Let's Float
Legs, Arms, Strength, Arm Balance
This mini-flow is a surprise challenge! Start out slow with some important stretches, but then lift and float into funky arm balances.
Three Legged Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana Variation)
Press evenly through both hands and on an inhale breath, lift your right leg into the air. Keep your hips in-line with one another. Engage through your right leg to straighten it as much as you can. Keep your chest melting back towards your thighs, rather than spinning open.
Half Pigeon (Ardha Kapotasana)
Bring your right shin forward to the top. Allow your right knee to open like a book, and place the side of your right shin on the mat, parallel with the top of the mat. Flex your right toes. Settle your hips and the top of your left leg down on the mat. Place your fingertips next to your hips and find a nice tall spine. Breathe here or fold forward.
Ease slightly off of the stretch in your outer-right hip, and begin to roll onto the side of the right hip. Carefully sweep your left leg forward to the top of your mat. Extend your left leg straight out in front of you, and bring your right foot to the inside of your left thigh. Rotate your chest to face your extended leg. Lengthen your spine and then fold forward, attempting to keep a straight back.
Head-to-Knee Forward Bend (Janu Sirsasana)
Revolving Head to Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana)
With an inhale breath, straighten your spine from your forward fold. Tuck your left arm in front of your belly and reach your right arm overhead. With an exhale, bend to the left, reaching your right hand towards your left foot. Keep your chest open to the side, with your left shoulder tucking under. With each breath, try to keep extending the length in your side body.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Inhale from your side-bend and extend both your legs long on your yoga mat. You have two options in this shape, you can straighten your legs, or keep them slightly bent. If your legs are straight, then with an inhale breath grow long in the spine, and on your exhale, hinge at the hips and reach your chest down towards your legs, maintaining the length in your spine. If your legs are bent, wrap your arms underneath your thighs and grab hold of opposite elbows, settling your chest on to your thighs and letting your head relax. Breathe here.
Cradle (Hindolasana)
Keeping your right leg on the floor, bend your left knee and place left foot on the mat. From there, reach down and “scoop up” your left shin with both arms. You can lean down to take hold of the leg, nestling the left foot into your right elbow, and your left knee into your left elbow. From there, sit up straight and extend your spine. Imagine that you are cradling your left shin. You can even rock from side to side, warming up the hips. Some students might opt to stay at this step.
Elephant’s Trunk Pose Prep (Eka Hasta Bhujasana)
To move on in the sequence, take your left leg, and sling your left knee behind the left shoulder. Imagine that you’re putting on a backpack strap, but the strap is your leg! To start, press your left calf into your shoulder, giving it a good squeeze. Place your fingertips on the mat by your hips. Find a tall spine.
Elephant’s Trunk Pose (Eka Hasta Bhujasana)
From your prep pose, all you need to do is plant your hands on the mat. You might need to bend forward slightly to do this. Keep the press with your left calf against your arm. Engage your core and push into the floor to lift your hips. Point your right toes and lift your right leg off the mat.
Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)
Lower your seat and your right leg. Some students may choose to stay here or move on. To move on, lift your right foot up towards your left leg, which is still up at your shoulder. Cross your right foot over your left foot. From here, plant your hands on the mat, lean forward and lift your hips. Kick both legs off to the side and extend your chest forward and your seat back. Keep your gaze forward.
Four-Limbed Staff (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Some students will be able to unwind their legs from astavakrasana and shoot both legs back, landing with bent elbows in chaturanga. Other students can release their legs, cross their feet and roll over their knees, stepping back into downward dog.
