- Hey, everyone.

Welcome to Yoga with Adriene.

I'm Adriene.

This is a request from the community.

We're trying a little Yin out today,

so this is a simple,
at home, Yin practice.

This is a great intro to Yin,

beginner's Yin, great for everyone.

You're gonna need some pillows,

you're gonna need a blanket.

Get something comfy and let's get started.

(upbeat music)

Okay, so let's begin by bringing a blanket

or a pillow right underneath the hips.

So, today, with Yin at home,

you're gonna need to kind
of just go with the flow.

We're all going to be
using different materials,

different props,

so that's what our yoga
practice teaches us, too,

to just kind of be present in the moment

and to work with what you've got.

So, whatever you have
to put under the hips.

And it's kind of fun, you know?

We're just kind of using what we have

and we know we don't need anything extra,

kind of circling back to
doing the work inside.

We don't need anything but rather

that we have everything
that we need, if you will.

Hopefully, by now, you've
come to sit on something

and we're going to bring the
soles of the feet together.

Take a second here to start
to notice your breath.

Hopefully, you're sitting
on a pillow or a blanket

or even a block.

Then, I'm purposefully
using not just bolsters

and Mexican blankets, typical yoga props,

because I want us to all practice using

what we have at home.

So, that said, if I was at the studio,

I'd take my Mexican blanket
and I'd roll it up longways

like a bolster but for today,

I'm just going to take
whatever blanket you have,

or a towel even,

and you're going to roll it up so

it's a nice tube of some sort.

Then, I'm going to bring
it on top of my feet, okay?

Again, try to stay easy-going about

figuring these things out.

It's going to be worth it once we get it.

So, roll with me here.

Get it to the top of your feet and then

I'm going to take one end in

and underneath the ankle

and then the other end in
and underneath the ankle.

So, you should end up with
two ends of the tail here.

And again, I'm purposely
using kind of a difficult

blanket for this because I
think we should learn how

to kind of make these
things for ourselves.

This reminds me of being a kid and

if you ever made a fort as a kid,

you're trying to get the sheets up and

find different ways to get
your sheet fort to stay.

So, it's like this.

In my opinion.

So, you have these two tails here and

what you do is bring the soles
of the feet really together

and then just tug the two tails here.

Up and under.

It should feel really good.

Then, sit up nice and tall.

Bend the elbows and just tug the two ends

of the blanket up and

then release them.

Great.

You can grab a pillow or two

and we're going to bring
them all the way up

so it just depends on the
height of your pillows.

Bring them all the way up and onto

our set-up here.

Then, I'm going to inhale.

Sit up nice and tall.

And then, think up and over,

so try to create a length in the side body

as you think up and over
and slowly melt down

into a fold.

Begin to deepen your breath.

Soften the skin of the forehead.

Relax the jaw.

Begin to soften and relax the muscles

of the neck and the shoulders.

Allow the hips to grow heavy here.

Tops of the thighs melt down.

We'll begin the process of surrender,

letting go.

Take two more deep breaths.

Then begin to move the
tongue around in the mouth.

Begin to wiggle the toes.

Gently, roll it up.

Head over heart,

heart over pelvis,

we being to open up through the chest.

Every so gently, we'll take the pillows

and just put them to the side.

Unravel the blanket.

Put it to the side.

Stay on your seat cushion and

we're going to lengthen the legs out long.

Grab the pillows here,

returning them right
back to the hip creases.

Go ahead and walk the heels
so they're hip-width apart.

Think up and over here.

Snuggle your make-do home bolster

up to your belly.

Sit up nice and tall.

Take a deep breath in.

Again, think up and over
so lift the heart up

and then forward fold.

So, if you find your need
a little more space here,

you can use your blanket.

Just find a place that feels good.

Then, let it go.

Soften through the toes.

Relax your shoulders and again,

we surrender.

Notice if you're gripping anywhere,

holding, tightening.

Allow release and let go.

Beautiful.

Stick with it.

Take two more breaths, nice and slow.

Full breaths.

Begin to move the tongue around,

maybe touch your teeth with
the tip of your tongue.

Begin to move the toes

and the fingers.

Slowly, roll it up.

Nice and slow, gently.

Take the blankie to the side,

pillows to the side.

I'm going to slide off our pillow seat.

Bring that one underneath
the backs of the knees.

I'm actually going to
go for another pilllow.

So, one pillow behind the knees

and one pillow for the head.

Nice and easy, come to lie flat.

Get situated here.

You can add as much as you want here,

you can keep it nice and simple.

Left hand's going to come
just up to the heart space,

right hand to the belly, lower belly.

Let the ankles soften, feet soften.

Close your eyes.

Begin to deepen your breath.

If you want to take your blanket

and cover your eyes with it here, you can,

or if you have an eye pillow,

you can use it now.

Soften through the jaw and

maybe say the mantra here.

"I surrender."

As you breathe in,

see if the hands can rise.

Connect to the power of the breath.

Then, they fall gently on the exhale.

So, notice the sounds that are around you.

We can't always just have Japanese flutes

playing in the background,

in this day and age, especially.

So, just take in your soundscape.

Stick with your breath.

We'll take two more full breaths here.

Slow it down.

Then, nice and easy,

trace the fingertips outward.

Bring the arms wide.

Palms face up here today.

Extend the arms, stretch
through the chest.

You can feel your
shoulderblades on the ground.

Nice and slow, I'm going to draw the toes

up and in and then out.

So, windshield-wipering.

An official yoga term.

Little windshield-wipering of the toes.

I'd like you to close your eyes and

imagine what's going on in your hips.

