- What's up everyone? Welcome to 31 days of Yoga Revolution. I'm Adriene and it's day six! And the practice is awareness and abs. Six pack abs. Chka-chka-chka-chka -chka-chka-chkhhhh. Let's get started. (upbeat music) Alright my friends, let's begin in a nice, comfortable seat, cross-legged or maybe you try kneeling today. Come into a seat, get down on your mat, start to tune in to the sound of your breath right away here as you sit up nice and tall. And we're diving in today, day six is always one of my favorite days. And as you sit up nice and tall, tuck the chin slightly in, perhaps imagine you're leaning up against a wall, so nice and long and tall in the spine. And then see if you can listen to the sound of your breath as you inhale. And see if you can hear your exhale. So before we move the body today and before we get ripped, just kidding, see if you can just drop in and listen to the sound of your breath, become more aware of your breath. And then as you invite more awareness in, just slowly begin to nod the head, but don't kick the head all the way back crunching in the neck. In fact, see if you can stay leaning up against that wall, so it's kind of subtle here, perhaps imagining drawing lines up and down with the nose. So no head banging here. Do that on your own time, okay? This is our awareness practice. (laughs) And then shake the head no, and then just keep it soft and easy, so again, we're not really trying to check off the yoga tasks, but rather, cultivate an awareness so that we're really listening and paying attention. So it's kind of easy, especially in the yoga asana practice to just try to fit the structure. You see a picture or an image and you want to match that image, but we actually end up losing and missing out on all the yummy stuff that yoga has to offer. So today's all about honoring, cheerleading that awareness practice and paying attention to what's really going on. Alright, bring the head back to center stillness. We're gonna sit up nice and tall. Take a deep breath in. And use the exhale to relax the shoulders down. Then inhale, send the fingertips forward. Spread the fingertips super wide, so lots of awareness in every fingertip. And then exhale, tug the shoulders back, plug the shoulders into socket and lift your heart. And we'll do that two more times just to play. Inhale, reach, spread the shoulder blades, your wings flare out here. And then exhale, plug the shoulders in. And then one more time, stretch and reach, and exhale, shoulder blades draw in and then maybe down the back body, awesome. Long, beautiful neck here. Inhale in, smile, or tap into that inner smile. Important when doing core work. And then exhale, send the fingertips down, Thriller arms. So you can find soft, easy movement here. If it feels good, you can cross and get a little creative here. Feeling that stretch in the forearm while still maintaining that awareness in the shoulders and plugging them in and lifting up through the center channel. Alright, flip the script, if you need a little more you can take one hand to the opposite fingers for a stretch. Chuw, chuw, chuw. And for many, especially if you're new to the practice, I just want to acknowledge that it's hard to sit up this straight for this long. So with practice it becomes second nature, but I want to acknowledge that if you're new to the practice, because I remember when I first began yoga asana practice, just even being able to sit up tall, even all through the beginning of my teacher training, it was like, oh my gosh. But now, my muscle memory and my awareness is that I can kind of cultivate this lift with ease, so that's the goal anyway. Alright, so after you've done some work in the arms and the wrist and the hands, take the hands out, find this L-shape with the index finger and thumb, and then maintain that as you again, keep the shoulders plugged in. And then we're just gonna turn the right fingertips out to the right as if you're opening up a jar or turning a doorknob without clasping it. (laughs) Hey-o. Yeah, and then see if you can acknowledge, have awareness in the shoulder that this is moving as one part. So the top of the shoulder, the upper arm bone moves with that rotation of open and close, open and close. And then try it with the other hand. If your arm's tired, you can release right hand. Try it with the left hand opening out. And you can even exaggerate it a little bit, so you can feel, and if you're tight in the shoulders, I actually recommend really exaggerating it so you can go oh yeah. There's somethin' goin' on there. Of course, it'll be different for everyone. Alright, let's do both just for a little fun. (grunts) Cool