WEBVTT 00:00:00.078 --> 00:00:02.190 - What's up everyone? Welcome to Yoga With Adriene. 00:00:02.190 --> 00:00:05.940 I'm Adriene, and today we have some yoga tips. 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:08.085 So, this is a question that comes up a lot, 00:00:08.085 --> 00:00:09.600 and I want to tackle it today 00:00:09.600 --> 00:00:12.130 and we're gonna get started right away. 00:00:12.130 --> 00:00:14.670 Transitioning from Downward Dog to Lunge. 00:00:14.670 --> 00:00:17.820 Lunge to Downward Dog, how ever can we do it? 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:21.030 Especially in a flow class, or a vinyasa in a way that 00:00:21.030 --> 00:00:22.820 doesn't hurt out wrists and shoulders. 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:24.405 Let's play! 00:00:24.405 --> 00:00:28.080 So, the real answer to this question 00:00:28.080 --> 00:00:29.890 is that it just takes time, right? 00:00:29.890 --> 00:00:32.640 Integrating the body but we have to know the cues 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:36.150 and things to pay attention to in order to grow our practice 00:00:36.150 --> 00:00:39.420 in a way in which we can do that. 00:00:40.696 --> 00:00:43.644 So, that means, is we have to create a full body experience. 00:00:43.644 --> 00:00:45.150 So we can't just go straight to the Downward Dog 00:00:45.150 --> 00:00:46.770 here in my opinion. We need to start with a little 00:00:46.770 --> 00:00:51.760 Cat-Cow to open up through the front body, 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:54.470 to open up through the back body. 00:00:55.430 --> 00:00:58.210 To begin this conversation with the hands, 00:00:58.210 --> 00:01:02.010 which is super important for this conversation, 00:01:02.010 --> 00:01:03.990 for this question. 00:01:03.990 --> 00:01:06.550 And also with the feet. 00:01:08.138 --> 00:01:10.320 Take one more with your breath. 00:01:10.320 --> 00:01:14.100 Inhaling as you drop the belly to your mat. 00:01:14.100 --> 00:01:16.772 Exhaling as you draw the navel to the spine, 00:01:16.772 --> 00:01:19.109 tucking the tail. 00:01:19.109 --> 00:01:21.270 Awesome. Then curl your toes under, 00:01:21.270 --> 00:01:23.670 and send it up and back to Downward Facing Dog. 00:01:25.004 --> 00:01:26.640 Same thing, pedal in out here. 00:01:27.897 --> 00:01:29.760 And consider the space that 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:31.140 you're creating in the side body. 00:01:31.140 --> 00:01:34.812 So you might shift the hips a little left to right. 00:01:34.812 --> 00:01:36.635 Then send your awareness to your hands. 00:01:36.635 --> 00:01:38.700 Notice if your hands are starting to come up here if 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:41.840 you can press into all ten knuckles firmly. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:46.030 In particular, the space between your index finger and thumb. 00:01:47.284 --> 00:01:50.820 Draw the shoulder blades in and together, down the back body. 00:01:50.820 --> 00:01:52.830 Create space between the ears and shoulders. 00:01:52.830 --> 00:01:54.720 These are all super important things, 00:01:54.720 --> 00:01:57.960 as we work on getting that leg up and into our Lunge, 00:01:57.960 --> 00:02:00.299 gracefully and swiftly. 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:02.360 In time! 00:02:02.360 --> 00:02:04.320 Great, then take one more deep breath in here. 00:02:04.320 --> 00:02:07.200 This time bend your knees, take a big inhale in. 00:02:08.961 --> 00:02:11.930 And then exhale lower back to all fours. 00:02:11.930 --> 00:02:13.810 Awesome. If you need to take a quick rest 00:02:13.810 --> 00:02:16.680 off the wrists, please do. 00:02:19.160 --> 00:02:21.430 And then we're gonna come to all fours, once again. 00:02:21.430 --> 00:02:26.053 So, tapping into the core is kind of the biggest thing. 00:02:26.053 --> 00:02:30.440 When taking our leg all the way up, into the earth, 00:02:30.440 --> 00:02:31.840 excuse me, all the way up into the sky 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:33.880 and then all the way back into the earth, 00:02:33.880 --> 00:02:35.830 we have to activate the core. 00:02:35.830 --> 00:02:38.380 It's not just about swinging that leg up, and in. 00:02:38.380 --> 00:02:41.798 That's why we end up coming short 00:02:41.798 --> 00:02:43.330 and why we end up having to use our hand, 00:02:43.330 --> 00:02:44.710 which is totally fine. 00:02:44.710 --> 00:02:48.360 Which sometimes we'll do it our whole life, our whole practice. 