Beginner Mat

Hi. I'm Danielle English, and this is your beginner mat class. No accessories today. We're just gonna move our bodies on the mat. Let's get started. I'm gonna begin all the way down as I bend my knees.

I like to grab behind the hamstrings. Think of scooping the tailbone out from underneath you just to articulate getting really nice placement on the mat. Heels are about hip width distance, and I'm really thinking of stamping the soles of my feet into the earth. I'm gonna take my hands and make a little diamond, pointer fingers and thumbs, make a little picture frame right around my belly button. Starting with the breath, I want you to connect the breath to this movement of pelvis as we inhale. Think of expanding up into that diamond.

It's a really a nice way to connect and please allow that low back to arch away from the mat. Palvis starts to slowly tilt forward. As we exhale, think of curling the tail up through the knees as I breathe out, really drawing the abdominals in, belly button to spine, slight tuck of pelvis. Now I feel that hug of my back end of the mat. Inhale, I'm gonna expand almost like I'm stretching, feeling open through that abdomen, pelvis starts to spill forward.

Exhale, tail up, navel, and ribs wrap in. And I'm also gonna think of slightly shrugging my shoulders down. This helps us connect to the power center. We're gonna inhale expand, tilt the pubic bone forward. It's okay if those shoulders creep up.

I want you to feel what being disconnected feels like, and then we exhale connect navel in, tail up, ribs in and together shoulders down. It's like I'm pulling the four corners of my torso in towards center. One more. We're gonna use this breath for the rest of class and really starting to move that pelvis on spine. This time I'm gonna try and hold it. I'm gonna hold that imprint.

I'm gonna keep the tension in my belly. I'm gonna inhale my arms straight up to the sky palms face away from me. Now as I exhale I go deeper, as if I'm pressing the naval down, I keep just gently scooping tailbone up. Nice little curl up holding for three, two, one gazing at the belly button, and then inhale, I'm gonna let it go. Pelvis can tilt a little forward.

Feel that disconnect that relaxed moment. Exhale, can you draw it together? Tail up, abs, and ribs down. I press. I reach like someone's got me by the wrist. I'm going forward forward forward. And then inhale, I'm gonna bring it down.

Let the pelvis relax and feel that little space between you and the mat. And now diminish it, ribs in, able to spine, chest up. This time, can you hold, grab behind the thighs, engage the biceps, start to curl up just a little bit higher. I also use that traction to shrug the shoulders down. I'm gonna exhale try and release it and hold for five. For isometric contraction for two. And one in, he'll bring it down starting to build a little heat right in that midsection.

Little release, little arch, so then I know what I'm trying to pull together as I exhale tail up, abs, and shoulders down. I grab I bend the elbows. My biceps help me deepen that curve of the spine belly button hugs away from the sky. And then I release this time for six, five sips of breath. Three, two, And one, I'm gonna come all the way down for the last time big inhale, exhale.

Trying to wrap my waist in like I'm cinching a belt. My arms assist so I can get a little deeper, a little higher. Now shrug your shoulders down. This time, release and hold for eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, you're gonna roll down just a little bit, tap the shoulder blades exhale scrunch back up like someone's pulling your wrist forward. Think of reaching those energetic fingertips to the edge of the mat. It's less up, down.

It's almost more like my heart's trying to travel forward, diminishing the distance between my sternum and my pelvis. That's it for four. Three, two, and one, I'm gonna come all the way down. Feeling just a little more heat through those upper rectus abdominals. Now I'm gonna open my arms like a big t.

I think of rolling the backs of the shoulders into the mat, palms press like little suction cups. I'm gonna find that sink of the naval, that slight tuck of pelvis, so you can think of pulling the stomach in away from those diamond hands like we did in the first few moments of class. Lakes come up to tabletop, and I already feel that support in my midsection. I'm gonna start to twist. I'm gonna take an inhale sending my knees and my hips over to the right, but my left shoulder blade's gonna stay planted, planted, planted.

Now exhale cinch that belt back in. Think ribs in. Tummy scoops down tail curls up. I try and find that imprint, that concave tummy as I return to center. Inhale, spill that pelvis over.

