All Star Recharge

(gentle ocean waves crash) Hi, all-stars, today we'll have a practice for athletes that will help us with our flexibility, our relaxation, it's really important to be able to rest and restore, charge your battery up. So, let's start in our squat, rock a little from side to side. Did you know there was a famous catcher, a baseball catcher named Yogi Berra and he was named after a Yogi because he moved in the same way, so rock a little from side to side, open up those hips, breathing, nice, now from here, let's sit down and go ahead and swing your legs forward. We'll roll down onto our back, so bring your hands forward, take your time, to find your spine, hug your knees into your chest, rock a little from side to side, excellent. Now, we'll find from here, a pose called eye of the needle, great for opening up your hips and keeping your legs flexible.

So cross one ankle over the other and then open and close that knee a few times. You might even imagine that your hip is like a screen door, opening and closing with the wind. Now, eventually, lift that bottom foot. This is called eye of the needle, so we're threading the needle. Hug that knee in as you push the other knee away.

Just remember, no force. Make sure it feels right for your body today. Breath wide across your low back. Excellent, now release your foot, we'll move into a twist from here. This is called eagle wrap twist.

So, we'll drop this leg over and you might even wrap your ankles. Let's bring everything over to the side, bring your top hand on top of the other. That will align your shoulders and your hips. From here, inhale the top arm up, out around like the hands of a clock and then soften, make sure this feels to be the correct medicine for your back today. Take a few breaths here and rest.

From here, inhale those legs up, uncross, pause for a few moments to feel your back and then we'll find the other side, so cross the other foot over, open and close the hinge of the hip, if it's useful, picture that screen door, notice how much your bones move in your body, breathing, the next time the knee's open, lift the foot, thread your needle, wobble from side to side as you breath into your low back. I like to picture my low back like a beautiful mountain meadow, wide, relaxed, take a deep breath in, out, from here release your foot, we'll slide into a twist to this side, eagle wrap twist, the thigh drops over, you might wrap your ankles, bring everything over to the other side, palm on top of palm, deep inhale exhale and then bring the top arm like the hand of a clock all the way around, soften here into the medicine of the shape. Use your breath, inhale, exhale. From here we'll bring the legs back up to center, unwind, place one hand on your heart, one hand on your belly, and breath into the medicine of your yoga. The quiet, the space, it's so important to relax and find this peace.

From here, bring your feet to the Earth, we'll find a bridge pose. A bridge is a great pose for the spine. So when you're ready, bring the arms to the Earth, inhale your hips up, you might interlace your arms underneath you. I've seen a lot of baseball players do this. Great stretch for the backs of your legs.

It's a strengthener also. You might even come up on the balls of your feet. Now, a back bend is a mood elevator, it brings energy into us, so take a few deep breaths, bring the sun into your heart, your belly, wherever you need it, breathing, fill up your tank with energy, (inhales) ah, that feels good (exhales). From here, release slowly the spine. The spine is the tree of life, nice.

Hug your knees into your chest, wobble from side to side and then from here, we'll find a butterfly position, so bring the soles of the feet to the Earth, let your knees open and notice where your hands want to go, our hands are all healers, so maybe your hands find your hips, maybe your heart, your belly, maybe your inner thighs and then notice how your hands soften your body, soothing, breathe into your hands, resting, maybe your hands even want to move a little bit. Breathing, and then place your hands underneath your legs, bring your knees together, slowly straighten out your legs for rest pose. Walk your hands down down towards your feet, roll your shoulders open and as you soften into this place of peace and space, I want you to use your imagination, so stay lying down as I sit up and then as you lie here, I want you to picture your best self. Your strongest self. Your most peaceful self.

Your most balanced self. This is your all-star self. There all the time. So, as you breathe into peace and space, really trust that this is you. Your natural space, relax into it, feel it, now stay here as long as you would like, resting, restoring.

When you're ready, slowly roll to one side, sit up, bring the hands together at the heart as the chin drops and take a deep breath here, thank yourself for practicing, for relaxing and choosing peace, health, yoga, thank you. Peace.