30 Min Morning Yoga | For Strength & Peace In Challenging Times 🌍

Hello friends and welcome to our morning flow.

So today's practice is going to be a very quick way to really get yourself started for the day.

So we're going to move, we're going to breathe, we're going to flow, we're going to stretch and you're going to feel amazing at the end of this practice.

So what we're gonna do today is begin in a seated position at the back of your mat.

And we're going to start by actually tucking your toes under and sitting up nice and tall.

So this is a great way to get the feet warmed up.

So stretching out your toes, especially when you wake up in the morning, our feet and fingers and toes can feel quite stiff.

So just really find that comfortable position here.

With your knees together, go ahead and release the palms of your hands onto your knees.

And just take a moment here to close your eyes and roll the shoulders down away from your ears.

Sit up nice and tall.

And as we begin to breathe, just find that stillness within, focusing on the inhalation into your nose and the very gentle and long exhalation out.

As you begin your day, just set your mind for presence.

This is your moment right now to not think about anything else except your body, your mind, and that energy within you.

Take another deep breath in.

Beautiful.

And then exhale, just let go of your shoulders, release the toes, and go ahead and reach your arms forward, sinking down into Child's Pose.

So gently rounding out the spine.

And feel free to add a gentle move side to side.

Again, this class today is all about making your body feel good.

So if it feels good for you to gently roll or just stay still, really listen to your body.

Let's take one more deep breath in.

And then as you exhale, begin to slowly round through each vertebra of your spine, coming up into all force position.

Inhaling, allowing the belly to drop as you arch the spine, look up.

And then as you exhale, round and sit right back into child's pose.

One more time.

Slowly round up.

So try to get a nice rounded position through the spine so we're getting a little bit over to the thoracic area of the spine.

Warming up the spinal cord.

Drop the belly, look up.

And then exhale, come back down.

Now slowly roll back up.

Now this time we're gonna warm up the wrists a little bit.

So you can actually turn your hands so your fingers are pointed towards your knees.

So already we're getting a nice stretch through the forearm here.

We're going to do the same movement, the cat-cow, except keeping those hands exactly where they are.

So first you're going to inhale, arch the back.

Exhale, round up.

So really finding that stretch.

And again.

Now see if you can have a slight bend in the elbows as you arch the back and then as you exhale, try to extend a little bit more so you're getting real close into those forearms here.

And again, inhale.

Exhale.

One more time.

Exhale.

Awesome.

Slowly release the hands back to the normal position, so fingers pointed to the front of your mat.

Inhale, go ahead and arch the back again.

This time, tuck your toes under.

Exhale, go ahead and take a nice straight position with the back.

Pull the navel into the spine and lift your knees off the ground so you're allowing them to hover.

So starting to engage through the core here, shoulders down away from the ears.

Breathing here, just let it hover, focusing on the inhalation and the exhalation.

Don't think about anything else, just your breath and your body here.

Good, holding for one more breath, inhale.

And then as you exhale, push your way back and let's go ahead and extend into our first downward facing dog.

Again, be gentle with yourself.

If you're doing this in the morning, you're gonna be a little more stiffer than usual.

So feel free to add as much movement as you like.

Bend the knees, walk it out on the spot,

And then once you feel like you can go a little bit further, then see if you can press both heels down as far as you can.

And if you're feeling extra resistance in the hamstrings today, go ahead and bend your knees and just take a slight variation of the downward facing dog.

Otherwise, begin to extend as far as you're comfortable.

Draw the shoulders away from the ears, roll the shoulders inward.

Sternum is falling towards the mat.

Hold it here.

Now if you got your knees straight or somewhat straight, then you can begin to just rock the hips a little side to side.

Noticing if you feel difference between the legs.

One leg might be a little bit more stiffer than the other.

So just awareness is a key component of this position.

Understanding where you're holding stiffness and tension in the body.

Good.

Let's just hold that downward dog one more time, going a little deeper if possible.

Now slowly from here, we're going to round through each vertebra of your spine, coming into plank position.

Nice and slow.

Inhale.

And as you exhale, just begin to gently pump forward.

So you're going to come forward, your shoulders slightly come over top of the fingers and then back towards the wrist.

and back back so just doing this pump a couple of times here let's do four more four three two

One, holding that plank, deep breath in.

Exhale, taking a chaturanga or drop your knees to the ground if you'd like to modify.

From here, release the toes, inhale, come on up into a full upward facing dog.

Again, please be gentle with this.

