- Hey everyone, welcome to Yoga With Adriene. I'm Adriene and this is Benji and today on the Yoga For Weight Loss series, we're connecting to the entire body and promoting a healthy flow of prana or energy that runs up and down the spine. So this is a really mindful and conscious way of getting strong and lean and tone so that you can feel good because when you feel good, you look good. Let's get started. (upbeat music) Alright my darling friends, let's begin in a nice comfortable seat of your choice. Get down nice and low and as you just slowly start to arrive here for your practice find what feels good in the hands, in the shoulders, in the neck. Trust yourself, trust the video, trust me, your humble guide. And close your eyes. Just take a quiet moment here to take stock. Notice how you feel. The invitation today is to really just move with the breath and to consider perhaps this idea that the breath is your spirit. Now before you turn the video off, just hang with me and ask, what if the breath was your spirit. Could we perhaps reconnect to that notion. And so, just meditate on that, think about that as you slowly gently start to deepen the breath, maybe connect to a more audible breath. What if your breath were your spirit after all. When you stop breathing, what happens? So when we say move with your breath today, it's not just the vinyasa, but it really is moving from a place of connect, moving with your spirit. The idea is that if we become more practiced and more conscious of breath as spirit on the mat, we'll be able to tap into that a little bit off the mat using the breath as we move through life, but also being conscious in the way that we speak to one another and share. So hopefully by now you've taken a couple deep breaths in and out through the nose or through the mouth. You're sitting up nice and tall. You're gonna draw the hands to the heart and as you're ready, just gently bow the head to the hands, the head to the heart. And feel that great stretch in the back of the neck and again, ask yourself, what if your breath were to be regarded as your spirit because again, after all, what happens when you stop breathing. So just play with that today, if you want, you can also just ditch it. But an opportunity, a little invitation to move with your breath as if it were your spirit. Would you cut it short, would you ignore it, or would you keep coming on back to try to figure out what it is, who it is, how it feels? Let your spirit guide the way. We'll slowly lift the head. We're gonna come to all fours, take your time, tabletop position. Wrists underneath the shoulders, knees directly underneath the hip points, press away from your yoga mat and lengthen through the crown of the head. Inhale, drop the belly as you're ready. Open the chest, Cow Pose. And with your breath exhale, rounding through, chin to chest, really lifting up your heart space. Inhale, drop the belly. Listen to the sound of your breath as you open your heart and exhale fully chin to chest. Front body lifts up to the back body. One more time inhale, Cow Pose. Press away from your yoga mat, create space, and exhale rounding through. Chin to chest, crown to the earth, create space. Awesome, inhale, come to center, bump the hips to the left, turn to look past your right shoulder. Inhale, exhale to center, bump the hips to the right. Turn to look past your left shoulder. Inhale, exhale back to center. Beautiful, we're gonna curl the toes under here. Keep pressing out of your hands so your not collapsing into your wrists here. So you're really lifting up through the chest. Okay, curl your toes under, inhale in. On an exhale lift the knees and let them hover. We're tugging the hands back and we're tugging the toes forward to light a little fire, a little agni in the belly. Tuck the chin slightly, gaze down, neck is nice and long. We're here for five, four, count faster Adriene, three, two, and one. Lift the hips up and back, Downward Facing Dog. Now find a little movement here that feels good. You can peddle it out through the legs. Listen to the sound of your breath. Nice and loose in the head, the neck, rather. And then you're gonna take the soft, slow, conscious movement all the way up to the top, baby steps, walking through to a Forward Fold. When you get there, bend the knees generously and continue to listen to the sound of your breath, your spirit. The goal of today's practice is to really get a healthy flow of energy or prana moving throughout the body. So it's more than a stretch here. Blood is flowing to the head. And with each and every breath, we're bringing fresh oxygen. And then when you're ready, we'll begin to slowly roll it up and press into your feet so much that that's what sends you rolling up through the spine. So energetically you're feeling your feet, just really press away from the ground and there's a little resistance just yielding as your rise up strong. Lots of awareness now from the soles of the feet, up through the head. And you can just take a couple moments here to find what feels good in the neck, be mindful, maybe the shoulders. Just take a couple moments to be you, scratch your face, fix your pants, whatever you need. And then I'll meet you, the hands together at the heart, Anjali