Yoga in Practice

♪ (female speaker) Support for "Yoga in Practice" is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. ♪ ♪ Welcome to "Yoga in Practice." My name is Stacey, and I will be your teacher. Close your eyes for a moment and enjoy your breath. Learning to trust yourself and to be authentically you is one of the great lessons that yoga provides.

As one of my mentors likes to say, "Yoga is the art of getting good at being yourself." Today we will engage our muscles in standing poses, which allows us to take a more confidant stance. Engaging our muscles in this way also has a calming effect on our nervous systems. In this class, we will focus on two key standing poses, Warrior II and Side Angle Pose. Please open your eyes, and let's practice.

Joining us in practice today is Jacqueline and also Sharon. Please come forward on your hands and knees, Table Pose. Place your hands shoulder width apart so that your wrists are straight and your index fingers are parallel with one another. Press down firmly through your fingertips and notice the tone come into your forearms.

Enjoy that tone and watch that you don't lock out your elbows to hold you. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, soften. Inhale; lift your chin and your tailbone. Arch the back.

Exhale; tuck and round in. Inhale; look forward. Exhale; round; follow your breath. Inhale; let it sweep you forward.

Open your heart. Exhale; round; contract. Inhale; look forward one more time. Keep the foundation of your hands steady.

Lift your tailbone and draw into Downward Facing Dog. Stretch back; enjoy your breath. Keep your foundation strong, and notice the length of your stance, that your feet and hands are not too close together that you're bunching up through the spine, nor are you too long in your stance where you don't have any steadiness. Breathe here and come back to the four corners of your hands.

Feel the mound of the index finger, the base of your thumb, the bottom of your little finger, and the outer heel of your hand. Pressing those four points down, draw power up the arm muscles into your back. Look forward; walk forward now into Uttanasana, Standing Forward Fold; plant your feet well. Hug your muscles lovingly to the bone.

Put your hands on a block or on the front of your legs or even bend the knees if you have to. Squeeze your feet toward one another to tone the inner edge of your legs. Lifting the muscles from the feet up into the core of your pelvis, maintain that engagement. Inhale; lift halfway forward.

Extend; lengthen your spine, keeping your legs strong. Exhale; bend your knees deeply into a squat, Utkatasana. This is sometimes called the Powerful Pose, so maintain the power in your legs. Pull down with your tailbone.

Lift your chest up a bit higher. Inhale; lift to standing; raise your arms overhead. Rooting through your legs, stretch through your arms, and then drawing up into your pelvis from your feet, pulling down into your pelvis from your hands, feel the strength in this steady, confident stance. Exhale; bend forward, Uttanasana again.

Placing your hands on your mat, step your left leg backward into a lunge. Align your foot between both hands. You may have to adjust your stance slightly. Keep your front foot grounded and strong.

Exhale; bring your left knee to the mat. Now pressing down into your right foot, drag your right foot backward. Feel, as you drag the foot backward, the underside of your right leg engages. Take your left knee and pull it forward.

As you hold that, keeping the hips level, keep an easy, natural breath as you practice. Inhale; raise your left knee now. Continue to drag the feet toward one another, and then raise your arms overhead, lifting up. The muscles will provide better balance for you, so if you feel out of balance, hug the muscles stronger to the bone and reach up fully.

Exhale; bring your hands back to your mat. Downward Dog, step back. Press out through the fingers, keeping all four points of your hands grounded. Take a breath and soften.

Walk forward now into Uttanasana. Plant your feet well. Hug your legs toward one another and feel like the muscles flow upward from the feet into your hips. Press back down into your feet.

Step your right leg backward into a lunge, and step it back far enough. Check that the front knee if over your heel, and then exhale; lower your right knee. Begin the engagement by isometrically pulling your left foot backward at the same time that your right knee pulls forward so that you're scissoring the legs front to back and hugging them in. Inhale; lift your right knee.

