- Hello everyone,
welcome to Yoga With Adriene.

Today we have a yoga
practice for your abs.

That is short
for your abdominals.

Hop into something comfy
and let's get started.

(upbeat music)

Alright team, let's begin
lying on our backs.

So take your time
gettin' down on the ground.

Hi Benji.

Right away as you
come onto your back,

just pay attention to how
you're regarding yourself.

You know, how you
move matters here.

And so be kind to yourself

as you come into
this first position.

Feet as wide as the mat,
knees fall together.

So you're not holding in
the legs here to start.

Hands come to the 
low abdominals, that low belly.

And you're just gonna shimmy
your shoulder blades

underneath your chest.

And as we come into
our first position,

we really are gonna think about

welcoming a Lovingkindness

to this moment 
through our breath.

And if that sounds like
a bunch of mumbo jumbo,

that's fair but play
along with me if you can.

We are gonna go on a little

journey today
strengthening the abs.

And we have a lot of really

cool energetic points
along the abdominal wall.

(laughs)

And so just taking 
a moment here to

drop in consciously 
to this practice.

This is not just a workout.

It can be, but it can
also be so much more.

So, close your eyes if
you feel comfortable.

And just start to deepen your
breath and as you breathe in,

feel the slight rise

of the belly 
and the gentle fall.

You can keep it pretty chill
for now, kind of lazy-like.

Just nice and easy.

And start to let go
of the day thus far.

And again, just showing
up with a little intention of

Lovingkindness
for yourself here.

Sending awareness to
the low abdominals

as you breathe into the belly.

And as you're ready,

as you're willing
and as you're ready,

we're gonna start to exaggerate
this breath a little more

and engage the muscles.

So the inhale,
again, it's an expansion.

You might start
to actively though,

press, press, press,

press out for that expansion

as if there was a
balloon in your belly.

And then, yep,
you guessed it,

on the exhale,
we're not just passive anymore,

allowing it to fall,
we're drawing the muscles,

think about drawing your navel
in, in, in towards the spine.

Again, inhale, expand.

Breathe in, breathe in,
breathe in to max capacity.

Feel it stretch.

Woo, and then exhale,

navel draws down 
as you breathe out.

And it keeps 
drawing down and in and in

and in and in.

And one more like that,
give it some gusto.

Here we go, inhale.

And if this is new to you,
this can be really hard.

Like, it's hard to turn these
muscles on in the beginning

so just be
patient with yourself.

Drawing the navel
in as you breathe in.

And it's an
activation of those muscles.

So you're not just
sucking the belly in.

It's a real drawing,
a retraction.

Alright, and then you can
release that. Great work.

We're gonna hug the
knees into the chest.

Start to rock a
little side to side.

Find what feels good here.

You can imagine you're like
a bear on a tree crawling your

shoulder blades
down your back body.

You can take the knees in
gentle circles one way

and then the other.

If you're really feeling
a Happy Baby moment here,

maybe take that.
Just a couple breaths here on

your own to check
in with your body.

Find a little
massage in the low back.

Continuing to land
here in the moment.

I know we all have
full plates, busy lives,

and it can be really hard
to drop into the present.

But that's why a
great physical practice

can really do wonders

and help anchoring us.

That and the breath.

So breathe in.

As you breathe out, drop the
soles of the feet to the mat.

We're gonna 
interlace the fingertips

and bring them behind the head.

Extend the thumbs if you
like to cradle the neck for

a little more support
or you can skip that.

Alright, elbows are gonna 
stay nice and wide here

and we're gonna 
come to a neutral spine.

So for neutral spine,

tailbone goes down towards the
mat and there's just a little,

little space between
your low back and the mat.

Now, the one catch to
playing in neutral spine is

the ribs tend to
really lift and splay out.

I'll exaggerate it, like this.

And so we have to find that

balance between the tailbone
lengthening down and the

activation of the upper abs
by hugging the low ribs in.

And if you're like,
"Say what?" (chuckles)

It's all good.

These are just layers that
we can come to play with the

longer we practice and
the more often we show up.

Alright, so I'm
in neutral spine.

Inhale in, keep the
feet on the ground.

As you exhale, lift the head, 
the neck, the shoulders.

Try to keep the elbows wide.

They can stay at a diagonal.

They don't have to be
flat in line with your ears.

You're just gonna stay lifted
here for a couple breaths.

Notice that neutral spine.

If you lift the
tailbone up towards the sky,

everyone go ahead and lift your
tailbone up towards the sky,

and then lengthen it down,
you'll feel your deep core

turn on in a different way.

