- What's up party people and welcome to Yoga with Adriene. I'm Adriene and this is Benji. And today we have yoga for manual labor. So this is going to be a great practice for anyone who uses their body a lot throughout the day. This is also a really great one if you just need some stretch and chill and some restores. This is a great one to wind down. So hop into something comfy and let's get started. (upbeat music) Alright my darlin', let's begin laying down, yay (laughs). Take your time, getting all down to the ground. Get down nice and low and we're gonna bring the feet as wide as your mat and allow the knees to fall into center. A lot of you have done this before but if you haven't, you want to get a point where you can relax. You don't have to hold your legs up so you can really let go. The femur kind of comes and snuggles into its place here and you might even start to feel little stretch through the tops of the thighs already. And then I hope you have your shoes off by now, you hard worker, but if you can also take your socks off today it might be a good idea to really just allow your feet to breathe and be barefoot. Alright gently but physically press into your head, lift your chest up off the ground and then we're gonna just draw the shoulder blades in and down so we're not gonna force anything but we just want to create a little space. So we don't focus right or wrong here. Just create space. And then allow your hands to fall where everything naturally falls, that feels really good. So it could be cactus arms. It could just be blah to the side, hah, could be down at your sides. So I want you to just really come into a place where you can start to relax and let go. (inhales) And if you are really low on energy, its okay. You'll just make do with what you've got but try to just focus on being present instead of I don't know if this was the right video or this and that. It's all good. I think this time is valuable no matter how you put it. So tuck your chin into your chest, take a deep breathe in. (inhales) And use this big old exhale to just arrive here now. (exhales noisily) So whatever it is you do, with your body with your spirit and your focus, let's use this time to counter all that great work, hard work and restore. Close your eyes and notice your breath. See if you can take longer inhales (inhales) and see if you can extend the exhales to be a little longer, a little smoother. Again if you get sleepy, weepy here that's all good. Let's just see what happens staying in the moment. You don't have to perform or meet any task here. Just use your breath (exhales noisily) to enjoy the ride. Keep the feet where they are. We're gonna bring both knees over to the left. (inhales) You'll start to feel a deeper stretch in the top of the right thigh, stretch through the psoas here as you reach your right knee towards the front left corner of the mat (inhales). You can relish a little compression the left glute. And soften through your feet. Make sure you're not gripping through your toes. Make any adjustments as needed with your arms and then take a deep breath in. (inhales) And a long juicy breath out. (exhales noisily) Great, connect to your core just a little bit to protect the joint, navel draws in. We are always moving as one connected being, one moving part. This awareness will help you in your job whatever it is you do and then take it over to the other side, nice and slow, experiencing ah what it feels like to take the knees to the opposite side and breathe nice, long, full, deep breaths. (inhales) Again notice if you're clenching anywhere or you might have a little tension (exhales noisily). Continuing to ride the wave of the breath. We'll inhale in and use an exhale to connect your center, your abdominals and come all the way back through. Awesome, walk the feet together then we're gonna lift the right leg up and send the left leg out and you're gonna interlace your fingertips behind your right thigh and just slowly, you don't have to bring it straight, but slowly send the right leg up and then bring it down (exhales). And try to sync up with your breath, bring it up. (inhales) And bring it down (exhales noisily) and then that's the structure but you can start to find a little freedom within that so you can start to squeeze the leg up a little closer towards your face. You can start to point and flex the foot. Rotate the ankle. You can spend a couple of breathes here with the leg extended up high, allowing the blood to flow opposite directions. This is really great if you're on your feet all day. And just keep the shoulders relaxed, chest open. (exhales) After a little bit of time here, we're gonna bring the hands to interlace on the shin and then we're gonna squeeze the right knee up towards the right shoulder. So you're gonna open your right knee up a little bit here. Great and if this is too much for the legs, you can bend the left knee, bring the left foot to the ground and breathe here. Otherwise extend that left leg out long. Take a deep breathe in (inhales). This should feel awesome as you exhale guide the right knee over towards left side body. You might hook your right foot on your left inner thigh and then open up your right arm so far to the right today that you can almost if not maybe bring your right shoulder down to the ground. Inhale lot to love in (inhales noisily). And exhale lot to love out (exhales noisily). Slowly bring it back to center, squeeze right knee all the way out this time towards your heart space a little further in. And then peel your nose up towards your knee and point your left toes. And your right toes. (inhales) Stretching the tops of the feet, we're engaging the muscles in your belly and sending more awareness up and down through the spine with each breath creating more spaciousness, one more inhale and then exhale release, oh yeah. Oh yeah! Bring the left leg up, right leg out. Here we go. Interlace the fingertips behind your left thigh, take your time. Here we go, bending left knee, squeezing it in towards the chest or in towards your face