Stay steady. Stay kneeling if you need to. Inhale, raise your arms, and pull up, a Crescent Lunge. The legs provide the support.

They give you that confidence. Listen to that inner wisdom within you and practice from that point of view. That's learning to trust the teacher within, one of the great teachings of yoga. Exhale; bring your hands back to your mat.

Downward Dog, step back. Enjoy your breath. Check that your hands are well placed, wrists, four points of the hands. Relax the neck.

Hug from your outer wrist toward your inner wrist. Experience an engagement all the way up the inner edge of your arm. Your biceps are engaged and strong. Remember to breathe.

Inhale. Come forward to Plank Pose, pressing down. Make your arms strong; make your legs strong. Lifting your thighs, push back through your heels, using your core.

On your exhale, go back into Downward Facing Dog. Stretch out. Look back and make sure your feet are as wide as your sit bones. Hugging in with the feet as if you're holding a block between your lower legs, engage the whole inseam of your legs.

If you don't feel like your legs are working strongly enough, lift your toes. Raising your toes off the floor encourages that hugging action of the muscles. It provides greater strength in the pose. Inhale; draw forward to Plank Pose once again.

Lower both of your knees; exhale and lie down. When you're all the way down, lengthen your legs back behind you and clasp your hands around your back. Lifting the front of your shoulders up, press your feet and your knees down. Feel the tone of your legs, and with the inhale, curl your chest up off the floor.

Engagement in the arms helps you engage the upper back. Staying steady, feel like you could rise up through the front of your chest, but elongate the back of your neck so you're not just lifting your head. You're accessing the upper back. Exhale; roll back down.

Forehead to the mat, unclasp your hands; pause. Bring your left forearm underneath your head and rest your head upon the arm. Bend your right knee, reach back, and hold the foot. Find a good grip at the base of the toes.

Push down through your knees. Pull in with your tailbone and experience a stretching of the front of your thigh. Draw your right heel closer to the side of your hip and pick up the right shoulder. Adjust the hand on your foot if you need to.

Lift your head and rise up. Breathe, keeping the weight across your hips balanced so that you're not leaning one side or the other. Exhale; release that foot; take it down; pause. Let's do the second side.

Bringing the right arm under your head, reach back for the left foot. If you have knee issues, if you're pregnant, do this pose sideways so you're no longer on your abdomen. Press your knees and feet into the mat. Pull the heel closer to your buttock and lift the left shoulder.

Raise your head as you're ready. Lifting your head is optional, so keep your head down if you need to. Learning to make slight modifications is a way for you honor the authenticity of how you need to practice on any given day. Exhale; release the foot.

Lower your head. Pause; take a breath. Move your hands alongside your chest once again. Push up slowly to Table Position.

Plant the hands; look down. Always check your foundation, and from the foundation, feel the embracing of your muscles, checking that you're not locking out your elbows. To make your arms stronger, pull your hands towards each other like you were pulling your legs towards each other, and that whole inseam of the arm engages. Look up; lift your chin and your tailbone.

Draw back into Downward Dog again; stretch back. Hold your Downward Dog; explore the pose. Cultivate a deeper awareness of what you're doing and in that awareness, that engagement, there is a sense of delight, a sense of expansion that you can find in any given moment. Look forward and walk up into Uttanasana again.

Plant your feet well. Inhale; sweep halfway forward. Again, your hands can come to your legs or a block if necessary, extending out. Exhale; bend your knees, taking Utkatasana, squat.

Feel the foundation, hug in with your legs, draw down with the tailbone, and lift your belly a bit higher. Inhale; raise to standing; lift your arms up. Stretch fully up overhead and sweep your arms out to the side. Lower them down with the breath.

Bring your hands next to your hips. Hold your Mountain with a confident stance, being well grounded, strong in your practice. Let's turn our mats sideways now. We'll prepare for Warrior II and Side Angle Pose.

Once you've turned your mat sideways, if you're using a block, bring the block with you. Place it on the right side of your mat. Stand in the middle of your mat and take a wide stance. Check that your feet are parallel.