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:52.450 But what we want to do is engage the core as much as possible. 00:02:52.450 --> 00:02:55.510 So, to play with that, 00:02:55.510 --> 00:02:58.810 and again, no judgement, every body is different. 00:02:58.810 --> 00:03:01.300 So your solution to this problem, 00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:02.290 or the answer to this question 00:03:02.290 --> 00:03:03.970 is gonna be a little bit different for everyone. 00:03:03.970 --> 00:03:07.101 But, let's just play and have some fun. 00:03:07.101 --> 00:03:08.890 That's the beauty of the home practice. 00:03:08.890 --> 00:03:11.780 We get the time and the opportunity to do this, 00:03:11.780 --> 00:03:14.080 together. So, we're gonna play with that 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.960 by lighting that fire in you belly. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:20.800 Lighting, kind of sparking that match in the center. Okay? 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.810 And we're gonna let this radiate and heat up a little bit. 00:03:23.810 --> 00:03:26.650 So, don't give up, stick with it, stick with me. 00:03:26.650 --> 00:03:29.954 We're gonna come to all fours. Wrists underneath the shoulders, 00:03:29.954 --> 00:03:31.770 knees directly underneath the hips. 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:34.530 First thing is first, press away from your yoga mat. 00:03:34.530 --> 00:03:35.940 In Downward Dog, there's a tendency to 00:03:35.940 --> 00:03:37.410 crash into the front body. 00:03:37.410 --> 00:03:38.980 So, we're gonna practice here already, 00:03:38.980 --> 00:03:40.790 pressing away from the earth. 00:03:40.790 --> 00:03:42.610 Finding this yielding sensation 00:03:42.610 --> 00:03:45.480 and then drawing the shoulders away from the ears. 00:03:45.480 --> 00:03:46.930 So, if you're collapsed here, 00:03:46.930 --> 00:03:51.060 here's the example of the negatory. 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:53.340 See if you can press away. 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:56.331 Create space. 00:03:56.331 --> 00:03:59.261 Neck nice and long. 00:03:59.261 --> 00:04:02.320 Then stack knees directly underneath the hip points. 00:04:02.320 --> 00:04:05.060 Press into the tops of the feet. 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:06.300 Inhale in. 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:09.996 Exhale, lift the knees, let them hover. 00:04:11.791 --> 00:04:13.250 Inhale, lower. 00:04:13.250 --> 00:04:16.270 Exhale, lift the knees, let them hover. 00:04:17.380 --> 00:04:19.900 See if you can maintain the space in the shoulders. 00:04:19.900 --> 00:04:22.300 So, if you're here and you're trying to lift, 00:04:22.300 --> 00:04:26.020 I have no power there. It sucks, so bad. 00:04:26.020 --> 00:04:29.170 So, maintain the space you created here and lift the knees. 00:04:30.191 --> 00:04:31.940 Breathing out. 00:04:31.940 --> 00:04:33.550 Lower as you breathe in. 00:04:33.550 --> 00:04:35.740 Let's do two more. Exhale, lift. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:37.030 It doesn't have to be a big lift, no, 00:04:37.030 --> 00:04:39.315 just nice and low. 00:04:40.297 --> 00:04:42.787 Inhale at the bottom. 00:04:42.787 --> 00:04:45.620 Exhale, draw the navel up, lift the knees. 00:04:45.620 --> 00:04:47.130 This time stay here. 00:04:47.130 --> 00:04:48.640 Notice that shake, that heat, 00:04:48.640 --> 00:04:51.193 that prana that starts to flow. 00:04:51.193 --> 00:04:53.530 And we feel like, okay, 00:04:53.530 --> 00:04:55.060 from the crown of the head to the tip of the tailbone, 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:56.050 I'm alive and awake. 00:04:56.050 --> 00:04:57.930 And I'm pressing up and out of my foundation, 00:04:57.930 --> 00:05:00.180 cultivating all of this energy in my center, 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:02.288 gathering it up in my core 00:05:02.288 --> 00:05:04.480 to create a full body experience. