30 Minute Stress & Tension Release Vinyasa Flow Including Reverse Warrior, Forward Fold & Downward Facing Dog

By: Yogi Auxiliary Inc.
Date: 05/17/2017
Website: http://www.yogiaux.com
[Transcript] 30 Minute Stress & Tension Release Vinyasa Flow Including Reverse Warrior, Forward Fold, Downward Facing Dog & Trikonasana
Duration: 00:30:24
Welcome to the Prana Reports : Stress & Tension Release Vinyasa Flow
My Name is Kylie, and I will be guiding you through the 30 minute beginners class focused on releasing tension and stress, and promoting restfulness and relaxation.
Lets go ahead and get started in a comfortable seated position.
Eyes Closed, Sit tall, and allow the shoulders to soften away from the ears. Hands can rest on the thighs or in your lap. Take a moment just to settle in and find a place that feels comfortable for you. Ankles can be crossed bring a slight tuck to the chin and allow the eyelids to be really heavy here. Empty your lungs completely, Take a deep breathe in, fill up, and exhale fully out of the mouth.
Take a deep breathe in, Open mouth sigh, One more just like this, Inhale and exhale. Seal your lips and continue to breathe fully in and out of the nose. Allowing your breath to be full and steady, and if you'd like you can start to bring a little bit of movement to the head and neck.
Finding some neck rolls, allowing the head to fall from the right ear, across the chest to the left ear, letting go of tension and stress that you might be hanging onto in the neck or upper shoulders.Keep a nice tall spine, as you roll the head and neck, then come back to center.
Find some shoulder shrugs, shoulders come up to the ears, then allow them to soften back down.Do this a few more times, shoulders come up to the ears and then they roll away. Plant left palm to the left side of your hips, and extend right finger tips up and over head.
Find a nice big side body stretch. Plant the right palm and reach the left finger tips up and over head.Anchor down through the left hip, finding extension through the side body.
Inhale come back to center. Find cactus arms or goal post arms, and then interlace fingers in front of the body, send the shoulder blades to the back of the room.Inhale extend, open chest and heart and exhale interlaced fingers, press shoulder blades back.
One more time, inhale cactus arms and exhale press the finger tips away and come back to center. Coming onto hands and knees, table top position. Shoulders stacked directly over wrists. Hips stacked directly over the knees. Cat and Cow (Cat-Cow Pose), drop the belly, look up, lift the tail bone, exhale press the floor away.
Gaze comes to belly button. Inhale drop the belly, look up, and exhale press the floor away. Chin comes towards chest. One more time, drop the belly, look up, and exhale arch the spine.
Gaze comes in, find this one more time, on your own, and see if you can connect movement with breath. On your next inhale, come back to table top. Finding downward facing dog, press hands into the mats, straighten the legs and lift the hips towards the ceiling.
Chest reaches towards the thigh, knees can be bent or straight, heels work down towards the earth but they do not need to touch the floor. Finger tips are spread apart and each one of the finger pads, each one of the knuckle pads, suctions down into the earth. Slight tuck of the chin, continuing to lift the tail bone towards the ceiling. Shift gaze to the top of your mat, take little baby steps all the way up.
Coming into rag doll or forward fold. Generous bend in the knees, grasp onto opposite elbows, allow your weight to shift forward fold towards the balls of your feet.Option to find stillness or movement,
swaying from side to side, allow the head and neck to hang heavy, releasing tension once again through the shoulders, head and neck.
Continuing to shift weight forward fold. Release finger tips down towards the floor, put a generous bend in the knees, and roll all the way to stand. Shoulder shrug up to the ears, and soften down and away. Shoulder shrug up and exhale, soften shoulders away.
Inhale sweep the finger tips overhead, take a hold of left wrist with the right hand. Send the left hip to the left side of the room and press firmly into both feet. Take a deep breathe in come back to center.
Take a hold of right wrist with left hand. Reach up to the sky, feeling a nice big side body stretch, inhale, come back to center, exhale. Hands to heart center, eyes closed.
Take a few deep breathes here. Truly feeling your breath, noticing your breath, and making it even fuller with each inhale.
Vrikshasana Tree Pose, open up through the right knee , hands are still at heart center, foot can be a kickstand. You can bring the right foot to the shin or you can guide the sole of the right foot, all the way up to the left thigh. Avoiding the knee joint, finding lots of external rotation of the right knee.
Hands can stay at heart center or you may find an arm variation of your choice. Hands over head or arms out to a T. Breathe deeply and find a non moving focal point, a drishti, for your eyes to soften upon.
