Latest / Ten-Minute Mornings / 10-Minute Morning Yoga for Balance and Core Stability
Transcript
- James @ Daily Flow: Hello friends. Thanks for downloading the audio version of today's 10 minute mornings practice. The YouTube video is linked in the show notes. And if you're staying with just the audio, don't worry about doing it right. Just move and breathe in a way that feels honest. That's enough. a follow or review goes a long way. And of course, you're always welcome to practice live with me on YouTube, 8 a.m. weekdays. James: Just 10 minutes to release what does not serve and to anchor in what you can rely on. Hello friends, welcome to your Daily Flow 10-Minute Mornings Practice. My name is James. Come to your back. plant your feet so that your ankles are about under your knees and then wrap the shoulder blades under. As you firm down into the feet, lift your toes so you feel the spread of what we call the four corners of your feet. So one, two, three, four, and feel that pressing down. And then start to energize and curl up one vertebra at a time. Try to keep those shoulder blades wrapped under as you tuck your tailbone. Lift up, feel. the feet on the floor. And when you arrive at the top, interlace fingers, walk your shoulder blades nice and close together. I'm energizing into my feet and into my knuckles. And then that opens up the front body, the heart space even more. Inhale, exhale lower down the way you came. See if you can still find each vertebra one at a time. So the last thing to come down. is the pelvis. That felt really good. Bring your right knee into your chest. Make some little circles. Stir the pot a little bit. Go the other way. Let's make a figure four. Cross the right ankle to the left knee. I'm press my right hand into my right inner thigh and my left hand into my left one. As you feel that gentle opening. Nice stretch up through the right side body in particular, but really both. And then let's come to supine pigeon. Right hand threads the needle, interlace around that left thigh. Press the right elbow into the right inner thigh, inhale. Exhale. Keep the right knee, extend the left leg. Flex both feet. And then bring right knee just over your right hip. Press the right hand into the right knee. Press the right knee into the right hand. Both feet are flexed and active. I'm gonna put my left hand on my left thigh so I feel a deliberate grounding. And as I pull then, that feels core engaged. I have to give credit to one of my teachers. We worked on some standing postures yesterday that ⁓ inspired what we're going to do today. So thanks Robert. Anyway, pulling the knee in, pressing into it, breathe, inhale, and then release that. Take a little twist, guide that right shin across, look to your right. back to center. We'll do those things on the left side but let's start with our bridge pose. So anchor the feet, feel the spread of those feet, wrap your shoulder blades under, press down to curl up. Starting by tilting the pelvis forward, curling the tailbone under, rising up. As you arrive at the top, interlacing fingers, walking shoulder blades together. Inhale. Exhale lower down the way you came. You can keep the right foot right where it is. Just bring the left knee in and let's give it little bit of a hug. See how things are feeling. And then take out figure four, start by pressing the hands into the tops of the thighs. So inner thigh on the left and the hip flexor on the right. Ah, feels really good. Nice little morning thing. This is also really good for low back pain, by the way, if you have any of that. Left hand threads the needle, interlace fingers around the right thigh, press the left elbow into the left thigh. Feel that stretch all up the left IT band. Again, inhale. Exhale, set all of that down, keep the left knee with you and extend the right leg. Start by just sort of giving it a hug. And then stack the left knee over the hip, left palm into the left knee. And so this is not just setting it there, it's active. I'm pushing into the knee and then the knee is pushing back. Then the right hand on the right thigh. Feel that pressing down. and feel what that does in your back body. I really feel my low back getting a little closer to the floor, my core engaging. You might even be able to see it. I don't know. Take a breath. And then release that. Take your twist, guide that left shin across your body. Turn your head to the left. Then come back into the center. Cocoon everything in and just rock yourself up to sit. Cross your shins, come to all fours. So just finding your hands on the floor, fingers spread wide, external rotation of the biceps. Lift your heart for cow. Untuck your toes around your spine for cat. And then let's go ahead and find ourselves in down dog. So tuck the toes, lift those hips up and back. Pedal out your heels, shake out your head, see how things are feeling. And then let's meet in the middle of the mat. So walk your hands and feet to meet about halfway. Softness in the knees, hold opposite elbows, rag doll. and then release that and roll yourself to stand one vertebra at a time. So exactly what we did on the back, you're gonna do here. Well, not the bridge pose. So I'll face you. Start by shifting your weight into the right foot and bring the left knee up. Start by giving it a little bit of a hug. So finding a point off in the distance perhaps, soften your gaze, your drisdy. So starting here, just find balance. Now, release the knee and keep it lifting up. Then press the left hand onto the left knee, press the left knee into the left hand, press the right foot down, especially the instep of the right foot. This actually makes the balance much easier, although it's a challenge on the abdominals. Right hand on the right thigh, find that lengthening too. Inhale. Exhale, let's take a figure four. Ankle to knee, have a seat. So again, just like we did on the mat. Breathe. Coming up, bring the right hand to the left knee. Find that little moment of pressure, start to send the left hand behind and then. turn your chest maybe extend your left leg now i'm holding up the leg with my hand rather than pushing into it but if i release i can keep the leg floating mountain pose good pedal at the heels weight into the instep of the left foot, float the right knee. So the left leg is engaged. Start by just giving it a hug and finding your balance. Soft drisdy, soft gaze, both feet are flexed. Now, right hand, right knee, left hand, left thigh, pressure in both. So as that engages your core, ⁓ the balance gets a bit more steady. Figure four. Breathe. No stretching that outer thigh. Now as you come up, left hand to the left thigh. Start with a little bit of pressure. Lifting the knee up, pressing it down. Send the right arm back. Now I'm gonna take my hand to the outside of the right thigh and extend the right leg. Trying to keep some information from that core engagement. And set the foot down, Mountain Pose. Let's do a little bit of a flow. Feel the feet together. Sit into a chair pose. Shift weight to the right foot. Rise up with the left knee. Press the right hand into the top of the left knee. Feel how much you have to engage. Now my right hand will find the outside of the left foot. And maybe I straighten that. But keeping all of that energy in the core. Figure four chair, left ankle, right knee. Have a seat. Left peace fingers, left big toe. Keeping that same engagement, press down, rise up. You can keep the knee bent or straighten it. and pause. Shift weight into the left foot. ⁓ sit into chair. Chair pose. Energize the left foot. Come up with that right knee. Find that reaching across, press down. Maybe the outside of the foot, next step. This guy's in the Figure Four chair. Oops. Remember, nothing wrong with wobbling. Wobbling is how you find balance. There we go. Right fist, fingers, right big toe. Root down, come up. Maybe extend. Maybe keep it really bent. And I'm not reaching for the foot. I'm pulling the foot towards me. And then maybe open up. Share a post. and pause. Have a breath. Not easy. Slow movement, all core. Thank you so much for spending this time with me. Please pause for a moment. Reflect on the day as you see it unfolding before you. Decide how you will arrive. Decide how you will treat others and decide how you will treat yourself. The light that is in me bows to honors and is so grateful for the light that is in you. Namaste.