Morning Stretches

Good morning. So when I need a little motivation in the morning to practice, I think about my 95-year-old grandmother, Betty, and she gets on the floor and she does her stretchies. Basically it's yoga, but she calls it her stretchies. So this practice is kind of inspired by that. It's just a feel-good stretchy practice to touch all the sticky areas in the body, increasing a bit of circulation and mobility with just enough strength and heat. So join me on your back. We'll come into windshield wipers nice and easy, and then come up and start to move a bit more. So just come onto your back and just start with your feet nice and wide on the floor. You might stretch your arms overhead, feet wide. Take a nice full breath in, and as you exhale, let your knees cruise over to the right, just stretching out through the left side body. Inhale, draw the knees up through center. Exhale over to the left. Get long through the right side. Inhale, back up, and a few more times side to side. So finding a pace, finding a rhythm that feels good for you, and your head might rock away from your knees or with your knees, just beginning to find this fluid movement through your spine, up through your neck, reaching and lengthening up through the arms. A couple more rounds here, side to side. Let it feel good. Just feeling into your body this morning, today. How does it feel through the knees, through the hips, through the pelvis, the spine, the neck? Nice. And then just slow, draw the knees into your chest and rock yourself a little bit from side to side. If it would feel good, you might draw your chin into your chest, and for a moment just lift up, curl up into a ball, draw the forehead towards the knees, and then exhale, just slow, roll down for a moment. Nice. And from here, we'll play with rocking up and down towards the seat, so rocking back a little bit, and then rocking up a little bit. And then rocking back, you can use your arms, chin to the chest, and then rocking up. Let's do that a few more times. Nice and easy, rolling, warming up the spine, maybe one more, rocking back. Just rolling yourself up. Nice. Let's come into a sukhasana. So just a simple shin to shin. You might sit up on a blanket just to elevate the pelvis a little bit, kind of wobble into the sitting bones, bring your hands onto your legs, and we'll just begin to find a slow circle with the body. So warming up the spine, moving the ribcage, relaxing the jaw, just feeling into the hips, the ribs, finding the circular movement. Nice. And then just slow roll it in the other direction, finding the circular movement. You might keep your eyes open or might feel nice to close your eyes. Nice. And then just coming back into the center, as you exhale, curl your tailbone under, finding a little bit of a cat stretching your spine, stretching your back. And as you inhale, roll your pelvis forward, find that lengthened space through the front of the spine, and then exhale, curl and round, stretch your back, chin into the chest, and then inhale, roll the pelvis forward, lengthen. From here, hinge forward, walk the hands forward. It's coming into a nice, easy forward fold. Nice. You might lean a little bit from side to side, feeling into your hips. Come onto the fingertips as you inhale, draw the heart forward. So feel a bit of traction through your spine. And then with an exhale, begin to just let your spine round, let your back stretch, your head might release, your palms might turn up. Nice. Sticking a few breaths into where you feel the stretch. And I find here always there's kind of a dull, achy stretch happening through the spine, through the hips. When you're ready, just slow round and roll your spine up to a sit. Take a moment, feel the heart, feel the shoulders, feel the head. We'll stretch the right arm out, inhale, let the left arm reach up to the sky, let it feel nice. Ground through that left side a bit, through the sitting bone, and then reach on up, let it feel nice, and take a big, full breath into that left lung. Yeah, you might stay with this. You might walk your fingertips out, bend your elbow, and stretch that left arm up out and over. Nice. You might circle out the wrist if that would feel nice. Finding a place for your head and neck feel good. Maybe you're even bending that top elbow, finding a little cactus opening through the shoulder, the chest. When you feel ready to come up, take a look down and let the inhale bring you up. Reach with that top arm, let it carry you up. Take a moment, pause, big clearing breath, inhale.

