Tower with Small Ball

Hi. I am Lara Hanlin here to lead you through a class on a tower using a small ball. We'll get started facing our tower side with our feet about hip distance apart. This nice squishy ball will be placed in between the inner thighs. And we'll begin with our brown bar here, our rollback bar. I'll be using this bar today using the push through bar with a spring at the top and at the bottom as well as my leg springs.

That is all you will need, and of course a safety strap. Holding on for this bar on the outside of the hardware, pulling my shoulder blades down, thinking of a beautiful tall back and seat squeezing into my inner thighs, pressing my arms down to about chest height, take a breath in to prepare. And then exhale start to round and contract. We're gonna lower about halfway down to begin, making sure those heels stay firmly planted on the floor, taking a breath where you are, and then exhale belly button scoops back, Keep gentle pressure down into the bar shoulders come over the hips and then lengthen up tall at the top keeping those arms engaged, pressing down on the inhale, exhale deep contraction from the core, he'll stay heavy into the mat, inner thighs wrapping into that ball. Maybe going an inch or two lower on the inhale, exhale curling back forward and up. Palms, press down, shoulder blades slide down the back as we lengthen up to that tall spine, breathing in at the top, exhale, low belly draws back in and each time making our way a little bit lower towards the floor.

This time, maybe mid back touching down onto that mat, take a breath in. Exhale ribs in it tight belly button pulls back inner thighs squeeze together, lengthening all the way up two more times. Inhale. And exhale this time, I'm going to aim for the tips of my shoulder blades hovering on the floor, finding that high contraction, deep breath in. So I'll just scoot from the waist to curl forward and up, keeping that rounded spine before lengthening at the tops. Still pressing that bar down so I'm engaged in my back and triceps inhale.

Exhale this time we lower all the way down onto our mat. Ball is tight between those inner thighs, zipping up that imaginary tight zipper all the way through the pelvic floor to the belly button, allowing my head to release to the mat, feeling shoulder side away from the ears, elbows, bend wide, bar pulls towards the sternum on the inhale, arms extend as we exhale, inhale to pull. Exhale to lengthen, keep wrapping inner thighs into the ball, really working inner thighs squeeze tight, and then ribs knit tight for two. And arms extend one more time elbows bend wide. Arms extend long. We hold for the breath in. And exhale to scoop from that belly chin over the chest curling all the way back up to that tall seat. Once more arms press down, spine lengthens up, exhale abs scoot back as we curl all the way back down to the mat, taking our arm pulls again, waking up the triceps, belly pulls down elbows bend wide and lengthen it out e inhale to pull, exhale to extend, really feeling length out through the crown of the head as we extend our arms, feeling the neck lengthen and the shoulders pull away from the ears for two.

One more time, we bend and extend deep breath in, exhale scoop from the belly to round and contract all the way back up, sitting up tall at the top for the breath in, shoulders down, bar down. This time, we'll roll back down, keeping those arms extended straight, opening up through the spine, keeping the back where it is. Slide your feet a little closer towards your sit bone. So this bar is pretty darn close to the thighs. Take a breath in.

Pull the low belly down, begin to scoop tuck and curl the hips up into a bridge pose. I'm thinking of reaching my thighs into that brown bar, my pelvis up, my gaze up, and my heels down. Squeeze the ball a little tighter as you inhale, and then exhale, shoulders keep pulling down into the mat holding on tight to this bar, really feeling how that spring tension pulls the shoulders further down into the back, inhale to hold, exhale belly pulls down squeezing into the inner thighs, scoop tuck, and curl the hips up. Me is reaching forward. I have a long diagonal from knees to hips to shoulders, also with that spring tension.

Inhale and exhale to melt back down into the mat, glute squeeze together, inner thighs squeeze together. Once more inhale at the bottom, exhale pulling the belly button down and in really feeling a link through the front of the body across the chest and shoulders, across the front of the hips and the pelvis, maybe lift the hips one inch higher, squeeze up all a little tighter, take a breath in, and exhale to roll all the way down bone by bone, upper back, middle back, low back, finally releasing the hips at the bottom. Slide those feet back away from you, dig your heels down into the mat, breathe, and exhale belly pulls down, inner thighs, squeeze the ball as we curl all the weight back up to our seat. Once we arrive at the top, we'll let the arms release, releasing that ball, a bar, keeping our ball, and then spinning on around. Thinking about what we did to begin, kinda with a half rollback now without the bar to help us reach your arms forward, squeeze into the ball, take a breath in, and then begin to roll all the way back vertebra by vertebra option to always hold on behind the legs.

