Glow from the Inside

Hi, everyone. Welcome to glow from the inside, and we're gonna be exploring back bends today. You'll need a strap, and your strap is going to be looped about shoulder width apart. So you can measure that for yourself. If you know your shoulders are tighter, you might wanna just give yourself a few more inches, so a little wider than shoulder width.

And we'll also need two blocks today. So when you're ready, let's begin on our backs in supportive bridge. For the first supportive bridge, I'm gonna suggest going the lowest height on the block since it's her first backbend of the day. You wanna place this block underneath your sacrum. So not quite where your low spine is just below that.

You can close your eyes if that's comfortable. We'll be here for about a minute or so tuning in to the breath. And as you start to cultivate Uji breathing, allow the inner ears to open to the sound of your breath. Imagine that you're drawing the breath in from your throat. So when we breathe in, there's that slight constriction.

At the base of your throat. And it relaxes on the exhale. So we'll do that two more times, please. When you've completed two breaths, lift your hips off the block. Set that block to the top of the mat because we're gonna use it in just a moment.

And let's make our way into downward facing dock. So we're gonna be using our props very shortly. So geographically, you wanna have them nearby and down dog, separate your feet, tip width, look back, check that they're parallel to one another. Energyize your legs as you press your thighs back, root your palms, energize your arms, And from here, join your feet together. Lift your right leg up inhale and step your right foot forward.

Set your back knee down on the mat for a moment, frame your right foot with two blocks. We're gonna move dynamically. So the back toes are tucked under. Back knee is lowered. Inhale, you're drawing your chest forward, maybe even lift your chin.

And as you exhale, just lift your back knee. So just the back leg is moving up and down. Inhale as that left knee lowers control on the way down, exhale as you straighten it. We'll do one more inhale as you lower the knee, lift your gaze, lift your chin a little. Widen your collarbones.

Xhale as you straighten it. And inhale lower the knee. Grab your strap and walk your hands up your right thigh. We're gonna place our hands into the loop of the strap. So the way the hands would go in, they're facing one another.

I'm gonna suggest that you put the metal part of the strap away from your from your hands. So it's not pressing against your skin. Your hands are going into the strap, but your thumbs are gonna stick out. The palms are facing in. You're in this lunge to keep stretching that left hip flexor.

But be mindful here so you're not compressing at your lower back, scoop your lower belly up. Think of arching in your upper thoracic. So with your hands in the strap now, can you begin to move your arms back? Keep creating a little basketball hoop here. Lift your sternum, soften the shoulders.

Try to rip that strap apart by pressing your hands into the strap. You're trying to separate the strap. Take another breath here. Inhale. Stay for the exhale. Remove the strap from the hands and just reach up for one breath.

Exale your hands lower back down. Move your blocks and step back to down dog. Feed together, inhale left leg lifts. XL left foot comes forward. Frame the left foot, lower that back knee, keep the back toes tucked, inhale, chin lifts, gaze lifts.

Exhale back knee straightens, lift the knee off the mat. In how the knee lowers with control, collar bones widen as you lift your chin, exhale straighten the back leg. One more time, inhale the knee lowers. Chest lifts, gaze lifts, exhale the back knee lifts, and inhale lower the knee. Grab your strap, walk your hands up your left thigh.

And then one more time. It's so fun to use a strap. It's a nice way to open the shoulders here. Hands and the strap thumbs out and begin to lift your arms away from your body. Scoop your hip points up.

Take the front two ribs down. It's like you're playing, connect the dots with the rib cage and the hip points. Move your thoracic spine. So that's the upper back towards your chest. Keep reaching back with your arms.

One more breath. And then remove the strap, set it to the side. I don't believe you're gonna need it anymore in how I reach up. And exhale lower both hands to the mat. We'll step back and go to plank pose.

Top of a push up. Inhale to plank. XL lower all the way down Chaturanga. Inhale cobra, exhale downward dog. One round of sun salute, a inhale high toes, exhale bend the knees, step up, or hop.

Inhale to Artu Uttana. Exhale uttanasana. Rise on your inhale. Join your palms at your heart. Inhale arms go up.

Feel how much more spacious your shoulders are. There's a greater range of motion here as you exhale to fold with your arms. Halfway up, breathe in. Step back or jump to Chattananga as you exhale lower. Inhale cobra or updog if you're ready for a bigger backbend, and exhale down dog.

Stretch back as you breathe in. At the end of the exhale, stepping or hopping to the top of your mat. Inhale, Arta, uttanasana, exhale, uttanasana fold Inhale come up. Hands to the heart. Beautiful.

Let's step out wide. Grab one of the blocks for support in case you need it and just place it right underneath you, but between the feet. Hands on your hips, so you wanna have about one of the legs distance, maybe a little bit wider between your feet. Pige and toe your feet in. Inhale.

