Yoga Day 62

WARM-UP

1. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Starting position: Begin lying supine on your mat/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 60 seconds, maintaining slow, rhythmic breaths.

2. Revolved Abdomen Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana)

Transition: Remain supine and release your legs straight.

Inhale and sweep the arms along the floor, bringing them to a T-shape with your palms facing skyward.
With your legs together and toes pointed, exhale and take a gentle twist to bring them both to the right, left leg stacked on top of the right. You can choose to keep them extended straight, or bend the knees so that your legs are parallel to your right arm.
If it’s comfortable to do so, shift your gaze toward your left hand.
Remain here for 30 seconds, then inhale and return to the center.
Repeat with your legs pointed toward the left.

3. Forward-to-Backward Neck Stretch

Transition: Inhale yourself up into a seated position.

Begin in a seated position looking straight ahead, chin parallel to the floor.
Inhale, then exhale and allow your head to roll forward, bringing your chin toward your chest.
Take a breath here, then inhale your head back up.
Exhale again, allowing your head to roll back as you gaze up to the ceiling.
Take a breath here, inhale back up, then repeat for 30 seconds.

4. 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.

5. Alternating Shoulder Shrugs

Exhale and fully relax any tension in your shoulders. Let gravity pull down on your arms, pulling the tightness away.
Keeping your neck straight, inhale, and shrug your right shoulder upward.
Exhale and relax your right shoulder again.
Repeat with the left shoulder, then continue alternating shoulders 5-10 times.

6. Seated Torso Circles (Sufi Grinds)

Transition: Bend your knees and come into a cross-legged seated position in Easy Pose.

In Easy Pose (Sukhasana), place your hands on your knees.
Inhale and open your chest as your lean forward, keeping your sit bones grounded.
Rotate your torso in a clockwise circular motion for 30 seconds, keeping it slow and controlled, then repeat for 30 seconds counterclockwise.

7. Seated Straddle Pose (Upavistha Konasana)

Transition: Extend your legs straight out in front of you once more.

Starting from Staff Pose (Dandasana), lean back slightly, supporting yourself by planting your hands on the ground slightly behind you on each side.
Inhale and push your thigh bones into the ground and open your legs roughly 90 degrees (or whatever amount feels the most beneficial for you).
Exhale and engage your feet, toes pointing straight up.
Bring your palms to the ground in front of you, leaning your torso forward as much as your comfortably can.
Breathe deeply here for 30-60 seconds.

8. Seated Forward Fold Prep (Paschimottanasana)

Transition: Bring your legs back together, returning to 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. Clasp your fingers, palms facing outward, and extend your arms straight.
Inhale and keep the front of your torso long as you hinge forward at the hips, but without fully folding. See how far forward you can reach your arms.
Remain and breathe here for 30 seconds, continuing to lengthen forward.

9. Sage Marichi Pose C (Marichyasana)

Transition: Inhale yourself up, coming back into Staff Pose.

Begin in Staff Pose with your legs extended in front of you.
Bend your right knee and plant your right foot on the ground. Inhale and take a twist to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outside of your right knee with your palms facing outward and fingers pointing skyward. Place your right hand behind you.
Shift your gaze out over your right shoulder and breathe here for 30 seconds.
On an exhale, release back to Staff Pose and repeat on the other side.

10. Seated Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana)

Transition: Extend both legs straight once more and release from Sage Marichi Pose C.

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.

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

Transition: Release from Seated Forward Fold Pose back up to Staff Pose.

Starting from Staff Pose (Dandasana), lean back slightly, supporting yourself by planting your hands on the ground slightly behind you on each side.
Inhale and push your thigh bones into the ground and open your legs roughly 90 degrees (or whatever amount feels the most beneficial for you).
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.

12. Cat-Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)

Transition: Release from Upward-Facing Seated Straddle w/ Toe Grab and rock forward, slowly coming onto your hands and knees.

Slowly bend your knees, shift them to the side, and rock forward onto your hands and knees in Table Top Pose.
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.

13. Table Top Side-to-Side Flow (Bharmanasana)

In Table Top Pose, bring your arms slightly wider, bring your legs together, and take a deep inhale here.
On the exhale, lean your body to the right, keeping your knees on the ground.
Inhale back to the center, then exhale and lean your body to the left.
Repeat this movement slowly back and forth for 30-60 second.

