- Hello everyone and welcome to Yoga With Adriene.
I'm Adriene and this is Benji and today we have
a yoga practice to melt your stress away.
This is a really good practice to align and find what feels
good just in case your day is going poorly.
So hop into something comfy and let's get started.
(upbeat music)
Okay, my darling friends, let's begin in a nice seated
position on the ground.
So come on down to the earth, we'll get some of those earth
vibes and grounding vibes to help
transform the energy and
just your overall vibe.
Whatever's going on with you today.
So take some time, perfect that my voice is nice and low today
to guide this practice.
Take some time to just get settled in.
Whether you feel scattered or perhaps you've been kind of
moving on a rigid schedule and you need some time to just
soften and expand, let's take a moment to just sit up nice and
tall as you're ready and as you're comfortable,
close your eyes or soften your gaze
and just allow the sound of
my voice to guide you here for the next minute or two.
Allow the hands to rest gently on the knees of the thighs
wherever feels comfortable.
And then, see if you can align your head over your heart and
your heart right over your center of gravity.
So we're sitting up tall but were also bringing our awareness
inward to this line that runs
from the tail all the way up to the crown.
Alright, welcome everyone.
Start to deepen your breath
and just notice what's coming up here.
Maybe you already want to quit the video.
"Oh, I don't have time for this."
Let's stick with it.
Let's see how we can transform
or move our body and our energy
so that when we step off the mat we feel
balanced, aligned.
Continue to gently deepen your breath and again just see if you
can align head over heart, heart over pelvis.
So the practice of centering isn't always just as we all know
a flip of the switch.
So just really take this allotted time here to notice
your breath and align up through the spine and align with
whatever you're feeling today.
Now, on your next inhale
let the breath be big and full.
And on your next exhale, let it be long and as you do that,
big exhalation, relax the shoulders
and then just repeat that cycle.
Big, big full inhale,
find what feels good as you breathe in and
then on the exhale let it be long and lengthy and allow your
shoulders to relax
and notice how already perhaps there is an
invitation for the energetic body to soften
and just kind of lean into this practice.
It does a body good.
It does a soul good
to take some time to balance it all out.
Alright, just a couple more quiet moments playing
with that cycle of breath.
Big inhale and long extended exhale,
relaxing the shoulders.
You might start to sit up a little taller,
lifting your heart, opening your heart and mind.
Great, go for one more cycle.
Try to really listen to the sound of your breath
as you breathe in and out.
Awesome, then we'll drop the chin to the chest and you're
gonna open your eyes here, bat your eyelashes open
and continue nice buoyant breathing here as
we stretch the back of the head, the neck.
So a lot of tension, a lot of stress energy can collect in the
back of the neck, the shoulders
so we're gonna start tending to that right away.
Sitting up nice and tall.
If you're rounding through the spine here,
sit up tall do that center plumb line.
One more breath cycle here tugging the shoulders
away from the ears.
Awesome, then rather than just looking up towards the sky,
lead with the nose you're gonna imagine you're pushing a little
ball of yarn forward.
You're gonna shift forward all the way,
draw a big line with the nose all the way up.
Head over heart, heart over pelvis.
You come back in alignment and then drop the chin to the chest.
Here we go again, big inhale.
Smoothing the heart forward, leading with the nose.
Look all the way up.
Create space through the front of the neck.
Stretch, stretch, stretch.
And then exhale, chin to chest.
Now we can start to round through and kind of exaggerate
this movement as it works for you and you're body.
Inhale to lift up, and then exhale to round through,
chin to chest.
Now keep it going.
Sync up with your breath.
Stretching through the front side of the neck as you inhale
perhaps and then look up.
And then exhale, stretching through the backside,
chin to chest as you round.
So it doesn't have to be a huge movement here.
Allowing yourself
to connect to the subtle body,
not just the big gross movements all the time on the mat.
Really tuning our listening skills, yes.
Let's do one more, big inhale.
Long exhale and then we'll come all the way back to center.
Sweet, bring the palms together, Namaste.
Breathing deep.
Head over heart, heart over pelvis.
And just notice where your thoughts go and then as you
really use your breath to keep coming back to this
moment of meditation, this moment of observation
see if you can tap into a little inner smile.
