hey everyone welcome to yoga with Adriene I am Adriene and today we have a yummy practice for you a yoga for strength and focus this is a strong practice that balances the body asks you to ground down but also find stretch and lengthen this is great if you're going back to school if you're starting a new job or you're just needing to calm your crazy monkey mind this is a fun practice so let's get into our bare feet yay and hop on the mat for yoga for strength and focus hi my friends so we're going to begin today in a cross-legged position I'm sitting on a little blanket here a little towel you can too if you like because we're gonna start our practice with a little pranayama often it's hard to just even get settled in so don't be so hard on yourself because you're feeling distracted if you're feeling like oh I don't know if I have time for this video let's just get started and you'll see what you have time for you might surprise yourself and make the time so that you can benefit from the nutrients of your practice and focus in and whatever it is you need to do next okay so we can come cross-legged here or I'm gonna come into a little Sid Dawson just one leg in front of the other whatever it feels best as you sit up nice and tall and take a second to inhale draw the shoulders up to the ears take a deep breath in and on an exhale glide the shoulder blades down the back two more just like that we inhale lift the shoulders shrug them up towards it your squeeze squeeze squeeze and exhale tagging a little bit of weight in the elbows and one more time we inhale reach up and maybe circling the shoulders or what I've done back at this time as we open up through the chest and begin to notice your breath so again just take a moment to get settled in we're going to start with nadi shodhana or alternate nostril breathing which if you're like so what we do have a video for that you breaks it down and you can grow that practice and how to do not eat or don't out on its own maybe now maybe you pause this video and do it now or another time I'll walk you through it now though as we take the right palm out in front we're gonna bring the three middle fingers in today so we're kind of doing a hang loose which you might might consider so if you're feeling stressed out or we have a lot going on maybe you're starting the school year or you're starting a new job just remember this a little goes a long way this moment's going to pay off so stick with your breath as we bring the thumb to the right nostril now here I'm going to take a deep breath in through the left nostril then after that inning I'm gonna plug it with the pinky you can also use the ring finger here either one and then exhale out through the right nostril inhale in through the right nostril then we seal it with the right thumb and exhale out through the left alternate nostril breathing couple moments here if you're new to this again we have a video where you can check it out pranayama series otherwise you basically inhaling in through a nostril sealing it switching to the alternate nostril as you exhale and then inhaling in through that same gospel this can be a little confusing at first little Yoga for the brain right away sharpening the brain but essentially each time you in here in inhale each time you inhale each time you inhale you're switching and feeling so even if you get off a little bit my friends keep it going a couple more times here and if you want to go ahead and drop it all together with your - - in your head or you just are new to the practice and just take a couple nice long smooth deep breaths extending the inhalation and extending the exhale so they're really nice and long and if you're still doing alternate nostril go ahead and even and out and then together we'll release the hands palms face up as we take a deep breath in through the nose open the eyes and exhale out through the mouth great clap the palms together die up overhead we inhale reach it up stretching through the side body now we're gonna interlace the fingertips and just with knuckles here we're gonna just take a couple moments side to side keep it calm stretching out the side body so if you've been working at a computer or you've just been on the couch summertime whatever you're transitioning out of take a second here to lift your heart and stretch your sides nice organic movement left to right keep the heart lifted the hearts gonna want to collapse here so sit up nice and tall again it helps if you're sitting up on a little blankie or block or towel here not block towel but block or towel and then the arms begin to get a little bit tired but we take two more breaths here we got this and then we slowly rain it down awesome my friends now take your palms stretch them spread them wide like starfish here and dive forward onto all fours go ahead and move that blankie or that towel to the side and we'll just take a second here to warm up the spine flowing with the breath cat cow inhale belly drops shoulders draw away from the ears we press away from the earth as you open your heart take a second here to check in with the neck deep breath in and exhale curling the tailbone under arching the back like a black Halloween cut here again press away from the earth on your next breath in inhale scoop the belly heart shines for deep breath in and exhale