Shelley Williams could you please break down warrior 1 and two for me. The hips and pelvis, stomach and chest. Where all of them go? :) noticing the arch of the foot was super great awareness point!

Gabriel Congrats on your consistency! Both with practicing and your nice comments :) Nice to know its continuing to go well for you, Gabriel!

Nadia ! You are so kind! Thank you so much for your sweet words...! Its a great feeling to look forward to something, yes? Okay, Warrior 1: keep thinking of it as an asymmetrical posture that is TRYING to be symmetrical (kind of like wringing out a washcloth where one end of it is twisting in one direction with the other end is twisting the opposite way). Hips: working towards squared off to front of mat. Pelvis: tilting towards upright (so lifting the frontal hip points upward) Ribcage: Lifted and lengthened upwards, also twisting towards squared off (probably with more success than hips because of distal location away from grounded back foot) and shoulders definitely squared off to front of mat.

Thank you so much. Yes, it is great)

Thanks Shelley Williams for your encouragement. I'm finding the 'little and often' of this challenge really positive. I struggle to connect each practice to long-term goals in my own practice. Thanks again.

Gabriel You are welcome. Little and often usually can lead to more regularity and the deep dunk. What are some of your long term goals?

Thanks Shelley Williams ... long term goals are mostly to do with hip flexibility. Head on knee pose, maricyasana. In baddha konasana I am very much upright. I know I’m not meant to care whether I’m bendy or not but it seems to me that these bent double poses give a special kind of supporting energy.... Also working on shoulders and back for a more sustainable upward looking bow pose (urdhva dhanuasana).. btw I’m looking up all this Sanskrit! X
Thanks again for your wonderful practices.

Gabriel Thanks for sharing, it is helpful. Poses like Marcicyasan and Baddha Konasan can take a WHILE to reveal themselves, and the best thing we can do is interact with them often. Try elevate your hips on a bolster in both these poses for a while. Really work the "active" aspects of Baddha konasana so that you are extending your spine long and forward ~like you are trying to see over the edge of a cliff just beyond your mat while keeping a straight back, and energetically using your outer hip muscles (instead of your elbows) to press knees down. Working seated half lotus and eventually full lotus will also help. When working on shoulder opening for Urdhva Danurasana, make sure you are opening them in full flexion (arms reaching up overhead, and then to nape of neck ... Gomukasana arms or Dolphin Pose are great prep poses).... weave these into each daily practice :). Ultimately, its time and patience, and just showing up with enthusiasm ;)

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

I loved this flow sequence. I also enjoyed the beginning, it was a different start than the typical yoga class (felt a little Pilates like). Thank you!