Yoga with Weights

Hello, everyone. Welcome back for another practice. I'm so happy you're here to join me. And today, I'm gonna offer another yoga with weights session, and we're gonna do just a quick little grounding and warm up before we get into our weights practice. So I wanna invite you to stand in a way where you feel grounded maybe with your feet apart.

And take a moment, maybe resting your hands in front of your abdomen area as you unlock your knees, just a tiny bit to put a little bit more awareness and weight in your feet and start to get those legs fired up for our practice. If you look out to your horizon for a moment and soften your gaze, it's kinda lining up your ears with shoulders just tuning into our posture and how we can start engaging our core muscles just by bringing awareness to our posture, maintain the inner lift, strong back and encouraging a soft front body where your belly is moving into your palm as you're breathing in and in towards your back as you're breathing out. K. It's just a soft movement, breathing in, belly out. And as you exhale, maybe a little movement of belly towards your back. K. Keeping those knees slightly bent.

Another grounding breath in, and out. Now let's stretch your arms out to the side as you straighten your legs, big stretch up. And then as you exhale, hands to your thighs, just a little grounding of the legs, chin to chest. Inhale up, big breath, exhale all the breath out. Press against your legs, grounding, inhale up, and exhale.

Press against the legs. One more time. Inhale up and exhale out. Alright. Let's come up to stand now, and let's grab your weights. And as I mentioned, maybe, an other classes.

If you didn't have weights and you're here for class, you can go grab a couple cans of tomato sauce or beans from your cabinet. Okay. Otherwise, let's join together here. Let me do a little shoulder warm up first. So I'm gonna invite you to have your arms come straight out in front of you and then open your arms out parallel to the floor and then reach back and have the heads of the weight touch. Come back out to the sides.

Back in front, and then lower towards your legs. Let's do that again. Inhale arms in front, out to the side, all the way back, and your elbows might be bending, right, to get the weights to touch. Back out wide. In front, going wide, all the way to the back, out to the side, in front. So when I do the weights, we're gonna keep going to sides and back.

I often do a fair amount of repetition. That's how we'll start to feel a little bit more tone and heat in the body. K. So tone, again, as we do a repetition building muscle, And usually our core temperature is going up as we're getting a little bit more, practice, holding these weights, challenging our body, k. Let's do one more. And maybe hopefully by now you start to feel your arms getting a little bit warmer. Okay. And then arms down in front.

I think you might roll your shoulders. Bring your feet just a smidge closer together. I'm gonna do what I call the curtsy where you take your left leg behind, and we're gonna bring our, weights towards the shoulders. Do a little bicep curl as you do that curtsy, and then we'll step back to neutral. Let's try the other leg back, bend those knees, do a little curtsy, and then back to neutral.

So we're keeping a long back and putting left leg back, drop down, bicep curl, neutral. Left leg back, bicep curl, so still keeping postural awareness, left leg back, bicep curl, la right leg back, bicep curl. So let's do a few more. And as you get into this, you might like to have different weights around to do different moves. Variety weights can be really helpful, as you'll notice some moves for really easy, and some are a little bit more challenging.

We're working with two pound weights here. And, just to get a sense, I often work with five pound weights when doing bicep curls. K. Let's do maybe one more to each sides. Good posture awareness. Okay. Last one here.

And now let's stay with a slightly wider stance. And we'll do a little bit of that straddle position here and have your right hand face forward and take your left arm up by your ear. We start to tip to the right, bringing that right hand down the leg, and then come back up to neutral. Again, we're tipping to the right, and come up. And again, let's go to the right.

And up. So let's do two more just for time's sake, just to give you a little taste of some wonderful moves we might use to build a little bit more strength, and then come up. Let's have straight legs. And then come back into that leg work. Left palm faces forward. Right arm is right above your shoulder, and we're just doing a little tipping to your left.

And we come up. A little tip to the left. Up a couple more to your side, up and to your sides. And now just for fun, one more, making sure that we're even or very close to even come on up. Now keep your arms out in to the sides. Straighten your legs and squeeze it to the center line.

Open up, wide, and then squeeze into the center line. Couple more going wide. Squeeze in. One more going wide. And then squeeze it in. Alright.

Let's bring your arms down. Turn your feet forward. So let's turn your right foot out first, and that stance is maybe a a a good distance to do a triangle variation. So this variation is gonna have your left arm in the air, and your right arm reaching forward in front of you the whole time. So we're just gonna see what it feels like now to tip a little bit to your right and then come back up.

Doesn't have to be a big tip. Just a little tip to your right and come up. We're really grounding the feet again to your right. And up two more times, tipping to your right and come up. One more. Keep reaching out through that right hand. Come up and then relax those arms.