mudra. And right away, we've been practicing this a lot lately on the channel, but just decide what feels good, really active arms today or soft arms. And there's just a thoughtfulness, you make a choice, you really commit. And each time you come up after your flow you can reconnect and mix and match. But, just making sure you're not going into that autopilot. Then reconnect with your breath. We'll take an inhale in and this time as you exhale SH sound out through the mouth. Give it a try. Empty, empty, empty everything out. So much so that your next inhale is just naturally buoyant. Inhale and exhale, sigh it out. We'll do that little cycle again, big inhale in through the nose. Exhale SH sound empty it out. (shhhing sound) Empty, empty, empty, empty, empty, empty, empty, everything out empty. So much so that your next inhale is just naturally buoyant, almost a passive inhale. And then sigh it out. (sighs) Awesome, on your next inhale, reach for the sky. Spread your fingertips, really feel your feet on the earth, big stretch here and then exhale rain it down, Forward Fold. With the breath, inhale, halfway lift. Find length. Just take a couple moments here to check in with the shape today. So extension through the crown, really reaching the tailbone towards the back edge. You wanna create a nice long line from the crown to the tail so we're not collapsing, but lifting the front body up to meet the back body. Think of a figure seven and then break free of that shape and just find little soft movement here. You'll take one more breath, maybe find more length in the neck and then use an exhale to fold. Inhale, reach for the sky, big breath. And exhale, hands to heart, namaste. Soft knees, inhale, reach for the sky. Exhale, forward fold, all the way down, soft bend in the knees. Big inhale lifts you up halfway. Find that length in the neck and then exhale, fold. Beautiful, inhale reach for the sky. Big stretch, really maximize the stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch, and then exhale hands to heart. Without looking keep the chin lifted, you're gonna bring the feet together. So, place you eyes on the soles of your feet. Wacky, and then here we go, inhale, reach for the sky, feet are together. Exhale, Forward Fold, bend the knees as much as you need. Inhale with the breath halfway lift exhale with the breath Forward Fold. Bend the knees, fingertips come to the mat. You're gonna step the right toes back and lower the right knee onto the earth. Walk it back if you need a little more then everyone loop the shoulders, become light on the fingertips, and inhale look forward. Exhale, peel the left toes up, pull back through the left hip, crease half splits or Ardha Hanuman and you can walk your fingertips right underneath your shoulders here or to intensify the stretch you'll walk it inline with your left heel. Walk them in line with your left heel. Inhale to look forward and then exhale draw the chin towards the chest, nose towards the navel. Rolling through your left foot, inhale come forward, then exhale, we're gonna plant the palms, lift the back leg and step it back to plank pose. Inhale, press away from your yoga mat, peddle it out if you need to. Find what feels good. Remember that length in the neck and then on a big exhale send it up and back Downward Facing Dog. Deep breath in. Long breath out. Baby steps to the top again rolling through the whole foot stretching through the achilles, meet your back at the Forward Fold, feet together, really together. Big inhale lifts you up halfway, your version. Exhale to soften and fold. Beautiful, this time step the left toes back. Nice and slow mindful movement here. Lower the left knee. Loop the shoulders, inhale, grow light on the fingertips, open your chest. So you're finding a little activation through the upper back body here so you can open up through the collarbones, the chest, the pecs, your heart. Then take one more big inhale here and exhale soften, slowly draw your chin to your chest. Flex your right toes toward your face. Pull back through the right hip crease, Ardha Hanuman, half split. And inhale look forward, open. Exhale, chin to chest, soften inward. Rolling through your right foot, inhale come back to that nice low lunge. Open the heart, the chest forward. Deep breath in and then exhale plant the palms, lift the back knee, step the right toes back. And this time we're gonna come to plank nice and strong and then when you feel like you have your foundation, you're gonna turn onto the right edge, excuse me, yeah the edge of your right foot And slowly bend the elbows and just dip the right hips down, feeling that side body stretch, inhale come back to center, nice and slow and mindful, come to the outer edge of the left foot. And we're gonna bend the elbows, dip the left hips down. And you'll come back to center. Right hips down and one more time left side. Just starting to warm up the muscles of the upper body, the core, left hips down, stretch. Back to center, inhale plank. Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. You rock, beautiful, take a nice deep breath in here. And then use your exhale to really empty it out. Gorgeous, inhale look forward, repeat the baby steps from before or you can hop to the top or just ragdoll all the way up Forward Fold, feet together. Big inhale lifts you up half way, find length. Exhale to fold. Inhale, root to rise here, reach for the sky spread your fingertips, heard over heart, heart over pelvis and exhale hands together. Anjali Mudra at the heart, deep breath in. Long breath out, relax your shoulders. Great, inhale, reach for the sky. Exhale, all the way down you go. Listen to your breath, your spirit. Inhale, half way lift. Exhale, fold. Inhale step the right toes back. Exhale lower the right knee. Keep breathing here as you become light on the fingertips. Then when you're ready, half splits. Left hip crease pulls you back, left toes towards the face, inhale to look forward, exhale to soften inward. Roll through that left foot. This time lift the back knee, nice low lunge. Inhale, open the chest. And now exhale, plant the palms. Step it back, Plank Pose. Inhale rock forward on the toes. Lift your heart space really up between your shoulders blades. We're not collapsed in the other upper back body. You're gonna slowly look forward and bend the elbows and lower all the way down to the belly. Press in to the tops of the feet, keep the elbows sucking into the side body tuck your chin into your chest and slowly roll up Baby Cobra, inhale. Exhale, release, two more times like that. Think of it as one continuous movement. We inhale rise up, it never really stops, it just crests like a wave and falls down. And one more time with your breath, keep it going, inhale. And exhale. Great, curl the tones under, lift the kneecaps, tone the quads. Inhale, press up into your power Plank Pose and then exhale Downward Facing Dog, nice work, Deep breath in, long breath out. Make your way to the top. Ragdoll, maybe a hop, maybe the baby steps, feet together, really together. Inhale, halfway lift, exhale fold. Bend the knees, fingertips come to the mat. Step the left toes back, lower the left knee, loop the shoulders inhale, open the chest, get nice and light on the fingertips here, best you can. And then when you're ready pull that right hip crease back flex your right toes towards your face. Inhale to look forward, exhale to soften inward. Rolling through that right foot, lift the back knee up, inhale, open the chest, let your fingertips go light. Nice low lunge, strong back leg and then when you're ready plant the palms, step it back, belly to cobra or chaturanga to up dog. So you'll move nice and slow and make sure you're breathing the whole time. Keep the elbows, sucking into the side body. Sugging and open your heart on an inhale, cobra or up dog and then use an exhale to make your way to down dog. Deep breath in, exhale let it go. Make your way to the top, take your time. Feet together, really together. Inhale lifts you up half way, find length. Exhale to fold. Inhale, reach to the sky, stretch, energy in the fingertips, and exhale hands to heart. Beautiful, soft bend in the knees here, inhale reach for the sky. Big beach ball up and over head here. Stay connected to your abdominals as you slowly take that big beach ball over towards the right. Bump the hips to the left, inhale to center and exhale take the ball over to the left. Bump the hips to the right. Beautiful, inhale to center and then exhale Forward Fold, all the way down. Inhale half way lift, exhale to fold. This time bend both knees, plant the palms and step both feet back straight to Plank. Here we go, coming onto the outer edge of the right foot bend the elbows, lengthen neck here. So remember you're yoga practice union of the whole body is one, mind and body. So we're not moving disjointed parts here, but one moving part. So stay mindful, dipping the right hips down and then going to the other side, dipping the left hips down. So keep awareness in the neck and mindfulness in the shoulders. One more time on each side, you got this. Building that upper body strength, that core strength while stretching the side body. Beautiful, then take a vinyasa here if you like. It can be belly to Cobra or chaturanga to up dog. And we'll meet in Downward Facing Dog. Hips up high, take a deep breath in and empty it out. When you get there, take a deep breath in and really empty it out. Beautiful, walk the toys together and inhale, lift the right leg up high, exhale knee to nose, think Cat Pose rounding through. Inhale lift it up, exhale knee to nose. One more time inhale lift it up Three-legged Dog and exhale knee to nose. This time step it all the way up and through. Lower the back knee, inhale, Crescent Lunge, reach the fingertips forward, up and back. And exhale all the way down. Half splits, Ardha Hanuman, pull the right hip crease back. Flex your right toes toward your face. Inhale to look forward. Exhale to soften inward. Then from here, you're gonna curl the left toes under you're gonna roll through that front foot. Then we're gonna pivot on the back foot and we're gonna open up Warrior Two. Take your time. Nice wide stance, get down nice and low. Warrior Two. Deep breath in, use your exhale to really align head over heart, heart over pelvis. You might be reaching a little bit forward, see if you can use your inner mirror to draw this straight line up and down the spine. Great then inhale. We're gonna send