- Hi everyone,
welcome back to Center.

It's Day 21, Strength.

Let's giddyup.

(light music)

Alright, let's start 
today on our backs.

Jumping right in.

Come on down to the ground,
and when you get there,

you can hug your 
knees into your chest.

Start to drop in

to the observation or

the witnessing of your breath.

Then bring the feet to the earth,

palms down to the earth,

tuck the chin slightly,
toes are pointing forward.

We're gonna press into
all four corners of the feet.

And rock on the pelvis,
tailbone lifts up as we engage

the muscles of the core.

Press into the feet to lift the
hip points up to your Bridge.

Deep breath in.

Stay here as you exhale, 
draw the navel in a little more.

Good, and then slowly release.

Take it all the way down.

Nice, one more time.

Inhale in,
exhale, lift the tailbone.

Draw the hip points,
imagine drawing the hip points

together here to
really engage the low abs.

You can tell how it changes
my voice here, beautiful.

And then keep moving up slowly,
keeping that connection with

the abdominals, pressing into
all four corners of the feet.

Inhale in
deeply here at the top.

Exhale, without moving the legs,

squeeze the inner thighs together,

hug to the midline and 
draw the navel into the spine.

And then slowly roll it
down whenever you're ready.

Hug the knees into
the chest once again.

Rock gently side to side.

Take a deep breath
in through your nose.

And exhale out
through the nose or the mouth.

Good, extend your
left leg out long.

Hug your right
knee into your chest.

And then switch.

Left knee comes in, 
right leg goes out.

Point or flex the feet.

Now we're gonna
do that back and forth.

Right knee, 
left knee alternating.

First with the head down.

See if you can engage the
low abs by again imagining

your hip points drawing
together in towards the middle.

Pelvic floor drawing up 
in towards the middle.

And low ribs hugging
down towards the mat.

Stay here breathing, moving
at a pace that works great for

you here as we warm up.

Or you can start to lift the
head, the neck, the shoulders.

Keep the shoulders relaxed 
and keep that connection

in your core strong.

So we're actively drawing
the navel down as we work here.

Again, feet point or flexed.

Keep it going.

Hi Benji.

And slowly release.

Excellent.
Hey buddy.

Extend the legs out long.

Inhale, reach the 
arms up and overhead

for a nice full body stretch.

You can open and
close the jaw here.

Maybe you take a yawn.

Nice. Now interlace the 
fingertips behind the head

and we're gonna bend the knees,

bring the feet 
back up to the earth.

But keep the elbows instead
of keeping them wide like

I usually guide, we're
gonna bring them in just a bit.

Inhale in, exhale, 
from your core,

so your core tightens 
first then lift up.

Again, elbows are in just a
bit and you're looking,

you're sending your gaze
towards your navel here.

Now stay here.
Listen carefully:

Just breathe in.

And as you breathe out,

see if you can see 
your navel draw down.

Again, inhale in.

Maybe lift up a little
higher and exhale, contract.

Inhale in.

Exhale, contract.

Now you can keep working here.

We're gonna lift the knees.

Shins parallel to the ceiling,

knees right over 
the hips and continue.

Inhale in.

Exhale, navel draws down.

Inhale.

Sharp exhale.

Keep it going.

Lifting up from
the shoulder blades.

Skin of the face soft.

Neck relaxed.

(rhythmic breathing)

Three more.

And slowly release.
Great.

You can bring the palms now
to the knees and just draw

a couple of circles one
way and then the other.

And then soles of the 
feet come back to the mat

or shins lifted up 
to the ceiling.

So you have options here.

Both work great.

Interlace the fingertips.

Hug the elbows in just a hair.

Inhale in.
Exhale.

Lift the head, the neck, 
the shoulders up.

Again, think about lifting
from your shoulder blades here.

Good, inhale in.

Again, exhale.

Take your left shoulder over

towards the top 
of the right thigh.

Keep the hips where they are.

Left shoulder to the
top of the right thigh.

Hold.

Then keep it lifted 
as you slide their center

and take it to the other side.

Right shoulder towards
the top of the left thigh.

Keep your right hip down.

Good, slide through the middle.

And then find that exhale
as you take it to the right.

Slide through the middle.
Keep it lifted.

Exhale to the left.

Inhale through center.

Exhale.

Inhale through center.

Exhale.

Keep the hips where they are.

One more to each side.

And slowly release.

This time bring the hands
to the backs of the thighs.

Hug the knees into the chest.
Rock gently side to side.

And then when you're ready,
we're gonna rock up and down

the length of the spine.

Massaging the back body.

You may find that maybe
the toes touch behind you.

And if you're like, 
"No way, not today,"

maybe another day.

Give it a couple
of rock and rolls.

Maybe finding a little Plow
Pose with the toes behind you.

And then eventually 
we'll all meet

in a seated cross-legged
position at the top of the mat.

Inhale, sit up nice and tall.

Lengthen through the crown.
Lift your chest.

Close your eyes
for just a moment.

Observe your breath.

We're building strength 
in the body, but we just cannot

underestimate 
the mental strength

that we're building,

that we're cultivating
each time we show up here.

Take a deep breath in.

And a long breath out.
You can open the eyes.

Let's rock on. Just a 
gentle twist to the left.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Sit up a little taller.

And breathe out to
come back to center.

Take it to the other side.

Gentle twist.
Inhale.

Exhale to stay.

Inhale to get a
little bit taller.

And exhale to
release back to center.

Alright, we're gonna take 
it all the way back down

to our backs.

