Morning Motivation Flow

Welcome and thank you for joining me for this morning motivation flow. We will move through an all around full body flow practice to energize and get you ready for your day. So let's begin if you'll meet me in child's pose. So we'll start to let our hips sink back to the heels. You might keep the knees together or take them a little wider, whatever feels best in your body.

You can reach your arms forward, maybe letting your forehead rest on the mat. Just taking a moment here to ground, to arrive at your practice, to start by stopping, to check in. Just taking a moment to scan through your body. Notice how you feel today. Any areas of obvious tension or any areas that might feel nice and relaxed, we'll invite that sense of ease into our practice today.

Allowing a big full breath in through the nose and then maybe open up the mouth like you're fogging a mirror and sigh it out. Inhaling through the nose. Exhale, let something go. One more like that. Big full breath in.

Long breath out. Maybe start to move into your ujjayi breath, allowing the breath to move evenly in and out through your nose. Good, as you inhale, feeling the back ribs expand, as you exhale, grounding a little more. Good, and then on your next breath in, let's roll our way up to tabletop. We'll come to all fours, letting our shoulders come over the wrists and the hips come over the knees and just start to move into some cat cow.

So as you inhale, arch your spine, lift your heart and your gaze. As you exhale, press the floor away, navel to spine. Beautiful. And two more like that, inhale brings you forward, arching, exhale, rounding, press the floor away. Good, inhale brings us forward, cow pose.

Exhale into cat, navel in toward the spine, tuck the chin, really feel that opening in the back body. Good. So find that place between cat and cow, neutralize your spine, walk your hands a little bit in front of your shoulders, and then we'll tuck our toes and lift the hips all the way up and back, coming into our first downward facing dog. And as you come into down dog, just move around a little bit, feeling into your legs, your hamstrings, always welcome to put a bend in the knees or you can step your feet a little wider if that feels best for you. Starting to let our sitting bones reach up toward the ceiling, allowing the spine to be nice and long.

Beautiful. And then on your next breath in, let's glide forward into plank pose, top of a pushup. We'll take a moment to land there, finding our alignment with the shoulders over the wrists, hips in line with shoulder blades. Good. Just waking up the body, warming the joints.

As you exhale, lift your hips up and back, downward facing dog. Beautiful. And then let's move with that a couple of times. So the inhale brings us forward to plank, and the entire length of the exhale brings us back to down dog. One more inhale, glide forward, top of a pushup, exhale, downward facing dog.

So nice. And then slowly start to walk your feet to your hands, come to the front of your mat. We'll take a forward fold as we arrive. So softening the knees any amount, just let everything melt down. Head hangs heavy.

Beautiful. And then slowly roll up one vertebrae at a time. Let your head be the last thing to arrive. And as you get to the top, maybe roll out your shoulders in either direction. Good.

And then just take a moment to find Tadasana. If you'd like to set an intention here for your practice, maybe calling that in as we start to move and welcome our day with some warming sun salutation. Surya Namaskara A. As you're ready, inhale, sweep the arms up, feel the length in your spine. Good. And then soften through the knees and fold it with Tadasana.

Good. On an inhale, lift halfway, you can walk your hands up onto shins or keep fingertips on the earth. Good. And then plant your palms for this first one. We'll step back to plank pose, top of a pushup.

Good. Start to shift your weight forward, let your shoulders come over your wrists and then hug your elbows in lower all the way to the earth. Good. As you get there, untuck your toes. Low cobra.

Let your elbows in. Start to peel the chest up off the earth. Good. And then exhale, meet me back in downward facing dog, either pressing up through hands and knees or plank pose. Beautiful.

And then as you arrive in your down dog, we'll allow a big full breath in, long, full breath out. Let something go. Feel free to sigh it out. Good. Next breath in, rise high up onto your toes, bend your knees deeply, look forward, step where you can lightly float your feet to your hands, come to the front of the mat.

On an inhale, lift halfway up, artha, exhale, forward fold, uttanasana. Good. Inhale, root down to rise, arms sweep out and up. And then as you exhale, draw your hands to your heart. Good.

Let's take a couple more rounds. Moving with our breath, allowing the breath to move us. Inhale, arms sweep up. Exhale, forward fold. Good.

Inhale, come halfway up, offer the heart forward. Exhale, plant your palms, step back, plank pose, shift the weight forward, maybe come halfway down this time, chaturanga. Inhale, either cobra, if you feel ready, you can come to up dog, straighten out the arms. From the thighs up off the earth. Good.