Will turn your right foot in and turn your left foot out. So the whole time, that two pounds can get a little heavy, so it's nice to be reasonable about the weights that you're using. Start with lower numbers. And let's try to tip to your left. See how that feels.

Come up. A little bit of tilting to the left. Up and to your left. And up, I tend to do the exhale on the challenging part when I'm tipping to the side. Maybe that makes sense for you.

Okay. We're gonna do one more. Keep holding that hand out and exhale. Come up and now relax those arms down. Alright. Let's turn your feet forward. He'll tow your legs and feet together, and let's take a walk, to face the short end of your mat.

Okay. So you might roll your shoulders. Those are nice little break, pause moments here as we come to tadasana and take just a moment to stand still. After our little moment in tadasana, let's take a step back with your right foot. And find your warrior one stance. So we'll bend your front knee, and we'll stay here for a moment with your back heel grounded.

Take your arms up, whatever way feels best for you while you hold those weights above your shoulders. And then we'll bring the weights to touch as you look straight ahead and drop your weights down towards the top of your shoulders. We're gonna go back up to straight arms and then arms at 90 degrees, and then squeeze your elbows into touch. Open back out to 90 degrees, lift back up into the air, weights touch, drop your weights down towards the top of your shoulders. Go back up straight arms, arms at 90 degrees, squeeze in elbows touch, and we're going back out wide, lift up weights touch, drop those weights towards the top of your shoulders.

Lift up, arms at 90 degrees, elbows in, elbows wide, lift back up, weights touch. Last one, drop those weights down. Lift up, come to our 90 degrees, bring your elbows into touch. Alright. As soon as your elbows got wide, let's drop your arms down and step your back right foot forwards. K. We're gonna do the same thing on your other side.

So left leg goes back, find your stance. So you know you're comfortable in for a reasonable amount of time, and then we're gonna take those arms back up. Now let's try to bring your arms or hands to touch. Drop the weights down. Arms straight up.

Arms at 90 degrees. I squeeze those elbows in. Opening out wide. Lift up the weights touch. Drop those weights down, top of shoulders, going up, 90 degrees, squeeze together.

Going wide, straight arms lift up, down to the top of the shoulders. Straight up, going for those 90 degree angles, squeeze in. Open wide. Lift on up, drop those weights down, going up, arms at 90 degrees, squeeze into center, Open wide. Okay. Last one going up.

Drop the weights down. Lift up. And as we go through those 90 degree angles, lower your arms to your side and step your back left foot forward, and you might roll your shoulders, shake your body out, whatever feels good to get re centered. Just a moment again, maybe back in your mountain pose. Excellent. After a brief pause, let's go ahead now and send your left leg back into a similar stance this time with both legs straight. So it's a pretty short step, a kind of wide step so you feel stable.

Alright. Now from here, we're gonna have your left arm reach forward as your right arm goes back, and maybe a quarter tip forward with your torso, and then come back to neutral. Again, maybe a quarter tip forward, right arm back, left arm forward. Back to neutral. If your back feels strong, legs strong, you might reach a little bit more forward. Maybe more parallel to the floor.

Come back up. And again, left arm forward, right arm back. Back to neutral. It's okay if your front knee is a little bent. Reach forward. Hold back.

We'll do one more. Left arm forward, right arm back. And come back to neutral, send your left foot forward, and we'll jump right into the second side with your right leg back. Alright. So you're pretty square to the short end of your mat, both feet for sure on the ground. And we'll start to feel with your right arm leading the way, left arm back.

Come back to vertical. So maybe just a quarter tip forward, right arm forward, left arm back. Come up to neutral, and reaching out with the right arm. Pull back with the left. Neutral, right arm forward, left arm back.

Back to your neutral. Left arm back, right arm forward. And neutral, last one, left arm forward, right arm back, and come to neutral. Let's keep both feet for a moment under your hips here. So let's walk in place for a moment or kind of march in place and really focus on lifting the knee as you look straight ahead.

It's kinda relaxing into your movement, swinging those weights forward and back, giving the legs also a little workout and really try to balance as you lift a knee. Looking out to your horizon, this can get a little aerobic feeling also. Not such a bad thing. So just a little moment of relaxing, walking in between moves. Alright. Now let's go ahead and pause both feet back on the ground and maybe feet airing on the slightly more narrow side as we do a balance post.

We'll take your left foot back, just lightly touching the floor with your toes, and the arms will go out to the side and up towards your ears before we drop them down again to the shoulders and lift your left foot for dancers pose. Foot down, take your arms back to your side. Look straight ahead. Your arms sweep wide. We lift our left foot and drop the weights down.