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.100 Great, slowly release. 00:05:06.100 --> 00:05:08.630 Curl the toes under, take a seat back and rest. 00:05:08.630 --> 00:05:10.600 Woo, shake it off. 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:12.560 Maybe massage the wrists, 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.280 rotate one way and then the other. 00:05:17.702 --> 00:05:20.080 And then we'll return to all fours. 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:22.840 So that same integration of the center, 00:05:22.840 --> 00:05:25.030 of the core energy is now what we're gonna bring our 00:05:25.030 --> 00:05:27.914 awareness to in Downward Facing Dog. 00:05:27.914 --> 00:05:29.530 So we'll come back to all fours, when you're ready. 00:05:29.530 --> 00:05:31.620 Send the hips up high. 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:33.810 Nice and long in the side body. 00:05:33.810 --> 00:05:35.650 Now same thing that you did on all fours, 00:05:35.650 --> 00:05:37.860 press away from your yoga mat. 00:05:37.860 --> 00:05:39.850 So you can bend the knees and literally look forward, 00:05:39.850 --> 00:05:41.180 press away. 00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:43.190 Bend the knees as generously as you need to here 00:05:43.190 --> 00:05:44.500 and then engage the belly. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:47.690 Draw the navel up towards the spine. 00:05:47.690 --> 00:05:50.320 Great, from here, we'll lift the right leg up high. 00:05:50.320 --> 00:05:51.490 See if you can notice 00:05:51.490 --> 00:05:54.260 your lower belly kind of growing soft here. 00:05:54.260 --> 00:05:57.250 And see if you can hug the lower ribs in, engage the belly, 00:05:57.250 --> 00:06:00.000 just like in hovering Table. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:03.580 Great, from here, bend the right knee, squeeze it in. 00:06:03.580 --> 00:06:06.030 We're back to that hovering Table here as you hover. 00:06:06.030 --> 00:06:09.200 Cultivate all this energy in the core. 00:06:09.200 --> 00:06:12.270 From here, send it back, Three-Legged Dog. 00:06:12.270 --> 00:06:13.989 Now, rather than thinking about stepping 00:06:13.989 --> 00:06:15.400 your right leg up and into your lunge, 00:06:15.400 --> 00:06:17.860 think about moving your center of gravity up 00:06:17.860 --> 00:06:19.480 towards the front edge of your mat. 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.490 Draw a big line, all the way up and over with your center. 00:06:23.490 --> 00:06:26.140 So my center is moving, and my leg is just following, 00:06:26.140 --> 00:06:29.080 following, following. And then I'll step up and in. 00:06:29.080 --> 00:06:30.760 I'm on the ball of my back foot. 00:06:30.760 --> 00:06:32.740 This is as far as I, Adriene, made it. 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:34.020 Maybe you made it this far. 00:06:34.020 --> 00:06:36.250 Maybe you made it this far. 00:06:36.250 --> 00:06:38.216 Just notice how far you made it. 00:06:39.650 --> 00:06:41.590 And then we'll lower the back knee, 00:06:41.590 --> 00:06:44.087 and come up off the wrists for a second. 00:06:45.742 --> 00:06:48.470 So, you may be like, I already knew that, 00:06:48.470 --> 00:06:51.290 connect to my center, but it's that practice. 00:06:51.290 --> 00:06:53.640 It's actually slowing it down and actually thinking about, 00:06:53.640 --> 00:06:56.150 what's moving here? Am I trying to just task master, 00:06:56.150 --> 00:06:57.724 bring my right foot up? 00:06:57.724 --> 00:06:59.330 Or, can I lead with my center? 00:06:59.330 --> 00:07:00.710 I guess, is what I'm trying to say. 00:07:00.710 --> 00:07:04.180 Can I cultivate this energy in the belly so that I'm actually 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:07.800 taking my center forward and the leg just comes to follow. 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:10.280 Let's try on the other side. 00:07:10.280 --> 00:07:12.320 Plant the palms, step the right toes back, 00:07:12.320 --> 00:07:14.140 lift the hips, Downward Facing Dog. 00:07:14.140 --> 00:07:16.751 Go through your checklist, foundation. 00:07:16.751 --> 00:07:18.750 That action, drawing the shoulders away from the ears, 00:07:18.750 --> 00:07:20.930 pressing away from the earth. 