And then lifting your hips all the way up and back, down dog. Let's hang here for breath. Big full breath in, long, full breath out. Good. And then inhale, rise high up onto toes, bend your knees, look forward, step or lightly float your feet to your hands.

Inhale, lift halfway, lengthen, exhale, fold and release. Good. Root down to rise, arms sweep out and up. And then exhale, draw your hands to your heart. Good.

One more round. Inhaling meditation, inhale, arms sweep up, exhale, fold, inhale, lift halfway, lengthen. So plant your palms, step or maybe lightly hop back through chaturanga. Inhale, cobra or upward facing dog. Beautiful.

And then meeting back and downward facing dog. We'll hang here for a big full breath in. Stay for your exhale. Good. And then inhale, rise high up onto toes, bend your knees, look forward, step or lightly float to your hands, front of the mat.

Good. Inhale, lift halfway, exhale, release, forward fold. This time bend your knees deeply. We'll come to chair pose, utkatasana, sweeping the arms up and then let the weight shift back a little bit toward the heels, draw the shin bones back. Let your shoulders soften as you energize up through your fingertips.

Good. Take a big full breath in here. As you exhale, let that go. Forward fold, uttanasana. Good.

Inhale, lift halfway, lengthen. Exhale, move through your vinyasa. You're welcome to move it through a vinyasa. You can always skip it and step back right to down dog. We'll meet there.

Good. And then from your down dog, let's reach the right leg all the way up and back. Take a moment to bend your knee. Open up through that right side, couple breaths here. You might roll out your foot a few times.

Beautiful. And then start to straighten the right leg, gaze between your hands. We'll take a big step through between the hands. Good. Setting up for crescent pose, I'm going to step my left foot to the left a little bit.

And then once I have that solid foundation, reach your arms up, coming into high lunge. You can soften that back knee a little bit, let your tailbone melt down. Big breath in, energize up through your fingertips. Beautiful. And then let's open up to warrior two.

So facing the side of your mat, coming toward 90 degree bend in that front leg and staying really active in the back leg as well. Beautiful. And then from here, take a gaze over that right middle finger, let your shoulders soften a little bit. We'll flip the front palm. As you inhale, tilt up and back, reverse warrior.

Feel that length through the right side body, maybe bending a little deeper into that front knee. Good. And then circle hands to the earth. Step back, plank pose, moving through your vinyasa chaturanga. Al cobra or upward facing dog.

Exhale, down dog, beautiful. Left side, inhale, sweep the left leg up, take a moment to bend the knee, open up through that left side. Maybe roll out your foot a few times. Good. And then start to straighten your left leg, gaze between your hands, take a big step through between your hands, down the ball of your back foot, setting up for crescent pose.

Once you have that foundation, reach your arms up, feel the length up through the fingertips, feel the expansion across the chest. Good. Big, full breath in. And on your exhale, open up, warrior two, face the side of your mat, and just take a moment to find your internal alignment. Notice what you need here as we bring that front heel toward the center of the back arch.

Again, can you soften within the effort? Flip the front palm, keep the legs as they are, tilt back, reverse warrior. Big full breath in, feel the length in the left side body. Good. And then circle hands to the earth.

Step back through your flow. Arranga, inhale, cobra, or upward facing dog, exhale, meeting in down dog. Good. Hang here for a big, full breath in. Long breath out.

Good. And then let's add on a bit. So coming back to the right side, inhale, right leg lifts, exhale, step through. Same beginning as we inhale, we'll come up to crescent pose. As you exhale, open up, warrior two, face the side of the mat.

Good. Flipping your front palm, tilt back, reverse warrior. And then keep the legs as they are as we come forward, we'll come to extended side angle. Right elbow to thigh, left arm reaches up and over the ear. And then feel that length from your fingertips back to that left heel.

Good. Breathing into the shape. Beautiful. And then inhale as you come up and back, we'll straighten the front leg, reverse triangle pose. Circle down to the earth, step back through your flow.

Chaturanga, inhale, cobra, or up dog, exhale, meeting in down dog, the left side, inhale, left leg lifts, exhale, step through, stay on the ball of the back foot, we'll inhale up to crescent pose. And exhale, open up, warrior two. Good. Flip your front palm, keep the legs as they are, tilt back, reverse warrior. Exhale moving in to extended side angle, right arm comes up and over the right ear.

Again, feel that energy from your fingertips back to that right heel and then breathe within this shape. Find some spaciousness here, long spine, and then inhale as you come up and back, start to straighten through that front leg, feel the length in the left side body, reverse triangle. Good. And then circle hands to the earth, step back, plank pose, chaturanga, inhale, cobra, or upward facing dog, meet me back in down dog, let's hang here for breath. Hang in and let something go, breathing out, beautiful.

