Arm Balance and Splits

You're welcome. Dynamic Flow 2 builds on Dynamic Flow 1 from the first season, and it focuses a little bit more on arm balances and splits, and we'll start in Tadasana. Move towards the front of your mat, feet together, head upright, release your shoulders, chest and belly, extend down through the fingers, pull the chin in slightly towards your throat, lifting the spine from the back of the skull. Shift your weight back a little without the toes lifting, feel your thighs engage, gluteal muscles engage, releasing the sphincter muscles, tailbone drops a little, releasing the diaphragm abdominal organs drop, spine stays engaged from the back of the skull. Lift and inhale, take the arms up, palms together.

Hold your breath, touch the back of the heart, still holding the breath, touch the front of the heart, exhale, drop the head, drop the arms, curl the spine down. Inhale, gaze forward, right leg reaches back, front leg bends, top of the back foot hits the floor, look up, exhale, roll over the toes of the back foot, step back into dog pose. Inhale slowly, spine rounded, exhale slowly, hips and shoulders soften, they sink a little simultaneously lengthen the arms and legs a little. Reach inhale, following the breath through the back into the pelvic floor, feel the skin of the buttocks spread a little, exhaling, releasing through the hips and shoulders lengthening through the arms and legs. One more slow inhale, slow exhale to your empty.

Inhale, roll over the toes, upward dog, exhale halfway down, roll over the toes, press back downward dog. Inhale gaze forward, right foot lunges forward, roll over the toes of the back foot, look up, exhaling, back foot steps forward, straight legs, release your head and shoulders. Inhale standing, head last, curling the spine up, arms up, gaze up, exhale lower the hands. Other side, inhale, arms up, holding the breath, touch the back of the heart, still holding the breath, touch the front, exhale, drop the head, drop the arms, curl the spine down. Inhale gaze forward, left leg points back, front leg bends, top of the back foot hits the mat, look up, exhaling, roll over the toes, step back into dog pose.

Inhale slowly, exhale slowly, inhale, exhale, hips and shoulders soften, arms and legs lengthen. One more, inhale slow, exhaling slow till you're empty. Holding the breath out, come forward into plank, still holding the breath out, halfway down, inhale, roll over the toes, upward dog, exhale halfway down, roll over the toes, press back downward dog. Inhale gaze forward, left foot lunges forward, roll over the toes of the back foot, look up, exhale, back foot steps forward, straight legs, release your head and shoulders. Inhale standing, head last, curling the spine up, arms up, gaze up, exhale lower the hands.

Exhaling the knees, fingertips to the floor, keeping the legs bent, inhale the arms up, palms together, head back, gaze at your thumbs, keep your breathing slow, each exhale release your collar bones, press the hands higher, sink the hips lower. With an exhale drop your chest onto your thighs, releasing your head and shoulders, slowly straighten your legs. Inhale gaze forward and now walking the feet back until your heels start to lift. You want your heels flat, for the more flexible people you can take it almost into a full dog pose, heels flat, but if you're not so flexible in the hamstring you'll have to be a little closer to your hands so your heels are flat. Same as dog inhale through the back, spine rounding.

On the exhale hips and shoulders soften, arms and legs lengthen. Feel the texture of your mat with your hands and feet, meeting the floor as softly as you can, arms firm, legs firm. Then cross your right leg in front of the left with your feet side by side and try to straighten your right leg, pressing the calf against the front of the shin and change. Left leg crosses in front of the right, pressing the calf into the shin and release. Now lifting the head, step forward with your right leg into a lunge.

Bring your right hand inside the foot to the floor, drop your back heel to the floor, back foot turned out 45 degrees. Take your left arm up and straighten it next to the ear, reaching forward with the fingers. Turn your head and look up. Breathe into the upper and back lungs. On the exhale soften the diaphragm and lower ribs, turn your navel, turn your heart, turn your head, look up.

Keep the back leg strong, pressing into the heel. Simply drop your left arm behind your back, sweep the right arm under your leg and if you can clasp the wrist, otherwise hook the fingers and then slowly straighten the front leg looking down at the floor. If your leg is straight, lean your torso back against the inner thigh, turn your head, look up. Turn your head, look down at the floor, bend the front leg, step the back foot up, slowly shift your weight onto your left foot, lift the heel of the right foot and slowly stand. When your torso is upright extend the right leg out to the side and dropping the right foot back down to your mat, release the hands to the floor, right hand outside, left hand outside the feet.