dance moves, where'd you learn them? Yoga with Adriene. Okay. (laughs) A true revolutionary. Okay, here we go, and hands are probably getting tired, so let's take 'em forward and apply this rotation to all fours. Deep breath in. Exhale all the way forward. Feel the blood rush down. Come to your tabletop position. Big cleansing breath here as you inhale. Exhale, press away from your yoga mat and pay attention to how you place your hands. Then remember that rotation here as you draw the upper arm bones out and away and lift up through the chest just like we did in seated position. Then don't forget about the feet. Press into the feet, here we go, Cat-Cow, so playing with that rotation of the shoulder, today it's gonna be really important. The bony part of the elbow is pointing back. Rooted through the index finger and thumb, let's stretch the belly. Inhale, tailbone up, heart open. Maybe you gaze up towards your third eye. And then exhale, rounding through. Start at the tailbone and really find articulation up through the spine. Don't blow through this. Inhale, drop the belly. Shine your heart forward. Feel the muscles of the belly stretch here. Start to have more awareness of sensation in the belly. And then exhale, press into the tops of the feet, rounding through the spine, Cat Pose. Inhale, drop the belly, keep going here with your breath. Press into your hands. And exhale, rounding through, Cat Pose. Really get a good stretch here. Lots of awareness in the back body, in the muscles of the back body. Let's do one more. Are you breathing? Are you moving with your breath? Exhale, rounding through. Fabulous, come back to tabletop, nice, neutral spine. And then nice and easy, drop the elbows where the hands are and walk the knees back for Puppy Posture. This is a great stretch. This is a great place to come to if you need a break during today's practice. Opening the shoulders. Forehead comes to the mat, and you can find soft, easy movement here or let the body be still and let the power of the breath move you, yogi's choice. Mm, highly recommend wiping your mat down with some lavender before your practice, or after. I'm smelling mine now and it's a big plus. A-plus. A plus. Okay. (laughs) So, tops of the shoulders roll out. Keep that rotation here as you hug the navel up to the spine and slowly slide through, slide into home. Sphinx Pose, press into the tops of the feet. Press into the pubic bone. Don't let the shoulders collapse here, but keep that rotation and that awareness in the hands. As you inhale, open the chest. Now a little grace note here. Engage the upper abdominals. Hug the lower ribs in. (exhaling breath) And maybe tuck the chin, find length in the back of the neck. Breathe deep here. I mean this with the most love and kindness and friendship, but what are you waiting for? If you're not breathing, breathe deep, take your vitamins. Make the most of this time for yourself. Alright, one more breath here in Sphinx Pose. And then curl the toes under. Inhale, smile. Exhale, light it up! ♫ Dun nun nun dun nun nuh ♫ Forearm plank Alright, rock front, rock back. Lift the knees, lift the hips. And broaden through the upper back body. Hug the lower ribs in. Reach the crown of the head towards the front. Reach the heels towards the back, and we breathe here for five, breathe deep. Four, press into the hands. Three. Two, long, beautiful neck. And one. With control, don't collapse here, we're gonna slowly lower the knee and send it back to Puppy Posture. Inhale in. Exhale, sigh it out. Awesome work. Lift the elbows one at a time. Root down through your index finger and thumb, and slowly peel it up, Downward Facing Dog. Alright, let's stretch out the legs here. Play with that rotation of the shoulder, rooting down through the index finger and thumb. Give the feet some love here. Start to really drop into this time for yourself. Who said a workout couldn't be mindful and full of awareness? Should serve your mind and your body. And if you're open to it, your spirit, dang it, your soul, because you're worth it. Okay, one more breath here. Fabulous, then walk the feet together and inhale, lift the right leg up high. Exhale, knee to nose, rounding through, think Cat in the upper body. Inhale, lift it up, three-legged dog. Exhale, rounding through, right knee to right tricep. Inhale, lift it up. Exhale, cross it over, right knee to left tricep. Last one, you got this. Inhale, lift it up, three-legged dog. And exhale, all the way up and into your lunge. Lower the back knee if you need to catch your breath. Loop the shoulders, and we're gonna come all the way up. Inhale, reach the fingertips up towards the sky or hands can