Dynamic Advanced Mat

Hi. I'm Meredith. Thank you for joining me today. We are gonna do some challenging mat work. So let's get to it. We'll begin by standing at the back end of the mat.

Taking a moment just to feel your feet. My feet are feet on the earth, lifting the spine oppositionally to that downward energy. Reaching the arms down. Taking a moment just checking in. Mind body connection, and we'll bring the arms out to the side. As they reach up overhead, allow your spine to lift.

Take your arms back out, take up a lot of space with your arms. Big stretch across the chest, bring the arms down to the sides of the thighs and inhale. Excel nod the chin into the chest and articulate down through the spine. So here we're just checking in. Folding forward will come all the way down.

Let the hands rest, bend the knees. Stretch the legs, soften the knees. So officially, this is just getting my hamstrings ready and roll up. They're tight. Articulating up to standing. Letting the arms come next to the sides of the thighs.

Take the arms around, gather your energy. Reach up. Reach wide. And then allow the arms just softly come down and inhale, and we go the head and the body. As the body goes down, we wanna focus on supporting that downward action with the front of the body.

Allow the knees to soften. Let the hands come down. Bend your knees. Stretch your legs, soften your knees. Push the ground away as you roll up through your spine, hanging the arms heavy, keeping the head down until the very last moment.

And one more. Reach out. Take the arms overhead. Explore into that shoulder rotation. Feel there's activity in the upper back as the arms reach wide. Come down. The body comes upright.

And we go head down. Roll down. Allowing the knees to soften as we pass through the lower back, feeling that there's equal weight over the feet as we take the body down and bend and stretch. And soften. And last time lift up, and bring the arms down.

Take the arms around and overhead for the last time. This time as the arms come back down, we'll bring the body upright arms out to the side. Take the left arm down and reach the right arm overhead as you side bend. So that left arm slides down the outside of that left leg. And then as we come up, we just bring the arms back into that t shape.

And then as the right arm comes down, the left arm windmills overhead, and we take that side bend really reaching and stretching. And coming up both arms out to the side one more to each side. Reach over and down. So the upper arm is reaching across and over. The bottom arm is reaching down and in.

And stand. And last time, stand both arms out to the side, and both arms come down. Taking another inhale, exhale round down through the spine. Take the hands to the mat. Walk on the mat and come into a plank position.

Finding a strong line in the body and from there, press up. Another selfish hamstring stretch full disclosure, and then lift onto the toes, roll through the spine back into the front support, press through the heels and lift the pelvis like a wave. Lift the heels and roll through. So mobilizing the spine, press up. Lift the heels and roll through.

Last one, lift up, and roll through. I lied one more time, but we're gonna transition from there. So up and back, bend your knees, look at your hands, softly hop and sit, bringing the legs out and forward. Taking the arms forward and go into a round spine and roll back, reaching the arms forward, pressing down through the feet, take an inhale. Exhale lift that shape up, go from that c curve into an upright position with the arms, open the arms, squeeze the arms into the air, push as you round your spine and roll back. Deeping. See if you can find the small of the back and exhale to lift.

And reach up and open. Just getting a nice shoulder movement, press the arms forward. Two more. Roll back. I like to think about Pilates like a dance. So can you just link the movements?

One movement, one shape becomes the next shape. We explore into the next shape. Activate And last one, and lift up, and bring the body up. Take the arms out, bring your right arm towards your left arm, and roll down that side of your spine. Just off the center of the spine.

Open yourself in the center so the arms are out again. Take the left arm to the right arm, roll up that side of your spine. And as you come up open, So we go the way we just came up left arm to right side just past that leg and roll down and open to center, cross the other way, roll up control fluid open and one more time through. Roll down one side, open to the center roll down the others or reach across to the other side. That's not a roll down.

Roll up. Stinking ahead, sit tall open, last one, go across. Go down articulating through the spine. Open yourself through the center, take it across to the other side, roll up, Unwind, round forwards, and roll all the way down this time. And as you arrive on the mat, bring your pelvis towards your feet, head comes down, inhale, standing in the feet, roll up through the spine, pelvic curl, just nice and simple, inhale, and roll down. So in these first movements, find the depth of connection that is available to you with your mind.

