Class #5088

Day 1: The Essential Flow

35 min - Class
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Welcome to Day 1! Join Laura Hanlon for a straightforward Pilates Mat class to kick off your challenge. This class will set the tone for the rest of your challenge. Laura's cueing is clear and concise to keep you focused and in your flow. You will feel strong and energized!
What You'll Need: Mat

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Welcome to day one of the challenge. I am Laura, and very excited to take you through our beginning mat class to get started. Pretty basic, definitely will still feel our bodies working, getting into the breath, the mind, the whole connection of the work. So let's get started. You're gonna be in the middle of the mat with your feet towards the very front edge, not too close to you.

We'll start by warming up the spine, holding onto the back of those knees, pulling the shoulders down. Think of lifting up through your chest, through your heart, dropping those shoulders, taking a nice deep breath in, and then exhale as you contract and round back through your spine, finding a pretty straight arm here. We'll do that two more times. Pulling the chest forward, shoulders down into the back, opening up across those collarbones with a deep breath in and exhale to contract and curl it back. One more time here, getting a little deeper into the breath, inhale, lengthening out through the spine, lifting through the heart and exhale to contract and round.

Make sure those heels stay firmly planted to the mat. Find a straight elbow here and then reach those arms forward. Trying to stay curled through the spine, we'll begin bending those elbows back towards the ribs on an inhale and exhale deep in the belly to reach the arms straight back forward, inhale to pull them back, shoulder blades pulling down into the back, exhale belly button back towards that spine for three and reach and two, inhale and exhale. Once more, just like that. Elbows bend back, deep in the belly, back arms reach forward, holding it here for a breath in and then taking the back of those legs to work our way back up onto those sit bones, taking that deep breath in a little spinal extension here and exhale to contract.

Maybe deepening the belly going another inch further this time, we have five more elbow poles. Inhale to take them back, exhale to reach them forward. Slowly warming up through those low abdominals. Think below your waistband here, right where that seatbelt would lie in the car, working into the transverse abs, reach those arms forward, holding for a breath in, exhale to curl that, maybe without the arms this time, keeping them forward. Little bit more challenging on the core.

Straight spine, inhale lengthened through the crown of the head. Exhale deep in that belly, contract back till those fingertips just pass the knees, maybe an inch further. Those elbows draw closer to the floor for five. Exhale to reach forward for four, staying relaxed through the shoulders, through the chest for three. Exhale to extend. Last two, inhale.

Exhale, arms reach forward, belly button pulls back. Once more, inhale to bend and exhale to extend holding it here, taking a breath in, staying relaxed through the shoulders. Maybe holding onto the knees if we need and slowly making the way down one vertebra at a time, all the way to the floor. Arms will reach down by the sides. Head will relax back. We'll walk those feet a little closer in towards us focusing on a nice neutral pelvis here.

Sit bones, tailbone reaching long, palms pressing into the floor and drawing the right and left leg up to a tabletop position. We'll start with them just hip width apart here. Knees stacked right over the hips, right in line with the hips, palms pressing into the mat. Chin stays lifted off the chest. Breaking at the hip, the right heel or toe begins to hover or tap them out on the inhale and exhale and pull that belly button down to the spine to lift back up.

Left leg lowers on the inhale and exhale. Think of a course, it's cinching that waistline tighter as you lift. Inhale, lowering the right. Exhale, like a tight zipper it's lifting that leg back up. And left, inhaling and exhaling.

One more time, each side starting to warm up a little more deeply into the core. And exhale to lift, fingertips reaching long. Energy out through the crown of the head. Deep in the belly down to draw that left leg up. Squeezing the inner thighs together here, both legs begin to lower, starting just halfway.

Inhale down, exhale. Pull that belly button deeper to the mat to lift, diminishing that space in the mid back without tucking the pelvis. We wanna keep this nice and neutral. Three more times, inhale to lower, maybe a little further, exhale to lift. We should feel our core working here.

And two, inhale to lower down and away. Maybe those toes tap. Exhale zipping up through the waistline to lift. Once more, inhale to lower and exhale, belly button pulling down to lift. Hug the knees all the way into the chest from here.