Press down into your hands, hook your feet, gaze forward, good and release. Step back with your left foot, both legs straight, line your heels up, palms flat, release your head and shoulders. Move the right hip medial, left hip forward. Each inhale breathe through the back body, spine rounding, each exhale soften through the belly, release the head and shoulders, walk the hands forward more. Both legs working strongly.

Inhale lift your head a little, take your left hand across the right foot to the floor. If you need a block use a block, take your right arm up, revolving triangle, soften through the belly, turn through the navel, turn through the heart. If your balance is steady turn through the head, look up. Release the hands back to the floor, step back into dog pose, feel the asymmetry between the right and left sides of your body. Let your head hang heavy.

Each inhale let the breath lift you out of the pose slightly, breathing through the back. Each exhale, hips and shoulders soften, arms and legs lengthen. With an inhale lift your head, lunge forward with the left foot, bring the left hand inside the foot to the floor, drop the back heel to the floor. Back foot turned forward 45 degrees, take your right arm up, straight arm next to the ear, extend forward, turn your navel up, turn your heart up, turn your head, look up. Back leg strong, pressing into the foot.

And slowly lower your right arm behind your back, sweep your left arm under the leg. If you can clasp the wrist, otherwise interlock the fingers. Looking down at the floor slowly straighten your front leg. And lean your torso back against the inner thigh, turn the navel, turn the heart. If your balance is steady turn your head, look up.

And look down at the floor, bend the front leg, step up with the back leg, lift the heel of the left foot, balancing on the right. And slowly stand. When you're upright, slowly extend the left leg out to the side. And then drop the left foot back to the floor, release the hands to the floor, right arm under, hands outside the feet. Take weight on your hands.

If you can lift your feet off the floor, hook the feet. Good, and release. Step the right foot back, both legs straight, mind your heels up. Back foot turned forward 45 degrees. Release your head and shoulders.

Breathe through the back, spine rounding up a little. On the exhale, soften through the shoulders, walk the hands forward. Heart tip medial, right hip forward. Inhale gaze forward, take your right hand across the left foot to the floor, again use a block if you need to. Take the left arm vertical, soften through the belly, turn through the waist, through the heart.

If your balance is steady turn your head, look up. When hands return back to the floor, step back dog pose. Slow your breath down. With an inhale, gaze forward, lunge forward with your right foot, runner. Here the knee is right over the ankle, back leg straight.

Pressing through the heel, hips sinking. Breathe into your left lung. Exhale, soften the right hip crease, right ribcage. Bend your arms a little. Feel the weight of your hips sinking, lift the back thigh away from the floor, press through the heel.

If you want to go deeper, bring the right arm inside the leg. Drop your elbows to the floor, keep the back knee off the floor. And for the full pose, if you're going further, arms straight, lower your forehead to the floor. With an inhale, come halfway up, slowly walk the back foot off the mat. As the foot meets the floor it tends to slide easier and then walking the hands back, raise your torso as vertical as you can, back knee off the floor.

Inhale, press down into the hands, hips lift a little. On the exhale, elbows bend, hips sink, feet spread. Inhale, push down, hips lift a little, taking the weight out of the hips. Exhale, elbows bend, hips sink, feet spread. One more.

Inhale, press down. Exhale, elbows bend, drop the back knee to the floor, top of the back foot flat, palms flat. Again, inhale, press down, hips lift a little. Exhale, elbows bend, hips sink. Inhale, press down, hips lift.

Exhale, elbows bend, hips sink. One more, inhale, exhale, fold forward. If you're flat, you can grab the foot with both hands. Each inhale, let the breath lift you a little. Each exhale, soften into the hips and groin, hips sink a little.

Don't push. Okay, inhale, coming up, bend your back leg, foot to the floor, turn to your left and stand up into prasarita. Line your feet up, heels wide, toes turned in. Inhale, gaze forward. And on the exhale, fold, walk your hands in line with the feet, release your head and shoulders.

Here, if your head's on the floor, shorten your stance a little so the head hovers just above the floor. Breathe through the back, follow the breath into the pelvic floor, spread the skin of your buttocks. On the exhale, release the sphincter muscles in the skin below the navel, waist lengthens. Re-release your head and shoulders, lean your hips forward, walk your hands back a little. Okay, inhale, gaze forward, turn to your left.

