- Happy Birthday, my friend,
and welcome to "Yoga with Adriene"
If today is your birthday,
then this is the perfect practice for you.
If it's not your birthday,
and you're just feeling kind of dead, and blah,
and you want a rebirth,
then I say, it doesn't have to be your birthday,
you can practice this sequence anyway.
This is a huge request we get,
how about a little birthday yoga?
I see it all the time and I just decided,
you know what, yeah. Why not?
Let's do a little birthday yoga today.
We've lit a candle for you if it's your birthday,
and again, if it's not your birthday,
you can pretend like it is
and have a little rebirth practice.
It's quick, it's yummy,
and it is the epitome of "Find What Feels Good"
Let's get started.
(upbeat acoustic music)
Okay, my friends.
So we're going to begin in a nice, comfortable seat,
cross-legged position,
just like when you were a kid.
And we'll just take a second to sit up nice and tall,
if you want to sit up on a blanket
or a towel or something,
kind of lift the hips up, please do.
It's your special day.
And we'll begin with the eyes closed.
So after you get settled in and you feel safe,
go ahead and close your eyes.
Find your breath.
And maybe let the corners of the mouth
lift up just a bit.
Draw your palms together at your heart.
And begin to elongate your breath.
So extending the inhale.
And extending the exhalation.
Listen to your breath.
And just take some nice, easy breezy,
refreshing inhalations and exhalations,
so nothing fancy here today,
this is all easy, breezy, beautiful birthday yoga.
(inhales)
(exhales)
Notice what it feels like to be alive.
And ultimately we blanket ourselves in love,
and we ground ourselves in gratitude,
for having the opportunity to celebrate
another birthday,
giving thanks for our health,
and all that we have.
You can take a quiet moment here
to just kind of connect to that love,
connect to that gratitude,
and I don't know about you,
but on my birthday, I could think of no better day
than to just kind of give thanks
and to celebrate my existence,
being me.
And the tools of yoga, and yoga practice itself
support that.
They help us to find what feels good,
and to find our true selves so that we can
be happy and healthy,
and connected.
So we'll move with ease today,
have a little fun, nice, short, sweet practice,
moving with the breath, starting now.
As we release the hands to the knees,
palms to the knees,
and allow the chin to drop to the chest.
We're gonna find a little sway here,
having a little fun connecting to our inner child
here today, I promise I won't too silly,
but it should feel good as we rock
gently, back and forth.
Kind of swaying here,
remembering to go with the flow as we
gain another year.
We begin to lift the head up slowly,
swaying back and forth, back and forth,
and then we're gonna slowly move it into a circle.
(inhales)
(exhales)
Find your breath, perhaps inhaling as you come forward,
exhaling as you come back.
You get a little booty massage here,
you get a little digestive health,
which we know is always good
especially as we get older.
And then reversing the circle.
Then come back to center,
head over heart, heart over pelvis.
We'll take the left palm to the right knee,
and then we'll swim the right fingertips behind
coming into a nice seated twist.
So again, easy, breezy, beautiful birthday yoga
so don't crank it or push it,
but do close your eyes, sit up nice and tall,
and focus on maybe what the twist means
in yoga.
What's actually happening.
It's kind of ringing out of the sponge or the rag.
So inhaling in,
and then using the exhale to kind of
let go of that which is no longer serving you,
so that maybe you're not carrying any extra
yuck or weight around for your next trip around the sun.
One more big breath here.
And then we'll release to center
and do the same thing on the other side,
make sure you're breathing deep.
Oh yeah, lift the center of the chest
up, up, up.
Inhale, breathing in all the good,
all the freshness that is whatever age you're turning,
(clicks tongue)
and then exhaling out with the old.
And then we'll bring it back to center.
Take a second to just massage your hands,
rotate the wrists one way and then the other.
You might even look at your hands,
just notice how they've changed over the years.
And then, we'll just kind of connect to this inner child
as we think of the two hands like starfish,
spread them super duper wide, and then check it out.
We're going to make the biggest face we can,
you don't even have to look at the video,
look at me, you can look down.
But we're just gonna open the jaw really good.
For the the facial muscles here.
So spread the palms wide and open your face
make the biggest face possible.
You might do a lion's breath here.
(inhale)
(exaggerated exhale)
And then relax everything, palms face up,
close your eyes,
seated meditation pose.
Permission here to do absolutely nothing.
Just enjoy your breath, enjoy your body,
enjoy this moment.
And once again, we'll drop the chin to the chest.
And then this time we're gonna go big circles here,
so go big or go home.
Nice, big circles with the nose.
And you might here little crunches and little pops,
so we'll move nice and slow.