If you need a little more support, taking your time to roll down with control, finding the tips of the shoulder blades, before releasing the head down. We're going to reach back up for that brown bar, slide those heels back and towards your sit bones, shoulders pull away from the ears, heels press into the mat, and then press the bar until it's up over the chest and the shoulders. So a little bit of tension in the springs. As you press the arms forward, pull your belly down and squeeze into that ball. We'll do a few more preps just like so, letting those arms float back slightly overhead on the inhale. And then press your arms forward until they're right up over your shoulders.

If you'll have that engages a little deeper into our low transverse abdominals, we have to work a little harder to keep our pelvis in a neutral position thinking of squeezing into the pelvic floor and into this ball with our inner thighs. One more time, arms reach back on the inhale, squeeze the ball deep in through the waist, press those arms forward on the exhale, holding it here for another breath in. Pull the belly down, scoop tuck, and curl your hips back up to that bridge pose, similar to where we were before, but now we're gonna use the arms and the bar pressing the bar towards the thighs, deep breath, and exhale arms reach back up just over the shoulders. Don't let them go too far behind you. Again, deep breath into press. XL draw the ribs together, squeeze those inner thighs together for three in how we reach bar to thighs.

Exhale resist far to the ceiling for two. And, once more we press, and we left holding it here at the top deep breath in. Exhale to melt back down, upper back first, keep tension in the springs, middle back, low back, release the hips, release the arms back, stay holding on tight, adjust what you need, maybe heels an inch closer, squeeze the ball, press the arms over the chest, inhale to prepare, exhale again. We tuck and curl those hips up, driving our heels down, inner thighs together, and gaze stays lifted, holding the arms straight, lower the hips just an inch or two as you inhale. Lift your pelvis up, press that bar to your thighs on the exhale. Same thing with the upper body adding a little pulse of the lower body hips lower an inch or two.

Keep the inner thigh and glute engagement, press from the lats and the triceps for three. Beautiful open neck and chest here for it to lift and squeeze a little tighter. One more time, we lower an inch. Lift squeeze the seat. Press far to thighs, keep your hips high.

Reach your arms back up over the shoulders. Take a breath and exhale to roll back down bone by bone. Hips release, arms reach back. Taking a moment there. Deep breathe in.

Once again, we squeeze the ball. We press the arms over the chest, holding them there, pull your shoulders down into the mat in the back, pull the belly deeper towards your spine, and then float the legs to a tabletop position. From here, keep squeezing into the ball. See if you can maybe press your arms one inch further forward by really anchoring those shoulders away from the ears, and then take a slow tap of those toes down to the floor, keeping the 90 degree bend of the knees, squeeze into the ball, knit the ribs together, lift the legs back up to tabletop. We're not here long. Feel your whole body working, head, neck, heavy into the floor.

No tension there working into the back and the arms to hold this bar really stable. Exhale zipping up tighter through that waist to float the legs back to tabletop. Twice more toes lower to hover or top the floor, exhale pull your waistline down to that mat, squeeze tighter into that ball. One more time, legs lower on the inhale, crease at the hips, work from that waistline, hold at the top for a breath in, with control slowly lower the feet all the way down to the mat, and then release that bar back. We'll let it go, letting it release fully, and then reach for the long straps here for our feet and our leg work.

We're gonna bring the knees into the chest thread the feet through those straps, and then place this ball in between the ankles shims. So still working on squeezing it from the inner thighs, but in a different place, you can pretty much stay where you are on the mat, and then reach those arms back hands holding on tight to the poles, inner thighs wrap together, flex through the heels, and extend your legs out long onto a diagonal. Find your alignment here. Our shoulders once again are anchored. We're using our biceps and triceps to firmly press those poles back anchor the pelvis down, point through the toes, and then start to float the legs up towards the ceiling.

Ideally, we get to about perpendicular trying to keep a little bit of tension in the spring so they stay quiet, and then press from the glutes and hamstrings deepen from the waist to lower those legs back down towards the floor, creasing at the hips to lift deep breath in, exhale pressing down and away reaching back through the crown of the head out through those toes. Inhale, we lift up. Exhale, think inner thighs squeezing together. Imagine you're gonna pop that ball between your legs. Gazes lifted, chin away from the chest.

Always thinking about the whole body here, checking in with the shoulders, trying not to overly spray the ribs. I know that's hard for me and my body. Can I really close across the ribs and pull the belly to the spine without arching or tucking tilting that pelvis up down side to side? One more time. We'll lower down and away. And slowly lengthen to lift.

