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- Hi everyone, and 
welcome to Yoga With Adriene.

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I'm Adriene, and today we
are going to learn High Lunge

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as part of our 
Foundations of Yoga series.

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So let's hop on the mat 
and learn High Lunge.

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(upbeat music)

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Okay, so today we're gonna
begin at the front of the mat,

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and I'm just going to walk
you through a couple postures

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to get us to where we 
need to be for High Lunge.

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So let's step the 
feet hip-width apart

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and just take a second 
to come into your best

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and most beautiful 
Mountain Pose.

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On an inhale, we'll 
reach the fingertips

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up towards the sky, let the
fingertips kiss above the head.

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And nice and easy, 
softening the knees,

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we'll come into a Forward Fold.

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Take a couple of breaths here.

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Take a second here to 
just relax the head over.

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Check in with the body.

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And then we'll bring 
the fingertips to the mat

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and step the left foot 
back into a Runner's Lunge.

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Ha, this pose 
might look familiar.

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Taking a couple seconds here
to check in with the body

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and be with the breath,
find your footing.

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And then when you're ready,

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loop the shoulders 
forward, up and back.

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Bring your
awareness to your center

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as you hug the navel 
in towards the spine.

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Really pressing 
into that back pinky toe.

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I know that seems 
strange but pressing

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into that back pinky toe 
so that we can really bring

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full awareness 
into that back foot

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as we drive that left heel
towards the back of the mat.

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Engage both inner thighs here

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so both inner 
thighs are hugging in

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towards the midline of the mat.

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As we draw the fingertips 
towards the waistline,

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we stay open through the
chest, and when you're ready,

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following your breath, 
press into that front leg.

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And from your heart, 
from your center, lift up.

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Hmm, a lot of work 
going on in the legs here

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so a couple of action points.

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Hug those inner thighs in
towards the center of the mat

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so we keep that 
engaging quality hugging

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in towards the center.

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Just like I do 
in runner's lunge,

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I'm breathing into the 
front of that left hip crease

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while I'm drawing back 
with my right hip crease

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so that my hip 
points can face forward.

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They may not right away

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but eventually we kind 
of allow the body

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to shift through practice 
and through breath.

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Keeping a nice, spacious 
open quality in the heart,

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in the collar bone,
in the sternum here,

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lifting up towards the sky.

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I can keep the hands 
on the waistline here

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or I can maybe take 
the palms to the ribs.

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So I'm building this pose 
from the ground up, right,

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making sure I can 
see my front big toe.

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So as I build 
from the ground up,

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I can begin to check in with
the body from the feet up.

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So let's start at the pelvis
here, hands on the waistline.

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Using the hands 
to tuck the pelvis.

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Then maybe bringing the 
hands to soften the ribcage.

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Still hugging everything 
in towards the center line.

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Also drawing the navel 
in towards the spine here.

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Then keep traveling up,
heart's lifted,

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shoulders looping 
forward, up and back,

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shoulder blades drawing 
in together and down.

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I can stay here, 
hands on the waistline,

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or for full expression,
I can inhale.

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Reach the fingertips 
forward, up and back,

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perhaps sinking into that
front knee a little bit deeper.

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Breathing.

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Mmm.

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Let's take the pinkies,

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turn them towards 
the front of the mat

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so we can really allow 
the shoulders to open up here.

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And then this is yogi's choice.

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You can stay flying V here.

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You can bring 
the palms together.

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We can even 
release the fingertips

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and interlace them behind,


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opening the chest, 
the shoulders.

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Or we can keep them on 
the waistline for stability.

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To come out of the posture, 
I'll inhale in, exhale,

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bring the belly to the top
of the thigh first, step one.

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Step two, fingertips to the mat,
back to my runner's lunge.

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From here, I'll walk that back
foot up to meet the front.

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It doesn't matter 
how many steps it takes.

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Take a full breath 
here in Forward Fold.

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And then we'll bring 
the fingertips to the mat.

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Step the right foot back

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to balance it out 
on the other side.

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Take a second, find your 
footing in Runner's Lunge.

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Go through your checklist.

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Build your posture 
from the ground up.

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Set up your High 
Lunge with integrity,

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with a little love, 
and of course, full breath.

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When you're ready, loop the
shoulders forward, up and back.

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Bring the hands 
to the waistline.

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Press strong 
into that front foot.

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Drive that right heel 
towards the back of the mat

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and High Lunge 
on the other side.

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Each side's different,
of course,

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going through 
our checklist here,

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really sinking 
into that front leg,

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making sure I can 
see my front big toe.

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Then tucking the pelvis,
stitching that navel

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in towards the spine 
and keep traveling up.

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Soften the front rib cage.

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The tendency is 
to overdo it here,

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so tuck the pelvis, 
soften the ribcage.

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Head over heart, 
heart over pelvis here is

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what I'm aiming for.

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I can stay here or 
I can inhale, full expression,

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reach the fingertips 
forward, up and back.

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High Lunge, breathe.

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And playing with your own 
expression here, of course,

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always that's on the table.

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Squeezing the inner 
thighs in towards the midline.

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To come out of the posture, 
I inhale in, exhale,

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release the fingertips down.

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Belly comes to the top 
of the thighs, step one.

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Fingertips to the mat, step two,

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and here I can either 
rock that back foot up

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to meet the front, Forward Fold,

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or I can plant the 
palms and step it back

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for a little Downward Dog

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to peddle out, the legs.

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Ta-da.

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Downward Dog.

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Hi Lou.

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(dog's tongue slurping)

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Alrighty, so 
that was High Lunge.

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Obviously, a great 
strengthener for the legs,

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but one thing I love 
about this posture is

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it's about the strengthening
but also the lengthening.

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There's a nice balance there,
and it's a good challenge,

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and a great metaphor for life,
if you ask me.

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As always, please leave 
comments, questions below.

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Make sure you 
subscribe to the channel

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if you haven't already.

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up that newsletter, too.

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I hear it's 
really good (chuckles).

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Have a wonderful day,
enjoy High Lunge,

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and I'll see you next time.

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Namaste.

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(upbeat music)