Yoga Day 5

WARM-UP

1. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Starting position: Dive right into rest today by beginning in Corpse Pose (lying supine on your mat or floor). Take a full minute or two to really center yourself, tune into your breath, and get ready to flow!

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.

2. Banana Pose (Bananasana)

Begin in Corpse Pose. Clasp your hands together and, trying to keep your shoulders on the ground, take a gentle side bend in the upper body.
Keeping your legs tucked together, start to bend your legs to the same side that your arms are going toward.
Inhale, breathing deep into your rib cage. Focus on the stretch, relaxing wherever you feel lingering tightness. Breathe here for 30 seconds.
Exhale and relax back into a neutral position, then repeat on the other side.

3. Wind Release Pose (Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: Release from Banana Pose back to the center.

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.

4. Circle of Joy

Transition: Release from Wind Release Pose and push your torso up to a seated position with your legs crisscrossed.

Start out sitting cross-legged in Easy Pose.
Take a deep breath; exhale and bring your palms together in front of your chest. Interlock your fingers, shoulders relaxed away from the ears, and elbows pointing to the sides of your mat.
Inhale and extend your arms straight in front of you, taking a gentle forward bend in the torso. Round your upper back and direct your gaze down to the mat right in front of your legs to lengthen the back of your neck.
On your next exhale, bring your arms up above your head. Keep your gaze straight, and make sure your shoulders are firmly planted. Inhale here, extending up through the spine and arms.
Inhale and release your hands, then bring them back together behind your back, palms facing each other and fingers tightly interlocked.
Exhale and sit tall, straightening your arms down toward the floor behind your back. Knit your shoulders together a bit to broaden your chest.
On your next inhale, release your hands again, bringing them back together in front of your chest.
Exhale and extend your arms straight in front of you again. Round your upper back and gaze down to the mat in front of your legs to lengthen the back of your neck.
Repeat this movement 1-2 times, taking your time and connecting with your breath.

5. Cat-Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)

Transition: Slowly uncross your legs and rock forward onto your hands and knees.

Inhale and arch your back downward, pushing your tailbone up and outward. 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 this movement for 30-60 seconds.

6. Tiger Pose (Vyaghrasana)

Begin in Table Top Pose.
Take a deep inhale and round the spine to bring your right knee to your forehead (or as close as you can).
Exhale and arch the spine, directing your gaze to the ceiling as you bring your thigh parallel to the floor and extend your right foot upward.
Repeat this movement on the right side 4-8 times.
Release back to Table Top Pose and repeat with the left leg.

7. Child's Pose w/ Arms to One Side (Balasana)

Transition: Release from Tiger Pose back into Table Top Pose.

Press your palms into the mat as if to push the ground away from you and sink your sit bones all the way down and back to rest your heels.
Slowly walk your hands to the right side of your mat, keeping them parallel to each other and taking a gentle side bend through the left side.
Rest your forehead on the mat, close your eyes, and breathe deep. Remain here for 30 seconds.
Return your hands back to the center, then repeat on the other side.

8. Child's Pose Sun Salutation

Transition: Inhale up onto your hands and knees (Table Top Pose).

Exhale and round your spine, tucking your chin and pushing the floor away with your hands. (Cat Pose)
Inhale and extend your legs behind you, bringing the tops of the thighs and feet to the floor. Lift tall through your arms, shoulders stacked above wrists, and gaze shifted very slightly upward. Keep your pelvis grounded. (Upward-Facing Dog Pose)
Tuck your toes, exhale and push your pelvis up and back into the air as you extend your arms and legs. (Downward Facing Dog Pose) Take a deep breath or two here.
Exhale and bring your knees back down to the floor. Round your spine into Cat Pose once more.
On your next exhale, sink your sit bones back down onto your heels, bringing your toes together and resting your forehead on the mat/floor.
Repeat this movement 1-2 more times, seeing if you can start to pick up the pace while keeping your movements controlled and deliberate.