the right fingertips forward up and back, Peaceful Warrior. And then exhale to Extended Side Angle. Right elbow on the top of the right thigh. And you're gonna move back and forth from there a couple times on your own. See if you can really sync up with your breath. The lower body stays strong, stable, sthira. So front knee stays bent. And then the next time you're in reverse, straiten the front leg, find length and then exhale, we're gonna come into a Triangle Pose. So bump the hips back, reach the right fingertips forward and slowly, right fingertips are gonna come to the right calf area, I just spit. And then I'm gonna open up through my chest and the left fingertips to the sky and I'm really connecting to my core here, super strong, the crown of the head lengthening forward. Take one more breath. Then exhale, left hand's gonna come all the way down. We're gonna bend that front knee, pivot on the back foot and you come back to your nice low lunge. Inhale in, smile, exhale plant the palms step it back to plank. You can go straight to down dog or take a little vinyasa. So we use the vinyasa to sink up with the breath, your spirit, to create a little heat. So your vinyasa can always just be straight to down dog. Connecting with your breath, creating a little heat. In your down dog take a deep breath in and exhale out through the mouth. Walk the feet together, anchor through the right heel and inhale, lift the leg up high now, exhale knee to nose, naval draws up. Inhale, Three-legged Dog, claw into the fingertips. Come out of the wrists and then exhale knee to nose. Cat Pose. One more time, inhale, build strength and exhale, knee to nose. Step it all the way up and in, great work. And lower the right knee, Crescent Lunge. Sweep the fingertips forward, up and back. So lift up from the pelvic floor a little. Connect to your core. Big beach ball up and over head, inhale. And exhale to rain it down. Pull the left hip crease back, half splits, Ardha Hanuman. Inhale, open the chest, find length, maybe look forward and then exhale soften inward. So belly is engaged here, navel's drawing in and up. Now curl the right toes under, nice and slow. We're gonna roll through that front foot back toes are curled under, I'm gonna pivot on the back foot. I'm gonna find nice strong footing and then when I'm ready open up Warrior Two nice and slow. Nice strong lower body, soft and easy on the upper body. So take a couple moments to get organized, lengthen tailbone down, align head over heart, heart over pelvis. So we're moving the energy that runs up and down the spine, the Shoshana, center channel. And then when you're ready we'll flip the left palm over, keep that front knee bent best you can. Nice and low we're gonna draw a big rainbow up and over. Inhale in, exhale, stay connected to your middle, your core, Extended Side Angle and you're just gonna do a couple of these on your own, moving with your breath. Back and forth, again front knee stays bent, lower body strong and stable. And really moving from your center here. And the next time you're in reverse, go ahead and straighten through that front leg, feel this stretch, then Cobra or upward dog here, reach and then we're gonna bump the hips back, reach the left fingertips forward and find our Triangle Pose on the other side. So you just cultivated all this great energy in the center of the body, maintain that here. Don't drop it for the pose, but maybe stay lifted, maybe even just work here with one hand right on your center to remind you to collect that energy inward and upward, Udiana Bunda. Shoulder blades wrap around, maybe we take the right fingertips up, lengthen through the crown. Breath deep here, make sure you're not holding your breath, why would you hold your spirit back, let your spirit flow naturally, support you in challenging times, in loving times. Inhale in, exhale right fingertips are gonna come down. Nice and slow we bend that front knee, we pivot on the back foot. And nice low lunge here, inhale open the chest, smile. Exhale, plant the palms, step it back. Belly to cobra or chaturanga to Upward Facing Dog. I'll meet you in down dog, hips up high, heart back towards the toes. Inhale, lift up from the hip creases. Lift, lift, lift and exhale empty everything out. Good, inhale in again, bend the knees and exhale slow descend of the knees with control all the way down. Walk the knees together. Come on to the tops of the feet. You're gonna send your fingertips all the way back for Balasana, Child's Pose. Or if this posture is not cozy for you, you can just sit up nice and tall in a little comfortable seat of your choice. And wherever you land, close your eyes and reconnect to the sound of your breath. See if you can just sit, be present in this role of the observer just noticing whatever it is that you're feeling. And that's not just physically so, I love yoga practice 'cause it's a little opportunity to let your emotional intelligence, your body intelligence, have like a head seat at the table. So you give your thinking mind a break and you just observe. And on your next inhale take the deepest breath you've taken all day. And use the exhale to slowly transition, you'll open the eyes. We're just gonna shift nice and slow to the back. Like