Latest / Ten-Minute Mornings / 10-Minute Morning Yoga for Spring Reset (Vernal Equinox Flow)
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. 10 minutes to step into the days that are growing longer and to welcome in whatever your spring might be. Hello friends. Welcome to this daily flow 10 minute mornings practice. My name is James. And today is the vernal equinox. So that official tipping point when we start feeling a little bit of that spring in the air. And I think there's nothing better than sun salutations to kick it off. Step your feet together. Inhale, float the arms. Exhale, bow forward. down long spine and fold. Let's just warm up, reverse your swan dive rise, get that spine going a little bit. And then right away, bow forward on an exhale, flat. Fold, we'll do one more. Inhale, reverse your swan dive. Exhale, bow. Inhale, long spine. And step back to a plank. Exhale. Pause for an inhale. Exhale, lower knees, chest and chin. Cobra pose. Downward dog. Let's stay here for five breaths. Inhale. Exhale, one. Feel all that lengthening, the grounding, that energy is rising up from your fingertips, from your heels, feeling your body drawing back in space. On your next exhale, bend your knees and step forward and forward. Inhale, flat back. Exhale, bow. Rise up, inhaling. Mountain pose. Bring your hands to your side. Chair pose, bend your knees, float your arms. Keep those thighs spiraling together, wrap the elbows under, look up, inhale. Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, long spine. Step back to your plank, exhale. Inhale here. Knees, chest, chin, still warming up. Cobra pose. Downward facing dog. Anchor down in that left foot so that you can firmly step the right foot forward. Warrior one. Back heel spirals down. Float the arms. Right knee is deeply bent. Whatever deeply bent means at this point in your day. Inhale. Exhale, hands come down. Inhale, step back to plank. Exhale, maybe Chaturanga this time. Upward facing dog. Downward facing dog. Feel the firmness of the right foot so that you can use that engagement to step the left foot forward. Spiral the right heel down, come up to your warrior one. Wrap the shoulder blades, try to square the heart. Feel the pinky edge of the right foot. Feel the firmness of the left foot. And then I'm thinking about my low ribs, particularly in back actually, leaning back a little bit so I can lift my heart. Inhale. Exhale, hands frame that left foot. Step back to your plank. Lower halfway. Upward facing. Downward facing dog. Again, five breaths is traditional. I'm not sure exactly why the number five was chosen, but I always say five breaths is yoga teacher code for a medium amount of time. 10 breaths is a long time. One breath is a short time. So just stay with it and then bend your knees and big step forward, left foot steps, right foot steps, flat back, bow deeply, come into your chair pose, rise up, mountain pose. We'll use sunbeam as a jumping off point for what remains of our practice. So sit into your chair. Let's take a twist to the left. So prayer twist might not be happening for you. You can bring the forearm to the outside of the thigh or you can separate your knees and bring the elbow to the inside of the right thigh. Any of those will do. Feel the thighs hugging together. Look up over your left shoulder, inhale. Exhale, inhale. Releases the twist. Exhale, fold forward. Find your flat back. Step or maybe float to your Chaturanga. You're upward facing. Your Downward Facing Dog. Big bold step forward with that right foot. Eyes up, Warrior I. Inhale. Exhale, Warrior II. Let's move through our Flying Warrior to our Skandhasana, deep bend in the left knee, little stretch in the right inner thigh. And then we're coming right to Triangle Pose. So both legs straighten. Look up. Inhale. Exhale, Warrior I. Inhale here. Exhale, chaturanga. Follow your breath. Open up that heart, get that spine warming up. Feel the firmness of the right foot, staff the left foot forward. Warrior I. I inhale. Exhale, Warrior II. Inhale, lengthen the left leg, bend the right knee. Nice, firm rooting in both heels. Feel the little stretch in the inner thigh. And then shift forward, triangle pose. year one. Chaturanga. Don't feel like you have to rush any of this. So I go a little fast, you slow down. Just follow your breath. Firm the feet. Inhale. Exhale, bend the knees, look forward, step or float to the top of your mat. Find a flat back. Bow deeply. Sit into your chair and then twist to your right. Left elbow outside the right thigh or whatever variation you took on the other side. Tuck that tailbone, look up over the right shoulder. Breathe. Release the twist. Mountain pose. We'll mix it up a little bit. Inhale to your chair. Exhale, twist to the left. Look up over the left shoulder. Inhale, release the twist. Exhale, bow. Long spine. Step or float. Upward facing, downward facing dog. Step the right foot forward, come up warrior one, warrior two. Inhale, lengthen the right leg, exhale, bend the left knee. Now you're thinking ahead either skandhasana, I'm sorry, either triangle or half moon. So shift your weight. Maybe you float that left foot. step back. Warrior one, Chaturanga. Just flowing and breathing. When we flow, it's not about perfection. It's not about even nuance. It's just about connecting with our bodies and our breath. Step that left foot forward. Rise up, Warrior one. Open, Warrior two. Flying Warrior, lift the ball of the left foot. Skandhasana, bend the right knee. Now in your mind's eye, picture yourself coming forward, look out beyond the edge of the mat. So maybe you stop at triangle, maybe you keep going and you float that right foot. Then you step back, soft landing. Warrior I. Follow your flow. Inhale, exhale, bend the knees, step, float or hop to the top of your mat. Flat back, bow deeply, chair pose, twist to your right. Look up over that right shoulder, wring out the spine, wake up the digestion, release the twist. Right away, fold forward, inhale to prepare. Make your way to down dog. Warrior one, the right foot steps forward. Warrior two, flying warrior, skandhasana, triangle or half moon. Whoa, wobble all you need, as always. Warrior one, chaturanga, keep breathing, keep moving. Just follow your breath, listen to your body. Left foot forward. Warrior one. Warrior two. Flying warrior. Skandhasana. Triangle or half moon. It's just shifting weight. It's not some big crazy athletic thing. And step back. Warrior one. Chaturanga. Inhale, exhale, bend the knees, step or float to the top of your mat. Long spine, bow deeply, share pose, mountain pose. little sweat to welcome in the sun. Take this opportunity to see the day, the week, the weekend, the season unfolding before you. Decide how you will arrive, how you will treat others, 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.