Nice full exhale, relax the mouth. Spine out on the other side. So lean back and just switch the cross of the shins, so opposite leg in front, and we'll start with our circles. Just circling out through the rib cage. Nice. Warming, waking up the hips and the ribs and the spine, and then we'll circle in the other direction. Nice. Just really let yourself get into it. We'll just come back into the center, cat-cow through the spine, exhale, curl around and stretch the back again, and then inhale, roll the pelvis forward, arch and lengthen. Exhale, curl and round, stretching through the shoulder blades, back of the heart, and then inhale, roll the pelvis forward and lengthen. From here, hinge at your hips, walk the hands forward again, lean a little bit from side to side, you might flex your ankles. Coming up onto the fingertips again, inhale, draw the heart forward, feeling that traction through the spine, wide through the collarbones, and then exhale, relax the mouth, the lips, let the sitting bones get heavy, forward fold, nice and easy through the neck. Palms might face down towards the earth or maybe up towards the sky. Just offering yourself to this moment. Take your time, no rush. When you're ready, chin into the chest, just slow, rolling up through the spine, feeling your heart, your shoulders, your head. Nice. Stretch the left, fingers down to the floor, inhale, reach your right arm up to the sky, and just start by grounding through that right sitting bone, find a bit more laying through that right side body, let it feel nice. Nice full breath into that right lung. Nice, opening the intercostals, you might stay with this, or walk the fingertips out and stretch your right arm up out and over. Nice breathing, finding a place where the neck feels good, maybe you're circling out that top wrist, maybe you're bending the elbow, opening the chest, little cactus variation here. More moments, let yourself kind of wobble and wiggle, breathing into where you feel it. When you feel ready, let the inhale and that top arm carry you up, and exhale, release. Let's take a big clearing breath, inhale, nice, full exhale. One last time, lean back, we'll switch the cross of the legs, so opposite shin in front, and we'll reach our right arm out, just roll the shoulder forward and bring the back of the hand to the sacrum area, maybe up between your shoulder blades, we'll soften the chin down, and then just roll the left ear towards the left shoulder, so we're stretching away from that right elbow, feeling into the neck, we let the left arm and fingers get heavy, and then you might just invite some slow gentle movement, nodding the head up and down, nice, breathing, allowing the exhale to soften and release, any tension, any stiffness. So when you feel ready to release, lately I've been bringing my left fingertips onto the temple, and just gently, with your left hand, press your skull right over your spine, with support, nice, and just free the arms, inhale, draw the shoulders up, exhale, release them down, spine the other side, reach the left arm out, roll the shoulder forward, and then bring the back of the hand again, maybe to the sacrum, maybe between your shoulder blades, and we're just softening the chin down for a moment, and then rolling the right ear towards the right shoulder, right arm, shoulder releasing down, you might stay right where you are, you might nod the head gently down and up, you find it's amazing how each side feels completely different, right? Depending on how you slept, how you moved throughout the day, and we're just breathing into where we feel it, and finding that appropriate edge of sensation. Beautiful, take your time with this, when you feel ready to release, we'll bring our right fingertips onto our right temple, and just gently press the head right over the spine, good, free the arms, inhale, draw the shoulders up, big exhale, release, interlace the fingers, and on an inhale stretch the arms up to the sky, on a wiggle, lengthen, easy through the shoulders and the neck, and draw the front ribs in, let the back ribs be nice and full, inhale, exhale, release the hands, spinal twist to the right, left hand on that right thigh, you might wrap the right hand behind the back, bending the elbow, and as you inhale, draw the spine into the back, lengthen, and on your exhale, twist to the right gently, just a few breaths here, I stand the twist and just let the head come back to the center, and if it feels good maybe you're stretching it over that left shoulder a little bit, inhale, and then unwind the body, draw the shoulders up, exhale, drop them down, one more time, bring the opposite finger on top if you can remember, inhale, stretch the arms up to the sky, ground through the sitting bones, nice and long through the spine, soft through the elbows, soft through the shoulders, beautiful, inhale, exhale, release the hands, spinal twist to the left, right hand on that left thigh, you might wrap the left hand behind you, inhale, drawing the spine into your back a bit, lengthen, exhale, twist to the left, notice if there's any gripping through that right hip, I found a little, see if you can soften