Glute Activation

Hello, everyone. Thanks for being here today with me. I've got a great practice today focused on the glutes, and to help us have a wonderful experience together. It'll be great to have a couple of blocks, blankets, and some ankle weights. So when we go ahead and get the ankle weights on, we'll use them for the rest of the class.

And I know that takes a moment to get them secure around your ankle, depending on the kind that you have. And I always love using these, and I end up leaving them usually on for a little bit after class, and I'll walk around the house with the ankle weights on for a little bit of extra strengthening practice for the legs and hips. Maybe you'll do that too. So we're gonna start on our back. And if you'll meet me here with your ankle weights on And just a moment with your fingertips or around the side of your hips, kind of feeling for where the pelvic bones are.

And we'll try to let the shoulders drop back towards the floor here. Give us all a moment to come together, and just draw being the weight of the arms and shoulders back towards the grounds. And if you feel where your hands are and just invite a little bit of a forward tilt in your pelvis towards your thighs, and then rocking your pelvis just ever so gently back. So we're feeling the pelvis tip a tiny bit forward and the tiny bit back. I'm just getting a little bit of movement in the hips back and forth.

Perhaps you've done this with others, maybe they call it the pelvic rock and roll as you go back and forth. Kinda orienting us toward an area we're gonna get into today. Now as we tip a little bit back to neutral, let's grab one block and we're gonna start playing with our block and put that between your thighs. So tip your legs towards you. Squeeze a block in the median position between your knees and then have your arms at your side.

So we're simply squeezing the block and then let your legs come forward and maybe your heels touch down and tip your legs back towards you. Could always wedge your hands under your lower back area to support your back, if it's sensitive as your legs come forward. So we're gonna tip the legs back and forth a few times. It's also okay if your heels don't touch the ground, you might do less tipping back and forth. You might notice it's a little more challenging because you've got ankle weights on.

Back and forth. I recommend starting with the ankle weights in the kinda two pound range as a great starting point. That means you could use them usually for most of the movements, if not all. Alright. Now let's keep your shins parallel. Open your arms out to the side, and we'll do a little twisting to the right and left.

Just little tipping of the legs right and left as you squeeze your block. And notice again, it might be a little bit more challenging because you've got those ankle weights on. And I'm keeping the legs intentionally from touching the ground just a really basic warm up for the spine, right, and left. Let's do one more. Alright. Now let's hold that block because you put your feet down. And maybe just make sure that block stays in place between your knees or lower thigh area for our first little bridge with your arms at your side.

Move your heels forward of the line of your knees. And we're gonna lift your toes up, so it's just the heels on the floor. We're squeezing the block, and we're gonna do a little lift of your hips up as your heels press down. Lower back to the floor. Hey, squeeze that block, and as you lift up, stretch those knees away from your chest.

And lower down. And I really feel those heels press down as your hips float up. And lower. So since we're early in class, again, it doesn't have to be the biggest bridge. It's kinda warming that area up going in and out. Couple times. Press your arms now.

A little more firmly into the floor. So hands, arms, shoulders, press back as our heels, press down. Next time, we're gonna add a hold. So let's take a pause and squeeze your block dig those heels into your yoga mat as you look at the ceiling, take a pause, squeeze your block, dig your heels down, and then release. Let's move that block to the side just for a moment and open your arms back out.

Let's stretch your left leg in the air and your right leg down to the floor. We're gonna tip your left leg to the right. And the back to center. Just a little outer hip stretch as you exhale in between our bridge, back to center, left leg to the right, center, and left leg again to your right. And center, swing your right leg up and drop your left leg down.

Okay. With that ankle weight on, go a little bit to your left and center. To your left, and center. A couple more times. Just kinda dosing how that feels with that ankle weight on. Just getting used to moving a limb with a little bit of extra weights attached to the ankle. Alright. Both feet on the ground, and let's go ahead tip your legs towards you.

And you might wanna rock up for this one to place your block underneath where your right foot's gonna go. So it's nice sometimes just to see that the first time Then when you come down onto your back, you've got your right foot on a flat block. K. We'll keep your arms at your side. We're gonna do a little bridge routine here. When you feel ready, let's tip your left knee towards your chest then as we take that left foot in the air, we're going to lift our hips up and it will feel probably pretty different when you're on a block. Now, drop your left leg down towards the floor, swing it back up, and lower back to the ground.

Bends your knee and your foot down. So that's gonna be our sequence. So left knee to chest, when the leg goes up, lift your hips off the floor, hold as your left leg comes down. Swing it up, we're back to the floor with left foot on the ground. Alright. Need a chest, left leg up, hips up, hold, left leg down, left leg up, back to the floor, left foot on the ground.

