Yoga for Beginners - Core Stability & Strength _ Day 3 EMBARK with Breathe and Flow

Hey Yogis , welcome to day three of our beginner program .

Today's class is going to be focusing on core and you really need a stable core because it supports everything else in your body , all of the rest of your limbs .

And it also helps with reducing low back pain and keeping good posture .

So there's a lot that goes on with the mechanism of the central part of your body .

So all you'll need today is your mat .

If you don't have a mat , it's also totally fine .

Don't make it as an excuse to not practice .

It's fine to just do it on your carpet as well .

Whenever you're ready to begin , let's start in half .

So you'll start on your back , legs , bent soles of the feet , touch down on the ground about hip distance apart .

You can either keep the knees apart or you can rest them together .

Let's place one hand on the belly , one hand on the heart , close down the eyes and settle right into that stillness .

Begin to deepen your breath , feel that lift in the rib cage and as you exhale , relax the belly , take a few more breaths here on your own .

We always start off our class from a place of stillness where we put all of our attention on the breath because that's really the foundation of a yoga practice is keeping your attention on the breath so that you can continue to train your attention on being present .

I don't worry so much about the poses or having expectations around what poses we're going to do today .

We're here to guide you through everything so you can just relax , ease into your body , connect with your breath and we'll guide you through everything .

So continue with those slow deep breaths with every exhale .

You're really relaxing into mother earth , into the floor .

Take a moment here to set your intention for your practice .

Keep in mind it does not have to be something physical .

If you're not sure what intention just set , then it could be something as simple as I'm gonna be kind to my body .

As you keep your attention on the breath , you're going to blink , open your eyes .

We'll start to move into a so pine twist .

So you're gonna bring the hands to both of your legs , your thighs and then just start to bring both of your legs over to the right , let them rest down towards the ground and extend your left arm out to your side .

And your right hand can come to your rib cage as you inhale , feel the rib cage expand into your right hand and as you exhale , relax any tension that you're holding on to in the legs , in the feet in the face .

So don't worry about going super deep or trying to force your body into the twist .

Just relax here .

Let gravity do most of the work .

Just one more breath here .

Now with the help of your right hand , bring your knees back through center and all the way over to the left , let them rest down towards the ground .

It's also ok if they don't touch , if they don't touch the ground , extend your right arm out to your side , your left hand comes to the rib cage and again , a few deep breaths here , release , relax , breathe .

Now with the help of your left hand , bring your legs back up to center , hug the knees into the chest , give yourself a little squeeze and then start to rock forward and back .

You can hold onto the backs of your hamstrings , sort of massaging out your spine and then we're gonna meet in boat pose .

So you sort of find that balance , your shins are parallel to the ground , start to reach your hands forward towards your feet .

And then as you pull your chest a little bit closer to your quads , you're gonna retract the shoulder blades back .

So pull the arms back as if your shoulder blades are kissing on your back .

Now , if this is already too much for you , you feel like your hip flexor are starting to scream or your low back is starting to hurt , then you can just set down the heels perfectly fine .

So wherever you're at , you're gonna bring the palms together hands at the heart , we're just gonna do a few rounds of a Russian twist modification .

So bring your chest over to the left , let the left elbow hover above the ground and then bring it the hands through center over to the right .

Let's just do two more each side .

Nice and slow .

Try to keep your chest lifted close to the quads .

Last one over to the right back up to center .

We meet back in boat pose and then set down the heels .

If you had them lifted , we're gonna make our way into a table top .

So however you get , there is great and we'll begin with a wrist warm up .

So the wrists are under the shoulders , the knees are under the hips .

So for today's wrist warm up , you're gonna actually send your fingertips towards the edge of your mat and then bring the wrist just a couple inches apart from each other .

Spread the fingers wide , keep the arms straight and then start to lean forward , come up over the wrist and start to make a circle around the wrist as you swing your hips to your heels and back up to the top .

So you inhale as you come forward and exhale the hips , come back nice and easy .

You're not going too deep , you're not forcing your wrists into anything .

You might hear a little bit of popping or cracking .

That's fine .

As long as you don't feel pain , switch directions on the circle and continue to connect with the breath .

Nice and slow .

Last one back up to the top and then come onto the backs of the hands .

The fingertips point towards the knees start to step back towards the heels , maybe tuck the toes under .

So you're also stretching out the bottoms of your feet and then gently sway left and right .

