Blast Off!

Namaste, friends. Welcome to your practice. This is going to be a fun, energizing practice to get us moving, get off your butt right now. Let's stand at the top of the mat. Urvahasthasana, reach your arms up. And starting with breath of fire, just going right into it. So you can even take steeple mudra here if you want to literally feel like you're a rocket ship right now, taking off. So root down through your feet. And breath of fire is rapid inhales and exhales through your nose only. You're pumping your abdominals. And begin. Keep going for 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Blast off. Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath in. And let it go and let your arms release. Pause for a moment. Just feel the energy you've created in your body. And then sweep your arms forward and up. Inhale. And exhale. Just bend your knees and ragdoll your body forward and round. And then roll yourself back up. Inhale. Lift your arms up. And exhale. Just bend your knees and round your spine. Release. Two more. Inhale. Rise up. Exhale. Fold. Maybe horse's breath. And inhale up. And one more. Exhale. Let it go. Now grab your forearms here. Hang over your legs. And you're going to start to come up but over to the right. You're making a circle with your forearms. Come all the way up as you inhale. And then exhale over to the left. Bend your knees.

You don't have to come all the way down. Do that again over to the right. Inhale. This is called sunflower pose, I call it. Exhale over to the left. I figured it was appropriate. One more. Inhale. Since there's sunflowers right next to me. Exhale. And switch your forearms here so it feels funny. Come up to the left. Inhale. And exhale. So just vibrant energy building here like a sunflower opening up through your heart, your side body. Oh and I look like a sunflower. And then hang all the way forward. And then just step your right foot back into a lunge. Gently lower your right knee. Stay on your fingertips and lift your heart. Inhale here. Exhale. Downward dog. Inhale to plank. Pause. Nice. And then you may lower your knees here. Totally a nice option. Take an inhale. Shift forward. And exhale just bend your elbows. Maybe just a quarter way down or maybe 90 degrees for a chaturanga. Then inhale back up. And then exhale again maybe just quarter way or maybe halfway. And inhale back up. One more. Exhale. And inhale back up. Exhale all the way down to your belly. Inhale for cobra. Lift your heart. And exhale downward dog. Full breath in. And full breath out. Walk or light hop feet to hands. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale fold. Step your left foot back. Gently lower the knee. High to fingers. Lift your heart. Exhale. Exhale back to downward dog. Inhale to plank. Maybe round your back as you come in. And then again exhale either quarter way or halfway. You can lower the knees. Inhale press back up. Again exhale quarter way or halfway. Inhale back up. One more. Exhale. Exhale all the way down to your belly. Inhale for cobra. Lift your heart. And exhale downward dog. Take a full breath in. And a full breath out. Walk or hop feet to hands. Half lift. Inhale fold. Exhale. Inhale rise all the way up. Reach through your heart. And exhale prayer to your heart. Inhale reach back up. Exhale dive forward and fold. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale fold. Step your right foot back. Lower your knee. Inhale lift your heart. Exhale downward dog. Inhale to plank. Exhale either halfway or all the way down. Inhale for cobra or upward dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Full breath in. Full breath out. Float or walk feet to hands. Half lift. Inhale. And exhale fold. Step your left foot back. Lower your knee. Inhale lift your heart. Exhale downward dog. Inhale plank. Again maybe lower the knees. Exhale halfway or all the way down. Inhale cobra or upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Full breath in. Full breath out. Float or walk feet to hands. Half lift. Inhale.