This time flex through the heels lower to about 45 degrees. Squeeze that ball a little tighter, begin to resist and bend your knees into a tabletop position. We're working both directions, deep breath here, x out to lengthen out through the heels stretching out through those springs, resist to bend. Maybe you challenge yourself by not holding on, perhaps bringing hands to hips, thinking about that seat belt, that pelvic alignment. I wanna crease right at my hip flexor, so my pelvis doesn't lift and tuck here. That way, I'm using my core to stabilize my hips onto the mat.

I'm creasing at my hips using my glutes and my hamstrings to bend with control, and then really engaging underneath there to lengthen with control, relaxing through the shoulders, inhale, we bend, exhale. Can you pull the belly deeper again knitting ribs tighter squeezing inner thighs tighter to extend. A lot of leg work here. One more time, we bend it in. We lengthen out to stay. Bring those hands back to the poles.

Press into them maybe slide a little further away. Point through your toes, squeeze the ball. We're gonna take an airplane today, pressing the belly down, starting to tuck and curl the hips up, levitate away from the mat, finding a long diagonal line, and then lower with control. See if you can keep the tuck of the tail, hover the pelvis squeeze that ball tighter, beautiful long diagonal through the shoulders, hips, and toes. We lift deep breath in.

We lower using the arms in the back. Press the pulls away, lengthen through the crown of the head. Lift for three. Pull that belly in, can we squeeze butt cheeks tighter, inner thighs tighter for it to lifting everything up, keeping that diagonal as you lift and as you lower, think one gorgeous longboarded line. Last time, lift, lower to hover. Little pulse into that ball for five.

Squeeze it tighter for four. For three, hold the hover for two. Hold to squeeze on one. Lower the hips all the way down and lift those legs all the way up. I feel my inner thighs, bend your knees, take the straps off the feet, let them go back, give those knees a squeeze.

Take a moment here. Maybe a little rock back and forth side to side, deep breath in deep breath out. We'll hold the ball between the hands, reach the arms to the ceiling, palms pressing inward, legs extend out long on the mat, deep breath in. So he'll begin to curl up, reaching those fingers and toes forward, pulling that belly button back, take a moment in a forward stretch, maybe flex your feet, find a little link for the back of those legs. Take a moment here.

Do something that feels good. And then we'll roll all the way up to a seat. We're gonna spin around continuing continuing to use our brown bar on our knees. So this ball comes back between the inner thighs. I like to use it when I'm kneeling. I find that even without the ball, you still wanna think about that inner thigh connection anytime you're on your knees. It's gonna save your kneecaps less pressure and weight down when you really think of that squeeze in and up. Hold on, once again, to this brown bar, comfortable distance away, pull the belly back, tuck that tail underneath you, tops of the feet pressing down, shoulder blades pulling down.

Simple press to start, inhale bar towards the thighs, exhale draw the ribs together, squeeze those inner thighs together, resist the arms to lift. Again, just like that inhale we press. Exhale, we left. Dina, turn of the head, inhale, we press, exhale looking right, opening up through the opposite shoulder looking left, looking center, belly pulls back, arms float up. Again, inhale press. Can you hold the bar to the thighs? Look left. Open across that right collarbone.

Look right. Open across the left collarbone back to center and return. This time we stay looking forward, we press the bar to the thighs on the inhale, squeeze that ball, sit your sit bones back towards your heels as you exhale, squeeze the glutes back forward, breathe in, return the bar back up as you breathe out. One more just like that. Press the bar down engage in those lats. Little sit back.

Squeeze the seat and zip through the waistline. Press the pelvis forward. Return that bar. We have two more full chest expansion and thigh stretch here. So we press the bar towards our thighs. We keep it there as we hinge feeling that long diagonal through the knees through the hips to the crown of the head, keep the bar on the thighs, come back up, breathe, and belly back, squeeze the ball, reach your arms forward.

Just one more like that. Press it down inhale, lengthen long, back, back back, reach the crown of the head forward, further forward, lift all the way back up and return. Sitting all the way down releasing that bar for a moment. Take the ball out. Take a moment to reach those arms long in front of you into a child's pose.

Open across the spine, breathe into the back. Exhale, let it go. We'll come all the way up here. I will face you turning to the side. Again, using our brown bar for a little bit of side oblique work. My top leg will go kind, my front leg will go in front. So I'm staggered with my toes, my feet on the bar.