See that ball and socket.

See it rolling as you turn the toes in,

and then toes out.

Knees out.

One more time.

Great.

Try to stay soft in the belly here,

soft in the pelvic area, the groin.

Turn the left toes in,

bend the left knee,

slide the left foot up.

Same thing with the right.

Turn the toes in, bend the right knee,

slide the left foot up.

You can snuggle your
blanket or your bolster

right underneath your bum here

or you can pull it out.

Okay, then slowly scoop the tailbone up.

Lower back becomes flush with the mat.

It should feel good.

We're going to extend
the right leg up high

and cross the right ankle over

the top of the left thigh.

So, from here, we're going
to thread the needle,

bringing the right fingertips
in through the hole

and then we can either use
our bolster blanket here

to tug or we can just kind of ignore it.

Keep it there as we interlace
behind the left thigh

and pull in here for
Reclined One-Legged Pigeon.

Take a deep breath in.

Deep breath out to relax the shoulders

and let everything go.

Surrender to the sensations of the body.

Stay present.

Pay attention.

Soften through your sense organs,

so no gripping in the jaw,

no clenching of the brows.

Maybe part the lips a little.

And, remember where your
hand was on your belly,

your hand on your heart.

Send breath down as you inhale

and then let it release
up and out on the exhale.

Take two more breaths.

Then, begin to wiggle the toes,

move the tongue around in the mouth.

Release the fingertips and

nice and slow, with control,

extend the right leg all the way up.

Straighten and then back down.

And we switch.

Left leg up towards the sky,

crossing left ankle over right thigh.

Thread the needle.

Left fingertips in through the hole here.

We find our shape,

the place where we can surrender.

Soften places where you might be gripping.

Send awareness.

Send breath

to the places that feel tight.

Listen to your body.

Stick with it.

Keep listening.

Listen to your breath.

Go inward.

Take two slow breaths more.

Go ahead and pull your
blanket or your pillow

out from underneath your legs.

Come onto your side and
roll onto your belly.

It should feel really good.

You can roll directly onto
your belly from where you are.

I'm just going to flip here.

We're coming into a Sphinx pose,

so take a second to rest on your belly.

It should feel really good.

You can use your pillow.

Then, when you're ready,

draw the heels in line with the hips,

elbows in line with the shoulders.

I'll move the pillow just so you can see

where my arms are in case
this posture is new for you,

but you can keep your pillow where it is.

Find your foundation here.

Draw the chin to the chest and then,

press into the tops of the feet,

press into the elbows,

press into the palms.

Wrists are in line with the elbows.

We're really pressing into the Earth

as if we were trying to tear
the yoga mat in half here.

Press into the tops of the feet.

Press into the pubic bone but

be careful not to clench the glutes here.

So, find a softness.

Find an ease.

Maybe even a little sway here at first.

Bring calm into your body.

Not clenching the back of the neck here

but keeping length,

so tuck the chin in here.

Close your eyes and breathe.

Surrender to this posture.

Soften the jaw.

Stick with it.

Stick with your breath.

Stay active in your arms
but find your softness.

Visualize your spine.

Just two more slow and full breaths here.

You got this.

Stick with it.

Notice what's going on in the body,

what's going on in the mind.

Slowly open the palms and we'll release.

Take a rest on your pillow here,

forehead down.

Just a breath or two.

You can shake the hips a
little left to right here.

Shimmy in the hips.

Big breath in and big breath out.

Slowly, lift your head up,

come back to your side and

we're gonna roll over.

Grab the block.

Our final pose here.

So, a supported Bridge.

I'm going to take the block
at its highest level here.

I'm gonna walk it right
underneath my sacrum here,

hips--

excuse me, heels in line with the hips,

hip points, knees in line as well.

Still stay conscious
of your alignment here

even though we're kind of soft and easy.

Okay and then I'm going to
interlace the fingertips,

snuggle the shoulderblades underneath

and press into all four
corners of the feet.

If this is too much, you can also

bring the block at a lower level,

or even at the lowest level.

If you do not have a block,

I encourage you to--

I'll do that with you, actually.

If you don't have a block--

I have a plethora of stuff over here.

If you don't have a block,

then we're gonna inhale,

lift up, press the palms into the Earth.

Snuggle the shoulderblades

and hold here.

Fill it with the power of your breath.

We're not going to be here long.

We got this.

Lift the chest to the chin

and then lift the chin towards the sky.

If you're on the block,

take two more breaths and then release.

If you're not on the block,

go ahead and release and

take your final two
breaths with the hips down.

Beautiful.

Gently, release the block.

Everyone come down.

Walk the feet to the
outer edges of your mat

and allow the knees to gently melt inward.

Hands come to the hips here

or the belly and we soften everything.

Let go of everything.

From here, we're going to

go into our relaxation,

our neutral pose that you can use

every day, in your bed.

Just taking conscious
moments in shavasana,

at night time before you go to sleep.

Incredible.

So, nice and slow,

sitting yourself up for that,

whether it's bringing the pillow

back underneath the knees.

Also, a pillow or a blanket over the hips

or you can just go full-on burrito.

Soften through the toes and
the fingers and the tongue.

Open your mind and open your heart.

Give thanks for your body and your breath.

Give thanks to yourself
for taking this time,

carving out this precious time

for self-care and for practice.

I truly believe that
if we all do this more,

and it is a practice, it is tough,

I truly believe that the
world would be a better place.

Thank you for sharing your time

and your home practice with me.

Please share your experience down below

but for now,

close your eyes.

As a friend of mine says,

dream and drool.

I love that.

Namaste.

(upbeat music)