Yoga Day 47

WARM-UP

1. Seated Neck Rolls

Starting position: Begin by coming into a cross-legged seated position in Easy Pose.

Relax your arms, placing the hands either on your lap or the floor. You can stay seated the way you are or bend your knees to sit cross-legged.
Tuck your chin and slowly relax your head forward, feeling a stretch along the back of your neck and the base of your skull.
Gently roll your head in a clockwise circle 4-5 times, then counterclockwise 4-5 times.

2. Easy Pose Mudra Flow (Sukhasana)

While in Easy Pose, bend your elbows, close your fists, then point your index finger upward. Rotate your forearms at the elbow joint, drawing small circles in the air with your index finger.
Close your eyes and remain here, taking 1-2 deep breaths.

3. Seated Shoulder Rolls

In Easy Pose (Sukhasana), relax your shoulders. Either relax your arms down to your lap, the floor, or in front of your knees.
Rotate your shoulders up, forward, down, and back in a circular motion.
Repeat while you take 1-2 deep breaths, then reverse the motion for 1-2 breaths.

4. Cactus Arms Shoulder Movements

Inhale your upper arms to shoulder height with your forearms up and palms facing away from you (Cactus Arms).
Exhale and move your forearms so that your cactus arms have turned upside-down, palms facing behind you.
Alternate between these movements, flowing with your breath for 30 seconds.

5. Seated Deltoid Stretch

From Easy Pose, inhale your right arm straight out in front of you, palm facing to the left.
Exhale as you bring your extended right arm across your chest, keeping your shoulder blades down. Bring your left arm up with your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle and use it to push your right arm closer to your chest.
Take 1-2 breaths here, then release and repeat on the other side.

6. Side-to-Side Neck Stretch

Begin in a seated position looking straight ahead, chin parallel to the floor.
Keeping your shoulder blades firmly rooted down and your gaze forward, exhale and tilt your head to the right. Try to touch your ear to your shoulder.
Take two or three deep breaths here, feeling that stretch throughout the left side of your neck.
Inhale your head back up, then exhale and repeat on the other side.

7. Easy Pose Side Bend (Parsva Sukhasana)

Begin in Easy Pose.
Inhale, raise your right arm above your head, and bring your left hand to your right knee.
Exhale and lean your upper body to the left, bringing your right arm up and over.
Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds, then inhale back to center and repeat on the opposite side.

8. Revolved Easy Pose Salute Flow (Parivrtta Sukhasana)

Still in Easy Pose, inhale and raise your arms, joining palms overhead.
Exhale and lower your arms, bringing your right hand to the ground next to you and your left hand to your right knee. Using that knee as leverage, slowly twist your torso toward the right, shifting your gaze out over the right shoulder.
Inhale your arms back overhead, then exhale your arms back down and twist the opposite direction.
Repeat for 30-60 seconds, alternating sides.

9. Seated Cat-Cow Pose (Upavistha Chakravakasana)

While in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) with your hands on your knees, inhale and arch your back, pushing your tailbone back and upward.
Tilt your head back slightly, keeping your shoulders engaged and opening the chest. (Cow)
On your exhale, tuck your chin and tailbone inward, pull your shoulder blades apart, and round your spine like a cat that’s stretching or startled. (Cat)
Repeat for 30-60 seconds.

10. Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Come to a seated position with your sit bones grounded and your spine straight and tall.
Stretch your legs straight out in front of you, toes pointing up toward the ceiling.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply here for 30 seconds.

11. Seated Side Straddle Pose (Upavistha Parsva Konasana)

Starting from Staff Pose (Dandasana), lean back slightly, supporting yourself by planting your hands on the ground slightly behind you on each side.
Push your thigh bones into the ground and open your legs roughly 90 degrees (or whatever amount feels the most beneficial for you). Engage your feet, toes pointing straight up.
Inhale and sit up tall, lengthening the spine, then exhale and take a gentle side bend to the right. Bring your right hand to the ground near your lower leg, and your left arm overhead reaching to the right.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then inhale your torso back up and repeat on the left side.

12. Upward-Facing Seated Straddle w/ Toe Grab (Urdhva Mukha Upavistha Padangusthasana)

Begin in a Seated Straddle Position with your legs spread wide apart and your spine tall.
Exhale and engage your feet, toes pointing straight up, hingeing forward at the hips just far enough to grab your big toe with your thumb, index, and middle fingers.
Inhale and shift your weight slightly back, broaden the chest, and tilt your head back to gaze at the ceiling - or however far you can without straining the neck.
Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds, breathing deeply.