And you're gonna now bring
your hands to the backs of your

thighs and we're gonna
rock up to maybe a Boat Pose.

So just let's just see 
what happens. Inhale in.

Exhale, lift up.

If you don't quite make it,
that's all right.

Inhale in.
Rock back.

Exhale, lift up.

Inhale in.

If you don't quite make it,
you can use your hands on the

ground to support you.

Peek at me.

We're gonna go
back and then lift up.

And is this very humbling?

(laughs) Absolutely.

Build strength again
in more ways than one.

The next time you maybe make
it up or maybe you're still

rocking and rollin', you
might try to extend the legs.

You can bring the
hands behind the thighs.

Lift up through 
the chest, everyone.

Hug the low ribs in.

Or you can keep it bent.

Option to send
the fingertips out.

Palms face up.

And then everyone,
cross your ankles and release.

Come back to a seat.
Take a deep breath in here.

Exhale to let it go.

Great. Come forward 
onto all fours.

You can center
yourself on your mat here.

We're gonna come 
into a Tabletop Position

with the toes curled under.

Spread the fingertips.

Send your gaze straight
down to the center of your mat.

Lift up through your shoulder
blades here so you have this

doming effect in
the upper back body.

Now before we lift the knees,
inhale in, draw the navel

up and in, on the exhale,
you feel your low abs draw in.

And from there, lift the knees.
Let them hover.

Good. Inhale to lower.

Exhale to lift.

But again, it comes 
from those low abs.

So that moves first
and then the knees lift.

Try to be disciplined 
about these steps.

So you inhale, lower.

Exhale first, you feel 
the low abs lift

and then the
knees lift to follow.

Inhale, lower.

Exhale, lift.

Inhale, lower.

Now you can start to find that

audible sharp exhale 
as you lift.

Think low abs here.

Strong arms.

Strong shoulders.

Low ribs hug in.

Neck is long.

Crown of the head 
reaching forward.

Three more.

And release.
Beautiful.

Draw the elbows down
where the hands were.

Drop, rather, not draw
the elbows down

where the hands were, 
press into all of your fingerprints,

keep that rooted,
that foundation rooted

as you walk your knees back,

send your tailbone 
up towards the sky,

ooh and feel the
front body get long as you

stretch here, allowing
the heart to melt down.

Puppy Posture.

You have the
long puppy belly here.

Breathe into it.

Nice, and then carve
a line with your nose.

Try to keep
your soft gaze here.

As you slowly come forward,
we can take a moment here

to bring the hips down.

We're gonna
bring right back up.

(chuckles) So we're gonna
interlace the fingertips here,

option one. Option two is
to stay exactly where you were

with the hands for Puppy
on the forearms with the hands

spread or on the forearms
with the fingertips interlaced.

Alright, curl the toes under.

Inhale in.

Exhale, from your core,
lift the hips up.

Heels reach back.

Feet are hip width apart, 
hip point width apart.

Neck is nice and long here.

Breathe in.

Breathe out to 
reinforce that connection

of the navel drawing in and up.
You got this.

Stay here breathing deep or
option to tap right knee down

to the earth
and then lift it up.

Left knee down to
the earth and lift it up.

Right knee.

Left knee.

Right knee.

Left knee.

Now both knees, 
you got this, lower and lift.

Lower and lift.

One more.

If you've taken a break,
come on in for this last one.

Lower and lift.

Lovely. Stay here 
Forearm Plank for three, two.

And on the one,
melt everything down.

Take a break.

You can use your hands here

stacked as a pillow.

Bring your forehead to your
hands and you can just rock

the hips gently left to right.

Close your eyes and breathe.

Alright, last bit here.

You got this.

A little conditioning
today mentally and physically.

We're gonna press all
the way back up to all fours.

We're gonna walk the hands out,
spread the fingertips wide.

Now shift your weight so 
that your shoulders are

directly over your wrists.

Then we're gonna extend 
one leg out and then the other

coming up into a strong Plank.

Quietly whisper to yourself,
"I am strong."

I am strong.

Now we're gonna turn
the heels to the right.

Press away from the
earth with that right hand.

There's lots of
space in the shoulder here.

And we're gonna reach the left
fingertips up towards the sky.

Option to stack the feet here.

Everyone lift the hips.

So we're here or here.

Another option is 
to bend the top knee

and bring the 
left foot to the ground

for a little more stability.

Everyone lift up through
the right obliques,

lengthen through 
the crown of the head.

Option to lift the left leg for
a little more of a challenge.

Deep breath in.

Stay here.
Long breath out.

Deep breath in.

Exhale, come through to center.

Reset.

Alright, inhale in.

Exhale, navel draws in and

we twist the heels to 
the left toes to the right.

Right fingertips 
slowly trace a line

all the way up towards the sky.

Stay connected to your core,
your center here.

You may stack the feet.

You may bend the top leg
for a little kickstand action.

Everyone lift, lift,
lift the hips up high.

For a little extra challenge,
you might lift the top leg.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

And slowly come back to center.

Reset. Stay lifted.
You got this for five.

Four, breathe.

Two and one, lower the knees.

Send it back.
Child's Pose.

Inhale in deeply.

And exhale to let it all go.

Find a comfortable
position here to rest in.

So knees together or knees wide
or maybe you come to lie down.

Close your eyes and
just observe your breath.

Notice how you feel.

Great work today.

Way to show up and rock it out.

Whatever you do, do not
miss tomorrow's practice.

Thank you for joining me today.

Take good care.

(light music)