- Hi everyone and
welcome to Yoga With Adriene.

I'm Adriene and this is Benji.

And today we 
have a yoga for

sickness recovery.

Post sickness,
you're recovering from illness.

A lot of us 
have been there lately

and I wanted to make a 
practice that you could turn to

when you were feeling

pretty frustrated 
from being sick

and yet needing to
do something for your body.

It's really hard to move and

nurture the body when
you're sick for so long.

So I hope this practice really
supports you and just getting

a little bit of loving
gestures back into the body,

some nice, easy breath.

Bring some blankets in
a pillow if you have it.

If not, just come on 
down to the ground

in your comfy clothes
and let's get started.

(upbeat music)

Alright, my sweet friend,

I hope you're already 
down on the ground

but if not, take 
your time getting there.

When I was
recovering from illness,

I know that just even getting
down here on the mat was a lot.

And also I'm here to 
meet you at different

stages of your recovery.

So wherever you are,

let's begin together nurturing

the breath with some awareness

and just tender loving care.

So come to a seated position

and start to notice your breath

or if you want to start lying 
down, you can start lying down

and everyone
just close your eyes.

I'm lucky enough to have a

sweet assistant here to help
with the healing process.

And just start to
notice your breath.

If you have a cough,

you might come to lay 
on your side or sit up.

If you're congested, 
you might consider

rubbing some Vick's Vapor Rub
on your chest, on your nose.

Just start to
notice your breath.

And take it easy
on yourself here.

This practice is about nurturing

the whole body.

And therefore,
your mental health too,

your emotional health that

wanes a bit when we are ill.

And take another
deep breath in here.

And this time as you exhale,

blow it out through the lips,

almost like you're
blowing out a candle.

Inhale in again.

And just nice and easy
blowing it out through the lips.

And one more time 
just like that, inhale in.

Nice, if you're
lying on your back,

gently, gently, gently
press yourself up to seated.

And from a seated position,

you're gonna bring your
left hand to the ground,

just like so,

and you can keep things
kind of almost lazy here today.

It doesn't have
to be super active,

maybe like other practices.

And if you're like, "Got it, 
boss. (chuckles) No problem."

Benji, got the note.
Okay, great.

So nice and easy.

Pressing the left hand
into the earth or leaning,

you're just
gonna open the chest,

reach the right arm all
the way up at a diagonal.

Inhale in.

Exhale, side body stretch.

So take the right
fingertips up and over.

Then inhale to that
nice open wingspan again.

And then exhale,
keep the left palm grounded.

You're just gonna 
wrap your right arm around

to kind of hug your left side.

So we inhale, expand.

Exhale, side body stretch.

Inhale, expand.

And exhale, drawing it in.

Gentle twist in the spine.

Woo, inhale, expand.

Exhale, side body stretch.

Slow and steady.

Inhale, expand.

Open the chest.

And exhale,
wrap your wing inward.

Let's do one more just like that
and just notice how you feel.

You might feel a
little emotion here.

It can be kind of
vulnerable to fall.

But it's all part of the process

and it's an important
part of our living process.

Alright, come all 
the way back up

and we'll take
it to the other side.

So again,
soft pressing in of the

right hand to the earth
just to ground you like,

"Whoo,
I'm still alive, I'm here."

And then we'll send the left
fingertips out at a diagonal.

So if you're further
along in the recovery process,

you can really pay 
attention to what's happening

in your abs here 
and your shoulder blades,

your scapula as well.

Otherwise, just keep
it really soft and easy.

Here we go, inhale.

Exhale, side body stretch.

We lean and reach over
with the left fingertips.

And then inhale, expand,
press into the right palm.

Exhale, wrap it in.

Maybe kiss your right shoulder.
(kisses) Why not?

Inhale, open.

Exhale, side body stretch.

Inhale, open.

And exhale, wrap it in.

Inhale, open, nice and slow.

Exhale, side body stretch.

Inhale, open your wingspan.

And exhale,
gather it in, wrap in.

Kiss your right shoulder.
(kisses) Why not?

One more time on your own.

You don't have to
kiss your shoulder anymore.

Maybe you just need a
little smile, little love.

Inhale.

And on your last exhale,

we'll release.

Come back to center,
bring the palms to the knees.

So inhale, lift the chest here.

Exhale, drop the chest,
round everything forward.

Think Cat-Cow here so
lift is like the Cow.

And exhale, the chin to chest
is rounding the spine, like Cat.

And you can just close your eyes
and get lost a little bit here,

lifting and breathing in.

And exhaling and softening down.

Like a soft wave.

You know, we always talk about

like it's not about how it 
looks, it's about how it feels.

Now this practice is really
(clicks tongue)

just getting 
to the root of that.

I know what it's
like to be so sick.

And just allow
yourself to be in this state,

in the messy part.

Nice, then inhale,
lift all the way up.

We're gonna come
onto our backs now.

So I have a blanket
out here to lay on.

You can lay on a blanket or

you can just come straight
on the mat, on the ground.

We're gonna come all the way
to our backs and we're gonna

hug the knees into the
chest when we get there.

Now Benji and I
are sharing this mat.

Okay.

And just take a second here to
chill with the knees hugging in.

Feel the stretch the low back.

If you're like me 
and I was in bed for

weeks. (laughs)

This is heaven,
just hugging the knees in,

feeling that
stretch in the low back.

If you need a little more,

maybe you rock
from side to side,

getting a little massage.