checking in with the spine stretching the skin of the back pressing away from your yoga mat and one more time inhale scooping the belly heart shines forward press into all 10 knuckles here really press into the tops of the feet strong extend through the crown of the head and on an exhale start at the tail bone travel up through the spine again press away from your yoga mat it's like step away from the vehicle hmm then well inhale come back to tabletop position walk the palms forward curl the toes under and nice and slow keep the knees bent well lift the tail up to our first downward dog together pedal the feet all the shoulders away from the ears remember a little goes a long way so don't decide where it ends if you're busy or you're back to school chances are you're like oh I don't know if I really have time for this but I encourage you invite you if you can to make time this is gonna save you time in the long run I believe taking this time for your body and the mind to connect a fresh blood fresh oxygen good for the brain as we press into all 10 knuckles here for one more deep breath in and then a long exhale out through the mouth downward facing dog now we'll bend the knees generously and we're gonna walk it up towards the front edge so go for a nice slow walk here you might even cross the ankles one in front of the other checking with the feet eventually coming up onto the fingertips and situating yourself at the front of your mat in a nice juicy forward fold bend the knees as generously as you need to and relax the weight of the head over clasp the elbows if that feels good finding that stretch in the lower back and we breathe a couple more breaths here make sure if you're looking at the video here go ahead and take a second to really let the crown of the head drop down pressing into all four corners of the feet checking in with the legs again taking this moment for ourselves connecting mind body and heart or spirit again this is going to save us time I think in the long run by taking this time to nurture the body focus the mind and let go of any unnecessary anxiety tension stress in the body one more breath here I'm going to on an exhale or release the fingertips press into the all pressing into the foundation sorry my eyes closed I was getting all that out press into the foundation or press into all four corners of the feet fingertips can touch the tops of the legs here as you slowly roll it up into mountain nice and mindful on the feet you can peek at the video here but just trust yourself rolling up to stand up nice and tall and when you arrive we have a moment of freestyle here where you can loop the shoulders maybe draw a couple circles with the nose hanging your hair back takes your drawstring whatever you need to do and then we bring it back home inhale deep breath in exhale out through the mouth inhale lengthen through the crown of the head stand up nice and tall and exhale drawing the shoulder blades down the backside great on your next breath in spread those palms wide again in inhale reach it all the way up biceps by the ears deep breath in here volcano pose exhale press into all four corners of the feet inhale maybe tops of the thighs spiral in as you lengthen the tailbone down and exhale out they're feeling tight in the shoulders here go ahead and widen your hands palms facing each other like you're holding a big beach ball or something up over your head one more breath here and exhale out through the mouth great Ennio carve a line with your nose look up once again we clap the palms together here giant Emma stay and exhale down through the midline bend your knees great inhale lift to flat back so fingertips can be on the mat palms on the shins or palms on the thighs as we loop the shoulders in anyhow halfway lift exhale soften and release great fingertips to the mat now as we step or hop it back to plank don't panic stepping it back to plank palms come to the earth we take a couple seconds here to bend the knees and pedal it out so it's not just about this push push up push up position as much as it is also about connecting and focusing in on the task at hand no yoga robots here about finding a little movement so pin it pedal the feet bend your knees press away from the earth we'll take one more breath in here broaden through the shoulder blades you got this then we'll come to a full plank here or you can lower the knees so we can be here at half push-up or full push-up here as you inhale if you're in full push-up send your gaze forward onto the tiptoes and if you're in half half push-up hug the elbows into the side body and look forward wherever you are chaturanga practice as we inhale in exhale slowly lower down go ahead and lower all the way down to your belly palms come under the shoulders we press into the tops of the feet and inhale soft focus down as we lift up baby Cobra stay here check in with the neck press into your pubic bone tops of the feet again pressing into your yoga mat you might find a little sway if this feels good you know once you get the hang of it you can bring your focus off the video and just down in front maybe just past your nose focusing in on the breath here pulling the elbows back great then we'll come to Center stillness if you're moving inhale inflate maybe grew a little taller and exhale release curl the