Press down into the mat with your feet, lift your chest. And as you exhale, you'll come down halfway, pausing, firming the side hips towards the pubic bone, towards the tailbone. You'll lower your right hand to the mat, take your left hand to your lower back. Inhale reach your sternum forward. We're going for a length as you exhale twist open towards that left foot towards the sky, and you can reach your left arm up from there.

So we wanna shift a little more weight towards the front of your feet so you're not hanging out in your heels. It's a bigger stretch in the hamstrings. Take another breath, lengthen. And as you exhale lower your left hand, switch, left hand to the block, right hand to your low back. Right? Just to see if the hips are leveled here. And how reach your sternum forward, exhale twist open towards the right.

You could take that right arm up You're lengthening both sides of the waist equally. So even that left side is lengthening forward, front body lengthening inhale. And lower your right hand as you exhale. Inhale fingertips to the mat halfway up lengthen. Exhale hands to hips.

Press into the mat with your feet rise up. And from here, hop your feet in. And step up to the top of your mat pausing in mountain pose. Perhaps feeling that inner glow. Inhale utkatasana chair pose.

So you can do this with your feet hip width or together. It's up to you. Take the right thumb and place it into your right hip crease. And just put a little pressure there. Right? So you wanna draw that right hip back slightly. Inhale, as you lengthen through the left side of your body, As you exhale, take your left elbow over to your right thigh for a twist.

Bring your palms together. Notice if that left knee is sneaking forward. Draw that left hip back. So you wanna find that hugging action in the side hips, inhale as you exhale revolve in the ribcage, top ribs back, bottom ribs forward. Come back to utkatasana, chair pose, exhale stand, hands to the heart.

Second side, inhale, bend the knees. Drop the hips. Take your left thumb into that left hip crease. Maybe sit a little deeper. Reach longer through the right side of your waist.

Breathe in. Excel revolve left, elbow to the thigh, palms together in front of your heart. Draw your shins back hips back. Firm the side hips. Can you get longer in your spine? Breaty then?

One more time revolve, top ribs back, bottom ribs forward. Inhale chair pose. Yes, this is very heat building, exhale fold. Halfway up inhale. Take it back through a vinyasa or skip it.

Please come forward into plank and lower the whole body onto your mat. So once you're down, just let your forehead rest on your mat for a moment. Let your arms reach back. In fact, turn your palms to face and remembering that strap that was there earlier in class. Your thumbnails are touching down to the mat.

We're gonna go into Shalmbasana So to making sure you're at the tops of the feet pressed down, you wanna also elongate through your legs, especially the inner legs, firm your outer ankles in. When you're ready, lift your chest. Lift your arms. Keep your feet down for this one. Keep your lower back long so your glutes, your tailbone Reaching for your heels in hell here.

Breathe in and exhale. Relax. So decide if That is the right backbend for you, meaning it's just the right amount of challenge. Your breath is fluid as you do it or else, you can bend your knees and join me in Don Eurasana. So bend your knees and flex your feet here. We'll start with the feet flexed.

The knees should be hip width. You're gonna grab ahold of the outer parts of your feet. Notice if the knees play, so bring them back in. Again, you're doing Shalabasana or joining me for Donjaasana. Inhale, exhale kick the shins back.

So you're pretty active even here through your legs. Chin is slightly drawing in. You're looking towards the front edge of your mat. Take the shins back, lift the chest. Inhale. And exhale to lower.

Just let your whole body relax for a moment. Bring your hands alongside your bottom ribs. Will come into cobra or upward facing dog inhale over your toes to down dog. Using down dog, as a transitional pose. After those big back bends, it's just nice to elongate again if you felt any compression in the spine.

And then drop your knees to the mat for child's pose, offering up a nice counter pose to the big backbend, Don Eurasana. Let's come on to our sit bones and straighten both legs out. We're gonna come into Janu Shashasana, which is gonna feel so nice to open the hip here. Grab a hold of your right knee, bend the knee. Place that right foot to the inside of your left thigh. Reach both arms towards the ceiling, feel the heaviness of the sit bones at the same time.

And as you exhale, find a little twist here. Turn the right side of the ribcage towards the left foot and begin to reach for your left foot, if that's not possible. Just grab ahold of the shin or the ankle, inhale lengthen the spine again. Exhale as you fold, draw your chin in, maintain the twist of the right side of the ribcage towards the earth. And he'll come up.

Bring your right knee in, straighten that leg. We'll bend the left knee, placing the left foot inside of the right thigh. Ground the sit bones, reach both arms towards the sky, breathe in. Find that little twist left ribcage to the right foot as you exhale to fold. Inhale reach a sternum forward towards the toes, exhale fold in, chin in, maybe eyes closed.

And inhale to rise. Both legs can straighten out in front of you, reach both arms to the sky, inhale. Forward fold exhale. Pashimoto, one breath in elongate sternum towards the toes, exhale folding. Inhale as you rise, please join me in sukhasana to end.

We're ending seated today. Close your eyes. Join your palms at your heart. Spell your chin to your heart. Just feeling your inner glow within. Thank you for sharing your practice with me. Namaste.