9. Thunderbolt Pose w/ Swinging Arms (Vajrasana)

Transition: Come onto your hands and knees. From there, bring your legs together, sink your sit bones back onto your heels, and sit up tall.

Begin in Thunderbolt Pose.
With your spine tall and straight, inhale and sweep your arms forward. Exhale and swing them back behind you.
Repeat this movement for 30-60 seconds, flowing with your breath.

10. Shoulder Socket Rotations

Transition: Remain in Thunderbolt Pose for this exercise.

Bring your right hand to your right shoulder, and your left hand to your left shoulder.
Start by drawing the elbows inward to touch each other.
Next, bring your elbows up next to your head so that they point to the ceiling.
Then, bring the elbows back down and open them outward so that they point to either side of you.
Repeat this movement for 30-60 seconds.

11. Cow Face Arms (Gomukhasana Arms)

Transition: Remain in Thunderbolt Pose.

Inhale your right arm up, bending your elbow and bringing your palm to touch your right shoulder blade. Bend your left arm at the elbow with the back of your hand against your back. If you can, grab onto your right fingers with your left fingers.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then release your arms and repeat on the other side.

12. Standing Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)

Transition: From Thunderbolt Pose, inhale onto your hands and knees, then slowly work your way up to standing.

Exhale and take a very slight bend in the knee, folding your upper body forward and bringing the hands to the ankles, feet, or ground (or as close as you can comfortably reach!).
Take a deep inhale into your chest, lengthening the spine.
On the exhale, try to take that slight bend in the knee a bit straighter, making sure not to hyper-extend or lock your knees.
Take another inhale, and as you exhale, feel your spine lengthening further down toward the ground. Lengthen and stretch the neck, keeping your shoulders pulled away from your ears.
Remain here for another breath or two.

13. Standing Roll-Up Flow

Transition: From Standing Forward Fold, bend your knees relaxing your upper body further down with your palms on the floor.

From Standing Forward Fold with both knees bent, inhale and slowly raise your torso as you straighten your knees. Allow your arms to dangle, rounding your spine.
Once your legs are straight, continue slowly rolling your spine up until your spine is straight and your arms are relaxed by your sides in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

14. Standing Circle of Joy

Transition: Begin this exercise from Mountain Pose. This time, really feel the joy flowing into you with each breath.

Take a deep breath; exhale and bring your palms together in front of your chest. Interlock your fingers, shoulders relaxed away from the ears, and elbows pointing to the sides of your mat.
Inhale and extend your arms straight in front of you, taking a gentle forward bend in the torso. Round your upper back and direct your gaze down to the mat right in front of your legs to lengthen the back of your neck.
On your next exhale, bring your arms up above your head. Keep your gaze straight, and make sure your shoulders are firmly planted. Inhale here, extending up through the spine and arms.
Inhale and release your hands, then bring them back together behind your back, palms facing each other and fingers tightly interlocked.
Exhale and sit tall, straightening your arms down toward the floor behind your back. Knit your shoulders together a bit to broaden your chest.
On your next inhale, release your hands again, bringing them back together in front of your chest.
 Exhale and extend your arms straight in front of you again. Round your upper back and gaze down to the mat in front of your legs to lengthen the back of your neck.
Repeat this movement 1-2 times, taking your time and connecting with your breath.

15. Breath of Joy

Transition: Remain in Mountain Pose.

Stand with your feet hip- or shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly.
Take a small inhale, imagining that you’re only filling the bottom third of your lung. As the breath flows in, raise your arms up to shoulder height in front of you with your palms facing skyward.
Exhale and release your arms back down.
Inhale again, this time filling two-thirds of your lungs and raising your arms a little higher and out to the side.
Exhale again, releasing your arms down.
Inhale once more, filling your lungs all the way this time. Lift your arms all the way up, extending your arms upward into a Y-shape.
Finally, hinge at the hips to swing your torso and arms forward, sweeping your arms behind you. (Optional: as you exhale, exhale the sound “ha” until your lungs are fully emptied.)
Repeat this flow 1-2 more times as desired.