Take a deep breathe in and full breathe out. Hands come to heart center. Knees come back to center. Toes touch, inhale breath, sweep the arms over head, exhale. Hands come to heart center, tree pose (Vrikshasana) on the left side . Left knee opens, use the foot as a kickstand.
Bring the left foot to the right shin or all the way up to the thigh. Once again, avoiding the knee joint. Hands can stay at heart center or again you can find an arm variation here. Shoulders soften away from the ears, tall spine, anchoring down through the big toe, the pinky, and the heel.
Core is engaged, belly button lifts up and in, find your breath, and find the focal point for your eyes. Hands come back to heart center, knee come back to center, arms fall to the side, deep breathe in , sweep the arms over head, sun salutations.
Exhale forward fold, inhale lift half way, palms pressing to shins. Exhale step it back, high planker push up, slowly lowering down to the knees, all the way down to the belly. Slowly, inhale baby cobra, lift chest and chin off of the mat. Almost no weight in the palms, exhale, press it back through table top to downward facing dog.
Tail bone reaches high to the ceiling. Shift gaze towards the front of your mat, step all the way up. Inhale lift half way. Exhale forward fold. Inhale knees bend, reach up, rise up, exhale, hands to heart center. Inhale, sweep the arms over head, exhale, forward fold.
Inhale, half lift, straight spine, exhale high plank, slowly come down to the knees. All the way down to the belly, elbows, pinned to the side, inhale baby cobra, lift chest and heart, and exhale table top to downward facing dog.
Take 2 full breaths in downward facing dog and then shift gaze to the top of the mat. Step all the way up, inhale lift half way, exhale forward fold.
Inhale knees bend, rise up, exhale hands to heart center. Inhale reach the finger tips over head. Exhale dive forward fold, inhale lift half way, exhale, step it back, find high plank.
Find the modified chaturunga that youve been finding, knees down, lie down, baby cobra, squeeze elbows in. Lift chest and heart, press it back through table top to downward facing dog. Building some heat in the body as we move, reach the right heel high to the ceiling. Step the right foot in between the hands and rotate the left heel parallel to the back of your mat.
Sweep the arms up, reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), deep bend in the front knee, arms are parallel to the floor. Front knee is externally rotated, shoulders soften away from the ears. See if you can get just a little bit deeper into the back knee. Flip the front palm, reverse warrior reaching back, looking up.
Breathe here, side body stretch, extending finger tips towards the sky. Exhale extended side angle. Right forearm comes to the right thigh, left finger tips reach up and over head or straight up towards the ceiling.
Legs are exactly as they were in reverse warrior 2. Spiraling chest and heart open. So forearm can stay on the thigh or fingertips can reach down towards the floor. Inhale back to reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Trikonasana triangle pose.
Send the right hip all the way to the back of your mat and then allow yourself to hinge at the hip. Right finger tips extend down towards the floor. Left finger tips reach high towards the ceiling.
This is a great place for a yoga block if you have one accessible. Bring the ground just a little bit closer to your right hand.
Chest and heart spiral open. Come back to reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), deep bend in the front knee. Exhale cartwheel the palms down to the floor. Find high plank, shift into a forward fold one inch on your toes. Lower down just half way, full chaturunga. Inhale upward facing dog and exhale downward facing dog.
This is just an option. You can always find the knees down, lie down cobra option, that we did for the start of class, so know that it's just an option.
Inhale left heel reaches high, exhale left foot steps in between the hands. Right heel rotates down parallel to the back of your mat, reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II). Finger tips extend in opposite directions, shoulders soften, left knee opens externally.
Deep bend in front knee, back leg is completely straight. Pressing evenly into front and back foot, flip the left palm, reach up and back, reverse warrior.
Right hand softens to the right thigh, left finger tips reach up towards the ceiling, deep breathe in and full breath out.
Inhale to reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), extended side angle, left forearm to left thigh. Right finger tips reach up and over head or towards the ceiling. Legs are exactly as they were in reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II) using the strength of your core to hold you in this challenging posture.
Right shoulder rolls open reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II). Straighten through the front knee, send the right hip back. Reach the finger tips of the left hand as far as theyll go and then soften the finger tips down towards the floor.
Right hand reaches towards the sky. Left hand can come to block or the floor or your shin. Spiral chest and heart open and energetically pull right and left foot towards one another without actually moving the feet on your mat.
Both legs are straight and then move back to reverse warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II). Deep bend in the front knee, full breath in and exhale. Cartwheel the palms, find high plank, full or modified chaturunga so knees down, lie down, baby cobra, or chaturunga.