Really mindful, working out any kinks in the
neck and shoulders.
Reversing the circle whenever you feel like it.
Maybe if you find a little catch,
you rock back and forth within that.
So nice.
A moment of neck hygiene here on your birthday.
Cool, then we'll take this awareness of the breath,
of the hands, of the jaw, and of the neck and shoulders
with us into cat cow.
So we'll shift onto all fours.
Take your time getting there.
Come onto the tops of the feet,
and then again, whenever you're ready,
begin to work out the kinks.
And this should be the most
beautiful, juicy, yummy
cat cow that you've ever done.
You deserve it.
Think animal-like on your birthday.
Then if you're doing this with someone,
with a loved one or whatever,
they might give you a spanking at this point.
Kinky.
Sorry for anyone who's birthday is under
13 right now, my bad.
Okay, heart to earth pose.
We walk the hands forward,
we drop the elbows where the hands were,
and then we walk the knees back,
sticking our booties in the air,
and melting our heart to the earth.
I can't think of a better pose for your birthday,
than this beautiful surrender.
Forehead comes to the mat, we open up through the shoulders,
breath deep, enjoy.
You might say a little prayer here,
you might give thanks, you might just smile
and enjoy the stretch.
Cool, then we'll slowly come back to all fours.
Curl the toes under,
and then we're gonna walk it back
so we're sitting on the feet, a little feet hygiene here.
Sit up nice and tall.
Lift your heart, life is good.
See if you can press into your pinky toe here,
it might be impossible, nearly impossible,
but just extend awareness
throughout the whole body in that way.
So really pressing through the pinky.
So hard.
And then enough of that, don't you agree?
We come back to all fours.
We come back onto the tops of the feet.
This time we're gonna widen the knees as wide as the mat,
big toes to touch.
Bring the right hand to the center line
and inhale, press away from your yoga mat
as you kind of pull a bow and arrow back
here we come into a little twist.
So this is really for the upper back body.
So you might not get all the way here,
in fact you might only get this far, and that's okay.
Opening up through the chest.
Finding length through the spine,
so maintain this nice length through the neck.
Inhale in, reach.
Exhale, switch.
Right arm pulls up.
Careful not to collapse into your left shoulder.
Find space, find length.
Definitely a little bit of hard work here.
Breathe, breathe, breathe as you reach up.
And exhale back to center.
Great.
This time, we're gonna reach the right fingertips forward,
find length in the right side body,
and then we're gonna thread the right arm
underneath the left, coming into this twist.
Left elbow can reach up towards the sky,
we can repeat left fingertips up towards the sky,
you might find a little bind here,
you might just keep the hand on the sacrum.
Anything that feels yummy here,
breathe, breathe, breathe.
Awesome, then we'll slowly unravel
and take it to the other side.
Extending left arm out, so I can find that length
and maintain it as I move into my
little threaded twist here.
Left fingertips underneath the bridge of the right arm,
I come onto the left ear.
And then same thing,
right elbow can reach up,
nice, stable position here.
Or maybe all the way towards the sky.
Maybe a little bind for funsies.
Don't forget about your breath.
Cool, then we'll slowly unravel,
come onto your belly,
just a nice, gentle cobra here before we grow
up into a little flow.
Inhale, lift your heart,
ground through the pelvis,
should feel really good in the spine,
hug the lower ribs in, even here.
Just really connect to your torso,
you got it.
Yes, and then exhale, release.
Curl the toes under, come back to all fours.
And then let's grow into downward facing dog.
Oh yeah.
A downward dog a day,
keeps the doctor away.
Peddle out through the feet,
find what feels good here,
smile, and celebrate.
And then we'll go for a nice, slow walk up
towards the front edge,
find your foward fold,
you know what to do here, grab the elbows if it feels right,
maybe walk the fingertips side to side.
Breathe.
Let the weight of the head go.
Release the arms, slowly roll it up.
Press in all four corners of the feet.
Loop the shoulders a couple times,
and when you're ready, reach the fingertips
all the way up towards the sky for a nice
big, organic stretch.
Opening up space through the side body,
again looping the shoulders, if that feels right.
Getting out all this little movement
so that you feel really good when you come
to a nice, strong mountain pose.
We'll go ahead and bring the feet together,
if you feel comfortable.
Open the palms towards the front
and lift the heart.
If you're feeling adventurous,
close your eyes.
Press in all four corners of the feet.
And really, really lengthen
through the crown of the head, so lift up.
Beautiful. Inhale, reach the arms up and overhead.
And exhale down through the midline,
forward fold.