14. Balancing Table Top Knee-to-Nose Crunches (Bharmanasana)

Transition: Return to a normal Table Top Pose with your hips stacked above your knees and shoulders stacked above your hands.

Begin in Table Top Pose.
Inhale your right leg up straight behind you.
Exhale, tuck your chin, bend your right knee, and bring the right knee forward toward your nose.
Inhale and release, returning to Table Top Pose.
Exhale, then inhale and repeat 4-5 more times on the right.
Repeat on the left side with the same amount of reps.

15. Unilateral Balancing Table Top Pose (Bharmanasana)

Begin in Table Top Pose.
Begin to shift your weight over onto your left leg and hand. When you’re stable and balanced enough to do so, inhale and slowly lift your right hand and leg, extending them straight.
Try to remain here in this pose for 30 seconds, then exhale to release.
Repeat on the opposite side.

16. Wide Child's Pose (Prasarita Balasana)

Starting on your hands and knees, make sure your knees are slightly wider than hip distance apart while bringing the toes of both feet together.
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 60 seconds.

PEAK FLOW

1. High Lunge Arm Extension Flow (Ashta Chandrasana)

Starting position: From Wide Child's Pose, tuck your toes and push back into Downward-Facing Dog. Inhale your right leg up, then exhale it forward between your hands.

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. Lean forward just enough that your body creates a straight line from the back of your left heel all the way to your head. Raise and extend your arms, sticking to the same straight line.
Remain here with your arms overhead for a breath or two, then exhale and lean forward, bending your elbows and bringing your arms down, next to your upper body.
Repeat 1-2 more times.

2. Downward Dog to Crescent Low Lunge Flow

Transition: Release from High Lunge Pose, bringing your hands to the floor and stepping your right leg back. Tuck your toes and inhale your sit bones up and back into Downward-Facing Dog Pose.

In Downward-Facing Dog Pose, inhale your right leg up behind you.
Exhale and plant your right foot on the mat just right of center between your hands. Lower your left knee to the mat.
Inhale your torso up, sweeping your arms overhead. You can either bring your palms together or keep them parallel.
Exhale your torso into a slight backbend.
Take another breath or two here before moving on.

3. Crescent Low Lunge to Half Split Pose Flow

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.

4. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Begin in a wide-legged stance.
Angle your left foot toward the left side of your mat while keeping the right toes pointed forward. Roll your right thigh outward so that your knee aligns with your first two toes.
As you lengthen both sides of the waist, bring your arms up and out to both sides so that they are parallel to the floor.
Inhale and extend your reach to the right, bringing your upper body over the right leg. Shift your hips back slightly.
Exhale your right arm down, bringing the right hand to either your ankle, a block, or the floor. Rotate the front of your ribcage toward the ceiling, reaching your left arm straight up.
Lengthen through the sides of the neck, keeping the neck aligned neutrally with the spine. Shift the gaze straight ahead or up toward your left hand.
Release by pressing your feet firmly into the floor, leading your torso back up with your left hand.

5. Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)

Transition: Inhale your torso up from Triangle Pose and slowly step your left foot closer to your right.

Bend your right knee slightly and begin to shift your weight onto your right leg. Float your right arm forward.
When you’ve gathered your balance, begin to lift the left leg up behind you and reach back to grab the top of your foot with your left hand. Keep your neck neutral by gazing forward.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, trying to deepen the pose with each exhale.

6. Downward Dog to Upward Dog Pose Flow

Transition: From Dancer Pose, release your leg and bring your palms to the floor, stepping both feet back behind you.

Inhale, tuck your toes, and float your sit bones up and back, pushing the floor away with your hands to come into Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Take a breath or two here.
From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, lean your body forward and lower your pelvis, coming back into Plank Pose.
Exhale and very slowly lower your body to the ground, keeping your movements controlled and mindful. Untuck the toes, bringing the tops of the feet to the floor. Keep your palms planted under your shoulders.
Inhale and straighten your arms, pressing down into the tops of the feet to lift your legs and pelvis away from the ground. Pinch the shoulder blades toward each other to open the chest, taking a gentle skyward gaze without overdoing the curve in the back of the neck.
Remain here for 1-2 breaths.

7. Wide Child's Pose (Prasarita Balasana)

Come onto your hands and knees and separate your legs slightly wider than hip distance apart while bringing the big toes of both feet together.
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.