One more round with this, we'll add on just a bit. Inhale right leg lifts, same beginning, exhale, step through, good. Inhale up to crescent pose, exhale, open up, warrior two, good. Flip your front palm, inhale, tilt back, reverse warrior, exhale, just moving through extended side angle, elbow to thigh, left arm over ear, good. As you come up and back, we'll straighten through the front leg, feel the length in the right side body, and then keeping that length, moving into triangle pose, right hand falls somewhere below the knee, and that left arm can reach straight up, maybe gaze up towards your fingertips, good.

A little micro bend in that right knee, so you're engaging through that right quadricep. Good, let's bring the left hand to the hip, gaze down, setting up for half moon, put a bend in your right knee, reach forward with your right fingertips as they fall under the right shoulder, flexing a lot through that back foot like you're stepping on the wall behind you, and you can reach that left arm up, yeah, find one point to focus your gaze, your drishti, beautiful, and then meet me in chair pose at the front of the mat, step your left foot to meet the right, bend the knees deeply, arms sweep up, utkatasana, good, draw your hands to your heart, and then we'll move into a twist here, so bringing the left elbow to the outside of the right thigh, stacking at the elbows, drawing that prayer in front of your heart, let your hips sink down toward the height of the knees, big full breath in, and then let that all go, exhale, forward fold, step your feet about hips distance, and then maybe hook your peace fingers, your first two fingers and your thumbs around your big toes on an inhale, lengthen, lift halfway up, and as you exhale, let the elbows splay out to the side, tuck the chin, let your head hang heavy, a couple full deep breaths here, maybe shake your head yes and no, hold a lot in our shoulders and our necks, good, and then releasing your toes, we'll step into malasana, so take your feet about as wide as your mat, toes out, heels in, bend your knees, let your hips sink down, you're welcome to sit on a block here, otherwise maybe draw your hands to your heart, a couple breaths, and now you can stay here if you'd like, if you want to play with crow pose today, we'll go through that as we transition back to our down dog, so if you're moving into bhakasana or crow, we'll bring the big toes and heels together, bring your hands down to the earth, and then take the knees wide, as high up on the arms as you can, gaze in front of you, and then feel a bit of a rounding through the spine, maybe pick up one foot, maybe both feet lift, beautiful, and then you can step back or hop it back through a vinyasa, just clearing that side, inhale cobra, or upward facing dog, exhale, downward facing dog, and let's clear that with a nice big full breath in, maybe stick out the tongue and take lion's breath, detoxify, beautiful left side, inhale left leg lifts, exhale step through, good, set up your base as you come up into crescent pose allowing a big full breath in here, exhale open up warrior two, flip your front palm, inhale tilt back, reverse warrior, exhale passing through extended side angle, good, inhale up and back, feel it straightening through that front leg, feel the length in your side body, and then keeping that length moving into triangle pose, left hand below the knee, right arm lifts, take up some space here, find that spaciousness in your spine as you reach forward through the crown of your head, and back through that right heel, good, and then right hand to hip, gaze down, put a bend in your left knee, reach your left hand forward so it falls right under the shoulder and then flex through that right foot, arda chandrasana, half moon, maybe reach your right arm up, and then just playing with balance, practice in presence, find your drishti, beautiful, and then transition into chair pose, we'll step the right foot to meet the left, utkatasana, arms sweep up, big breath in, and as you exhale draw your hands to your heart, good, keep the length in your spine, we'll twist in the other direction bringing the right elbow to the outside of the left thigh, good, and then try to let your knees stay level to one another, so drawing that left hip back, breathing in, and let it go, step your feet hips width, maybe slide the palms of your hands under the soles of your feet, padahastasana, give the wrists a little break, any forward fold is great, just taking a moment to calm the body, the nervous system, these forward folds has an opportunity to go inward to listen to the teacher within, beautiful, and then you can slide your hands out, come halfway up, inhale, lengthen, move back through your vinyasa or feel free to step right back into your downward facing dog, we will meet there, good, and then from down dog big breath in, tongue out, lion's breath, let something go, good, step your feet together at the back of your yoga mat, and then glide forward to plank pose top of a push-up and we'll take a slow lower all the way to the belly, we made it, reach your arms back actively, you might catch an interlace with your hands or just reach the arms back, thumbs down, pinkies up, we'll move into shalabhasana, start to peel the chest up off the earth, maybe add your legs, spread your toes, so think about finding length as you lift here, allowing the back of the neck to be long, big breath in, good, as you exhale bring one cheek to the earth and then maybe sway your hips side to side, releasing any tension in the lower back, feel the support of the earth beneath you, beautiful, and