Unwind and Uplift

Hi, everyone. Welcome to unwind and uplift, and it really is that type of a class. We're gonna be doing lots of twisting and creating space in our body for that. So begin in sukhasana today. Also, make sure you have two blocks.

Sit with either shin in front. It doesn't matter. When you're ready, close your eyes. And just tune into the breath. We'll be here for two breaths.

And blink your eyes open. Reach both arms towards the ceiling, palms facing in, keep the sit bones grounded and heavy. Then lower your left hand to the mat, walk the hand over to the left a little more and just lean to the left side. Your left hand can be flat. Then that elbow soft and that shoulder.

Press the right sit bone to the mat a little more. I'm just giving you an extra stretch. Down the left side of your or the right side of your waist, and then back up inhale as you exhale twist over towards the left, bring your left hand behind you and your right hand to your left knee. Inhale get longer and taller, exhale as you twist, the abdomen contracts, the ribcage, is twisting. And come back through the center, switch the crossing of your shins.

So it's probably the more uncomfortable way for you to sit. Both arms go up inhale. Lower that right hand to the right, crawl the fingers over to the right, set the hand down, if that's possible. Relax that elbow on the right side and the shoulder. As you lean over to the right with that left arm, and the left side of your waist, ground your left sit bone.

Take another breath. Inhale back to center, exhale twist to the right, right hand behind you, left hand to the right knee, inhale length, exhale twist. Feel the abdomen contracting. The ribcage revolving. Back to center.

Come onto all fours. We'll set up for downward facing dog. This first down dog, just lift your heels up high and bend your knees. Find length through the spine, draw the sit bones up and back. While you do this, pull the floating ribs towards the back body.

And then let your heels draw down towards the earth firming your thighs, inhale shift forward as you exhale lower all the way to the mat. Setting up here for sphinx pose, place your forearms and your elbows on the mat. I'm gonna scooch back a little. You wanna have, your elbows about shoulder width apart here. Your hands are pressing down.

The inner part of your wrist is pressing down. Extend your toes back. Think lengthening out through your legs. Zip from your pubic bone to your naval, relax the glutes. Lift your sternum, coil your upper thoracic.

Take another breath in. And as you exhale, slide your hands back so that you can lower your chest to the mat. COber pose, inhale, lift your chest. And as you exhale, tuck the toes downward facing dog. Deep inhale and down dog.

Full exhale. In down dog, join the feet together. Lift your right leg up and back. Exhale, step your right foot to the outside of your right hand to begin with. You're going to lower your back knee to the mat.

And sometimes we have to scooch the right foot forward and make sure that the knee is behind the ankle and not going in front of it. So staying here for a few beats, just to open up the outer right hip, you could even roll to the edge of your right foot here. Find that lift in your sternum, the widening of your collar bones, lift your gaze. Take another breath. And as you exhale, if the foot is open to the right, flatten your right foot, move the right foot a little more centered on the mat. Grab your two blocks, please.

Frame that right foot with the block in how lift your chest. And as you exhale, draw your hips back straighten out through your front leg, half splits. Your right toes can lift up. And again, rebend that knee, inhale, lift your chest. Think of cobra and your upper thoracic.

XL your hips back straighten your right leg. Pause here for a moment. Your toes are up. We're in half, Hanu Minasana. You can always slide your blocks back a little bit if you want more support Dig that heel into the mat and energetically, you wanna drag that heel back, like you're scrunching up your mat.

Right hip firms into the midline. Take another breath in through the nose. Big exhale. Rebend the knee, move the blocks to the side, lift off of your back knee, step back and go to downward facing dog. Lift your left leg up, breathing in.

Step your left foot forward to the outside of your left hand, set the back knee on the mat, and just pause here. It's like a variation of a modified lizard. You can roll to the edge of your left foot. We're opening out the, outer left hip here into the left glute. Lift your sternum, soften your floating ribs in, breathe, flatten the left foot, move it a little more centered, grab your two blocks.

Inhale, lift your chin, lift the gaze, widen your collarbones. As you exhale, take your hips back and straighten your left leg, lift your left toes. And again, inhale, re bend the knee, chest lifts, chin lifts, your lunging forward, exhale hips back, left leg straight. Move your blocks back a little bit. So they're beneath the shoulders for more support and you're half Hanu Manasana, toes are up, heel is digging in.

If you wanna feel a more intense stretch Think of dragging that left heel energetically back. Please rebend the knee. Set the blocks to the side. Step back plank position, inhale plank. Chaturanga as you exhale, cobra or upward dog inhale here, press down in the mat with the tops of the feet and hands.

Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale stretching back at the end of your exhale. Look forward to walk or hop to the top of the mat. Inhale. Arda, tenasana, think of sphinx in the upper thoracic, exhale fold, rise on your inhale. Join your palms to your heart.