The wrists might lift up off the mat that's fine and then release the wrist .

We come into a forearm plank .

So the forearms come down onto the mat , the forearms are parallel to the edge of your mat .

So you want to have a little bit of space between your hands and then step the feet back .

So here the hips are about the same height as the shoulders and you're really pushing the ground away .

So you're not letting your chest sink down .

This is not a resting pose .

You're really resisting gravity by creating as much space as you can between the mat and your chest .

Now , if this is already too much , then you can just set the knees down .

It's perfectly fine .

We're here for three more breaths and whatever pose , whatever variation feels best in your body , last breath and exhale knees down , hips down sphinx pose come onto the tops of the feet .

The gaze comes forward , start to engage the glutes to protect the low back , stretch out the abs and lower the chest down the wrist , come underneath the shoulders .

As you press back for child's pose , walk the fingertips forward , find that length in the upper back and then begin to lift the hips come into downward dog .

So you're making the shape of an A with your body a capital a or upset on V however you look at it , start to peddle out the legs , wake up the calves , the hamstrings and then find some stillness here in your downward dog .

Maybe keep a little bend in both knees .

As you continue to push the ground away , the chest comes closer to the quads , press onto the inside part of the hands , the base of the index finger , base of the thumb and breathe great job in her right legged the sky for a three legged dog .

So you almost want to have that straight line from your right heel down to the wrist as you inhale , left heel lifts up off the mat .

Exhale right knee comes to the nose around the back , push the ground away and then flex the right foot , step it between the hands for pyramid post .

So you're gonna step that left foot forward a few inches , a little micro bend in the right knee .

As you inhale , lengthen the spine and exhale , melt the chest down over the right leg .

Option here to sway the hips a little left and right .

Explore how that feels and the hips and the hamstring and then inhale halfway lift to lengthen and exhale , step your left foot to the top of the map forward , fold .

He'll tow the feet hip distance apart .

And again , let the head hang heavy , maybe a little bend in both knees , bend one leg and then bend the other and back to center .

As we inhale .

Halfway , lift hands come to the shins and exhale forward .

F a little bend in the knees roll all the way up to standing big breath .

Arms reach up overhead and then bend the knees for chair pose .

So you sit the hips low , you lift the chest high and send all the energy out the fingertips straighten the legs forward , fold in her halfway lift to Langton .

Exhale , place your hand , step your feet back , come into high plank .

So the shoulders are over the wrist , the hips are the same height as the shoulders start to shift forward , come up high on the toes and then set the knees down , lower all the way down to the ground .

In her halfway lift baby cobra and l lower down , press the hips back to the heels , child's post that will continue to connect that movement with breath .

So inhale hips come forward for half .

Teranga , keep the knees down , lower the shoulders , but not pass the elbows , press it back up , child's posts in hell forward .

Teranga with knees down , elbows are touching the rib cage .

Press it back .

Child's post beautiful job .

One more in he shift forward , press it back .

Child's post two breaths here to reset and begin to lift the hips , tuck the toes downward dog in her left leg to the sky .

Three legged dog really push the ground away .

Try to get that left leg as straight as you can .

The right heel lifts off as you exhale left knee to nose around the back , hug the thigh of the chest flex .

The left foot , step between the hands for pyramid pose on the left right foot , steps forward a few inches and you melt down over the left leg .

Keep that little micro bend in the left knee and then your right heel should be down on the ground .

So if your right heel is lifted up at all , then it just means you need to shorten your stance by bringing the right leg forward so that both heels are down on the ground .

Take three more breaths here , maybe explore those little micro movements as you sway your hips left and right and then inhale halfway , lift and exhale .

Step the right foot to the top of the map forward , fold , feet or hip distance apart and exhale , fold down in hell .

Rise all the way up to standing strong legs , arms reach up overhead and exhale chair pose .

Hold it here .

Find that neutral spine at the hips , a little lower , beautiful job .

Last breath street and the legs forward in her halfway lift and he placed the hand up the feet back high plank .

I sit down the right knee and then swing that right leg off the right side of your mat as you lower your left heel down in her left arm up to the sky modified side plank .

really reach that left hand up to the sky as much as you can last breath .

Excel left hand comes down to the mat .

We meet back in high plank .

Step that right leg back .

We're here for three breaths .

We're all doing our best good job .

Keep it up gently , set down the left knee , swing that left leg out side plank on the left and exhale right hand back down to the mat .

