Fiery, Full-Body Circle

Hi. I am Lara Hanland here for a reformer class using one of my very favorite props, the magic circle, maybe called the ring of fire today. We'll have some fun with it. Let's start seated. Facing the foot bar, I'm gonna keep my foot bar up and my headrest down. We'll begin with some roll ups from our mat work.

So legs extend long, just underneath that bar, flexed through the heels, fingertips always extended. If and when we're holding this circle, that way we don't tents or close off the energy in the body. Make sure you're right at the edge so you have plenty of mat behind you. Take a moment to reach up and over past the toes, past the footbar rounded through the back. Press into the palms as you breathe in. And begin to round and roll back down, exhaling that air out, opening up through the spine, finding a moment to hover at the shoulder blades before you release your head down arms up. Again, making sure we have enough space here, inhale press those palms together.

Exhale round and roll up chin over the chest belly pulls back heels, reach forward. That first one is often a little sticky, opening up, warming up through the spine, inhale at the top exhale to round and roll back down. Think of pressing your heels forward, reaching your tailbone forward, your belly button back, shoulder blades, release onto the mat. Two more times here. Inhale, exhale round and roll up, ribs draw together. Palms, press together, opening up through the spine, lengthening through those legs, reach a little further over them as you breathe them. Run and roll back down one bone at a time, low back, middle back, upper back, shoulders over and against those blocks one more inhale, exhale round and roll up.

Using the breath in the belly, reaching a little further through those heels flexing up with the toes. And this time, rolling all the way back down to stay. Palms continue to press together. Belly pulls a little bit deeper before releasing at the bottom. From here, we'll place both feet onto the foot bar.

And then bring the circle in between our inner thighs. So right away working those inner thigh, add doctor muscles today. Again, my head rest is down. My feet arches a little bit closer to the heels are on the bar. A little wider than hip to distance apart. Make sure that circle is in a comfortable kind of meaty spot at the legs. Palms released onto the mat. Inhale, letting those knees open, letting the circle be a circle, exhale to squeeze into it.

Starting with a nice, relaxed neutral pelvic position here. So our sit bones tailbone reach underneath the bar. XL, we draw the inner thighs together trying to keep released in the front of the hips and the back of the glutes and hamstrings. And he'll knees open. Exhale ribs close, inner thighs, close, isolating the low abdominals, and really high up in those inner thighs. Two more simple squeeze, inhale open, exhale knees close.

Once more inhale ribs and knees open. Exhale, belly pulls down inner thighs connect this time. We hold that inner thigh connection. Take a breath where you are. Exhale small pelvic tuck.

Now I'm using just my low transverse abdominals to tuck. Still working my inner thighs, my hamstrings, my glutes should be soft and relaxed, reach back, feel for them. Make sure you're not tensing, then we'll get to them shortly. Release the pelvis back down, still squeezing that circle inhale, exhale small pelvic tuck, like you're scooping out through that low belly pelvic floor right around where this waistband is beneath the belly button. Release the pelvis inhale.

Little pelvic tuck as you exhale. Let's wake up the low belly. Inhale release. One more time. We hold this tuck. Think of your pelvic lift.

This time we squeeze the circle tighter. We hold the tuck. We pulse out an inch and in an inch, out an inch in an inch. Now I'm on three red springs just like my leg and footwork, but I'm focusing on my inner thighs in my low belly. I'm not engaging in my glutes or my hamstrings. Keep it small and connected deep into that core using it to pull the carriage in for four. And three, squeeze your ring tighter. Two. Last one, hold the tuck.

It's small, and then release the pelvis. Feel the difference long through the sit bones and tailbone. Release that ring. Take a deep breath where you are. Re engage the inner thighs squeeze into the circle and hold. Another breath in.

XL this time, we move through that pelvic tuck. Then we engage our sit bones, glutes, butt cheeks, everything squeezing together, engaging, working the back of those legs. As we lift the hips all the way up into this gorgeous pelvic press position. Take a breath and exhale to roll back down through the spine bone by bone. I'm trying to keep the carriage still. Releasing chest away from the chin as you roll through upper back, middle back, low back, finally releasing that glute connection inner thigh connection at the bottom. Again, make sure that circle is nice and stable in those legs so it doesn't go flying out.