Maybe letting them open, rocking a little side to side, feeling a release in the back, in the hips. And then we'll lower both feet all the way down to the mat here, once again about hip width apart. Flip those arms all the way back by your ears, framing them with the biceps, shoulder blades, pulling away from the ears. Inhale, arms reach up to the ceiling. And then we'll start working into a crunch, chin peeling over the chest, fingertips reaching long, chin hovering right there, not too tight over the neck so we have space here for our throat.

Inhale lying head back, arms back, inhale. Exhale, arms reach up, gaze reaches up and forward, right between those thighs. Twice more, just like this. Inhale, taking it back. Exhale, reaching up and forward.

Once again that corset feeling tightening around the waistline. Inhale to take it back and exhale curling up and forward, belly button pulling deeper towards the floor. Same thing here with the legs at tabletop, a little more challenging. Inner thighs squeeze together. Head and arms reach back on the next breath in.

Exhale, arms reach up, chin peels over the chest hovering right at the tips of those shoulder blades. Inhale, take it back. Exhale, curling up and over the ribs, belly button pulling down to the floor. Twice more, inhale back. Keeping energy long through the arms all the way through the fingertips.

Last time, inhale back. Exhale, curling up, reaching up. We'll hold it here for our set of 100's, breathing in fives. In two, three, four, five, and exhale, two, three, four, five. Nice deep breath in through the nose.

And as you exhale, maybe peek down at your belly, watch it sink a little deeper towards that mat. Inhale and exhale. One more here at tabletop. Curling up maybe a little bit higher. If you're feeling solid here, option to extend those legs long, starting on a high diagonal breathing in and exhaling out.

Two, three, four, five, four more breaths, staying long through the fingers and toes. Watching that belly sink deeper to the floor. Last three and exhale out. And two. Maybe those legs creep a little bit lower. Last breath and exhale two, three, four, five.

Hold and reach up one more inch and hug those knees all the way in to rest. Giving that head a little shake side to side, maybe the knees a shake side to side, catching your breath, definitely feeling warmer now. We'll lower the feet all the way to the floor, walking them out nice and long on the mat and reaching the arms all the way back overhead. Maybe hold onto one fingertip or wrist with the other. Just give yourself a nice early morning stretch here like you're waking your body up all over again.

And we'll bring more energy into the heels, reaching them long and into those arms, framing the ears with the biceps once again. Arms start to float up to the ceiling on the inhale, exhale, chin peels over the chest, zipping up through those low abdominals that should be nice and warm now, rolling all the way up and over, arms staying parallel to the floor, releasing any tension in the upper back and shoulders and neck here. Take a breath in and exhale slowly, rolling back down, reaching through those heels, squeezing tight on those inner thighs, vertebra by vertebra, releasing the head and arms back at the bottom. Inhale, arms float up. Exhale, chin peels over the chest, belly button pulling back and then ribs knitting together, rounding all the way up and over.

Trying open up across the upper back and exhale to round back one vertebra at a time here, lengthening long through the legs, long through the spine and the arms. Twice more, inhale, arms floating up, exhale using the breath and belly to round all the way up and forward, hollowing out the belly, opening up across the upper back, inhaling and exhaling to roll it down vertebra by vertebra, taking your time, zipping up through that waist. Last one, inhale, arms up and exhale. Reaching past those toes a little bit further through the fingertips and heels and slowly rolling all the way back. One last time here, vertebra through vertebra, opening up through that low back, middle back, reaching a little further through the fingertips and then lowering the palms down and the head down.

From here, we'll take a nice stretch, hugging the right knee in towards the chest with both hands, keeping that left leg reaching long, right in line with the sit bone. And then taking the leg across the body, right arm floating to the side if you have the space and the leg taking it across. Right shoulder blade pulling away from the ear down into the mat, taking a deep breath here. Exhale, sinking a little deeper into the stretch by using that breath, never forcing it. And then drawing the leg back to center, letting gravity open this right knee to the side, finding a squareness in the hips and pelvis from here.