Drop down into neutral and inhale and articulate rolling the spine. Keeping the inner thighs active, pressing down through the arms, feeling that long line at the top to inhale. And we go exhale down lengthening reaching the arms down towards the feet and inhale and lifting. And holding, and rolling down. Feeling each piece of the spine, each segment of the spine, come down individually drop down through the pelvis two more times in here and rock, pressing the feet down, lifting the hips up, and inhale and lowering the body down all the way.

And one more time, lift up. Lift your arms and reach them overhead. As your spine comes down, reach the arms oppositionally to the spine. Change the stretch a little bit feels nice in my mind. Take the arms out to a tee and let the arms come down lift one leg and then the other spine twist supine.

We take the legs into the right. And pull through the center to come back. So all in an effort, go to the left to warm up the spine, get it moving in all directions, and pull from the center. Come back. And inhale.

And drag, push into the air, and inhale. And drag back one more time inhale and exhale and inhale. And exhale. Bring the legs down, slide your arms over your head. Curl your head and chest up so you're in a chest lift position, inflection, hold there, lift one leg, and go down, and lift the other leg, reaching the arms forward. And go down.

Feel the one foot pushing down as the other leg pushes against the air and down and the other leg active through the arms and down just warming up. One leg, and down. The other leg, and down. Two more and down, and two, and down, and one push deep in, and down. Push deep in and both feet down.

Bring your arms up. Take your head down. Bring your arms and head and chest back up. Hold there to take your hands behind your head, and we'll rotate and center, and rotate and center. And push and rotate and center and push and rotate and center and go deep and center and rotate and center and rotate and center and rotate and center Both arms reach forward, step the legs together, reach up, go back behind that, float both knees in.

And down. Keep the low back supported. Float both knees in and down. Keeping the low back down. And float both knees in and down. And float both knees in and done.

And one more holding here, stretch the legs, bend the knees. Hinge the hips, lift the knees, stretch the legs, bend the knees, reach down, and hinge. And stretch and bend and hinge and in and stretch and bend and down. And one more stretch and hold and we criss cross and across and across and across and across and across ringing out the spine, taking the straight leg straight out. Keep both legs active.

Push the bent knee into the air. And we do three and three. Two And two, one, and one bend both knees in, take the backs of your thighs, curl up, bring the feet down. Hans go back behind the head, and we bring the knees into the nose and, bring the knees into the nose, and down and bring the knees into the nose and down. Bring the knees into the nose and straighten the legs and roll down.

Keep the head up. And bend and bring the knees into the nose and kick the legs and roll down and bend and in and overhead and down and bend the knees. Take the head down. Stretch one leg long. Stretch the other leg long.

Reach your arms. Allow your spine to arch. Lift your head and chest and roll up. Come up to sitting hands. Come behind in the head.

We can flex through the feet, and we'll take a twist. So we go. Over and center and across and center and lift as you twist and center and lift as you twist and center. One were the same. Twist.

Oh, I just added one. Twist. Here's the change and go down the middle. I got carried away with my dance and flattened ounce, and then twist and center. And twist, maximum twist, and center, and roll, and flatten extending the spine to come up one more time. Twist. And center and twist and center and roll down the center, flatten the spine to come up, really get all of the pieces of the spine lined up.

Take your arms forward from that c curve position. Deepen into the center of your body and float the right leg just off the floor. Roll down. Keeping that leg lifted. Inhale. Keep the leg lifted as you roll back.

Just hovering and go down. And go up further you go forward, the more you have to pull back through the waist and go down. And go up. I'll do one more. Go down. And go up and reach for that leg and bend and sit tall and stretch and bend.

Lengthen the spine and stretch and bend and stretch and hold letting go. Take the leg down back into the c curve, lift the left leg, and keep it there as you go back, and up. And back, holding the shoulder blades on the back, and lift. The end does not arrest. The bottom is not a resting position.