Squeeze into it deep breath and right away we tuck and curl those hips back up. Belly button continues to pull down as the pelvis lifts up. I mean, for a long diagonal from knees to hips to shoulders. So I lift my pubic bone and my pelvis up but continue to pull my abdominals down and in. This time we press the carriage out, maybe a little further than that pulse, and then exhale use the glutes and hamstrings to pull the carriage back in, inhale to press out. X, he'll keep lifting the pelvis higher, squeezing the ring a little bit tighter.

Three more times, pressing out. Maybe your legs almost straightened. Maybe not work within your range of motion here. Sneen to your body, keeping those inner thighs connected, keeping that tuck of the pelvis, so we're working the back of the legs as we lengthen the front of the legs. So let's do one more deep breath in to press, maybe a little further, exhale pull the carriage in, squeeze the ring a little tighter, hold it top for one more breath in exhale to roll back down, keep netting the ribs together, squeezing those inner thighs together, find that hover before releasing the hips at the very bottom. From there, let the knees open, take that ring out.

We should very much feel our inner thighs. Now reach the arms back up. Palms still pressing into the ring like we did on our roll up, and then bring those inner thighs all the way together. So you're thinking of squeezing maybe a $100 bill between those knees. You don't wanna drop it. We're working our inner thighs once again.

Take a breath where you are. Press the palms into the ring, the feet into the bar, and then we curl back up into our bridge position. Now those legs are glued tight together. If this doesn't feel good on your knees, maybe you choose to open the feet and the knees closer to hip width. It's a little more work for the inner thighs, for the glutes, squeeze those adductors together, palms together.

Again, we press the carriage out on the inhale, maybe going a little further this time, pull it in as we exhale trying to keep that long diagonal as we touch down and back into the stopper. Press the carriage out deep breath in. My gaze is lifted chin up away from the chest with weight back and down into the back of the neck, cervical spine. We wanna make sure we keep that chin lifted and gaze up so we don't turn our head or hurt our necks. Two more pressing out deep breath and Schoolies, inner thighs together, palms together, lift the pelvis a little higher, last one, press out. So I'll pull the carriage in holding this beautiful inner thigh connection, high bridge position.

Right foot stays on the bar, left leg extends. Think of keeping the thighs parallel with one another, press out a little bit inhale. Pull the carriage in as you exhale. Press out an inch or two. Pull it in an inch or two.

For three. For it to try and have equal weight down into both shoulder blades. We hold the carriage still. We kick that left leg straight up inhale flexed to lower it back down to size meet on the exhale point and kick left leg up. Flexed to lower. For three, pelvis stays lifted and square for two.

Last one, lower left leg long, bend that knee. The inner thighs are still connected, left foot on the bar, a little tuck of that tail if it dropped. Right leg extends long in the diagonal. We press out for five. Pull the carriage and engaging left gluten hamstring for four. Press into the palms as you knit the ribs tighter for three. Thinking about the whole body here very much feeling the back of that left gluten hamstring one more out. We hold the carriage in.

We kick our right leg up on the inhale flexed to lower as we exhale for four. I think of opening up through the hip, the knee, all the way out through the ankle and the toes, two. Last one, lower the leg, inner thighs are connected. Both feet back to the bar. Little tuck of those hips.

Little extra squeeze of the inner thighs and the ring. Take one more breath in at the top. And then exhale to slowly roll down. Don't rush through this. Keep squeezing the seat, connecting into the low belly, rolling bone by bone until we release at the very bottom.

We should very much feel the back of our legs. I know I feel mine. Arms stay lifted, toes come to the bar. We're still parallel, think of a high heel, high relevate position, press the carriage all the way out, take a deep breath in. Lower those heels under the bar.

Lift the heels up inhale. As you lower the heels, press the palms together, knit the ribs together on that exhale three more times, lift the heels. Enjoy a lengthening stretch through the back of the legs. Still squeezing the glutes, lifting in the knees and the thighs, lower squeeze into the palms, one more inhale heels lift, exhale heels lower, lift those heels up. We're taking a run, breathing twos as you pulse the palms into the ring.

We switch and switch. Switch and switch. Inhale and exhale. Bringing this percussive breath into the movement engaging a little bit more into our abdominals, lift and lower, lift and lower pressing palms a little tighter for four. Three.