PEAK FLOW

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

Transition: From Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), sit up straight, bend both legs to one side, and slowly come onto your hands and knees.

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. Low Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana)

Transition: From Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), lift your right foot and plant it between your hands slightly right of center.

Bring your right knee forward and your left knee on the ground, just far enough back to create a stretch in the front of your left thigh.
Inhale and sweep your arms overhead, leaning back ever so slightly for a gentle backbend.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

3. High Lunge Pose (Ashta Chandrasana)

Transition: From Low Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana), simply tuck your toes and lift your left knee off of the ground.

With your right leg forward, knee bent at ~90 degrees, 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.

4. Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

Transition: From High Lunge Pose (Ashta Chandrasana), rotate your left foot outward slightly and bring your heel to the ground.

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.

5. Humble Warrior Pose (Baddha Virabhadrasana)

Transition: From Warrior II Pose, turn your pelvis and upper body to face forward once more.

With your right leg forward, toes pointing ahead, and knees bent ~90 degrees, rotate the left foot to face the front left corner of your mat and square the hips forward.
Engage your core, tucking your tailbone slightly forward and knitting the bottom ribs in.
Bring your hands together behind your back with palms facing each other and interlock your fingers.
Exhale and extend your arms back and upward, leaning your torso forward so that it is on the inner side of your right thigh.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

6. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Transition: Release from Humble Warrior by raising your torso and relaxing your arms, straightening your right leg, and pivoting your body to the left.

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.

7. Five-Pointed Star Pose (Utthita Tadasana)

Transition: From Goddess Pose, release by straightening the legs and bringing your arms back to a T shape.

With your arms extended in a T shape and your legs wide apart, rotate your feet back in so that your toes point forward.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds, breathing deeply.

8. Vinyasa I

Transition: Release from Five-Pointed Star Pose by bringing your legs back together and relaxing your arms to your side.

Begin in Mountain Pose. Exhale into a forward fold, bringing your hands to the mat and stepping your legs back to come into Plank Pose.
Take another breath, then exhale, lifting your pelvis and lowering your body to the ground (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
With your body on the ground, inhale and untuck your toes, lifting your torso off the ground (Upward-Facing Dog Pose)
Exhale and tuck your toes as your push the floor away with your hands, lift your sit bones high into the air, and plant your heels (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

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

9. Downward Dog to Mountain Pose Flow

Begin in Downward Facing Dog Pose.
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.

10. Volcano Pose Namaste Salute (Pranamasana Urdhva Hastasana)

Begin in Mountain Pose. Bring your palms together in front of your chest, pressing into them with your elbows straight out.
Inhale and release your arms, sweeping them up above your head, joining your palms back together.
Exhale, lowering your palms back to your hearts’ center.
Repeat this 2-3 times.

11. Upward Salute to Forward Fold Flow

Begin in Mountain Pose.
Inhale and raise your arms above your head, arms parallel and palms facing each other.
Exhale and sweep the arms down toward the ground, hingeing forward at the hip into a Standing Forward Fold.
Inhale and look up, raising your back to a neutral position and your hands to your shins. (Half Standing Forward Fold)
Exhale and release back down into a Standing Forward Fold.

12. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

Transition: From Standing Forward Fold, bend your knees and bring your palms to the floor.

Plant your hands firmly on the ground, then step or jump your feet back, 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.

13. Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

Transition: From Plank Pose, lower your body all the way to the ground and rest your forehead on your mat.

Begin lying prone (on your belly) on the floor with your arms extending behind you, palms on the ground.
Place the tops of your toes flat against the floor, pressing down with all 10 toenails.
Press lightly on the floor with your hands, activate your core, and lift your thighs, lower legs, and torso away from the ground. Knit your shoulder blades together and the chest broad.
Breathe here for 30-60 seconds, then slowly release back down to the floor.

14. Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)

Transition: After releasing from Locust Pose, lift yourself up to your hands and knees.

Bring your legs together with the tops of your feet on the floor. Sink your sit bones back onto your heels and place your hands on top of your thighs.
Breathe here for 30-60 seconds, gathering your thoughts and grounding your mind.

15. Kneeling Pose

Begin in Thunderbolt Pose.
Lift your sit bones away from your heels, creating a straight line from your head to your knees. Place your hands on the small of your back just above your hip bones.
Take a very slight, gentle backbend here for 30 seconds.

16. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Begin in Kneeling Pose. Make sure your legs are hip-width apart.
Take a deep breath, tucking your tailbone in toward your knees, then exhale and bring your pelvis forward and lower your hands to your heels in a deep backbend.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

COOL DOWN

1. Child's Pose (Balasana)

Transition: Release from Camel Pose and come onto your hands and knees.

Start on your hands and knees.
Press your palms into the mat as if to push the ground away from you and sink your sit bones all the way down and back to rest your heels.
Rest your forehead on the mat, close your eyes, and breathe deep. Remain here for 30-60 seconds.

2. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Transition: Lift your torso out of Child's Pose and swing your legs out in front of you.

Begin in Staff Pose (Dandasana) with your sit bones grounded and your spine straight and tall.
Inhale and lift your right leg, bringing it over the left leg and planting your foot on the mat beside your left outer thigh.
Exhale and bend the left knee, bringing the heel of your left foot toward your right sit bone OR keep your left leg straight.
Inhale and broaden your chest, keeping the shoulder blades strong and down away from the ears.
Exhale and slowly twist your upper body to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outer side of your right knee. Your left palm should be facing out to the right. Shift your gaze out past your right shoulder.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, gently pressing your elbow against your knee to deepen the twist with each exhale.
Slowly release the twist and return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.

3. Staff Pose w/ Feet Movements (Dandasana)

Transition: Release from Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana), bringing your legs together in front of you and relaxing your arms.

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.
Spend 30 seconds alternating rolling your feet/legs inward and outward.

4. Staff Pose w/ Hands Back (Dandasana)

Still in Staff Pose, plant your palms on the mat slightly behind and to the side of you as you lean your torso back.
Close your eyes and breathe here for 15-30 seconds, firming your shoulder blades away from your eyes and broadening in the chest.

5. Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana)

Transition: Release back into Staff Pose with your spine tall, sit bones grounded, and legs extended in front of you.

Place your hands on the mat next to your hips, fingers pointing straight ahead. Bring your big toes together, but 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.

6. Seated Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana)

Transition: Release from Upward Plank Pose to Staff Pose, then take a Seated Forward Fold.

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.

7. Wind Release Pose (Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: Release from Seated Forward Fold Pose by leaning back to the ground to lie supine on your mat/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.

8. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Transition: From Wind Release Pose, extend your legs back down to the floor.

Take a moment to completely relax the spine and bring awareness to your breath.
Engage your back, core, glutes, and quads to lift your body up, keeping your shoulder blades planted. Use your arms for support - you can either have them palm-down beside you, or you can clasp your hands together underneath you.
Hold this position and breathe here for 30-60 seconds, then lower your body back to the mat to release from the pose.

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

Transition: Release yourself all the way back down to the mat with your legs together and straight in front of you.

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.

10. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

Transition: Release from Supine Spinal Twist, coming back to the center.

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!

11. Reclining Bound Angle Pose w/ Elbow Grab (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Transition: Release your arms and legs back down to the mat.

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.
Bring your upper arms next to your ears and grab your elbows with the opposite hand.
Stay in the pose for 30-60 seconds, maintaining slow, rhythmic breaths.

12. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Transition: From Reclining Bound Angle Pose w/ Elbow Grab, release your arms to your sides and straighten your legs one at a time to flow 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.