Runner, have the knee right over the ankle, palms flat if you can, back leg straight. Breathe into the right lung. On the exhale, soften the left hip crease, soften the ribs, hips sinking, press through the heel, walk the hands forward a little. If you're going for more, left arm inside, elbows to the floor, keep the back leg strong, pressing through the heel. Each inhale, let the fullness of your breath lift you a little out of the pose.

Each exhale, soften through the hips and groin. Feel the pelvis drop, press through the heel, thigh lifting away from the floor. Exhales going further, arms straight, palms flat, forehead to the floor. Okay, inhale, coming halfway up, walking the back foot off the mat. Walk your hands back, raise your torso as vertical as you can.

So toes on the back foot are pointing forward, inhale, push down into your hands, hips lift a little, exhale, elbows bend, hips sink, feet spread. Inhale push down, hips lift, exhale, elbows bend, hips sink. One more, inhale, push down, exhale, elbows bend. Drop the back knee to the floor, top of the back foot, flat, palms flat. Inhale push down, hips lift a little, exhale, elbows bend, hips sink.

Inhale push down, exhale, elbows bend. One more, inhale, exhale, hips sink, bend forward. Keep your breathing slow here. If you're flat, hands grab the foot. Each inhale, let the breath lift you, breathing through the back.

Each exhale, soften through the pelvic floor, hips drop, bend your arms a little more. And inhale, coming up, bend your back leg, foot to the floor, turn to the right, step up, prasarita, heels wide, toes turned in, straight arms gaze forward. And on the exhale, fold, grab the backs of the heels. Release your head and shoulders. Each inhale, let the spine lift a little.

Feel the skin of your back spreading into the pelvic floor. Each exhale, release the sphincter muscles in the skin below the navel. Keep the weight even on your feet, side to side, front to back. If your head is on the floor here, you can bend your neck, look at the navel. And now inhale, straight arms gaze forward, turn your toes up, slide your heels apart.

Again, watch it, as the heels go off the mat, they tend to slide a little more. And then walk your hands back, raise your torso upright. Inhale, press down into the hands, hips lift a little. Exhale, elbows bend, heels slide, hips sink. Inhale, push down, hips lift, exhale, elbows bend, hips sink, heels slide.

One more, inhale, push down. Exhale, elbows bend, turn the feet forward, soles of the feet flat, drop onto your forearms. Each inhale, breathe through the back, let the breath lift you out of the pose slightly. On the exhale, soften the groins, hips drop a little, belly drops a little. Inhale, spine rounding.

Exhale, soften through the hips and groin, through the belly. One more, inhale, exhale, inhale, gaze forward, press into your hands, walk your feet back onto your mat. And then keep walking the feet in a foot closer, so your feet are about three feet apart. And then spin 180 degrees to the left, rolling onto the outer arches of the feet, legs cross. Rest your hands on the tops of the feet.

Release your head and shoulders. Breathe through the back into the pelvic floor. On the exhale, soften the pubic bone and the skin below your navel. Re-release your head and shoulders. Keep your breathing slow.

With an inhale, spin out. Turn the other way, 180 degrees. The feet spin, so your legs cross and you're standing on the outer arches of your feet. Hands on the ankles or the tops of the feet. Release your head and shoulders.

Breathe through the back, follow the breath into the pelvic floor. On the exhale, soften the pubic bone and the skin below your navel. Re-release your head and shoulders, arms bending. With an inhale, spin out. And then again to the right, step back into dog pose.

Slow your breath down. Inhale, lift your head, lunge forward with your right foot, knee bent. Take your right arm under the right leg, hand next to the foot. Step the back foot up, lifting the heel, bend the knee out, bend the left elbow out and place your shin bone on the tricep. Lean forward, lift your back foot off the floor.

Taking more weight into your hands, lift the front foot off the floor and try to squeeze the feet together, push the arms straight. Pull the navel up. If you're going further, extend the right leg forward, slowly lower your face towards the floor and extend the back leg back. And then back to chaturanga, push back into down dog. Slow your breath down.

Change inhale, coming out of the pose a little. Each exhale, re-release the hips and shoulders, re-engage the arms and legs. And lunge forward with your left foot, keep the knee bent. Take your left arm under the left leg, hand outside the foot. Step the back foot up, lifting the heel, bend your right knee out to the side, bend your elbow out to the side, place the shin bone on the tricep.

