- Hello, my darling friends

and welcome to
Yoga With Adriene.

I'm Adriene and this is Benji.

And today we have
a beautiful practice

to help bring comfort and
nourishment into your life.

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

(upbeat music)

Alright, and we have begun.

Come on down to the ground.

If you were able to
bring a blanket or a towel,

go ahead and fold it up
so you can sit on it here,

lifting the hips.

And then we're gonna
bring the hands together

and just start by rubbing them.

Relax your shoulders here.

As you get
settled in and join me,

start to take a deep breath in.

Maybe enjoy a nice long exhale

to really land
here in the moment.

The hardest part is
showing up, pressing play,

selecting your practice

and you've really
done the hardest part.

So this practice is all about

creating some nourishment,

maybe a little bit of comfort.

And we'll begin to pick up
the pace here with the hands,

creating some energy, 
just giving our souls an anchor

or the brain and the mind here.

Great, and then
we're gonna take the hands

and bring them
right to the chest,

your heart center, if you will.

You can close your eyes.

I invite you to
tuck your chin slightly

and maybe just find a gentle,

almost slight
reverent bow of the head.

Benji just sighed 
and landed here

and we are too,
landing in this moment.

Whatever you're coming
to the mat with today,

I invite you to trust me

and believe me
when I say it's okay.

Whatever you're
arriving here with,

it's all good.

You don't have to do anything
you don't wanna do here.

This is merely 
an opportunity to

reconnect and to fill your cup.

Allow yourself to be
present with whatever feelings

or sensations you
may experience today.

And just remember above all,

the breath comes first.

So if all you do is sit
here quietly and breathe,

that will be your comfort,
your nourishment for today.

Once again, allow
the shoulders to relax.

And if you're kind of holding

or gripping in
any part of the body,

physically or even 
just a sensation,

kind of energetically,
see if you can soften.

And now start to
notice your breath.

And when you're ready, release
the hands to the knee caps

and we'll lift the chin,
we'll bat the eyelashes open.

Take a deep breath in

as you squeeze the
shoulders up to the ear lobes.

And nice and slow, 
exhale, drop them down.

With the breath, 
inhale, squeeze and lift.

And exhale, drop them down.

Again, squeeze
and lift, inhale.

And exhale, 
drop them down.

Now bring the
fingertips to the sides.

We're gonna send the 
fingertips out long, inhale.

Exhale, right arm over the left,
give yourself a big hug here.

Close your eyes and
feel your own embrace,

whatever that means to you.

So we're often kind of looking
for nourishment and comfort

outside of ourselves.

It's not really my
place to comment on that here

as I guide the practice,

but instead, to
offer you an opportunity

to find that comfort and
that nourishment within.

So in this shape, you
can find soft, easy movement

in the head, in the neck.

And again, continuing to
gently deepen the breath

and just feel your own embrace.

I don't know how else to say it.

Also stretching 
the upper back body.

And lift your chest, inhale.

And exhale to release.

Fingertips kiss the 
earth again. Good.

Inhale, lift the wrists
in line with the shoulders

and this time left arm
over right as you exhale.

We wrap your limbs, your
arms around the shoulders.

Keep the chest lifted.

And again, maybe soften
your gaze or close your eyes

to just

explore what it feels like

to experience your
own embrace.

Alright, and then we'll release.

Fingertips come back to the mat.

And then here we go,

big inhale to the reach
the fingertips all the way up.

Just the fingertips are
gonna kiss up and overhead,

peek if you need to.

And then exhale, float it down,

just the fingertips,
kiss the earth.

If they don't reach
because you've lifted

your hips super high,
no problem.

You can just imagine
them kissing the earth.

Inhale, we're cultivating
some energy as we reach up.

Fingertips kiss and then
exhale kind of clawing it down.

Inhale to lift,
shoulder blades draw down,

melt down the back body.

And exhale to release.

And one more time,
big inhale, reach it up.

And exhale.

Good. Now inhale, wrists
in line with the shoulders.

We're just gonna open and close.

Open and close.

And you can start by
thinking of this movement

with the hands, but eventually,

we wanna think of
this movement happening

right in the shoulder.

So think of your armpit chest

kind of turning towards the back

and then turning
towards the sky.

If your arms are
getting tired here,

you're not alone, stick with it.

I'm not sure if my
mic is picking him up

but my neighbor is
practicing his opera.

Gotta love it.

Alright, and then
release and shake it out,

literally give your hands,
your fingers a little shake.

Alright, we're crossing the
right arm over the body now,

we're plugging the
right shoulder down

and we're dropping the
left ear to the left shoulder.

Breathe, feel that
stretch from the right ear

to the right shoulder.

Stay tall in your spine, 
chest lifts.

Good, now keep the
right arm where it is.

We're just gonna
turn the nose now

to look past the
right shoulder.

You can feel that
connection through the trapezius.

Breathe deep.

Wiggle the right fingertips,
inhale in.

Exhale.

Inhale, open both arms wide.