then we'll take another round, if you found that interlace on the first side, maybe take the opposite thumb on top and then start to peel up shalabhasana, lift and lengthen, find your breath, sometimes I hold my breath in these poses and you have to check in with that every once in a while, where are you holding, take the opposite cheek down, let your hips sway side to side, good, and then one more, you can stay with shalabhasana or maybe bend your knees for dhanurasana, hold on to your feet, kicking feet into hands, lift up through the heart, a couple breaths here, big heart opener, breathing in, good, breathing out, reverse windshield wiper, your knees side to side, and then meet me back in child's pose, we'll press back through hands and knees, let the hips sink back towards your heels, you might wrap your hands back, just taking a couple full deep breaths here, noticing where all that movement lands, taking these pauses between the movement to just check in to notice, notice what you notice, good, and then take your time, we'll round our way up to seated and take your weight off to one side, bring the legs out in front of you and let's come on to our backs, so as you roll on back, hug your knees into your chest for a moment, maybe rock side to side, massaging through the lower back, beautiful, and then let's take a hip opener here, so let the soles of the feet find the earth, knees are bent, cross your right ankle on top of your left knee, find a figure four shape with your legs and then we'll come to thread the needle, so start to draw the shape in towards you, you might interlace on top of that left shin or behind that left thigh, and can you be at a place where your shoulders can soften just a bit, sending the breath to any sensations that you're feeling in that right hip, soften your eyes, your jaw, beautiful, and then slide into eagle twist, so let your left foot come down to the earth, cross your right knee on top of your left like you're sitting in a chair, and you might hook your right foot behind your left calf if you'd like or just float the leg open, and then cactusing your arms on either side of the body will scoot the hips to the right a little, and then let the shape fall to the left, so both knees draw to the left and then maybe gaze over that right shoulder, and just wringing it out, eagle spinal twist, breathing in, exhale to release and let something go, okay I could stay here all day, but we'll move on coming back through center, bring the soles of the feet to the earth, lift the hips up and just place them back down on the earth to neutralize your spine, and then the other side thread the needle, cross your left ankle on top of your right knee, find that figure four shape, start to draw the shape in towards you, let your shoulders relax, maybe close your eyes, go inward, and noticing how this side probably feels a little different, any sensations as they arise, beautiful, and then to transition we'll bring the right foot down to the earth, cross your left knee on top of the right, we'll cactus our arms, and then drop both knees to the right this time, you might scoot your hips to the left a little, and then maybe gaze over that left shoulder, bring it out, a couple full deep breaths, beautiful, and then slowly unravel, make your way out of there, bring the feet to the earth, lift your hips and just place them back down to neutralize the spine, we'll hug the knees into the chest, maybe take happy baby, hold on to the outsides of your feet or your shins, and then softening the shoulders if it would feel good to move a little bit side to side, you might rock, there's anything else here that your body is requesting honoring that, you might straighten out one leg as you rock to one side and then the other leg or take the legs wide, good, and then one more time let's hug the knees into the chest, maybe start to take your legs up and over your ears coming into plow pose, getting upside down for a moment, essentially a forward fold on our backs, beautiful, and then slowly one vertebra at a time, come on out of there, we'll catch the knees, hug the knees into your chest, wrap your forearms around your shins, draw your nose up towards your knees, allowing a big full breath in here and we'll hold the breath up at the top, sip in a little bit more air, and then open the mouth, side out, letting everything release into our final resting pose of shavasana, so letting your legs go long on your mat, let your feet relax open like books, bring your palms to face up on either side of the body and you can let your arms fall away from you, just take up some space here, letting go of any effort in the body, the breath, the mind, allowing the integration of your practice, body, mind, spirit, let go, let be, just rest. Allowing your breath to begin to deepen, bringing the awareness back to the physical body, inviting any gentle movements back to the fingers, the toes, the ankles, the wrists, and as you're ready, we'll reach the arms up over our ears, allowing a full body stretch, big full breath in, long breath out, soles of the feet to the earth, bend your knees, take your time to gently roll to either side, maybe resting for a moment on your side, checking in, notice whatever it is that you notice, with that ease of shavasana, we're ready for our day, we'll come to seated, bringing hands together in anjali mudra, this mudra of gratitude in front of the heart, just checking in with one thing that you feel grateful for today, holding that with you as you move out into the rest of your day, your week, thank you for sharing these practices with me, namaste friends.