13. Seated Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana)

Transition: Release your toes and bring your legs together in Staff Pose.

Begin with your legs out in front of you, sit bones grounded and spine tall.
Push your heels away from your body, engaging the feet and toes. Your arms should be by your side with your palms or fingertips pressing down into the floor.
Inhale and keep the front of your torso long as you hinge forward at the hips and reach for your toes/feet.
Remain and breathe here for 60 seconds, lengthening your torso forward and walking your hands forward with each exhalation until you can grasp the outer sides of your feet.

14. Supine Spinal Twist Pose (Supta Matsyendrasana I)

Transition: Release from Seated Forward Fold Pose and lie back on your mat/floor.

Start out lying supine on your mat.
Extend your arms out to each side of you like you’re making a T shape.
Inhale and lift your legs, bending at the knees ~90 degrees and keeping them together.
Exhale and bring your knees to the ground on your right side. Shift your gaze to your left fingertips.
Stay here for 30 seconds. Close your eyes and really relax into this posture.
Inhale and raise your knees back up, bringing them back to the center with your hips grounded. Exhale and release your legs back to the floor
Repeat on your left side.

15. Side Reclining Scissors Flow

Transition: Release from Supine Spinal Twist Pose, and roll over onto your right side.

Inhale and raise both legs away from the floor, pointing your toes and creating a v-shape with your legs to resemble scissors.
On your next inhale, raise your right leg (the leg on the bottom hovering just a few inches away from the floor) higher up and swing your top leg behind it.
Move your legs back to the starting position, this time taking your top leg forward and your bottom leg slightly back.
Flow through these movements for 30 seconds on this side, picking up the speed while keeping your movements controlled.
Release from the pose, then switch sides and repeat.

16. Side Reclining Leg Lift (Anantasana)

Transition: From Side Reclining Scissors Flow, relax your legs, bend your right elbow, and prop your head up on your right hand.

Bend your left knee, bringing your foot close enough for you to grab your toes. Use your thumb, index, and middle fingers to grab your big toe.
Inhale and slowly straighten your leg upward (or get it as close to straight as you can).
Spend 30 seconds breathing here, trying to deepen the stretch with each breath.

PEAK FLOW

1. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Starting position: Release from Side Reclining Leg Lifts and roll onto your belly, planting your palms firmly on the ground.

Tuck your toes, then inhale and lift onto them, taking the tailbone back and up until your arms and legs are fully extended, creating an upside-down V shape with your body.
Remain here for 2-3 full breaths.

2. Garland Pose (Malasana)

Transition: From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, begin walking your hands back toward your feet.

Bring your feet slightly wider than hip distance and angle the feet outward a bit.
Exhale and bend your knees all the way, coming down into a deep squat. Bring your thighs slightly wider than your torso and lean your torso forward slightly.
Bring your palms together in the center with your elbows tucked against your inner thighs.
Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds.

3. Twisted Dragon Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

Transition: From Garland Pose, plant your palms on the ground and walk your hands forward. Inhale your sit bones back and up to work your way into Downward-Facing Dog Pose again.

Beginning in Downward-Facing Dog Pose, inhale your right leg up and bring it forward to plant your foot on the outside of your right arm. Bring your thighs slightly wider than your torso and lean your torso forward.
On an exhale, bring your left forearm to the ground and your right hand to your right thigh. Using your right hand as leverage, inhale and twist your torso to the right, allowing your right thigh to fall outward a bit.
Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds.

4. Twisted Low Lunge Pose (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)

Beginning in Twisted Dragon Pose, inhale your torso straight up and make sure your right foot is pointed straight ahead.
On your next inhale, bend your left knee to bring your left foot straight upward. Place your left palm firmly on the floor and grab your left foot with your right hand.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

5. Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I)

Transition: From Twisted Low Lunge, release your raised foot back to the ground, tuck the toes, and inhale your body upward.

With your right foot forward, knee bent at a 90-degree angle, and stacked above the ankle, rotate your left foot.
Align the back/side of the left heel with the back of the right heel (or slightly wider if you need a wider base of support).
Straighten your left knee by pushing the left thighbone back.
Once you’re balanced and stable, inhale and raise your torso, lifting your belly away from your right thigh. As you do so, raise your arms to extend straight up with the palms facing each other.
Hold for a few breaths or 30 seconds.

6. Reverse Warrior Pose (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Transition: With your right foot forward and your left foot rotated outward a bit, pivot your body to face the left.