Two more breaths. Last one. And exhale, heels high, inner thighs, tight, palms squeeze. Take one more deep breath in. Exhale to lower the heels and slowly bend the knees all the way in. Very much feeling the back of our legs.

We'll lower those feet down onto the ledge. Keep arms reaching up as you inhale. And exhale to round and roll up. We'll come all the way to a seat, removing one red spring. So I'm on two reds.

I'm also gonna lift my head rest up or do a little single leg work to stretch out the back of those hamstrings. From here, knees can stay bent. Palms press into the circle deep breath and exhale to around and roll all the way back down. Once again, shoulders against the blocks. Right ball, the foot toes come onto the bar. I'm gonna hold on to one side of the pad of the circle and then bring my left ball the foot toes bottom of the foot there right into the ring.

Both knees will be doing the same thing, both feet doing the same thing pretty much throughout this. So you press out extending both legs reaching up through the toes, flex out and away through the heels. Enjoy that moment of stretch. Again, toes point up, and knees bend in. Inhale pressing out, exhale to flex, inhale to point, exhale to return, lengthening through the legs. As you reach up through the heel, think back of that left sit bone reaches forward. So our hips stay square, we point and bend one more time, inhale, and exhale point, and return. This time we'll press all the way out.

Flex through the heels. Stay flex through the heels. Think about that seat belt across the pelvis, keeping the core engaged. We take the circle into the right hand, maybe left hand to the shoulder block or the hip here, and we'll take the leg across the body. Not so much that you roll off to the floor from your reformer, but keep, you know, I like to think left foot kind of in front of either the right hip or right shoulder here, anchoring down into that left hip, feeling this lovely stretch in the hamstring and the outer IT band.

I know I certainly need this. One more breath here. Keep reaching down and out through that right heel up and away through the left. And then bring the left leg back to center, take the circle into your left hand and begin to open it over to the left side again, maybe right arm out or holding on or to the hip. Thinking hips, collarbone square to the ceiling stretching out that inner thigh that we work so well with this magic circle.

One more deep breath in. Stay connected in those abdominals, anchoring down with that right oblique. And then bring the leg all the way back to center, carefully bend both knees to come all the way in to switch to the other side. Left toes onto the bar, right in line with that hip, right toes into the ring. Shoulders pull down to the back gazes up.

Toes lengthen up and away, flex out through those heels. Inhale, we point, exhale, we bend and return, lengthening out through the front of the thighs, exhale through the back of the legs pointing up. Bending in with control. Twice more like this, inhale press, exhale flexing lower. Still think of working that left standing supporting leg with the foot on the bar.

You're pressing into weight, lengthen out through the thigh. Flex through the heel, lifting that heel up from that left glute and hamstring, bending those knees in with resistance. This time we press all the way out for that lovely stretch, flex through the heels and hold. Make sure you can really lengthen left heel under the bar. Maybe flex the right toes a little closer towards you, and then we'll take the circle into the left hand, begin to take the leg slightly across the body. I often bring my right thumb to my right hip crease to kinda shove it down and away. That way I'm not lifting the hip up in space or up in my body alignment.

I'm really lengthening out this outer leg. Do you breathe in? Try and flex that little pinky toe back a little further as you breathe out. Leg comes back to center. We'll take the circle in the right hand.

Like opens to the side. Maybe left hand to hip or out wide to counter balance. Maybe you hold on to that block. One more breath in, reaching through the heels, anchoring down in the waistline, then bring the leg all the way back to center. And again, we bend those knees in to return.

From there. We'll scoot a little bit away from our shoulder blocks. We're gonna stay on our two springs, threading the legs through the circle, and then bringing it just above the ankle bones outside those ankles. Nees will bend to tabletop using the low belly to really stabilize our pelvic alignment here working from our core, and then reaching for those handles or straps. From here, legs stay at tabletop, take a deep breath and exhale press those arms all the way down to the mat by your sides, really lengthen through those arms, flip your palms to face your hips, your body, and then open the arms to a tee as you breathe in. Squeeze the palms to the waist as you breathe out.