Flexing both feet and then carefully drawing the back of that left knee in, always having the option to stay here with that left foot anchor to the floor or for a little deeper stretch, pressing that right knee and thigh away. Shoulders pulling down into the mat, taking a deep breath here. And exhale, sinking a little deeper. And then carefully switching over to the other side. That left knee hugs in, right leg extending long, right in line with the hip reaching through that heel, left arm reaching to the side, taking a breath in and exhale as we take that left leg across the body.

A little rotation for the spine here, continuing to warm up through the body, dropping that left shoulder blade down into the floor, taking a deep breath here. And exhale as we sink a little deeper. Drawing that left knee back out and opening wide. Just taking a moment here, feel the openness in the hips, maybe a couple pops and then hugging the back of that right knee in if it feels okay on your hips and knees. Flexing the feet so we have a nice proper alignment all the way from the ankles to the knees to the hips, even as we stretch here.

Taking a deep breath in. Exhale, pulling those shoulders down, pressing that left knee and thigh away. And then we'll go back to hugging the right knee in, left leg extending long on the mat. We're reaching through that left heel, palms will press back down into the mat by the sides, nice open collarbones and right leg extends straight up to the ceiling. Taking a breath to prepare and exhale.

We circle the leg across, down, around and right back up. Inhale at the top, exhale to circle. Finding a nice stable pelvis here using those low seatbelt muscles, opening up through the hip. Two more this direction. Lifting and lengthening a little bit higher at the top.

Lift and hold for a breath in and reverse out, down across, lengthen to lift. Inhale, exhale to circle around. Belly pulls deeper to lift for three. Exhale up. Last two and lift. Once more. Out, down around.

lift at the top and hold. we'll take the back of the leg with both hands, pulling it a little closer, pointing through both toes, chin peels off the chest, left leg hovers off the mat, relaxing through the shoulders, using those abdominals, inhale and exhale. Scissor and switch. Getting our scissors in, our straight leg stretch, breathing in, exhale, deepening the belly, left and switch right and left. One more time, each leg, right.

We'll finish with that left leg straight up to the ceiling, lower the right leg all the way to the floor, head all the way down and palms by your sides. Reaching out through the right heel up with the left toes, inhale to prepare. Exhale, left leg circles across, down out, belly pulls deeper to lift for four, and up. Last three. Around and lift. Really finding the angle of an even circle here right on that ceiling and up.

Once more, across, around lift at the top, hold for a breath in and reverse out, down across. Deep in the belly to lift, keep pressing into those palms. Chin stays lifted off the chest for two, inhale and exhale. Once more, around, lift and hold. Taking the back of the left leg, curling back up this time, reaching out and up through the heels, pulling a little closer and scissoring to switch.

Inhaling left, belly pulls deeper to switch right for three. Reaching out and up through the legs, lengthening through the back of the knees. Two, last one. Both legs reach all the way up and both knees hug all the way in. Once again giving ourselves a little rock side to side and then we'll rock ourselves all the way back up to a seated position.

Making sure we're still in the middle of our mat here. Heels will stay close to the sit bones, holding onto the front of those ankles, pulling them close. Flex through the feet and then hover the heels an inch or two off the mat. The knees can be totally together or slightly apart at shoulder width, whatever feels better on those hips. Chin tucks over the chest.

Keeping that chin tucked to protect the head and neck. We rock back on the inhale, deep in the belly, rock it up, find the balance without letting those heels touch. Inhale, take it back. Belly pulls deep. Keep pressing those heel bones together and in towards the sit bones for three. Exhale to lift, try and keep the chin tucked for two.

Forehead right between those knees. Last one, inhale back, belly pulls deep to lift. From here, let's draw those knees together and bring them back to a tabletop position. Now we'll stay holding on for a little added support to start and slowly roll back, maybe using those hands to walk down to the tips of the shoulder blades. Pause for a moment in and then exhale as you curl back up using those hands if needed.

If they're not needed, reach those arms forward. Once again, just like that, zipping up through the low belly. How slow can you roll down? Finding the tips of the shoulder blades. Take a breath in.

