Day 27: Feel, Modify, Repeat

Hey, welcome back to Yoga Anytime, the 30-day adventure together and bittersweet day 27. Here we are. Look what we've come. We've come so far, you and I, so I wanted to acknowledge that. The first two sequences today will be the last time you do them ever in this challenge.

So now is the time to follow along or really take in that control aspect of feeling. Feeling, modify, shift, adjust. Make it your own. All right? So let's begin, my good friend.

Okay. From here, sweep the arms up overhead. These are those standing salutes. We exhale, forward, bend. Inhale, lift halfway.

And exhale, fold. Just the feet, spread the toes, connect to the mat, connect to the breath, the feelings and sensations. Good. Inhale, rise all the way up, a little gentle back bend. Exhale, flow forward and down into a forward bend.

Inhale, half lift. And exhale, fold. Inhale, rise and shine. Exhale, palms rest at the heart. Feel free to do as many rounds as you'd like or continue on with me.

Breathe in, reach up. Exhale, forward and down. Inhale, lift the chest to lengthen the spine and exhale, right foot back. Bring the knee down and rise all the way up, bringing the arms straight up or cactus. We've done some side bending here, some twisting.

We've even straighten the front leg. So for about three breaths, as we're here, what feels best to you? And really, when you make that choice, trust it. Trust it. It's totally correct.

Breathe in, reach up. Breathe out, bring the hands down. Step the right foot up to meet the left. Forward bend, exhale. Inhale, lift the heart, lengthen the spine and exhale, left foot back.

Find your lunge position. So I'm going to take my arms up, cactus arms, get into the shoulders. You can do whatever you did on the other side, add a little side bend, a twist, a straight front leg. Finding your own way based on this repetitive sequencing we're creating here. Good.

So let's step the left foot up to meet the right forward bend. Inhale, half lift, and exhale, let it all hang out. Good. Inhale, rise all the way up, and exhale the palms at the heart. OK.

I'm going to grab the block, place it at the front of the mat. So I can grab it. Side facing, last side facing, but you can do that on your own once the challenge is over. So here we go. Begin side facing by bringing the arms up overhead.

Exhale, forward bending. Inhale, half lift, exhale, step back into plank pose. Inhale, lower down, inhale, come forward, up and through, shoulders down, strong core takes you to downward facing dog. Right leg lifts on the breath in, little elbow tap in plank, exhale, inhale, right leg up, exhale warrior two, back foot down, circle the arm, left arm back. Good.

Let's do what we did yesterday. Let's get some fluid movement. Palms facing up, straighten the front leg, sweep the arms up overhead as you breathe in. Exhale, warrior two, inhale, sweep the arms up overhead, and exhale, warrior two, nice. Let's enter side, extended side angle through reverse.

Reach the right arm up, left arm rests gently on the back leg, and exhale the right forearm onto the right thigh. Left arm sweeps forward all the way up, palm facing me, let's say, depending on where you're directed, and then take that left arm, that big side angle shape on the left arm, rotate the trunk of the body open so those low ribs kind of spiral to the left, any and all movement is acceptable and encouraged, nice. Triangle pose, so I'm going to place the left hand, so place your left hand on your left hip, grab hold of your block, place the block on the highest level, so for a moment, come all the way up, straighten out that front leg of yours. Triangle pose, let's flow right into it, right, reach the right arm forward, take the right hand down toward the block, on the block, left arm, draw it up high, good. Press into the ball of each foot, the heel of each foot, stay lifted and lengthened through the side body, the right side body that is, maybe try putting that angle on the left arm, really nice, good.

Now left hand on the left hip, bend the right leg, take hold of the block, slide your left foot forward a little bit, half moon, place the block out beyond that right foot, use the block as a little stability, good, a little bending and straightening of the right leg, extend through the left leg, so ideally that left leg is parallel with the floor, if you can get it there, or anywhere in between the floor and there. Left arm, reach the left arm high, good, good work, open up the chest, rotate that rib cage open a little bit, how's your breath? Side facing, last side facing together, a little bittersweet this day 27, but anyway, let's keep on going, bend the right leg, keep the block where it is, and step back into warrior two, nice, it's not always pretty that transition. Let's continue to move though, reverse warrior, breathe in, up and back, exhale, windmill the arms down, step back into plank pose and it's side plank time, so heels to the right, stack up on that right arm, bring your right knee down for some support, that's an option, lift the hips, put an angle on that left arm, one of my favorites, left arm down, square up in plank pose, heels to the left, right arm nice and high, that low portion of your waist on the left side, those obliques, kind of engage there to lift those hips a little higher and put the angle on that right arm now, good, right arm down, exhale, low plank, upward dog, breathe in, nice strong arms, strong legs and strong core to take you up into downward facing dog. Take a moment here to catch your breath or realign the spine, stretch out the legs, reconnect to your overall purpose behind doing this, realign with the concept of feeling your way through the practice, kind of creating your own way of moving and take the left leg up as you breathe in, exhale, little elbow tap with that knee as you hold a plank pose, good, exhale, send it high, exhale, step it, warrior two, back foot down, strong all the way up into warrior two, front heel lines with the back heel, somewhere around there or front heel to the back arch, good strong 90 degree angle in that left leg if that's possible for you, palms facing up.