Check the distance between your feet and just notice, do you feel open, do you feel strong finding the balance point? Raise your arms to the side. Building the pose from the feet, draw your lower legs toward each other so that the inner edge of your legs engages. Drawing the inner edge of your legs backward, slowly fold forward and bring your hands to the mat.

Pause and bow. Your hands could be on a block. If you're fairly tight through your legs, hips, or low back, bend your knees in this pose, allowing for a deeper hinging at the pelvis. Notice that the hips are the high point, and you feel your spine cascading down.

Relax your neck. Bow to yourself in this pose, but keep the strength in your legs, the muscles hugging you. Hands on the floor, walk your feet together. Slowly heel-toe them in.

Inhale; lift halfway forward. Bring your hands to your hips. Draw up with your shoulders. Raise up to Mountain Pose, Tadasana.

Release the hands. Inhale; sweep your arms overhead. Take a full stance here, drawing down into your pelvis, drawing up into your pelvis, stretch out, and extend. Let's take a wide stance again.

Sweep your arms out, hold your hips, and step out wide. We'll practice Warrior II now. Take a little wider stance, a little more confidence in what you can do. Spread your toes and make the four points of your feet grounded.

Turn your right foot to the side. Spread the toes again and make sure your right heel is lined up with the middle of your left foot. When you turn your foot, your left hip might have drawn up, so bring your hips into a level position, and lift your thigh muscles. Inhale; raise your arms out to the side.

Let your arms be supported with your breathing. Exhale; lunge forward into your right knee. Feel the length of your stance. Enjoy your breath, and tone your muscles.

Turn your head and pull your feet toward one another like we practiced at the beginning of our class. Make the muscles strong; keep your arms raised. Inhale; raise back up to standing. Turn your feet parallel, and turn your left foot all the way to the side.

Spread the toes and draw up with the thigh. With your exhale, lunge forward. Keep your hips level with each other. Pull the heels in and tone all the way up into your inner thigh.

As you hold the Warrior Pose, as you feel the strength that this pose brings, your back arm stays lifted, and then come to this front leg, bringing the knee over the heel. Bring the hip down in line with your knee, going lower if that feels appropriate. Take a breath; push into your feet. Inhale; raise back up; turn your feet center.

Lower your hands to your hips and step back into Mountain Pose. Pause; take a breath. Honor where you are today. Feel the beating of your heart.

Practice in a way that helps you feel confident in life, to stand in your own light and who you are. Let's do this again; take another wide stance. We'll practice Side Angle Pose now, a variation of Warrior II. Maybe your stance can go a little wider on this third go-round.

Turn your right foot sideways, spread the toes, lift your arms, and lunge into your right leg, bringing the knee over the heel, trying to bring your front hip lower. Lean over, rest your right forearm onto your thigh, and extend your left arm alongside your ear so you're making an angle with the left side of your body. Keep your forearm on your thigh. If you have more to give, hold a block, put the block next to the outer edge of your foot, and use as much of the block as you need.

If you are more open or experienced, touch your right hand to the floor. Open up, turn your head, and from your pelvis, find the delight of stretching. Take a breath, root through your feet, inhale again, and rise up out of the pose. Turn your feet forward.

Move the block if you're using it. Exhale; turn your left foot to the side. Spread the toes; firm your legs. Draw your legs in.

Exhale; lunge, sitting low. Lean your forearm onto your thigh. Sweep your arm alongside your ear. Put your left hand on the block or down to the floor if you're taking it to a deeper version.

Check that you're not sinking into your legs, that the inner edge of the legs offer you support. Open through the belly. Turn your head; enjoy your breath. Delight in the awareness.

Inhale, push down, rise back up out of your pose, hold your hips, and turn your feet forward. Step back to Mountain Pose, feet parallel. Lower your arms. Inhale; raise your arms overhead.

Exhale; float them down. Inhale; lift them overhead. Exhale; float them down. Inhale; lift overhead.