We meet in high plank without actually moving anything .

Imagine pulling your toes closer to your wrist .

Notice the whole front side of your body start to kick on , start to shift forward , come up high on the toes , set down the knees and then press it back .

Child's posts two breaths here and then lift the hips .

Keep the knees down .

Chaa halfway down shoulders do not come lower than the elbows .

Press it back .

Child's post .

Great job .

Two more on your own move with the breath .

Let the breath pull you into the post .

Beautiful job back to child's and tuck the toes under , lift the hips downward dog in , he'll lift the heels , bend the knees , walk the feet to the top of the map .

Forward , fold , inhale halfway , lift hands at the shins and fold and he'll rise all the way up to standing big breath .

An Excel forward phone and how half we lived and then exhales start to bend the knees , come into a seat and then make your way onto your back .

Keep the legs bent , soles of the feet down on the ground and then walk the heels a little bit closer .

So you can almost touch your heels to your fingertips .

We're coming into bridge posts .

So as you inhale , lift the hips up towards the ceiling , start to engage the glutes .

Keep a little bit of space between your chin and your sternum .

You're not collapsing your chin down to your chest .

And then without moving anything , just imagine the feeling and the energy of pulling your heels closer to your shoulders as you fire up your glutes , your hamstrings , your calves .

Last two breaths here , you can do it .

You're doing great and exhale slowly lower the hips down to the map .

Start to windshield wiper the knees , let one knee come in and then the other release the tension in the spine .

Wonderful job .

The knees come back up , pointing towards the sky .

So for this , we'll stay here in this half Shabaa position .

You can either have your knees apart or you can let the knees rest together , keep the hands down at your sides , palms facing down or up towards the sky .

Whatever feels best for you .

We're gonna do a breath work that's basically doing 30 power breaths .

So we're gonna take 30 deep in hills .

And then at the end of the 30 we're gonna exhale all the air out of the lungs and then we're gonna hold at the bottom with no air in the lungs .

We're just gonna hold there for about one minute .

And then at the end of the hold , we're going to inhale and then we're going to hold at the top of the breath for about 15 seconds .

And that'll just be one round .

We'll only be doing one round in today's class , but you can do this up to five times .

We have a whole separate video on this breath work as well , but this is just a little introduction .

So if you have a history of epilepsy , then please skip this breathwork , just continue to breathe normally .

And for the rest of us , let's begin .

So start with those 30 deep power breaths .

I'll guide you through everything so big in hell , through the mouth , exhale through the mouth , inhale .

So continue on your own , those slow deep breaths and you're really filling the air up not only in your chest , but also in your belly , big deep breaths , fill the lungs all the way up and then release .

You're doing wonderful .

Keep it up .

You might start to feel dizzy or your hands begin to tingle .

Perhaps sound starts to fade away .

That's all perfectly normal .

Just continue with those slow deep breaths .

You're in a safe place .

You can do it .

Keep it up .

Last five , four , three , two .

Great job .

Last one big breath .

And as you exhale all the air out and then you're gonna hold at the bottom .

So we're holding here just about 45 more seconds .

You got this , relax the tension in your body , whatever is happening in the body , just let it happen .

We're holding here at the bottom of the breath .

Last five , 43 , one big in hell .

Fill the lungs all the way up and then hold at the top 10 seconds .

Hold here whatever you're feeling in your body .

Just let it be 321 XL release , let your breath come back to its natural rhythm .

We're going to stay here in this half for just a couple minutes in meditation before we come into .

So just stay as you are , put all of your attention on your breath , focus on one breath at a time and how he repeat .

If your mind has already begun to wander into the future or the past , that's fine .

That's normal .

Treat yourself with loving kindness .

Let the thought go .

Come right back to your breath in her ex hell .

Repeat meditations .

Don't have to be long .

It only takes a couple of breaths to pull yourself back into the present moment .

And as you saw here , you also don't have to be sitting with your legs wrapped up like a pretzel in order to meditate .

What's most important is that you're comfortable and that the spine is long .

So even meditating here as you're lying down is perfectly fine , all we're doing is training our attention to become more present and treating ourselves with loving kindness on the way .

So you can stay here with your legs bent or if you would like to extend the legs out for .

And now you're welcome to .

Either way we recommend that you stay here for a couple more minutes , but we'll be ending the video here .

Great job making it through day three .

We are so proud of you .

We'll see you tomorrow for day four .

I must stay Yogi .