And then this ball is coming underneath my bottom, in this case, right hand. Barr comes into the left hand. I'm holding on right in the center. And then I start to extend my left arm, reach my right arm along, extend my legs maybe a little bit, maybe all the way until I roll down onto my side waist. I'm thinking left hip presses forward so I don't open up. I stay really square to you.

Deep breathe in. And then exhale use that left waist to lift. Inhale lower and lengthen. Axale use the left oblique to lift. Trying to stay square to the side, working that waistline, rolling over the ball. Energy through the fingertips and the crown of the head, draw the ribs together to lift.

One more time, we lower. Find the lift to hold. Press your pelvis further forward. Pull your belly back. Lift that bottom arm off the ball, framing the head inhale.

Lower it back down over the ball as you exhale for four. Can we hold this oblique connection for three? And open beautiful porta bra for two. One more time. Lower to the ball, deep breath in.

Axle come all the way up, bending those knees. We'll take a little side, cleopatra stretch. So my front shin is parallel to the front edge of my mat here and the left parallel to that tower side. Left hand to left shin or ankle, right arm reaches up deep breath and exhale stretch up and over, opening up that bottom right oblique, shoulders pull down, breathe, and exhale stretch a little further, breathe out. Coming all the way back up, and we'll turn around for our other side.

Again, top leg goes to the pole behind bottom leg to that pole in front. I'm pressing this back hip forward, so I'm really square to isolate from my obliques. Right hand holds on left hand rolls over the ball, begin to slide that body out, lengthen through the side waist, deep breath, and exhale to lift from the right oblique. And here we lower. Exhale, we lift.

As you lower, I think bottom ribs, just hovering or gently tapping the floor, lifting focusing on that upper waistline for two. One more time, chin away from the chest. Shoulders away from the ears, hold the lift. Bottom arm lifts to frame the face and lowers. For four, belly pulling back in in for three.

Last two. Last one. Hold down inhale. Come all the way up, bending those knees on the exhale. Right hand to right ankle or shin, left arm by the ear, deep breath to lengthen.

Axle to take that side bend softening the shoulders here, inhale, exhale reach a little further over. And then come all the way back up. From there, we'll spin around. We're done with our brown bar. So I'm going to go ahead and just get it out of the way for us.

You're more than welcome to keep yours attached. But just for the sake of some cleanliness here, we're gonna move into some work with our push through bar. So I'm hooking one red spring from the top. I'm gonna spin back on around, lying underneath the bar, with this ball back in between my inner thighs. So make your way to about the middle of your tower. Place the ball between your legs. And as we always do, using the core to roll down with control arms forward breathing.

Exale start to curl back, squeeze the ball, pull the waistline in, find a moment where you hover at the tips of the shoulder blades, maybe reach up, take your bar before lowering all the way down onto the mat. Now, bend your knees. So they're a comfortable distance, knees to the ceiling, heels in line with the hips. Palvis really working to stay neutral here. So we work deep into our pelvic floor. Sholders away from the ears. Make sure you have a tight, safe grip on this bar.

We start by bending those elbows by the sides on the inhale, press the bar back overhead as you exhale. Feel length out through those fist holding on tight, out through the crown of the head, and then also out through the sit bones and tailbone. Pulling those elbows back through, shoulder blades pull down, belly pulls down, and arms extend up towards the ceiling. Again, with a little more awareness towards that ball in how we bend, exhale, can we squeeze the ball pulling the belly down as those arms extend keeping that corset tighter around our waistline even as our arms reach overhead. Sholders pull down, inhale, exhale arms extend.

Again, but adding on elbows bend back deep breath in. Pressing long, thinking about that waistline, thinking about the ball, shoulders, pull down, breathe, and elbows bend this time curling up just to the tips of the shoulder blades. Again, sit bones, tailbone long gaze into those abdominals squeeze the ball a little bit tighter. Again, like that head down elbows bend, bar reaches back over the head, start to bend those elbows, curl the chin over the chest, then crown of the head follows that bar as you curl just to the tips of the shoulder blades. Holding it here, squeeze the ball tighter, breathe in, float the legs up to tabletop as you breathe out. Same thing with the legs holding at tabletop, head lowers, elbows bend, keep the core connected, keep the inner thighs connected as you press back. Arms come through, inhale, squeeze the ball, curl up to the tips of the shoulder blades as you exhale gazing at the ball, squeeze it tight like you're gonna pop it one more like this.