toes under press up through that plank or that half push-up either one then when you're ready navel to spine we send it back downward facing dog pedal it out deep breath in through the nose and exhale out through the mouth walk the two big toes together keep the palms where they are we'll drop the left heel slide the right leg up three-legged dog take a deep breath in maybe rotate that right ankle one way than the other then we'll bend the right knee hug it all the way up in towards your heart as you shift your weight forward gaze looks forward deep breath in here then on an exhale we'll step the right foot up into our lunge wall and you have an option here of lowering that left knee down in fact everyone go ahead and lower your left knee down here at first yes stacking front knee over front ankle we take a second here to work it out in runners lunge or low lunge when you're ready you can lift that back knee peeling the right hip crease back making sure you have a nice wide stance perhaps then everyone check in with the upper back body if you're feeling kind of like a teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle here don't know if I want to give that new movie a plug it's not very yogic but yes it is because it's honest okay I saw it in LA and bad anyway looping the shoulders let's get rid of this turtle shell here is my point as we loop the shoulders inhale shine your heart forward check in with the neck keep focusing in on the breath take a deep breath in hug the inner thighs together navel to spine as we plant the palms and send it back to plank or half plank deep breath in chaturanga or chaturanga practice this time we'll inhale lift up to Cobra or you can chaturanga to upward facing dog take a deep breath in and exhale navel comes to the spine and we send it back up downward face dog bring the two big toes together ground down through the right heel and when you're ready inhale slide the left leg up level the hips rotate that ankle if it feels good one way and then the other then we'll bend that left knee hug it up in towards your heart we're stretching through that right foot so really spike that right heel towards the back as you hug that left knee and look forward and on an exhale step it up into your lunge again let's everyone lower that back knee just for starters just to give us a little space and we stretch it out so everyone's gonna be different here depending on what you've been up to what might be in healing maybe another workout something you did previously this week everyone was just like no didn't do anything I'm just kidding so every one's gonna be a little different so we can kind of just let go of what it's supposed to be like and finally drop into what it is like noticing the sensations stacking front knee over front ankle and maybe lift that back leg maybe not maybe you save that for another day loop the shoulders soften your turtle shells your inhale look forward deep breath in and exhale once again plant the palms we step it to plank or half plank we always have options here stay focused on your breath inhale in lower down to your belly then Cobra or chaturanga practice more chatter on them choose your own vinyasa together we'll meet back downward facing dog when you arrive to your deep breath in through the nose and a long exhale out through the mouth as you drop down through your heels doesn't matter if the heels are here here here here or here just be in the moment with your breath great when you're ready bend the knees generously step hop or float the feet up towards the front edge of your mat make adjustments if you need to Luton Astana we grab the elbows again and we stretch the lower back bend your knees great when you feel satisfied release the arms and inhale halfway lift long beautiful neck here exhale soften and bow once again we'll roll up just like a rag doll tucking the chin into the chest fingertips can touch the tops of the legs here as we slowly connect to sensation and roll back up to mountain gray right away inhale reaching the fingertips up to volcano deep breath in extension through the crown remember that space that length in the side body so you can think of it as a maybe whooshing like an upward current of energy in the front body I've talked about it as like Marilyn Monroe's skirt blowing up in the air which I realize that image does not work for everyone and that's fine but rushing up through the front body to kind of lift through the front body and then the back body has the opposite that cascading downs or lengthening tailbone down tucking the pelvis you can find that in her spiral the tops of the thighs that we've talked about before as well on the foundations of yoga and we fill three breaths here the arms might begin to get a little bit tire will extend through the crown of the head drop the shoulders down again if you feel tight in the space between the ears and the shoulders go ahead and widen the palms after your third breast all aligned with the nose look up palms clap together Jai and we come all the way down back through the midline a word phone great inhale halfway lift mix-and-match choose your own adventure here so he can be here here here and on an exhale follow your breath as you slide it down great plant the palms step or hop it back to plank don't panic hang in there again you can