- Hello everyone and
welcome to Yoga with Adriene.

I'm Adriene and this
is Benji and today we have

an awesome
practice for the spine.

So Yoga for Scoliosis
it's a big request

and it's a really good one.

It's a great thing to
bring people to the mat

so they can start
to tend to the spine

and then work out from there.

So hop into something
comfy and let's get started.

(light music)

Alright everyone
let's begin seated.

If you have a blanket or a towel

or a block you
might use it here today.

Just to lift the hips up so you
can find length in the spine

which is the focus
of our practice today.

So just start in
a nice comfy seat.

Just tune into your breath.

Tune into where
your body's at today.

Try to blanket yourself
in a little bit of love.

Love, love, love.

And sit up nice and tall

without forcing or kind
of jerking yourself around.

So just try to
find a natural lift,

that would be a nice
way of thinking of it,

up through the
base of the pelvis

all the way to the crown.

And we'll begin by
just noticing the breath,

noticing where you're at today

and accepting exactly that,
exactly what you're feeling.

Accepting the body

as it is, your body.

And whatever
your energy level is

just accepting exactly that.

And then trust me,
trust yourself.

Trust that this
time is valuable.

And I tip my hat to you for
taking this time for yourself.

Alright, let's
find what feels good.

Let's explore with the breath,
big inhale, open your eyes.

Exhale, you're gonna
send the legs out long.

Again lift the hips up high if
you need to, pause the video.

Lift the hips up if it helps.

You sit up with that lift.

So if you're here
you might consider

lifting the hips up high.

Okay for many years
I would never not sit

without a blanket
folded up pretty high.

So now I've built
strength around my trunk

to sit up tall with ease,
effortless on my own.

But it took a lot of practice

so feel free to lift the hips.

And then you're just
going to point and flex the feet

really fast here
nice and easy,

just a little wake up

and then go ahead and bring
that right heel all the way in.

Then we're gonna
take the left hand

and nice and easy
bring it to the outer edge

of the right knee or right thigh

and your right fingertips
are gonna come behind.

You're not gonna push
yourself into a twist here

but rather think of
the lift and the lightness

up through the
spine and then just play.

Maybe you turn to look past
your right shoulder, maybe not.

But don't compress, think
of lift, think of lightness

and we're wanting
to work all the muscles

of the back body here today,

not just oh squeeze and
twist, squeeze and twist.

So keep it effortless.
(laughing)

Try to find the ease.

And then check it out.

Keep your torso, or
your body where it is

but just slowly turn to look
past now your left shoulder

or look towards the
front of your yoga mat

and then we're gonna nod.

So drop the chin to the chest,

feel that awesome
stretch in the upper back body

and then look up, oh yeah

and then drop the
chin and close your eyes,

go inward, find
that yummy sensation

that happens when
you close your eyes

and quit absorbing
all the things around us

and we just go inside.

Awesome, then release
that, bring the head up,

chin parallel to the earth.

We'll bring the right
knee in, send it out long.

Bend the knees,
dig into the heels,

inhale, reach up, exhale,

modified paschimottanasana.

So the knees are
bent here for everyone.

You're just gonna drape your
front body over the lower body

and then drop the weight of
your head down with control

and just feel this massive
stretch in the back body.

Relax your shoulders down,

in fact actively pull
them away from the ears.

And then smell your knees.

Stay present with your breath.

If any sounds come
out, mm or ah, let them.

This is precious valuable time

that could make
or break your day.

Send you into a
whole new chapter.

A way, a different
way of seeing things,

you just never
know so stay open.

You're gonna
rise up nice and slow.

Then we'll bring
the left heel in.

Sit up nice and tall,
try to find that lift again

from the base of
the spine, the pelvis

and then right
hand will come now

to the outer edge of
your right knee, right thigh

and then again
careful not to go,

okay I know this posture, 
(wooshes), okay.

So we're working nice and
slow mindfully, keep the lift

and from the lift
see if you can move it

to look past your left shoulder

and if not maybe keep it
nice and even to the side.

And then keep playing here.

Maybe it slowly makes
its way up to the mid back.

To the thoracic and
then maybe you'll look past

the shoulder,
cervical spine but maybe not.

Breathing deep,
finding the lift still.

Both my legs are nice
and heavy and engaged.

They're not lazy bones
but they're nice and engaged.

And then keep this in the body

and just slowly turn
your nose, your gaze now

to the front of your mat past
your right shoulder perhaps

and then here we go.

Keep the lift up in
the heart, drop the chin.

Oh yeah, should feel it.

Pause here, close
your eyes and go inward.

