[0:00]Welcome. This is a 10-minute yoga for stiff bodies or body stiffness rather. Um, tension in the upper back, the lower back, the hips. This is a great sequence for just getting out of bed or even just midday if you've been sitting or standing long hours. Let's begin seated. Anyway, you feel comfortable. You can even do this sitting in a chair if sitting cross-legged is uncomfortable or you can click the link just above in the top corner of this video to find ways to sit cross-legged more comfortably. We'll begin circulating the head, feeling out all the clicks and ticks. Just warming up the spine here.
[1:12]And we'll go opposite direction.
[1:26]We'll come back to center, sitting tall once again, just begin to circle the shoulders, just finding some movement here. We're working down the spine.
[1:45]Then we'll alternate directions.
[1:55]And we'll come back to center. We'll inhale the hands up overhead. As you exhale, take a side stretch towards your left. Left hand just beside you, right hand reaches up and over. Inhale, come back up. As you exhale, side stretch towards your right. And we'll continue flowing with the breath. Inhale to come up, exhale for your side stretch. Moving at your own pace.
[2:38]And we'll inhale, reach up overhead. As you exhale, this time we're going to take a twist, so twisting towards your left, sitting tall. Inhale, reach the hands back up. Exhale, twisting towards your right. Once again, continue moving with the breath.
[3:07]Coming back to center, inhale hands up overhead. As you exhale, cactus the arms, elbows in line with the shoulders. Begin to gently twist side to side. No forcing here, just going at your own ability.
[3:30]And we'll come back to center, inhale hands up overhead. Exhale, take the hands to heart center. And when you're ready, we'll come to a tabletop position.
[3:49]Go ahead and extend the left leg, tucking the left toes and just getting into the back of that leg.
[4:04]And we'll release. Switching sides, extending the right leg, tucking the toes and just pressing into the heel. And we'll release. Coming back to your table, wrist under shoulders, knees under hips. Dropping the belly, inhale, take your gaze up for cow pose. Exhale rounding through the spine, take your gaze down for cat, continuing to sink breath with movement. Going at your own pace.
[5:08]Coming to a neutral spine, taking the hands a little further up. We'll begin to find some organic movements, so just moving wherever the body takes you. You can do some spinal waves, you can rock side to side. You can even just rotate the hips. Whatever the body needs.
[5:40]Coming back to our tabletop pose, wrist under shoulders, knees under hips. Inhale, reaching that right hand up overhead. As you exhale, threading it underneath that left shoulder. Left hand reaches towards the top corner of the mat or go ahead and take a bind if that's available.
[6:23]And we'll gently release. Take a moment here, shake it out. And when you're ready, we'll inhale, reaching that left hand up. Exhale threading it underneath the right arm. Right hand reaches towards the top corner of the mat or go ahead and take a bind.
[7:09]Gently release, take a moment here when you're ready. We'll round through the spine coming all the way down to your belly. Resting on your forearms, elbows in line with the shoulders. Lifting through the sternum, gentle back bend here, softening the shoulders as you exhale. Feel free to find a little bit of movement here, kind of rocking side to side, maybe even gazing over each shoulder.
[8:00]And you can rest here or go ahead and plant the hands underneath the shoulders, pressing into the tops of the feet. Inhale coming right into an up dog. Engage the core. As you exhale, plant the knees, sending the hips towards the heels for child's pose. Option here to place a pillow or bolster just between the hips and the heels. You can even place one underneath the torso for a little more height and support. Taking a moment here, drawing the breath into the chest. As you exhale, softening the shoulders and the upper back, allowing the arms to be heavy. Hands to be heavy.
[8:57]Drawing the breath into the belly, expanding the lower back, expanding the side body. So just feeling the waistband of your pants getting tighter here as you inhale. And with your exhale, completely letting go.
[9:15]Allowing the hips to be heavy.
[9:23]And we'll gently release, rounding up one vertebra at a time, take your time, let the head come up last. Taking a moment here. Give gratitude for the body, the vessel you have.
[9:45]Inhaling the hands up overhead. Exhale, heart center. Thank you for joining. Namaste.
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