel draws in and up, 
uddiyana bandha,

324
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,742
that'll hug the lower
ribs in just a little bit

325
00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:05,478
and allow you to 
create that broadness

326
00:14:05,478 --> 00:14:07,447
in the upper back body.

327
00:14:07,447 --> 00:14:12,118
Couple of variations here:
can bring the palms together,

328
00:14:12,118 --> 00:14:13,386
fists together,

329
00:14:14,487 --> 00:14:17,517
or we can work to 
bring our gaze forward

330
00:14:17,517 --> 00:14:19,992
by carving a line with the nose,

331
00:14:19,992 --> 00:14:22,295
keeping that broadness 
as you press away.

332
00:14:22,295 --> 00:14:24,363
Eventually, we'll kick up

333
00:14:26,486 --> 00:14:30,633
into picha mayurasna, 
an inversion.

334
00:14:30,633 --> 00:14:33,139
But this is your inversion
too, strong and steady.

335
00:14:33,139 --> 00:14:36,976
We'll take two more
breaths here, breath deep.

336
00:14:42,715 --> 00:14:45,551
Slowly release knees 
to the ground,

337
00:14:45,551 --> 00:14:47,620
rolling up nice and slow:

338
00:14:50,523 --> 00:14:52,251
one, to be safe and mindulful,

339
00:14:52,251 --> 00:14:54,083
but two, to find 
what feels good.

340
00:14:54,083 --> 00:14:57,524
Feel the effects of this pose
as you lift head over heart,

341
00:14:57,524 --> 00:14:59,198
heart over pelvis.

342
00:14:59,198 --> 00:15:01,348
Flip the palms up and 
close your eyes

343
00:15:01,348 --> 00:15:02,732
and observe

344
00:15:05,538 --> 00:15:07,874
observe your breath.

345
00:15:07,874 --> 00:15:09,408
Observe that sensation.

346
00:15:09,408 --> 00:15:12,578
For me, it's like a fresh
wash of blood in the arms,

347
00:15:12,578 --> 00:15:16,482
and the head, 
the neck, the shoulders.

348
00:15:16,482 --> 00:15:19,685
And one more time, 
reaching the fingertips around,

349
00:15:19,685 --> 00:15:24,426
shalabhasana arms is a great
counter pose to Dolphin.

350
00:15:27,059 --> 00:15:29,428
Interlacing the
fingertips behind,

351
00:15:29,428 --> 00:15:32,331
drawing the knuckles 
down and away.

352
00:15:35,535 --> 00:15:38,137
So if you spend a lot of
time with your arms in front,

353
00:15:38,137 --> 00:15:40,673
this little routine 
of just Cat/Cow,

354
00:15:40,673 --> 00:15:42,708
maybe add a little Cat/Cow,

355
00:15:42,708 --> 00:15:47,680
Dolphin, and then Locust
Arms, that'll change your day.

356
00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,349
That'll change your life.

357
00:15:50,349 --> 00:15:53,619
Great, take one more 
deep breath in here

358
00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:55,054
and then release.

359
00:15:56,522 --> 00:15:58,121
Awesome work.

360
00:15:58,121 --> 00:16:00,760
Alrighty, my friends, if you
like this video I encourage you

361
00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,729
to go check out the
Foundations of Yoga playlist.

362
00:16:03,729 --> 00:16:05,765
This is an on-going 
library of poses

363
00:16:05,765 --> 00:16:07,733
where we really 
just take the time

364
00:16:07,733 --> 00:16:09,045
that you don't normally have,

365
00:16:09,045 --> 00:16:12,859
in the Yoga Flow video
or a vinyasa public class

366
00:16:12,859 --> 00:16:14,213
and really take the time to find

367
00:16:14,213 --> 00:16:15,441
what feels good in your body.

368
00:16:15,441 --> 00:16:17,777
That's correct action 
and alignment,

369
00:16:17,777 --> 00:16:19,312
but also the sensation right?

370
00:16:19,312 --> 00:16:21,047
Every body is different, 
so if you want

371
00:16:21,047 --> 00:16:23,433
to have a lifelong
practice that feels good

372
00:16:23,433 --> 00:16:25,785
and is totally safe 
and injury-free,

373
00:16:25,785 --> 00:16:28,688
and just helps you move with
ease in your regular life

374
00:16:28,688 --> 00:16:31,090
so you can carry your
groceries when you're 90

375
00:16:31,090 --> 00:16:34,160
and carry your neighbor's
groceries too, be a good person,

376
00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,629
then I highly recommend
you dive into that playlist

377
00:16:36,629 --> 00:16:37,763
and see what it's all about.

378
00:16:37,763 --> 00:16:40,459
Alright, let me know
how it goes down below.

379
00:16:40,459 --> 00:16:41,901
Questions, 
comments always welcome.

380
00:16:41,901 --> 00:16:43,469
Subscribe to the channel
if you haven't already.

381
00:16:43,469 --> 00:16:45,738
Share this with your friends,
your enemies, your neighbors,

382
00:16:45,738 --> 00:16:46,973
and take good care.

383
00:16:46,973 --> 00:16:49,709
I'll see you next time. 
Namaste.

384
00:16:49,709 --> 00:16:52,879
(upbeat music)