Total Body Morning Yoga Practice | 15 Min Sunrise Yoga Flow

When the road just keeps going for miles

Welcome to beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

We are here today on the grounds of the magical Sentinel Retreat and Wellness Center with a quick and rejuvenating yoga flow that is perfect to start your day with.

This practice is a wonderful way to do first thing when you wake up or any time when you are in need of re-centering and grounding.

With that said, let's get back to our practice.

Grab your mat and let's begin.

Alright friends, let's get started today seated at the back of your mat with your knees and your feet together.

Taking a deep breath in and just reaching both arms up to the sky.

And then exhale, bring your hands over to your heart.

Let's just do that a couple of times, really taking this opportunity to connect as you inhale, arms up.

Exhale, hands to heart.

And again, big reach, stretching up the upper body, lengthening through the spine.

And then as you exhale, letting go of any worries and just simply bringing yourself into this present moment.

Palms of your hands are together.

Close your eyes.

Just take a second to set an intention for your practice.

Set an intention for the rest of your day.

Inhaling deeply.

Exhaling, letting go as you reach both arms back out to the sky.

And then slowly reaching yourself forward, coming into all force position.

Beginning to warm up the spine as we inhale, drop the belly, look up.

Exhale, round through the spine, tuck that chin into the chest.

Inhale again, drop the belly, look up.

Exhale, let it go.

Connecting movement and breath here as you inhale, look up.

Exhale, round.

Inhale, look up.

Exhale, tuck that chin into the chest.

Coming back into neutral, tuck your toes underneath.

And then from here, bring all of your weight over towards the heels.

On your exhalation, you're going to shoot forward into high plank position.

And again, so you're gonna bring your weight all the way back, bend the knees, bring the hips down, exhale forward into plank for two, starting to awaken the muscles, energizing the body, exhale forward for three, right into that high plank, bring it back.

And then as you exhale, come forward into your plank, holding your shoulders above your wrist, and then pressing your hips all the way back up into your downward facing dog.

And then from here, just take a second to walk out your downward dog, bending one knee at a time, pressing the opposite heel closer towards the mat.

Letting go of any tension, resistance, stiffness in the back of your legs.

Adding as much movement of the hips and the shoulders as it feels good for you.

Take a deep breath in, holding this downward dog.

Good, just let go.

Now holding in stillness, exhale.

Really feeling that elongating sensation through the spine.

And then begin to round vertebra by vertebra coming into plank.

And then take your chaturanga or knees, chest, chin if you wish to modify today.

releasing the back toes and lifting your heart up to the sky into your upward facing dog staying in this upward facing dog let's go a little deeper into your side body by dipping one hip down and looking over the other side so look over your right shoulder dip the left hip down back into your upward facing dog and then same thing to the other side so dip the right hip look over your left shoulder

Back to upward facing dog.

Press into the hands.

Lift up.

Downward facing dog.

Well done.

Let those heels release towards the mat.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Let go.

Let go deeper.

Let go as far as you can.

Keeping your mind and your body connected with your breath.

As you begin to walk your feet forward now, one step at a time, coming all the way to the very front of your mat.

Take it slow, you don't need to rush.

And then coming into your forward fold, now you can either keep your feet together or hip width apart, whatever feels better for you.

Bend your knees and then slowly begin to roll yourself up.

As you get up, reach both arms up.

Exhale, release it down.

Inhale, making a beautiful wave-like motion with your body.

Exhale, dive back down.

Inhale, stand up, reach the arms up, big stretch.

Exhale, release.

And one more time.

Inhale, reach up, lengthen through the spine.

Exhale, release your hands to the floor.

Slide the hands up the shins, halfway lengthen.

From here, exhale, either hold your ankles or grab your big toes with two piece fingers.

That's within your practice.

Or if you'd like to go even further, your whole entire palm of your hand comes underneath each foot.

And then releasing into your standing forward fold.

Forehead begins to come closer towards your knees or your shins.

Remembering to fold from your hips, not your lower back.

Feel free to add a slight bend in the knees if that feels more comfortable for you today.

Just relax.

With each exhalation, allow your body to surrender into this posture and gently and softly let go further and further.

Beautiful.

Now release your hands.

And then slowly from here, begin to roll yourself up to standing.

Reaching both arms up to the sky, we're going to take our sun salute here.

Palms together, release into your forward fold.

Inhale, halfway again.

Exhale, take two steps back into plank position, Chaturanga Dandasana.

Release the toes.

Inhale, opening into your upward facing dog.

Exhale, press into the hands, push back, downward facing dog.

Go deeper.

Breathe deeper.

Lift the heels, bend the knees, hop to the front of your mat.

Inhale, halfway lengthen.

Exhale, forward fold.

Stepping back with your right foot now, left knee bends.

Drop the right knee to the floor and reach both arms up to the sky into your low lunge.

Let's just add movement with the arms.

Bring the hands to your heart.

On your inhale, you're simply opening the arms up to the sun, to the sky.

Exhale, hands to heart.

And again, just work with the upper body.

Reach up.

Exhale, hands to heart.

Inhale, big reach up.

Exhale, bring your hands to your heart.

Hold it here.

Tuck your back toes now and then see if you can lift that back knee off the mat as you come into your crescent lunge.

Hands staying at your heart.

Open up that chest.

Feel that connection of your breath and your body as you extend the arms out to the side now.

open the palms of your hands, and then you're gonna pivot the back foot until you bring yourself into your warrior two position, bringing the palms down at this time.

Deep breath in, get low into that warrior two.

Exhale, extend the front knee, bend the back knee into your skandhasana, either keeping your hands grounded as so, or see if you can go even lower if it's within your practice.

Make sure you're keeping that right heel grounded.

And then take your opposite arm and reach it up towards the sky.