always go on the waistline. Feel the belly stretch. Maybe you start to grow a little backbend here, pressing into the top of that back foot. Big breath in. Exhale to release. Plant the palms. Keep that rotation of the shoulder here, and remember your two pickle jars opening. So you might even play with maybe taking your index finger towards the front edge of the mat today instead of your middle finger just to play. Alright, step it back to plank. Strong plank here, so press away from your yoga mat. Notice if you're lowering in the hips here or if your shoulder blades are collapsing. Lift up. Bring your heart space up between your shoulder blades. Bring the back body up towards the sky. We're here for five, breathe deep. Four. Three, press away from your yoga mat. Two. And one. Slowly lower down to the belly, this time Cobra. Big inhale lifts you up. Hug the elbows into the side body. And exhale to release. Curl the toes under. Inhale to plank or all fours. And exhale to Downward Facing Dog. Inhale in. Exhale, let it out though the mouth. Walk the feet together. And inhale, lift the left leg up high. Claw through your fingertips. Exhale, nice and slow here. Carve lines through space, knee to nose. Cat Pose in the back. Inhale, lift. Exhale, left knee to left tricep. Now upper body's in plank. Inhale, lift, three-legged dog. And exhale, cross it over. Left knee to right tricep, don't rush. Inhale, lift, spread the left toes. And exhale, step it up into your lunge. Feel free to lower that back knee. And catch your breath. Crescent lunge, whenever you're ready. Back knee lowered or lifted. Inhale, reach the fingertips up high. Maybe you create a backbend here, Anjaneyasana. Really rooting through that back foot if that's the route you're playing on, and then use a exhale to release. Plant the palms. Again, lots of awareness in the shoulders and the hands. One moving part. And when you're ready, step it back to plank. Alright, this time we're here for 10 seconds, so really from the ground up press away, refine, get organized, tap into that inner smile here. And here we are for 10. Breathe deep, nine. Eight, life is good. Seven, index finger and thumb rooting down. Six, breathe deep. Five, long, beautiful neck. Four, reach the heels back. Three, lift from the inner thighs. Two (laughs) and one. Slowly lower down all the way, Cobra lifts you up, inhale. Pull the elbows back. And exhale to release, Child's Pose. Press up to all fours. Knees together or wide, yogi's choice. We take a rest. Close your eyes here, my friend. Observe your breath. Beautiful. Slowly coming back to all fours, nice and slow, aware of every movement, every sensation. Keep paying attention. Downward Facing Dog is where we'll meet. Take your time. Lots of awareness in the hands. Alright, so hurdles. So, imagine there's a little hurdle or a big hurdle in the middle of your mat. Pull my drawers up. And then I'm gonna initiate this from the belly, from that core space, from my center. So from Downward Dog, hips are up high. I'm gonna draw the navel in and up, Uddiyana Bandha even. Finding that lift, that engagement, that lock, and then continue that journey all the way up through the spine, finding articulation in the upper back body, and then come to plank. Inhale in, rock forward. Exhale, reverse it, so finding that articulation all the way back. Heels drop down towards the ground. Keep it going, inhale, lift the heels. Draw the navel in and up. Claw into the earth. Rotation in the shoulders here, nice and strong. Plank pose, inhale, rock forward. And exhale, take your time. Claw into your fingertips. Full body strengthener here. We'll do two more. Inhale. Do two more on your own, just listen to the sound of your breath. Don't give up, stick with it. You got this. And after your last one, slowly come onto all fours and thread the needle. Inhale, look forward. Exhale, right fingertips come in and underneath the bridge of the left arm. Take a rest here, breathe into your upper back body. You can choose any variation with your top hand. I'm gonna bend the elbow. Just allow the blood to flow to my wrist in a new way. It feels like a wash of fresh blood (laughs) to my fingers. Whoa, okay. Slowly release, come out, and we'll take it to the other side. Left arm comes underneath the bridge of the right arm and then again, find what feels good with that top arm. Awareness through the feet, the hips, the pelvis. One moving part, inhale, rise up. Alright, last thing, and then we'll flip our burgers and come onto our backs. So, here we go. Side arm plank or Vashistasana. So, consider all this beautiful work you've been doing from the crown to the tail, the line