Yoga Day 64

WARM-UP

1. Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)

Begin by lying prone (on your belly) with your arms relaxed to your sides, fingertips pointing behind you, and your forehead on the floor. Place the tops of your feet on the floor/mat and point your toes.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

2. Locust to Wide-Legged Chariot Flow

Begin by lying prone (on your belly) with your arms relaxed to your sides, fingertips pointing behind you, and your forehead on the floor. Place the tops of your feet on the floor/mat and point your toes.
Inhale and raise your head, upper body, and lower legs off of the ground slightly. Exhale here.
On the next inhale, try to raise up higher as you spread your legs slightly wider than hip-width and spread your arms like airplane wings.
Exhale and bring your arms and legs lower and closer together as you did in step 2.
Inhale, then on the next exhale, lower yourself back to the floor.
Repeat this flow for 60-90 seconds.

3. Prone to Supine Corpse Pose Flow (Savasana)

Transition: Release and lower your body down to the floor.

Take 1-2 breaths in a prone position, forehead to the floor.
When you’re ready, roll over onto your back and take another breath or two before moving on.

4. Half Plow Pose Flow (Ardha Halasana)

Begin in a supine position with your feet flat on the ground.
Inhale and bend the knees 90 degrees, thighs raised straight up and stacking your knees above your hips. Keep your feet engaged.
On your next inhale, straighten your legs into Half Plow Pose. Now your ankles, knees, and hips should be stacked.
Slowly exhale your legs back down to the mat as far as you can without flattening or rounding the small of your back, keeping them extended straight.
Repeat this flow for 30-60 seconds, maintaining slow, deep breaths.

5. Bridge Pose Bound Angle Flow

Begin in a supine position with your feet flat on the ground. Take a moment to completely relax the spine and bring awareness to your breath.
Inhale and engage your back, core, glutes, and quads to lift your body up, keeping your shoulder blades planted. Use your arms for support by placing them palm-down beside you. Take 1-2 breaths here.
On an exhale, release to the ground and bring the soles of your feet together to come into Reclining Bound Angle Pose. Spend another breath or two here, allowing gravity to pull your knees closer to the ground to open your inner hips and thighs.
On an inhale, raise back up into Bridge Pose. From there, raise your right leg, extending it straight into the air. Push up through the heels, keeping your core strong. Take 1-2 breaths here, then release.
Repeat this flow for 60 seconds, alternating legs.

6. Full-Body Stretch to Seated Forward Fold Flow

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. Take another deep breath here as you start to engage your core. (Full-Body Stretch Pose)
On the exhale, use your core to raise your torso up to a seated position. Take a moment to straighten your spine nice and tall, ground your sit bones, and take in a deep inhale as you extend your arms forward.
Exhale and hinge at the hips to bring your upper body toward the thighs, arms reaching for the outer edges of your feet, ankles, or lower legs. (Seated Forward Fold Pose)

7. Wide-Legged Upward Plank Flow (Prasarita Purvottanasana)

Transition: Release from Seated Forward Fold Pose and widen your legs to the edges of your mat (a bit further than hip distance apart).

Place your hands on the mat next to your hips, fingers pointing straight ahead. Rotate your big toes toward each other, and rotate the heels outward a bit to create space there. Rotate your inner thighs down toward the mat slightly.
Inhale and knit your shoulder blades in toward each other, lifting and broadening your chest.
Exhale, point your toes forward, then reach forward and down with the bottoms of your toes. Plant your feet and toes firmly, keeping your big toes rotated in toward each other.
Press down into your feet and toes, lifting your knees and pelvis. Relax your head back, but not so far that it disrupts breathing.
Remain here, breathing deeply for 30-60 seconds, then release and come into Seated Forward Fold Pose.

8. Boat to Half Boat Pose Flow (Navasana)

Transition: Release the forward fold and come into a seated position.

Lift your legs off the floor while leaning back, creating a V-shape with your body, and balance on the sit bones.
Bring your arms to shoulder height outside of your legs, palms facing inward toward each other.
Inhale, allowing the legs and back to float down, coming to hover a few inches away from the ground
Exhale, zipping your body back into a V-shape again, shoulder blades gliding down the back.
Repeat this flow for 30-60 seconds.

9. Rowing the Boat Flow

Transition: Release from Boat Pose, sitting up tall with your legs extended in front of you.

Begin in Staff Pose.
Inhale, leaning the torso back. Pretend you’re holding invisible rowboat oars, bringing your hands up near your chest.
As you exhale, row your hands forward as you bring the upper body into a forward fold. If possible, try to grab the outer sides of your feet.
Inhale once again, lifting your upper body and rowing the hands toward the chest, then return to a forward fold on the exhale.
Repeat the flow slowly for 30-60 seconds.