that, nice, beautiful, stay in the twist and just let the head unwind back to center, maybe it would feel good to stretch it over that right shoulder, inhale, and exhale, let the body unwind, draw the shoulders up around the ears, exhale, release them, let's lean back and just free the legs for a moment, shake the legs out, lean back, we'll do a little side to side shimmy, and then we'll transition into tabletop, so find your way there, hands and knees, and you might bring a blanket under your knees for a little bit of padding and support, just really customize it for you so it feels good, spread the fingers wide, cat cow, on your exhale, let your back round and stretch, release the head, and as you inhale, moving into your extension, nice and long through the spine, and then exhale, round the back, releasing the head, and inhale, leading with the heart extending, couple more rounds like this, finding a rhythm, finding a pace that feels good for your body, exhale, rounds the back, and inhale, brings you into your cow, your extension, wide through the sitting bones, collar bones, couple more, nice, you might stay with your cat cow, you might invite a bit more movement in, maybe there's some of those barrel rolls through your rib cage, or your rounding, dropping, and then moving in the other direction, nice, and then we'll press back towards a child's pose for a moment, softening the hips towards the heels, maybe the foreheads resting towards the floor, nice full exhale, healing the support beneath you. From child's pose, as you're ready, inhale, rise back up, we'll extend out through our right leg, and tuck the toes under and just rock a little bit forward and back, so we're just stretching out through the bottom of the foot, through the back of the leg, nice, and then we're gonna lift that right leg up off the floor, internally rotate your thigh bone, nice, and really draw the navel towards the spine, waking up the core muscles, we'll inhale, and then exhale, draw the knee to the nose, round your back like cat, inhale, and lengthen, exhale, round the back, inhale, extend, exhale, knee to nose, two more, inhale, extend, exhale, knee to nose, last one, inhale, extend, and exhale, knee to nose, nice, and then just release, extend out through your left leg, tuck the toes under, just start by rocking a little bit forward and back, so stretching out through the back of the left leg, in the back of the knee, the calf, the heel, the toes, and then as you're ready, go ahead and lift that left leg up off the floor, internally rotate the thigh, we'll inhale to extend, and then exhale, knee to nose, stretching the back like cat, inhale, extend, exhale, draw it in, inhale, extend, exhale, draw it in, three more, inhale, extend, exhale, round, two more, inhale, extend, exhale, round, inhale, extend, exhale, round, nice, and release, and draw the hips back, one more time, child's pose here, give the wrists a break, a wobble, when you feel ready, stretch the arms forward, inhale, round back up into tabletop, tuck the toes under, down dog, nice and easy, we're gonna walk it off, bending the right knee a lot, and just stretching that left calf and heel down to the floor, and then bending the left knee and just stretching the right calf and heel down to the floor, and a couple times just pedaling the feet, finding any movement that feels good through your legs, through your hips, nice, good, and then as you're ready, we'll inhale forward into a plank pose, bring the shoulders over the wrists, reorganize your legs, reach back through the heels and lengthen forward through the heart, feel that deep low belly support, energize the legs, inhale, and then exhale, again downward facing dog, some from down dog, just a slow walk the feet towards the hands, nice easy forward fold, we'll toe heel the feet wide for malasana squat pose, so just bend the knees and begin to sink down towards the hips or into the hips, rather towards the heels, and then reaching the right hand to the floor, inhale, lift the left arm up and it might feel nice to just open and circle the wrist, reaching towards the sky, and then left hand reaches down to the floor, inhale, right arm reaches up, let that right hip open, circle out the wrist, nice full breath here, and then releasing that right hand, toe heel the feet underneath the hips, bend the knees forward fold, uttanasana, when you feel ready we'll roll up through the spine, so bend the knees a lot, draw your chin into your chest, curl the tailbone under, and then slowly round the spine, press up through the legs, rounding the spine, head last, feeling the heart, feeling the shoulders, and feeling the head, just take a few moments to let the blood, let the energy drop back down into the legs and the feet, making any little adjustments, and then making our way towards the top of the mat, we'll find a few rounds of suryanamascara A sun salutation, so spreading the toes, and let's bring the hands together at the heart, taking a few moments here to lengthen through the spine, tuning towards the central channel, right, tailbone descends, base of the skull is nice and wide, letting your awareness rest on