Here we go, inhale,
halfway lift, palms on the tops of the thighs,
on the shins, or fingertips on the mat.
We lengthen through the crown of the head,
we find this beautiful length in the neck,
and then on an exhale, down we go.
Inhale, reach for the sky
all the way back up to where we just were.
Reach, reach, reach.
And exhale, hands to the heart
as you tuck the pelvis,
tailbone nice and heavy here.
Alright, let's have some fun.
Inhale, reach it up.
Fingertips kiss overhead,
exhale down through the midline.
Inhale, halfway lift, follow your breath
as you exhale, slide it down.
Inhale, plant the palms,
step or hop it back to plank, you got it.
No need to panic here.
If you just went, oh I'm not in shape for this or whatever,
you are, you got it.
You can always lower the knees.
Breathe deep.
Then everyone will lower all the way to the belly.
On your next big breath in, press into your foundation
and inhale, lift up to that cobra.
Awesome spinal health here, so good.
Pull the elbows back.
And then exhale, release.
Come to all fours, or curl the toes under,
lift the kneecaps up, press into your palms,
and strong plank here.
Downward facing dog.
Drop the left heel, slide the right leg up high.
Press into both palms evenly, my friends.
Then when you're ready, squeeze that right knee in
towards your heart. Nose to knee.
Then step your right foot forward.
Pivot on the back foot, strong warrior one here.
So the kind of attitude you bring to this
warrior sequence today is like,
well it's all you
so just consider that.
Opening the heart, pressing down through your foundation,
maybe sinking a little deeper today, going for the gold,
opening the palms a little bit wider.
Nice big power pose here as we inhale in, warrior one,
and then exhale, warrior two.
Reach, radiate energy out through the fingertips
so we're not just kind of doing the shapes,
that's the yoga robot thing that I'm not a fan of,
so let's really embody the pose by leaning into it.
Warrior two, virabhadrasana two.
Maybe you take a mudra here.
(clicks tongue)
Maybe you wink at someone you might be practicing with,
or if you're alone, enjoy your alone time.
Don't be sad, be grateful.
Peaceful warrior, here we go, sending it back.
Inhale, lift your heart.
Exhale, cartwheel all the way down,
pivot on the back foot, we come into a nice, slow lunge.
Inhale, look forward
and exhale, plant the palms and take a vinyasa,
or a childs pose.
So you get to pick, you can take a rest here
or you can move through a little flow.
Take your pick, and then together we'll meet
back in downward facing dog.
Awesome, everyone.
This time we drop the right heel strong,
stretch through the back of the right leg.
Lift the left leg up high, big breath in.
Then exhale, squeeze the left knee in towards your heart.
Nose to knee, try to eskimo kiss your knee, you got it.
And then step it up into your lunge.
Pivot on the back foot, warrior one.
Super strong here.
Remember to bring a little playfulness,
a little you attitude to these warriors today.
Maybe opening up wider,
maybe you take a variation with the arms entirely.
Big breath in and then on a big breath out, warrior two.
Connect to the big picture here, lean into it.
Sink deep, you got it.
And then peaceful warrior.
Counter that with a nice softness.
Inhale in, lift your heart.
Exhale, cartwheel all the way back to your low lunge.
Inhale, look forward.
Smile. (clicks tongue)
And then exhale, same thing.
Take an extended child's pose, take a rest,
or take that left foot back and move into a little flow.
So we have options.
And together we'll meet, our friends,
in extended child's pose.
Draw the palms together, bring them up and overhead.
Again, a beautiful moment of surrender here.
You might hear your heart beating, your blood pumping.
You might walk your elbows out for a little added stretch.
So the upper back body gets really tight,
as we work at our computer desks
or really just with the shoulders rounded forward
so I'm gonna keep...
We're gonna stay here for a little bit,
and you might even feel a little release or a little pop
as you continue to deepen your breath
and allow the weight of your heart to really just
almost like a magnet, be drawn to the core of the earth.
(laughs)
Half my subscribers just went, what the.
Just enjoy.
Breathing into the hips.
And then slowly we'll release the fingertips down.
Come back to all fours.
Great. From here extend,
send the right toes out super long,
square the hips, and then we're going to draw the right knee
all the way up and in.
Slide the left toes out, come into a pigeon pose here.
So this is gonna be a little different for everyone.
You might keep that right heel kind of
really close in,
you might be able to draw it out more.
So, this will be a little different for everyone.
As you inhale, find extension.
Maybe you experiment with walking the fingertips
back in line with your hips.
And then when you're ready, find a nice
forward fold.
So wherever you're at today, enjoy.
You might stack the fists,
create a little pillow for the forehead.