Exhale, pull the belly back as you lift back up through the chest and the heart. Inhale at the top, exhale to lower down, finding that high crunch position. This time we'll stay there. Right knee draws in, left leg long, inhale, exhale, switch. Right into that single leg stretch.

Opposite hand to knee, other hand by the ankle so we stay square through our hips and our shoulders throughout, and switch for four. Keep breathing, three. Inhale right, exhale left. Last one. Both knees draw all the way into the nose. Tighten up in those inner thighs, curl even higher off the tips of the shoulder blades.

Arms reach back, legs reach long, hold for a breath in. Exhale, circle and hug tight. Inhale to lengthen. Exhale, zip up through the waist. Find that tight little ball. Expanding long through the arms and the legs, deepening the belly to pull it in.

Once more, inhale, reach, exhale, pull the belly in. Hug those knees in. Hands come right behind the head, elbows wide. Use those fingertips at the base of the skull to curl yourself even higher and extend the legs straight up. Inner thigh squeeze tight, lower them about halfway down on the breath in.

Deep in the belly, lifting toes right back up. Inhale to lower, elbows stay wide, ribs knit together, belly pulls deep to lift. Twice more, maybe an inch or two further. Exhaling, breaking at the hips. Toes to the ceiling. Once more, inhale to lower, deep in the belly to lift and hold.

Stay here, keep curling up off the tips of the shoulder blades and bend your knees to a tabletop position. You can always rest them all the way down to the floor if you need or keep them here. Wherever they are, keep them still, curling up one more inch. Take a breath in and exhale, twist up and over to the right. Hip stay square. Think about that seatbelt.

Inner thighs stay together. Inhale back through center. Squeeze them even tighter. Lifting up over that left shoulder blade. Inhale through center. Really twisting from the waist so the hips and the knees stay square.

Inhale, center, exhale, lift up and over to the left. Maybe adding on the extension of that opposite leg. Inhale, exhale, twist to the right. Can that elbow and knee tap? Inhale back center and exhale up and over to the left.

One more time, slow and controlled each side, inhale and exhale. Last time, center, lift and twist, back to center and hold and release the head all the way down and knees all the way into the chest. Taking a moment here for that nice release in the neck, the shoulders, the back. And we'll lower the feet to the floor, walking them out straight and separating them to opposite corners of the mat. Give 'em a little shake up and down, side to side.

Reach through the heels, up with the arms taking a deep breath in and exhale to round up, rolling up, ooh, using those abdominals all the way to a nice tall seat. Make sure you're still in the middle of your mat, heels to either corner, not too wide here and sitting up as if you're against a flat wall. So if you find that you're slouching, maybe the knees soften a little bit depending on our flexibility here. Palms as if they're pressing onto a tabletop, deepening the belly, lifting taller through the crown of the head on the inhale and then exhale, rounding up and over like you're rolling over a big bocce ball here, getting hugged from that waistline. And stacking back up tall, shoulder blades pulling down into the back, inhale, and exhale, rounding and reaching up and over, crown of the head releasing down.

Think of draping a cape over the upper back and shoulders. Lifting back tall onto those sit bones, inhale. And exhale, reaching up and over. And lifting it back up tall. Once more, exhale to curl.

And inhale to stack that spine nice and tall. Arms float up by the ears. Flip the palms and reach the hands back behind you. They might not touch the mat. Maybe crawl a finger two away.

Lift through the chest, whatever feels good here to get a stretch across the collarbones. Think of it as a reverse spine stretch, opening up through the heart, through the shoulders once again. And then crawl those hands back in, finding vertical, reversing those arms back up by your ears and then pressing them out to a T. Feel engagement in your back and your arms. We're gonna go right into saw, twisting to the right, pulling back in that right oblique and then reaching left, fingertips towards that right pinky toe, right palm to the ceiling.

Inhale back up tall and exhale through center, slow and controlled, twisting from the waist to the left. Up and over, forehead to the outside of that left knee. Soft that little left pinky toe. Inhale, back up tall and center. Just one more each side, twisting right, hip stay square, deepening that belly button back and in, lifting back up, center.