Alright, now press your back

into the earth to
lift up a little more.

So instead of just thinking
about lifting your heart up,

literally press your mid-back

into the ground and
lift the chest from there.

You should find
a little more lift

and definitely some more abs.

Now if you're like
shaking and on fire here,

stay here and breathe.

Soften the skin of
the forehead and the face.

If you want a little more,
lift one shin then the other

and bring the knees and the
shins into Tabletop position.

Again, everyone,
wherever you're at,

scoop the tailbone up,
become flush with the low back.

Feel the abs there.

And now go into
that neutral spine,

lengthen the tailbone out.

Somethin' a 
little different, eh?

Alright, now we're gonna
extend the left leg out long

and then bring it back in.

Right leg extends out long 
and then bring it back in.

Again, feet are either in Tabletop

or you can have one foot 
on the ground and switch.

Single leg extensions,
breathing.

Keep pressing into that

mid-back to lift the
shoulders up a little higher.

Cool, go ahead and even it out.

And then release.

Hug the knees into the chest,
rock a little side to side.

Nice work. From here, 
we're gonna rock and roll

up and down
the length of the spine.

And you're gonna come all
the way through to all fours.

Feel free to rock and roll as

many times as it
feels good for your back.

When you come to all fours,

find that nice
Tabletop Position.

Press up out of the earth,

engage the abs here 
so you're not just dumping

into gravity, 
surrendering to gravity,

but we're gathering up
that core strength here.

Then we'll maintain that as

we extend the right arm out,
left leg out.

Inhale in here,

drop your left hip in line with
your right hip best you can.

Hug those low ribs in to
engage your core even more.

Inhale, exhale, drop everything
into the center line.

Squeeze and lift.

Inhale to extend.

Exhale, draw it in,
squeeze and lift.

Inhale to extend.

Exhale, draw it in,
squeeze and lift.

Hold here and then release.

Take it to the other side.
Left arm, right leg extend.

Drop the right hip.

Exhale, draw it in.

Inhale, extend.

Neck is nice and long.

Exhale, draw it in.

Inhale, extend.

Soften the forehead.

Exhale, draw it in and hold.

And then release.

Beautiful.

Spread the fingertips
wide like starfish,

curl the toes under,
inhale in.

Exhale, just lift the knees,
Hovering Table.

Hug the low ribs in.

Draw your navel up and in.

Then shift forward a
little bit and then back.

Forward a little bit 
and then back.

You got this.

Forward,
press into the pinky toes

and back one more time.

Forward and back.

Downward Facing Dog.

Walk the hands out if you
need to a little bit here.

Peel the hips up high.

Take a couple breaths.

Find any soft, easy movement
here that feels awesome.

Nice, then draw
the navel up and in.

Start to roll
forward into a Plank.

Keep those low ribs hugging in.

Keeping the abs engaged,
draw your navel in and up.

Great, from here we're gonna
slowly lower onto the forearms.

You can interlace 
the fingertips together

or keep the 
forearms parallel, palms flat.

You can also lower the
knees here for Half Plank.

If the knees are lifted,
reach the heels back.

We're gonna dip the
right hip down slowly.

Shift it through center,
take it to the left.

Up through center,
take it to the right.

Up through center, to the left.

One more time on each side.

And then slowly lower the knees.

Send it back, Child's Pose.

Inhale in deeply.

And exhale completely.

Inhale in deeply.

Exhale completely.

Inhale to rise up all fours.

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog.

You guys are doing great.
Take a deep breath in here.

Nice cleansing breath
out through the mouth.

Excellent, bend the knees.

Inhale, look forward.

Exhale, make your way
to the top of your mat.

You can walk.

You can hop, you can float.

Feet together, really together 
or hip width apart.

Your choice,
just nice conscious footing.

Forward Fold.
Let it all hang.

Breathe, bend your knees.

Release through the
neck and the shoulders.

And then when you're ready,

follow your breath
and slowly roll up,

rise up to standing.

When you rise up,
think about lifting your heart

and just taking a quiet
moment here for yourself.

Benji took a little
moment for himself too.

Alright, here we go.

Grounding through
the feet, inhale,

bring the palms together
at your heart space.

Exhale, send the hips back,
Utkatasana, Chair Pose.

Fret not, you got this.

Use this mudra here,

the palms pressing together
to help remind yourself to keep

the chest open and the
sternum lifted to the thumbs.

Alright, sink it back.

