Yoga Day 15

WARM-UP

1. Constructive Rest Pose w/ Arms Overhead

Starting position: Start by lying supine (on your back). Bend the knees and plant the bottoms of your feet on the ground ~12-16 inches away from your buttocks (Constructive Rest Pose).

Inhale and sweep your arms along the floor, bringing your upper arms to rest on the ground next to your ears.
Spend 30-60 seconds here, collecting your thoughts and tuning into your breath. When you’re done, sweep your arms back down to rest beside your torso.

2. Cycling Pose (Pada Sanchalanasana)

Transition: Release from Constructive Rest Pose, relaxing your arms beside you and extending the legs straight.

Start out lying supine with your legs extended straight and your arms relaxed.
On an exhale, lift and bend your right leg, bringing the front of the thigh toward your chest.
Inhale, straightening your leg with the bottoms of your feet facing the ceiling.
Exhale and lower your leg toward the ground, keeping it hovering a few inches above the floor.
Inhale and relax your right leg back to the floor completely, then repeat with your left leg.
Repeat 2-3 more times for each leg.

3. Supine Windshield Wipers

Transition: From Cycling Pose (Pada Sanchalanasana), remain on your back and plant your feet flat on the mat.

Begin lying supine. Bend the knees, planting the bottom of 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.

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

Transition: Remain lying supine. Relax your arms beside you and bring your legs inward so that they’re hip-width apart, planting your feet on the mat.

Start out lying supine with your feet planted hip-distance apart on the mat.
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 30-60 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

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

Transition: From Reclined Half Cow Face Pose (Supta Ardha Gomukhasana), straighten both legs.

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.

6. Reverse Pigeon Pose (Sucirandhrasana)

Transition: Release your legs straight and remain supine.

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.

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

Transition: After releasing from Reverse Pigeon Pose, keep your legs straight and lower your upper body back down to 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 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.

8. Reclined Cow Face Pose (Supta Gomukhasana)

Transition: Release from Supine Spinal Twist II, straightening both legs in front of you.

Start out lying supine with your legs straight in front of you.
Bend your left knee and plant your foot on the mat, then 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.

PEAK FLOW

1. Downward Dog to Mountain Pose Flow

Starting position: From Reclined Cow Face Pose, release your legs and roll over onto your stomach.

Come into Table Top Pose, taking a breath here.
On your next inhale, tuck your toes and lift your sit bones up and back, coming into Downward Facing Dog Pose. Breathe here for 30 seconds.
On an exhale, begin walking your feet forward to come into Standing Forward Fold Pose.
Take 2-3 breaths here and alternate bending and straightening your knees.
Inhale and slowly raise your torso up to come into Mountain Pose.

2. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Start in 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, then release back to Mountain Pose.

3. Dangling Pose (Baddha Hasta Uttanasana)

Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Take a deep breath, then exhale and bend your knees, folding your upper body forward. Keep the spine long and straight.
Allow your arms to dangle freely, or grab onto your elbows. Feel free to rock gently from side to side.
Remain here for 30-60 seconds.

4. Half Forward Fold Pose (Ardha Uttanasana)

Keeping as much of a bend in the knees as you need, come into a full forward fold with your hands to the ground (or as close as you can get).
Breathe here for a moment and allow gravity to decompress your spine.
As you straighten your legs, lift and lengthen your torso and bring your hands to your shins.
Remain here for 20-30 seconds.

5. Revolved Forward Fold Pose w/ Bent Knee (Parivrtta Uttanasana)

Transition: From Half Forward Fold Pose, exhale and sink into a full forward fold once again.

Keeping your right leg straight, exhale and take a slight bend in your left leg.
Inhale and lengthen your spine, twisting your upper body to the right. Your left hand or fingertips should be on the floor, while your left arm extends straight upward. Rotate your head to shift your gaze up toward your left hand.
Take 1-2 breaths here, then return to the center and repeat on the opposite side.

6. Warrior III Leg Sweep Flow (Virabhadrasana III)

Transition: Release from Revolved Forward Fold Pose, straightening your legs. Lengthen your spine, bringing your hands back to your shins in Half Forward Fold Pose.

Inhale your arms up, extending them either straight ahead of you or straight out to each side. Feel the energy flowing through your arms as you lengthen your side body.
Slowly begin to shift your weight onto your right leg, firming the inner thighs and engaging the core.
Inhale and lift your left leg, extending it straight and pressing through the heel. If you can, try to lift your leg so that it creates a straight line from the crown of your head to the heel of your left leg. Keep the right leg engaged, keeping it straight with a slight bend. (Warrior III)
On your next inhale, bring your hands to your hips and swing your left leg straight forward as you raise your upper body so that the crown of your head points to the ceiling.
Exhale and swing your left leg back as you return to Warrior III.
Repeat this movement for 2-3 breaths.

7. Standing Wind Release Pose (Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: Release from Warrior III Pose, exhaling your torso straight up and planting both feet firmly on the floor (Mountain Pose).

Beginning in Mountain Pose, shift your weight to the left. Inhale and lift your right foot slightly.
Once you feel balanced and stable enough to do so, lift your foot higher and draw the top of your thigh toward your chest. Wrap one or both arms around your knee/shin to hug your leg closer to your chest.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then release back to Mountain Pose.

8. High Lunge Pose (Ashta Chandrasana)

Transition: From Mountain Pose, step your right foot forward in a lunge, knee bent roughly 90 degrees. Bring your left knee to the ground.