Everyone, a little brightness in both feet,
so a little energy.
Inhale in.
Exhale, begin to unravel,
lift your heart up.
Swing the left leg around.
In public class, I usually say,
"Swing ol' Bessy around."
No one laughs.
Just that back legs always so heavy.
So swing that girl around,
and then we'll find these cow legs here, nice
and easy so not pressing, or really forcing it,
just kind of letting it do whatever it is doing today.
Hands can come to the soles of the feet.
If you want to take a reverse namaste here,
maybe you do or maybe a namaste at the heart.
And we just breath here.
Breathing, we know of course we store so much in the hips,
so a little extra hip action today.
Stay here or maybe melt into a gentle forward fold.
A couple more breaths.
And we'll just kind of reverse out of it
so bringing the left leg up and out
coming back to all fours.
And then sending the left leg out finding extension,
go ahead and square the hips here
so draw your left toes down
and then we'll draw the left knee in.
Extend through the right leg
and we find our one legged pigeon here on the other side.
So breath deep, not spending too long in these poses today
because chances are you have partying to do.
And if you don't and you have to go to work,
don't you dare feel sorry for yourself.
You got it, don't worry.
Everything is as it should be.
Life is good, you're alive.
And I'm super grateful that you're here with me
and I'm getting to celebrate you on the mat.
So inhale, lift your heart.
Again, you can experiment with walking your fingertips back.
And whenever you're ready, perhaps you're already there,
folding forward.
I picked pigeon as a part of this sequence today
because I feel like for me, this is one of those poses where
you're low to the ground,
you're getting into the nitty gritty,
but you're also kind of able to find a little bit of
peace with yourself, in that struggle.
Maybe that's kind of silly and obvious but...
Enjoy.
Pressing into the palms nice and slow,
coming all the way back up
and swinging the right leg around this time,
come on.
Stacking the knees, doing our best.
Coming into a little cow legs.
Gomukhasana.
Again, you can take a full cow pose.
You might even be able to bring the palms behind,
reverse namaste, or grab the elbows.
Maybe soles.
Hands on the soles of the feet.
Connect to your breath once again.
Lift your heart.
Calm your mind by noticing the breath,
by deepening the breath.
A couple of breath cycles here, you might round forward
or you might sit up nice and tall,
embracing this peaceful moment.
Breathing into that right hip.
Great, one more breath here.
Then we'll walk the fingertips behind
just for a little stability.
And one leg at a time, extend out.
Windshield wiper the legs, so just kind of tossing the toes
to the left and to the right.
And then slowly we'll release, coming into baddha konasana
just for a little counter here,
interlacing the fingertips around the toes.
Or maybe opening up through the arches,
grabbing the ankles.
Find what feels good as you sit up nice and tall
and then bow forward.
Release back, press into your sitting bones,
chin to chest, roll up, hands come to
the backs of the thighs or the hamstrings,
and we lift up just for one little hot second of core.
Inhale in. Exhale, send the feet out, arms out.
Reach, reach, reach.
Then release back to center.
Let's try it again, big breath in,
exhale, shoot energy out through the feet and the legs,
and back to center.
Let's just try it one more time,
boat pose, why not?
Inhale in. Exhale, lift your heart.
Wee, we're doing it.
And release. Awesome, that is over.
Okay, so there are options here.
It's your birthday, you might have to boogie,
you might come to meditation pose here,
and end here in sukhasana.
You might even let this video bleed into
a little meditation moment.
Maybe turning on some music.
Or just sitting in stillness.
You might be ready for a nice, sweet shavasana
in which case, we'll come of course to flat back,
maybe grab a blanket or pillow.
And get comfy here, allowing ourselves
this moment of stillness,
and of restoration here in classic corpse pose.
I do encourage you, even if you have to boogie,
to take one moment, either in sukhasana or in shavasana,
to be still, to relax.
Allow a softness, a peacefulness to wash over the body.
Fingertips and toes to relax and soften.
The eyelids to close and grow heavy.
Allow your breath to relax
and just kind of return to it's normal pace,
normal rhythm, natural rhythm.
And wherever you are,
again allow the body and your spirit
to just be blanketed in love and gratitude.
I have your back if we're practicing together right now.
Consider yourself part of the "Yoga with Adriene" family,
or the "Find What Feels Good" family.
And even if you're not necessarily
having your dream birthday,
Try to tap into a little love and a little gratitude,
For chances are, there is so much to love
and so much to be grateful for.
Thanks for sharing your birthday practice with me.
Have an awesome day,
and an awesome next year of living.
Take good care.
Happy Birthday.
Namaste.
(upbeat acoustic music)