Connect to your low abdominals
here by drawing them in and up.

That's the ticket.

Now sink a little lower.

Inhale in, exhale,
release, Forward Fold.

Good, inhale, halfway lift.

Draw the abs up.

Exhale, slow fold.

Good, fingertips to the mat.

Step the right foot back.

Front knee's bent,
back knee's lifted.

You're gonna 
bring the palms together

at the heart space once again.

Sink deep here,
draw your low ribcage in.

Excellent, inhale in.

Exhale, relax the shoulders.

When you're ready, drop the
fingertips down to come up.

You're gonna inhale, reach
the fingertips all the way up.

So we're in a High Lunge here.

Keep the front
knee bent generously.

As you exhale,
press the palms back,

lean forward, draw your
abs towards your spine.

Reach the back heel all the way

towards the
back edge of the mat.

Lengthen through
the crown of the head.

Good, inhale,
rise up once again.

High Lunge and then repeat.

Exhale, send the heart forward,

hug the abs into the spine.

Inhale, reach it up.

Last time, exhale, forward,
press it back with the palms.

Good, then release.

Bring the hands to the earth.

Let's take a twist here.
Left arm all the way up.

Breathe into your belly.

Exhale, come all
the way back down.

Step the left
foot back to Plank.

So we're back in the Plank.

Inhale in here,
exhale to the forearms.

Second round,
hip dips, right hip comes down.

So we're focusing on quality
here today, not quantity.

Nice and slow and in control.

Keep breathing.

Doing your part to connect,

to wake up and bring more
awareness to the abdominal wall.

Nice, then we'll release.

Go ahead and come to all fours.

Take a moment in Child's Pose.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And then rise up on
the inhale to all fours.

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog.

Inhale, step the
right foot all the way up.

Exhale, High Lunge here.

We're gonna start by
bringing the palms together,

slowly rising up.

Front knee's bent,
back heel's reaching back.

If you're feeling
a little tight here,

bend this back knee first to
get your center underneath you

so you can think about

connecting the low abs 
with the upper abs,

almost as if you
had suspenders on.

Nice, and then
when you're ready,

fingertips go down to come up.

Inhale, high lunge.

Hold onto those suspenders.

Connect the hip points
with the upper abs.

Think about drawing
everything into center.

Inhale in.

Exhale, here we go.

Send the fingertips back.

We lean forward, but again,

we're not just letting the
belly draw down with gravity.

We're hugging the
abs into the spine.

Good, inhale, rise up.

High Lunge.

Exhale, send it back.

Hug the low ribs in.

Inhale, rise up.

And exhale, send it back.

Good, bring the
fingertips down to the earth.

Inhale, right fingertips
up towards the sky.

Lengthen through the 
crown of the head. Big twist.

Exhale, bring it
all the way back down.

Plant the palms,
step the right toes back.

Last round, yay!

Forearms to the earth and
we're gonna dip the hips.

Breathing.

Meet your comfortable edge.

If you took a break,

come on back in for 
one more round each side.

Working those obliques.

And then come to the knees.

And this time we're gonna
come all the way up to a seat.

And if being on the
knees is not your jam,

then you can shift to
a cross-legged position.

Inhale in, lengthen through 
the crown of the head.

Exhale, relax the shoulders.

Nice, just take a
moment for yourself here.

Notice how you feel.

A little recovery moment.
(claps)

And then bat the eyelashes open.

Come forward onto all
fours as you breathe in.

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog.

Inhale to bend the knees,
look forward.

Exhale to make your
way to the top of the mat.

Inhale, halfway lift.

Exhale, soften and bow.

Inhale, bend the knees,

bring the palms
together at the heart space.

Sink it back, rise up and
sink it back into Chair Pose.

So the knees
are bent generously,

the shoulder blades
are drawing together.

We're drawing
the navel in and up,

connecting to the
abdominal wall here.

Inhale in, exhale,
sink a little lower.

Then you're gonna keep
your left foot where it is or

you're just gonna step your
right foot back into your lunge.

Excellent.

Then we have this airplane move

we already did so we're gonna
keep the legs where they are,

send the fingertips
out into the airplane.

Inhale in.

Exhale, you're gonna
slowly slide the right toes.

Maybe they lift,
come up into a Warrior III.

Draw the abdominals up and in.

Find that strength,

that activation here
to hold you, to lift you.

Then check it out. 
From here,

you're gonna 
bend your right knee,

draw it all the way back in,
palms come together.

Utkatasana, Chair.