00:07:22.011 --> 00:07:24.000 Then when you're ready, lift the leg up high. 00:07:26.011 --> 00:07:29.330 Bring your awareness, cultivate energy to your center. 00:07:29.330 --> 00:07:33.882 This radiating ball of light, right here, navel to spine. 00:07:33.882 --> 00:07:36.530 Or maybe by the solar plexus, or just above. 00:07:36.530 --> 00:07:39.041 Then squeeze the left knee up and in. 00:07:39.041 --> 00:07:39.980 Hover here. 00:07:39.980 --> 00:07:42.270 Remember that hovering Cat-Cow. 00:07:42.270 --> 00:07:44.942 Hoo-hoo-hoo! Awakening full body. 00:07:44.942 --> 00:07:46.723 Then take it all the way back up. 00:07:46.723 --> 00:07:48.470 Then here we go. We're gonna imagine taking our 00:07:48.470 --> 00:07:50.240 center of gravity all the way forward. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:52.302 Think up and over. 00:07:52.302 --> 00:07:53.960 Center is moving forward. 00:07:53.960 --> 00:07:57.290 Center first, leg just comes to follow. 00:07:57.290 --> 00:07:58.983 And then I'll step it up. 00:08:00.142 --> 00:08:03.144 Great. Just notice where you made it today. 00:08:03.144 --> 00:08:05.351 Smile, lower the back knee. 00:08:05.351 --> 00:08:07.100 Come off the wrists. 00:08:08.722 --> 00:08:12.080 So really paying attention to the alignment, 00:08:12.080 --> 00:08:14.979 kind of that action and alignment marriage, 00:08:14.979 --> 00:08:17.020 so that you're creating a full body experience. 00:08:17.020 --> 00:08:20.550 So that you're not just trying to sling one body part up to 00:08:20.550 --> 00:08:22.950 the front of your mat for the Lunge 00:08:22.950 --> 00:08:27.322 but rather, moving as one connected part, right? 00:08:27.322 --> 00:08:30.052 So rather than all these parts, one moving part. 00:08:31.201 --> 00:08:33.560 Okay, we'll plant the palms, curl the toes under, 00:08:33.560 --> 00:08:36.370 send it back one more time, Downward Facing Dog. 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:38.690 One thing that I think really 00:08:38.690 --> 00:08:40.070 helps with this transition for me, 00:08:40.070 --> 00:08:43.600 and this overall integration of core, 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:46.730 to my limbs, and moving as one moving, 00:08:46.730 --> 00:08:50.470 breathing part are these Downward Dog to Plank hurdles. 00:08:50.470 --> 00:08:51.500 Now, these can be, 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:52.800 you can take a break for a second. 00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:55.180 These can be kinda tough if you're new to the practice 00:08:55.180 --> 00:08:56.983 because they're very strengthening, 00:08:56.983 --> 00:09:01.671 they do rely on upper body. Body building! 00:09:03.638 --> 00:09:05.790 But I love them because for that very same reason 00:09:05.790 --> 00:09:07.980 they're not just about building strength in the arms. 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:10.413 It's really about cultivating strength 00:09:10.413 --> 00:09:11.740 from the soles of your feet 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:14.290 all the way through the awareness of the crown. 00:09:14.290 --> 00:09:16.110 So, this is how it goes. 00:09:16.110 --> 00:09:17.420 We'll just do a couple. 00:09:17.420 --> 00:09:19.880 And then you can practice on your own. 00:09:19.880 --> 00:09:21.970 We'll come to Downward Facing Dog. 00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:24.126 Go through your checklist. 00:09:24.126 --> 00:09:25.880 Find your breath. 00:09:25.880 --> 00:09:28.620 Press away from your yoga mat. Careful not to lock the elbows. 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:31.332 A little soft buoyancy here is helpful. 00:09:31.332 --> 00:09:33.390 Then soften in the knees, speaking of buoyancy. 00:09:33.390 --> 00:09:36.025 Find a little bounce here. 00:09:36.025 --> 00:09:39.010 Come onto the toes and lift the hips up high. 00:09:39.010 --> 00:09:41.460 Draw a line with your center, all the way up and over 00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:43.590 as if it were climbing or jumping over a hurdle, 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:45.480 soaring over a hurdle. 