I think of a steering wheel turning, so I'm gonna move the pelvis the legs follow. And then exhale arms press down, waist draws in, the exhale is your best friend, and then find that little curl of tail up through center in case you started to arch. That's really common when we do rotation. Inhale heavy legs, but I don't let opposite shoulder lift. And then I exhale. I think abs with breath, legs are being lifted by my waist.

Say it's like weight lifting for that midsection. Inhale as we twist It's also a really nice way to start out because I'm loosening up my back. Rotation is a really nice way to get some of those kinks out of the middle and the lower back. Here's a nice tip. Really press the palms down when you're about to exhale.

I'm gonna exhale anchor the palms to really spread the backs of the shoulders wide across the mat, and then I feel a little more tension drawing in from that waist. Let's go one more each side. Be really honest with yourself. Don't let that opposite shoulder lift. Can you think exhale moves the abs in a little tighter, then pelvis, then legs move last.

So it's like a chain reaction. I'm gonna tighten that belt and then I drag my heavy legs back to center. Building on that idea, take your legs straight up to the ceiling, and that's as straight as your body allows. If you're a little tight in those hamstrings, keep the knees slightly bent, do your best. And if you can point the toes because it's free, inhale. Take a tip over to the right. Xhale. Now I'm gonna circle.

I'm gonna go down. Around legs feel heavier now, and then I'm gonna drag with my waist. Lakes come up slowly. Cork screw it. Inhale as I reverse it. Exhale.

This time we go down, we go around. Can you press the palms and the backs of the shoulders into the mat? Inhale big tip, exhale. Since your belt and maybe only take the legs as low as you can keep that sunk in sensation that hug in from the waist, like we're exhaling in a way from those diamond hands. So building on that concept, it's really how we move in every exercise.

Again, really nice range of motion for low back pelvis. I start to feel a little looser in my back, ready for the rest of class. And finishing this final one, inhale, you take that tip, that tilt exhale ride it around. Abs in cincture about legs to the sky, and then we're gonna bend the knees, find our way back to the ground, interlace the hands behind the head up to the webbing, elbows wrap slightly in. And then again, I'm gonna set myself up with that sink of the naval, slight tuck of the pelvis, really kissing my lower back like a little stamp into the mat. As I exhale, I'm gonna lift the center of my heart right to the center between my thighs.

It's called chest lift. So really Take it literally, can you lift the chest as you exhale like someone's pulling you with a string right at the center of that heart? My head is very supported. My chin is slightly dropped, and my biceps are engaged. You can have really open elbows. I like to wrap in slightly so I can activate this little shrug of shoulders down, and then my head is heavy in my hand.

So those biceps are helping to assist That's support in my neck. Good. And I'm not arching. I'm not releasing. I'm trying to keep that hug of my back to the ground. I exhale trying to vacuum the air out of my lungs to kinda suction the tummy in.

So it's like air out abs in. Two more. Finding this lift right from the center of the heart and the chest. Hold. Stay lifted. We're gonna bring the legs one at a time into tabletop. My hands come around.

I'm gonna grab one shin as I stretch one leg forward. My biceps give me a little bit of resistance to help my chest lift. It's really common to pull the knee in this way. I like to use the leg a little forward. The arms a little back, and then I get to curl up higher.

We're gonna switch. Exhales. So instead of letting my knee collapse all the way in, again, I'm using the energy of my legs a little forward to help me keep a little lift through that upper back, a little more activation in those upper rectus abdominals. Three, two, come in. Now I'm gonna inhale left arm away from the left leg. Slowly circle. Pull it back in. Think of tightening the waist.

Inhale. I reach right arm away from right leg. Like, I'm swimming. I'm gonna circle. I'm gonna curl. And then if I dropped it all, I use those biceps to kinda round back up. Inhale. Keep a little resistance between the arm and the leg that are not moving. Again, it feels like my legs trying to stretch forward. My arms trying to pull back, and it resonates so nicely in my waist. Inhale. Exhale circle pull it in like you are wearing a corset.