and then just extending that leg up. Start to activate your both legs. So that you know the structure here, bending and lifting. This can be a little, not a little, this can be a lot different for everyone. So I'm not asking you to come into this yoga shape but rather to really find what feels good or find what serves your body best today so you might not straighten the leg here. You might keep it nice and bent. You might maybe on your feet all day enjoy sending the leg up and letting it stay there for a couple of breath cycles in and out, in and out. (exhales noisily) You might start to rotate the ankle. (exhales noisily) (inhales noisily) Everyone deepen your breath (exhales noisily) (inhales noisily) nourish thy soul with full deep breaths. Cuing the brain oh its time to chill, relax, soften restore balance, yeah! Yeah! And then when you're ready we're gonna release interlace on the shin and squeeze left knee up towards your shoulder. Enjoy this time on the ground. Love the ground, breathe deep. (inhales noisily) (exhales noisily) (inhales noisily) (exhales noisily) And then supine twist, here we go. Left knee is guided over towards the right. Which should mean the heart space down in the ground and reach out towards the left. You could hook your left toes and your left, excuse me, your right inner thigh and breathe deep here. Such a fabulous release but the breath is really what makes it loving, kind, beneficial. (breathing slowly) Awesome, guide it all the way back through. Beautiful, this time we're gonna squeeze left knee up towards your heart center, your figurative heart space and point the right toes, point the left toes and peel it up (breathing noisily). Breathing deep (breathing noisily). And then we'll release. Awesome both feet come to the ground here, Bridge Pose. We're gonna send the toes towards, point the toes towards the front and you're gonna walk the heels up towards your fingers and then you're gonna imagine you're squeezing an imaginary ball between your thighs so there's a little bit of engagement here as you life the tailbone, slowly up, and slow and steady hips lift up. We reach the glutes towards the back so that the knees sorry, getting really in the zone here. (breathing noisily) And then slowly release it down so as a new teacher, its kind of really helpful to do the movements and talk but then once you really train yourself and practice as a teacher to guide people and just really guide them with your voice its hard to actually do both at the same time. (inhales) Two more, here we go. Setu bandhasana, press into the feet and just let this be restorative. You don't have to power up and squeeze the glutes like you would in gym class. Just slow and steady. Let it be about the articulation of the spine as you press into all four corners of the feet, lift the tailbone and slowly make your way all the way up. Lift the chest more towards the chin and then lift your chin up towards the sky. Inhale in, imagine that ball or that block between your thighs and then slow and steady, articulate and gentle release. Yes! One more time, inhale, lift the tail bone up. (inhales noisily) Yogis, try this time, if you want to interlace the fingertips behind you, walk the shoulder blades underneath, find your bind. Lift and squeeze and maybe chest to chin and chin to the sky. (breathing noisily) Inhale (inhales) exhale to cue your release nice and slow and steady. Wonderful. Walk the feet together here. We're gonna allow the knees to slowly open (inhales) bring your hands to your belly and close your eyes and just take a couple of solid breaths. In and out. (breathing noisily) Cool, we're gonna slowly turn to one side any side Yogi's trace come through fetal position and then we're gonna press slowly all the way up and we're gonna send the legs out long. Oh yeah feel the blood flow here. If you need to lift your hips on something you can just make it a little bit easier to sit up nice and tall. And then when you get there, you're gonna lift the knees just a little bit so that you can dig the heels into the ground and we're gonna inhale reach for the sky and exhale, think up and over as you come into a Forward Fold, Seated Forward Fold. So start with a little bit of focus with the breath and the back (inhales) send breath into your back but you should literally be able to feel your breath, stretch the skin of your back here. And once if you like you got the ticket you can of course take your gaze away from the video and bring your head toward the middle of your legs. If it doesn't make it, no problemo, no problem. See if you can use your breaths to create more space. I said breath, it sounded like breast but I meant breath. Relax the shoulder. And then in your own time, if it's right for your body today so I wanted to serve you today for sure, you might start to straighten your legs, but if that seems more like a task and not something that would feel really great, then lets ditch it today, but you can try to straighten the legs. (breathing noisily) And just keep listening, what feels good, what serves. (breathing noisily) Awesome then slowly release, you're gonna catch the right knee. You're gonna hug the right knee into your chest send the right fingertips behind and big lift up through the heart, inhale, exhale, twist. Left foot is flexed, strong left leg, inhale in (inhales) and exhale twist (exhales noisily). Beautiful, now from here, you're gonna bring that heart center back to stack, head over heart, heart over pelvis. We're actually gonna cross the right ankle over the top of the left thigh and you're gonna lean back and we're gonna come into a little figure of four here so you can adjust your stance. Fingertips are pointing towards your body. We're gonna stretch here lifting through the upper chest, lifting, lifting, lifting, you can walk your booty closer to your heel for a deeper stretch, inhale in, exhale release (exhales). And this time we'll hug the right knee. That's the left, hug the left knee all the way up and in. Left fingertips come behind and we twist to the