- Hello, my darling friends.
Welcome back to Move.

Today is Day 23,
and on Day 23,

there is a beautiful invitation

to continue to build strength,
but to find a softness,

allow the breath to carry you.

Let's wait no longer,
hop into something comfy,

and let's get started.

(soft upbeat music)

Alright, let's begin
in a cross-legged seat

the center of the mat.

You're gonna bring
the left heel into

the center of your body
and the right heel to follow.

So instead of
crossing at the ankles,

we're just gonna have
one foot and then the other.

As always, lift the
hips up on a blanket,

here, or two or three.

Maybe today's the
day you play with that

in an effort to be
softer with yourself.

We wanna find length up
through the spine here.

So lifting the hips can
really help us with that.

Wherever you are,
relax the shoulders down.

Take a second to
get settled in here.

Just notice how you feel.

And then nice and easy,
take a deep breath in.

Soft fingertips as you
reach up towards the sky.

Big breath, big stretch.

And then exhale, 
float the fingertips

down gently at your side.

Good, inhale, reach the arms up.

And exhale, float 'em down.

And then again, softness 
here as you inhale, reach.

And exhale, float them down.

Now take the
fingertips out in front,

and we're just gonna slowly

spider fingers is
what I used to say a lot,

I like that still,
let's keep it.

Spider fingers are
gonna crawl all the way out,

and really just a nice
and easy gentle fold here.

So you don't wanna cram
yourself into anything today,

and we're gonna
start right here right now

by finding some 
soft, easy movement.

So you can bring your
gaze down, and let it be soft,

or you can close your eyes here,

and allow the sound of
my voice to guide you.

As I share a little bit here,

I invite you to start to
gently deepen the breath.

Today's practice is an
invitation to find softness,

as we continue to
build this connection,

this relationship to our
center and to that stability.

In the philosophy of yoga,

we talk about the
principles of Sukha and Sthira

working together in opposition

to create balance and harmony.

So we've been working a lot
in Sthira, in the stability,

and we will continue to work
that way and build strength.

But today we really just
embrace the layer of Sukha

to go with that.
So if you haven't already,

start to find soft,
easy movement here.

Think water-like movement,

if this is new to you,
use that image,

maybe just 
exploring a little bit

of a sway with
the spine left to right.

You should feel nice opening
in the low back of course,

and the hips,
particularly the right hip

on this first shape.

Notice if you're holding
or clenching in the neck,

the jaw, the forehead,

and as you continue to
gently deepen the breath,

maybe you walk the
palms out a little further,

relaxing the weight 
of the head down.

So even the breath
today can be water-like.

You can think of it as a wave.

So the inhale is a big crest,
the belly expands.

And after the crest,
it falls on the exhale,

softening, belly draws in.

Beautiful, walk your palms

towards the left
side of your mat here.

Really reach your right
fingertips forward and out.

Breathe in.

As you exhale, 
walk the hands through center

and take it over to the right.

Really reach the left
fingertips all the way out.

Inhale.

Exhale, come back to center.

Beautiful, even
as you roll up here,

nice and soft, 
being gentle with yourself

while still aiming to
maintain that connection,

that centeredness.
You got this.

Okay, bring the
hands behind you.

Fingertips point forward.

Loop the shoulders 
forward, up and back.

Draw the 
shoulder blades together.

Imagine them melting down
as you lift up a little more

through the armpit chest.

Stay here if you're feeling
it just fine and dandy here,

big stretch in the pecs,

big stretch in the wrists
and the hands, the forearms,

stay here.

To take it one step further,

you can experiment with
inhaling in, nice wide breath.

Exhale, navel draws in,
you find that core connection,

and then we'll lift the hip point,
excuse me, up just a bit

to open up
through the front body.

Lifting the hips for three.

Soft and easy in the neck, two.

And slowly lowering on the one.

Keep the hands
where they are, everyone,

you're gonna lift the shins now,

so they're
parallel to the ceiling,

and we're just
gonna dip both toes down,

and then lift them up.
Squeeze the elbows together.

Lower and lift.

Lower and lift.

Now just right toes.

Lower and lift.

Lower and lift.

Lower and lift.

Work to engage the belly.

Left toes down, and then up.

Down, and then up.

Squeeze the 
shoulder blades together.

Down, and then up.

Down, and then up.

Great. Now, right heel's 
gonna come in,

left leg to follow.