Exhale; float it down. One more time, we'll take another wide stance. We'll go into Warrior II and then flow into Side Angle. If you're using a block, bring it to the right side of your mat.

Inhale; lift your arms; stretch them up. Turn your right foot sideways. Spread your toes and balance your hips. Tone the muscles; hug yourself.

Exhale; lunge to Warrior II. Turn the head. Continue to breathe, and notice that Warrior II builds a confident pose, a warrior of the self, a warrior of the heart. Lean over into Side Angle Pose, either forearm onto your thigh, hand to the block, or hand to the floor.

Enjoy your breath and sweep your arm alongside your ear. Continue to lift the head toward your arm. Pushing into your back leg, reground your energy. Inhale; rise up out of the pose.

Turn your feet forward. Second side; turn your left foot all the way. Set up; feel strong. Exhale; Warrior II; lunge into your left leg.

Turn the head; looking down that arm, breathe. Lean over into Side Angle Pose. Rest your forearm onto your thigh, Stage I. Hand on the block, Stage II.

Hand to the floor, Stage III. Wherever you are along that spectrum, be authentic in where you need to be. Don't overdo; don't underdo. Press into your right foot; ground your energy.

Inhale; rise up out of your pose. Turn your feet forward and step your feet together. Release your arms. Pause here in Mountain Pose.

Notice your heartbeat. Start to slow the breath, inhaling and exhaling. Notice the power that these poses bring to you, not only physically, but how you feel so strong mentally and spiritually when you do these Warriors. Turn sideways so you're lengthwise down your mat and sit down.

Bending your knees, pull the backs of your legs for support and roll all the way down. Once you're down on your mat, walk your feet as wide as your hips and move your heels underneath your knees. Take your right ankle and cross it on top of your left thigh. Reaching between your legs, hold onto your left leg and take a good clasp.

Pressing your leg forward into your hands, keep your toes activated, which energizes the muscles of your legs, and with your exhale, slowly pull the legs in tighter toward your body. Enjoy the breath. On your inhale, raise the left foot to the ceiling; extend it up. Point the toes to the ceiling and reach your heel a little higher, opening the hip.

Exhale, bend your knee, and plant the foot back onto your mat, unclasping your hands. Let's do the second side. Eye of the Needle, crossing your left ankle on your right leg. Reach between your legs and hold.

Focus on the turning of your hip, not trying to press the knee wide. Enjoy your breath. Bringing the leg in a little tighter as your body can do appropriately. Listen to that inner wisdom.

Inhale; raise your right heel. Stretch it up, extending. Point the toes up and flex the heel again. Exhale, bend your knee, and plant the foot back onto your mat.

Unclasp your hands. Join your feet together now, sole to sole. Open your knees wide. Take your arms out to the side.

Letting your eyes close, keep pressing into the foundation, the mound of your big toe and your inner heel, the little toe and the outer heel. As you feel the inner thighs engage, send them down to the floor. Expand your breath, enjoying that breath fully. Inhale, raise your knees back up to one another, and pause.

Draw your legs, one at a time, into your body, and wrap your arms around shins. Give yourself an embrace. Yoga is the art of getting good at being who you are, on your mat and off your mat. Rock side to side.

Take your right leg and extend it all the way out onto the floor. Shake the leg. Move it out to the side a bit and take your left leg, extend it out, shake your feet, and move your heels out to the width of your mat. Letting your arms come down, roll your shoulders out underneath you and shake your arms.

Close your eyes and notice the point where your head is resting on the mat. Imagine that point where your head is touching the mat is magnetic in its quality and you can feel your eyes release back. A lot of our practice is found by simply being in the stillness, by listening when nothing else is going on. Continue to rest and enjoy your pose...

Thank you for practicing with us today. Namaste. ♪ CompuScripts Captioning ccaptioning.com ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (female speaker) Support for "Yoga in Practice" is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. ♪ (male speaker) To purchase a copy...