Upward facing dog and downward facing dog. Take a deep breath in and a full breath out, look to the top of your mat. Find high plank, come down to the knees, lower really, really, slowly all the way to the belly.
Finding spine strength, bringing hands just under the shoulders, lift head, neck and chest. Baby cobra, hands have almost no weight onto the mat. Maybe even lift the palms off of the mat, exhale, soften your right or left cheek onto the floor.
Arms come to your sides, take a moment of rest, find your breath.
Inhale chin comes to the mat, locust pose (salabhasana). Lift upper and lower body off of the mat, find a slight tuck of the chin. Squeeze inner thighs towards one another, squeeze triceps towards one another and breathe. Feel the strength in your whole back body.
When you're ready, soften left or right cheek down to the mat and windshield wiper the toes from side to side. Releasing the low back. Deep breaths in and full breaths out. Chin comes back to center. Find a table top and then spread the knees wide finding extended childs pose (balasana). Belly softens in between the thighs. Forehead comes to the mat or a stacked fist or two.
Finger tips extend out in front of you. It might feel good to nod your head "no" here from side to side. Releasing tension through the brow bone, take a deep breath in and allow the belly to soften even more here.
If youd like a side body stretch, you can reach the left finger tips towards the back of your mat and the right finger tips to the front left corner of your mat and then walk the hands all the way over to the right side of the mat.
Right hand slides past the feet, left finger tips to the top right quadrant of your mat. Option just to stay in extended childs pose (balasana) as well. Find table top position, sway the hips from side to side and then cross the ankles and come onto a seated position.
Extend legs out in front of you. Flex the feet, bring the fleshy part from underneath your sitz bones. Plant palms to your sides, (dandasana- staff pose).
Great for posture, shoulders soften away from ears. Press hands into the floor and reach the crown of your head, all the way towards the ceiling. Big breath in and big breath out.
Inhale extend finger tips over head, exhale hinge at the hips making a connection with hands and feet. Hands and calves or hands and thighs. Knees can be bent here as well.
Great option. So find something that feels good in your body and the goal here is to find length in the spine. So not just a forward fold but extending hips to crown of the head, as you lengthen here.
Allow chin to soften towards chest and just breathe. Forward fold are generally restorative postures so see if you can empty the mind here as you allow yourself to soften.
If you choose you can turn this into an completely passive stretch bringing the arms to the sides of your thighs. Rounding out the spine. Inhale, sit tall. Finding a seated spinal twist. Cross right ankle over left thigh.
Plant right palm behind your hips. Bring the left elbow to the outside of the left thigh. Continue to grow tall with each inhale and exhale. Use the leverage from your elbow to your knee to twist you just a little deeper.
Never forcing the twist but guiding. Inhale, find a counter twist, shifting gaze over the left shoulder and come back to center.
Bending through the left knee, cross the ankle over the thigh. Plant left palm, reach right finger tips over head and then bring right elbow to the outside of the left knee. Shift gaze over the left shoulder. You can also hug around the knee if that feels better. Wherever you are, find length and spine, reach crown of head towards ceiling, soften shoulders, find a spinal twist on the other side. Shifting gaze over the right shoulder, supine bound angle pose.
Soles of feet come together and knees lay apart. You may know this as butterfly pose (Badhakonasana) from when you were a child.
Elbows can come into the inner thighs and inner arches of feet peel apart from one another. Find length and spine, soften shoulders away from ears and then gently guide yourself just a little deeper into this posture by pressing elbows into the inner thighs.
Take a deep breath in and exhale, full breath in and exhale. Inhale sit tall, bring the knees together and then find a straddle so wide legged forward fold. Find length in the spine, reach finger tips over head and then walk the hands out in front of you. Finger tips, palms or forearms may touchdown with the floor.
Either is fantastic. Flex both feet, flex both ankles, reaching the toes towards the ceiling.
Continuing to walk the finger tips out in front of you and breathe through any tension or tightness that begins to arise as you deepen this posture. Take a full breathe in and exhale. Inhale breathe and exhale. Inhale walk the finger tips back up, bring the legs together and give them a nice big shake out.
Letting go of any tension or tightness that may have popped up, knees bend, navasana boat pose.
Rock weight back into the hips, hands can come behind the knees. Knees are bent or shins are parallel to the floor. Option to sweep finger tips towards the ceiling or plant palms behind hips. If you feel yourself, kind of crunching into the low back, back off a little bit here. Bring hands to knees or plant palms onto your mat. Reach crown of head towards ceiling, working the abdominal, working the core.