pedal the feet here or if you'd like a little more strengthening in the court we're gonna draw the right knee up towards the heart and then switch nice and slow then left knee so a variation would be to touch knee to knee excuse me knee to earth going back and forth make sure those wrists are underneath the shoulders so we can be here pressing up and out of the earth or we can be here don't worry about counting don't worry about reps here connect to full body strength and use your focus gaze now straight down to broaden through the back of the neck connect with your breath yuvan and out then we'll come on to the knees knees together take a rest rotating the wrist a couple times we'll come for just three breaths here balasana in the middle nice slow inhales and nice long exhalation great draw a line with your nose look up I should say that you can do downward dog instead of Child's Pose in there if you're having more active practice let that be a resting posture so from downward dog or from Child's Pose we'll come back to plank take a second choose-your-own-adventure your vinyasa I they're practicing china Ranga here or moving through your flow together we'll meet downward facing dog bring the two big toes together take a deep breath in through the nose and exhale out through the mouth anchor drop down through the left heel as you slide the right leg up three-legged dog this time we'll bend the right knee think up and over as you take your gaze just above and beyond your mat and kiss right knee to right elbow deep breath in and exhale anchoring down through the left heel three-legged dog here we go inhale right knee to left elbow look forward deep breath in then exhale three-legged dog only one more back up through the center line just like we did before think up and over as you come onto your left tippy toes and then we spike through the left heel take a deep breath in we've done this one already hug that right knee up towards the heart and on an exhale step into your lunge great so if you're new to the practice you might lower that back knee again or if you're just checking in with strength and alignment today you might lower that back knee you might stay on your fingertips to take it a step further we're going to lift the fingertips let them hover above the earth palms facing in towards your ankle now everyone spike that right heel towards the back edge of your mat it's if it's lifted and nice and slow volcano arms just like we did into Dawson we're gonna reach the fingertips forward up and back as you come into a nice strong high lunge now high lunge takes a lot of attention a soft softness but also a strength here as we connect navel to spine pull the right hip crease back lengthen tailbone down remember that upward current of energy through the front body and that grounding cascading energy through the back body so everyone actually softened go ahead and bend your left knee here so you can really find that energy down the back body tucking the pelvis then you can keep it softened or bent or you can straighten high lunge biceps are in towards the ears palms facing together we pull the thumbs back and we focus on the breath sink deep into that front knee trust yourself hug the inner thighs towards the midline definitely a strengthening posture here as we inhale lift your heart great inhale in exhale palms come together up and overhead slowly melt them down but keep your heart lifting in fact see if you can lift your sternum up towards your thumbs you might feel your heart beat here then we'll take a deep breath in and on an exhale release nice work everyone plant the palms and vinyasa you can always skip this here taking a break in Child's Pose or send it straight to downward dog otherwise we'll think up and over as we practice moving with the breath and together we come back to down dog great dropping the right heel here we go inhale slide the left leg up pay attention to your foundation your alignment the action of navel to spine as we bend the left knee and think up and over coming onto the tippy toes of the right foot we look forward kiss left knee to left elbow deep breath in and exhale three-legged dog great inhale rising up crossing over this time left knee to right elbow gaze is forward nice and long in the neck great are you like a dog last time inhale think up and over hugging left knee in towards the heart shoulders draw away from the ears we press away from your yoga mat with your palms deep breath in and exhale step it up okay so we have lots of options here we know preparing for a high lunge loop the shoulders soften the upper back body will begin to just lift the fingertips up off the ground connecting to our foundation pressing into all four corners of that front foot hug the inner thighs together then maybe we rise up biceps by the ears as we find that energetic body again lifting through the front grounding through the back go ahead and Bend that right knee so you can really find that tucking of the pelvis or that lengthening down of the tailbone if you're feeling a little too warm you can bring the hands to the waistline for more cooling version otherwise we're finding those volcano arms here spreading the palms wide and sinking deep into the legs now find a nice focus once you have your shape find your breath again keep going through your