your breath, and as you're ready with an inhale, circle the arms up towards the sky reaching, and then exhale forward fold, releasing the head and the arms, inhale half arch, let your spine lengthen, exhale bend your knees, step back into plank pose, and take a moment to pause in your plank, reaching back through the heels, lengthening forward through your heart, energizing the legs, really draw the deep low belly up into the spine, we'll lower the knees and lower onto the belly, nice and slow, inhale rising up into a cobra, draw the shoulders down the back, press through the palms, lifting the chest, nice and wide through the collarbones, exhale lead with the heart, just slow, lower down, draw the elbows into the ribs, tuck the toes under, press up, and back downward facing dog, couple breaths here, walking it off, as you're ready go ahead and bend the knees, and then step a foot forward, inhale half arch, exhale forward fold, as you're ready reverse swan dive press through the feet, inhale circle the arms up to the sky reaching, and exhale hands together at the heart, second round inhale, reach the arms up, exhale forward fold, releasing, inhale half arch lengthen, exhale step back into plank, we'll pause again in plank for a moment, reaching back through the heels, lengthening forward, and then lower the knees, lower slow down onto the belly and cobra, inhale lifting up, broad across the collarbones, exhale lead with the heart, lower down, tuck the toes under, press up onto the knees, and back downward facing dog, and you might walk off through the feet, lengthen through the spine, taking three full breaths here, and as you're ready bend the knees and then step forward between the hands, inhale half arch, exhale forward fold, bend the knees inhale press through the feet, circle the arms up to the sky, and exhale hands together at the heart, last round like this as you're ready inhale circle the arms up, exhale forward fold releasing the head and the arms, inhale half arch to lengthen, exhale bend the knees step back into plank, pause and plank for a moment, good, from here you might lower the knees or lower through a chaturanga onto the belly, inhale up cobra, roll the shoulders down the back, press through the palms, lifting up through the heart, feeling that space, exhale lead with the heart, lower down, elbows in, tuck the toes under, press up onto the knees and back downward facing dog, as you're ready we'll inhale lift the right leg up to the sky bend the knee and let the hip open, grounding evenly through the hands, soft through the neck, and stretch that right leg back up to the sky, square the hips, inhale exhale knee to nose, draw it in, hover, inhale right leg reaches up to the sky, exhale knee to nose, step it through for a lunge, and we go back through the ball of that left foot and then lower the left knee down, you might tuck a blanket underneath, inhale draw the hips back, coming into a half split, and exhale bend the front knee and lunge, inhale drop back, exhale lunge, one more, inhale draw the hips back, exhale bend the front knee and lunge, you might stay low, you might rise up onto the thigh, you might inhale circle the arms up to the sky, and then bend the left elbow, bring the right hand onto that left elbow, inhale lengthen through the left side, and exhale maybe stretching over to the right a little bit, opening up through the ribs, breathing, and then stretch the arms up to the sky, exhale release the hands down, draw the hips back for a moment, extend through that right leg, little half split action, and then bend the front knee, left hand on the floor, twisting lunge, inhale reach that right arm up to the sky, find a place where your neck feels good, energize through the back leg, inhale, exhale release the right hand down, walk it over to the left for hammock, so turn the toes in, walk the arms forward, and then soften the hips or draw the hips back away from the hands, releasing through the spine, the neck, breathing here, nice, send and slow, walk the hands back in, turn the toes out, and then bend the left knee, shift the hips to the left, and then extend out through that right leg, and then back to the center, and then extend through that left leg, bending the right knee, a couple times side to side, little skandhasana action, moving over to the right, and moving over to the left, couple rounds, the hands might stay on the floor, you might play with letting the hands get light, little ninja style, or maybe the hands are on the legs, just waking up the inner leg lines, good, and then we'll travel back to the top of our mat, shape of the lunge, right foot forward, left foot is back, and we'll step back downward facing dog, kind of reorganize here and down dog, we'll inhale forward into a plank again, strong through the legs, strong through the core, and then exhale, knees lower or lower through a chaturanga, onto the belly for cobra, inhale, roll the shoulders up, lift through the chest, waking up the back and the spine, exhale, forward down, again draw the elbows in, tuck the toes under, press yourself up and back, downward facing dog, settling here for a few breaths.

