Transcription
Welcome to Fightmaster Yoga, where it's not about the pose and you don't have to be perfect. Hi, I'm Leslie Fightmaster. Today's class, Yoga for energy.
Begin sitting tall with your shins crossed. And, hey, I have a quick favor to ask. For some reason my videos don't come up much in YouTube searches, will you share this video on Facebook? Because I'd like to see if it makes a difference. Thank you so, so much.
Now bring your hands together in front of your heart, as you deepen your breath. May your practice give you more than enough energy today, both on and off of your mat. Releasing the hands, switch the cross of your shins. Still sitting tall as you inhale, bring your chest forward, look up stretching the front of the body. As you exhale, round the back, chin toward chest, pull your ribs and belly in. Again inhale. Open the chest, widen the collarbones, little backbend. Exhale, rounding the back, pull ribs and belly in. Inhale. Look up, lengthening the front. Exhale, drop the chin in round, the back, stretch the back body. Once more, inhale. Widen your collarbones, look up, lengthen. Exhale. Round the back, chin to our chest.
And now roll yourself forward onto the hands and knees and shift your shoulders forward, as you lower slowly to your mat. All the way down arms. Arms alongside your body, pull your belly in. Roll the shoulders away from the mat and lift up. Inhale, take the legs apart, exhale, squeeze them together. Inhale, apart, exhale squeeze, lengthen back to heels. Inhale open the legs. Exhale bring them together. Use some resistance. Inhale, take 'em apart, exhale together and then rest a moment. Today was a little bit treacherous. High tide, wasn't sure if I was gonna get wet.
Once again, inhale, arms in front this time. Lift everything up, exhale pull the elbows back. Palms facing down. Inhale reach, exhale pull back on the arms. Reach forward inhale, exhale, use resistance like you're moving through water. Pull the elbows back. Inhale reach, exhale, keep the belly lifted. Pull the elbows back, inhale reach and release. It was a pretty bumpy space too, so balancing today was definitely challenging.
We're gonna put those two moves together. So inhale, lift everything up in a locust. Exhale pull the elbows back, widen the legs. Inhale, reach forward, squeeze the legs. Exhale, pull back. Open the legs, inhale squeeze and reach, exhale use your resistance. Pull back, open the legs. Inhale squeeze and reach, exhale pull the elbows back, thighs wide and lower and rest. Nice work, can feel that heart pumping already.
Bring your hands by your little ribs. Inhale, peel the chest up Cobra. Keep the belly lifted. Stay in Cobra or press into Up Dog. Thighs and knees up, and exhale to Downward Dog. Stretch back, arms shoulders distance, feet hips width and then you can bend one knee and the other as you bicycle the legs, warming up Spread your fingers wide. Press into the base of your fingers, lift the forearms. Take a breath in (inhales), exhale everything out. Keep your belly pulled in, walk your feet your hands. As you inhale, lengthen halfway up, long spine. Exhale fold, bend the knees as much as you like. Press down for the feet, rise up with a long spine inhaling, and then exhale bring hands to heart, Samasthiti. Feet hips width or big toes together, heels slightly apart. Press evenly through the feet.
Rise up with the arms, inhale. Exhale hinge from the hips, come forward with a long spine. Inhale, come halfway up. Take the arms out around and sweep them all the way up. Exhale hands to heart. Once again, inhale sweeping the arms up. Look up lengthen ribs and belly in. Exhale hinge from the hips, keep your spine long as you fold. Straight legs if you can, hips over heels. Inhale halfway and then sweep the arms out around and up, all the way to Urdhva Hastasana, exhale hands to heart. Samastitihi.
Will add on, inhale sweeping the arms up. Keep the ribs in belly in. Exhale hinge from your hips, and fold forward. As you inhale, lengthen. Exhale, step into plank, knees can be up or down, lower Chaturanga and inhale Up Dog or Cobra, always your choice. Exhale, downward facing dog.
On your inhale, lift your right leg back and up and today, exhale, we'll bend the knee, open up the hip, stretching back evenly through the arms and the shoulders. Now square off the hips, inhale. Exhale, lightly step it up by the right hand, stay on the ball of the back foot. Rise up for Crescent. Bend the back knee, tilt the pelvis forward, pull your right hip back, and make sure the knee is over the ankle. Arrow, straight arms. Now inhale, lean forward. Picking up the left leg, bend the knee, and then straighten it out. Exhale, lean forward again, as you set it back down. Little balance, so pulling ribs in belly, lift the pelvic floor. Leaning forward, inhale bring that leg forward, extend it out. Exhale bend the knee again, set it back down. Make sure the right knee is over the ankle each time. Inhale, leaning forward, pick up that leg. Extend it forward, shoulders above hips. Exhale, bend the knee, step it back slowly. And then next exhale come to plank and lower Chaturanga. Inhale, Upward Dog, shoulders over wrists, exhale Downward Dog.
