Happy Hammies

Welcome back. So in this sequence we're gonna move through a vinyasa flow sequence to stretch and open the backs of the legs and the hamstrings. So we're going to use a strap in this practice so please grab a strap if you have that and we'll start on our backs. So coming onto your back open up the strap and take it to the sole of your right foot. So taking the strap into the right and left hand and you can start to straighten through that left leg if that feels okay. If you want a little less the sole of the left foot can come down to the earth and just start to reach the heel up toward the ceiling and then notice your shoulders. See if you can draw the shoulders back down to the earth and then press through the heel. We're just gonna start with flossing the hamstrings a little bit. So on an inhale start to bend through your right leg drawing the knee in toward you and then as you exhale re-straighten through that right leg. Good and then taking that a few times. So as you inhale draw the knee in toward you soften the shoulders down and then exhale straighten through the leg. Good. Again inhaling and exhale. Good. Now take this strap into your right hand so both ends of the straps come into the right and then we take the left hand out to the left with my palm facing down. For this I'm going to straighten out my leg. You're welcome to keep the sole of the foot to the earth and then start to take your right toes to the right and then opening up that right leg any amount. Let the hips slide underneath you and then bringing the elbow down toward the earth. So you can open any amount here just bringing attention and awareness to the knee. So keep the knee a little bit soft as you open up. Keep the shoulders grounded. Breathe. Good and then on your next breath in slowly bring the leg back up through center and then we'll take it to the other side. So taking the strap into your left hand take the right hand out to the right and you can bring that palm to face down and then starting with taking your toes to the left so that you're internally rotating that right leg just slightly and then maybe two inches just draw the leg across the body through your midline and notice that even just that gentle drawing of the leg to the left really feels intense in that outer leg. Good and then if you'd like you can start to roll to that left hip and take the right leg across your body any amount here. Good. Taking a couple breaths easy on the knee soft in the breath and then slowly come back through center and then just let go of the strap for a moment. Straighten out that right leg so that right leg and the left leg are on the earth and then just take a moment with the palms facing up noticing both sides of the body and for me my right leg feels about a foot longer than the left. So just taking a notice and seeing if you feel that at all. Good and then we'll balance out the body so that we don't walk crooked for the rest of our day. So you can take both feet in and then this time we'll take the strap to the bottom of that left foot and again if you want the sole of the foot down or you can straighten out the leg and we'll just start by flossing the hamstring. So taking a big breath in bending through the knee drawing it in towards you soften the shoulders and then exhale straighten out the leg and keep your toes active so as you inhale bend exhale straighten out the leg. Good and one more like that inhale rebend exhale straighten it out. Good and then strap into the left maybe straightening through that right leg palm down right arm reaches out to the right and then take your toes to the left just slightly and then maybe open up that leg and as you do that let the hip roll underneath and breathe and then keeping that right hip firmly planted as well you might even take that right hand to the right hip and then taking a couple breaths breathing into wherever you feel this in the body. Just noticing if this side feels any different and then we'll come back through center and then again strap into the right really slightly draw the leg to the right just a couple inches and fire up that IT band on that left leg and you can take the right palm face down on the sides of your shoulders and then you can stay right here and breathe or across the leg rolling to the right hip and then just hanging here just feeling the sensation and noticing if this side feels any different. Good and then coming back through center release your strap we'll bring the strap out to the side and then you take a moment just to maybe close the eyes and check in noticing how that feels for a couple full deep breaths. Good and then just taking the last few breaths here maybe you feel a little bit more even and then you can hug both knees into your chest and just gently start to rock up and down along the length of the spine maybe a couple times here and then we'll come to all fours so finding your way to a tabletop position shoulders over wrists hips over knees and then just take your right leg back tuck your toes and start to press your weight back so you're stretching into the back of that right leg you should feel that in that right calf and then start to bring your weight forward and we'll just bring the right knee down take the left toes back tuck your toes and press it back just feeling into the back of that left leg nice and then come back to all fours walk your hands forward just a couple inches and tuck your toes downward facing dog lifting the hips up and back and then from here really feel into the backs of your new legs so you can