Inhale and lift your left knee away from the floor, straightening the left leg. Keep your pelvis squarely forward and engage your core, tucking your tailbone forward slightly. Push back through the left thighbone.
Remain here with your arms overhead for 30 seconds.

9. Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

Transition: Bring your left heel to the floor, turning your foot outward slightly. The side of your left heel should align with the back of your right heel.

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.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

10. Reverse Warrior Pose (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Begin in Warrior II Pose, exhale and slide your right arm down your right leg. Bring the left elbow overhead, your left hand reaching up and behind you.
Gently shift your gaze up toward your elbow. Breath here for 30 seconds, then release back to Warrior II Pose.

11. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Transition: From Warrior II Pose, bring your right hand to the ground on the outside of your right foot.

Inhale your left arm straight up, rolling your chest to the left and broadening the chest.
Remain here for 30 seconds.

12. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Transition: Inhale your torso back up into Warrior II Pose.

Begin 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.

13. Wide-Legged Lateral Squat (Prasarita Skandasana)

Transition: From Goddess Pose, move your feet so that your toes face straight forward and straighten both legs as if you’re going into Five-Pointed Star Pose.

Start to bend the right knee, keeping the left leg straight. Flex your left foot so that your toes point to the ceiling.
As you bend the right knee, you can either keep the right foot flat on the floor or come onto the ball of your foot. Bend until you bring the bottom of your thigh to the back of your calf muscle.
Breathe here for 2-3 breaths, then release back to Five-Pointed Star Pose.

14. Intense Leg Stretch Pose (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Beginning in a wide-legged stance, exhale and hinge at the hips, coming into a forward fold.
Ground down into the floor with all 4 corners of your feet and bring both hands to the floor (or on blocks).
Inhale and lengthen your spine down toward the floor, being careful not to round the back. Keep your spine and neck nice and straight as much as possible.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

15. Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Fold Pose (Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana)

1. From Intense Leg Stretch Pose, inhale and lift your upper body so that it's parallel to the floor. Extend both arms straight out to the sides in a T-shape.
3. On an exhale, gently twist so that you’re facing to the right. The fingertips of your left hand should graze the floor/mat, while the right arm extends skyward.
4. Spend 30 seconds here, then release from the twist, step or jump your legs back together, and end in Mountain Pose.

Repeat poses 1-15, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

COOL DOWN

1. Locust to Wide-Legged Chariot Flow

Transition: From Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Fold, slowly work your way down to the floor, coming into a prone position.

Starting in a prone position, relax your arms to your sides, fingertips pointing behind you. Place your forehead on the floor and the tops of your feet on the floor/mat, pointing 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.

2. Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)

Transition: Relax your body fully to the floor.

Cross your arms on the mat in front of you and bring your forehead to rest on your forearms.
Take 30 seconds here to gather your thoughts, completely relaxing your body.

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

Transition: Remain supine, planting your palms on the ground below your shoulders.

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.

4. Sleeping Swan Pose (Kapotasana II)

Transition: From Downward Facing Dog, inhale the right leg up, bringing the knee forward.

Exhale the outer side of your right leg down onto the mat. Your right knee should be aligned with your right hip and your pelvis facing squarely forward. Lay the top of your left foot on the mat/floor, and keep your front foot flexed.
Inhale your arms up and lengthen your spine, sitting up tall and broadening through the chest. Energize through the fingertips and feel your sides lengthening.
On the exhale, hinge forward at the hips, folding your upper body over your right leg. Keep the arms straight, bringing the palms to the floor. Relax your neck, bringing your forehead to the floor if you’d like.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then return to Downward-Facing Dog Pose and repeat this pose on the other side.

5. Thread the Needle Pose (Urdhva Mukha Pasasana)

Transition: Release from Sleeping Swan Pose back into Downward-Facing Dog Pose.

From Downward Dog, bring your knees to the mat, aligning them under your hips. Make sure your hands are stacked below your shoulders.
Take a deep breath as you lift your left palm. Exhale and thread your left arm underneath you and past your right arm, bending the right arm so you can fully extend the left arm and lay it flat on the floor.
Remain here for 30 seconds, resting your left ear to the floor and progressively relaxing deeper into the pose.
Inhale and return to your hands and knees, then repeat with the right arm threaded under you.

6. Reclined Leg Stretch Flow

Transition: From Thread the Needle Pose, slowly lower your body to the floor and roll onto your back so that you’re lying supine with your legs together.

Inhale and extend your arms, bringing your upper arms neck to your ears with your fingertips pointing to the wall behind you.
Exhale and bend the right knee, bringing the front of your right thigh in toward your belly. Bring your right hand to your shin and give your knee a quick hug.
Inhale and allow your knee to float to the floor on your right side, creating a 90-degree angle with your side body and right thigh.
Exhale and bring the knee back up, but bring your right arm to the floor and place your left hand on your right knee.
Move both hands to the back of the thigh just above the crook of the knee, then inhale and straighten your leg.
Exhale and release your arms and right leg back to the mat.
Repeat on the other side.

7. Full-Body Stretch to Wind Release Flow

Transition: Remain in a supine position with your legs together and arms relaxed to the floor.

Beginning in a supine position, 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)
Inhale, then exhale and bring the knees in toward the chest, thighs pressing against your abdomen. Grab onto your knees, pulling them close.
On your exhale, move your knees away from you until your arms are fully extended with your hands holding your knees.
Really tune into your breath here, soothing your heart rate and slowing your breathing.
Repeat this flow for 30 seconds.

8. Corpse Pose (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.