And exhale, other side.

So we're gonna cross the
left arm over the right.

This shoulder is
gonna wanna hike up

so actively draw it
down with your scapula

and right ear
over right shoulder.

Breathe.

See if you can again,
close your eyes.

The reason I keep
repeating myself here,

close your eyes
or soften your gaze

is to kind of get you
into feeling the sensation

of whatever it is
that we're doing.

So we're not
just kind of doing it

hoping that it is
good for us in the end

but we're really kind of
embodying the experience.

And that's what kind of
makes us feel nourished

after practice, is we've
slowed everything down

and we've practiced being
really present with sensation.

It's amazing how
much we can experience

when we slow things down.

Okay, and then turning your gaze

or your nose past
your left shoulder.

And paying
attention to the right

and the left side of the body.

If you've been
practicing for a while,

this could be something
that you start to implement

a little more into
your asana practice,

really taking notes,
becoming a more curious student

about the left and the
right side of your body,

how they differ,
how they match up.

Inhale in,
lengthen through the spine.

Exhale to release.

Inhale. Open your arms,
send the fingertips back.

This is 
Kate Winslet in "Titanic."

Open up through the chest,

lift up through 
your armpit chest.

And then let it go.

Awesome work. Okay.

Draw your chin
to your chest here,

just allow the weight
of your head to bow down.

Notice if the shoulders 
are rounding forward

and see what
adjustments can you make

to draw the shoulders back
in space to support the chest,

the upper back body.

Think of your spine.

Then let's go for
a little ride here.

So nice and slow,
drawing circles with the nose

all the way up and around.

And closing the eyes to really
feel what's going on today.

And reversing the
circle as you're ready.

And then bring 
it back to center.

Okay, this time fingertips
come to the shoulders,

the deltoids, the shoulders.

Then we're gonna draw
the elbows together to kiss

or to try to kiss,

Up, around, really
exaggerate this movement slowly

and back down.

Just a couple of circles here.

Keep long in your side waist.

And the next time you
come up around and down

we're gonna keep them down,
heart lifted, trapezius,

this muscle here,
nice and relaxed.

Hey, buddy.

We're gonna inhale,
twist to the right

so turn your heart and your
chest to look to the right.

Exhale, twist to the left,
slow to start.

Inhale to the right.

Exhale to the left.

Now we're gonna
start to pick it up here.

Inhale, right.

Exhale, left.

Inhale.

Exhale.
Keep it going.

Start to pick up the pace.

Massage the internal organs.

Keep the neck, particularly
the back of the neck

nice and long by
tucking your chin.

Your gaze, your heart,
your center all stay in line.

Alright, keep it going.

You've just now
dropped in, you got this.

Inhaling to the right,
exhaling sharply to the left.

Same thing, really feel

what this is
potentially asking you

to look at or feel in your body.

Just notice the sensation.

We're here for 10,

nine,

eight,

seven,

six,

five,

four,

three,

two and release.

Allow the fingers to rest gently

at your sides or on your lap.
Take a deep breath in.

And exhale, let it go.

Just take a moment to
pause and notice how you feel.

So I find that pranayama,
that exercise,

particularly nourishing.

It kind of moves stagnant energy

that I feel like
might collected in my chest

or kind of thoracic spine area.

I can feel my lungs.

Okay.

And then as you're ready,
nice and slow

let's come
forward on to all fours.

You can feel free to use
blanket to pad the knees

since you have it here, why not.

If you don't need it
or don't want it rather,

you can toss it
to the side for now.

And we'll drop the belly, 
open the chest to look forward.

Exhale, send the hips
back, round through the spine,

chin to chest.

So a little Cat variation.

Lift the hips up, drop the belly,
open the heart forward.

Breathe in.

And exhale, round the spine,
send the hips back,

maybe claw
through the fingertips.

Again, hips up, heart forward,
long belly here.

Breathe in.

And exhale, send the hips back,
claw through the fingertips,

hug those low ribs in.

Good. Inhale to a nice neutral 
spine now, Tabletop Position.

We'll walk the toes
in line with the hips,

really draw the
navel up to the spine

to support your low back.

Inhale, extend the right
foot out, left arm forward.

Exhale round through.

Inhale, extend.

Exhale round through.

Inhale, extend.

Exhale round through.

Hold it here, squeeze
and lift for three, two

and on the one, we release
back down to Tabletop Position.

Here we go.

Inhale, extend the left leg,
right fingertips forward.

Exhale round it through.
Find your breath.

Inhale, extend it forward.

Exhale round it through.

Inhale, extend.

And exhale, round it through.

Hold it here, squeeze
and lift for three, two,

press away from your left palm

and then on the one,
release everything.

Walk the hands forward,
curl the toes under,

send the hips of high and back,
Downward Facing Dog.

Now walk your hands out
as wide as your mat here.

Press firmly into your
index finger and thumb.

Keep that rooted
as you then move

your upper arm bones
externally left to right.