8. Forearm Plank Flow (Phalakasana II)

Transition: Inhale yourself forward onto your hands from Wide Child’s Pose and extend both legs behind you in Plank Pose.

Begin in Plank Pose.
On an exhale, bring your forearms to the ground, palms facing down and planted firmly for support. Take 1-2 breaths here.

9. Forearm Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

Beginning in Forearm Plank Pose, inhale your left arm up, rolling your whole body to the right and shifting onto the outer edge of your right foot in a side plank.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

10. Dolphin Pose (Catur Svanasana)

Transition: Release from Forearm Side Plank into a Forearm Plank.

Bring your forearms to the floor in front of you and either clasp your hands together or place your palms on the floor for support.
Inhale, tuck your toes and lift your sit bones up and back just as you would for Downward-Facing Dog Pose.
Breathe here for 30 seconds.

11. Dolphin Plank w/ Leg Raise (Catur Svanasana)

Beginning in Dolphin Pose, inhale up onto the balls of your feet and shift your weight forward into a forearm plank.
On your next inhale, raise your right leg, bringing it as high as you comfortably can.
Remain here for a breath or two, then lower your right leg back down and release back into Dolphin Pose.

12. Dolphin to Downward Dog Push-Up

In Dolphin Pose, clasp your hands together or place your palms on the floor for support.
Inhale and lift your sit bones up and back just as you would for Downward-Facing Dog Pose.
On your next inhale, raise off of your forearms, plant your palms, push the floor away and come into a full Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Exhale yourself back down onto your forearms.
Alternate between Dolphin Pose and Downward-Facing Dog Pose for 30 seconds, remaining in sync with your breath.

13. Downward Dog to Low Lunge Flow

Begin in Downward-Facing Dog Pose.
Inhale your right leg straight up.
On your next inhale, shift your gaze toward the floor just beyond your fingertips.
Exhale and step or jump your left foot forward to your hands, planting your foot and extending your left leg straight.
On your next exhale, bring your right knee down to the mat behind you, coming into a low lunge over your left leg.

Repeat each pose in this segment, switching to the opposite side as necessary for asymmetrical poses.

COOL DOWN

1. Child's Pose (Balasana)

Transition: From Low Lunge Pose, plant your palms and bring both knees to the floor as you would for 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.
Rest your forehead on the mat, close your eyes, and breathe deep. Remain here for 30-60 seconds.

2. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Transition: Inhale forward onto your hands and step your feet back, coming into Plank Pose.

Exhale and rock forward, arching your back slightly and bringing the tailbone up to flow into Four-Limbed Staff Pose.
On your next inhale, push the floor away and extend your arms straight to lift your upper body into Cobra Pose.
Breathe here for 30-60 seconds.

3. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

Inhale your lower body up off the floor, tucking your toes to come 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.

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

From Plank Pose, inhale 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.

5. Table Top Pose (Bharmanasana)

Transition: From Downward Dog, exhale your knees to the ground.

Begin on your hands and knees with your hands stacked under your shoulders and your knees stacked under your hips, parallel to each other.
Remain in this pose for 30 seconds, awakening and engaging the core and inner thighs; firmly rooting your shoulder blades down away from your ears.

6. Puppy Dog Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Begin on your hands and knees.
Inhale and tuck the toes as your slowly walk your hands forward.
Exhale and move your sit bones back halfway toward your heels. Bring your forehead to the floor, relaxing your neck. Push your tailbone slightly outward, creating a gentle curve in the lower back.
Breathe deeply here, directing the air toward your lower back for 30-60 seconds.

7. Puppy Dog Pose Neck Stretch (Uttana Shishosana)

In Puppy Dog Pose, turn your head toward the right, bringing your right cheek to the floor or onto your forearms.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

8. Revolved Puppy Dog Pose (Parivrtta Uttana Shishosana)

In Puppy Dog Pose, clasp your hands together and extend both arms.
Take a deep inhale, then exhale and roll your upper body to the right, bringing your right arm up over your head, hands remaining clasped.
Breathe here for 30 seconds, then inhale your upper body straight and repeat on the opposite side.

9. Half Wind Release Pose (Ardha Pavanmuktasana)

Transition: From Revolved Puppy Dog Pose, release your whole body to the floor, then roll over onto your back.

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.

10. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Transition: Release your arms and legs back down to the mat for Savasana, or end your practice for the day.

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.