Some of you may not be ready for a full upward facing dog and if that's the case, you can drop the hips down and just come into more of a cobra position.

So modifying to whatever your body needs right now.

If you are an upward facing dog, let's hold it here for one more breath.

Then as you exhale, press yourself up and release, downward facing dog.

Deep breath in, look towards the top of the mat.

Now let's begin to walk your feet.

Now taking maybe four or six steps, as much as you need.

Nice and slow until you walk yourself over to the front of your mat, coming into our uttanasana, standing forward fold.

Just take a moment here, breathe, deep breath in.

Exhale, slight bend in the knees and just allow the body to relax over top of the legs.

Allow your head to feel super heavy here and add a gentle rock side to side, just letting go of any tension in the neck.

Deep breath in, exhale out.

Slowly from here, let's begin to roll up nice and slow through each vertebra of your spine, coming up to standing posture.

So once you come up, just take a moment for yourself.

Drop the shoulders away from the ears.

Your hands can be open so you're standing in mountain pose.

Let's take this opportunity right now to reconnect again.

Take a deep breath in.

And then exhale, bring both of your hands onto your heart.

With your eyes closed, just notice the beating of your own heart.

Let your heart be a reminder of this beautiful pranic energy that is running through you right now.

The energy of your being, of your soul that is within you.

And may that awareness bring you peace and bring you joy through this practice.

Take one more deep breath in.

And as you exhale, opening your eyes and releasing your hands down.

Now we're just going to pick up the pace a little bit to get the body warmed up a little more.

So you're gonna inhale, reach both arms up to the sky.

Exhale, all the way down towards the mat.

Inhale, halfway lengthen, straighten out through the spine.

Exhale, first we're just going to take two steps back, plank position.

Inhale, exhale, chaturanga, or knees, chest, chin.

Inhale, upward facing dog, open up.

And exhale, downward facing dog.

Inhale, look up towards the top of the mat.

Bend your knees.

This time we're going to take one hop and come all the way forward, right between your hands.

Inhale, halfway lengthen.

Exhale, fold.

slowly roll yourself back up let's do that again now just adding a little bit more inhale reach out exhale dive it all the way down inhale halfway lengthen exhale this time hop all the way back into plank or chaturanga that's within your practice inhale upward facing dog and exhale downward facing dog

Inhale, look up.

Bend your knees, hop forward.

Halfway up.

Exhale, fold.

Inhale, come on up.

And exhale, hands in samastiti.

Wonderful job.

Let's do that two more times at your own pace.

Inhale, come on up with your arms up to the sky.

Exhale, swan dive all the way to the floor.

Inhale, halfway.

Exhale, step or hop back.

Chaturanga.

Upward facing dog.

Downward facing dog.

Inhale, look up.

Bend the knees, hop forward.

Halfway.

Exhale, fold.

Inhale up.

And exhale, hands to heart.

Let's do that one last time.

Inhale up, reach the arms up to the sky.

Exhale all the way down.

Inhale, halfway lengthen.

Exhale, hop back, chaturanga.

Inhale, halfway or all the way up into your upward-facing dog.

And exhale, push it back, downward-facing dog.

At this time, go ahead and reach your right leg all the way up to the sky, three-legged dog.

Hold it here for a moment.

From here, bending that right knee,

Inhale.

Now on your exhale, you're going to bring it all the way over towards the nose.

Try to touch your nose or chin with your knee.

From here, drop the knee all the way down.

You're going to lift your left leg, your back leg.

Hold.

So engaging through the core.

From here, bring that foot back down.

Lift your knee off the mat again, right back to the chest.

And then extend it all the way back out.

Three-legged dog.

Let's do that again.

Inhale.

Exhale, bring it in.

Inhale, bring it down.

Exhale, lift your left leg.

Bring the left leg down.

Lift your right knee up.

And then extend.

Three-legged dog.

Two more times.

Knee right into the chest.

Place the knee down.

Lift your left leg.

Bring it back over.

Touch the chest.

And extend.

last time bring it in knee to the ground lift your left leg bring it down knee up towards the chest and extending three-legged dog hold it here inhale exhale bending the right knee now begin to stack your hips so right hip on top of your left hip and try to get that heel as close to your butt as possible here so really getting through the quadriceps as well

Inhale, and as you exhale, go ahead and release, if it's within your practice, into Wild Thing.

So you're gonna bring that foot down, and then begin to open yourself up through the heart.

Reach and open as much as you can.

Awesome, slowly from here, come back to center.