Inhale, reach the
fingertips up, soft fingers.

Just find a soft energy.
As you exhale, float 'em down.

Synchronizing with the breath.
Inhale, reach up.

Exhale, float it down.

Getting things moving.
Inhale, reach it up.

Exhale, float it down.

And then spider fingers here,

we'll walk the palms out,
and find the stretch.

Inviting soft, easy movement,
a soft gaze,

maybe closing your eyes,
deepening the breath.

So really listen to the
sound of your breath here.

Let that anchor your thoughts,

your mind in the present moment.

And then maybe reaching the
fingertips towards the front

a little more, allowing the
weight of the head to relax.

Actively pull
your sits bones down

towards the ground
or towards the blanket.

And then when you're ready,

walking the palms over towards
the right side of the mat.

Draw your chin into your chest,
take a deep breath in.

And exhale to
slowly, gently walk it

towards the left
side of the mat.

Draw your chin into your chest,
take a deep breath in.

And on your exhale,
melt it back to center.

We'll slowly tuck
the chin, roll it up.

Hands come behind,
loop the shoulders,

find that lift in the chest.

Heart lifts, lifts, lifts.

Maybe you stay here,
or we continue on,

lifting the hips up high.

Think about sits bones really
reaching towards your heels.

Press away from your
yoga mat with your feet

and with your hands.

Nice and easy in the neck here.

Good, and then slowly release.

Awesome, we're
gonna lift the feet up.

We're just gonna cross the 
right ankle over the left here.

And then you're gonna
reach right fingertips forward

and left fingertips forward
if that's available to you.

If not, keep the
fingertips on the mat

in front of you
rather than behind.

Okay?

And now we're gonna cross
the left ankle over the right.

And right ankle over the left.

And you're gonna reach the
fingertips forward if you can.

Crossing left and then right.

Back and forth,
just checking it out.

And then choose one
cross over the other

to come all the way
through to all fours.

Tabletop Position,
follow your breath.

Inhale, drop the belly,
open the chest, look forward.

Exhale, soften, 
draw the chin to the chest,

relax the jaw as you
press up through the palms.

Inhale, soften, belly drops, 
open through the heart.

Exhale, round through,
chin to chest.

Inhale, drop the belly.

This time, listen carefully,

see if you can initiate
this Cat Pose from the tailbone.

Let it travel up,
up, up, up, up,

until the crown of the head
is the last thing to release.

Playing here with your breath.

Allow the breath to move you.

When we're soft,
we can really allow.

When we're rigid,

we're kind of throwing 
our bodies around

or forcing poses,

it's really difficult to
allow the breath to move you.

Good, begin to take it
off the railroad tracks,

if you haven't already.

Bumping the hips
a little left to right.

Finding what feels
good in your body today,

Any stretch, 
any surrender, softness.

And then take this amazing
dance that you're building here

and take your
time getting there,

so resist the urge to
just go there with my cue,

but you can bring a
little creativity even

as you make your way slowly
to Plank posture, Plank Pose.

And this is a hard pose,

historically to 
bring softness to,

so we're gonna
start with it right away.

Just coming into top of
a pushup or half push-up,

finding a softness here.

Picking one hand up
and then the other.

Maybe bending at the knees.

Keeping the neck nice and long,

and feeling how your stable core

allows you to
cultivate more softness,

and be more creative

to find flexibility in the form.

And then same thing,
resist the urge

to just heft the hips up
and back based on my cue,

but make your way,
find your way,

feel your way to
Downward Facing Dog.

Strong but soft.

Sweet movement 
with your breath.

And then when you
get there, pedal it out,

same thing, what
are you waiting for?

The next move? 
Stay present in this moment.

Find some soft, easy movement.

Nice deep breaths.

Now we're gonna
imagine there's a hurdle

in the center of the mat,

and so we initiate this
again from the base of the spine

and we start to roll
up through the low back,

all the way up
through the torso,

as you shift
forward into Plank, again,

crown of the head is the
last to release forward,

and then send the hips up high
and back, Downward Facing Dog.

Two more like that.

Inhale, lift from
the pelvic floor.

We undulate through
the spine, belly lifts.

We move through the
mid back, upper back.

Neck is nice and long.
Crown of the head reaches.

Good, then Downward Facing Dog.

And one more time,
nice and slow.

Claw through the fingertips,

press into your knuckles,
and just feel it out.