10. Garland Pose Salutation Flow (Malasana)

Transition: Release from Rowing the Boat and plant your feet. Rock forward, coming into a deep squat in Garland Pose.

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.
Inhale deeply, close your eyes, and really sink into this pose. On the exhale, extend your arms forward, palms still together and fingers pointing away from you. As you do this, shift your weight forward slightly. If you can, come up onto the balls of your feet.
On your next inhale, bring your joined hands back to your chest.
Repeat this 5-10 times, syncing your breath with your movement.

11. Woodchopper Pose Flow (Kashtha Takshanasana)

Transition: From Garland Pose, straighten your legs to come into a standing position.

Begin with your legs slightly wider than hip distance apart. Inhale your arms up, clasping your hands together as if you were holding up an ax.
Exhale and swing your ax downward. Bend your knees and come into a squat as you swing it down and below you.
Inhale your arms back up into starting position, straightening your legs.
Repeat 5-10 times.

12. Wide-Legged Standing Backbend Forward Fold Flow

Transition: From Woodchopper Pose, widen your legs just a bit more.

Beginning in a wide-legged stance, place your hands on your hips.
Inhale deeply, feeling the lengthening in your spine and broadening the chest. Take a gentle backbend here, allowing your head to roll back a bit. Keep your neck a continuation of the curve created by your spine. Take 1-2 breaths here.
On an exhale, hinge forward at the hips for a forward fold. Keep your hands on your hips and take 1-2 breaths here. With each exhale, feel gravity pulling you deeper into the fold.
Repeat this flow for 30-60 seconds.

13. Dangling Intense Leg Stretch Pose (Baddha Prasarita Padottanasana)

Beginning in Wide-Legged Forward Fold, release your hands from your hips. You can either grab your elbows or allow your arms to hang freely.
Spend 60 seconds here, breathing deeply.

14. Intense Side Stretch Pose w/ Tiptoes (Parsvottanasana)

Transition: From Dangling Intense Leg Stretch Pose, release your palms to the floor.

Turn your right foot toward the front of the mat and rotate your left foot inward slightly.
Walk your hands to the right, bringing your torso above your right thigh. Try to fold forward as far as you can without pain or excessive discomfort beyond a reasonable stretching sensation.
Inhale and raise up onto the ball/tiptoes of your left foot. If this isn’t giving you an optimal stretch, try widening your stance a tad bit more.
Spend 30 seconds here, then walk your hands to the center.
Repeat on the opposite side.

15. Moonflower/Sunflower Pose Flow

In a wide-legged stance, rotate your feet outward so that your right foot points to the right corner of your mat, and the left foot points to the left corner.
Raise your arms. Bend your elbows and face your palms away from you, separating your fingers from each other. Your wrists should be roughly the same height as your shoulders. Sink downward into a squat and bring the bottoms of your thighs parallel to the floor.
Exhale your lean your torso forward slightly, straightening your arms and extending them downward, roughly aligned with your thighs.
Inhale and straighten your legs, raising your arms straight up.
Exhale and return to the beginning pose by bending your elbows, facing your palms out, and sinking back into a squat.
Repeat this flow for 30-60 seconds (5-10 reps).

16. Volcano Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

Transition: Release from the Moonflower/Sunflower Pose Flow. Straighten your legs and step them inward to come into Mountain Pose.

Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Inhale and sweep your arms up over your head, either joining your palms together or keeping them parallel to each other.
Shift your gaze up to the ceiling and breathe here for 30 seconds.

PEAK FLOW

1. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Transition: Remain in Mountain Pose.

Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Begin slowly shifting your weight onto your right leg.
Once you’re stable and balanced, inhale the left leg up, bending the knee and opening the front of the pelvis. Depending on your comfort level, you can bring the bottom of your left foot to your right ankle, calf, lower thigh, or groin area.
Stay here for 30 seconds, maintaining your balance and keeping your core engaged. If you feel comfortable, you can raise your arms overhead and/or close your eyes.

2. Tree Pose w/ Side Bend (Vrksasana)

From Tree Pose, take a gentle side bend to the right.
Breathe here for 30 seconds as you try to maintain balance.

3. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Transition: Release from Tree Pose back to Mountain Pose.