That exhale cinches the laces of the corset a little tighter. You can stay with single leg or put that orc into your double leg. So same idea. And then if I dropped a little bit, I'm gonna curl up. Inhale, big exhale circle swim, chin down a little bit. If the neck is getting tense, you can always come down, take a reset, and then come back up, double leg stretch for three. Two.

One, I'm gonna stretch and drop my head for just a moment. Unfruhling the back of the leg. And then if you're a little tight, feel free to come up to the hamstring. Where it's just a little friendlier. But for my flexible people, let's see if we can come a little closer to the ankle.

I'm gonna chin the chest around the spine curl back up and again shrug your shoulders down. Double exhale. I'm getting a little length out of the back of my legs. My double breath helps my belly button go down, down. Again, think of a vacuum, down, down.

Three, two, and one both legs up. Try and reach those arms forward. I'm gonna inhale flex the feet lower, exhale belly and long legs, and then flex and press. Reaching the arms forward is just a little friendlier. Traditionally, we would have hands behind the head for this double straight leg.

I like the reach as we're just kinda building work now deeper into those lower abdominals. And then finally, I'm gonna bend the knees and start to take a twist. Chris cross opposite armpit up and over to the outside of the thigh, feeling all this heat building. It's a big old series going back to back. A little nod to our series of five, giving you this now rotation, again, tightening that waist, working the obliques.

I try not to rock my hips side to side. It's really like my chest is coming up and over twist. Inhale exhale up and over, ringing out the waist like it's a wet towel. Get it a little more of that water out. Few more droplets. Four.

Three. Two, and one, come on down, hug knees to chest. Oh, we start to feel that heat all the way from upper tummy down to those low abdominals. I like to rock the hips a little right and left. If it's your neck that feels a little stressed, a little strain, that can happen. We fatigue the longer we're curled up.

I would just take the head a little bit side to side, like, just a little gentle shake. No. Fee come back to the ground. Now we're gonna use all of that support in the abdominal wall. To do some heavy lifting of our pelvis and spine and bridge. So think of spreading the toes and then plant down. A little weight in towards big toe knuckle, stamping through the heels, arms are long by our sides, feet are still parallel, hip width.

And he'll prepare. Use that same exhale, sink the naval, tuck the tail. Remember pulling away from that diamond window of the hands, but now we keep going. Tail curls up through the knees, pressing through the heels. I start to squeeze my glutes, But I only let my hips go as high as I feel that wrapped in belted sensation through that stomach.

So I'm not gonna go so high where I'm arching, I'm splayed, I'm disconnected, feel that connection point, and then that's your limit. Enhail at your high point. We're gonna exhale roll down from rib to belly button, lower back like a snake tucking my tail, still up, still up through the knees. Once my hips touch the mat, then I let the bowels spill forward. I feel that kinda disconnect away from the mat.

And it should all feel pretty familiar now, exhale tuck the tail, just building on that idea, tail up, abs straw and ribs imagine they're trying to braid together, fit together like two little puzzle pieces, press through the heels, squeeze the glutes up and just inhale for a moment, feeling that nice opening through the hips. We just did a lot of flexions in our abdominal work. So now it's really nice to extend through the front of the pelvis And my abs feel like I'm being carved out with a big ice cream scoop as I roll down. So if that helps you think of this concave belly, the higher we go, we plant the feet, we squeeze the glutes, abs feel locked in. I press through the arms active triceps, but my neck, my jaw feel relaxed.

And then exhale, I think, ribs down, but tail up. So I'm really tucking my bum up, even though my spine is rolling down. That's what's gonna create a little bit of opposition, a little traction for the spine, creating space and mobility in the back. With each roll down, your goal is that it gets just a little bit more fluid. Maybe it's not so sticky. Maybe it feels like you can articulate just a little more. That's a really good sign.

One more. Feel that roll down. Spine like a pearl necklace. We're trying to go bead by bead. Tail up abs, and I don't skip a single bone.