Bring your right leg back up.

Now all you're gonna do is actually extend the right leg over towards the left corner of your mat.

Flex your foot, extend the knee.

So you're getting right into that IT band, your TFL here.

And then slowly opening into that fallen triangle.

So you're gonna bring that left heel down and open your left arm up to the sky.

Deep breath in.

Exhale, bring the left hand back down.

Square off the shoulders.

And then just bring that leg right in and extend it back out into your three-legged dog.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Slowly from here, come through into plank position.

Chaturanga.

Inhale, upward-facing dog.

And exhale, downward-facing dog.

Let's go ahead and take the other leg now.

So left leg reaches up to the sky.

Bending the left knee,

From here, what we're gonna do is come through into that knee to chest position, or you can even bring that forehead closer towards the knee if possible.

Then we're going to drop the knee down, lift your right leg off the mat, hold, engage through the core.

Bring the right foot down, lift your left knee, and extend it back, three-legged dog.

Three more times like that.

Bring it forward, drop it down, lift your right leg,

Bring it down.

Knee to chest.

And extend.

That's two.

Exhale.

Bring it down.

Lift and hold.

So each time you lift your back leg, engaging through the core.

Bring the foot down.

Knee to chest.

And extend.

And again.

Bring it in.

Bring it down.

Back leg up.

Bring the back foot down, knee to chest, and extending three-legged dog.

Hold it here.

Bending the right knee, sorry, the left knee.

From here, you're going to begin to stack your hips.

So left hip over top of your right hip.

Get that heel as close to your glute as possible.

So really feeling that stretch here through the quadriceps.

If it's within your practice now, begin to bring your weight over top towards the right hand and right foot, dropping the left foot all the way back.

And then from here, reaching that left arm up into your wild thing.

So really opening through the heart center.

Deep breath in.

Exhale, come back to center.

Reach the left leg back up.

and then bring it through over towards the right side of the mat, flex your foot, extend the legs.

So really getting a nice stretch.

Now, some of you might feel a really amazing stretch here through that TFL.

So if that is you, then you're just gonna hold it here and really get the benefit of this particular position.

If you'd like to take it a little bit more further and challenge your balance, ground your right heel and open up with that right arm up to the sky.

Great, come back to center.

And then position yourself back into that square position, bending that left knee, bring it in.

Extend it all the way back into three-legged dog.

And let's just take that gentle flow.

Come through into plank, chaturanga.

Upward facing dog.

And exhale, downward facing dog.

Beautiful.

Now from here, inhale, go ahead and reach your right leg up.

You're gonna bend your knee and this time step your right foot between your two hands.

Drop the left knee all the way down and reaching both arms up, low lunge.

Drop the shoulders away from the ears and really begin to push the hips forward so you're feeling that stretch through the psoas while maintaining that right knee above your ankle.

Now, as you drop the arms down, you're going to extend the back knee and then extend the front knee into a full pyramid.

Forehead reaches over towards the knee.

Let's do that again.

Come forward, bend the back knee, low lunge, arms up.

Exhale, hands down, extending the front leg and releasing your body over.

Now let's just hold here a little bit longer and really think of pulling that right hip back so you're squaring out the hips.

With each exhalation, you're trying to go a little bit closer with your body over top of your leg.

and then slowly coming up bending that right knee reaching both arms now up into your crescent lunge inhale exhale push your weight forward bring your back leg up see if you can release into that warrior three squaring up the hips and the shoulders you can take the hands over to your heart if that's more comfortable for you inhale and then exhale coming up

left knee up extending your left leg let's hold here for two and one release it down awesome inhale and exhale just come back over to samastiti just finding that breath again inhale arms up to the sky exhale dive it all the way down inhale halfway exhale step or hop back chaturanga or plank inhale upward facing dog

and exhale, downward facing dog.

Left leg reaches up to the sky, bending the knee, and then bring it through and step it towards the top of the mat, dropping that right knee all the way down.

Slowly from here, reaching both arms up, low lunge.

Now keep your back toes tucked because it'll give you that extra help to lift your back knee off the floor.

So take a deep breath in again.

As you exhale, hands come down, lift your back knee, extend your front knee, and release the body over.

Wonderful stretch for the hamstring here, so just keep breathing.

No matter where you are in this position, close your eyes and just find your breath.

The breath is what's going to help you go deeper, bringing more oxygen into the muscles, into the body organs.

Slowly come back, drop your back knee, arms up, low lunge.