Straighten out the front leg, reach your arms up overhead, that's a full breath in, exhale, warrior two, inhale, reach up, straighten the front leg and exhale, warrior two, good, reverse warrior, reach up with the left arm, right hand reaches back gently on that back leg, extended side angle, left leg is probably burning a little bit by now, left forearm on the left thigh, take a moment before you even take that right arm up to rotate the ribcage open to the right while hugging the left hip back, okay, now take the right arm high, put a little angle on that arm, maybe there's some isolation movement in your shoulder and your shoulder blade, I'm not sure where you left your block but right hand on the right hip, reach and grab your block, oh yes, that's as deep and that stretch a lot, straighten out the front leg, shorten your stance, maybe come back up for a moment, shake the arms out, realign with your feet, pressing down, a little slight bend in your left leg, now reach through that left hip, the left waist all the way out through the fingertips of the left arm, triangle pose, left hand rests gently on the block, right arm reaches up nice and high, a lot of different things, you can put the angle on the right arm, both arms, you can take that right hand to your low back or over to the waist, you can put a real significant bend in that left leg if that's helpful for you, okay, now bend your left leg, right hand on your hip, bend the left leg, grab hold of the block, find your steady focal point, slide your right foot forward a little bit, just enough to find a little balance and now half moon, block comes down, use the block to keep your side waist and side body lifted and long, bringing your fingertips to the floor is not correct or right, it's just another option, so what's correct or right for you in this half moon shade, rotate the rib cage open, find a steady like laser focused gaze, right arm reaching left leg or right leg, right arm reaching up, right leg extending back, leave the block where it is, bend your left leg and step back into warrior two, land, really nice, square off the feet meaning point your toes forward, this is again with my back to you but I'm right here with you, wide leg forward bend, bend your knees, push the hips back, bring your fingertips down to the mat, maybe your palms, you can push the hips, like kind of rock the hips forward and back, you could bring one hand, your right hand to your right foot, your left hand to your left foot, fold a little deeper, hey there you are, well I don't know where you are but hello, really nice, let's get some side lunging now so come up onto the fingertips, open your feet up 45 degrees, lean into that right side just enough to wake up the inner thighs, your ankles, your knees, all in like a moderate healthy repetitive way, nothing's overdone and you're super super refining your focus and your listening capacity which will all sort of collect in that trust package, okay, bring it back to center, let's come all the way back to the left foot, bring your right knee down, bring your left knee down, on the exhale push your hips back into child's pose, forehead resting on your wrists, your forearms or the floor, soften, alright stretch the arms out and we'll transition into the offering is low back relief which we've got a block for, we've done this one other time, you can come onto your seat, have the block nearby you so you don't have to get up again to grab it and let's roll down to the back, so as much as I want you to join me in this last low back relief, this would be one of those examples of like you know what I did that one before and it didn't quite feel right, I'm going to go to the hip relief right, so that would be super empowering and really like almost like a big plus like you know job well done, I think you understand where I'm going with this, so if you're going to stay with me here, draw the knees into the chest, roll around a little bit on the low back and we're going to grab the block and place it on the lowest level underneath, if you have any like thick clothes around your low back either lower them or raise them so they don't bind into your back but to start off with place the block on a comfortable position in your low back, that sacrum area, not too low, not too high, so move around a little bit and then put some weight on it to make sure it's comfortable, two options, first one would be knees bent feet wide as the mat and let the knees draw toward one another, second option for you to explore would be bottoms of the feet together, knees out wide, personally this is my favorite because I find it easier, so sometimes I have to ask myself okay this is my favorite because it's easier, why is the other one difficult maybe it would be helpful for me to check into that one a little bit more often, so a little low back lift, gentle heart opener, some relaxing pausing and breathing, some awareness to how you feel, where you are now in your day, if you have the day ahead of you what are you going to do, how can you make your day better than yesterday or happy or productive, stay here or I like to bring the block up a little bit higher, the next little offering here would be to draw the legs straight up, you could also draw them up and bend them, draw them up, let the block feel supportive and not binding into your spine in any way, relax your arms somewhere comfortable, that's a choice, alongside you on the floor palms up, palms down, hands on the body, conscious breathing, paying attention, listening, that thread of listening, keep the legs up, ready to bring them down, feet are as wide as the mat with your legs bent, now lift your hips, move the block away like far enough away so it's not on the way as you lower your low back down, take your arms out wide and now really like a combination of like you're in final relaxation and the breath is really easy and you're adding this windshield wiper movement to the right and to the left with your legs, so it's minimal, minimal effort, just enough to move the shape of your legs, to stretch through the hips a little bit, good, bring it back to center, stretch the legs out, let's take one full body breath, arch the back a little bit, hook the thumbs, reach long through the arms and hands, point the toes forward and back, roll through the ankles, on your exhale, hug your knees into your body, day 27 coming to a close, come all the way up to sit, like I said bittersweet but here we are, day 27 coming to a close, I'll see you tomorrow for day 28, namaste.