Yes and then
keep the eyes closed,

you know what to do
here, lift the chin,

and then drop the chin

and see if you can do
it really really slow.

And this is
your massage therapy.

And to really find a
yummy stretch see if you

can bring your left elbow
in towards your back body.

Lift up through
the armpit chest.

Now we're dropping chin to chest

and then
lifting chin to the sky.

So awesome.

Alright bring it back to center.

Unravel, release.

Dig the heels into the earth.

Maybe this time the legs
straighten a little more,

but maybe not, maybe
keep it nice and bent.

I'll fix my pants here.

And then inhale the
reach up, find that lift upward

current of energy
through the front body.

Downward,
current through the back

and then we
slowly drape the belly

over the tops of the thighs.

Keep reaching forward this time,

reaching forward,
reaching forward,

reaching forward,
reaching forward.

Then stay here
reaching forward breathing deep.

It's like a superhero pose,

in fact go ahead and put your
palms down, just superhero,

like nothing's gonna
mess with you, you got this.

Tug the shoulders
away from the ears actively

and then drap
everything down, awesome.

Close your eyes.

Feel your breath
literally move you here.

Feel the skin of the back body
stretch as you breathe in.

Feel the lungs, chest,
ribs, back body expand.

And then everything softens
and gets heavy on the exhale.

Great, then tuck
the chin into the chest.

Slowly roll it up.

Nice and easy,
again wiggle the toes,

rotate the ankles, maybe shake
them a little side to side.

And then we're
gonna cross the ankles,

bring them in, cross them.

We're gonna just
bring the little blankie

or towel if you
had it to the side

and we're gonna come all the
way through to all fours.

Stack the
shoulders over the wrists,

hips right over the knees.

Inhale the drop the belly,
open the chest.

And exhale the round through.

Inhale the open the chest, cow.

And exhale, cat, round through.

Now close your eyes and
to the sound of your breath

do a couple more.

And then on your next inhale

come back to that
nice even neutral spine.

You're gonna plant the
left palm nice and firm

and reach the
right fingertips forward.

Then curl the left
toes under, send it back.

And we're just doing a
little spinal balance here.

You can stay here or you
can lift that left leg up

but it's optional.

Breathe here, tug
the right shoulder back,

try to create an
evenness through both the right

and the left side of the body.

Inhale and exhale.

And one more time.

Inhale, this time
look forward, find length

and exhale the
release, everything down.

Left fingertips reach forward.

Really claw through
the right fingertips

so no pressure in that wrist.

You claw through the fingers

to take that
pressure up off the wrist.

In fact lift your
wrist on the right

and then put it down
from there, yes beautiful.

I'm sure you got that right.

You're like "no."

let's just keep going.
Here we go,

left fingertips forward,
curl the toes under,

right heel reaches back.

So there's a couple
yoga for wrist videos

that you can check
out for that little ditty.

Then stay here
lifting front body

up to meet the back body.

Spinal balance or
to lift the right heel,

engage the right glute.

Breathe deep.

Press into the
top of that back foot.

Again claw through
the right fingertips,

one more breath,
inhale, look forward.

Find length and
exhale, release everything.

Bring the knees
together, really together,

arches of the feet together.

Then paint your yoga mat.

Look forward,
inhale, find length.

So open through the chest

and then exhale, Balasana.

Child's pose.

Allow the
weight of the shoulders

to really round over here.

And instead of
just being a posture

where you just kind of hang
out and wait and take a break

really see if you
can embody this posture

as a healing one for the spine.

So tuck your chin.

Give a little weight
in your hips, your bum.

Be articulate
through the fingertips

and the way you handle
the skin of the face, the jaw.

Then return to the breath.

Then slowly reach the
fingertips all the way back up.

And we'll come all
the way to all fours.

We'll curl the toes under

and when you're ready
take a deep breath in,

smile a little bit, life is good

and then exhale,
lift the hips up high

for our first Downward Dog
together, pedal it out here.

Lot's of awareness in the
hands, they're nice and wide.

Upper arm bones rotating out.

Elbow creases towards
the front of your mat.

Bend the knees generously,

breathe differently here.

The head is below
your heart space here,

absolutely that's
gonna effect your breath

so find the nuance of that.

Maybe turn the two
big toes in slightly.

And then inhale to look forward

and exhale,
ragdoll, step to the top,

just one foot
and then the other.

Feet are hip with
the part at least.

Nice and wide, and
then bend your knees.

Bring the belly to the tops
of the thighs and hang loose.

Then bring your hands
to the tops of the feet

on your next
inhale, halfway lift.