It's a chest lift. With one leg in the air, deepen and lift, and one more down. And, and we take the ankle or the leg and stretch up lengthening the spine as you bend sit a little taller, and stretch up and sit a little taller and stretch up and hold it up as you let go and bend your knees. Take your legs, bring them in tuck in small, three rolling like a balls, back. Balance.

Focus back. Focus yes, one. Extend the links. Rock there, back. And it's a little trickier.

Open the legs and back and balance and close the legs. And back and balance and open the legs and back and balance and close the legs and rock and rock and open the legs and back Back. Almost didn't make it. Keep the legs open. Let go.

Put your feet down. I'm just bending to put them down so I can scoop back on my mat hands behind your head. Lifting tall, roll down, flatten the spine, pull up on the head, stretch your arms overhead, really lean into that flat back, bend your elbows, almost said knees, and then round and sit up and inhale and go down and flatten the back. And stretch the arms and bend the elbows and go down and roll that two more all the way to top getting taller every time and down, and out, and extend a little longer. And Ben, that's what I'm saying to my brain and down and up taller.

Last time down. And flatten and reach and bend and go forward and roll up and take the arms out to the side and rotate right and saw. Come up and center and lift as you twist and down. And come up and center and twist spiral and down and come up and center and lift and down. Remember the downs.

Remember to keep it flowing and rotate and reach and up and center and rotate. And reach and up and center and bring the legs in and reach forward over your legs and roll down Find your low back, bend your knees in. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna roll up, stretch the legs, lift the arms. Bend the knees and roll down and roll up, stretch the legs, lift the spine, and bend the knees and roll down one more time. Roll that stretch up, bend the knees and go all the way down, placing the feet down. Again, I'm moving on my mat.

Arms come down, pelvic curl, lift up. Get the hips to open. This nice little hip flexor stretch and roll down. Just one more. And roll up and lift the right leg and take a shoulder bridge. And back and push.

And back and push. And back and push. And back and push and hold that leg and push up. And up like you're making a footprint on the ceiling, three, and two, and point the foot and circle five, four, Both thumbs active three, two, one, the other way. One, two, three, four, five, bend that knee the leg goes down.

Both legs on the ground roll down. All the way. You're welcome. Little break and roll up resetting and the left leg lifts extends and kicks down and pull push and pull push with the arms as well and pull push and pull one. Hold the leg flex the foot and footprints on the ceiling.

One, two, three. Four. Point the foot and circle five. Four. Stay connected to your center.

Two. One and Yeah. That way. One, n, two, n, three, n, four, and five, Benjernie in. Square the pelvis, roll down. Take your time, reach your head in your pelvis in opposite directions from one another, lengthen all the way down. To the pelvis. Bring your legs up one at a time, stretch the legs out, lift them, roll over.

Stay there. Bend your knees. Stretch your legs. Go down with your feet and then up, up, up, pushing the legs away. Fold the legs all the way back over.

Take your time, find control. These are words I'm saying to my brain, and bend. Stretch press away. Going, going arms, back of the legs, spine, and my calf is cramping, and go down Human response, I imagine, bend and stretch and go up, up, up, up, up, and roll down, and lift up, and bend your knees, enter. Top leg crosses over the bottom leg and their arm comes down to the side of the body.

We're going up. Side bent, back, and hover, bend the knees, and lift, and up and over, and back and over and up and up and over, really push back, bring the knee in, The other hand behind that, lift that leg, flex the foot and go kick and push and kick and reach. And pull and push and two and back and one and hold. Drop the leg down and circle. So it's like an oval that drop in a catch, a drop in a catch, a drop in a hold, the other way, circle brushing the man.

Lifting up and three. Keeping the pelvis pressing forward two. And hold, arm, bring the knee in sit down onto that hip. Oh, carry on to the other side. Get into position for the side bend.

Here we go. Lift up and side bend. And back and hover, and up, and over, and back, and hover and lift and side bend and back and then he comes in and the hand goes behind the head and the leg lifts up and we go forward. And back. Trying not to drop the leg down and reach and three and reach and two and reach One and hold and oval.