checklist then slowly we'll bring the palms together up overhead and again rather than collapsing down in here see if you can slowly draw the sternum up towards the thumbs legs are still super strong here inner thighs hugging in towards the midline right knee can be bent we need lifting the sternum up to the thumbs and then slowly we release great we come back to that runners lunge this time we rock the back foot up to meet the front forward fold great inhale halfway lift long beautiful neck exhale soften and bow inhale all the way up to volcano reaching the fingertips forward up and back this time take a deep breath in here when you rise then on the exhale we're gonna go right back into it down through the midline slicing it down through the center and it'll have flute lifts follow your breath long beautiful neck exhale soften and release step or hop it back to plank now remember you can always lower the knees here come to a half plank and then choose your vinyasa today we have videos on all of these things so you can take a moment to you know experiment and get curious whenever you have the time you don't have the time today stick with your practice here listen to your body and slowly we'll make our way back to downward dog alright hang with me here as we drop the left heel slide the right leg up we're gonna repeat right knee to right elbow deep breath in exhale three-legged dog repeat right knee to left elbow inhale look forward exhale three-legged dog picking up the pace here a little bit we got this back through the center line inhale in and exhale stepping the right leg up high lunge again feel free to lower that back knee here if you're feeling a little tired or you're building strength we can any I'll come here or we lift that back knee up high lunge this time inhale in exhale slow dialling of the heart center towards your right fingertips will follow right fingertips back left fingertips forward don't worry about this shape here really pinching the lower back this is silly you can just see where you're at today your body will tell you stretching the upper body in time maybe you get here but go easy keep the shoulders relaxed deep breath in and exhale we come back to high lunge deep breath in exhale release vinyasa stepping it back to plank or half plank if you're at half plank you can practice by hugging the elbows into the side body keeping the gaze forward and slowly lowering all the way to the belly you know Cobra and exhale downward dog nice work my friends here we go dropping the right heel inhale slide the left leg up last time to repeat the sequence here we go strong core left knee up and over to kiss left elbow deep breath in look forward exhale refresh button three-legged dog inhale again left knee to right elbow deep breath in and exhale clear the slate three-legged dog last one we got this inhale left knee hugs up through the center line gaze is forward we squeeze left knee up up up and then exhale to your lunge keep right knee on the earth no biggie otherwise we'll spike that right heel and come right into our strong high lunge so high lunge is is awesome because you really do have a lot to focus on and a lot to balance in terms of strength and grace effort and ease make sure you can see that front big toe when you send your gaze down bend that right knee if you need to lengthen tailbone down and if you feel crunched here give yourself some space consider your space deep breath in on an exhale dial the heart so rather than just twisting into this shape my friends oh look at my knees wanting to bend and I'm letting it otherwise this is out G for now right we can open up slowly unfold to that but give yourself opportunity to really feel and see what's going on so that may mean that this hand this left hand only comes here like I'm about to do a pirouette or something maybe it comes back further maybe in time we're able to look past the left shoulder so breathe here keep the strong foundation of the legs that you have going nice and strong make sure you're pressing into all four corners of that front foot and let's go ahead and think a little deeper why not just dropping the hips a little bit wherever you are deep breath in let's draw the lower belly in and then we'll drop the left fingertips down to come up high lunge nice work everyone take a deep breath in and exhale releasing back down awesome optional vinyasa here you can totally skip this come to tabletop position otherwise we're gonna do one more quick vinyasa here moving with the breath finding what feels good and you gather will meet on all fours great go ahead and walk the knees together two big toes come together and we sink back into here oh if you have that blanket or you have a block you can sit on the blanket sometimes nice if the knees are talking to you can bring that blankie to the crease here okay then we sit up nice and tall so not going to be here long but just take a couple moments here and we're also not to catch your breath to go into the full posture you can check out the foundations of yoga but we'll take the fleshy part of the calves aside and sink down sit bones to earth so it's just so silly to try to get in the shape if your body is telling you not to social body is telling you no please listen and find another variation that's beautiful and unique just like you