Find length.

And then exhale, fold.

Tuck the chin into the chest

and slowly roll it all
the way up to Mountain.

Pressing into the feet

and as you stack
your head over your heart

and your heart over your pelvis

really engage from the
lower body all the way up

so feel your feet really
pressing into the ground,

creating a nice strong base
for the spine as you rise up.

Tadasana.

Bring the hands
together at your heart.

Take a deep breath in.

And then exhale to
relax the shoulders down.

Twice more like
that, big inhale.

And exhale to release something,

anything that's been
kinda weighing you down

and one more time, big inhale.

Release.

Awesome, inhale
the reach for the sky.

Big flying V here, as we
exhale bend the elbows back,

little back bend here,

you're gonna
activate the upper back body,

engage the inner thighs
and lift your chest up.

So not going crazy here
but being really mindful.

Inhale, rise up,
head over heart.

Exhale, big W with the
elbows, lift your chest.

Great and then inhale, rise up.

And then one more time, big W,
activate the upper back body,

squeeze it in, engage
with the fingers, whoa.

And then inhale, reach up,

and then exhale to
bring it all the way down.

Inhale the halfway
then find that articulation

so don't rush,
lengthen and then exhale, fold.

Plant the palms,
step the right foot back.

Step the left foot back.

Little back
strengthener. (laughing)

You can squeeze the right knee
in towards the belly button.

Squeeze and lift and
then bring it back out

and then bring the
left knee into your navel

and squeeze and lift
and then bring it back out.

And that's it,
yay, lower the knees

and come all the
way onto the belly.

Awesome.

Here we go, Cobra Pose.

Hands in line with the ribs.

Actively tug the hands
back towards the heels,

squeeze the inner thighs,

sorry squeeze the elbows,

engage the thighs
and then here we go,

rolling up, tucking
the chin into the chest,

inhale, lift and exhale, lower.

Again inhale, lift.

When you rise up
pull the hands back

so your heart draws forward

and then exhale the release and
one more time find the ease.

And release, awesome.

Curl the toes under,
lift up, come to all fours

and then all the
way up to Downward Dog.

Inhale.

And exhale.

Great, inhale, lift
the right leg up high.

Exhale, just nice and easy,

you're gonna step
it all the way up.

We're gonna lower
the back knee down

and inhale, open
the chest forward.

Now you can stay nice
and low here, nice and low.

Or we're gonna bring the
palms together and rise up.

So if you're
really new to the practice

just stay nice and low.

Otherwise we'll squeeze
the inner thighs together,

bring the palms up.

And then if
you're feeling good here

you can curl
the back toes under,

keep them curled to
get that extra arch stretch

or root down, I like to do this,

root down through the back foot

so I really that
power lifting up.

Again that lift
that we were playing with

in the beginning
of this practice.

And once you feel
like you have support

and you have the
lift you're gonna inhale.

Reach the fingertips up high

and then exhale,
big W here, lift your chest.

Inhale, reach up, strong legs.

Exhale, slowly
bring the elbows in.

One more time, inhale, reach up.

And exhale,
bring it in, beautiful.

Now inhale, reach up,
palms come together

and we're gonna
take it into a twist

so bring the left elbow
all the way up and over.

Feel that big stretch
through the left side body.

Then we'll come into a twist

and depending on your energy
level you might stay here

or you might curl the toes under

and lift the back knee.

Now maintain that lift so
we're not dumping our weight

into the body,
into the foundation

but we're grounding,
we're rooting up from that

which is touching the earth
and really finding this lift

and it does
require strength building

but that's why we're here.

Inhale, exhale,
bring it all the way back.

Inhale the look forward,
drive your heart center forward.

Exhale the plant
the palms, step it back.

Inhale in, exhale,
belly all the way down.

You can also do
Chaturanga to Up Dog here,

but I'm practicing
with Cobra today

so bring the
hands firmly planted,

tug 'em back
and inhale, rise up.

Exhale to release.

Curl the toes under.

Lift to all fours and then
back up to your Downward Dog.

Inhale, lift the left
leg up high nice and easy.

Press into both palms evenly.

Exhale, step it up.

Lower the back knee.

Now if you're, again if
you're new to the practice

you can stay nice and
low here going, "Oh my gosh,

"I'm so glad I made it
this far through the video."

If you've been
with me for a while,

with the community practicing

or you're feeling
pretty good here

you'll just go to the next
bus stop but they're all good.

So there's all different
levels and they're all good.

Any time spent on
your mat is so good.

⍠So good, so good,
so good, so good

If you can name that song
down below you're my hero.