Brush lift. Three, two. One and oh, nice and high and reverse. These are the words I'm saying to my brain too. Circle brush three and four.

And hold the arm reaches overhead. We bend that knee. Come down onto that side. Take that stretch. Okay. Carry on to that side, bring the legs around.

Coming back into that position. Here we go. Lift up and twist. Push with the arm. Really stand into that into the feet.

Come back and hover the body. And come up and reach under, lean back, come back, and hover, and up, and through, flattening the back, and back and turn to the mat. And point the left leg and lift, and lift, and lift, and lift. And left. And now take that leg up into an arabesque and bring it into the chest. And kick back, lift up.

And bring it into the chest deepen and reach up and into the chest two more lift and into the chest and lift and into the chest. And step back, right, like, lift, and lift, and two. And into the arabesque, and round, pushing them out away, get nice and deep, and kick. And around. And keep breathing.

Keep focusing and in. And two more back and through. And back and through and step back and three push ups. Bend your knees. Turn to your other arm for the twist.

Here we go. Reach up. Reach under. Come back. And hover and go up, reach through, flatten the back.

Use your legs. Come back. Hover, and lift, reach through, and back and turn to the mat and bend both knees, just touch and kick straighten and bend both knees and straighten and bend both knees and straighten and bend your knees, sit back over your feet. And then we're gonna come forward We're gonna lower down onto our front. You're gonna bring the arms under, push the ground away, lift the chest forward, drag the elbows, back hold all of those things lift the legs. And today, we're gonna do double leg.

One, two, three, and stretch. Pull back with the arms as you kick your legs. And kick one, two, three. And stretch out. Pull back with the arms and kick one, two, three. And stretch out.

And two, two, three, and stretch out. Really holding up through the spine and one, two, three, and stretch out. Take your arms out to the side, lower down. And pinky fingers to the sides of the thighs and back. Lakes are floating. Pinky fingers come back.

And open one more the same and then a small change. Pinky fingers in and out. Now same thing with the upper body, but bend the knees. And reach and bend the knees look forward and reach and bend the knees and reach and lower your legs and press with your arms and sit all the way back over your feet. Take a stretch Keep your arms way out in front of you. Roll through your spine.

Start to drop the hips through. Lift the chest through the arms, supporting from the front of the body. Really press up and back and then push the arms and the knees down and roll back just to hover. And come through rolling. Dropping, abdominals lifting as the pelvis drops through, hamstrings are supporting you, helping to support the low back rather is what I mean.

And round, and roll mobilization of the spine and drop through. Roll one more time with the transition. Roll through. Drop down, lift up. Start to come back and tuck your toes.

Lift your hips up and press down with your body. Come forward over your arms. And we're gonna bend the knees and sit back like a cat and forward and bend one with the arms and sit back. And forward. And two.

And sit back, stretching the toes. Yes, I'm stalling. And forward. And one, two, three, and sit back over the toes, and come forward, and two, And sit back over the toes and come forward and one. Lift your hips up. Press down through your feet.

Walk in towards your hands. Oh, less tight now. That's the good news, soften the knees, and roll up. Full circle, finishing the way that we started. Standing up, bring the arms around, lift up overhead.

Feel the energy in your body as you circle wide and soften. I like playing with the energy in my body with my brain and a roll down, letting the knees soften. I think the body go. Pause and lift up. Just feel yourself in your body, your feet on the earth.

Oh, that heat we produce or I produce. I don't know about you. That was hard for me. Reach down. Fun hard though. Last one.

Letting any tension. Just slow out through the top of the head. Fall from the feet into the earth underneath you. In here, and lift up, and go overhead last time. Bring the palms of the hands together.

Press them together. Bend your arms. Bring the palms of your hands down to the center of your chest. Maybe close your eyes or just soften your gaze, find your upright alignment and just inhale. And exhale soften in your body and inhale.

One more. Feel like our maybe our collective breaths altogether could heal the world. That's what I'd like to believe anyway. Thank you.