Yoga Day 54

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. Palm Tree Pose w/ Bound Elbows (Baddha Urdhva Hastasana)

Begin in Mountain Pose.
Inhale and extend your arms upward, grabbing the opposite elbow with each hand. Close your eyes and focus on centering yourself.
Remain here for 30 seconds, breathing deeply.

2. Mountain Pose Tiptoes Flow (Tadasana)

Begin in Mountain Pose.
Inhale deeply and sweep your arms up in the air as you rise up onto your tiptoes.
On the exhale, sweep your arms back down to your sides and plant your feet firmly back on the floor.
Repeat this movement as you breathe for 2-3 breath cycles.

3. Five-Pointed Star Pose (Utthita Tadasana)

Turn to face the left side of your mat and come into a wide-legged stance with both feet pointing forward.
Inhale your arms up, extending them into a T-shape at shoulder height.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds, breathing deeply.

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

Begin in a wide-legged stance with your arms extended to the sides in a T-shape.
Inhale deeply, then exhale and hinge at the hips to lean your torso forward until it is parallel to the floor.
On your next 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.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then release from the twist.

5. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Transition: Inhale yourself back up from Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Fold.

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.

6. Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

Transition: Release from Goddess Pose, step your legs together, and return to the front of your mat.

Step your left leg back, keeping your right foot forward.
Bend your right knee and shift your weight slightly forward, coming onto the ball of your left foot to lunge over your right leg.
Bring your palms together in front of your chest, pushing them together.
Inhale and lengthen the spine, then exhale and try to extend further forward.
On the next inhale, twist to the right so that the back of your upper left arm is on the outer side of your right leg.

7. Revolved Side Angle Pose w/ Hand to Floor (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

From Revolved Side Angle Pose, exhale your left hand to the floor.
Inhale your right arm overhead, bringing your upper arm next to your ear. Softly shift your gaze skyward.
Remain here for 30 seconds.

8. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chapasana)

Transition: Tuck your toes, lift your left knee, and shift your weight forward onto your right foot.

Inhale and push down through your right foot, extending your right leg straight.
Once you’ve got your balance, inhale your left foot off the ground, extending it straight behind you as you lengthen your torso forward. Reach your left arm straight up toward the ceiling.
Remain here for 30 seconds, keeping the core engaged and right leg strong.

9. Warrior III Pose (Virabhadrasana III)

In Half Moon Pose, remain balanced on your right leg and pivot your pelvis so that it squarely faces the front of your mat.
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.
Challenge yourself to stay in this pose for 30 seconds, continuing to breathe deeply.

10. Runner's Lunge Pose (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

Transition: From Warrior III Pose, extend the left leg back behind you once more, coming onto the tiptoes/ball of your left foot.

Bring both palms to the floor, planting them on either side of your right foot as you bend your right knee to come into a lunge.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

11. Revolved Lunge Pose (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

Beginning in Runner’s Lunge Pose, inhale your right arm straight into the air, taking a gentle twist to the right. Shift your gaze to look up toward your right hand.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

12. Goddess Pose w/ Eagle Arms (Utkata Konasana)

Transition: Release from Revolved Lunge Pose, rotate both feet to face the left side of your mat, and come into a wide-legged stance.

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.
Extend your arms straight in front of you, then bend your elbows ~90 degrees. Cross your arms with your upper left arm crossed above your upper right arm. With your left palm facing to the right, try to hook the fingers of your right hand on your left wrist or the lower palm of your left hand.
Maintain this pose for 30-45 seconds, breathing deeply.

Repeat poses 1-12, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

13. Boat Pose (Navasana)

Transition: Release from Goddess Pose and come into a seated position on your mat with your spine tall and legs extended in front of you.

Take a deep inhalation, and as you exhale, lean your upper body back and raise your legs up until you’re neatly grounded on your sit bones and creating a V shape with your body.
Be aware of your core, engaging it by pulling the navel towards your spine. Move the shoulder blades down, back, opening the chest. While here stretch the arms and legs, lengthening them outwards.
Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds.

14. Reverse Table Top Pose (Ardha Purvottanasana)

Transition: Release from Boat Pose. Keep your torso leaned back as you release your right leg from Boat Pose, then place the bottoms of both feet flat on the floor.

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.

15. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Transition: Release from Reverse Table Top and lower back to the floor to lie supine.

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.

COOL DOWN

1. Rolling Happy Baby Variation Flow (Ananda Balasana)

Transition: Release from Bridge Pose and remain supine. On an exhale, draw your knees in for a variation of Happy Baby Pose.

For this variation of Happy Baby Pose, roll from side to side. When you roll to the side, bring your legs together. When you roll back to the center, bring your knees apart again.
Continue this flow for 60 seconds.

2. Bound Reclined Easy Pose (Supta Baddha Sukhasana)

Transition: Return to center, hands still on your knees, knees still wide apart.

Keeping your knees apart, cross your ankles just as you would if you were to sit in Easy Pose.
Grab onto your feet, close your eyes, and breathe deeply here for 30-60 seconds.

3. Half Plow Pose (Ardha Halasana)

Transition: Release your legs, relaxing them straight out in front of you.

Start out lying supine on your mat with your legs together and your hands placed palm-down next to your thighs/hips.
Inhale and lift both legs straight up so that they make a 90-degree angle with your upper body.
Breathe here for 30-60 seconds, making sure your shoulder blades and pelvis remain square and grounded.
When you release, do so very slowly without lifting your head.

4. Supine Spinal Twist Pose (Supta Matsyendrasana I)

Transition: Release your legs back to the mat 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 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.

5. Seated Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana)

Transition: From Supine Spinal Twist, release your legs to the ground straight in front of you and push your torso up to come into a seated position.

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.

6. Half Happy Baby Pose (Ardha Ananda Balasana)

Transition: From Seated Forward Fold, keep your legs straight and lower your torso to lie supine.

Inhale your right leg up, engaging the feet and pushing out through the heel.
Bend your knee ~90 degrees and grab your right foot with both hands.
Breathe here for 30 seconds. With each exhale, try to pull your foot closer. Your right knee should be angled wide enough for the front of your right thigh to come down to the outside of your torso (not on top of your torso).
Repeat on the other side.

7. Sitting Swan Pose

Transition: Release from Half Happy Baby Pose and push yourself back up into a seated position.

Start in a seated position with your legs straight in front of you.
Place your hands on the floor behind you and lean your torso back, shifting your upper body weight to your palms.
Bring your right ankle to your left thigh, just above the left knee.
Take a deep breath, then exhale as you bend your left knee and walk your left foot closer to your torso. Move it around until you find a satisfying stretch.
Your muscles might resist at first, but hold the pose and stay still for 30 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.

8. Half Cow Face Pose (Ardha Gomukhasana)