Inhale, we open. Xhale, we squeeze opening just to a tee, thinking arms in line with the shoulders, no higher. So the carriage stays a little bit out. We're not bringing all the way back in here. That way we stay engaged in our lots, not letting it release or collapse. The whole time I'm gently pressing outward into the circle to work my outer thighs, abductors, outer glutes, medial glutes.

I want to keep the legs engaged and hopefully release a little bit of tension in the top of the thighs. Exhale squeeze arms together, ribs together. Inhale to open. This time we add a curl forward on that exhale. Same lifted in our crunch. Same arms. They open.

They squeeze to close. Open to that tee. Press the legs outward. Pull the belly downward. Open and squeeze, curling a little higher over the ribs.

We add on stain and our crunch legs extend arms open. Meese pull into the shoulders, palms, press into the waist. Inhale open, exhale squeeze. Think of lengthening out through your fingers and toes, pulling the belly deeper to draw the knees a little bit closer towards the shoulders, continuing to press outward into that ring for four. For three.

Squeeze it in. Last two. And together, one more time, press out. Pull the knees in, flip the palms back down, release the head down, arms up. From there, brewing the carriage back. Rest the feet on the bar for a moment.

We'll hook our straps over and then place the circle this time in between our ankles. We're gonna grab our straps, bringing them to our feet. So do this in whatever order of operations works for you. Carefully place those feet into the straps. If they're long enough, you're flexible enough, you can do so. And then bend your knees in, maybe use the hands for a little added support, and we'll extend those legs out long in a diagonal. Trying to keep and refine that neutral pelvic position here. We're lengthening out through our heels.

Palms press into the mat. Start by bending those knees. Think of moving towards a 90 degree bend, a tabletop squeeze into the ring as you extend your legs long, crease at the hips. Think of what our legs were just doing, bending and extending. Now instead of pressing out on the circle, we're squeezing in once again working inner thighs adductors. Inhale bend, exhale reach through the heels, squeeze into the legs, bending in with control, pressing out a little bit longer.

For a three, think, ribs knit together, belly pulls down in and for two. And reach one more time, inhale. This time those legs extend long in a diagonal, point through your toes, keep squeezing into the circle, lift the legs up. Maybe towards perpendicular, exhale press back down engaging into the glutes into those inner thighs, legs float up on the inhale, squeeze the circle a little tighter. Pull your belly a little deeper to lower.

Three more times, legs lift. Exhale legs lower. If you're not feeling this in those inner thighs, squeeze that circle a little tighter. I'm certainly feeling it today. Lower and press one more time. We lift the legs up.

This time we hold the legs at about a 45 degree angle. Squeeze into those inner thighs. Take a breath where you are. Curl up, chin over the chest, fingertips reach below the footbar, palms begin to pump up and down, breathe in, two, three, four, five, still the arms squeeze and pulse into the circle. XL to three, four, five.

We pump two, three, four, five squeeze to three, four, five. Inhale. Can we curl a little higher? Squeeze a little tighter. That carriage should be nice and still using the low belly, using those legs for three. And out. Two.

Maybe legs a little lower, curling a little higher. One more breath. And out. Two, three, four, five. Stay hold. Always reaching one inch higher. Before bending the knees and releasing all the way back. From there, carefully take those straps off your feet, release them back onto the shoulder blocks or hooks.

We're gonna place the circle back between our inner thighs. Oh my goodness. I feel my legs. We're finding a beautiful diamond shape. You're gently squeezing the circle. Feel those muscles really worked here.

We'll get a little break after this. You have a beautiful diamond shape. Shins parallel to the floor. Mees over the hips. Reach for those handles once again, taking them into the hands, take a breath in, exhale press the palms down.

Back to a little more arm work here, legs stay at tabletop in that diamond, exhale to press palms to the mat. Inhale arms lift, exhale, can we pull the belly deeper? Squeeze that ring a little tighter for it to exhale to press. One more. This time we curl up, we hold our crunch. We lower the diamond down on the inhale.

Exhale squeeze the ring, lift the diamond up as you exhale. Keep reaching long through those fingertips, squeezing gently into the circle, really engaging deeper into our low transverse abdominals, pelvic floor here, toes towards the ledge, towards the springs, belly pulls down for three, curl a little higher reach a little further. Last moment of that low belly work for two. Last one inhale, exhale lift the diamond up. Lift the arms up, lower the head, and lower the feet to the bar. Release those straps, take that ring out, take a very well deserved inner thigh break and stretch here.