you love yourself, all the way down, oh yeah. So, even in the transitions, we get to practice focusing on quality of movement. Do that more on the mat, you're gonna do that more off the mat. Alright, we're gonna come to the back with the knees up and the feet on the ground. And then interlace the fingertips, bring them behind the head, elbows nice and wide. And create a little hammock for the neck here, so tuck the chin into the chest and pull the hands back just a bit so you're tucking the chin to the chest. If you're a little tight in the shoulders, this should feel good. Really anchor the elbows down to the earth. And then send your gaze straight up towards your third eye, but more practically think up towards the ceiling and then two feet back. So we found the length of the neck, but then we're taking our focus up and back and you're gonna maintain that as you scoop the tailbone up, anchor the navel down so your center really driving down to the core of the earth, here engaging, yes the core. And then lift your knees up and try to maintain that so that your lower back is super flush with the yoga mat and your gaze is still up and back with the neck nice and long. I like to extend my thumbs here, just as a little added support. You're gonna inhale in, exhale scoop the tailbone up and straighten the legs. They don't have to become super straight. So just the sensation of bringing the tailbone up and then exhale, slowly lift the chin, the chest, the shoulders all the way up, but keep your gaze up. Inhale lower, exhale lift. And as you lift, you're lifting the toes up, scooping the tailbone up and really squeezing the abdominal wall. Inhale lower, exhale lift, inhale lower, exhale lift. Keep it going. Gaze up and back, lifting the tail and you can use your mind's eye to really see that diamond shape in the abdominal wall squeezing as you exhale, lengthening as you inhale. Keep it going. Try to keep the elbows wide. Hug the low ribs in, toning the muscles of the abdominal wall here, strengthening the back body so you can be nice and strong and healthy. Up and down through the spine. Keep it going, you got this. I'll do three more. Last one. And then release, soles of the feet come together, knees go wide, so now your arms and your legs are mirroring each other and you're gonna allow your lower back to come up now so the opposite should feel really good. Snuggle your shoulder blades underneath your heart space. Take a deep breath in. Exhale. Great, reach the fingertips now, so you're gonna release the fingers and reach them now between the legs and you're gonna open the palms, inhale in, exhale, baby pulses up. So if you feel any tension at all, try bringing your toes towards the front edge of your mat. If you're fine there, stay lifted. So now we're going into the upper abdominals. Gonna still keep a little bit of length in the back of the neck even though we're not looking up, we're looking forward. So lot's of awareness in the neck and shoulders. We're pulsing here, you got this. Keep breathing, breathe. And then check it out, stay here, keep your heart lifted, right knee's gonna come over to meet the left and we pulse here getting into the obliques, you got this, nice and long in the neck. Thumbs up, you got this. And now over through center and to the right, last one. Take a mudra here, rock and roll. You got it, don't give up. Awesome, and then back to center, interlace the fingertips, catch your head and release everything down, beautiful. Inhale in, exhale out. Great, bring both knees in, press up off the toes. Scoop the tailbone up and release the arms for a great big hug, squeeze the knees into the chest. Great work everyone, so nice. Thank you so much for sharing your time and your energy with me and the Yoga With Adriene community. I know your time is valuable and it's so nice that we have each other to keep each other accountable and present, healthy, happy, strong. Happy Baby Pose, grab the outer edges of the feet. Send the soles of the feet high up towards the sky. Lengthen tailbone towards the front edge of your mat, anchor down through the shoulders, through the legs, and smile, life is good. On an exhale, when you're ready, release everything to Shavasana. If there's anything here you're craving, a little Reclined Twist, a Plow Pose, anything at all, go ahead and take it. Listen to your body. We're gonna make sure that we come to this last shape before we rock up and off the mat and into the rest of your day or your evening. And this is just an opportunity to really practice balance, the action of allowing for balance, a natural equilibrium, the rise and the fall. So we just did all this action and we end by a total just surrender. And this can be a surrender to a big picture, a surrender to something that's out of your control. Could be surrender to a bigger spirit. Close your eyes and as you're ready just soften everything, let your body grow heavy. And then take a deep breath in through the nose and sigh it out as you breath out. Bring the palms together and up to the third eye, sweet. Thanks again, awesome practice. I'll see you next time. Questions, comments, conversation down below. I got your back, thanks for having mine. Take good care, namaste. (upbeat music)