Going back to our neutral place. Again, let your arms come up as your foot comes up and weights towards your foot. Come back to that balance or the place before we go into our balance. And, again, foot up arms up, lower those weights. Foot down arms to your side. Lift your foot, come up, weights down.

Let's do one more. Lift your back foot arms up. Weights down, and then release. Let's set that left foot down on the floor and take a pause. Can you find your center? K. Now let's go ahead and switch sides.

Let's take your right foot back so your toes are on the floor. Turn your palms out and let's raise the arms, lift your back foot and drop your weights down, and they would go back up or back to our starting position. Lift your back foot as your arms are coming up, and drop your weights down and come back to our starting position. Inhaling, perhaps as you're finding your center here, exhale drop those weights, hold. And come back to our starting position. Couple more. Lift your back foot.

Look straight ahead. Lower the weights and release again. And you might be wobbly on one side more than the other. It's normal. Lift your foot. Lift up, lower those weights, and back to our starting position.

One more time coming up. Then you drop your weights. Little hold your foot up. And back to our starting position, and now both feet on the floor. Okay. I'm gonna turn to face you for this next one, or doing low crossing of the legs so you can see my arms.

So imagine your left leg crossing over the right like you do an eagle pose. Lower down an inch or two towards the floor so the legs stay bent. Now let's take your right arm up in the air, and we're gonna drop your right hand weight towards your left shoulder, and then we're gonna go up. So we can add another challenge holding the left arm to the side, and we'll drop that right weight down and up. And number three coming down and up.

Let's go over four. Come up. Five. Come up. Let's do one more. Six going toward left shoulder and up, and then we'll come back to neutral.

Alright. Now cross your right leg over your left leg, a little bend of the knees here. Start with your right arm down and your left arm up and feel what it's like to bring that towards your right shoulder and then come up. So that could be enough challenge or right arm out. Let's come down two. Reach up. And three to the right shoulder.

Up and four. Up five, up, and six. Alright. Nice job. Take your arms down, and we'll uncross, and it will come down towards the floor now. So let's have a seat. And I might suggest that you have a little bit of padding underneath you if you find your sit bones are a little bony or you just like a little bit of extra support when you're sitting down.

We're gonna have the weights in your hands, and we'll do a couple different boat variations. So one where we lean a little bit back, and we're gonna do that bicep curl, and then we'll come forward. Lean back, a little bicep curl, and then come forward. We lean back, little bicep curl, forward, lean back, little bicep, and come forward. Couple more times. A little tipping back, bicep, and come forward. As I said, that repetition is what is really necessary for us to build a little bit more strength.

And I still wanna encourage you to go kind of at this pace, not too much faster. So we're working against that resistance when we lower the weights down slowly and forward or relatively slow. Bicep curl, and then release. Alright. Now let's stretch your legs straight for a moment and take your right foot to the outside of that left knee area and have your weights out to your sides. K. Now when you look straight ahead, we're gonna take your left arm up by your ear and then hold that weight as you bring your left elbow to your right knee and look to the right.

Reach back up, look forward, and take your arm down. Left arm swings up by your ear, elbow to right knee, look to the right, reach up, and take your left arm down. Left arm up, elbow to knee, look to the right. Lift up, arm down. Again, left arm up, elbow to that right knee, lift up, and down last one.

Arm up, elbow to knee, look to the right, come up, and take your left arm down. Now let's come back to our boat legs position with your feet on the ground. And hold your weights right out in front of you as you round the back slightly. As we come forward, we're gonna open the arms out to the side. Lean back squeeze the weights together and open out wide.

He squeeze in and open wide. We'll squeeze in the center and open wide. K. One more. Squeeze into center. And open wide, and we'll take your arms down, send your legs forward. Big breath in and out as we get ready for second side with your left foot to the outer right leg.

And you might have both weights down at your side for a second. Alright. From here, now let's take your right arm up towards your ear and then bring right elbow to left knee. Look left, lift up, and take your right arm down. Again, we're going up with your right arm, elbow to knee, look left, go up, and take your right arm down. Lifting up, right elbow to left knee, lift up and take your right arm down. Again, right arm up, right elbow to left knee, lift up. Look forward as your arm comes down.

Last one. Right arm up, elbow to knee, lift up, and take your arm down. Let's take both feet forward and slide off your blanket. And let's put that blanket to the side for now. As you come all the way down onto your back.

And we'll have your feet more or less hip distance apart. And let's have those hand weights at your side as you take a moment to feel the support of the ground underneath you. Now let's get a hold of your hand weights, and we're gonna raise them up into the air above your shoulder area. So when we're in this position, our back will be on the floor. We're gonna go to a little mini bridge where we lift our hips and we'll pull our elbows to the floor and float your hips up a little bit more towards the ceiling.