Inhale fold. Inhale rise up. Exhale prayer to heart. Inhale reach your arms up. Exhale forward fold. Inhale right foot back. Lower your knee. This time reach your arms all the way up. Inhale here. Exhale bend your elbows. Lift your heart. Inhale reach back up. Exhale bend. Lift your heart. Inhale back up. Exhale bend. Reach behind you. Interlace your fingers. Draw your belly in. Pull your shoulders back. Maybe gaze up. Take a full deep breath. And release. Hands down. Back to plank. Inhale. Optional vinyasa. So maybe you hold plank. Maybe you skip it. You can always just shift back to downward dog. Pause and downward dog. Take a full deep breath. Float or walk feet to hands. Half lift. Inhale. Exhale fold. Step your left foot back. Lower your knee. This time arms come up. Inhale here. Exhale bend your elbows. Inhale lift your arms. Exhale bend. Open your chest. Inhale reach. Exhale bend. Interlace your hands behind you. Other pinky on top. Pause. Draw your belly in. Reach your heart up. Shoulders back. Take one more breath. And lower. Hands down. Plank pose.

Inhale. Again option to hold. Option to continue to flow. Let's meet back and downward dog. Full breath in. Full breath out. Two more. Deep inhales. And long exhales. Just let this be a rest for a moment. From here reach your right leg straight back. Inhale. Exhale bring your knee to your right tricep. Maybe give it a tap. Inhale the right leg back in the air. Exhale knee to your left tricep. Maybe give it a tap. Inhale reach back. Exhale step your foot forward. Pause. Keep your back knee lifted and come to your fingertips. So play around with this. It may happen for you, it may not. But we're going to do some jump switches just to really build some energy and some heat. So stay on your fingertips to keep a lift through your belly. So your belly stays engaged the whole time and you switch your legs. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Your right foot should be forward. Inhale crescent pose. Oh yeah. Feel that energy. Maybe bend your left knee a little bit here. Then bend your elbows like goal posts. Feel the openness in your chest. Keep your belly engaged. Your tailbone moves down. Long spine. Slowly lower the left knee towards the floor. Just let it hover. Inhale straighten your left leg and reach your arms. Exhale bend both elbows and knee. Inhale reach back up. One more. Exhale bend. Inhale reach back up. Sweep your arms behind you. Exhale and inhale back to crescent. Exhale sweep back. Inhale crescent. One more. Exhale sweep back. Inhale crescent. Hands to prayer. Shift forward and hover. Engage your belly. Lift off warrior three. Weight in your right foot. Left leg in the air. Find your balance. Three breaths. Maybe reach your arms forward. Slowly smooth out your breath here. Bring your fingers to the floor. Lift your back leg. Standing split. But it doesn't have to look anything like a split. Usually it doesn't.

So a couple options here. Maybe you want to flatten your palms and start to just bring the weight into your right foot and just feel that shift. And then maybe you want to bend both knees and just really fire up your legs and just squeeze everything in so your left knee comes behind your right knee. You can maybe take a balance here. Hands to prayer. Couple more breaths. And then bring your feet together. Half lift. Inhale. Maybe jump back this time to Chaturanga. Inhale cobra or upward dog. And exhale back. Downward dog. Stretch your left leg back. Inhale. And exhale knee to left tricep. Maybe tap. Inhale stretch back. Exhale knee to right tricep. Inhale back. And exhale step forward. Hide your fingers. Inhale and switch your legs. Ten times. One. Two. Three. Belly in. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. You did it. Arms up. Crescent. Put a little bend in the right knee. Start to bend your elbows. Broad into your heart and your chest. And then inhale reach your arms back up. Exhale bend your right knee towards the floor as you bend your right elbows. Inhale reach back up. Exhale bend. Inhale reach. One more. Exhale bend. Inhale reach.