start to pedal it out through the feet bending through the left leg let the right heel melt down toward the earth and then we'll switch so bending through the right let the left come down and then one more on each side so bending left straightening right bending right straightening left and then let both heels start to melt down toward the earth no worries if they don't touch just find that action of energetically pressing the heels back spreading the fingers nice and wide and then on your next breath in come high up onto your toes keep reaching your sitting bones up to the sky and then exhale just let the heels melt back down and we'll do that two more times so inhale just rise up onto the toes exhale heels come down one more inhale rise high up onto the toes keep reaching the sitting bones up and then let the heels melt back down good and then inhale rise back up onto your toes from here bend your knees start to press your chest back to your thighs and then keeping in the chest pressing back start to straighten out the legs and let the heels melt back down and that will take you a little deeper into your downward facing dog let's do that two more times inhale rise up bend the knees press the chest back let the heels melt down straightening the legs last one inhale rise up bend your knees deeply press your chest back to your thighs and then melt the heels back down super nice pick up your hands walk them back to your feet finding a forward fold at the back of the mat and I like to soften my knees in these first folds maybe grab onto opposite elbows and then just hang here for a few breaths letting everything melt down off the spine off the crown of your head you might sway a little bit from side to side or shake your head yes and no a few times and then maybe change the crossing of the arms take the opposite arm on top and take three more breaths here maybe shifting a little bit more weight into the balls of your feet just really feel the awakening through the backs of your legs good and then you can let your hands hang down and then nice and slow crawl your way back into your downward facing dog we'll meet there as you're ready inhale the right leg all the way up and back good and then step your foot through between your hands come on to your fingertips lengthen through your spine take a big breath in and then you might have a couple blocks under your hands here if your hamstrings are on the tighter side if not if this feels okay start to draw your hips back so you're straightening through both of your legs and draping your torso down over that front leg you're pressing back through that left heel keep drawing the right hip back and then we'll keep this fluid so as you inhale rebend through the front leg lengthen through your spine look up exhale draw it back good one more like that inhale rebend lengthen look up and then exhale draw it back beautiful and then we bend lower your back knee down and then straightening through the front leg come on to your right heel for half split art a hana manasana and then as you inhale again find that length in the spine keep a little bit of a soft bend in that front knee and then fold over your front leg we'll keep this nice and fluid so as you inhale lengthen look up exhale fold inhale lengthen and look up exhale fold good start to rebend through your front leg tuck your back toes and then walk your hands to the left so that you're paroling out your feet straightening through both legs and then inhale come on to your fingertips lift up through the heart and exhale fold in procerina and we'll do that two more times so as you inhale lift up lengthen through the chest and the spine and then exhale fold good one more time inhale lengthen exhale fold and then stay nice and low and walk back to the front of the mat coming back to a lunge ball of the back foot good and then step back to plank pose from plank you're welcome to lower your knees down we'll lower all the way down or halfway down chaturanga taking a cobra or maybe an upward facing dog if you feel ready for that lifting the knees up good and then exhale roll over the toes downward facing dog and let's take that all to the other side so inhale left leg lifts exhale step the foot through between your hands come on to your fingertips lengthen through the spine and then exhale draw it back straightening through both legs drawing your left hip back let the torso drape down might feel okay to lift up your toes and come on to that heel but go easy and then keeping it fluid inhale rebend look up and lengthen exhale draw it back inhale rebend exhale straighten both legs draw the left hip back and fold good rebend through your front leg let the back knee lower take a big breath in and then straighten through that front leg coming on to your left heel look up and lengthen draw the left hip back exhale fold over your front leg good again inhale lengthen through the spine offer the heart forward exhale fold and last one here inhale lengthen out exhale folding super nice and then rebend through your front leg tuck your back toes this time walk to your right fingertips down as you inhale lift up lengthen and then exhale folding in two more like that inhale lift up and lengthen exhale fold inhale lengthen exhale fold stay low walk back runners lunge good and then again flatten out the palms step back to plank and then you can lower the knees if you'd like maybe you keep the knees lifted on this round shifting forward coming down to chaturanga or all the way down good cobra or upward facing dog on your inhale downward facing