You need a chest. Push up, hold, left leg down, left leg up, lower to the floor, and release. Now let's use your feet to maybe slide your block to your left. If you need to lift your gaze and see that your left foot has a good landing spot here. Okay. Move yourself away from the block if you feel a little bit tight in your back. K. So same thing on the other side.

Now we know what we're doing. Right knee to chest. Right leg up. Let's do our lift. Hold. Right leg comes down.

Right leg up. Lower to the floor. Right foot on the ground. Need a chest. As the leg goes up, we lift. Hold.

Right leg down, up, and back to the floor with your right foot. Need a chest, right leg up. Let's do our lift, hold, right leg down, Up, lower your spine, bend your knee foot on the floor. Again, knee to chest, right leg up. Let's do our lift, hold, lower your leg, leg comes up, lower your spine, and then that right foot on the floor.

Alright. Use your feet, slide your block back over to the right. Now keep your blocks there, but just for a moment, tip your knees towards your chest. It can feel nice sometimes to stretch your glutes in between, that work of stretch strengthening them. K. Wayne, you're ready. Put your right foot back on a flat block.

Left it on the floor. So now we're gonna put your left heel on top of that right knee. So round two is kind of our figure four leg position. Arms at your side. Simply do a press up and come down. Again, to press up and down. So your arms are really supporting you here.

Three, lift, and lower. And if you're not sure if your glute is working, you might lift up and then touch that area. Feel that it's a little firm. Come, do a lift. And down and one more. Do a lift and lower.

Alright. Let's slide that over to your left side. If you feel okay, you might take a peek, see that your foot is on a solid flat block. And we'll put a right heel on top of that left knee. Okay. When you're ready, let's do our lift. Your arms are supporting you.

Lower. And again, figure four lift. Lower. Do our lift, lower, lift, and lower. Let's do one more. Arms support you as you lift, and lower.

K. Let's use your feet so maybe grab that block and bring the block towards your hands. And let's put that block between your knees in the medium position, grab the back of your legs, and let's rock ourselves up. Hey. Now take a moment as you hold yourself here, we're gonna slide the hands back behind you as you look straight ahead. He will do a little lift and stretch your knees away from your chest. Lower down, reach your hands out in front of you and then raise your shins up parallel to the floor.

Feed down, hands go back, look straight ahead, lifting optional, Look towards the block towards the knees. Come down, arms in front of you. Lift those shins up. Feed down. Reach back. Open the chest.

Do your lift really feel those feet and heels press down? Lower arms in front of you, let's raise those shins up. One more time, hands back behind you. Look forward. As you do the lift, knees away from the chest, heels, press down, and lower.

Let's move this block to the side for just a moment. We're gonna spin around and face the floor, and this is a great time to add that blanket on the ground under your knees, especially if you're on a harder floor. Alright. Now let's go ahead and put flat blocks down about as wide as your shoulders. We're gonna rest our elbows here on these flat blocks. Bring your palms together and bring your knees a little bit closer together.

So kind of classic glute work here. So on the knees, let's swing your left leg out to the side that little mini fire hydrant pose, and then bring your left knee back to your right knee. Left leg goes straight back behind you. Straw your heel towards your buttock. Legs straight and the knees back together.

Let's try the same leg again. Left knee out to the side. Together. Left leg straight back behind you. Draw your heel towards your buttock.

Legs straight, knees together, left leg to the left, legs together, left leg straight back, draw the heel toward the buttock, straight leg, knees together, tilt your leg out to the left. Together, right leg, left leg straight, heel toward buttock, legs straight and knees together. Now let's try your other side. So have your right knee tip open to the right, knees together. Right leg straight back.

Heel toward the buttock, legs straight, and knees together. Got a little fire hydrant. Open your knee out to the right, legs together. Right leg back, your shoulders are nice and steady, right heel toward buttock, legs straight, knees together. Right leg, again, tips out to the right, legs together, right leg straight back, heel toward buttock, legs straight, knees together.

Let's do one more. Right knee, opening up to the right. Lakes together. Right leg straight back, heel toward the buttock, legs straight, and the knees together. Alright. Wonderful.

Let's move your knees just a little further apart and take a moment looking down as you round your back, swing your hips slightly towards your heels, and come again forward. Again, a little tilting back, we might point your fingertips towards the ceiling, just a little shoulder stretch for a treat, and then again come forward. Let's move your blocks to the side for a moment. And with your hands on the floor, look down. Slift your knees whenever you're ready up and walk your feet a little bit closer together.

So full stretch for the shoulders. Now similar to what we were just doing, we're gonna swing your left leg slowly up into the air without twisting your hips. Lower the leg down. Left leg travels up and lower down. Left leg comes up, firing up that glute, lower and again, lifting, mindfully, and lower.

Right sides that were switching, stretch your right leg back, and take it to the floor. Slowly stretching up and back. Back to the floor, arms nice and strong. Again, stretch long through the right leg. Coming down and one more time stretching long through your right leg.