Lift your back foot, take more weight onto your hands, lift the front foot, point the toes in, try to squeeze your feet together, push your arms straighter, pull the navel up. If you're going next, extend the left leg forward, lean your face forward, slide the back leg off the arm, balancing. Back to chaturanga, push back, down dog, feet hip width apart. Okay, walk your dog a little further back on your mat and lift your head, look forward of the hands, bend your knees, lifting the heels, hips sinking, pump your hips a couple times and then you're going to jump forward with your legs wrapping outside the arms, feet in front of your hands. And keeping the knees bent, take weight on your hands, walk the feet in.

If they meet, slowly lower your forehead to the toes. And slowly raise up, walk the feet apart, bring the arms forward into a squat. Hands in namaste at your heart, head upright, slow your breath down, breathe through the back into the pelvic floor, spine rounding a little. On the exhale, soften through the belly, lift through the back of the skull, squeeze your knees into your arms so the legs are actively squeezing into the arms. And slowly release, sit with straight legs, feet together, you're going to bend your left leg, place the left foot beside the right knee, wrap your right arm around the front of the leg, take your left hand to the floor behind you, twist to the left.

Each inhale, spine unwinds a little with your breath. Each exhale, soften through the belly, turn through the waist, hug the knee tighter into your chest. Then take the right arm across the left leg, keep the arm bent, use the elbow for leverage, push the left knee past the midline of your body. If you want to go deeper into the twist, turn your head, look at your left foot, keep the heel on the floor, lift the ball of the foot off the floor, place your thumb between the big toe and second toe, fingers holding the ball of the foot, press the sole of the left foot flat. If you've got more in you, sweep the left arm behind the back, hook onto the top of the thigh, look over your left shoulder.

Each inhale, breath unwinds you a little. Each exhale, soften through the belly, drop through the chest, lift through the back of the skull, twist deeper. Release the hands of the floor beside you, shoulder width apart, bend your right leg, feet together, lift your butt up off the floor, slide your right elbow lower down the thigh, right into the center of the IT band and slowly lean your face forward one inch off the floor until your feet pop up. If you're here and you want to go into the full pose, lower leg extends forward flexing the heel, upper leg extends back. And slowly coming back to sitting, straight legs, bend your right leg, right foot beside the left knee, sweep the left arm around the front of the leg, twist to your right, right hand to the floor beside you and behind.

Each inhale, unwind a little with the twist. Each exhale, soften through the belly, turn deeper. Each inhale, unwind a little. Each exhale, soften through the belly, drop through the chest, turn through the shoulders, lift through the back of the skull. And take your left arm across the right leg, keep the arm bent, use the elbow to press the knee past the midline.

Each exhale, release through the belly, turn through the shoulders, lift through the back of the skull. If you're going for more, turn your head, look at the right foot. Keep the heel on the floor, lift the ball of the foot up. Place your thumb between the big toe and second toe, fingers holding the ball of the foot, press the sole of the right foot flat, sweep your right arm behind the back, hook onto the top of the thigh, look over your right shoulder. And release the hands of the floor beside you, shoulder width apart, bend your left leg, feet together, lift your butt up off the floor, slide your left elbow down into the center of the IT band, lean forward, drop your face one inch off the floor until your feet come up.

And if you're going further, lower leg extends forward, flexing the heel, upper leg extends back, toes pointing, and coming out, again sitting, pull the flesh of your buttocks away from your sit bones. Lean forward, place the heel of your palm on the lower thigh just above the knee, fingers pointing up, elbows pressing gently forward. Legs completely passive here. Each inhale coming out of the pose with the breath, each exhale, soften through the belly, shoulders and chest, extend through the back of the skull. Fingers press forward, legs passive.

Each inhale allow yourself to come out of the pose a little. Each exhale, collarbones soften, armpits draw, diaphragm softens, abdominal organs draw, extend your spine, gently press the elbows forward. Fingers passive. As you feel your ribs meet your thighs, as you exhale, feel the ribs softening with the thighs, gravity pressing you flatter, keep the spine engaged from the back of your skull. When you're down low, each exhale try to pull the top of your thigh bones up into your waist.

Alright, inhale sit up, take the hands of the floor behind you, fingers pointing forward, flex your feet forward, toes pointing, inhale slowly, exhale lift the hips up, press the feet flat, shoulders forward, head back, chin sinking towards your throat. Each inhale breathe through the back body, each exhale release through the shoulders, press them forward towards the hips, lift your hips higher, press your feet flatter. And inhale coming down. That completes dynamic flow practice two. Thank you so much for your presence.

Namaste.