Using that breath, moving smooth with control, pulling those arms through, curling up to the tips of the shoulder blades. This time we stay, we squeeze the ball a little tighter, breathe in, begin to curl all the way up, keeping the knees bent, allowing that bar to help us lift through the heart, inhale to hold. Excel pull the waistline down, curl back just to the tips of the shoulder blades, arms stay straight overhead, knees stay at tabletop, inhale to hover here, exhale belly pulls down to curl back up. Keep a lift through the crown of the head. Low belly draws back slight rounded shape in the low back here. Start to bend your elbows wide as you inhale.

Extend your elbows up as you exhale. Hold the arms straight. Extend your legs up inhale. Bend your knees exhale. We combine both elbows bend, legs extend. Can we keep our spine, our heart lifted, and our abs engaged?

For two arms up, knees bend, inner thighs squeezing into that ball once more inhale, exhale to hold. Take a breath in. Begin to roll back down, finding the tips of the shoulder blades, legs staying at table. One more moment here. Deep breath in. We curl up legs extend along.

Arms extend along. Keep arms and legs straight lower to hover the legs. The shoulder blades breathe in. Pull your waistline down. Squeeze that ball, lift back up to the teaser.

Two more times, inhale lower, ribs and inner thighs knit tight, exhale we lift once more lower, exhale lift, hold at the top, lift the heart one inch higher with control reach one arm towards your toes. Reach the other arm towards your toes, lift everything an an inch higher, squeeze that ball a little tighter, deep breath, and lower all the way down in four. Taking our time in three. We find hover of heels and shoulder blades to pull your knees all the way into your chest, releasing the head down on one little rock of those knees side to side, deep breath here, and a deep breath out. Once again, we'll take the ball between our hands, arms reach to the ceiling, legs extend long on the mat, inner thighs squeezing together, palms pressing into the ball, take a breath in, and exhale to round and roll up with control.

From here, finding a tall seat. We'll keep this beautiful tall lift, but spin back around facing our bar. Leggs come up against the poles this time. Option to have a soft bend in the knees. I find that often that helps us really find our sit bones here. If the legs are really straight and you're tight in your hips or your hamstrings, sometimes we kinda sink back into this.

I really want us to focus on that lift from the low belly. You should feel your core from what we just did. This ball will come behind the low back. So we're using it here. If you have slippery shiny pants on, you might kind of have to wedge it there so it doesn't roll away. The goal is to really think of pulling the core back to it as we move through our spine stretch. So try and get it to a spot that feels like it's going to stay. We'll see how I do here.

Hold on to this bar, pull your shoulders down, hold on tight, begin to round and contract back to the ball. So right there, feel how your low belly is scooping towards it. Take a breath in. Pull your waist back towards the ball as you continue to press this bar forward, hold on tight, round over the chest, and enjoy this forward spine stretch, opening across the shoulder blades, breathing into the back. Exhale to round back. Can you connect your back to the ball? Pulling the waistline back and then lifting back up tall at the top. Deep, Ratin.

Pull your abdominals back. See if you can find that connection. Keep pulling your waist back as you press the bar forward, pulling that waistline in the whole time. If it's still there, you wanna feel that connection. Deep breathe in from here, pulling the waistline back to the ball, trying to find it if you can with your core.

And then rounding all the way back up controlling that bar, pulling the shoulder blades down into the back, and then coming all the way back up to our tall seat. Now adjust so that ball is still behind your tail feet are still up against those pulls. We wanna find this beautiful lift of the spine. And then from there, hands can come in front of us over our chest or behind the head. So if you can lift a little taller through your waist, hold it if it feels like it's rolling away, deep breath in. And then exhale start to hinge back until you really feel it solid there.

You're zipping up through your waist with this gorgeous long flat spine, taking another breath in, heels continue to dig down into the mat feet, and press forward into those pulls for support. And see if you can lengthen your spine one inch further towards that wall behind you. From here, breathe and exhale pull pubic bone to sacrum, navel to the spine curling up and over the ribs. Again, feeling your abs pull back into that ball, never losing the connection here. Inhale, we lengthen back to that diagonal, not arching over the ball, just a flat spine, pull the waistline in to curl up and forward. Think about our neck pull exercise. This is a great prep for it.

Finding that long length on the inhale, can you pull your waistline deeper back and in towards up all in the exhale? Once more, keeping the chest square, inhale, shoulder soften, abs pull back to the ball to around and contract forward. This time we add on back to the flat diagonal breathing, little lift and twist up and over to the right low belly pulls back to the ball, right obliques, draw back hips stay square, my feet are still straight against those poles back to center inhale up and over to the left belly scooping back twist on the exhale heart lift center, twist up and over to the right. Once more inhale center, exhale lift and twist up and over to the left, come all the way back to center holding for one more breath in, and exhale belly pulls back scoop and curl all the way forward and up. Should very much feel that low abdominal region.