As you inhale, (clears throat) excuse me. Lift the left leg up, exhale, open the hip bending the knee. Press evenly back, reach down for that right heel if you can. Now square off the hips. As you exhale, bring it forward right next to the left hand. Stay on the ball of the back foot, and rise up, Crescent pose, knee over ankle. Bending the back knee just to tilt the pelvis forward. Zip in through the belly, Arrow, straight arms, breathe. We're gonna balance again, inhale lean over the leg. Pick up the right leg, bend the knee and then straighten it out. Rebend the knee, lean forward to step it back. If you need to tap it down, no problem. I needed to. Inhale, lean forward. Bring that leg up, extend it out. Exhale, bend the knee, leaning forward, set it back. Make sure the left knee stays over the ankle. Once again, pull belly in, engaged pelvic floor, inhale. Bring the leg forward, extend it out Exhale, bend the knee and slowly set it down. Inhale here. As you exhale, bring your hands back down. Go to Down Dog anyway you like. You can take Chaturanga slowly, and then all the way to the floor. No Down Dog yet, I apologize. Lie on your belly. Roll your shoulders away from the mat again to Shalabhasana. Pull the belly in, press the pubic bone down. Lengthen sitting bones to heels. Keep the back of your neck nice and long as you breathe. Release and rest a moment.
And then again, inhale lift up to Shalabhasana. Stay with it or bend the knees, reaching for the little toe sides of the feet. Press the toes up and then press the shins back, lengthening out your back body by pulling your belly, in lifting hip points toward lower ribs. Take a breath and release. Hands by low ribs, inhale to Up Dog or Cobra and again exhale Downward Facing Dog. Stretching back here, even out the breath. Now bend the knees. Lightly step or hop your feet forward. Inhale to lengthen, fold as you exhale. Press through the feet, rise up inhaling, and exhale to Samastitihi.
Finding your Tadasana, inhale, sit back into Utkatasana. Weight in the heels, exhale belly to thighs and then straighten the legs. Inhale, halfway lift, exhale, step or float. If you float back, landing Chaturanga please. Inhaling, Upward Dog, exhale, use those belly muscles for Down Dog. Lift the right leg up, inhale, exhale draw the thigh in toward the belly for a breath and then step it right by the hand. Stay again on the ball of the back foot into High Lunge. Lengthen through the lower back. This time, hands to heart. Inhale, lean forward, exhale, right arm across and twist. Sorry, left arm across and twist. You can stay there or take a left hand to the floor, right arm up or sweep your right arm behind you and clasp your left hand underneath that right thigh. Any variation is wonderful, just widen across the collarbones, squeeze the outer hips, inhale, come up.
Now back foot flat, line up heel to arch, Warrior II. Widen across the collarbones here, drop the left arm. Inhale, reverse and then keep reversing. Inhale, straighten the leg. Come on up, set up for Triangle. Hinge from your hip crease, reach out and down. Right hand can be on the floor, the shin, a block. Now inhale, left arm forward in line with the ear. Pull the ribs and belly in and see if you can also reach the right arm forward, as you bring bottom ribs forward, top ribs back. Inhale, come up, bend the knee, Warrior II, exhale. Windmill the arms down, come to plank. Lower through Chaturanga, or you could skip that and go right to Down Dog. Inhaling, Upward Dog, exhaling Down Dog.
Take a breath and inhale, left leg lifts, level hips. Exhale, draw thigh toward bellies, shoulders over the wrists, and step it up by the hand. Stay on the ball of your back foot, coming to Crescent. So tilt the pelvis forward, zip in the belly and straighten through that back leg. Pull the left hip back. Bring hands to heart. Inhale, lean forward, hooking the right arm across to twist. Try to keep your hips level, left hip pulls back. You can keep hands at heart or right hand down, left arm up. It's another variation. Stay with that or left hand behind you. Right arm comes underneath the left thigh for an interlock. Squeeze your outer hips and inner thighs. The interlock is not easy. Do what you can. Unwind, inhale back to center.