alright notice what's going on take a full scan from the crown on the head to the tip of the tailbone you might part the lips relax the jaw and if there's a certain project you're working on or you're headed into a new school year or new job Hale new relationship maybe your boyfriend just moved in or your girlfriend just moved out ok whatever is going on you might take this moment here in proud beautiful quiet hero to just connect to a mantra and intention this might even just be one word something positive that will serve you in the present moment as you transition from your mat and into your project or your everyday your studies just take a couple quiet moments here to set that intention if this shape is not doing anything for you you can just simply come to a nice cross-legged position here and take a moment to again focus on your breath and articulate your intention I'm a quick meditation moment you might consider it already done i often invite my friends who come to class to imagine it already done already so so instead of saying I want this you can say I am this and when you feel like you have it take a deep breath in and if you use it with the sound of your breath and choose to take this intention and the nutrients of your practice with you into the next and final posture which is focus on a little bat the eyelashes open and we're going to either slowly come out of here oh and curl the toes under sit back for a moment just stretching the feet or if you're in cross-legged you can just come here make your way together we'll meet on the knees here sitting nice and tall so if you have a block you can practice with your block we're coming in to crow in case you didn't catch that if you're new to crow yay welcome it's a it's become a fun little challenge on the yogurt Adriene Channel to attack crow and enjoy the journey to soaring I need some like inspirational posters here I can just see it now I'll write it down okay focus yoga for focus and concentration here we go I'm going to come onto all fours I'm gonna walk the two big toes together here actually move my block for now because not everyone has a block I'm gonna widen the knees I'm gonna come up onto my toes here I'm gonna stack the palms directly I'm gonna Center myself on the mat we're gonna stack the palms directly underneath the shoulders so if you already know crow you might already walk the toes together hike those knees up onto your tabletop arms here gazes forward gaze is forward gaze is forward and slowly begin to lift one leg up and then the other if you're new take your time you might use the block here as a little perch and you might not consider even flying today just anchoring with your breath and focusing on slowly building the strength to balance stability to fly gaze is forward did I say one already gaze is forward otherwise we tend to do a big somersault here and then you ride in you're like why didn't you tell me to send my gaze forward so gaze forward as we fly here this is the last pose of the day so there's a little playtime don't get frustrated maybe you lift both toes up maybe not pressing away from the earth so we can learn crow from I practice today pressing away from the yoga mat is helpful sending the gaze forward anchoring navel to spine creating full-body experience if you don't have a block we talked about this in the foundations of crow pose you can use a phone book even now who has phone books that's dumb that's old school you can use a book coffee table book if you've been flying in crow for a while or you've been working on it here at the channel with me for a while yay and I encourage you to keep hiking those knees closer up towards your armpit chest navel to spine press into all 10 knuckles breathe lift the feet and a couple more moments here my friends keep with it stick with it rotate the wrists if you need to just a little freestyle moment another great way to get into this is to just practice with shifting the weight front and back like a little rocking horse welcoming gathering all those intrinsic muscles along for the ride and then eventually they'll be surprised body has a little hoedown and you fly when you feel satisfied we're gonna head we're gonna go ahead and go and come all the way onto flat back just for a moment here I know you're busy you have a lot to do I'll just take a second to cool down the body calm the nervous system and remind ourself of that intention but one more time as you inhale reach the fingertips up and overhead full body stretch rotate the wrist point and flex the feet if you have that blanket you might roll it up put it underneath the backs of your knees or pillow the head here great then take just three to five breaths here at least you can just stay here longer if you have the time opening the palms really letting just everything go here so give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing we're not gonna have an outer on this video so you can literally stay here as long as your mind and body and spirit will allow or maybe your schedule allows namaste thank you for sharing your time and energy with myself and then you'll go with Adriene family remember your intention as you transition up off the mat and into the world take a deep breath in through the nose close your eyes and on an exhale out through the mouth let it go