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.720 Then you might have to widen your alignment here, 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:51.040 so you come into a nice Plank. 00:09:51.040 --> 00:09:52.650 Breathe in, then same thing. 00:09:52.650 --> 00:09:54.500 Draw a line with your center. 00:09:54.500 --> 00:09:56.441 So imagine if I had a big flashlight, 00:09:56.441 --> 00:09:58.380 hanging from my navel here, with a little bell. 00:09:58.380 --> 00:10:01.861 You would see it travel up and over. 00:10:01.861 --> 00:10:04.610 Don't worry about getting the heels down here. 00:10:04.610 --> 00:10:06.960 Worry about, am I moving from my center? 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:08.870 Up and over. 00:10:10.510 --> 00:10:13.010 Great full body strengthener, to Plank. 00:10:13.010 --> 00:10:15.660 Then up and over, back. Downward Facing Dog. 00:10:18.794 --> 00:10:21.002 Engage navel to spine. 00:10:24.101 --> 00:10:26.020 And back. 00:10:26.020 --> 00:10:29.070 Holy schmoley, let's do one more. Navel draws in and up. 00:10:31.516 --> 00:10:32.950 To Plank. 00:10:32.950 --> 00:10:34.110 And in and up. 00:10:34.110 --> 00:10:36.630 Draw a line back up and over the hurdle. 00:10:36.630 --> 00:10:38.400 Downward Facing Dog. 00:10:38.400 --> 00:10:40.670 Great! Take a deep breath in. 00:10:40.670 --> 00:10:44.200 Deep breath out as you lower the knees. 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:46.090 And shake it off. 00:10:47.295 --> 00:10:49.920 So, that attention to detail in the action alignment, 00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:52.361 that creating space in the Downward Facing Dog 00:10:52.361 --> 00:10:54.802 literally in the side body and the shoulders, 00:10:54.802 --> 00:10:56.220 finding that inner spiral in the thighs. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:57.780 You can go check out the foundations of 00:10:57.780 --> 00:11:00.730 Downward Facing Dog to go a little more in depth there. 00:11:00.730 --> 00:11:02.190 And, again, just thinking about 00:11:02.190 --> 00:11:05.230 if you can move from your center. 00:11:05.230 --> 00:11:06.950 Moving from your center so that your center is 00:11:06.950 --> 00:11:09.640 moving actually first and then the leg comes to follow. 00:11:09.640 --> 00:11:11.500 Your leg might not get all the way up 00:11:11.500 --> 00:11:13.040 when you're moving from your center. 00:11:13.040 --> 00:11:14.910 So you need to be where your body is at today. 00:11:14.910 --> 00:11:17.190 You need to be with your body, and be on your own team. 00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:18.090 And if that's the case, 00:11:18.090 --> 00:11:20.360 and it only comes to here and you're moving with your center, 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:23.730 take your hand, gracefully, step the foot up. 00:11:23.730 --> 00:11:25.460 Yeah? Cool! 00:11:25.460 --> 00:11:27.540 So, together we're working on transitions. 00:11:27.540 --> 00:11:29.250 We'll do more yoga tips, 00:11:29.250 --> 00:11:33.660 more transitions as the weeks grow long. 00:11:33.660 --> 00:11:34.694 (chuckles) 00:11:34.694 --> 00:11:37.110 Free yoga videos every Wednesday. 00:11:37.110 --> 00:11:38.160 I love it when people as questions. 00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:40.890 I love that we're having a conversation. 00:11:40.890 --> 00:11:43.860 You know, I always say that this channel is 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:45.680 what it is because of the conversation 00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:47.700 that we're having makes it special, makes it different, 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:50.070 and it really inspires me, and hopefully inspires you to 00:11:50.070 --> 00:11:52.420 actually keep returning to your mat 00:11:52.420 --> 00:11:54.040 to have an actual experience, 00:11:54.040 --> 00:11:57.982 instead of this whole… (inaudible whoosh noises) 00:11:57.982 --> 00:11:59.370 So, awesome work everyone. 00:11:59.370 --> 00:12:01.960 Thanks for the questions. Thanks for the conversation. 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:03.420 I'll see you next week! 00:12:03.420 --> 00:12:05.070 Take good care. 00:12:05.070 --> 00:12:07.234 Namaste. 00:12:07.234 --> 00:12:11.744 (upbeat music)