Stretch your arms straight out to the side in a T shape and shift your gaze out to your right hand.
Turn your right palm up toward the ceiling, then as you exhale, lower your left arm and slowly slide it down the back of your left leg.
Remain here for 30 seconds.

7. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Transition: Release from Reverse Warrior Pose and turn your body to the left side of your mat.

Start out facing the left side of your mat with your feet roughly 3 ft. apart from each other.
Rotate the right foot to face the upper right corner of your mat, and the left foot to face the upper left corner of your mat.
Exhale and bend your knees, sinking into a squat. Try to get the bottom of your thighs parallel to the floor.
Draw the shoulder blades down and bring your arms up into a T shape. Bend your elbows so that your fingers are pointing skyward with your palms facing away from you.
Maintain this pose for 30-45 seconds, breathing deeply.

8. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

Transition: Step/jump your feet closer together and wheel your palms to the floor at the front of your mat.

Plant your hands firmly on the ground, then step or jump your feet back behind you, coming onto the toes and balls of the feet and creating a long, straight line from the crown of your head to your heels.
Remain here for 30 seconds.

Repeat poses 1-8, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

9. Full-Body Stretch Pose (Supta Utthita Tadasana)

Transition: Lower your body fully to the ground, then roll over onto your back.

Begin by lying supine on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Engage your feet, pushing your heels away from you. Lengthen the back of the neck.
Inhale and sweep your arms overhead, keeping them flat on the floor with palms facing upward. Extend them fully, feeling an energizing stretch all the way from your fingertips to your heels.
Remain here and breathe deeply for 30 seconds.

10. Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana)

Begin by taking a deep breath and raising the upper body, reaching the arms forward, and rounding the spine very slightly.
Exhale, then inhale again, this time also raising your legs off the ground. Raise them as far as you feel comfortable with.
Keeping the core muscles tightly engaged, remain in this pose for 30-60 seconds.
Release and relax your whole body back down to the floor.

11. Constructive Rest Pose

Transition: From Half Boat Pose, release and relax your whole body back down to the floor.

Bend your knees and plant the bottoms of your feet on the ground ~12-16 inches away from your buttocks.
Spend 30-60 seconds here, collecting your thoughts and tuning into your breath.

12. Bridge Pose w/ Arm Flow (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Take a moment to completely relax the spine and bring awareness to your breath.
Inhale and swing your arms up into the air with palms parallel and facing each other. Engage your back, core, glutes, and quads to lift your body up, keeping your shoulder blades planted.
At the height of the pose, your arms will come all the way to the ground, fingertips pointing away from you. There should be a straight line running along your chest all the way out to your knees, and your knees should be stacked above your ankles.
Hold this position and breathe for 30-60 seconds.

13. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana I)

Transition: Release from Bridge Pose and relax your legs flat on the floor.

Start out lying supine on your mat.
Extend your arms out to each side of you like you’re making a T shape.
Inhale and lift your legs, bending at the knees ~90 degrees and keeping them together.
Exhale and bring your knees to the ground on your right side. Shift your gaze to your left fingertips.
Stay here for 30 seconds. Close your eyes and really relax into this posture.
Inhale and raise your knees back up, bringing them back to the center with your hips grounded. Exhale and release your legs back to the floor
Repeat on your left side.

14. Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)

Transition: Release your legs back down to the floor.

Begin lying supine with your legs straight and hip-width apart. Flex the feet, pushing your heels away from you.
On an exhale, lift your right leg and bend the knee so that you can grab your big toe with the thumb, index, and middle fingers of your right hand. Alternatively, you can loop a strap or towel over the ball of your foot and hold on with both hands.
Inhale and slowly straighten your right leg (or get it however close to straight you can comfortably achieve without strain or discomfort).
Take 2-3 deep breaths here, then inhale and slowly lower the outer side of your right leg down toward the floor (or as far as you can) on your right side.
Exhale, return your leg to the center, and lower it back to the floor straight in front of you on the inhale.
Repeat with the left leg.

15. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

Start lying supine on your mat.
On an exhale, bring your legs back up toward your chest.
Inhale and grab onto the outer sides of your feet, widening your legs slightly and trying to bring your knees to your armpits.
Spend 30-60 seconds here, gently pulling your feet downward with your hands. Try to very gently rock your body from side to side, just like a happy baby!

16. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Transition: Remain supine, releasing your feet back back to the floor.

Bend your legs at the knee, bringing the soles of your feet together.
Allow gravity to slowly pull your knees away from each other, lowering them toward the ground. Deepen the stretch to whatever capacity feels most comfortable to you by adjusting how close your heels are to your groin.
Stay in the pose for 30-60 seconds, maintaining slow, rhythmic breaths.