Left side as you're ready, inhale, lift the left leg up to the sky, bend the knee, let the hip open, ground evenly through the hands, nice, and then just stretch that left leg up to the sky with an inhale, exhale, knee to nose, curl and round, inhale, left leg stretches up, exhale, knee to nose, step it through for your lunge, wiggle back through the ball, the right foot, lengthen forward through the heart, and then lower that right knee down to the mat or a blanket, inhale, draw the hips back, extend through the right leg, exhale, lunge, filling that back right thigh, inhale, hips drop back, and exhale, lunge, one more drawing back, and lunging forward, stay low, rise up, nice, here you might inhale, reach the arms up towards the sky, low crescent lunge, and then bending that right elbow, bring the left hand onto the right elbow, inhale to lengthen, and then stretching over to the left a little bit, opening up through that right hip flexor, the psoas, softening through the jaw, inhale, reach both arms back up to the sky, exhale, release the hands, draw the hips back, nice, coming onto that left heel, and then slow, bend that front knee, right hand on the floor, twisting lunge, inhale, reach that left arm up to the sky, energize the back leg, find a place where your neck feels good, and then release that left hand, we're gonna walk it over the right for hammock, walk the fingers out, and then reach the hips away from the hands, soft through the neck, nice, locking the hands in, turn the toes out again, bend the right knee, shift the hips to the right, extend through the left leg, come on that left heel, and then shifting, bending that left knee, stretching that right leg out, and a couple times side to side here, waking up the inner leg lines, nice and fluid through the ankle and knee joints, through the hips, nice, now we're gonna travel back to the top of our mat, find the shape of the lunge, left foot is forward, right foot is back, nice, so we're meeting downward facing dog, stepping the left foot back, we're gonna reorganize here, and then inhale forward into a plank pose, pause for a moment in plank, as you're ready, slow lower down, knees are through a chaturanga, this time moving towards a locust, so forehand comes down to the floor, draw the legs towards each other, stretch out through the fingertips, as you're ready, inhale, begin to lift the chest, maybe you're lifting the thighs, and lifting through the arms, so you're really reaching, drawing the back body into your spine, as you lift up, spacious through the collar bones, one more inhale, exhale slow, lower down, beautiful, just feeling that internal heat, bring the hands underneath your shoulders, draw the elbows in, press up and we'll round back towards a child's pose for a few breaths, just settling the hips towards the heels, nice, from child's pose, just slow round or make your way up to a seat, we'll transition onto our back for a few rounds of bridge and a few other things, so just come onto your back, nice, draw your knees into your chest, let yourself rock a little bit from side to side, we're going to keep the right knee into the chest and just stretch the left leg out on the floor, let the heels stay lifted, nice, we'll inhale here and then exhale, switch, draw the left knee and extend out through that right leg, keep the heel lifted, inhale, exhale, we'll switch again, inhale, exhale, left knee draws in, right leg extends, we're going to continue this switching, you might keep your head on the floor or you might draw your chin to your chest, lift up and switch, right knee draws in, left leg extends and switch, left knee draws in, right leg extends, couple rounds here and switch, and switch, and switch, waking up core muscles a little bit before back bending and switch, and switch, and switch, and then draw both knees into the chest, rock a little bit, oh my goodness, that felt good, so you come down to the floor for bridge, spread the toes, arms down alongside the body, inhale and as you're ready, exhale, curl the tailbone, press through the feet, go ahead and lift your pelvis up off the floor, feel how the whole front line of the body can lengthen, palms might press down or you might roll and tuck your shoulders under your back, interlacing your fingers, long through the neck, finding that internal rotation, nice, sternum lifting towards the chin, tuning towards your exhalation a bit here, nice, slow release the hands, stretch the arms up to the sky, lift the heels up, come high up onto the balls of the feet, round the upper back and just roll your spine down one vertebra at a time, release the arms, take a moment to pause