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Step 1: Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Inhale. Roll forward like a wave drawing the torso forward, until the shoulders are in line with the wrists. The body begins to create one long line of energy. Firmly press the palms into the mat, fingers spread. Heels are lifted. Step 2: Draw the lower belly in, bringing the navel toward the spine. Slide the shoulder blades down the spine as you pull the collarbones away from the sternum. The body remains in one straight line from the crown of the head down to the feet. Avoid making a cat-like back or a mushroom spine in your plank pose. Step 3: Lengthen the tailbone down towards the heels, but stabilize the hips and the pelvis. The upper thighs should be lifted. Focusing on your core, activate the abs and back body to stabilize you as you use the muscles to draw the legs toward one another without creating any movement. Gaze down just off the top of your mat. Hold for 5 breaths. Drop the knees if needed before moving through our chaturanga dandasana, or four limbed staff pose. Step 4: From plank pose, on an exhale, begin bending into the elbows to slowly start to lower the torso towards the earth. Core is engaged. Legs are straight and strong. Avoid letting the elbows splay out. Do not let the hips lift. Keep the tailbone firmly in place. Step 5: The body should remain in the same alignment as in your plank pose, simply closer to the earth. Do not tuck the chin. Pull the shoulders forward. Using the muscles, press the elbows back toward the feet, feeling strong through the arms. Draw the navel up toward the spine if you’ve lost it. Hold the pose. On an exhale, slowly lower all the way to the ground or press back to a downward facing dog.

Find full expression of cobra by fully straightening the arms. This pose looks nearly identical to up dog, with the legs down on the mat.

In yoga, our wrists and shoulders experience much more activity than in our daily life. Wrists in particular can be delicate and it is important to warm up the wrists and prepare the body to move. Sit on the shins and reach arms in front of the body. Point and flex wrists 5-8x. Make small circles with the wrists, rotating clockwise for a count of five and counterclockwise for a count of five. Flex the wrists, fingers pointed to the sky. Begin pushing forward from the root of the arm as if you are pressing into an imaginary wall. Engage the shoulder blades pulling them back. Pull back in and push back out. Repeat 5x-8x. Come to tabletop. Repeat the second half of the exercise, pressing & releasing 5-8x. Return to neutral. Turn the fingertips towards the body. Rock forward and backwards gently. Do not over extend the wrist. If you experience any pain, dial back the exercise. Turn the fingertips so that they are pointing towards the edge of the mat. Begin making hip circles, bringing the shoulders forward and around one way and then the opposite way 5x-8x.

Let’s take what we’ve learned throughout this course and practice a Sun Salutation with the assistance of props. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner, blocks can assist with achieving proper alignment and making poses more accessible. Blocks are not just for beginners! Place two blocks near the top corners of your mat and stand between the blocks. Find tadasana. Inhale the arms high to the sky. Palms facing in, but apart. Exhale arms sweep back down through the sidelines as you hinge at the hips finding a forward bend. Plant the hands on your blocks. As you inhale, step the right leg back as the chest presses forward finding lunge. Begin to lift the right thigh up and up until you are almost forced to step back into down dog. The right leg initiates this action. Inhale, step the right leg in between the hands. Step the left foot forward to meet the right and let the head hang heavy. Inhale the arms out to the side and all the way up, exhale return to tadasana. Now for the left side. Inhale the arms high to the sky. Palms facing in, but apart. Exhale arms sweep back down through the sidelines as you hinge at the hips finding a forward bend. Plant the hands on your blocks. As you inhale, step the left leg back as the chest presses forward finding lunge. Begin to lift the left thigh up and up until you are almost forced to step back into down dog. The left leg initiates this action. Inhale, step the left leg in between the hands. Step the right foot forward to meet the left and let the head hang heavy. Let’s add on. Inhale the arms high to the sky. Palms facing in, but apart. Exhale arms sweep back down through the sidelines as you hinge at the hips finding a forward bend. Plant the hands on your blocks. As you inhale, step the right leg back as the chest presses forward finding lunge. Begin to lift the right thigh up and up until you are almost forced to step back into down dog. Inhale. Roll forward to plank pose. Hold. Exhale. Lift the hips, press the thighs back. Return to down dog. Breath in. Step the right foot forward. Step the left foot forward to meet the right and let the head hang heavy. Inhale the arms out to the side and all the way up, exhale return to tadasana. Inhale the arms high to the sky. Palms facing in, but apart. Exhale arms sweep back down through the sidelines as you hinge at the hips finding a forward bend. Plant the hands on your blocks. As you inhale, step the left leg back as the chest presses forward finding lunge. Begin to lift the left thigh up and up until you are almost forced to step back into down dog. Inhale. Roll forward to plank pose. Hold. Exhale. Lift the hips, press the thighs back. Return to down dog. Breath in. Step the left foot forward. Step the right foot forward to meet the left and let the head hang heavy. Repeat 2x.

Upward facing dog & Cobra pose

Props required: 2 blocks

Feeling confident and relaxed is the number one goal for your first sit. Let go of any ideas you have about meditation and just accept whatever happens. Find a comfortable way to sit. If you’ve done yoga before, sitting on the floor works. Otherwise try a zafu bench or even a chair with a hard back. Set your timer for 10 minutes—there’s no need to run a marathon for your first sit! Relax your body, scanning each body part. Watch your breathing. Notice each time your breath in and out. That’s it! Of course it won’t be that easy. As soon as you get relaxed a million thoughts of the past and future will come up. Note them merely as thoughts, and don’t get involved in them. They’ll go away soon enough.

How was your mindfulness today? Mindfulness is about momentum,. Keep building on success, even if you were mindful for 5 minutes today, that’s your foundation for tomorrow!