Welcome to our Channel and welcome to yoga with Lin and Leo. This is the
first day of 19 Days of Yoga. As you can see in the video Leo in the purple, Lin
in the white. Leo will be showing some of the poses with the prop work. Starting
for our first pose Adho Mukha Swanasana. If you're practicing classically, lie
flat. Otherwise come from a kneeling position. Be in the pose,. If you find it's
quite difficult, (the hamstrings are tight, the hips are stiff) then just have a
look at the video and see how Leo is approaching the forward and back
action. Several times just to get a little bit more mobility. Keep the legs
absolutely strong and straight. Coming out of the pose, look forward, either step
or jump the legs towards the hands. Coming for Uttanasana with the outer
edges of the feet to the outer edges of the mat. If you find that the floor is a
little too far away, then use a couple of yoga bricks to place your palms.Keep the
legs lifting up, pull up all four corners of the knees and keep the legs strong.
We're coming back into Adho Mukha Swanasana, Dog Head Down. Either step or jump
the legs into the pose. As you can see here, Leo
again, is trying to get mobility by moving the body forward and back. If you
can practice the classic pose then see if you can move your chest towards your
thighs. To come out of the pose, look forward, jump or step the legs back for
Uttanasana. And again if the floor is too far away, then place a couple of
bricks underneath the palms. To come out of the pose, lift up through the legs,
take a breath in and extend up into Tadasana. Be in
Mountain Pose. Take the weight right back into the heels and pull up through the
thighs. Roll the shoulders back and down. We're coming down to floor level . So
preparing for Upavistha Konasana.This is when we take the feet far apart. As
you can see here Leo is organizing her equipment, sitting on two foam pads and
having two belts. Lin is sitting in the classical pose, grounding down with the
backs of the legs. To get this leg action it's really important that the muscle
fibers extend. You can work towards this action by using the belts, as seen in
the video, around each foot and then pull, to create that lift through the
center of the body. So holding onto those belts (if that's the way you're
practicing), and get the action of lift as well as extending those muscle fibers in
the legs. Learning these extensions you will find as you work towards the
classic pose that the extended leg will be on the floor with no air gaps between
the back of the leg and the floor itself. Keep practicing this action. Bring the
legs towards one another. Coming up into a standing position. We're coming for a
wide legged forward bend action. It's very important in this pose that you use
the legs and you keep the spine straight. If it's difficult to hinge forward and
maintain that, then take couple of yoga bricks and place your hands onto the
bricks. You can take the floor level quite high and gradually work, turning
the bricks, so that you come down onto the lower level. If you have the
flexibility and you can take the head a little bit further and the hands between
the feet, then press strongly through the legs. Be sure you're lifting
through the front thigh and lifting the lower abdomen towards the spine. To come
out of the pose, be strong in the legs look forward, and keep the spine straight.
On an inhalation, walk those hands forward and either pivot the feet or
jump the legs together. Stand in Tadasana. We're coming for our lateral poses. Take
the fingers to the chest, jump the legs wide. Coming for Trikonasana. Turn your
left foot in, your right foot out. Keep the legs straight and strong, hinge over
to your right. Take your hand to the outer shin or if you're flexible take
the hand to the floor. If your shoulders are stiff have a look at Leo's variations.
You can roll the shoulder or take the arms through the front motion to go up
into the upward action. Take a few deeper breaths. Keep the legs strong and
straight. Ground down into that back leg as you come up into a standing position.
Coming to the left side. Right foot in, left foot out. Keep the legs strong
and straight.
Hinge over to your left side, keep the
back leg working strongly. Ground down with the outer foot bone and pull up
through the front thighs. Extend the arms up towards the ceiling. Keep the
elongation of the trunk, taking the front body to the back body. Keep the breath
smooth and even as you come up out of the pose. Turning the feet, softening the
knees and jump the legs back. Stand in Tadasana. Standing nice and tall, recover
for a moment or two. We're coming for Dandasana (Staff or Stick Pose).
This is a sitting position. Be seated on your mat with your legs out in front. As you
can see here for Leo, Leo is sitting on a couple of foam pads and a brick behind.