Moving to that Plank Pose,

and then we'll
slowly lower the knees,

if you like or lower straight
to the belly, nice and slow.

Draw the hands in
line with the rib cage.

I'm very close 
to Benji here (chuckles).

(kiss) Hey, buddy.

Press into the
tops of the feet,

squeeze the elbows 
into the side body.

Listen carefully.
Tuck the chin into the chest.

To initiate this Cobra,
press into the pubic bone,

tuck the chin into the chest,
and we rise up.

And then we exhale, let it fall.

Twice more with the breath,

catch a wave, 
press in to your foundation.

Tuck the chin.
We rise up.

And exhale to release.

And one more time.

Tuck the chin, rise up.

And exhale to release. 
Beautiful.

Press up to all fours.

Walk the knees together.

Send the hips back,

fingertips all the 
way towards the toes,

as you round
through the shoulders,

and melt your head
and your heart down,

Balasana, Child's Pose.

Three active breath cycles here.

After your last breath,
reach the fingertips forward.

Find a new inhale that
lifts you back to all fours.

Exhale to curl the toes under,

and find your way to
Downward Facing Dog.

Good, inhale, 
lift the heels up high.

Come onto the tippy tip toes.

Exhale, lower the heels.

Inhale, lift.

Exhale, lower.

Inhale, lift the heels.

Exhale, lower.

This time inhale,
lift the heels,

you're gonna just drop them over

towards the left
edge of your mat.

Press away from your
yoga mat with your hands.

Good, then bring it
back through center,

heels stay lifted and
come on to the right side.

Sending the heels towards
the right side of your mat,

pressing the palms away.

Good, then inhale, lift the heels,
come back to center.

Exhale, bend your knees,
and make your way to the top.

Then find a nice wide stance
here at the top of your mat,

and we're gonna
find a soft sway,

left to right, knees bent.

So the fingertips
might touch the earth.

If not, they're moving 
through an imaginary

sandbox here.

Sometimes I like to draw a
little picture in the sand,

or you can write your name or
the name of someone you love.

Shake the head a
little yes, a little no.

Then bend your knees very
generously almost so that your,

the backs of your thighs,

your hamstrings are
parallel to the earth.

Just give yourself that visual,
they don't have to be parallel.

And then roll up from there.

Starting at the 
base of the spine,

moving slowly through

low back, mid-back,

upper back, shoulders,
loop forward up and back.

Chest lifts, chin lifts,

and crown of the head
lengthens towards the sky.

Soften the fingertips here.

Duh, Knocking on Heaven's Door.

Bend the knees.

We're just gonna find a
little sway left to right.

Deep breath in.

On your soft, easy exhale,

imagine just letting go 
of any stress or tension,

any worry, maybe fear that
you've been carrying around

in your body, physically,
energetically.

Let's start to pick up
the pace and let that go.

Lifting the heart.

Finding nice audible breath.

Moving the energy
around for three.

Two.

On the one, 
inhale, reach for the sky.

Exhale, bend the knees,
wiggle the fingertips,

float it down.

Inhale, halfway lift,
soft and easy.

Exhale to soften and fold.

Back into Standing Forward Fold.

Okay, from here,
listen carefully,

we're gonna find a soft,
easy sway left to right.

Nice and easy, nice and easy.

Good, then you're
gonna walk your feet as wide

as your yoga mat nice
and easy, nice and easy.

Then bring your fingertips
to the ground or to blocks,

and you're just gonna
start to lower down as you sway.

Heels are gonna come up
nice and easy, nice and easy.

Good, then we're
just gonna reverse it.

Come all the way back up.

Heels drop, we lift the hips.

Nice wide stance.

Slow and steady,
all the way back up.

Swaying left to right.

Kind of like a
gorilla pose here,

all the way back up to standing.

Nice, inhale,
send the fingertips out.

You have a little mini
variation of Star Pose here,

so you could turn on
your mat if you want,

but this is fine here.

Nice, soft Star Pose.

X marks the spot.

Find or continue a
little sway in the knees,

and you might feel
kind of silly here,

but really we're just practicing,
taking up space,

being strong and confident,

but also keeping 
a softness, a easiness

a gentleness to it all.

Good, now inhale.

Exhale, send your right
fingertips all the way down

to touch your left toes,

as you send your left
fingertips up towards the sky.