And then take it down. Now let's lower your knees. Turn to your right side. So your hip is on your blanket as you come down. And then we can move our block to the side as we come down here onto your elbow and then use your arm as your pillow.

Hey. Now as we keep our, legs here in this 90 degree angle position, let's take a moment. What I often love to do is to bring your left elbow to your knee. And then stretch long from that left leg through your left arm. Elbow to knee, reach along through left leg and left arm. Elbow to knee, reach long. And just one more time, a little warm up.

Now keep your leg back and bring your left hand in front of your chest. Let's draw a few circles with that left leg. So you've got that ankle weight on, which might make this a little bit more challenging. If you're not sure if your glue disfiring, you might poke your finger in that glute area, and make sure you feel a little bit more tone there. That's where we wanna feel some action.

Okay. Hopefully, that feels good. Now let's bring your knees together. So let's keep the legs in these 90 degree angles, and we're gonna simply tilt your left leg up and down your classic clamshell. Let's do six total. So that's two and three.

Great with that ankle weight on four and five. Alright. Now from here, let's take a moment. We're gonna turn towards the floor. And so you've got the padding of the blanket for your pelvis. Let's point your toes straight back and rest your head on your stacked hands as you point your toes straight back. Now we keep the pelvis neutral here, which is I love being in this prone position for this, where we bend your left leg, and we'll do a little pulsing.

You might flex your ankle, and we just press the left heel towards the ceiling and then bring your knee back down. The knee doesn't lift very far. You try to push up and down. Left heel up and down. Left heel up and down. So it might feel like it's barely moving, and it might just barely be moving, but you're doing your best to try to keep your pelvis equally pressed into your blankets or not twisting.

And hopefully not overdoing it in your back. Try to get your glute to fire versus working your back muscles. K. Put your left leg down. Wiggle your hips a little bit side to side.

Now your right leg bends whenever you're ready, flex your ankle, and see how this feels to try to lift that knee a little bit up and down. You can imagine you're pushing your heel toward the ceiling. And check that your glute fires first, then lift your knee. It's really common for the back to try to do the lifting. See if you can kinda check-in with your glute and get it to do more work than your back.

That's the advanced part of class. K. Get that glute to fire, then lift. Glute to fire and lift. K. And then let's have both legs straight. K. Points your toes back, and now let's slide your hands for a moment towards your chest.

And with your nose chin floating right above the floor, slide your legs wide as you lift your chest up. Lakes parallel forehead down. So with those ankle weights on, we build even more strength in that hip area as your legs go wide, chest up, and then back together lower. Wide and lift and lower. We go wide and lift and lower.

Let's do two more legs wide as you lift Licks parallel lower. Last one going wide and then together. Alright. So you might slide your hands in front of you wiggle your hips side to side as you rest your forehead here. And we'll start getting ready to flip to our second side. Alright. So I'm gonna turn to face you.

So in this case, you would have your left arm out as your pillow. And you have your legs at 90 degree angles. You might prop yourself up in this way and kinda do a little warm up where we brought the right knee and elbow to touch, and then we would stretch your right arm and leg long. Elbow to knee, reaching long, just a little warm up, elbow knee, leg kicking back. Now keep your leg back and rest your right hand in front of you, and you might start to make a few circles with your right leg.

And if you're not sure, if that glute is firing, you might poke your fingertips in that area and feel a little bit more tone, maybe a little bit more warmth in that area, or even the beginning of some fatigue. K. Let's bring your knees together before we really get to that fatigue. Alright. So your legs stay in that shape here, and we're simply just gonna raise your leg up and down. You can even imagine you're pushing up against some resistance and lower down. Going up. And down, up, and down, up, and down, and last one going up and down.

Alright. Let's go ahead and bring ourselves up. Alright. So we can slide off your blanket, and let's fold that out of the way and slide that out to the sides, and we won't need that very much. Okay. So now you can slide your feet to any direction, hands towards the top of your mat, Let's do one more round now of coming toward plank pose just to shift you for a moment into your downward dog. K. Now when our dog feet come a little closer together, just one more stretch up and back with your left leg. Then foot down one more stretch back with your right leg.

Feed down, let's walk your feet up towards the back of your wrist, and just for a moment with those bent knees fold over. And then let's come up slowly to stance. Sholders roll back. K. We're gonna grab one block, and let's put that at the top of your mat in that long way. Actually, might as well put both there. K. So your feet and the blocks are about hip distance apart.

Let's put your left foot on a flat block and then hop your right leg back a step, and we're gonna lift your back heel. So let's have the arms that are aside as you look forward. And as we lower our right knee, we're gonna raise our arms up. And I'm gonna push down to come up. Bend that back knee and front knee, you're lower down, and come up. And this glute is firm when you come to the top.