Last time, inhale, twist left, exhale, dive it up and over pulling back in that left rib cage, inhale back tall and bring those arms together. And then we'll turn around for some swan. Continue opening up through the back here, just starting with a little bit of a prep. One hand over the other fingertips to wrist, inner thigh, squeezing tight. Tops of their feet will stay firmly pressed down onto the floor, so you feel a lift in the knees and the thighs here.

Glutes are definitely working, shoulders pulling away from the ears, inhale to prepare and then exhale to hover those elbows, the chest, the forehead away from the mat. Gentle pressure from that top hand into the forehead to maybe lift one more inch and then exhale, pull that belly button up and away from the floor as you lower back down. Another just like that. Inhale, prepare, exhale, lengthening out through the toes, out through the crown of the head to lift. Hold it for a breath in.

Exhale, think of that little ice cube underneath that belly button, keep it really lifted and engaged. Twice more. We'll switch our top hand here. Inhale to prepare, exhale, pressing down into the tops of the feet, lifting the chest up, hovering inches off the floor, inhale, squeeze those shoulder blades back and down. Exhale, pull the belly away from the floor to lower. Once more, inhale to prepare.

Long back of the neck here, keeping it lengthened as we lift. Hold it for that breath in and exhale, abs pull up, chest lowers it down. Carefully pressing back into a child's pose from here. Knees can stay together or apart or modify if needed, depending on the hips and the knees here. And then we'll come forward into a forearm plank.

So for me, one hand comes into a fist, that other hand wraps firmly around your fist. Doesn't matter which one for today. We'll switch it up next time and extend the legs back behind you. We will not be here for long, but if you need to modify on your knees, you're more than welcome to do so. Press into those forearms.

Lift your chest away from the floor, opening up across the lower back and the upper back. Make sure those hips are low, glutes and inner thighs are squeezing tight. Crown of the head stays long. Taking one deep breath together, inhale, stay for the exhale, pull that belly button up and in. And then gently lower just the knees, untuck the toes and start to pull the chest and the heart forward, past your fist to the front edge of your mat.

We're in our right placement for our single leg stretch without slouching, really press the ground away. Stay lifted, as lifted as you were in your plank. Right leg kicks, inhaling, exhale, extend, press the top of the foot into the floor. Left kick, kick, deep in the belly up, press those forearms down. Right, and reach and left.

Keep those shoulder blades pulling away from the ears. One more time. Each side. Inhale, exhale, lengthen through the toes. Last time, reach and hold. We'll go from here into some sideline work and we'll stay on our right forearm.

So keep that same lift you just had. Leg slightly in front of us. So we're broken at the hips here, reaching through the heels, lifting through the chest. This top hand can stay down for a little extra support today. Begin by lifting that top leg up just about a foot and then squeezing those inner thighs back together.

So we wanna think of the lift coming from this right oblique, dropping that right shoulder blade away from the ear so we're active in our back. Twice more here. Lengthening so far out through the heel that that leg starts to levitate up just about a foot and then lower just a hip width this time. From here, breaking at the hip, kicking the leg forward, slow and controlled, and then pointing and pressing it back, staying really lifted in that low belly. Flex and kick forward on the inhale, deep in the belly, pressing kickback, squeezing that left glute.

Two more times, forward and exhale to press it back. Keeping as still as possible in this upper half. One more time, forward, point and press back. Now this top hand can stay on the floor or maybe you lengthen long through the fingertips, creating a nice line from the fingers and the toes. We lift that left leg up an inch or two and lower an inch or two, working that outer glute muscle.

Keep pressing the floor away. For two, and lower. Once more, lift and lower. Bring that leg back over the bottom. Reach through the heel, top hand can be on the hand, or on the hip, behind the head, wherever you feel stable here. Small circles forward around and back for four, and three, slow and controlled, keep breathing, two, and one, reverse the circle back and around for four.

Give even circle, no odd egg, two and one and lower it all the way down. Bending those knees in. We'll take a nice mermaid stretch here. Should feel good after that. Left hand onto the shin, knee, ankle, right arm up by the ear, drop those shoulders down.