Particularly helpful if you've
been having a rough day thus far.
Great, take one more breath here.
Maybe tuck the chin just a little.
Lean back.
Nice, then we'll release the fingers to the sides.
Nice and easy breezy.
Plant the left palm, reach the right fingertips
all the way up and over.
Reach up and over.
So we're not really cranking into the posture but creating
space as we move into
the side body stretch.
Up and over, one more breath.
Then all the way back to center and the same thing.
Right hand comes down, think up and over.
So rather than just cutting into the pose.
Create space, play with it
and then find your side body stretch.
Continue to deepen your breath, don't worry about how it looks.
Focus on the sensation, how it feels to get the most out of
your practice and this precious time for yourself.
Take one more breath and bring it all the way back to center.
Again, hands come together.
We'll quietly whisper Namaste.
So so much power in Namaste
because you're recognizing
the divine or the highest in yourself while still
acknowledging it in everyone else.
Particularly helpful when you feel like kind of everything is
working against you.
But Namaste reminds,
you that we're one
and we're working together.
And that's the beauty of this channel, too.
That we're all practicing together.
So we're owning our stuff while still recognizing,
ah, we're supported.
Now we'll interlace the fingertips.
We're gonna press the palms forward, up and back.
Inhale, keep that gesture moving all the way up.
Pinkies go all the way back.
You're gonna lift, lift, lift.
Engage the pelvic floor.
Lift up, up, up. Take a deep breath in.
And a long breath out.
Keep it lifted, deep breath in.
Relax the shoulders as you breath out.
Now once more, big breath in.
This time as you exhale, release the fingertips,
bend at the elbows and then
pull the tops of the hands back,
back, back as you stretch through the pecs here.
So you could take a Mudra here if you like.
Otherwise, just nice awareness in the fingertips as
you lift up through the chest.
Draw the shoulder blades together.
One more breath, you got it. Pull the elbows back.
Sit up nice and tall. Lift up from the pelvic floor.
Great, now with awareness,
slowly closing the elbows together.
Palms come together and back down to the heart.
And we quietly whisper, you can close your eyes here.
Namaste.
Beautiful, alright come forward on to all fours.
Take your time.
Move nice and easy like you love yourself.
You should definitely start to feel really good that you're
taking this time for yourself instead of just adding more on
to your plate, your load.
This is a smart choice so feel good about that choice and
really take this time for yourself.
Drop the belly, open the chest, inhale.
Exhale round through the spine, chin to chest.
Claw through the fingertips.
With your breath inhale, drop the belly,
open the chest, open the throat.
Exhale round through.
Tuck the tail, press into the tops of the feet.
Once more, inhale, open the chest,
open your heart.
And exhale rounding through.
Cat Pose.
Breathe out.
Beautiful, inhale, you're gonna come to a neutral spine.
Claw through the fingertips or
you can always come to fists here.
Here we go. We're gonna connect to that center plumb line.
We're gonna get realigned here, balance it all out.
Press into the top your left foot firmly and then you're
gonna slowly lift the right knee.
We're just gonna draw big circles
with the right knee one way.
Now, don't rush this.
Nice and slow.
Creating space in the lower back,
opening up through the hip of course.
Finding a little core stability.
Then once you've established one way,
let's go and reverse it.
Take the other route. Reversing the circle.
Notice if you're collapsing into your joints here.
Can you lift up?
Tuck the chin, just as we did before.
Lengthen through the back of the neck.
Sweet, then we're gonna come down.
You're gonna take a Child's Pose in-between here so bring the big
toes together, open the knees wide.
Carve a line with the nose, inhale,
drop the belly, look forward.
Find this shape.
Great, then round through the spine
and take it all the way back.
You're gonna press into the fingertips,
lift the wrists up for a nice stretch through the forearm.
And then melt your sweet heart down.
You can find a soft sway here or you can allow the head to just
rest heavy into the earth.
Take a moment here to really breathe in with intention.
So, if you like, you can inhale lots of love in.
And same thing as you breathe out,
lots of love out.
Intentional breath. Inhale, lots of love in.
Opening up through the chest and shoulders and exhale,
lots of love out.
Sweet, draw your navel up to your spine.