left. I do declare inhale lift and lengthen, exhale, turn into your twist. One more time, inhale squeeze and lift (inhales). Exhale (exhales noisily) twist. Awesome bring it back to center. Cross the left ankle over the top of the right thigh. Bring the fingertips behind, lean back. Laid back and we come into our figure four here. So this side will be different. You may not get as close to your heel as you did on the other side but just check in and stretch the shoulders. We are also stretching through the forearms and the hands, the wrists, breathe deep, breathing if your body is kind of shaking here, prana style, that's the ticket, you are not weak, you are strong and oh so alive. Take one more breath, inhale, lift your heart, and then exhale gently release everything. Fabulous work, okay from here we're gonna inhale, sit up nice and tall. You're gonna bend both knees, bring both feet to the ground. And then we're gonna slide the right, its wrong with me today, slide the left leg all the way underneath coming into gomukhasana legs or cow legs. So left heel is gonna come in, right leg's gonna cross over and you might stay here or you're gonna continue the journey bringing the knees a little more in alignment by coming forward and then sitting back. And then I'm really suggesting that you just stay upright but if you want to come forward, of course you can but find a little opposition. So even though we want to enjoy the stretch and the restorative aspect of this, we have to stay a little active. So draw the navel in and up, lift your heart. Again it is an option to bow forward, but for most this would be enough here. (breathing noisily) Awesome, awesome, now inhale reach for the sky. (inhales) Exhale you're gonna take your fingertips to the left and behind you. You're gonna lift up the bum. You're gonna bring it all the way around keep the toes of the feet really in and come all the way to gomukhasana on the other side of the legs. Now you should have the left leg on top. You'll make your same adjustments by coming forward to get the knees together. And then sending it back. Same thing, definitely acknowledge how this side is different. Oh okay (breathing noisily) (murmurs) and then we return to the breath. (breathing slowly) Alright from here we're gonna cross the right ankle over the left and come all the way through. We're going to Downward Facing Dog. We're not going to be here long 'cause I know the arms are probably tired. We want to give a little bit of an inversion here to help pick you up so lift the hips up high get your head underneath your heart space and pedal it out and just use these breaths here to really (inhales) stretch and find what feels good. Use the breath to really anchor your attention and the sensations of your body, press into all fingerprints (inhales). Then we'll lift one leg up, doesn't matter which one, all the way up (inhales). Rotate through the ankle, bend the knee, open up, (exhales noisily) and then lower it down (inhales). Next leg all the way up (exhales noisily). Breathe, press into both palms evenly. Maybe bend the knee. Open it up. Then all the way down. Then lion's breath here we go. Don't let me down. Don't let yourself down. Inhale in (inhales noisily) then exhale lion's breath tongue out (exhales noisily) and one more just in case your missed it. Inhale in (inhales noisily), lion's breath tongue out (exhales noisily). Awesome slow and with control knees will come all the way to the ground. We will swing the legs to one side. And come all the way back to lying down. Nice work. Alright so when you get there, you can let the lower body start to relax, really, really relax in Shavasana. So from the waist down just kind of shake it loose, let the muscles grow, heavy, heavy, heavy. Cool, you're gonna take your right hand, use it draw it across your chest here take your left hand to guide it a little deeper down, start to stretch through the arm, the shoulder, and again lower body is starting to really get heavy and relax. (breathing noisily) and then come back to center. Lower body still heavy and we take the left arm over (breathing noisily). Relax. Awesome, then you're gonna take your hands, interlace the fingertips. You're gonna press the palms forward up towards the sky just really stretch, stretch, stretch through the palms and if you want to maximize the stretch try to bring your thumbnails and your pinky nails if you have them towards your face and plug the shoulders down and then press your knuckles up towards the sky. I don't know if its just the mood I'm in but staring at your hands like this for a little while is kind of trippy. Its kind of like when you write the same word over and over and it looks weird. Alright from here, you're gonna love this next move. Inhale and keep the lower body really relaxed. And then exhale bend the elbows, bring the hands up and behind the head, create a little pillow for your head, open the elbows wide you can extend the thumbs and give yourself a little head massage, little neck massage. (breathing noisily) Take a deep breath in. Smell your armpits, those pheromones we haven't showered post-work. Man you are amazing human (inhales) so good. This is the good stuff. Way to take some time for yourself to restore. A little really does go a long way so (inhales) I hope you feel awesome or you are on the way to feeling a 100%. I admire you if you're taking time to practice and this one is for my friend Kailey and for all the people who get out of bed and put their best foot forward. Say yes to adventure, trust the flow (inhales). You can stay here or you can slowly release the arms, gently at your side and just allow everything to grow heavy and soft. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in. (inhales noisily) And exhale let everything go. (exhales noisily) Thank you so much for sharing your time and your energy with me and the Yoga with Adriene community. Please share this video or another practice with someone you think might benefit from it and I'll see you next time. Namaste. (upbeat music)