Notice if you need to bring your feet wider apart to get a better lift in your hips. Then lower your spine again, and your arms are straight up over your shoulders. Let's pull the elbows down, lift your hips, take a moment, float the hips up. Arms straight up as your spine comes down. Elbows on the floor, float your hips up.

Lower your spine, arms up. And make sure you're looking at the ceiling now as you lift your hips, elbows on the floor, float your hips, make your bridge. Lower arms straight up in the air. Let's do two more. Flout your hips up elbows down.

Homurable breath here. Lower down, arms up in the air. Last one, float your hips up little bridge, look to the ceiling, and lower down. You know, let's open your arms out to your sides. And when your arms are Open out to your side.

Let's go ahead and swing both feet up into the air. I'm just take a moment grounding your shoulders here. Start to drop your left leg down to the floor here. So we'll take your right hand around the backside of your head, have the left hand hold your weight. As we exhale, that right hand helps you lift your head up as that left hand reaches up towards your right and holding the weight.

Roll back to the floor, left arm to your left. XL, lift, and reach up towards your right leg. Roll back down. And number three, lift, and reach to your right. And lower.

And four, reach and lift, and lower. And let's come up five and release. Now let's swing that left leg up grab the weight with your right hand, lower your right leg, and that left hand is behind your head. So we do a little assisted lift, right hand to left shin, and the lower back to the floor. And two, lift and reach for left shin and lower. And three, lift and lower.

And four, lower, and last one in that way, lift and twist, and then lower. K. Swing both feet back up. And let's have your hand weights in your hands right above your chest area. So it will separate the legs and then curl up with the weights between the legs. Come back to center and open your arms wide out to your side. Squeeze back to center, legs wide, exhale curl up, And back to your center.

Open your arms out wide. Squeeze back to center, legs apart, curl up, re center. Arms open wide. You squeeze back to center one more cycle, legs apart as you curl up, legs together, open your arms out wide. Now let's bend your knees here.

And keep your hand weights, in your hands. I like, it it feels like it helps my shoulders stay grounded as we do a little twist to your rights. Keep your knees from touching the floor and back to center. Legs a little bit to your left. Maybe you tip your head to the right. Recenter. Again, these a little bit maybe more to the right, look to the left.

And re center. And left, go into the left, look to the right. Recenter. So maybe a couple more in your own rhythm, just tipping, releasing your spine in a way that feels good for you today. And as you eventually settle a little bit more back to center with your feet on the ground, if we wanna do one more little move with your weights, is let's bring them up above your shoulders and then turn your palms to face towards your knees. You can pull those elbows wide.

I think of this as the classic bench press. And then you push up with your weights and they touch. Pull those elbows wide, push up, and coming down with your elbows, push up. Now try to go a little bit slower rather than fast. Through the lifting and the lowering of your elbows. It's really nice. I think to do this work when your back is on the floor, so that we're not maybe tensing your back as we're trying to isolate the chest and the arms, the upper mid back.

You might even notice that some of your core muscles are engaging as you're doing this work of slowly moving your arms. You know, maybe over the next moment or two, we'll finish that part and turn your palms to face each other. Let your arms tip back a few inches a little bit more toward the floor behind you let's have the weights touch the floor behind your head and then back up. Again, weights to the floor. So we did something similar to this.

And a few of our poses, warrior one and dancer pose, And just notice how it feels when you've got the floor here to support your back. If we more specifically can feel the triceps, the shoulders of gauging a little bit more. Let's try a couple more and going slow versus fast. Maybe over the next one, we can have the arms separate wide. And if you like the feeling of the hand, the weights in your hands for grounding, you might leave your weights in your hands for our little mini relaxation, or move them out to the side and have your palms open and give them a proper rest from all that they've been doing here.

Hey. Those of you that like your legs straight for a little Shavasana, let's take one after doing our weight work. And just a moment again welcoming this support underneath your entire body. A little gratitude for all that you were able to do today in your body. For showing up for class. It's a moment of gratitude.

I'm taking that moment just to notice how you feel after adding the weights to your practice. Right. Now you might twinkle your fingers and your toes, make circles with your ankles and your wrist, and starts to bend your legs again. And if you like to turn to a side to come up turn to a side or rock on up. And even if it's just for a moment that you're gonna sit, I think it's nice to sit in a good way for your back and for your knees. So you might add that little bit of extra cushion And then you just resent to yourself here sitting up.

It may be already feeling a little bit stronger in your arms, your back, your legs from doing some of the moves. Centering breath here. Alright. Thanks so much for joining me for class. I hope to see you again soon. Nava stay.