We'll, of course, continue to use it throughout our Pilates practice. You'll meet a kneeling once again facing the bar, the tower end here with this ball between our inner thighs. We're gonna use the push through bar for a really nice cow stretch, still using the low belly, still using that inner thigh connection to stabilize. Think of that tuck of the tail, hands holding on about a full long arms distance away here. From here, shoulders pull down, zip up through the waist, start to press the arms down as you inhale. Pull your belly up and in as you tuck the chin over the chest. I wanna think of my hip staying over my knees as I round the crown of the head forward. My goal is to get my head about in line with my hips and pelvis.

Until then, I stay square, and then I get to release SIP bones tailbone back, heart lifts forward and up. Make sure you have a nice tight, safe grip on this bar, breathe and allow this feel juicy and good for that spine, pull your abs up, squeeze the inner thighs into the ball, think of lifting that ball up through the pelvic floor towards your belly button, press your hips forward, and then lengthen all the way up through the crown of the head. Again, just like that, full body working, arms press down, breathe, and exhale chin over the chest, gaze down, think of sliding the crown of the head straight towards the floor. You're looking at your ball. Can you squeeze it tighter? Can you lift your abs up a little higher towards the ceiling and then release them down to the mat, find that gorgeous hyperextension of the spine, deep breath, and exhale zip up through the inner thighs in the waist, round, and curl all the way back up, keep lifting in the pelvic floor.

In the legs and out through the crown of the head. Now think of keeping that lift. We'll turn to the side, feet hang off the back edge. My left arm will be, again, pretty straight. Doesn't have to be locked out here.

Kinda depends on your alignment. I want my shoulder blade to lock down my pelvis pressing forward. Right arm reaches wide here, and I'll flip my right palm up. Start by pressing that left arm down on the inhale. Can I really feel that lat engaged trying to keep my hips square arm lifts on the exhale? Again, pressing down from the back.

Resisting it back up. Alright. Adding a lift of that right arm as we press the left palm down deep breath in. Exale, resist that left arm up open the right arm out beautiful t shape one more like this, engaging underneath that left lat, body staying really square through the hips and the shoulders. We add on a little further. ARM presses down.

With that bar, deep breath in right arm to the ceiling, exhale take your side, stretch holding on tight, keep pressing your pelvis forward, especially that left hip so we don't close or open the hips to the floor of the ceiling. Shoulders slide down the back, squeeze the ball, lift to vertical with the spine, left arm lifts, right arm wide. One more time. Deep breathe in. Exale, beautiful side stretch, opening up that right side body, still working those obliques. Lengthen and lift all the way back up and open to rest. From here, turning on around for our other side, continuing to squeeze that ball between the inner thighs, pointing the toes back we don't cheat by kind of hooking them over the ledge, really think of using your glutes tucking under belly lifting upward to stabilize, right hand on the bar, left arm out wide, palm to the ceiling, shoulder blades pull down, and then that right palm presses down deep breath in.

Exhale, resist to return it back up. Again, pressing that right arm down, returning it back up, adding the lift of the left arm in how we press and reach. Exhale, resist and open. Again, just like that, focusing on that inner thigh squeeze into the ball, a stable square hip pelvis torso region. Again, arm presses down, left arm lifts, we add on for that side mermaid stretch.

Opening up through that left sideways continuing to press right glute and hip forward and pull shoulders away from the ears. Come all the way back up to vertical. Open left arm, lift, right arm one more time, inhale, and exhale think of lifting up and out through the crown of the head full beautiful side bend and coming all the way back up and opening out from there. We'll remove the ball, sit down facing our tower end moving into a little bit of a parakeet exercise, but, of course, with our handy dandy ball here. So carefully press the bar through. Bring the arches, balls of the feet onto this bar.

Make sure they're not slippery. Place the ball in between your inner thighs. I like to think of this push through bar being somewhere around the frame. You don't want it so far forward. But I also know that as I let go carefully and roll back down onto my back, it's gonna move a little bit towards me.

So I may actually scoot my hips a little bit further forward. So again, it's set up pretty much around your frame. Important for safety there. Your feet are holding on tight. I'm wrapping my legs into this ball. My pelvis is anchored.