here, clearing breath, exhale, nice, full exhale, last round, spread the toes, bridge, inhale, exhale, curl the tailbone under, lift up and palms might press down towards the floor, reaching towards the heels or you might roll and tuck the shoulders under the back, interlacing for bridge and breathing, release spreading the effort evenly through your body here, offening through the eyes, so keeping the hips and the outer glutes engaged, see if you can relax a little bit around the tailbone, yeah, nice, when you feel ready just reach the arms up, lift the heels up, round the upper back and roll the spine down, hollowing the belly, nice, releasing down to the earth, draw the knees into the chest, rock a little bit from side to side, nice, feet come down, stretch the right leg up to the sky and just turn the foot out and then bring that right ankle on top of the left thigh, stretch the arms out wide and then just begin to lift your left foot up off the floor as you draw the knee in and without the hands just begin to rock a little bit from side to side, yeah, as you rock towards the left just let that right knee move away so you're opening that right hip, as you rock it back to center you might stay here, you might weave your right arm through the window there, finding the back of the left thigh, the shin, flexing that right ankle a little bit, rocking from side to side, you might stay with this, you might stretch your left leg up towards the sky, maybe you're drawing your shin to your chest and you're lifting up, nice, just slow lower down, let that knee come in, a few more breaths here, ah, slow when you're ready release the hands, lower that left foot, stretch the right leg up to the sky, bend the knee, let it lower, you'll find the other side, left leg stretches up to the sky and just turn the foot out, bend the knee, bring the ankle across that right thigh, stretch the arms out and then lift the right foot up off the floor, as you draw that knee into the chest without the hands just rock a little bit, feeling into your left hip, nice, so you rock it over to the right a little bit, just let that left side lengthen, rocking it back through center, you might stay here, weave your left arm through the window, finding the back of the right thigh, shin, maybe you're stretching the right leg up towards the sky and maybe you're lifting up, drawing the forehead towards the right leg, nice, little dominoes here and then just slow lower down, a few more breaths and breathing into where you feel the stretch, inhale and then just slow release the hands, lower the right foot, stretch the left leg up to the sky and then just go ahead and bend the knee, bring the feet to the floor, inhale and exhale, good, feet nice and wide, stretch the arms overhead, windshield wipers side to side, right, so beginning and ending our practice with windshield wipers, letting the head move, you can fall over to the right and just stretching through that left side body, you might stay here, maybe you're bringing that right ankle across the left thigh and that whole left side body lengthen, easy through the face, releasing that right foot, inhale, knees up, exhale over to the left, reaching on up through that right arm, get long, maybe you're staying here, bringing the left ankle on top of your right thigh, nice, draw and lengthen through that right thigh, right hip opens, right knee heavy towards the floor, nice, slow release that left ankle, inhale, knees up, hug them into the chest, rock, one more time side to side and then chin into the chest, lift up, curl up into a little ball again, nice, slow lower down, you might stretch everything out for shavasana or you might join me in a seat, so finding your way, either stretching the legs out on the floor or rolling to your side and just taking your time to press yourself up if you're coming into short seated meditation, you might sit up on your blanket, just letting yourself settle and be as comfortable and relaxed as you can be, just getting the alignment of your body just right for you, noticing how the breath shapes the body, the rise of the inhale, the fall and the softening of the exhale, tuning your awareness towards the central channel, so from the spine, tuning towards the subtle energy, notice if there's any hardening through the back, let that soften a bit, just finding the placement of your skull, very spacious and wide, just allowing yourself to consciously rest wherever you are for a few more moments, calm, centered and spacious, nice, slow joining the hands together as your heart will close with the sound of umm breathing in, umm, namaste, thank you for your practice.