dog exhale beautiful taking a big breath in let it go come high up onto your toes put a big bend in your knees look forward step or lightly float to the front of the mat coming to a forward fold and then just put a bend in your knees tuck your chin and slowly one vertebra at a time roll all the way up to stand let the shoulders come up to your ears roll them down your back maybe step the feet to hips with for a moment close your eyes and just breathe and then opening up the eyes we're gonna step your right foot behind your left so that you're crossing at the ankles and keep the knees nice and soft here and then inhale sweep your arms all the way up and then definitely keeping the knees soft as you fold forward so finding that stretch coming into this cross leg uttanasana and then inhale come halfway up and then step your right foot all the way to the back of the mat coming to a lunge take a big breath in here and then exhale coming back to that straight leg fold press through that right heel let the torso drape down over your front leg and draw your left hip back and then inhale rebend through that front leg flatten out your palm step back to downward facing dog from down dog inhale glide forward to plank pose and your choice lower halfway maybe all the way down chaturanga cobra or upward facing dog on your inhale exhale roll over the toes downward facing dog taking three full deep breaths here sending your breath to the backs of the legs and seeing if maybe there's a little bit of space that you're creating and the hamstrings calves good and then on your next breath in rise high up onto the toes look forward bend your knees step or maybe lightly hop to your hands inhale lift halfway exhale fold back in root down to rise up arms sweep up hands to your heart exhale taking that to the other side so stepping your left foot behind your right and then again just softening the knees a little bit if you can and then inhale reach your arms all the way up as you exhale keep the soft bend in the knees and fold down inhale lift halfway and then this time stepping the left foot to a runner's lunge take a big breath in as you lift up and then exhale draw the right hip back this time folding over the legs pressing back through that left heel good inhale rebend through that front leg downward facing dog exhale inhale glide forward to plank take a vinyasa either lowering halfway or all the way down feel free to lower the knees at any time inhale upward facing dog or cobra exhale downward facing dog beautiful and then from here we'll inhale to come high up onto the toes bend your knees look forward step hop or float front of the map inhale lift halfway exhale fold over your legs and then from here staying in the fold step your feet about hips width apart I'm gonna take your right hand right under your nose and then put a big bend in your right knee start to reach your left arm out up to the left and spin your chest open to the left maybe taking the gaze up toward your left fingertips breathe good and then replace your right hand with your left you can bend both knees for a moment here and then put a big bend in that left knee start to straighten through your right leg sweep your right arm up and twist breathing here yeah and then let that go soften the knees tuck your chin roll up coming to tadasana at the front of your mat good so we're gonna come into a standing balancing pose here if you'd like you can grab a strap that might be helpful for you so finding your feet together big toes together slight separation between your heel and then just hugging the right knee into your chest so let the left foot get nice and heavy pressing through the ball of the left big toe and then draw the shoulders back find length in your spine take your left hand to your hip and then hook your piece fingers onto your big toe and then any amount you can start to straighten through that right leg finding your balance if it helps to add the left hand out to the side or up to the sky go for it yeah and then from here maybe start to open up that right leg to the right just like we did on our backs letting the right hip roll down and breathe find one point to focus your gaze yeah and then slowly coming back through center and then maybe taking your left hand to the outside of your right foot find that point to focus your gaze maybe reach the right hand back and then maybe gaze to your right good maybe even back toward your right hand that's not happening for me today good whoo and then come back through center reach your right arm up reach both arms up and then take that right foot back crescent pose it actually feels nice to bend through that front leg sinking down whoo and then we'll open it up to warrior 2 so bending through your left leg take your left knee right over your ankle and breathe from warrior to flip your front palm inhale reverse your warrior straighten through your front leg and then hinge forward at your hips maybe heel toeing that back foot in a little bit coming into triangle pose let the left hand roll down good and then right arm reaches straight up to the sky breathing and then start to come back up to reverse warrior flipping the front palm reaching back and then circling it down and through either taking a vinyasa or maybe just stepping right back to downward facing dog take a big breath in here and let it go rise up onto your toes bend your knees look forward step or hop front of the mat inhale lift up halfway exhale fold root down to rise all the way up to stand inhaling and then draw your hands to your heart exhale