My palms are anchored. Starting with a little glute bridge hip squeeze, glute squeeze, inner thighs drawing towards one another, and then the pelvis lifts up. Maybe just an inch or two. It's not a huge lift. I'm firing up underneath my seat.

I'm drawing my ribs together, and then I try my best to roll down through the spine here. So can I get the back of my ribs down? Then the middle of my waist down, really squeezing underneath those glutes before you can't anymore, and you just let the hips release with control. Again, palms press down, pelvis lifts up, feet pressing into that bar breathe in. Exhale chin away from the chest here as you try and articulate to the best of your body's ability, releasing the hips at the bottom. We'll do that once more, palms of feet pressing in towards the ground, lifting those hips towards the ceiling squeezing those glutes and then articulating bone by bone before lengthening out through the pelvis. This time hips stay down really clearly crease at the hips as you bend your knees in towards your chest.

And then simply press them back along. Again, focusing on that seat belt connection across the hip bones using the low abs. We keep wrapping inner thighs together, knees stay in line over the hips, inhale to bend, exhale to extend. One more, making sure you're stable with your feet wrapping over this bar. I think of a mama bird holding on to her babies. Don't let them go.

You do not wanna let this bar go. We add on. We pull our knees in. We try to keep our pelvis still anchored by using the low abs. Slowly extend your legs up. Keep keep holding on to that bar. Inner thighs keep holding on around the ball.

Take a breath in. Pull your waistline down to tuck and curl the hips up. Now we're rolling up to find a long diagonal from knees to hips to shoulders. Enjoy in this length through the front of the body. Chin off the chest.

Can we squeeze the inner thighs a little tighter. Feel how all of a sudden we're working our adductors and our glutes more just by wrapping those legs into the midline deep breath in, exhale roll back down bone by bone, upper back first. Keep wrapping legs inward. Pull the waistline into the floor, tailbone all the way back down and long knees bend in. Lakes extend all the way out.

Press palms down, wrap those feet down We'll do that again with control using your body, using your breath inhale, exhale begin to extend those legs up. Take a breath to squeeze the ball, exhale tuck and curl your hips up towards the ceiling. Squeeze the ball a little tighter burrito, then exhale to roll back down bone by bone, feel linked through the crown of the head, through the fingertips, through the tail, glutes, squeeze as knees bend, legs, stand along, working those hamstrings, those calves, those feet. Last time, pull it in, lengthen it up. Inhale squeeze the ball, exhale tuck and curl the hips up towards the ceiling.

One more moment here. Can you squeeze the glutes and inner thighs a little tighter, take a breath in, exhale to roll on down bone by bone, upper back, middle back, and join these articulation moments, low back, knees bend in, inner thighs squeeze as legs lengthen long. Keep pressing your feet down into that bar, float your arms to the ceiling, take a breath in, exhale carefully begin to peel the chin over the chest curl all the way up. Make sure you're secure here. Reach forward. Take that bar.

Flex your feet underneath it and get a stretch for those calves. Take a second here. Do what feels good. It'll make sure you're being safe. And then begin to come up, bend your knees in.

You can take that ball out and then control this bar up. Yeah. This one, especially if it's metal, but even if it's wood can be dangerous. So just always being aware of yourself of your body, your clients, whenever we're using it. I'm unhooking my top strap. I'm gonna hook my safety strap around this push through bar.

Really important here before we hook our bottom spring, we hook this strap I'm gonna go somewhere around here today and then watch your head, hook your bottom spring. You could use one. You could use two. We're gonna move into some tower exercise. So I'm gonna use one fairly heavy spring here.

Grab your ball. We have a runaway, and then carefully lay back down underneath your bar. Little more spinal articulation, little more work. As well as stretch for the back of the legs, knees come in, ball place between those ankles, and then carefully place the balls of the feet so closer to your toes on this bar. From there, you can extend your legs up Think about your alignment here. I want to keep my pelvis pretty anchored. Now I'm pretty flexible here.

If you're super tight and your knees are bent, maybe you scoot further backwards, that's gonna make it so your legs aren't so close to you. Listen to your body here. Maybe your legs never get straight, and that's okay too. Hands come to those bars, shoulders pulling down, palms pressing back. We'll start with a point of the toes pressing the bar away, stretching out through the spring. And then exhale flex your toes down.

Let that spring pull your toes closer towards your chest. With this ball between the inner thighs, as I move through a little bit of footwork here, I'm really aware of my alignment, my hip, my knee all in line with my middle toe. The more I wrap my legs into the ball, the more I'm thinking about my adductors, my midline, even my core, pointing on up, flexing heels up, flexing toes back. Once more, we point. And we flex.