Think of a little butterfly for those knees. They could fly and flutter up and down side to side, letting those adductors open up, take a deep breath in, and exhale, let it go. Carefully bring the legs back together. We'll place the feet back onto the ledge, take that circle back between the palms, arms reach up as you breathe in, exhale round and roll up to a seat. From here, we're gonna transition into some upper body work. Our legs can thank us.

So we'll lower our foot bar down, and I'm gonna move on to one blue spring. If you want it a little heavier, maybe use a red, a little lighter, a yellow, we're gonna start with some side kneeling arm work. So I'll start facing you today, and especially being on that one spring, be very cautious how you get on to your reformer. My feet are hanging off the edge behind me. I'm kneeling about knee hip distance apart.

In the middle of this carriage, and then I will be coming up in a moment. Make sure you have that circle at the ready. I'm gonna bring it into my left hand and start with my right hand in this front strap loop. From there. My right hand comes to the outside of the ring. Left hand still pressing into it. And again, fingertips are extended.

Press into the palms. Think of hugging your elbows in a little bit so you're engaged in those lats. And we start by reaching those arms straightforward, try and keep that circle in line with your chest and heart, and then bend those elbows back in. Not huge movement for the carriage. Little tuck of the pelvis, arms extend forward on the inhale.

Bend those elbows back. Think low diagonal as you exhale. Reach it forward. Resisting to bend. Thinking about the whole body here, still connected in the glutes, inner thighs kind of squeezing together to lift us out of those kneecaps, belly button pulls back, elbows pull in. Two more.

Inhale to extend. Xhale to bend. The whole time pressing gently into the circle. This time we bend and squeeze it a little tighter as you inhale. Twist away from that strap towards the footbarn and springs as you exhale, back to center with control, exhale we twist.

Inhale to the center. Exhale think of lifting as you twist out through the crown of the head, pulling down in those shoulder blades center. Palvis stays really square. I'm thinking of pressing my glutes, my hips forward, pulling my belly button back, and then pulling that left oblique back once more, inhale center. EX, I'll press the palms together and knit the ribs together to twist a little deeper, come back to center, and then with control, a little twist in the opposite direction to bring the carriage to rest.

We'll transition to our other side. Hook that strap on, carefully spin around being aware if we're on a light spring on a moving piece of equipment here. We don't end up on our faces. Left hand to the loop. Left palm and right palm pressing to that ring.

Hug your elbows a little bit in. Feel how that engages in your lats. Feed are nice and relaxed over the reformer, glute squeeze forward belly zips up. Arms extends straight in front of the heart. Pull those elbows back working with resistance here.

Imagine you're moving through molasses, inhale we reach forward, exhale we pull the circle back in lengthening tall through the spine the whole time using that breath, inhale to reach exhale, resist, and pull it back in. Two more times. Straight forward and back. Once more forward. Pull it in, press those palms together.

Deep breathe in. Exhale twisting towards the foot part, pulling back in that waist, inhale center palm squeeze tight, exhale we twist right. So enter. As we twist to the right, really press your right hip forward so you don't twist from your hips or pelvis, or twisting from above that hip, pelvis, and below the oblique, or below the ribcage, right, where that oblique is, twisting from our waistline. Pressing the palms together for two.

One more inhale, exhale twist like you're wringing out a wet towel. Come back to center. And then left, we twist to bring the carriage to rest. Release that strap. Spin on around. Again, I'm gonna keep it on one blue.

This time, my feet are against the shoulder blocks. I'm gonna move into a little bit of chest extension facing front still with that circle. So still very careful as I grab one strap and the other strap, my hips, my sit bones are down onto my heels, my toes are tucked. I squeeze my elbows and I press my palms together fingertips are forward always extended through the energy of the body. Press the palms together breathing and start to squeeze your seat forward as you lift up onto those knees.

Sit back down, sit bones, seat hover over the heels, squeeze the glutes, press the palms together to lift the pelvis forward and up. Inhale, we lower it with resistance, exhale, press forward and up. Releasing sit bones back tucking the pelvis squeezing the seat engaging low into the belly. Again, with the same movement in the lower body, adding a reach forward with the arms as you lift bend the elbows, crease at the hips to lower, slowing controlled exhale, pelvis lifts up, arms reach forward, bending the elbows back, deep breath in. Exhale think of reaching that circle again right in front of the chest and the heart. For two, we lift. One more like this.