If you want
even more discipline,

you can train the mind

to find neutral spine 
as your knees go out

and then to find a nice
flat back as the knees come in.

Flush lower back
as the knees come in,

neutral spine, tailbone down 
as the knees go out.

So you have a lot of options
depending on what you're

able to facilitate
and focus on today.

Nice. Then slowly release
the feet to the ground.

You're gonna bring your right
ankle to cross your left thigh.

And if you are stuffed up here,

you could use a block or a
pillow or rolled up blanket

to just kind of prop up the head

a little bit here
for these next loops.

(Adriene's head thuds loudly)

Ow. I'm gonna keep rolling.
Okay. (laughs)

Keepin' it real.
Alright, so we're here.

And you may not need to
prop your head up either.

And we're gonna
thread the needle here,

interlace the fingertips behind
the back that the left thigh.

And in a nice loving way

we might start to
rock side to side.

We might squeeze the
legs up towards the chest.

We might find this is just kind

of much too much and we're
just gonna be here with the

left foot on the ground

pressing the right thigh out.

Maybe have a bit more
energy and no sinus pressure,

you might flip over 
and do another version

of One-Legged Pigeon.

Wherever you are soften the
skin of the face and breathe.

And as you stay in this stretch

continue to find 
places where you can

just bring a little 
more ease and softness.

Shoulders, neck, jaw.

Breathing.

And slowly release the
left foot to the ground.

You're gonna keep this right
leg crossing over the left.

So you're gonna cross it over

almost as if
you're sitting at a desk.

You can rotate the
ankle if you want here.

You can stay like this or you
can even come into Eagle legs.

You're gonna bump 
your hips to the right here

and then allow
your knees to fall to the left.

And I have this lovely 
breathing bolster here

that I will use.
Way to go, buddy.

And then open up through
your right shoulder.

Maybe turn onto your
right ear and breathe.

Be like Benji.

Relaxed in the body.

Fully in the breath.

And then slowly begin to
melt it all back to center,

bump the hips back to center,

and we'll cross the left ankle
over the right this time.

And just notice how

even when we're 
recovering from an illness

we're wanting to like
rush to get to the next thing.

That was such a
big thing for me.

Like, "I just want
to be better already."

So in this hip stretch,

can we sit in it?

Can we be still?
Can we breathe in it?

Whatever version.

Can we find areas of the body

that we can soften and
just find a little more ease?

And soft, easy
movement's good too.

If that feels
right in your body.

Just let your shoulders be heavy

and then soften
the skin of the forehead.

And then gently release
the right foot to the ground,

cross the left leg 
over the right.

You can take the bind
if you like or leave it,

let it go.

Bump the hips to
the right this time.

Knees, sorry, bump the hips to
the left this time, knees fall

to the right and we open up
here through the left shoulder.

Maybe turning onto the left ear.

Breathe.

And honestly,
any sounds that need to

or want to come out here,

I say let them.

Allow for that release, that

most likely healing release.

Hmm.

And very, very gently
bring it back to center.

Awesome.

Realign the hips to the middle
of your practice space and

we'll send one leg up
towards the sky, just one.

And then lower it down
and send the other one.

Hands can rest on
the belly or the hips,

fronts of the hips.

Nice. And just once we're
gonna send both legs up,

waterfall here or
legs up the wall.

Breathe.

You're here for three.

Breathe, you're here for two.

And one,
slowly release,

bring the soles
of the feet together,

knees wide,
Supta Baddha Konasana.

Reclined Cobbler's Pose.

Take a deep inhale in.

And a long exhale to release.

One more cycle of breath here.

And then bring your hands to
the outer edges of your legs,

just kind of assist the
heaviness of the legs in.

We'll press up,
lift the heels, just the heels.

Press in the
toes and then lower.

Just the heels lift.

And lower and one more time.

Lift and lower.

This time lift all the way up.

Press up off the toes,
draw the knees into the chest.

We're gonna reach,

grab the 
outer edges of your feet

for a little Happy Baby 
or modified Happy Baby.

So kick the feet up,

soles of the
feet towards the sky,

tailbone towards the ground.

Modification would be 
to just do one leg at a time

or to keep it nice and low

or you can open 
the legs to a straddle.

Just rolling around here
for three cycles of breath.

And after your
three cycles of breath,

you may take the blanket

if you brought one

and cover up with it.

I'll share with Benji.

And again, keep that
head propped up if you need.

Come onto your side if you need.

We're gonna come into

Shavasana here.

So close your eyes,
allow your hands to rest,

wherever it feels good,
let your body be heavy,

feel your weight

release, melting into the earth,

let everything go. Ooh.

Any, I was gonna 
say any songs.

Any sounds that
need to come out here,

ah, just let them go.

Part the lips.

And rest.

Allow your breath to
be nice and easy here.

And just inhaling lots of
love in and lots of love out.

Choosing to trust
your body and its wisdom.

Notice the support

that you feel 
from this practice,

from the earth underneath you,

and hopefully,
from my voice,

I really do care and

I know what it's like to

be recovering from sickness.

So, just a reminder

to give yourself grace.

Just do your best.

Treat your body kindly.

Be patient.

Healing is a process.

I hope you can stay resting
here for as long as you can.

Benji and I are gonna sign off

and just know that
we're always here for you.

Continue to drink lots of water.

And wherever you are,
I send you my love.

(upbeat music)