And now my spines feeling pretty good. We're gonna curl up, and we're gonna challenge that stability now. So think of a little more abdominal work. I'm gonna exhale belly button in away from the diamond ribs in waist firm. I feel good. I'm gonna stamp into the heels and float one leg up to tabletop.

Ideally, my pelvis did not drop or change at all in this slow march, and then toe ball heel, I replace into the mat. And if I fell a little bit, that's normal. I'm gonna reengage as I recenter. And now exhale, I'm gonna try for no change, no movement, press into those arms. They're there to help you, and then bring that foot back down, toe ball. He'll light as a feather. I exhale, tighten the waist, squeeze the glutes and then take the foot away.

You have to stabilize before you challenge it. Otherwise, you know, you can't just do it on a wish and a prayer. You gotta exhale firm up the muscles, use the breath. It's your power, and then single leg march. Normal to be more stable on one side than the other. We just try and balance it out.

Slow marches for four. Three one day, pelvis doesn't spill. Twist or drop it off. Two. And finish your march.

Bring both feet back down. Clean up your bridge. If it arched or disconnected at all, give me a little scoop and tuck tail up abs in, and now we're just gonna pulse the glutes. Little squeeze. Little squeeze.

Stand through the heels and think of shining your tailbone like a little light up and out through the knees. Little exhales. Five. Four. Glute squeeze three. Two, and one, can you peel the heels away from the mat? Give me high heels. And as the heels push down, squeeze the glutes back up. Oh, yeah.

All about opposition and pilates. Inhale, high heels, exhale think glutes squeeze up, heels press down, whole posterior chain feels really connected. Give me four more. Feel that opposition, inhale, prepare, exhale, heels down, but glutes up, glutes up, ribs feel like they're drawing in in together. High heels, and then we're gonna lower the heels, take a big inhale, like you love it, exhale. Throlling down. I'm it's like a deflating balloon.

I'm gonna soften those ribs. Tail up, the air leaves the lungs so I can really articulate that spinal column all the way down. Oh, backs of the legs feel some effort. And now I'm just gonna lengthen the limb long all the way along the mat. Now if you know your little hider through the your back body, I would recommend opening the legs and softly bending the knees. I'm gonna show you the full version first, and then I'll remind you what your options are as we go into a roll up.

Enail the arms up over the chest. That's your preparation. That inhale. So we can exhale on the effort. Press the arms down chin to chest.

And from here, you have to actively think of reaching forward with the arms. Draw the tummy back. Give me a rounded spine and try and dive over your legs. And it feels so good after bridge. I get this little stretch for my back body.

And now I'm gonna sit up tall and reset. And then if you felt like really gripped, really tight in the legs and the low back, again, I would open the legs and bend the knees generously so that my spine can get a little more movement. Inhale prepare at the top. Exhale. It's like the rug is pulled out from underneath you. Tail to heels, and I'm gonna roll down my back, down my back. Heal should pull back a little bit, bend the knees. If you need to work through that spine, What we don't want I'll show you my favorite. I see this all the time in class is people trying to force their legs straight. They get stuck. They rock and their legs lift, and then it's like we're catapulting.

We're using momentum. So even if you're really tight, this is where the work begins. We would rather bend the knees because the spine is our priority. So I'm gonna inhale sit tall, and then I'm gonna exhale scoop and tuck. Think of pulling the navel in away from that diamond picture frame, and then keep going. Slide the hips towards the heels.

Try and hug the abs and maybe your legs pull back a little bit, but you just keep bending the knees until it feels like you can move the spine without getting stuck. Full version, long legs squeezing together. I exhale chin to chest. Now I think belly button to spine, I think heart up and over my tummy, and then I'm gonna reach over those legs. The arms are really important here for helping you get up and over that little sticky spot of your pelvis.

Gonna tuck the tail. All the work we did on our back prepared us for this moment. The abs are nice and connected. The spine really got some beautiful articulation and bridge. So now we put it all together. Right here, if you get stuck, You have to think of exhaling arms forward belly button back, chin to chest, diving over those thighs, and then we'll do one more all the way down all the way up. Scoop tuck and curl.