Take it back. And this time we lift to stay up, squeeze the seat to lift in those inner thighs, just bend your elbows back, circle to the heart, reach your arms forward. Pressing the palms together. Again, I'm thinking of pulling my elbows back and kinda like a low diagonal so they're not wide, but they're not hugging into the body. Still engaged in the lower body for three. Press the palms together, reach the arms and the gaze forward.

For two. Last one bend. And reach. Keep pressing palms into the ring. Last thing here. We lower the arms. We lower that circle towards the thighs.

We lift it straight back up. Think thumbs are reaching towards the ceiling. But we don't lift them much higher than our shoulder height here just like we would if we were moving through our chest expansion classically facing front. We lower with control. We scoop and lift. Palms press a little tighter into this ring for two.

And lift one more time inhale lower exhale think of scooping to reach forward and up, slowly bend the elbows, crease at the hips, and bring your buddy all the way back down. We'll reach our straps or handles back onto their holders, carefully return the carriage. And then just place your circle off to the side for a moment. Lifting the foot bar up onto its height that works for you. And then I'm gonna add my red spring back on, so I'm on two springs, one red, one blue, and we'll take a little lunge stretch from here. My left foot stays against that block. My right foot comes comfortably onto the ledge, so my shin can kind of press against this bar.

That's gonna keep it stable, so my knee doesn't go over my toe. We're always thinking. Me kind of over the middle of the foot. Maybe towards the toe but not past it for alignment, dropping both sit bones down a little tuck of the tail. You could always omit the holding of the circle and hold on to the bar if you need here.

Reach those arms forward. As you press into a lunge, press the carriage back, reach your arms up, breathe in. Ex, I'll pull the belly up, press that left hip forward arms reach forward carriage comes back. Inhale, we press out. We reach up.

Exhale pull the belly in, press palms together to pull the carriage in. Now, this should feel like a really lovely, maybe intense hip flexor stretch on that left side. I encourage you to keep the tuck of the pelvis to the best of your ability so we don't sink into the low back. We're still very much engaged within the whole body. One more reaching up as we press back, pulling the belly in as we pull the carriage in. This time as we press out, we twist to the right over that right thigh, breathe in, exhale back to center. Twist Again, keeping the circle in front of the chest, not twisting from those arms, but twisting from our waist. Yeah. We're not here. It stays right in line with the body.

Arms right in line with the shoulders. Once more twist. Keep squeezing the seat forward, pulling the belly back, and then carefully switch to the other side. Right foot against the block, left foot onto the ledge, shin up against that bar. Little tuck of the tail, think even square hips, palms press into the ring fingertips reach forward, press the carriage out as arms reach up inhale, pull the belly in, pull the carriage in arms reach forward on that exhale lengthening out and up.

Zipping up through the waist, squeezing through the seat. Really think of squeezing that right glute forward, pulling that belly up and in. Last one arms up. And forward. We twist and press over that left thigh.

Pulling everything back to center with control. It doesn't have to be huge movement for three. Pull it in for two. And together, one more twist. Palms, press together, glutes, ribs, everything squeezing to the midline, and then carefully lower again that circle to take a moment to rest.

We're gonna reach back, make sure the headrest is lifted if it wasn't before. Poms will come onto the bar, and we'll step up and back into a long stretch plank position. Circle just off to the side, shoulders over the hips, finding a gorgeous long line of the body, inner thighs from all that work we did with the circle connected here, heels, press back, heart lifts up, press the carriage out as you breathe in, zip up through the waist, using the inner thighs and glutes zipping up through the low belly to pull the carriage forward. Inhale, we lengthen back, exhale staying long and low in this plank line. Heels keep pressing back into the headrest.

Ribs draw together. Heart presses forward over the bar for three. And then to zipping up a little tighter through the waist, squeezing in her thighs and seat a little tighter. One more inhale out. And exhale, pull the carriage in.

From there, lift the hips up. Step your feet back. So your heels are against the shoulder blocks. Chest presses back to the thighs. Take a moment. Kind of in this Relove a high heel position downward dog.