Good. Step your feet out. Hip with the part. Reach both arms up while the feet press down. You're in tadasana with the arms up. Take a breath in through the nose, stretch up.

Draw your front ribs in as you exhale lower that right arm alongside the right side of your body, lean to the right with the left arm. Anch her a little bit more through the left foot. Maybe you twist your gaze up towards the sky to the left, take another breath. Back to center, right arm up inhale. This time drop the left arm alongside the left side of the body lean and reach to the left.

I anchor that right foot. Turn the chest open a little more to the right. You can even look to the right inhale here. Stay for the exhale. Both arms go back up inhale.

As you exhale, take your hands behind your back, interlace your fingers, lift your heart again, breathe in, look up, exhale, uttanasana forward fold with the fingers interlaced the clasping of the hands. You can always soften your knees here a little bit, closing the gap between the chest and the thighs. Let your arms come up and over, but lift the shoulders away from your ears. One more breath. Start to lower your hands back towards your lower back.

Fingertips to the mat, inhale, Arda, uttanasana. Exhale step back and flow through that vinyasa. Come up high onto your toes again as you breathe in. Bend the knees and step or hop, top of the mat, inhale halfway lengthen. Shifting weight forward, exhale full deeply.

Inhale to rise. Hands to your heart. Great. So now with your hands at your hips, we're going to step our left foot back You want a shorter distance than you would in a triangle pose coming into pyramid pose. So squaring your hips towards the front edge of your mat. That back heel is flat. There's space between the feet.

I would say hip width or wider. Keep your right hand on your hip and reach your left arm up to the sky. So feel energy drawing up from the soles of your feet you're rooting down and your quadriceps rebound up. Right? The muscles in the thighs are active. Take a breath in through your nose. And as you exhale at that right hip, you're hinging.

Coming down maybe just about halfway. Root through the mound of your right big toe and the edge of that back foot. Grab a hold of a block, place that block any height underneath the left hand, inhale, elongate your spine. And as you exhale, you're contracting in the abdomen. And revolving to your rights.

So your right hand can stay on the hip or reach it up towards the ceiling. Be mindful here If you are dropping the left hip, I know it's hard to see, but you wanna keep hugging the right hip into the midline and firming your back leg to keep the hips leveled in how reach forward with your sternum, one more time, revolve on the exhale. And then look down, bring your right hand to your hip, bend your right knee, move the block up for half moon, twisted, half moon. So the back leg enthusiastically lifts up, inhale, length. And as you exhale revolve to the right again, maybe the right arm comes up.

That lifted leg is super energized. It is lifting from the muscles in the inner leg. Your hamstrings, your inner hamstring, inner calf. Firm the outer hips, hug the pelvic bowl, reach the chest forward, breathe in. And as you exhale lower your right hand to the mat, step your left foot forward next to the right.

And just relax in Uttanasana. Hands to the hips. Slowly inhale rise up. Okay. And maybe this is one of those poses we wish we didn't have a second side. So but it's good to do that one more time.

Okay. So now your left foot stays forward, the back foots is gonna be the right foot. Step it back. Period pose, right? The more your feet separate or widen, the more space you have to twist. So you don't wanna be on a tight rope here. Hands on your hips.

Press into the earth, scoop your hip points up. Reach your right arm up this time. Inhale. And as you exhale from that left, hip crease, you're hinging, reaching forward. Getting longer.

Grab that block with your right hand, put it underneath that right shoulder. Inhale lengthen again. As you exhale, revolve from the abdomen, turn the ribcage open to the left, maybe send the left arm up. There's so many ways that we can do all of these shapes and yoga. So practice in a way that is really uplifting for your body.

Take the right shoulder head back. Take an inhale through the nose. And as you exhale looking down, bring your left hand back to your hip, bend the left knee, move the block up, and just step into your left foot. So it's like a blueprint of warrior three first. Really strengthen that lifted leg, firm the thigh, flex the heel of the foot, inhale for length, firm the side hips, to the pelvic bowl so that you're twisting above the hip points opening to the left.

The left arm can go up. Inhale here. Stay for an exhale. One more inhale. And as you exhale lower your left hand, step your right foot up to the top of the mat, uttanasana.

Any variation of it. Inhale chair pose and exhale lower all the way to your mat, please. Grab your block and lie down on your back. We'll take supportive pitch for just a few moments here. I'm gonna go lowest height, pick and choose the height that best works for you.

Close your eyes. You did some really good work today, ringing out. Toxins from the body in those very big twists unwind to uplift. So just stay here. Couple more breaths.

And hips lift up. Happy baby pose. This will feel nice after those big twists just opening up the hips again. Feel the spine ground it. Can you even lengthen the tailbone forward? And we'll end class today in supta baddha konasana.

So joining the soles of your feet together, letting the knees part wide. One hand to the belly, one hand to your heart. Just let the whole body feel held and supported. Take your time here if you have the time. Thank you for practicing with me today.

Namaste.