From there, move from your center
all the way back up to all fours.
Reestablish a nice Tabletop Position
with a nice neutral spine.
Press into the top your right foot and then here we go,
lifting the left knee this time.
Big circles, oh yeah.
Now careful not to rush.
I love a good song or good you know push
but that's not what we're here for today.
Listen to the sound of your breath.
Don't let anybody rush you here.
Trust that this time is super valuable.
Notice if you're clinching in the jaw or the forehead.
And then notice that you've established one route and then
we're gonna switch it up, go the other way.
Also a nice little move for your abdominal muscles
and for your glute muscles.
Yeah, yeah.
Alright, and then slow and with control,
we'll lower that down.
So left knee comes in alignment with the right knee.
Wrists are right underneath the shoulders.
One more time, drop the belly, open the chest.
Cow Pose.
Breathe in and then exhale, round through,
chin to chest to Cat Pose.
Nice, inhale.
Nice neutral spine and check it out
you're gonna now take the right toes.
Stretch 'em all the way out, so straighten your right leg.
Now you're gonna rock front to rock back.
Stretch through the back of the leg.
And then here we go, from your center
so careful and to just sling your leg.
How you move is everything so nice connected
transitions here, movement.
You're gonna integrate with your breath,
keep breathing as you slowly bring
your right foot all the way up.
And if you have to use your hand to bring that foot up,
awesome, do it. No biggie.
Then track that front knee over the front ankle.
Just working with a little detail today to focus our energy
and our mind on this movement
and not on what's going on off the mat.
And then you're gonna slowly bring your hands up to Namaste
or Prayer Position right at the heart.
Keep that front knee over the front ankle.
And then you're gonna actually make sure those toes are not
curled under today but you're gonna use the top of the foot to
really ground down.
Start to feel that opening through the front of the left
thigh and the hip crease up through the psoas,
as all that good stuff.
And then to support that stretch,
we'll squeeze the inner thighs in and you should feel
a sense of power here.
So even if you feel an intense deep stretch,
feel how you can connect to your power,
your inner support system, by hugging into the centerline.
So we get really stressed out you know,
our nervous system starts to fray,
cortisol levels start to change fast
when things get too spread out. Right?
It's too taxing on the inside
so use this very simple shape
to find that support from within.
Lengthen your tailbone down, lift your heart up towards the
sky and then if you can engage your core here.
So imagine maybe your lower ribs
getting really heavy and hugging in.
Make sure you can see your front big toe.
Inhale, lift the sternum to the thumbs and exhale,
relax the shoulders down.
Inhale, maybe you draw a line with the nose all the way up
towards the sky and exhale draw your shoulder blades together.
Imagine you're pitching a pencil just behind your heart space.
Awesome, one more breath here.
Press into the top your back foot, you got it.
Inhale, create length, space.
Then exhale, relax the shoulders down.
Nice, slow and with control take your heart forward.
Fingertips come to the mat. You're gonna lift the back knee.
Stretch left heel towards the back edge of your mat.
Notice if you're collapsing on yourself here.
Even if you're having a hard day let's see what happens
we slowly start to open up
and keep this awareness from the crown of the head
to the tip of the tail.
Tip of the tail.
Pull the right hip crease back. One more breath.
Really lift your left knee up, up, up.
And then slowly lower down.
Plant the palms.
Just come right back to that Tabletop Position.
Nice, neutral spine.
Alright, you're doing awesome.
Inhale, drop the belly, open the chest.
Now check it out, stay here.
This time time stick your tongue out as you breathe out
and look up towards your third eye.
Once more, the ultimate stress buster, dudes.
Here we go, Lion's Breath. Inhale, drop the belly.
Exhale, tug the shoulders back, stick your tongue out.
Sweet.
Draw the navel up to the spine and as you're ready curl the
left under, stretch your left leg out.
If the muscles are a little tight,
little sore you can rock a little front to back,
and front to back.
And when you're ready with intention,
we'll bring that left leg all the way up.
If you have to use your hand, awesome, do it.
Own it.
Own it all is the idea.
Be aware.
You know owning it is just really having the awareness and
having the lens of love on, you know?
Squeezing to the midline, as you're ready,
track front knee over front ankle.