Take a deep breathe in, find length, lift the toes just a little bit higher and then bring the soles of the feet back down onto the floor.
Slowly lowering all the way to the back. Hug the right knee into the chest and stretch the left toes out towards the front of the room. Flex both ankles and it may feel good to roll out the right ankle here or point and flex one or both ankles. Shoulders soften into the earth, head is heavy. Squeeze through the right hip, this is wind relieving pose.
Eventually allowing the right leg to fall across the body. Right finger tips reach out to the right side of the room and gaze softens over the right finger tips. Left hand comes to the right knee, deepening this twist softely.
Take a deep breath in and exhale. Let go of tension. Mental or physical tension. Allowing your relaxation to build, bring the right knee back to center. Give it a nice big squeeze and then switch sides. Wind relieving pose (Pawanmuktasana). Left knee hugs into the chest. Flex the ankles or find some circles with both or one ankle. Squeeze knee into chest, breathe here.
Feel that compression and eventually allow the left leg to fall across the body. Finger tips reach out to the side of the room, gaze comes over the left finger tips. Again, soften into this twist with your breath.
Maybe, you choose to close your eyes, continue to let go of thoughts or agendas that begin to pop into the mind and see if you can just focus on the sensation of this movement. The feeling of your breath, inhale come back to center. Squeeze the left knee into the chest, hug the right knee in as well and then place the soles of the feet onto your mat.
Close enough that your fingers can tickle the heels. Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). Press into the hands, press into the feet, lift hips, high into the ceiling. Chest comes to chin, chin moves away from chest. If this feels ok here, you can start to shimmy shoulders underneath you and interlace the fingers under your low back. If you take this option, press the pinkies into the mat, squeeze inner thighs towards one another.
Press into the big toes and the heels and then exhale slowly soften all the way down to the mat. Once again allow the knees to windshield wiper back and forth, releasing tension in the low back.
Arms can be out at a T as you do these movements. Supine bound ankle pose, soles of feet come together, knees fall to the sides of the room. Bring one hand to the belly and one hand to the heart, eyes closed. Feel the connection between your breath and the stillness.
Notice your chest and heart as it rises and falls. With each inhale and exhale that you take, release tension through the jaw, maybe wiggle it from side to side. Bring the knees back to center. Finding waterfall, hands rock underneath the hips, soles of the feet reach up towards the ceiling.
Knees can be bent or straight, well let gravity take over for the next minute or so in this posture. If at any point in time you feel strain in your low back, take a moment to bend the knees and place the soles
of the feet onto your mat. Notice the physical sensations that arise, you might feel some tingling in the feet or the ankles allowing gravity to really take over here.
This posture is fantastic for reducing swelling in the feet or the ankles and its actually an inversion, bringing the feet above the heart, so so good for your body. Continue to breath deeply here, bending and straightening the knees anytime it feels good and again just feel the sensations in the feet, shins, the legs, as you continue to breathe deeply.
Knees bend, soles of feet come on to the floor, hug both knees in towards the chest finding happy baby. Reaching hands to the outer or inner edges of the feet, pressing tailbone into the floor and rocking from side to side. Opening up through the hips and the hamstrings.
Allow yourself to move really slowly here and continue to work the tailbone towards the floor. Big bend in the knees, come back to center. Curl into a little tiny ball, give yourself a huge hug for everything youve accomplished today and whenever your ready find your final resting pose shavasana or corpse pose.
Legs are wider than hip with distance apart, toes fall to the sides of the room. Arms are to the sides, palms shine up towards the ceiling. Let go of any control you have over your breath and allow your entire body to soften, empty the mind, and focus on the feeling that your breath brings as it moves in and out of the body. Allow each and every muscle to soften and relax onto your yoga mat.
Release any tension your holding onto in the muscles of the face, arms and legs are heavy, hips are soft and open, low back softens down towards the floor along with the mid back. Chest is open and shoulders are soft and relaxed on your yoga mat. Take a few more breaths on your own, relaxing, releasing.
Whenever your ready, you can start to find a little bit of movement in the fingers and in the toes eventually stretching arms over head, finding a full body stretch. Bend the knees, roll onto your right or left side, coming into fetal position, head rest onto the bicep. Great place to give yourself a moment of gratitude for perhaps trying something new today for being present and breathing deeply.
Eventually coming into a comfortable seat on your mat. Hands rest on the thighs, slight tuck of the chin, empty the lungs completely, take a deep breath in.
Open mouth sigh, full breath in, fill up, big exhale.
Let it go, one more just like this inhale, huge exhale.
Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you through your practice today. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, Namaste.