of the spine, the danda, and we'll plant the right hand to the center line. Find the rotation of the shoulder, so start from all fours so you can really work from the ground up here. Root index finger and thumb. Find that upper arm bone rotation, and then you can actually even stay on your knees here, and bring the left foot to the ground and stay on your knee and just work on this rotation, maybe opening up, hugging in. Or maybe you keep the left foot on the ground and bring the outer edge of the right foot to the earth and lift the hips up. Or maybe you stack the feet and start to open up towards the sky. You can keep your gaze down or take it up or out. Everyone work on the rotation of that shoulder for stability, and then breathe into your belly. Strong in your core. You can take any variation here that you like. You can also grow variations the more you return to this practice. We'll take three more breaths here, you got this, stay focused, calm in the face, find that ease. And then we'll slowly release and head straight to the other side, you got this. Left hand comes down. Find a variation, play here. You're not stuck either, so you can start here maybe, or maybe take the arm up and overhead, Vashistasana. But, making sure you're strong and stable in that shoulder, stacking it over the elbow, elbow over the wrist, pressing into that index finger and thumb. Activate the upper abs. Lengthen the tailbone towards the heels. Take any variation that feels good. Everyone lift your hips up towards the sky. Take one more deep breath in here, you got this. And then exhale to release. Awesome, knees as wide as the yoga mat. Namaste shark fin here to find a little relief in the wrists, so palms come together, you walk the elbows towards the front edge of the mat, and then you send the hips back, head down, heart melts. So for more of a stretch in the triceps, you can walk the elbows forward. Of course this is gonna be different for everybody. If this does not feel good to you, maybe just sit up tall, come to cross-legged, catch your breath. And then slowly, we'll release, and come all the way to our backs. Great work everyone. So right away, as you come onto your back, send awareness to the lower back body. So, especially in my culture, but I think in many cultures, this energy around the belly, the tummy, the abdominals is, well you don't need me to tell you, it's out of whack. There are children on this show now, watching this show, so I have to keep my mouth clean, damn it, no. And so, the focus today is on awareness, so it's not just about anatomical awareness, it's about the awareness and the relationship we have with our bellies. And so, whatever that means to you, just kind of think about that. I think that this'll come up off the mat and if you aren't already subscribed to the emails that come with every day of Revolution Yoga, then you should subscribe, because this day six email is important. So go ahead and bring your hands to your belly, how 'bout that, and just start to breathe into your hands and a lot of you have heard me mention my friend Kim, who just once, more than once told me, "You gotta listen to your guts and trust that." And that's always really resonated with me and stuck with me, and when it comes to yoga, I like this idea of treating my guts kindly. Side note, if you aren't taking probiotics or tending to your gut health, you probably should get on the train, 'cause that has changed my whole game. Anyway, we store a lot in the body and the way that we think about our bellies is often quite sad. We're always sucking in or tightening or hiding, and so, even though I make jokes about six pack abs and stuff like that, I want to be sure that we're also all taking responsibility for our own happiness and the way that we think about our bellies and what we teach our children, and et cetera, et cetera, read the email. Alright, let's work out! (laughs) Tuck the chin into the chest, lengthen the back of the neck. Kinda takes the edge off too, because we're gonna work hard here, but it's an ongoing process. This is 31 of days of practice. Alright, scoop the tailbone up and send awareness to the lower back. Oh, that's what started me off on this tangent was it's great that we're thinking about building the core muscles, but why? So we want to be able to walk and stand and run and dance, and carry our groceries and our neighbor's groceries, and so for that we need a healthy back, right, we need to have our own back. So that would be a good reason to build the muscles of your core. Alright, take your imaginary block, grab it, and put it between your legs. And then squeeze your imaginary block