Exhale sweep your arms behind you. Inhale back up. Exhale big sweep. Belly in. Inhale back up. One more big sweep. Inhale up. Hands to prayer. Shift forward. Warrior three. Lift your back leg. Stay with your breath. Maybe the arms come forward. Work on evening your hips. Press back through your right heel. Stay with your breath. Standing split. Fingers down. Lift your back leg. Might be a little bend in your left knee here. Totally fine. Maybe you play with those strong, straight arms. So it's more of like a handstand prep. Right? We're not going in there but just kind of feeling that maybe one day we could at some point. And then you could stay with that or bend both knees and just squeeze in tight. Really strengthening your legs. Belly in. Hands maybe cover at the heart in prayer. Fingers down. Forward fold. Hang out for a moment. Take a break. Maybe grab behind your calves. Maybe grab your forearms. Maybe grab your big toes. Pull your shoulders away from your ears. Let your head relax. Maybe horse breath again. Just letting go. Feel the energy you've created in your body. And one more breath. From here simply bend your knees and sit down coming into Navasana. Boat pose. So you can grab behind your knees here as an option or reach your arms forward. Maybe straighten your legs. Eyes in line with your toes ideally is kind of what you're going for. And keep your belly in. Long spine. Lift through the crown of the head. And you're welcome to stay here. Maybe this is enough for you especially if you have maybe lower back issues. Otherwise come into Ardha Navasana.

Straight leg. Shoulders hover. Energy through your fingers. Belly in. And then inhale back to Navasana. And exhale lower. Ardha. Inhale lift. Exhale lower. Inhale lift. Exhale lower. Inhale. Exhale. Stay with it. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Last three. Two. One. Come onto your back and start to rock. Rock along your spine. Feel this just playful energy here as you rock and roll. And then see if you can start to get enough momentum to come into chair pose. It may not happen. You might just roll over to the side and come into chair. No big deal. Find your chair. Bring your hands to prayer. Take an inhale. And exhale. Twist towards the left. Right elbow crosses over. So for this chair you might play with a little fun variation. So stay in your twist. Look down. Keep the weight in your left foot and hover your right leg. See if you can balance there. Maybe step your right leg back into a crescent twist. Might happen. Might not. You can play with it. Step back into chair. Keep your hands in prayer. Inhale to center. And exhale. Other side. Breathe. Maybe look down. Maybe hover your left foot. Maybe step back. Crescent twist. Step forward. Chair. And inhale. Full version. Arms extend alongside the ears. Maybe sit one more inch deep. And straighten your legs. Reach up. Inhale. And exhale. Prayer to your heart. Inhale. Reach back up. And exhale. Forward fold. Inhale. Half lift. Exhale. Fold. Walk your feet hip distance apart. Squat down. Malasana. Hips sink. But the heart stays lifted. Maybe the hands come to prayer. Breathe here. If you want to take maybe an optional twist you could reach that left hand underneath your left shin. And then stretch your right arm up.

And switch. And come back to center. Optional crow pose. So nothing like a good arm balance to build a little heat and energy. And just play with it. Play with where you're at. So maybe you start by lifting the hips. I like to bring the big toes together sometimes first but keep the knees wide. Bend the elbows straight back. Knees to outer arms. Look forward. Maybe one foot lifts today. Maybe both. Keep breathing. Two more breaths. Hello bug. And lower your feet. Back down. Forward fold over your legs. And from here simply step back onto your hands and knees. And lower your forearms to the floor so your elbows are right under your shoulders. Your hands might interlace. Coming into forearm plank. Tuck your toes towards the back of the mat. Feel plank in your body. Long straight line from your heels to the top of the head. Option to lower your knees at any time. So listen to your body here. Make sure your hips are buoyant. So sometimes I like to just dip my hips like one inch and then lift them one inch until I feel my core start to shake a little bit. That means I'm in that perfect zone where I'm really working. Stay with your breath. We'll hold here for ten. Nine. Eight. You might even come back to that Bastra Kha breath. Rapid inhales and exhales through your nose. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Lower down. Rest your forearms. Stack them out in front of you and let your head come to your forearms. Before we lose too much momentum, try to bend your knees and reach back for your ankles or the tops of your feet. If that's not available, you can do Shalabhasana variation where you keep your legs straight and interlace your hands. Inhale to lift your chest, your shoulders, your head. And if you have your feet, kick your feet into the hands. Offer your heart forward and breathe. See if you can hold here for ten. Nine. Open your heart. Eight. Seven. Backbends are so energizing. Stay with this space. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Slowly lower down. Maybe stack your forearms again. Rest your forehead. If you want to wiggle your hips side to side, that might feel nice. And just roll over onto your back from here. And then take your arms wide like a T shape. Palms flat. Bring your knees directly over your hips. Flex your feet so your knees are in a nice right angle. Take an inhale. And as you exhale, just lower your knees towards the right till they hover off the floor. And inhale, come back to center.