Then take your back heel flat, line heel to arch, warrior II. Drop the front hip down, make sure the knee is over the ankle. Dropping the right arm reverse. Exhale, bend into the front knee. Keep reversing, inhale straight and then stay for your exhale. Come on up inhale, set up for Triangle pose. Hinging from the hip crease, reach reach reach, out and down, left hand to shin, foot, floor, or block. Right arm up, press into the base of the big toe of the left foot as you bring your right arm forward. Pull ribs and belly in. Maybe left arm forward, if you can manage. Bring bottom ribs forward, top rips back and reach through the arms. Engage your lower belly and your pelvic floor. Come on up, bend the knee over the ankle. Exhale, windmill arms down to plank. Lower Chaturanga, shoulders no lower than elbows. Inhale, shoulders above wrists for up dog and then back into your Down Dog.
Reconnect, equal inhales and exhales and then step or hop and take a seat, and lie back. Bend your, actually straighten out your legs first. Hands under the hips. Press up onto your elbows, lift your chest. Widen your collarbones and then tilt your head back as long as your neck is okay with it. Your head may or may not touch the floor, it doesn't matter, but just breathe and open the chest and open up through the upper back. Matsyasana, Fish pose. Bring your chin in, lie back down and bend your knees. Feet hips width apart. Outer feet parallel, point the toes in a little. So as you inhale, tilt the pelvis and then slowly press into gentle bridge as you exhale, lower down slowly. Just as you're about to touch the floor, inhale. Lift into your bridge again, maybe a little bit higher. Exhale slowly lower, maybe touching just gently. Inhale lift, perhaps interlaced the fingers. Roll shoulders under, exhale, lower, just about to touch and then lift up again. Keep the neck long, spiral the thighs in. Exhale, slowly down, almost touching. Inhale, back up, press into those heels, spiral the inner thighs down. Exhale, slowly lower vertebra by vertebra, then inhale, pressing up again. Maybe getting into the chest a little bit higher. Exhale lower down just about to touch and then inhale lift back up, press the shoulder blades in toward the chest. Lower, exhale, inhale, up again. Keep stretching out the front of body, lengthen, butt to backs of knees, exhale lower. Inhale, lifting up. And then lower down again just about to touch. Press back up, inhale, rolling shoulders under, spiraling thighs in and stay. Press into those heels, lengthen sitting bones to backs of knees, keep your neck long, and then release the hands if you were clasping and lower.
Put a hand on your heart center, hand on your belly, soles of feet together, knees apart. Think of three things that you're grateful for today, any three. Now take the feet back down, hip socket distance apart, heels under knees, another bridge pose to hold or bring hands up by ears. Come onto the crown of the head, line up wrists and elbows, pressing two wheel Urdhva Dhanurasana. Either way, spiral thighs and toward each other. Keep lengthening sitting bones toward backs of knees. If you're in Wheel pose, press your chest toward the top of your mat, toward the way you're looking. And chin into chest, lower down.
Now just hug the right knee in, extend the left leg out. So I'll unwind from our back bends a little bit slower. And then switch, left knee in right leg extends. Back bends increase the energy throughout your whole body. Hug both knees in roll a little side to side, make little circles. So you can roll all the way to your right side to press up or roll back and forth a couple of times, and come all the way to seated.
Extend the legs in Dandasana, pull the toes back, press heels down firming the legs. Inhale, reach up, exhale, hinge from the hips forward. Lengthen once again and then extend forward, exhale. Now if it's hard to sit up tall in Staff pose Dandasana, sit on the edge of a blanket or pillow. Keep breathing here, try to lead with the chest. Remember think belly to thighs, instead of head to knees. Relax the shoulders. Inhale make your way up and then make your way again on to your back.
Shift your hips to the left, drop your knees to the right. Option to cross left knee over right, looking over the left shoulder. Turn your belly up toward the ceiling as you take deep breaths in your twist. And then inhale, center head to center knees to center. Hips over the right, knees to the left, looking over right shoulder. Cross the right knee over the left, if you wanna go a little deeper. Try and turn your belly back up toward the ceiling, taking deep full Ujjayi breaths here. Relax your jaw and shoulders. Inhale, head and knees to center, hug knees into chest, lengthen sitting bones down, and then into our final resting pose. So shoulder blades toward the waist. Lengthen the lower back, relax your forehead and jaw. Our quote comes from Ashourina Yalda. "Your soul is your best friend. "Treat it with care, nurture it with growth, "feed it with love." Quiet mind, quiet body, Shavasana.
Begin to deepen your breath, start to move your hands and feet, fingers and toes. Inhale, take a long stretch. Bend your knees, roll yourself onto your right. Take a moment here to thank yourself for showing up and taking care of yourself. Good work. Slowly make your way up to seated, hands in front of hearts. Bring your hands to your forehead, reminding you to have clear and loving thoughts. Hands to heart center, reminding you to have clear and loving intentions, and hands to the mouth, reminding you to have clear and loving communications. Sending out this wonderful energy we created together to all beings everywhere. Namaste.
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