So in a way you're
connecting with the palms,

you're keeping the
elbow creases shining forward

and then you're
extending the upper arms

to move a little more
externally left to right.

There's a lot going on there.

So we're creating stability.

Now bend your knees, send
your hips up high and back

and melt your heart
towards the tops of your thighs.

Now take a second here
to shake the head gently,

very gently.

Yes, maybe nod no.

Beautiful. Then lower
the knees to the ground.

Send the right foot
up towards the sky.

Walk the left
knee back just a bit

so you feel a nice big stretch

in the front of
that left hip crease

and the right knee is
over the right ankle.

Beautiful, we're gonna press up

to the top of the right thigh.

Interlace the fingertips,
bring them behind the head.

Lift the chest as you press
your head back into your hands,

elbows nice and wide.

Inhale in here and
exhale to release.

Nice and easy, you're just
gonna walk the right knee back

and then send the
left leg up high.

Inch the right knee
back just a little bit.

And when you're ready,
squeeze the inner thighs.

Feel that lift
in the pelvic floor

to support you as you press up.

Interlace the fingertips,
maybe try opposite binds

so maybe opposite
thumb on top here

as you come into this
little neck hammock here.

Press the head
firmly into the hands

as you open the elbows wide.

Inhale, breathe in,
breathe in, breathe in.

Good, and then exhale.

Find your way back
to Tabletop Position.

Walk the knees wide.
Bring the toes together.

Left hand to the
center of the mat

as the right fingertips
come behind to the sacrum.

Inhale, open the chest.

Spiral your heart
up towards the sky.

Careful not to
crunch the neck here.

Stay here for a couple breaths.

And on your next breath,

reach the right arm
up towards the sky.

As you exhale,
thread the needle here.

You're gonna bring your
right ear, right shoulder

to the earth.

Left fingertips press 
into the yoga mat

as a way of really kind
of pushing into the earth

to create a deeper
stretch in the upper back body

and the shoulder.

Find comfort in the
sound of your breath.

And then plant your left palm
all the way on to the ground,

use it to press slowly back up.

Right hand comes to the earth.

We'll take the left hand to
the lower back to the sacrum.

And careful not to collapse
in your right shoulder here.

So you wanna
create lots of space

between the right ear
and the right shoulder

and then will start
to spiral the chest,

the heart up towards the sky.

And you'll find your
edge here in the spine.

Breathing deep here.

So we tend to kind of
twist the parts of the spine

that are easy
and more malleable.

And yoga practice with
patience and with breath

can allow us to
kind of move through

some of these more tight places,

push along stagnant energy

and ultimately leave us
feeling more like ourselves,

more comfortable in
our skin and nourished.

On your next inhale,

send the left fingertips, 
ooh, up towards the sky

and exhale to thread the
needle on the other side.

Left shoulder, left ear
coming down to the ground.

Right fingertips finding
the mat for a little leverage.

Breathe nice, wide
lateral breath here.

Think about if you had gills,

just breathing into
the sides of the torso.

And then slowly
pressing into your right palm,

coming all the way back up.

We're gonna walk
the knees forward.

Swing the legs to
one side, any side.

If you have a
blanket or a towel,

you're gonna roll it
up now or fold it out

depending on what you have

to be a little
prop for your neck.

And then you're gonna come
on down back to the ground,

place your neck on your prop

and allow the feet to
come as wide as the yoga mat

with the knees
falling in towards center.

Soften through the
bowl of the pelvis,

bring your hands to your belly.

And relax your shoulders.

Take a deep breath in.

And exhale to empty it out.

Coming into a

constructive rest posture here,

belly rises as
you breathe in fully.

And then think of your
exhale here like a tea kettle,

just a slow, soft, even hiss.

And really see how long
you can extend that exhale

before it's time to take a
nice nourishing fresh

in breath.

Take one more cycle here,

inhaling deeply

and then exhaling
slowly, completely.

And then just allow your
breath to return once again

to a nice, natural, easy rhythm,

whatever comes easy.

Like petals
opening up, blossoming,

you're gonna slowly send
your right palm to the right

and left palm to the left.

So your hands are
now open, palm face up.

And keep your head heavy,
shoulders relaxed

as you allow both knees,

you can keep the
feet where they are,

keep the feet where they
are as you allow both knees

to melt over towards the right.

Option here, to take
the right ankle cross it

over the top of the left thigh.

Breathe in.

And breathe out to release
and over to the other side.

Breathe in.

And exhale to release.

Extend the legs out long

or you can return to that
constructive rest posture.

We've come to the
end of our practice.

So close your eyes here

and in the spirit 
of today's theme,

just take one
last moment to feel

your body,

to notice your breath

and say one loving,

kind thing to yourself.

As you're ready,
bring the palms together.

Thumbs up to the forehead.

Feel the pressure of
your thumbs right there

between the brows.

Wiggle your toes.
Take a deep breath in

and we'll close by
whispering thank you

or I love you or we did it

or Namaste.

(upbeat music)