Exhale lower the knees towards the left till they hover. Inhale, come back to center. Exhale to the right. Keep your belly engaged. Inhale to center. Exhale to the left. Press down through your shoulders. Inhale to center. Exhale to the right. Inhale to center. Exhale left. Inhale center. So just stay with this movement. You could straighten your legs for an extra challenge if you'd like. Use your belly. Use your breath. Keep your feet flexed. Go through your shoulders. Take about one more each side. And then just gently hug your knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your legs. Place your feet on the floor. Knees bent. Take your arms alongside your body. Palms flat. Really hug your arms close to your body here. And inhale, lift your hips. Bridge. You're welcome to interlace your hands. Maybe wiggle your shoulders a little closer together here. And then if you're feeling it, maybe explore a full wheel. And sometimes it's fun to explore it from bridge pose so you're already up. Tailbone extends towards the backs of your knees. And take your hands just behind your shoulders. Maybe just press to the top of the head. Maybe come all the way up. And breathe. About three more breaths here. Again, feeling the energy of the back bend. Lift your heart, creating space. Slowly lower down. Rest for a moment. Feet on the floor. I like to take the feet all the way to the edges of the mat and let the knees fall together. Let your arms lay out to the side. Palms up and rest. And start to come out and bring your knees back into your chest. This time, happy baby. Grab the outsides of your feet. And just gentle rock side to side. Bring your knees back together. Grab behind your knees and just find that playful rock again. Forward and back. And then start to rock yourself up to seat and we'll take a forward fold. Paschimottanasana. So you might have your knees slightly bent here just to get a little higher on your sitting bones, lengthen your spine. Inhale, reach your arms up. Exhale, fold forward and grab whatever you can. Maybe your feet, maybe your ankles. And just surrender. Let your head relax. You're welcome to keep it a little more active if you'd like. Pulling on your feet or your ankles and engaging your belly. Soften your face. Maybe let your head relax. Breathe into the backside of your body. Your ribs, your spine. Just giving yourself permission to surrender with each exhale. Let something go. Oftentimes when we're feeling depleted, it's because we just have been carrying around too much, too many thoughts, too many ideas, too many things we want to accomplish. Just recognize that you are enough. You're doing enough. About five more breaths here. Simply roll up one vertebra at a time. Make your way onto your back. Hug your right knee in and twist it over your body. Take your right arm out to the right. About three breaths here. Inhale back to center. Right leg out. Hug your left knee in. Maybe scoot your hips over a little and take your left leg over to the right. A couple more breaths. Come back to center. Give yourself one final squeeze. Wrap your arms around your legs. Take a deep breath in and let it all go. Final rush of asana. Arms out, legs out. Experience the stillness in your body. The ease of your natural breath. If your mind tends to wander in asana, maybe offer up the words mentally. Let go. Let go. Let go. Okay.

Thank you. On your next inhale, fill up in all directions. Sigh out your mouth, let it go. Begin to move your toes and your fingers. Stretch your arms over your head, big inhale again and let it go.

Bend your knees, roll over to your right, press yourself to seated. Bring your hands to prayer at your heart and just bow inward for a moment. Thank yourself for honoring your body and committing to your practice, even if you didn't feel like you had the energy to begin with. Hopefully you feel it now. Take one more slow breath in through your nose and out your mouth.

Have an amazing day. Namaste.