Find the length through the waist, taking a breath in and exhaling to reach up and over. Feel the shoulders pulling further away from your ears. Hips staying anchored to the mat. Inhale to length and up tall and exhale. One more time, reaching a little further over, shoulders releasing, hips releasing, and then coming all the way back up.

We'll make our way to our other side. Getting a little sweaty here. Always feels nice. Reach those heels and toes slightly in front of you. I like to think of my elbow, my hip, my upper half in a straight line towards the back edge of my mat.

Pressing out of that left shoulder, we start lifting and lengthening that right leg up about a foot and lower. Staying as parallel as possible here. Knees and toes really facing forward, lift and lower, working that outer leg line up, inner thigh to lower. Two more, inhale to lift, zip up through the waist, exhale to lower, core's definitely working here. One more time. We hold it at hip height.

Breaking at the hip, the kick forward and the point back. Flex to break at the hip and kick the leg forward, point and press it behind you. As you kick forward, feel a stretch in the back of the hamstring. As you point and press back, find length in the front of that hip. Once more. Flex and kick forward, inhale.

Point and press back, exhale. Now, hold it here. Can you zip up more in the low abs? Relax through your shoulders. Maybe your hand stays down. Maybe you reach longer through the fingertips.

Lift that right leg up an inch and lower an inch. Lift, inhale and exhale. Twice more. Feel that outer glute, that good dimple out there working and lift and hold. Bringing the right leg over the left, reach through the heel. Top hand comes wherever you feel like you can maintain a nice even posture, shoulders anchoring away from the ears, we circle for four and three, zip up through the low belly.

Two, can you press more down into the floor to lift through the heart? Reverse for four and three. Last two. Keep breathing, one. Lower that leg all the way down. Bend the knees in and we'll take another mermaid stretch here, holding onto that right ankle shin, left arm by the ear, shoulders pulling away.

Take a breath here, lift a little taller and exhale to reach. This part should feel good. Inhale, lengthening back up tall. Should all feel good, and reach up and over a little further. Use the breath here, calming the mind and the body for a moment.

And then coming all the way back up. We'll spin around to face our edge of the mat. Just as we started here with the feet hip width apart in front of the floor, hands behind the knees, shoulders dropped. Taking a deep breath, maybe sitting a little taller and then exhale to round down, this time slowly making our way all the way onto the floor, using those hands or simply using those abdominals. Palms pressed down.

Feet will walk in a little closer, remaining hip width apart here, heels in line with your sit bones, knees straight up to the ceiling. Walk those fingertips closer towards your heels to find length across the collarbones and through the back of the neck. Take a breath in to prepare. On the exhale, start to scoop from the low belly, curling those hips all the way up into a nice bridge position from here. Press it down into the heels, down into the palms.

Taking a breath in at the top and then exhale to melt back down, vertebra by vertebra, lengthening long through the crown of the head and all the way out through the tail. Again, just like that. Inhaling at the bottom, exhale, scooping out the low belly. Continuing to pull those abdominals down as the hips lift high, squeeze those sit bones, those butt cheeks together, knit the ribs together so our core is active here as we squeeze into the glutes and boost those hips up another inch. Take a breath in.

Exhale, knitting ribs together tighter, belly pulling deeper, rolling through the upper back, through the middle back, through the low back and release. Once again, inhale and exhale, tuck to curl. Make sure that gaze, that chin stays lifted straight up to the ceiling. We're not turning our heads here. Wanna keep proper neck alignment, really important.

Little boost of those hips, lower just an inch or two, and then squeeze the buttons, lift them right back up. Lower just an inch or two, squeeze and lift, press more firmly into the heels and the palms, lower an inch squeeze and lift. One more time. Inhale lower. Feel the back of the legs and glutes activating, lift and hold. We'll take a little walk in the sand here.

Hover the right foot just an inch off the mat, squeezing that left glute and lower the right foot down. Now pressing down into the right heel, squeeze the back of the right, hover the left and lower. Inhale to lift, belly button keeps pulling down into the spine. Glutes and pelvis keep lifting high to the ceiling. One more time each side. Lift and lower.