We'll bring the palms together in Namaste.
You might even quietly whisper to yourself again,
Namaste.
So I'm going there but you know when we do things like that it's
just a little reminder, even subconsciously,
that the words we speak to ourself
are the words we speak to everyone else.
We're all a reflection of one another.
You know, how we treat ourselves
and how we care ourselves matters.
How we talk to ourselves kind of depicts how we speak to others.
The vocabulary that's available.
So you know, Ru Paul says it best (clears throat)
but here we go. Squeeze into the midline.
So we know the actions, we've done it on one side.
See if you can play with it on this side.
So the first thing is like okay, there's the stretch and the
second thing is oh, how am I gonna be here for
longer than a breath?
Okay, I got to find my anchor which is in the back foot.
I got to connect to my inner support system.
I'm not looking for it outside of me.
It's right here.
Then align everything by squeezing into the midline,
hug the inner thighs in.
And then as you're ready you can begin
to lift the sternum up to the thumbs.
Staying connected to your core.
Make sure you can see your front big toe and then once you feel
like you have your foundation, maybe then you carve a line with
the nose forward, up and back.
Again, press into all of your back foot.
Let that be your anchor.
Press into that big toe and pinky toe.
Find your full expression here today.
Focus on what's going on here right now.
Big breath in.
Relax the shoulders down.
Big breath out. One more time, big breath in.
Maybe draw the should blades together.
Big breath out.
Sweet, now slowly with control, send your heart forward.
Fingertips come to the mat gently, with care.
We'll curl the right toes under, lift that back knee and really
stretch, stretch, stretch your right heel towards
the back edge of your mat.
Front knee stays over front ankle.
There's this attention to detail not to get it right
and not to just be safe.
Of course, we want to be safe in our body because moving with
intention on the mat
provides us with a vocabulary and the
experience to move with intention off the mat.
So you don't have to be so stressed out and out of control.
We can dial it back in.
It happens though, I know. Inhale, look forward.
Lift your back knee up, up, up.
And then exhale, plant the palms.
Yep, we're gonna do one Plank so step the left toes back.
Strong Plank Pose.
So this is a pose that can cause a bit of stress.
So find your breath here.
Tug the shoulders away from the ears.
Find that length in the side body that we created before.
Find the length in the front of the neck,
the back of the neck, that we created before.
Now, lift your heart up, stretch your heels back and then send
your gaze slightly forward as we're here for five.
Breathe deep, four.
Three, two, soft landing on the one.
Lower the knees.
Bring them together, really together.
Inhale to look forward, lift the wrists.
And then exhale to swim it all the way around and down.
Balasana, Child's Pose.
Awesome work.
Close your eyes.
And once again, befriend your breath.
Feel the rise and the fall of your spirit.
Your guide.
Such a powerful tool in this day and age.
(laughs) Especially.
Relax your shoulders, relax your neck.
And once again, inhale lots of love in.
Exhale lots of love out.
Alright my friends, now draw your hands nice and slow
back underneath your shoulders.
And close your eyes
and think of this next movement as a Phoenix
rising up from the ashes here.
So press the tops of your feet into the earth.
Really feel your hands on your mat.
And connect to the ground as you slowly begin to rise up.
Then we'll slowly make our way
to a nice, comfortable seat.
Back to one.
Sit up nice and tall here.
Allow the hands rest gently wherever they naturally fall.
And just take a moment here to take stock.
Oh, my, my, my.
How a little really does go a long way.
Tap into that inner smile again. You should feel proud.
Happy.
Supported.
And I admire and respect you
for taking this time to tend to it.
Take a deep breath in
and exhale, relax the shoulders.
Bring the hands together at the heart one last time here today.
Palms in Prayer Position.
You can take this moment to set a little intention for yourself.
You could maybe finish the sentence,
"I choose..."
Something unique and authentic to your energy
and where you're at today.
Something positive and supportive.
Then consider it already done, already so and we'll sign off by
bringing the thumbs right up to the third eye.
Take a deep breath in, long breath out.
Thank you so much for sharing your time and your energy with
me and with all the beautiful people around the world
practicing here together.
We'll take one final breath.
Sit up nice and tall and exhale to bow.
Namaste.
(upbeat music)