good and then coming to the other side let the right foot get heavy this time and then hug your left knee into your chest draw the shoulders back find the length in your spine press through the ball of that right big toe and then maybe using a strap here or taking the piece fingers to your left big toe start to straighten out that left leg any amount draw the left shoulder back and breathe add the right arm if you'd like to good and then maybe open up the leg to the left rolling the left hip down breathing good and then coming back through center either staying here or the right hand comes to the outside of that left foot reach the left arm back and breathe and then slowly come back through center lift the left arm up reach both arms up keep the leg lifted for a moment draw the belly in and then this will feel nice step it back to crescent pose soften through the front knee through the back knee and breathe good and then from here open it up to warrior to flip your front palm inhale reverse straighten through your front leg and then hinge forward into triangle pose let the right hand lower down left arm lifts and that hand right hand can be on your shin block the earth just breathe super nice and then slowly come up rebend through your front leg reverse your warrior circle everything down vinyasa or right back to downward facing dog and we'll meet right there take a nice breath in let it go lower your knees down take a child's pose let your hips sink back to your heels and rest good so inhale come up to all fours tabletop and then one forum at a time bring your forearms down to the earth pressing through the inner hand and the outer hand shoulders right over your elbows tuck your toes lift your hips up into dolphin pose you can start to walk your toes in toward you and then again let the heels get heavy so you're really coming into the backs of the legs here keep hugging the elbows in and then breathe notice the opening in the hamstrings keep reaching your sitting bones up heels heavy chest back just taking two more full deep breaths here good and then when you're ready lower the knees back down sit back on your heels for a moment bring your hands to the tops of your thighs and just breathe good we're gonna come on to our bellies so you can just bend the elbows make your way onto your belly bring the forehead down to the earth reach your arms back behind you interlace your fingers at your low back and then start to draw the shoulders away from your ears hug the ankles together and then as much as you'd like start to roll the shoulders away from your ears peel the chest up off the earth keep the chin nice and tucked and then maybe add the legs as you come up shalabhasana good take a breath maybe lift up a little bit higher and then exhale lowering down good press back to your knees and just take a nice child's pose counterbalance that keeping the arms active here pressing into all ten fingers and then rolling up shifting your weight off to one side and just bringing the legs out in front of you good so from here you can start to bring your right foot to the inner upper left thigh and then just taking the left leg to the left a little bit bring your fingertips on either sides of your hips and then let your torso start to angle over that front leg and then inhale to reach your arms all the way up and then as you exhale fold over your front leg good and just letting the hands fall wherever they fall can let the head and neck relax down just taking a couple breaths on this side and with lengthen the spine inhale come all the way back we'll just take it to the other side so let the right leg go out let your left leg come in angle over that right leg gently spinning the torso and then inhale sweep up and exhale fold taking a couple breaths here and inhale come all the way back up this time take both legs out in front of you sit up high on your sitting bones flexing through the feet and then balancing out the two sides take a big breath in exhale fold Pashimottanasana let the head relax spine long deepen your breath matching the length of the inhale to the length of the exhale good inhale come all the way back up and then we'll come on to our backs so I'm just going to spin around here rolling back onto your backs take your knees into your chest and just give yourself a little rock from side to side a little wobble just noticing how that feels the effects of your practice and then squeezing everything into a tight little ball start to draw your nose up toward your knees hugging your knees into your chest take a big breath in hold your breath at the top squeeze everything in just a little bit more and then exhale side out the mouth they're just straighten out the legs coming into your final resting pose of Shavasana so letting the legs go long feet roll open palms face up and feeling that ease in your legs letting everything get super heavy and supported by the earth beneath you slowly begin to deepen your breath maybe roll the head from side to side massaging out the back of the head and then invite any other movement the fingers toes maybe the ankles and the wrists and then with the same ease of Shavasana making your way up to a comfortable seat however you'd like to arrive there meet there and then finding your seat just taking a moment to gather your hands together in front of your heart we'll seal our practice with one sound of om so start by taking a big breath in exhale everything out the mouth inhale ah inhale let it go the light and love in me greets and honors the light and love in each of you namaste