Good, then inhale, rise back up.

And exhale left
fingertips to right toes,

right fingertips
wiggle up towards the sky.

Good, inhale, reach it up.

Exhale, Forward Fold.

Low back release,
hamstring release.

Awesome, inhale, reach it up,

And exhale, 
left fingertips to right toes.

One more time on each side
with the sound of your breath.

And the next
time both fingertips

are reaching up towards the sky,

keep your gaze out, 
strong, fierce attitude,

gorgeous focus forward as
you bring the feet together,

don't look down.

Walk up to the front of
your mat if you need to.

Inhale, pull the thumbs back, 
lift your heart, look up.

Exhale, bend the knees,
Forward Fold.

Good. Plant the palms,

step one foot back then
the other, final Plank Pose.

We got this. 
Inhale in deeply.

Exhale to lower to the belly.

Tuck the chin,
rise up, inhale, Cobra.

And exhale, we crest and fall.

Twice more with the breath.

Inhale, when we rise up.

And exhale, release.

Last one. Inhale, rise up.

And exhale, release.

Beautiful.

From here, we're gonna 
come onto the elbows,

you're gonna
bend your right knee.

One last bit for
these awesome hips.

Bend your right
knee all the way up,

so we're in a half
froggy here, different frog.

We're extended
through the left leg,

we're on the elbows,
elbows underneath the shoulders.

Stacking the bones.

Bending that right knee,
breathe in.

Breathe out.

Then you're gonna keep
the left leg extended here.

You're gonna
straighten the left arm,

come onto the left shoulder,

and we're gonna
open up towards the sky

into our Reclined Twist.

So you'll open the right
fingertips all the way up,

try to aim to guide your right
shoulder down to the ground,

left hand comes to the
outer edge of the right thigh.

Inhale in deeply here.

Exhale completely.

Nice. Then send the
fingertips up towards

the front edge of your mat,

use them to help guide
you back to the elbows,

and we'll switch.

Extend the right leg,
bend the left knee,

I'm working around some Benji
feet here, but that's okay.

Life is good.

I'm not collapsed 
in the shoulders here.

Really pressing into the elbows,
lifting and lengthening,

lengthening through the spine.

Breathe.

And then extend 
the right arm up.

Allow that to guide the
right shoulder to the ground,

as you turn to open your heart,

all the way up towards the sky,

right hand comes to the
outer edge of the left thigh,

and we open up
through the left wing,

and we close the eyes or soften
the gaze and breathe here

like you love yourself.

Inhaling lots 
of love in, my friends.

Whew, and exhaling 
lots of love out.

And then from here, nice
and easy with your breath

we'll softly, sweetly
transition to the back.

So unraveling out of the twist,

walk your heels up
towards your hips,

press the palms into the earth.

Inhale, lift the tail.

As we've been doing all session,

start with the tailbone,
peel up there,

then slowly vertebra 
by vertebra, we make our way up.

Press into your
palms actively here

as you lift the hips,
Bridge Pose.

Let's check it out today.

Inhale, maybe lifting 
the right foot up.

Bringing that Sukha

that softness, that control,
and then bending it back down.

There's definitely
strength involved.

Holding onto that stable core.

Inhale, left leg lifts up.

Just finding that softness
if you can, playing with that,

practicing, keyword, that,

and then lowering
with that with control.

Awesome, hug the
knees into the chest.

Give yourself a big hug,
close your eyes.

Massage the low back by
rocking gently side to side.

Take a deep breath in.

As you exhale, 
release the feet to the ground.

Extend one leg 
and then the other.

And then open the palms,
fingertips soft.

Can walk your shoulder
blades down the back here

so you feel a spaciousness

between the ears
and the shoulders.

Then close your eyes,

soften through your entire body,

surrendering to
this moment here,

as we close our
practice for today.

Each day, each daily practice

is an opportunity to be present

with your current state,

your current state of balance,

and bringing a
softness into that,

as we continue to show
up is incredibly powerful.

Hope you can take
this with you off the mat,

and into the rest of your day.

Be sweet with yourself

as you get stronger.

As we aim to move
better through life,

remembering that softness,

and allowing the
breath to carry us through.

Sweet, bring the palms together.

Take a deep breath in here,
palms together,

thumbs at third eye.

And exhale, let everything go.

Invitation here if
you like to whisper,

Namaste.

(soft upbeat music)