The slower you go, the harder it is finding that concave tummy. Last one. And I've moved pretty far back on my mat. That's a good sign. You wanna kinda inchworm back. That shows me that you're really initiating.

With that little scoop and tuck of pelvis. The low abs are drawing in, and now I'm gonna sit up tall. Yes. Because I traveled so far back, I'm gonna scoot a little forward and bend my knees walking my feet in. We're gonna roll like a ball. This is a really fun one.

I say it's like using the floor as a foam roller. So if you don't have a foam roller, we use our our mat. You're gonna sit up just to find a little space in the back. I really engage my biceps and grab behind my thighs. Now find that tuck and curl. Scooping the tail, the abs straw, and I think hollow concave belly, chin's gonna drop, and then see if you can just find your balance.

Once you're there, forget you even have legs. It's really about riding the spine. Think tailbone up to the ceiling. I'm gonna inhale. Exhale, ride that spine, and I stay curled into a little ball.

So I'm looking at my belly button. I think of hips over shoulders, and then I ride right back up. For the challenge, you see if you can keep your feet off the mat. I'm flexing my abs. I'm using my arms. But, you know, it's not the end of the world.

If you need to put those feet down, reset, again, tuck, curl, scoot the belly, find your balance, and then it's like a big whoosh. I'm gonna exhale, whoosh, tail up right over those shoulders. And then you feel this pressure. This rinse up and down the back. Good for circulation.

So it's a nice little rinse at this mid point in class. Last two. Uh-huh. If you want a little challenge, maybe try and sustain hips over shoulders a little hang time, and then I'm gonna come back up. Now I'm gonna rest my feet, tuck the tail and lengthen my arms. Inhale as I draw myself back up, I think a bicep curling abs draw in away from your clothing, and then sit up really, really tall. Lift the collar bones open the chest. Scoop the tailbone out from underneath you rock onto the back of the pelvis.

Long arms try and keep your feet planted, and then we draw ourselves back in and up. Now I'm gonna think of doing those two things at the same time. I'm gonna tuck the tail, and then I'm gonna broaden the collarbones and expand the chest lifting up right behind my heart. This sets us up for what we call teaser. So instead of being in a full c curve, teaser's almost more like a j.

I'm gonna scoop and tuck rounded low back, but extend my upper back. The biceps are really helpful. Then maybe you can march one leg to tabletop and then put it down. I'm gonna exhale, draw my abs in, so I'm really supported before I take the foot away. Little inhale think exhale.

Right on that effort. We usually breathe out because that's right when we need the abdominals to support us. Good. If single leg feels good, walk the feet together, try and hover both knees, test your balance. Maybe we can go one leg straight. If you rounded your upper back, that is what we call the c curve.

So think of keeping that extension. Like, there's a little flagpole right up between your shoulder blades and your upper back but I'm gonna exhale, burrow the belly down and keep that roundness in my low back. If all of this is going well, maybe you wanna challenge yourself and take those arms away. We can go single leg, just feeling familiar with the shape that we call teaser, or now maybe we go double leg, exhale sink the belly button, legs up and out, open collar bones, I lift the chest, but round in my low back, and then I bend. If you need the arms, bring the arms back. If you're really tight in the legs, you don't even have to straighten the legs. It's more about finding this position of spine where you can maintain that long upper back, that engagement in the abs. And I say straight legs is like a flexibility thing. That's the cherry on top.

Try two more, whatever version you're doing, even if you're here, marching today. That's a great place to build your foundation. Finish the one you're on, navel into spine, lift the heart. I started to sink a little. And then we're gonna relax. Take a big dive up and over forward fold. Walk your hips back a little bit and take that nice stretch and release.

As we come out of that, I'm gonna swing my legs behind me. Coming into a plank position. So we just keep building that intensity. Palms right underneath the shoulders. I'm gonna stretch one foot back at a time, finding a squared off pelvis, two feet back, slight tuck of the tail, my abs draw up, my ribs draw together. Instead of letting things hang, that's our kind of disconnected position.

Imagine of class, you're on your back. Can you tuck the tail, draw the belly button away from the diamond window? Ribs up and in, and then heart shines just a little bit forward. And you're just gonna hold it. Baby bend those elbows so we're not hyper extending.