Last time, lift, lower and hold. Take a breath and boost those hips up one more inch, inhaling here and exhale, chest dropping away from the chin melting all the way back down into that mat to vertebra by vertebra by vertebra to release. Should feel like a nice massage for the spine. Hug those knees all the way back in. We've worked pretty much all parts of the body so we should feel ready and active to try our teaser one here.

You always have the option to keep the knees bent and hold on behind the legs. We'll all start that way. Inner thighs squeezing together, shoulder staying relaxed, reaching through the backs of those knees. Chin will peel over the chest. Take a breath in, exhale. Use your hands to walk all the way up til you find a balance here, somewhere between your sit bones, your tailbone.

Heart pulls forward, shoulders pull down. We'll find our balance by extending the right leg up on the inhale, deep in the belly, bend right back in. Left leg extends, inhale and exhale to bend. Again. Even if the leg doesn't straighten all the way, but you feel solid in your balance and the heart stays lifted, that's what I find most important. Let's do one more each side, right, zip up through that waist, lift through the sternum, left and bend.

Now maybe both legs extend halfway or all the way straight and in, one more time. Finding a straightness through the toes, through the legs, that length you can maintain and maybe let go. Reach for the legs. Reach through the heart, keeping them right where they are. We lower the upper body down vertebra by vertebra.

Now maybe you walk your hands down your legs, maybe your knees are bent, maybe your feet are even flat on the mat. Do what you need for you. Inhale, arms floating up. Exhale, belly button pulling down, curling all the way up, reaching through those toes. Finding that modified teaser however we need one more time, inhale and exhale to lower.

Legs don't move from wherever they are. This is our teaser one. Squeeze those inner thighs together. Reach the arms to the ceiling for a breath in, exhale, pull that belly button back and in, curl all the way back up. Find it, lifting one more inch, take a breath in and slowly lower everything down vertebra by vertebra, this time the legs lower with us in four, in three, are we breathing?

Hovering on two and releasing everything down and back on one. Give it a little shake. Hug those knees in, take a breath there. Let it go. And we'll rock ourselves back and up to seated.

Spinning around to finish with a little swimming. Now that we're sweaty diving into a pool sounds pretty nice. So extend those fingertips long in front of you, legs long behind you. Feet and legs can be hip width, arms can be shoulder width here, but feel those shoulder blades pull away from the ears. On the inhale lift right arm, left leg and chest and forehead away from the floor, and then pull that belly button up and in to lower.

Left arm and right leg lift, inhaling and exhale to lower. That first side again, lift, squeezing that left glute, pulling those shoulder blades down and together and lower. Once more, second side inhale, lengthen to lift, belly pulls up and in to lower. Both arms and legs lift, inhale and exhale, everything lowers. One more time. Inhale to lift.

Stay for the exhale. Pull those shoulders away from your ears. Squeeze your inner thighs and your glutes a little higher to the ceiling. We'll go for a little swim, slight swim here, keeping it small, alternating opposite arm and leg a little higher to the ceiling for four. Keep breathing, three, inhale and exhale.

Last two, last one. Lift everything up one more inch and hold, squeeze those glutes together, squeeze those shoulder blades together and lower everything down to rest. Carefully press back into a child's pose. Hips towards the heels, fingertips long towards the front edge of your mat. Taking a deep breath inm and exhale, letting it go.

We'll roll all the way up from there feeling nice and warm, ready for, hopefully, day two. And I will see you on your mat for the next class. Thanks for joining.

Comments

Thanks Laura, beautiful cues and I felt my whole body 🤗🤗
Great class Thank you Laura
This felt lovely! Thanks Laura :) 
lovely class and looking forward to day2
Very good cues  and workout ! I liked it ;)
Thank you Alex K ! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this class and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the remainder of the challenge! 
Thank you Elaine ! 
Thank you Anne P. ! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed Day 1!
Thank you Carrie Lambert ! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Day 2!
Thank you Valli !
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