See if you can bring the hips a little bit over closer towards the floor while still maintaining that knee on top of the ankle.

And then exhale, drop the hands.

Let's do that one more time.

One more deep breathing.

exhale come forward now bending the front knee crescent lunge arms reaching up to the sky finding that center drop the shoulders away from the ears slowly from here begin to bring all of your weight forward and then lift your right leg all the way up into warrior three so you can keep your arms along the side of your body or just at your heart whatever feels more comfortable

Really finding that power, that strength through the bottom leg.

Deep breath in.

And then exhale, come on up.

Right knee up towards the chest.

You can hold it here, or if you want that extra little bit, begin to extend the right leg.

Flex your foot, holding two and one.

Drop the leg.

Awesome job.

Inhale.

And then exhale, bring your hands to heart.

Let's take one last final flow until we finish the class here.

So inhale, reaching both arms up.

Exhale, dive it all the way down.

Inhale, halfway lengthen.

Exhale, hop back, chaturanga.

Upward facing dog.

And exhale, downward facing dog.

Beautiful, just take a moment, take a breath, really enjoy this downward facing dog.

The final posture of this practice before we get into Shavasana.

One more inhale.

Exhale, bend your knees, you're gonna hop forward and cross your ankles.

and just land onto the mat here.

Slowly reaching both arms forward, inhale.

Tuck your chin towards the chest and begin to lower your body one vertebra at a time.

So still engaging through the core here.

Beautiful.

Now as soon as you come all the way down, go ahead and hug your knees into the chest.

Take a deep breath in.

And then exhale, relax the shoulders and extend your legs all the way out into our final posture, Shavasana.

Palms of your hands are open.

Feet are relaxed.

Close your eyes.

Let's begin to bring all that awareness to your breath.

Mentally scanning your body, noticing if you feel any tension.

And once you become aware of that tension, mindfully let it go.

Surrender to the mat.

Surrender to the ground underneath your mat.

To the earth underneath your floor.

Surrender and let go.

Just feeling the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and out.

Simply stay present with your breath, knowing that you are in control of your mind.

You may not be in control of what life brings you, but you are in control of how you react to it.

So as you take a deep breath in, welcome all the positive loving energy into your body.

And let that loving energy be the guiding force for the rest of your day.

Always choosing to respond with love whenever you have a choice.

Deep breathing and exhale out.

Just let go and be.

As you're staying in this comfortable, relaxed position, bring your awareness back to your heart, just like we did in the beginning of our practice.

Feel your heart beating in your chest, keeping you alive, keeping you healthy and strong.

With this awareness,

Welcome gratitude into your body now.

Being grateful for this healthy body that you have, for this heart beating in your chest, for your mind working in this beautiful way to keep you strong and powerful and energized in every moment.

And send gratitude to yourself

for taking this time out of your day and doing something good for you, for your body and for your wellbeing.

You know, if you like, you can remain in this Shavasana or if you like to come out at this time,

Begin to slowly bring awareness only first to your fingers and move your fingers.

Just feeling that energy in your pinkies and your big fingers, big thumb, index, middle finger, ring finger.

And then begin to move your toes.

Same thing, feeling that energy in your feet.

And once you're ready, go ahead and just reach both arms up over your head.

Give yourself a big stretch, a big morning stretch.

And then once you're ready, bending your knees and rolling over to one side.

And then coming up to your seated position on your mat.

So once you come into a nice comfortable position, go ahead and just rest your hands on the knees.

Make sure you're grounded on both sit bones.

You can close your eyes here.

Let's just keep that awareness internally.

Taking a deep breath in and letting it go.

Let those shoulders go.

And just like we did in the beginning of the practice today, let's bring the hands over to your heart.

just taking this opportunity right now to feel your heartbeat one more time finding that presence that stillness before you begin your day let's take an inhale into the belly and let the belly expand and then move that breath up towards the ribcage towards the chest fill your heart with oxygen

Then as you exhale, let that air go out of the chest, out of the rib cage and then out of the belly.

One more time.

Big breath in into the belly, into the ribs, into the chest.

Hold your breath for just a second there.

And then as you exhale, let it all go out of the chest, out of the ribs and out of the belly.

and then slowly from here bring both hands together and then over to your heart and taking this opportunity right now to bow down to your heart and thank yourself one more time for this practice for this time that you took for yourself out of your day

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I hope you have a beautiful morning, a beautiful rest of your day.

I send you so much love and we'll see you soon.

Namaste.