That right glute engages as you come down, squeeze. Come up, squeeze right glute. Drop your knee. Look forward. Squeeze. And come up and squeeze. Let's step that right foot forward, left leg back just so you get a little taste of how that feels.

Right foot on your block, hop your left leg back, lift your back, heel, arms at your side. So it'll come down as your arms come up. And then come up, squeeze that left glute. Drop your knee, squeeze, and come up a little squeeze of that glute. Lower down, squeeze, come up a little squeeze.

Going down, and just getting a little taste of that and coming up and squeeze. Send your left foot forward and then your right foot back for a moment. K. Now we're gonna move one block to the side and come around, I'm gonna face you here and we're gonna work with one block in that long position. Actually, if you feel like your foot is longer, larger, and you want two, so you have a bigger platform, go ahead and line up two. So we're gonna take a moment before we do that, turn your toes out, come into that kind of straddle position, hands in front of the chest.

So we're just gonna do a little kind of mini pulsing up and down. So something symmetrical in between, which is also still engaging your glues. You just go like an inch or two up and down to kinda feel that out. The hogs working together. K. And then we'll release arms down, legs straight. And as you bring your legs in, let's start with your right foot on your blocks.

Hands to your hips. And as you come out, you wanna even your hips as best as you can. We'll slide your left foot to your inner leg, and you might have your arms out to the side for balance. So this is already gonna bring a little more work to that right hip. Now point your knee forward and then open your knee out wide.

Knee forward, we're challenging our balance and that right glutes need to the side. Forward and wide, a classic tree with a little twist. Forward and then foot down. K. Let's see how it feels when you put your left foot up and we stand. Arms could be up to the sides.

They've put your foot in your inner leg, and we do a little pointing forward, open wide. Point forward, just kinda feel that work in your left hip, keep your good posture, your balance, lean forward and wide. Arms down. K. Now to point your toes out slightly coming back into that straddle position with your arms out in front of you. Come a little lower.

And in this way, pulsing just a tiny bit up and down. Feel your feet to press into the floor as you go up and down. The whole foot pressing down. K, straight legs, and then bring your feet back in. Okay. Let's start again with your right foot, and we're gonna stand up, even out your hips, arms out to the sides.

Hey. Now as we lift your left knee up, cross your leg over for a little eagle, challenging our balance, and then out to the side. Eagle and a little bit out to the left. Eagle, and out to the left. K. Put your foot down, arms down. Let's switch right away while we're in the zone, mentally, with our balance poses. Come up.

Arms might be helpful here as you lift your right knee up. Little crossing over, not a tight bind. Reach out to the side. A little bit of a crossing. Out to the right.

Little crossing and out to the right. So all that while you're challenging that standing hip and bring your feet down. Okay. One more of that symmetrical work that we'll do with your arms up to the side, come down, and just a little bit of pulsing up and down, like an inch or two, up or down. K. Feel when your heels push down, your fire up, the glutes, under side of the legs here. K. And then come up for a moment with legs straight, turn your toes forward and heel toe your legs and feet a little bit closer to the block.

So let's just take a moment and mount and post standing tall. Alright. At that moment of grounding here, let's go ahead and reach down and move your blocks out of the way for now. And I wanna invite you to come down and use your blanket to sit on. So now after all that strengthening work can be nice to maybe have a moment to stretch the glute area. So if you're on your blanket and you like the way that feels for your pelvis to tilt forward, let's be here.

We're gonna take your left foot to the outer right leg, or maybe pull your foot towards your outer right hip so the knees are more stacked in the line for our classic gomukhasanum. Now depending on your knees, you might stay right here. Or do a little bit of leaning forwards. Not a big move, but a little leaning forward. If your right leg bent easily, you might take your lower leg and cross also. K?

So you could do the tip with both legs bent. If you can do this sitting on a block, and that's how you access this pose, you might also be sitting on a flat block to come a little bit forward. K. Now let's lean back and switch out the legs. So you have legs straight for a moment, take your, right foot to the outside of your left leg, and you might pause here with your knees relatively stacked. If your legs cross pretty easily, knees bend easily, but for your second leg also bent.

A option. Also, you're grounding yourself with your hands and just inviting a little bit of a forward movements. We might not be tipping forward all that much, but maybe we start to tune into some tightness in that hip glute area. What's it like to watch that soften as we exhale and hold? Okay. Let's lift your body back up and take a moment and stretch your legs out in front of you, and you might have enough room between your legs that you can let your legs and feet move side to side like little windshield wipers just to get the femurs moving in the hips after all that great work in the glutes.

Alright. So I hope that's useful for you. And as you recenter yourself before getting on to your day, thanks so much for being here, and look forward to seeing you again. Namaste.