COOL DOWN

1. Seated Star Pose (Tarasana)

Transition: From Reclining Bound Angle Pose, inhale up into a seated position. Keep your feet together and scoot your heels forward slightly away from your groin.

Inhale and lengthen your spine forward over your legs as you hinge at the hips. As you exhale allow your upper back to relax toward the floor. Stay grounded through your sit bones.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply here for 60 seconds.

2. Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)

Transition: Inhale yourself up out of Seated Star Pose. Extend your right leg, keeping your left heel near your groin.

Sit up tall, lengthening the spine as you inhale.
Exhale and hinge at the hips to fold forward over your right leg. Reach for the sides of your right foot with both hands. Keep the spine and neck straight, your gaze down.
Stay here, breathing deeply for 30 seconds.
Inhale your torso up, straighten your left leg, and bring your right heel to your groin to repeat on the other side.

3. Boat Pose w/ Knees Bent (Navasana)

Transition: Inhale your torso straight, extending both legs.

Bend your legs at the knee to bring them close to your chest. Place your hands behind your knees for support.
Lean back slightly as you engage your core, coming to balance on your sit-bones.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

4. Easy Boat Pose (Sahaja Navasana)

Bend your legs at the knees, resting the feet flat on the floor/mat close to your body. Raise your arms straight in front of you, parallel to the floor with palms facing inward toward each other.
Now, engage your core and lean back slightly as you inhale.
Hold the position for 30-60 seconds, then exhale and return to the starting position.

5. Staff Pose w/ Hands Back (Dandasana)

Transition: Exhale your hands down to the floor behind you, leaning your torso back a bit.

Take a breath or two here, supporting your torso with your palms.

6. Reverse Table Top Pose (Ardha Purvottanasana)

With your hands planted on the mat behind you, your torso leaning back, and your feet firmly planted, push the ground away with your feet as you lift your pelvis. Create a straight horizontal line from the crown of your head to your knees.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

7. Caterpillar Pose

Transition: Release from Reverse Table Top Pose, sitting up straight in Staff Pose.

Start in a seated position with your sit bones grounded and your legs extended in front of you. Your legs should be together or hip-width apart.
Inhale and bend your knees slightly, keeping the heels on the ground. Engage the feet so that your toes point upward.
Exhale and hinge at the hips to bring your torso forward to meet the thighs.
On your next inhale, extend your arms forward to grab the outer sides of your feet.
Breathe deeply for 30-60 seconds here.

8. Supine Knee Circles

Transition: Inhale yourself up out of Caterpillar Pose, extending your legs and lowering your back to the floor in a supine position.

On your next inhale, lift your feet, and bend your knees. Lift your knees straight up, placing your palms on top of them.
Bring both knees together and use them to draw circles in the air for 30 seconds clockwise, then counterclockwise.

9. Half Wind Release Leg Raise Flow (Ardha Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: Exhale your legs back to the floor/mat, extending them straight.

Beginning in a supine position, inhale your right knee up toward your chest, grasping it with both hands. Keep your left leg straight and your foot engaged, pushing out through the heel.
On your next inhale, raise your left leg straight up until your heel faces skyward.
Slowly exhale your left leg back down, keeping your foot engaged and your left completely straight.
Repeat 5-10 times on this side, then exhale your right leg back to the mat. Inhale your left knee up to your chest and repeat 5-10 times on that side.

10. Supine Spinal Twist II Pose (Supta Matsyendrasana II)

Transition: Release both legs to the floor/mat, straightening and extending them.

Start out lying supine on your mat.
Extend your arms out to each side of you like you’re making a T shape.
Inhale and lift your right leg, bending at the knee ~90 degrees.
Exhale and bring the inner side of your right knee or foot to the floor on the other side of your left leg, taking a gentle twist in the spine. Shift your gaze to your right fingertips.
Stay here for 30 seconds. Close your eyes and really relax into this posture, allowing gravity to pull your right knee closer to the ground.
On an inhale, roll your right hip back down to the ground, then exhale and release your leg back to the floor.
Repeat on your left side.

11. Supine Tree Pose (Supta Vrksasana)

Transition: Release both legs straight back down.

Inhale and bend your right knee, bringing the bottom of your right foot to your inner left thigh.
Take 2-3 breaths here, then straighten your right leg and repeat with the left leg.

12. Full-Body Stretch w/ Gesture of the Pond (Supta Utthita Tadasana)