Heels reach back heart shines forward. And then on the next exhale, maybe we can draw one knee forward towards the chest, and then in, he'll bring it back. And I'm just gazing out at the edge of my mat. As I exhale, I think of deepening the belly button up to create support for that knee to travel forward. And then as I exhale single leg, just like we practiced in bridging, as I remove one leg, I'm already connected, and I'm trying not to let the pelvis spill or drop.

Really think. Hold it. Even if you wanna cruise one knee down along the mat, great place to start. Maybe tap a knee down. Find that stability. Four, three, two, One, find your plank heels back heart forward, try and hold and breathe for five, squeezing the glutes super helpful to keep that slight tuck of tail, three, two, and one gently knees down hips to heels, take a child's pose or rest position, lengthening the spine, hips to heels, crawling those hands a little bit forward to create this really nice length through the back. And then I'm gonna lift my head, look at where I'm going so I can ease myself all the way down and forward now coming what we call prone on the tummy face down.

This is a little back extension. Your arms are gonna open like a goalpost and come onto the knife edge of your pinky fingers. So elbows straight out from shoulders, nice right angle bend. And then my head just hovers over the mat. If your low back's a little tight, sticky, please open those legs no wider than your mat, but about hip width.

I'm gonna try and squeeze my legs together. Shoes laces press down into the ground, tuck the tail. Engage the thigh, squeeze the glutes and press your hip points towards the ground. This is scarecrow. It's got a couple of steps.

I'm gonna inhale, try and just hover my arms, so I already activate my upper back. And then I'm gonna exhale lift the chest. I've got these little robot arms and I start to arc my heart forward. Inhale, I'm gonna stretch my arms up and out, like the y of the YMCA exhale the elbows bend. I'm gonna try and lift, lift, lift and then I bring that shape all the way down.

So bit by bit step by step, we're building this movement for this muscle backpack in our upper back. Squeeze glutes, tuck the tail. There's a breath for each movement. We're gonna inhale. Lift the elbows.

Access. Squeeze glutes and abs as you shine your heart forward. It's not about coming up. It's like almost forward and out to the edge of the mat. And how the arms, y, extend like the y of the y m c a thumbs on top, palms face each other. Now that feels heavy in my upper back.

I'm gonna exhale bend the elbows as they bend. Now I feel lighter. Maybe I can lift lift lift in my backward bend before I come all the way down. I'm gonna talk a little less so we can flow. Exhale squeeze glutes, tuck the tail.

Inhale elbows, lift, exhale chest, inhale arms extend, y m c a. Exhale elbows bend, squeeze shoulder blades together, squeeze your glutes, lift from your muscle backpack. Come all the way down. Two more. Squeeze glutes, tuck the tail, inhale, arms, exhale shoulders down.

Caller bones feel like they're sliding forward and out to the edge of the mat. Inhale. Don't drop. Squeeze abs and glutes. Hold hold. Hold. Exhale, bend the elbows, lift the heart, squeeze shoulder blades, lost one, inhale prepared, lift those elbows, chest, arms, inhale, exhale bend the elbows. Do that again. We're gonna stay up here.

So inhale y m c a, exhale goal post, lift the chest if you dropped. Inhale. Back of the neck is long. My chin is a little drop, so there's no creases in the back of my neck skin for three. Like, weight lifting in that upper back, squeeze your glutes and anchor the tops of the feet down too. Last one, try and lift, lift, lift. Oh, yeah. Right.

Before we come all the way down. Oh, I like to wag my tail a little side to side, maybe stack the palms. You can also take a little windshield wiper twist rocking the hips, the shinbone side to side, just dissipating any tension that may have built up during that back extension. But so important to work that posterior body. I'm gonna let that kinda rock and roll me on to my side as I bring my legs just a little bit forward from the hips. Instead of one long line, I'm gonna scoot the legs a little forward, but think of aligning your arm, your head, your neck, and your tail along the back edge of that mat.