Make sure you have a firm base of support through your feet.
Bend the knees and slowly lower your tailbone as if you’re about to sit in an invisible chair, leaning the upper body very slightly. Try to make your thighs as parallel to the ground as you can.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

4. Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

Begin in Chair Pose.
Bring your hands to a prayer position in front of your chest. On your next inhale, take a twist in the spine to hook your left elbow on the outer side of your right knee. Shift your gaze up toward the ceiling and hold this pose for 30 seconds.
On an inhale, release from the twist to come back to regular Chair Pose.

Repeat poses 1-4, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

5. Downward Dog to Upward Dog Pose Flow

Transition: Release from Revolved Chair Pose and bring your palms to the floor.

Begin by coming into Downward-Facing Dog Pose by pressing the floor away with your palms, stepping your feet back behind you, and lifting your sit bones up and back.
Inhale yourself forward into Plank Pose.
Exhale and lower yourself to the ground slowly, then inhale and press your upper body straight upward into Upward-Facing Dog Pose.

6. Three-Legged Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Transition: From Upward-Facing Dog Pose, tuck your toes and inhale your sit bones up and back to enter Downward-Facing Dog Pose once more.

In Downward-Facing Dog Pose, inhale and lift your right leg, extending it up and out.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

7. Bound Warrior to Humble Warrior Pose Flow (Virabhadrasana)

Transition: From Three-Legged Downward-Facing Dog Pose, bring your right foot forward.

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.
Clasp your hands together behind your back and extend them backward, broadening your chest. (Bound Warrior)
Take 1-2 deep breaths here, then exhale and hinge your torso forward as you raise your clasped hands skyward. (Humble Warrior Pose)
Inhale yourself back up into Bound Warrior Pose.
Flow between these movements for 30 seconds.

8. Crescent Low Lunge to Half Split Pose Flow

Transition: Ending in Bound Warrior Pose, release your left knee to the floor, untuck your toes, and lunge slightly further forward.

Beginning in a low lunge, inhale your arms up, bringing your palms together overhead. (Crescent Low Lunge)
Exhale and sweep your arms backward as you bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle. Lift the front of your right foot so that your right heel is the only part of your foot still touching the mat as you straighten your right leg. (Half Split Pose)
Inhale forward again, coming back into Crescent Low Lunge.
Alternate between these poses, flowing with your breath for 30 seconds.

Repeat poses 5-8, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

9. Crow Pose w/ Toe Taps (Bakasana)

Transition: Plant your palms and step your back foot forward, coming into a Standing Forward Fold Pose.

Bend your elbows slightly, lean forward, and try to place your knees on the backs of your arms near your armpits.
Slowly lean forward enough that you can bring your feet off the ground.
Tap the toes of your right foot on the ground, then lift your foot again. Repeat this movement for 30 seconds on the right, then repeat on the left.

10. Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Transition: From Crow Pose, swing your legs forward between your arms, coming into a seated position.

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 Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana)

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.

12. Wind Release Pose (Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: Release from Seated Forward Fold Pose, then lie back on the floor.

Begin lying supine on the ground with your feet together and arms relaxed beside you.
Inhale, then exhale and bring the knees in toward the chest, thighs pressing against your abdomen. Wrap your arms around your knees, hugging them close and clasping your hands or grabbing your elbows.
Breathe deeply here for 60 seconds. With each exhalation, hug your knees a bit tighter and closer to your chest, then relax your grip slightly with each inhale.

COOL DOWN

1. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

Transition: Straighten your legs in front of you and raise your torso up to Staff Pose.

From Staff Pose, lean your torso back, bringing your forearms to the floor and tucking them close to your torso. Pinch your shoulder blades together to broaden the chest.
3. Inhale and lift your pelvis slightly, tuck your hands underneath your buttocks, then lower back down. Your buttocks should rest on the back of your hands.
4. On your next inhale, relax your head and neck, touching the crown of your head to the floor.
5. Take long, deep breaths. Spend a total of around 60 seconds here, opening your chest with each inhalation and sinking deeper into the backbend with each exhalation.

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

Transition: Release from Fish Pose by allowing your body to rest supine on the floor.

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. Take another deep breath here as you start to engage your core.
Remain here and breathe deeply for 60 seconds.

3. Half Wind Release Pose (Ardha Pavanmuktasana)

Start out lying supine on your mat with your legs hip-width apart. Engage your feet, pushing your heels away from you.
Inhale and raise your right leg, bending the knee and bringing the thigh toward your chest. Support your leg by grabbing behind the knee or on the shin and hug your leg tighter.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then release to the starting position and repeat with the left leg.