From here, squeeze a little tighter into the ball, press your arms back so you're engaged in your lats, start to bend your knees as you inhale, and then curl the hips away from the floor for our tower exercise on the exhale. Now I'm thinking of my knees coming over my eyebrows, my thighs stay parallel to the floor. The whole time I'm squeezing this ball, squeezing my inner thighs and glutes, deep breath to hold, exhale to roll back down. My palms press back. The crown of my head reaches back.

I keep my knees bent. My tailbone reaches as far out as it can. I'm gonna do just that again. Inhale prepare, exhale. Pull the waistline back as you curl your knees over your face.

Deep breath in, exhale to roll back down vertebra by vertebra, keeping a soft bend in the knees. They're not released over my chest. Hold here inhale. Again, curl the knees back over those eyebrows. From here, keeping those hips lifted, start to lengthen your legs up towards the ceiling, reach through your toes, wrap the inner thighs and glutes towards one another. Take a breath here to hold, exhale to roll down chest away from the chin.

My spine is lengthening. My arms are even lengthening a little bit. My legs are long. My knees, my middle toes all in a long line. From there, flex the feet, bend the knees, deep breath in.

We do it again. Tuck and curl the hips away from the floor. I may need to get my hips over my shoulders, maybe my knees further over my eyebrows from there, carefully reach those legs up. I like to think of reaching this bar and my toes towards the top of my tower, squeeze the glutes tighter inhale, exhale to roll down with straight legs vertebra by vertebra. Can we keep wrapping those legs into the ball? Regardless of the ball being there or not, you should be working your inner thighs in this exercise. This just makes it a little more obvious. Keep your legs straight but flex your feet.

Take a moment, get that little stretch, inhale point your toes up, exhale curl up with straight legs, toes reaching towards the frame. Begin to bend your knees with control, deep inhale, thighs parallel towards the floor, accele to roll down with bent knees chest away from the chin bone by bone. As you lengthen your sit bones long, reach your heels to the ceiling, let those toes flex back point your toes up, exhale to curl up. Squeezing underneath those glutes, strong arms, bend the knees with control. Do not let that spring take over, inhale, exhale to roll back down.

I love this exercise. I think it feels so good. One of my really favorite things to do for my body. But there's a lot of moving parts. So keep your focus.

Lakes extend flex the toes back. Enjoy that moment. This time we keep our legs straight, toes point up, inhale, tuck and curl the pelvis away from the floor scooping out through your waistline, squeezing inner thighs and glutes tight. Hold at the top breathe in, exhale to roll down chest away from the chin, open across the shoulders, open through the spine, releasing the hips at the very bottom, flex through those feet. We're doing that to really get a nice stretch for those calves once more point your toes up, inhale pull your belly down, feel your core engage, your ribs knit together, your inner thighs and glute squeeze together, hold at the top.

We're adding on here. Bend those knees with control inhale. Press your legs and your toes up on the exhale for three. Bend. Nothing else moves. Keep the hips lifted.

Gays lifted. Two. And extend, work those inner thighs and legs one more time. We bend thighs parallel to the floor, legs lengthen straight and hold. One more breath and one more tight squeeze of that ball, exhale to roll down with control, bone by bone, chest away from the chin, moving through the upper back. Can we squeeze the ball a little tighter? Moving through the middle back.

Through that low back, feel the sit bones tailbone lengthen out, and those heels lengthen up. Allow that bar to press your toes down, getting one more extra little stretch reach for that ball. You can take it out. Just place it off to the side. We'll take a brief stretch for one leg at a time, bending into one knee opposite heel pressing up a little higher towards the ceiling.

Switch just like a little run or pedal of those feet with control, deep breath in, exhale to switch, feeling the spine, release heavy into the tower after all that articulation, one more inhale. Axial to switch. From there, softly bending both knees into the chest, reach for this bar, carefully take it off of your feet. Hug your knees all the way in towards you. They can be together or parted just something that feels like a release on your spine after all that vertical work, upside down work, articulation, take a breath wherever you are.

An exhale let it go. From here, carefully extend the legs out long on the mat in front of you, give them a little shake up and down side to side, be very careful of where this bar is. We're gonna just turn over to one side to kinda mosey our way out and, from underneath. Never wanting to hit our head there. It's a hard bar. That is it for today on this tower.

I hope you had a fun class with this fun prop. See you next time.