Once I'm there, I'm gonna rest my fingertips. I'm gonna reach the tip of my ear along, so there's no crunch in my neck. I'm not smelling my underarm. It's like a long neck reaching along my bicep. And then as I exhale, find that pull away from your diamond, a little tuck of tail between the legs, draw the ribs in. In sideline, it does put pressure on that bottom hip and trying to lift my bottom waist away from the mat.

Top hip can hike, which then makes that really difficult. So think of lengthening your top hip away from your shoulder as you scrunch your bottom waist. That side lying. I feel really connected. We're trying to balance pelvis on spine and even holding this position is a lot of work. We're gonna take the top leg up.

I'm gonna start to inhale it a little bit forward, and then exhale. I'm gonna try and draw a circle without losing that work in my waist. So the fingertips here are great for support. If you're feeling really wobbly, go for a flat palm. If this puts too much pressure on that bottom hip, you're really uncomfortable. Bend your bottom leg and still try and find that lifted bottom waist, top long waist.

And this is, just a nicer place to be. It's a little more supported with this long leg. I am gonna have to find a little more effort in those abdominals, and I feel almost like my pelvis wants to rock and roll. That's your challenge. How can you find that stability in the tummy, we've been building all class to now challenge it here.

I think sideline is the most challenging part of Matt, and I usually like to leave it towards the end of class once we've kind of created that support everywhere else through the torso. So my pelvis is wobbling a lot here. I'm gonna try and press down through my bottom thigh, and then reverse it. I'm gonna squeeze the glute, lift the leg up and over the hip, and then only goes far forward as I can keep that stability. Ideally, the leg stays at about hip bone heights. Try not to cruise low where it comfortable. We want this abduction outer hip and thigh activation, working a little glute medius here.

See if you can push into those edges of your range where it's a little sticky. That's where the good stuff is, creating that resistance in the muscles. Neck is long, shoulders shrugged down, every exhale. I'm trying to reconnect to that belted waist or corset, however you wanna think about it. Two more. Yeah. Like a spoon and a cup.

I'm trying to articulate that spoon around without shaking my cup. On the next one, can you lift it up to where you feel sticky? Oh, that's my sweet spot. Try and find that. Staying lifted parallel. Now just pulse into it.

Give me up an inch down an inch. Up an inch down an inch try not to let the leg dramatically drop. I want you to live in your working zone, so it's really efficient, up and down, exhale eight, seven. Four, three, two, and one, bring it down. We should be very aware of effort through the outer edge of the seat and the hip. Now we're gonna bend both knees in like tabletop on your side. Think of the knees pointing down in the heels elevating.

Once again, I'm gonna try and find a lifted waist, fingertips to support long through that top waist. Little tuck in the tail just to scoop the low belly away from my pants. Rotation. This is clamshell. You're gonna flex your feet and think of opening this door through the thighs without rocking the door frame. So pelvis is gonna be stable.

I'm gonna exhale rotate and then inhale come back. Normally, with clamshell, it's like we can open and close and not feel much. I want you to go slow. Like, you're twisting and pressing to open a jar, and then can you go just a little further before you let that clamshell close? That is really nice. Then you're getting, all that good juice. Out of your squeeze.

Your rotators are a little deeper, little lower outer edge of the seat. Clamshell twist four. Trying to push to your edge. So it's normal to kinda stop. And then see, can you go a little further? A little further? That's where I want you.

Two. Last one, let's hold it open. Baby clammy's little clamshell back an inch, forward an inch. Try and stay at that sticky point. So when you feel that resistance in the muscle, that's right where you wanna push. Little exhale push. Four, three, two, and one. Close your clam.

Little tap tap for that seat feels nice. I'm going to roll over and take it to my second side. Starting with long legs, ear reaches to the bicep so the neck is long. And then instead of being fully aligned to the back of my mat, I'm gonna scooch my legs forward just on a slight angle towards that front corner, helping with the position of my pelvis. Low back wants to arch, so I'm gonna slightly tuck the tail until I feel the lift of the bottom waist, the length in the top hugging tummy to spine.