I'll sing it again so you know

⍠So good, so good,
so good, so good

Bring the palms together,
lift the chest.

So find that root in the back
foot if you haven't already

while I was singing.

Moving with your breath, so
really be true to your breath,

inhale, reach up nice and slow

and then on your
exhale squeeze everything in,

lift up from the
pelvic floor a big W.

Inhale, reach for the sky.

Exhale.

Front knee over front ankle,

squeeze the left inner
thigh in towards the mid line.

Inhale, reach up.

Exhale bring it in.

Let's just do one more,
inhale and exhale, bring it in.

Activate the upper back body.

Sweet, inhale, reach for the
sky, palms come together, Jai.

And then think up and over,
so big stretch in the right

psoas, right hip, right
side body should feel good

as you come into your twist.

So in time we'll want
to work to get the sternum

and the thumbs kind of
close to one another,

just a little goal post.

So that you're active in twist

and then again
depending on your energy level

you might lift
that back leg, inhale.

And exhale, and inhale.

And exhale to release,
awesome work.

Come back to your
nice little lunge.

Bring the right
knee to the ground.

Inhale, open the chest

and then exhale,
plant the palms.

And step it back.

So you can take an
optional belly to Cobra here

or an optional 
Chaturanga to Up Dog.

We'll meet in Downward Dog.

You can just go
straight there if you like.

Inhale in.

Then exhale release.

Then slow descend
of the knees down.

Then you're gonna come
all the way to the belly

and you're gonna
walk your fingertips

all the way up in front.

And then really
zip up the legs here,

so take your time to
really feel the pubic bone

pressing into the earth,
zip up the legs.

Inhaling and then exhale,
lift everything,

bend the elbows, cactus arms.

Gaze straight down, squeeze
and lift, squeeze and lift.

Breathing deep,
lifting the elbows.

Then take one more breath here.

And then you're
gonna slide your palms

as if they were
sliding on a counter top,

like a marble counter top.

You're gonna
slowly, really slow,

slide the hands all the
way back into airplane arms.

And when you get there
activate the upper back body

and slowly lift
your heart a little more.

Drive it forward, heart forward,
gaze a little bit forward

but nice and long in
the back of the neck.

Toes and
fingertips reaching back.

Crown reaching forward,
we're here for one more breath.

Lift everything a little more.

And then release,
come onto one ear

and just rock the
hips a little side to side,

soften the glutes.

Take a deep breath
in and then exhale,

turn onto the other ear
starting to cool it off.

And then from here
you're gonna lift the head,

the neck, the shoulders
and you're just

gonna come to flip
onto your back right here.

And when you
come onto your back

pull the heels in,

knees up towards the sky and
prep yourself for Bridge Pose.

Pressing into all
four corners of the feet.

Begin to lift the
hips up high nice and slow.

Walk the shoulder blades
underneath your heart space,

squeezing your thighs together

and press the
palms into the earth.

And lift the chest to the
chin and the chin to the sky.

Send your shin bones forward
and really hug the thighbones,

femur into socket here.

Deep breath in.

And long breath out to release.

Awesome work, hug
both knees into the chest.

Rock gently side to side.

Then keep your right knee in,
send your left leg out.

Inhale, exhale, Supine Twist.

Bend the right elbow,
breath deep.

Try to keep your
right shoulder on the earth.

Then bring it back to center

and take it on the other side.

Bring the left knee in,
send the right leg out long.

Supine Twist.

Try to keep your left
shoulder on the earth.

Then bring it back to center,

hug both knees into
the chest, Happy Baby Pose.

So grab the
outer edges of the feet

and then kick the
feet into the hands

and pull the hands down gently

so shoulders
really activates down.

Then lengthen
your tailbone forward.

Ananda Balasana.

So blissful baby here.

So find movement
that feels like that.

There's freedom
within the form here.

You can give a little
massage on the back body.

Balance out the
left and the right side,

maybe extend the legs long.

Remember that
it's all connected.

And for three
more breath cycles,

find what feels good.

And then when you're ready

let everything
spill out nice and long,

create a big X
shape with your body.

So the arms can
either go up and out

or gently at your sides.

But create a
shape that feels relaxed

and a place where you can
really surrender and be heavy.

This part is for the soul,
the mind and the body.

Allowing the nutrients of your
practice to really settle in.

Without you
having to do anything.

Thank you so much
for sharing your time

and your energy with me

and all the
other beautiful people

practicing around the world.

It's an honor.

We'll bring the palms together,

bring them up to the third eye.

Take a big inhale.

And exhale to
quietly whisper namaste.

(light music)