So whatever leg is extended, that same arm is going to reach up to the sky.

So you're opening yourself up.

A really nice stretch to get deep into the growing muscle, into the hips.

And again, if that supported foot is lifting off the mat, just come up a little higher with your hips and keep both hands on the mat.

So you're still getting that nice deep stretch into the inner thigh.

beautiful taking one more deep breath in exhale from here press your way back up into that warrior two good shoulders down palms back up pivoting the back foot up into your high lunge again hips are square at this time arms reach up to the sky

exhale dive your body back to the floor step back into plank position take your flow chaturanga inhale upward facing dog exhale push back release into your downward facing dog beautiful take a breath lift the heels bend the knees hop to the front of your mat on your exhale inhale halfway lengthen

Exhale, fold, and slowly roll yourself up to standing, arms reaching up to the sky.

Exhale, dive back down to the mat.

Inhale, halfway.

Exhale, stepping back with your left foot now, drop the back knee to the floor.

Low lunge as your arms sweep up towards the sky.

Let's just work the upper body, palms towards the heart, and then open the arms and reach up for one.

Exhale, hands to heart.

inhale arms big circle up to the sky exhale to heart inhale reach up exhale towards your heart hold it here feel that energy between the palms of your hands tuck your back toes and then lift the back knee off the mat holding that crescent lunge

Beautiful.

Just find that focus and presence, that awareness.

As you inhale, extend your arms out to the side, press away from your body.

Palms open towards the sky, and then begin to pivot your body and the back heel, repositioning yourself into your warrior two on the right side, and then palms point downward towards the floor.

Shoulders down away from the ears, feeling that engagement in that front thigh.

Tailbone is pointed downward towards the floor.

Extend the front knee, bend the back knee coming into your skandhasana.

So once again, you can either stay halfway there or if your practice allows you, come all the way down.

Left hand stays on the mat.

Right arm, so the same arm that the leg is extended is reaching up to the sky.

Once again, that's just a variation for those of you that feel you have a lot of opening in the hips.

Most importantly, I want you to focus on getting deep into the growing muscle, into the inner thigh.

So if that means you have to come up maybe halfway and keep both hands on the floor, please do so.

Wherever you are, make sure the knee and toes of your extended leg are both pointed up towards the sky.

Awesome, releasing that top arm.

You're going to spring yourself forward back into that warrior two.

Take a moment to readjust yourself if you need to.

Get a little bit deeper with your hips, then open up the palms of your hands, lift the back heel, begin to pivot on the toes as you reposition yourself back into crescent lunge.

Reaching both arms to the sky, inhale.

And then exhale, dive the arms down, step back into plank position, take your flow chaturanga.

Upward facing dog as you open and lift the heart up.

Exhale, push back, releasing into your downward facing dog.

Take a moment for yourself, let that heart sink deeper towards the earth.

Lift the heels.

then what you're gonna do here is bend the knees and then take a big hop towards the front of your mat

Landing with your feet together.

Inhale, halfway lengthen.

And then exhale, lift the heels off the floor.

Open up the knees and come into a variation of cosmic egg where you're balancing on your toes.

Your heels are apart.

Your hands can come at your heart.

Or for a little bit more of a fancier variation, reach around and grab your heels.

And then think about bringing your forehead down towards the floor.

So you're balancing here on your toes.

Your knees are apart.

Hold and breathe.

So finding this balance, the state of presence and focus as you breathe and bring that heart towards the earth, if that's the variation you're doing.

Otherwise, you can keep your back straight and just focus on finding your balance.

Beautiful.

Now once you're ready, release, come on up with your back, hands at your heart, bring your knees together, and then bring yourself over to your seated position on your mat.

Extending your legs, coming into a reversed upward plank as you lift the hips and the pelvis and the heart up to the sky.

Lift and reach, squeeze your glutes, engaging your lower body here.

And then slowly, once you're ready, you're going to drop down with your hips, flex your feet.

Inhale, arms reach up to the sky.

Exhale, take your seated head to toe forward fold, reaching for your toes or your ankles.

And once again, bending from your hips as you release your body forward.

A wonderful way to release any tension out of our hamstrings.

And this is a posture where you can close your eyes and take the opportunity to go inward.

Breathing deeply, paying attention to how you're feeling right now, how your body is feeling, where your mind is at, the energy that is within your body.

Deep breath in and exhale, let it go.

Slowly reach yourself back up to seated.

Hands behind your back.

Press into the hands as you lift the pelvis and throw your head back one more time.

Lift your heart up.

Lift the pelvis, the hips.

Squeeze your glutes.

Really engage your whole body.

Extending through the knees as you open your heart even further.

Opening yourself up to everything that this day will bring you today.

Take a deep breath in.

And then when you're ready, exhale it out as you slowly drop the hips back down onto the mat.

And then make your way over to a seated position with your feet crossed in front of you right along the center of your mat.

Good.

Just take a second to find your balance.

Drop the shoulders away from the ears.

Resting your hands, palms down or up as you take a couple of deep breaths here.

Beautiful.

And then on your next inhalation, reaching both arms again up to the sky, lengthening along, getting the spine.

Exhale, hands come back down to your heart.

A few times like this, just working with the energy of your body as you reach out.

Exhale, bring that positive energy to your heart.

And again, big breath in, manifesting a beautiful day today.

Exhale, bring that energy into your heart.

And one more time, deep breath in, reach up, elongate, fill your lungs with oxygen.

And exhale, bring your hands over towards your heart, taking this opportunity to bow down to yourself, thanking yourself for your incredible, beautiful practice.

Thank you so much for joining me today in beautiful British Columbia.

I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day and I look forward to seeing you again.

Namaste.

Thanks again and we'll see you soon.