We're gonna move into our up stretch, pressing the carriage out, lowering the pelvis and the hips, slight rounded shape in the upper body, squeeze the seat, pull the carriage all the way in to try and find that stuff or stopper. If you feel like you're gonna fly forward, you're probably doing it right. Hold the carriage still lift the belly up to lift the hips up. Three more times. Little more fluid here. Inhale. Long exhale.

Two. Fill the body opening up. Long through the back, long through the legs. Hale such a beautiful exercise. I always think of like it looks like a wave.

Alright. From here, step one foot forward carefully. So you can grab for that circle. Again, always optional to use it or not. I'm just gonna place it on the bar with my hand, swivel my back left foot onto a diagonal as I move into some front controls, make sure heel is towards the headrest. Back of the foot is up against that block, and then my right foot will come onto the bar. I'm staying on my red and my blue.

Right knee bends, press the pelvis forward, lift the chest up, and then take that circle between your palms. Now from here, we reach arms forward. Think of that lunge where we were earlier. Left leg stays straight, really lifted through that thigh, lifted through the waist. Begin a straighten that right leg out as you inhale, pull the carriage in using right glute and hamstring, pressing palms into the ring.

Press on out. Pull the carriage back in. Press it out. I'm trying to stay low into a deep end of this right knee, really wrapping my arch and my foot over that bar for some support. We add our arms. They reach up as we press out.

They lower. Palms pressed together as we pull it in. Press and reach, bringing that carriage back in, knee reaching over that middle toe for it to trying to squeeze our glutes forward and together. One more really finding a length through the front of that left hip. We add our twist, press out.

Twist over that right thigh again doesn't have to be huge, trying to deeply bend into that right knee for three. Pull the carriage in for two and together. One more press out. Pull everything back together. Carefully place that ring back onto the bar or out of the way, bring both hands to the bar, lift your back heel up against the block, press your right heel under the bar straighten both legs as much as you can.

Take a moment in this kind of triangle v shape of the legs. We'll press out into a split, right heel under the bar, left heel presses back. Enjoy the stretch. Pull the belly up to pull the carriage back in. A lot of leg work today, enjoying these stretch moments to open up both the front of the hips and thighs, the back of the hamstrings and glutes, press on out. Pull the waist up, squeeze inner thighs together to stay supported here.

Always engage in those thighs and the VMO to support and lift the knee. From there, right foot steps back. We take it on that diagonal. Our left foot will come up onto the bar carefully. Make sure your bent knee over those toes again.

Right heel presses back right thigh, leg really lifted. We bring our circle back in front of our chest. We lengthen through the right. We bend deeper into the left. We press on out.

Left foot into the bar. Pull it in using that left gluten hamstring. Press out as you inhale. Press the palms together, try and draw those ribs together as you exhale for two. Bend a little deeper.

One more inhale. Think of that corset around your waist. Engage your core for support. We add our arms. Listen to your body, be here, be really cautious, definitely a challenging exercise, balance, core control, certainly a lot of leg work last two.

Again, inhale. XL reach through the crown of the head and the fingertips. We twist left pressing on out. Pulling it back together. Press and twist.

Pull the carriage in, press the palms together for two, staying lifted and engaged underneath that right leg. One more. Coming back to center, bend a little deeper, carefully lower the circle, press as you lift your right heel up against your shoulder, block. We press into your palms. You release that left heel down. We press out for our split.

Trying to straighten and lengthen both legs, pull the belly up, pike those hips up, release the crown of the head down, inhale to press out, exhale pull the belly up and in. For two inhaling and exhaling last time inhale back exhale belly pulls up carriage pulls in. From here, we'll carefully step both feet down onto the mat. Take a soft bend of the knees, bring both hands all the way down to the mat, letting the head hang heavy for a moment. Just taking a well deserved forward fold.

Give your head a little shake side to side, bend those knees a little deeper as you inhale, lengthen them up a little bit straighter as you exhale. Keeping head and chest heavy two more times, bending the knees, letting chest release over the thighs, exhale to extend. Once more inhale to bend. Exhale to extend. From there, slowly bend your knees, squatting all the way down.

We'll kneel onto our mat. That is all we have for today. I hope you had a lot of fun for a wonderful magic circle reformer class with me.