Sebastian Brosche · 9 min · 1,000 words
Previously titled: Side Stretches Video 24 10 for 30
Today's quick all-around flow has a special focus on strengthening the legs in what is called Warrior II and adding some side stretches for that side body. Start in a seated position beginning with circles through your entire upper body, through your entire torso. Breathing deep breaths. Switching directions.
I find breathing deeply feels so good because it's so often that we don't do it. Makes a big difference. Meeting me in a neutral spot. Take the right hand, place it behind you.
Bring the left arm up. Inhale to lift, exhale to pull it to the right side. Back to center, other side. Place the left arm down.
Reach the right arm up. Inhale to lift, exhale down to the side. Inhale coming to center and find your way to the front of the mat. Forward fold.
Forward fold. Just take a second here. Allow the head to hang. Allow the knees to be bent.
Maybe the back of the legs release, maybe the lower back releases. Next inhale, find your half lift. Exhale forward fold. Inhale stand all the way up.
Exhale palms together. Inhale arms up. Exhale forward fold. Just really gentle to start.
Inhale half lift. And on your exhale, step the left foot back. Turn your left heel to touch the ground. Toes out and come to warrior two.
So take a second in warrior two. Make sure you can see your knees past your toe. This is really strong front leg, strong back leg. Now with the hands, turn the palms up.
Feel the rotation in the back of the shoulders. Keeping that, turn the hands back down. Your back hand, your left hand, push it down your left leg. Reaching the right arm up.
Now you stretch through the right side. Other side, right arm. Balances on that front leg, that's what it's there for. Left arm reaches from the toes all the way to the top of the hand.
Let that go. Place both hands on the ground. Pivot your back foot so the toes are forward. Finding your plank position.
Lowering the entire body to the ground. Elbows under the shoulders first for Sphinx. Using the hands to pull your torso up and forward. Let that go.
Hands under the shoulders, pushing the hips to heels for your extended turtle. Tucking the toes, hips up and back for dog. In your first dog of today, let's walk it out. Bend one leg, bend the other.
Allow the legs to move, allow the hips to move. Maybe the upper body moves a little bit too. Step the left foot between the hands. For your back foot, pivot the heel in to point it down, toes out.
Come up for your warrior too. Take a quick check. Make sure you can see your front toes. Make sure your back leg is strong.
Point the arms out and turn the palms up. Turn the palms up. Feel that through the back of the shoulders, keeping that palms back down. Take the right hand down the right leg in the back.
Allowing the left arm to go over the head. Side stretch. Other side. Looking at your shelf, your leg shelf, place your forearm on it and reach.
Other side. Reaching from your toes all the way to the top of the hand. Letting that go. Plant both hands, step both feet to the front of the mat.
Do your forward fold. Inhale half lift. Exhale forward fold. Inhale to stand all the way up.
Exhale palms together. Inhale arms up. Exhale forward fold. Inhale half lift.
And on your exhale, step back for your warrior too. Set the left foot back, turn the toes out. Heels can be in line or they can be the length of the mat for a better base. Come up for your warrior too.
Make sure you can see your toes. Back leg strong. Just to start, palms up. Feel that rotation in the back, in the back of those shoulders.
Keep that. Turn the palms back down. Left arm down the left leg. Reach through the right side.
And bring the right forearm on the front leg, reaching through the left. Plant the hands down. Pivot the back foot forward. Find your plank position.
Lower the entire body to the ground. Skydiver to Cobra. Hands beside the hips. Lift the heels first, the shoulders second, the hands third.
Letting that go. Hands under the shoulders for Cobra using mostly the back. Inhale to Cobra. Exhale using only the arms.
Push the hips to heels for Extended Turtle. And when you're ready, let's tuck the toes to lift the hips up. Step the left foot between the hands. Turn the right heel in, the back heel in, toes out.
Come up for your warrior too. Strong front leg, strong back leg. Turn the palms up. To start, feel that rotation in the back, that change in the back.
Palms back down, keeping that change in the back. Right arm down the back leg. And reaching through the front. Plant both hands.
Pivot the back foot forward. Get both feet to the front of the mat. Forward fold. Stay here for just a moment.
Allowing the hamstrings release and lower back to release. Gravity is doing the work. Head hangs long. We work through the side body a lot so it's nice to release, allowing the hamstrings and back to join the party.
And your next inhale, hands to shins. Half lift, exhale, forward fold. Inhale, stand all the way up. Exhale, palms together.
Closing your eyes, taking just a second, just a second to recognize the work we did and how good it feels. And even if it's a little bit challenging, that's okay. I see it as an opportunity to get better. I'm glad for the challenge otherwise.
Life would be pretty boring without those. Okay everybody, thank you for joining me and I'll see you next time.
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