SPEAKER: This is Yoga
For Your Heart.
These moves boost circulation
and help increase your energy.
Come over to your mat,
and sit on your heels.
Take your hands and just put
your hands on your heart.
Just send an intention
of healing to your heart.
Just stepping the right leg
forward, bent knee into a Low
Lunge.
Left leg back.
Knees on the ground.
You can stay here
with fingertips on the ground
or lift the fingertips
to the sky.
Moving into a long leg,
straighten the right leg, bowing
over toward the knee.
Bend the knee.
Plant the left hand
on the floor.
Lift the right arm to the sky.
We’re going to do this three
times.
So come back to your Low Lunge.
Hands up, if you’d like.
Breathing through.
Lengthening the right leg.
You’re really stretching
the hamstrings there.
Coming into the Twist,
left hand on the ground.
Right arm to the sky.
Opening up
the intercostal muscles
along the ribs.
Coming right back to the center.
Breathing deeply.
These poses help to bring more
oxygen into the bloodstream.
One more into the twist.
Left hand on the ground.
Right arm to the sky.
Stepping back.
We’re going to do this
on the other side.
Left leg through.
Right leg long.
Easy on the knee.
Either staying Low Lunge,
hands on the floor,
or reach the hands
up to the sky.
Do Runners Lunge, lengthening
the hamstrings, folding over.
Peel the toes back
toward the face.
As you move into the Twist,
right hand on the mat.
Left arm to the sky.
Come back to center.
Lift arms.
When the arms are overhead,
you are gently energizing
the heart.
And once more into the Runners
Lunge.
Moving into the Twist,
right hand to the floor.
Left arm to the sky.
Back to center.
You do that three times
on each side.
Stepping back, take the legs
back into a Down Dog Pose.
Take a deep breath
into the center of the heart.
Lift the tailbone.
Take the right leg to the sky,
3-Legged Dog.
Bend the knee.
Open up through the hip.
And flex the right foot.
Straighten the leg.
Start to bring it through step.
Step the right foot
to the ground.
Bending the knee.
Easy.
Ground that back heel
into Warrior 2 Pose.
Your arms are parallel
to the legs.
Just gaze out
over the right fingertips.
And then lifting the arms up,
touching palms on the inhale.
Exhale back to Warrior 2.
We’re doing this a few times.
Arms overhead.
Arms back to Warrior 2.
One more arms overhead.
Back to Warrior 2.
Take your hands to the floor.
Move into a High Twist.
Left hand to the floor.
Right arm to the sky.
Stepping back to Down Dog.
Open through the shoulders.
Left leg to the sky,
3-Legged Dog.
Bending the knee.
Open up the left hip.
As you straighten the leg,
just slide it through.
Move into Warrior 2.
Strong legs.
Strong heart.
Lift up straightening
the front leg.
You can touch palms, or just
reach the arms to the sky.
On the in-breath,
back to Warrior 2.
Inhale.
Lengthen the arms overhead.
Exhale.
Warrior 2.
Come back into your high Runners
Lunge.
Move into the Twist.
Right hand to the floor.
Left arm unfurls to the sky.
Look at your front toe.
Step back.
Easy into Down Dog.
Lengthening the back
of the legs.
Grounding the fingers
into the mat.
Stepping the right leg forward.
Arms in line with the legs.
Straightening the front leg.
Start to move into Triangle
Pose.
Right hand goes anywhere
on the right leg.
You can put it on your thigh,
or right by the knee,
or you can move the arm longer
down toward the toes.
Left arm to the sky.
Strong legs.
Long spine.
Reach up through the torso.
Just step the back leg
in a little bit.
Turn the hips forward.
Left arm to the sky.
Right hand on the right hip.
And take the left hand
over for Reverse Triangle.
You can have the hand
on the thigh, or on the knee,
below the knee, anyplace that’s
comfortable for you.
You want to keep the spine long.
Focus on the breath.
Step back to the front
of the mat.
Stepping your right leg back.
We’ll do the Triangle
on the other side.
Lengthening the left leg.
The left arm comes out anywhere
on the left leg.
Right arm to the sky.
Anchor yourself
with that back leg,
strong and steady.
Step the right leg forward.
Square your hips off.
Right arm to the sky.
Left arm on the hip.
Just take the right hand,
planting it on the right leg
anywhere as the left hand goes
to the sky.
You’re getting a deep Twist
here.
It’s said to be soothing
to the spinal nerves
of the body.
Step back to the front
of your mat.
And then open up
for a wide-legged stance.
Arms out in line with the legs.
Hands on the hips as you
fold the torso
through that triangle
in the legs.
Place your hands on the floor.
Right arm on the floor.
Left arm to the sky.
Wide-Legged Twist.
If your hand doesn’t reach
the floor, you can also put
a pillow or a block there.
Left hand to the floor.
Right arm to the sky.
You can also keep the left hand
on the leg, if your hand doesn’t
reach the floor.
Clasp your hands behind you.
We’re squeezing the shoulders
here, bringing your shoulder
heads together.
You can also box your elbows,
if this pose is too
difficult for you.
Just give a good squeeze
to the shoulders,
opening up the front
of the chest,
the muscles along the front
of the chest, and the heart.
And slow and study, take
the hands to the waist,
and just gently come up
through the torso.
Turn your feet back to the front
of the mat.
Step back into Mountain Pose.
Put your hands to the heart,
and just take a squat.
Take a squat to the ground.
Heels can be on the mat or off.
Find a seat.
Left leg long.
Bend your right knee.
Reach out
toward that front foot.
Reaching out to the left foot.
The aim here is Knee to Nose.
You can put your hands
around the foot.
You can put your hands
on the floor, or on the leg.
Just really relax.
Relaxing the back, the spinal
nerves.
Relaxing the heart.
As you lengthen the hamstrings,
you’re relaxing the shoulders.
Move into the other side,
as you bend the knee, left knee.
Just get your seat oriented.
Lengthen that right leg.
Flex the foot as you reach
toward the foot.
Hands anywhere.
Really relax the upper body.
As you relax, you’ll go deeper
into the pose.
Stay for three to five breaths.
And we’re taking this cushion.
You can use any type of cushion.
This is a yoga bolster.
You can also use a couch
cushion, or a rolled up blanket,
or a pillow.
And just sync it up
to your tailbone.
Legs are long and relaxed so
that your feet flop out to Fish
Pose.
This is Supported Fish.
So you’re getting a backbend.
If you want a little extra boost
for the heart, you can put arms
overhead.
Box your elbows.
Take deep breaths
into the lungs, helping
to increase lung capacity here.
Lengthening the arm bones,
relax the shoulders.
Creating more space
in the whole area of the front
of the chest.
That area that we often compress
when we’re seated.
So you’re really opening up
that heart space here today.
And if you’d like to try Fish
without any cushion,
you can do it this way, where
you actually sit on the back
of your wrists,
palms on the ground.
Legs are just stretched out.
Flop your feet out, and then
roll up onto your elbows.
Most of the weight
is on the elbows.
Just lightly touch the top
of the head to the mat.
This is a more advanced stretch
for the muscles along the front
of the body.
You can see the neck.
Lengthening the neck very easy.
When you first come out,
first put the neck and head
on the floor.
Then release the arms
and shoulders.
You can end this sequence
by putting hands on the heart,
sending some love to your heart.
Arms by your side.
Take a rest.
Make sure you allow yourself
some time to rest.
3 to 5 minutes in the Resting
Pose.