If you find it hard to keep your spine upright then use some support. Keep the
legs grounded, be sure that you're extending into the heels. Bend your left
leg. We're coming for Marichyasana 1. Reach
back with your right hand and reach up with your left. Extend through the side
body as you take the arm in front of the thigh. This is a twisting action; use the
upper arm and the thigh to get a little bit more action. If you're able to catch
then see that you hold onto the hands behind the back. Otherwise use the
props. Take your hand to a brick. Extend the spine in an upward direction. Keep
your right leg absolutely straight and strong. Releasing out of the pose. Coming
back to Dandasana. Sitting nice and tall. As you bend your right leg, extending the
right arm up. Hook the arm again. Use the upper arm against the inner thigh to get
that extra lift. And again, if you find that you have that agility and you're
fairly flexible, hold onto the fingers or the wrist behind. Be sure that you're
keeping that straight leg absolutely straight and strong. As you're in this
pose try to extend and ascend your spine. Soft inhalation and exhalation. Come back
to Dandasana. Roll your shoulders back and down and keep the lift throughout
the front body. Our next pose is going to be Virasana.
This is a kneeling position. If it's difficult to do the classic pose which
is quite often the case when you first start yoga, then use the foam pads. As you
more. Be sure that the feet are facing directly back and if you're using the
foam pads then grip them with the sides of the feet. Place the palms onto the
foam pads then grip them with the size of the feet place the palms onto the
heels and the fingers towards the toes. If all of this action is very difficult, if
there's difficulty in the knees difficulty in the thighs then come for
the next action by sitting on a chair or standing in Tadasana. As you can see here
Leo has a belt. We're coming for Gomukhasana. We'll reach the back of the
palm between the shoulder blades. If you find it difficult then use the opposite
hand to help with the elbow to extend in this action.Raise up with your right arm
and catch both hands together. If this is difficult use your belt. If you're using
a chair then sit upright. If you're using a belt on a chair, then grab the belt. See
that you are extending up in Gomukhasana, keeping the chest lifted. Keeping the
elbows reaching away from one another.
Extend throughout the whole of the front of the body. Release the out of the pose.
Coming for the other side; again place the palm between the shoulder blades
catch hold of the belt and extend the left arm up, this time reaching up as
much as you can and then bend in the elbow. Catch either the belt or the
fingers again. Keep ascending the spine, lifting up through the
chest. Keep the broadness across the collarbones and be aware of pressing
down into the base; soft inhalation soft exhalation. Keep the elbows moving away
from one another. Again, ascend through the spine. Become aware of the action in
the shoulders, keep the outer shoulder rolling back.Preparing to come out of
the pose, releasing the hands. Sit with the legs straight out in front of you,
extend into the heels and ground down with your thighs.Ascend your spine, and
again, if this is difficult, sit on a couple of foam pads. We're coming for
Supta baddha konasana. If you find Supta Baddha Konasana quite challenging, then
use a bolster underneath the feet. As you can see here for Lin, Lin is covering the
classic pose; taking hold of the front of the ankles. Hold onto the front of the
ankles to then come into the pose. You may have
to lift the back of the pelvis slightly to get the full action.Be patient with
this action . If you're struggling with coming into the classic pose, then follow
the modification with the bolster as Leo is shown in the video.Take the soles of
the feet together and come into your supine action. This is a good way to work
you start to relax around the abdominal area and then scan the body. If this is a
difficult pose for you, then you can use support underneath the thighs, maybe a
folded blanket or couple of foam pads.Let the facial
features soften, let the outer shoulders release to the floor. Keep the shoulder
blades moving towards the back waist. This is an ideal position to gradually
passively open the stiffnesses within the hips. Let the breath be smooth and
even, let the abdomen slowly release towards the spine side. Take this
opportunity to release the nervous system. It may take a little while,
particularly if you're in the classic position and this pose is fairly new to
you. Just let the breath ease any tensions, soft inhalation soft exhalation.
While you're in this pose, start to acknowledge any tightness within the
body and just breathe into those areas. Slowly releasing. Coming out of this
pose by bringing the legs together the thighs together. We're coming for
Savasana. Start with the legs bent if you're in the classic position. If you're
practicing with props and you feel you need a little bit more support, then have
the bolster ready for the back of the thighs - have a blanket for the head. If
you're in the classic position, keep the knees bent for a little while, just let
the abdomen completely soften and then with resistance, start to extend the
heels away from you and finally the feet out to the outer edges. Just be aware of
the feet rolling away from one another, the inner thighs releasing.
Moving from the inner thigh to the outer thigh. Relax the abdomen, relax
the outer shoulders and be sure that the arms are turning so that the palms are
facing up towards the ceiling. Let the throat be soft, let the facial
features release. Release around the hairline, between the eyebrows, let the eyes
slowly release back into the body. Any thoughts that come into the head, slowly
dissolve with the breath; soft inhalation and exhalation. Let the throat soften.
Just be aware of the dynamic action of the breath. As you breathe in, the ribs
expanding and broadening If you'd like to stay here for a little longer then
please do. We are coming out of the video now so if you're joining us, roll to your
right slide, sit up into a seated position be there for a few moments
before you finish your practice. Namaste.