4. Wind Release Pose (Pavanmuktasana)

Begin in a supine position on the ground with your feet together and arms relaxed beside you.
Inhale, then exhale and bring the knees in toward the chest, thighs pressing against your abdomen. Wrap your arms around your knees, hugging them close and clasping your hands or grabbing your elbows.
Breathe deeply here for 60 seconds. With each exhalation, hug your knees a bit tighter and closer to your chest, then relax your grip slightly with each inhale.

5. Scorpion Twist Pose (Vrschikasana)

Transition: Release from Wind Release Pose, and roll over onto your belly.

Bring your arms into a T-shape with palms facing the ground.
Inhale and bend your right knee, lifting the leg off of the ground and rolling your lower body over onto your sides as you try to tap your right toes to the floor on the outside of your left leg.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then exhale and release back to the mat to repeat on the other side.

6. Supine Butterfly Wings Flow (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Transition: Release from Scorpion Twist Pose, then roll over once more to return to lying supine. Draw your legs into Bound Angle Pose with the bottoms of your feet together.

Start from Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).
As you inhale, bring the soles of your feet together, allowing the outer edge of your knees to drop to the sides.
Imagine that your legs are now butterfly wings. Keeping the soles of your feet together, flap the butterfly wings by bringing the knees up and inward on the exhale, then lowering them once again on the inhale.
Continue repeating this movement for 30-60 seconds.
To release, straighten and stretch one leg at a time.

7. Supine Windshield Wipers

Transition: Release your legs from Reclining Bound Angle Pose, remaining supine.

Beginning in a supine position, bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor at the outer edges of your mat.
Extend your arms straight out on the ground beside you in a T shape.
Keeping your upper arms flat on the ground, raise your forearms straight up and make sure your back and shoulder blades are broad. Then, rotate your upper arms back, bringing your forearms down to the ground pointing away from you (Cactus Arms). If this is too uncomfortable, you can keep your arms in the T shape.
Inhale and lean both knees to the right, slowly lowering them toward the ground as far as you comfortably can.
Spend 30 seconds here, breathing deeply, then exhale and lift your knees back to the starting position.
Repeat, this time leaning your knees to the left.

8. Reverse Pigeon Pose (Sucirandhrasana)

Transition: Release your legs, extending them straight. Remain in a supine position.

Inhale and bring your right ankle to your left thigh just above the knee so that your right shin runs in a straight line perpendicular to your left thigh.
Exhale as you bend your left knee, drawing your left thigh and right ankle toward your upper body. Bring both hands to the back of your left thigh just below the crook of your left knee, threading the right hand through the space between your legs below the right calf.
Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds.
On an inhale, slowly straighten your left leg and sink it back down to the floor.
Gently remove your right ankle from your left thigh, straightening your right leg and releasing it back down to the floor.
Repeat with your left ankle on your right thigh.

9. Reclined Half Cow Face Pose (Supta Ardha Gomukhasana)

Transition: Remain lying supine. Relax your arms beside you and bring your legs together so that they’re hip-width apart.

Starting in a supine position, bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor.
Inhale and slowly allow the outer side of your right knee to sink to the ground. Bring the bottom of your right foot a little closer to your left foot if needed or make any other necessary adjustments in order to fully achieve this.
Exhale and lift your left leg, then inhale as you thread it over your right leg, bringing the bottom of your left foot to the mat on the other side of the right thigh.
Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

10. Reclined Cow Face Pose (Supta Gomukhasana)

Transition: Release your legs, planting your feet on the mat once more.

Inhale, then exhale and cross your right leg over the left.
Hug your knees in toward your chest enough to grab your right ankle with your left hand, and your left ankle with the right hand.
Remain here, breathing deeply for 30 seconds, then inhale and return to the starting position.
Repeat with your left leg crossed over your right.

11. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Transition: Release your arms and legs back to the floor, relaxing into Savasana.

Begin by lying supine on the floor or mat.
Inhale and widen your legs, bringing your feet to the sides of your mat (or a bit further than hip-width apart). Rotate the feet outward so that the toes point away from each other.
Lift your pelvis slightly to tuck your tailbone, then release back to the floor and soften the lower back without flattening your back. Lengthen the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling and broaden your back by rocking your upper back from side to side slightly and pulling the shoulder blades away from each other. Then, relax your arms back down to the floor next to you, palms up and fingers relaxed.
Focus on relaxing your face and neck muscles. Close your eyes, completely relax them deeper into your skull, then rotate them down as if to gaze directly at your heart.
Stay here for as long as you’d like, letting your mind enter a meditative state while you progressively relax your muscles.
When you’re ready to exit the pose, exhale and roll onto one side. Take a breath or two here, then exhale and slowly press your palms to the floor and lift your upper body to come to a seated position.