here. Yeah. (laughs) We don't need any props. Okay, squeeze your imaginary block, and then leave it there, and then bring your hands back to your belly, and just see if you can press into your feet. Scoop the tailbone up and squeeze your imaginary block without tightening your bum, your glutes, okay. So it's an awareness that's a little bit hard to teach through video, not in the room, so just play. Imaginary block, scooping the tailbone up, basically you're finding some support and you feel your lower back flush with the mat. Fabuloso. Interlace the fingertips, bring them behind the head. Create a little neck hammock for yourself, elbows nice and wide. Then, keep the lower back stamped to the mat. Lift the heels and try to imagine that you're squeezing your block up the whole way as you lift, oh yeah. So it's very different than just coming here and then slamming through your exercise, so moving with this insane awareness, or at least working on that, that's the practice. Navel draws down, squeeze your block, scoop the tailbone up, lift of the heels, and slowly, this is going back to one of our early practices, moving from a place of connect. Alright, inhale in. Exhale, lift your heart center, your chin, and your eyeballs up towards the sky, not towards your knees, up towards the sky. Beautiful, and just check this out. Notice if the elbows have come in. Maybe you're used to doing a crunch, and then scoop your tailbone up, squeeze your block together, try to keep your shins parallel to the ceiling. (laughs) Parallel to what? Alright, one more breath here. Just feel it all coming together. Tyin' the room together here. (laughing) Alright, and then inhale, lower. Big breath in, exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. And each time you're trying to recreate that tying the room together. Inhale, lower. Exhale, draw the navel down, lift the tailbone up. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Let's get into a groove. Inhale, lower, gaze straight up. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Lower back stays flush on the mat. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Keep it going with your own breath. Focus on the quality of movement. Keep an awareness in the lower back. Gaze straight up, maybe up at your third eye. So we're not crunching in the neck. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Now back to that Sukha, that ease in the face. And awareness in the toes. And five more seconds. And last one, and then release. Give yourself a great big hug. Rock gently side to side, awesome work. Stay in the zone, keep breathing. And then we bring the knees back up over the hip points or slightly in front, so we often try to fit ourselves into that shape, that image, so on ab day, it's actually a really perfect day to think, oh wait, why am I really doing this? To have a healthy back? To be able to live a nice life of longevity and health? Or to look flat-tummied in my favorite sweat pants? It just seems so ridiculous, right, so pay attention to your back. (laughs) So, even though the shape may look like this in the magazine, for me, I really need to bring my knees slightly forward to feel that snugly wugly of my lower back on the mat, so that I really am connected. Alright, here we go, come back. Inhale. Exhale, lift. This time, and you have options here, you can just do yogi bicycles. So we're gonna cross over, we've been here before. Or we're gonna straighten both legs and scissor the legs. So scissor bicycles or yogi bicycles, yogi's choice. Inhale. And then exhale, lift. And then here we go, crossing over. Inhale at center, exhale, cross over. So it's either yogi bicycle or scissored legs. Inhale, back to center, lift the tailbone. Exhale, twist. Keep it going. Inhale to center. Exhale, twist, so the yogi bicycles are just a variation that's a little bit different. The scissors is a little more challenging. Lots of awareness in the toes. Inhale to center. Exhale to twist. Inhale to center. Exhale to twist, keep it going. Neck nice and long. Establish that length each time you come back to center. Nice, soft, easy, happy face. Listen to your exhale when you twist. Draw the navel down as you breathe out. Fabulous, five more seconds. Even it out. And then release. Beautiful, hug the knees into the chest. Awesome work. Dunnin-nun-nun-dun-nuh! Alright, eagle legs, bring the left foot down. Right leg to cross. It can stay here. Or it can wrap around. And then you're gonna drop the left toes down and just shift both your hips over to the right, and then come into a little eagle twist here, or again, just right foot over the left. Alright, then this time, fingertips are gonna come to the temples, 'cause it looks cool. Just kidding, or it can come behind if you want a little more support. And again, you don't have to come into the eagle legs, you can just come here. Alright, let's work the obliques. Inhale, find length. Exhale, lift. Try not to crunch too hard here, but keep an awareness of the back of the neck. So, maybe take your gaze straight up or for this one, it can go out in front. Just be aware. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift, keep it going. Elbows stay wide. Let your awareness be on your breath. Let your breath move you. Inhale to lengthen. Exhale to contract. Tap into that inner smile here. It's a symbol of your amazing personality. A symbol of your own, true inner guiding light, and I believe that actually, I really stand behind that, the power of the inner smile. Man oh man, it'll get you through some days. Keep it going, five more seconds. Do one more. And release. From here, come through center. We're gonna windshield wiper the legs back and forth just a couple times. Take the feet wide. Sigh it out. Maybe some horsey lips, always takes me out of the tension zone. (lips sputtering) Just do it. Alright, and then other side. Right foot down, left leg crosses over. This is our last exercise, so give it your all, nice, mindful breath. Eagle legs or just one leg over the other. Press into your right foot, lift the hips up over to the left. Mmm, yeah. Mic pack. And nice twist here. Ooh, that feels so good after yesterday's practice, amazing. Inhale, tuck the chin. Find length. Again, fingertips to the temples. Or, maybe you create that neck hammock again. Here we go. Inhale, find length. Exhale, hug the lower ribs in, lift up. Don't crunch here. So keep it isolated here in the oblique. Chk-chk-chk-tth-tth. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Lots of awareness on the breath. Hear your breath, let it guide you. And inhale, lower. Exhale, lift, you got this. Lift your chin up towards the sky. Create a full body experience. So we're not just slingin' our body up and down, but we're really having a strong awareness in what's going on in these muscles as they draw in on the exhale and lengthen on the inhale. Draw in on the exhale. Lengthen on the inhale. The neck should not be hurting here. So we started practice imagining we were sitting up against a wall. So find that length in the back of the neck here. Have lots of awareness of your sweet, cervical spine. Alright my friends, you got this, day six. We are amazing! I'm amazing, you're amazing. Here we go for five more seconds. And elbows wide. And do one more. And release. Windshield wiper the legs. Bring your hands to your belly or your ribs. Give it a little pet. Hmmmm, beautiful work. Then walk the knees in. Take that imaginary block, put it between your thighs again, and then just a little stretch of Setu Bandhasana, so snuggle the shoulder blades underneath your heart space. You can grab the outer edge of your mat here for funsies, or press the palms into the earth. Inhale, start with the tail, lift up, lots of awareness in the spine, so we're not just hurling the hips up. You can do that elsewhere, but slowly lifting. So why not tone the glutes while also giving the spine, the line that literally holds us up, some love? It's a bit hard for me to go to classes where I'm just slingin' my butt up in the air and tightening, because I want my glutes to be bootylicious, but I'm really not paying any mind to my spine. So all I'm saying is can we do it all with awareness? Take one more big inhale in here. See if you can really feel your belly stretch. You might even see it, yeah it's so nice. And then release. We're changing the way we think and our patterns will actually bring us back to the mat more often, and we'll reach our goals, I think faster and with more ease. Alright, send the legs out long. You've earned this Shavasana. Our final and most important posture. Send the legs out long, arms out wide. Take the deepest breath you've taken in all day and throughout this whole 31 day journey, take a deep breath in. And exhale, sigh it out with a little sound. (sighing breath) Let's do it one more time, don't be shy. Inhale. Send your sigh all the way to Texas, let me hear ya. (sighing breath) Close your eyes, trust me, trust the video. Great work today. So as we continue on our journey, stay alert. Let the focus now be on the awareness in each posture. Pay attention. You do this on the mat, you'll definitely be doing this off the mat more often. (light music) Gently draw the hands together. The awesome in me bows to the awesome in you. I'll see you tomorrow. Great work. Namaste. (light music)