Finger tips tent on the mat. And then testing that balance, lift the top leg. Pick a direction. I'm gonna inhale forward, exhale up and back squeezing the glute as I circle. Try not to let the leg go below the hip.

And again, the good stuff is really in creating a little resistance for the muscles. So instead of small circle, low circle, I'm really not feeling much except the motion. My muscles aren't fully contracting. I wanna push forward. I wanna squeeze up.

I wanna tuck the tail, feel my glute firm as I press back back back, and then come down only to about hip bone height. So it feels like in every direction I'm met with a little resistance. I'm pushing forward. I'm pressing up. I'm squeezing back. I'm resisting sting on the down as if I'm moving through peanut butter in every direction.

And then reverse it. I'm gonna squeeze the glutes, make sure I still have a slight tuck to tail to smooth out that low back, and it gives me more control in my waist when I do that. Bottom thigh presses down. If shoulders hike up, give yourself a little exhale long neck. And trying to find that moment where the leg does go a little behind you, so we get a little glute hamstring. And then we press up and over the curve of the hip.

Trying to explore the edges of that circle. So everything feels active full of effort, a little sticky, I like to say. That's where you wanna be working. Two. Can you come up to the top of the circle, press it up, find that sticky spot where the bottom waist can still be lifted, top hips still stacked over the bottom, little press up an inch up an inch, right where it's resisting.

You push into that spot try not to go down below. It's more accent. Up exhale eight seven six five four three two and one floated down some nice effort there. We're gonna add on by bending the knees. Think tabletop on your side, that perfect right angle. I'm gonna think of sending my top hip long as I scrunch and lift through that bottom side.

Little tuck in the tail to smooth out that lower back curve. And now I feel active in my waist. I elevate the heels, knees look like they're pointing down. As I exh, I'm gonna open the clamp and feel that pause where I try and press twist, press twist, before I close it. It's like you're juicing an orange. Right? You gotta press and then twist twist twist, get a little more juice out before you let it close down. A little opposition.

If your hips keep rocking, maybe use your top hand or your hip, And as the leg rotates back, you're trying to nudge the hip bone forward forward forward. So they oppose each other like grinding gears. Yeah. Don't stop until you feel that tension in the muscle. And then we bring it down. Working the deep external rotators. I call it the parenthesis of the seat.

That's a little lower. Rotation, so important for body balancing throughout lower body, pelvis, good for alignment. Three. Two. On your next one, can you hold it open?

Down an inch back and inch baby clamming. Little twist. Little twist. Shoulders down waist lifted. I hug my tummy in front to back. Little baby clammy, exhale five.

Four. Three. Two. And one, I close it all the way down. A little tap tap in my seat.

I feel pretty good. I'm gonna ease on to my back, finish thing things up here with just a little figure four stretch opposite ankle to thigh. I'm gonna draw that bottom leg up and in towards me, maybe a little over towards my shoulder. Elbow to inner thigh helps me peel open what I worked. It's a really nice release.

Just making sure effort in the biceps and try not to push on the knee itself, inner thigh is a little safer. And then switch opposite ankle to thigh. Relax the top leg to go deeper. We draw the bottom leg to us, and then a little over to the shoulder a little up. Elbow to inner thigh, press away.

The side's still a little tight. It's just the one I finished working. Resetting hips, glutes, good for the low back. If your tail's up in the air, think of arching the back. Tip the tailbone down, but the biceps pull up.

It's that opposition that helps us open the muscles in two directions. Really effective stretch. As I come out of that figure four, I'm gonna hug knees to chest big inhale down into the belly, exhale rock yourself up to sit, let the ankles cross, and just take a little inventory as you sit up, we're gonna inhale the shoulders up into the ears, exhale shrug the shoulders down, but keep that lift through the spine. Hopefully, you feel a little more spacious. In the back, a little natural hug in the waist, one more inhale shoulders up. Tense the shoulders up, think of spine being pulled apart like a slinky, and then exhale shoulders down, but proud chest.

Nice little hug in the waist. Ready for your day. Thank you so much for joining me for your beginner, Matt. I'll see you soon.