Same thing on the other side.
We got this.

Shift to the right.

Send the left foot
back here to start.

Connect the abs before you
move into the balancing posture.

So finding that connection
best you can and it takes practice.

When you're ready,
sending the fingertips back,

leaning forward.

And then maybe we
slide the left toes in.

Maybe they lift off.

Finding that drawing in
of the low belly,

that hugging up and
in of the upper abs.

And then slow, best you can, 
with core control,

bring it back in,
Utkatasana.

Inhale in here.

Exhale to stand and rise.

Arms can just fall
gently at your side.

Take a deep breath in.

Exhale, just a moment
for yourself here.

It's all a moment for yourself,
a new moment for yourself here.

Palms come together
at the heart space.

Inhale in, exhale, send the
sits bones back, Chair Pose.

Inhale in again here.
Exhale, Forward Fold.

Inhale, halfway lift.

Exhale, slow and
steady back into the fold.

Plant the palms,
step your right foot back,

step your left foot back.

We're done with Planks
though so lower your knees.

Yay!

Swing your legs to one
side and come into a seat.

Alright, we're gonna keep
the knees bent here to start.

Come onto the sits bones,
feet are on the ground.

You're gonna lean back
onto your forearms here.

And then we're gonna bring
the knees and the shins back up

into Tabletop Position just
like we did at the beginning

of this practice with
the arms behind our head.

Now lengthen the
tailbone down just a bit.

Draw the abs,
you can even take a look down

at your belly and
you might even see,

you may not, don't worry,

a little drawing
in of the muscles.

Good, then we're gonna
come to another round of

Single Leg Stretch but this
time up here on the forearms.

So squeeze the legs
together this time.

Extend, let's start
with the left leg again.

Let's extend the left leg out.

Try to keep this idea of
squeezing the inner thighs in

towards the
center the whole time.

Switch.

And up on the forearms 
you can really tell if your

rib cage is splaying out here

so hug that

lower rib cage in.

Just like when on our backs

we're pressing
our back into the mat.

It's that same sensation.

And you might hear your pants
sliding on each other here,

your legs sliding,
that's a good sign.

Getting into the
deep core muscles here.

For three, breathe.

For two.

And one.

Press up back to
upright position.

Open the knees wide and

you might just take a rest
here in a little Cobbler's Pose.

Knees wide,
soles of the feet together.

Alright, last bit before
we lie down and rest.

We're gonna bring the
hands behind the thighs,

loop the shoulders back,
inhale in.

Come to your version of
Boat Pose here to start.

So the knees can be bent
with the hands behind the legs.

Great.

We've been working with
Single Leg Stretch so maybe

you play with straightening
one leg and then the other.

Option to take the
fingertips forward.

Everyone breathe,
lift your chest up,

sternum up towards
those imaginary thumbs,

your heart's space.

And maybe you straighten
the legs here and breathe.

Boat Pose, your version.

You're here for five.

Four.

Three.

You got it!
Lift your chest, two.

And one.

Awesome.

Come on to your back,
set up for Bridge Pose.

Knees bent, 
soles of the feet on the mat.

When you're ready, start to
roll up from your tailbone.

Keep those shoulders relaxed,
collarbone nice and wide.

Relax your jaw.

Think about sending your shins
forward as you lift the hips

and then slow and steady,

releasing down
through the spine.

Two more.

Moving with your breath.

After your last one,
hug the knees into the chest.

Again, if a Happy Baby's calling
your name or any other stretch,

go ahead and do it now.

And then we'll
hug the right knee in,

extend the left leg out long.

Find a twist by taking your
right knee over to the left,

breathing into the low belly,
closing your eyes,

softening through the
skin of the forehead.

And then melt it back to center.

Same thing on the other side.

Releasing any tension
in the low back here.

Nice breath into the belly.

And when you're ready, go ahead
and bring it back to center.

Extend your legs out long.

Allow your arms to rest
gently at your sides or

maybe allow the hands
to rest somewhere on your body.

Close your eyes.

We're gonna take
three slow breaths here.

Coming into stillness

before we wrap this baby up.

And slowly bring
your hands together.

Draw the thumbs
up to the third eye.

Start to wiggle your toes 
and rotate the ankles.

Way to show up today.

Thank you so much for taking on

this type of practice 
that is disciplined

and can yield

great benefits for
the physical body but

also the mental and
the emotional as well.

Really appreciate you guys
sharing your time with me.

Let's take one last
breath in together.

And exhale to close.

Namaste.

(upbeat music)