Yoga with Adriene

Yoga provides us the tools for getting to know who we really are. This journey is about reuniting with your self through regular practice. Through the process of getting to know who you really are, you will find that you need not prioritize the where, or the what, as much. You just have to be brave enough to look inside and recognize who it is you see. The opportunity is to be who you are and recognize where you are, today. The choice is to do it honestly and with kindness. In our first practice, we apply this to asana and open up to the postures serving as opportunities to make discoveries. We ease in with a powerful practice of observation and recognition. This is your longest class of the series, one in which sets the tone.

In our Day 2 session, we take the proper time to add a layer of intention and consider this part of the foundation. Cultivate a relationship with intention and learn to let it guide the way. Your intention has the power to directly influence the quality of your practice and your connection to yourself. Pro-tip - make your breath a priority. Learning to be disciplined about intention brings purpose to your practice. It also keeps your body safe, your mind more at ease, and opens up the gates for whatever you are moving toward - to come and meet you, just where you are. When this happens you may find yourself feeling more aligned with the process, and in a happy flow state - no matter what your day is like or what exactly goes down on the yoga mat.

It’s Day 3 and in this session we jump right in with all the right gestures and questions. What, if anything, is lying dormant or inactive? Are there things you are capable of but you have not embodied or seen to fruition yet? As the great teachers before us remind: the mat is a mirror. Today’s yoga offers a way to wake up and uncover. But please, dear friend, take this with you… Awakening is a process. Awaken a fire, a kindness, your magnetic presence, stir stagnant energy. Your inner world awaits! Be patient with short muscles and stiff joints. This practice includes one of my favorite tools for moving energy and getting out of a funk.

Activate your energy centers and introduce an overall awareness of the energetic body. This is a key player on this journey HOME. Activating is part of the awakening process. For me, when I activate my breath, I am awakening to my true spirit. From awareness of my breath, I keep going, working to bring action and awareness to my feet, my midline, my abdominals, my glutes, you name it. Devote to this practice and you might just activate your damn truth and abundance. Or, at least you will continue to lay the foundation for a fulfilling, sustainable at home practice. Stay open! This flow is a practice that takes you through the alignment and activation of the entire body. Enjoy!

In today’s yoga practice we ask, “Am I working harder than I need to?” There is some work today. (You have to wait till Day 8 for a total RELAX.) You are working, but not any harder than you need to. See if you can let your breath do some of the heavy lifting today. Experiment. Learn to soften around hard edges. Practice softening in hard times. Can a rise of a breath guide you into a pose? With regular practice, I start to experience a feeling in which I am living in a body that is working for me, rather than against. Pro-tip: activate your breath - and let it do the work for you.

Your Day 6 yoga is the ultimate core power practice. You are a lot stronger than you think. This is a process! Trust it. Utilize the tools that we have introduced thus far, starting with your breath. This practice includes a lot of philosophy to ignite more than just a fire in the core muscles of the body. In the midst of a targeted core practice, who knew you could learn and love so hard? Prioritize that. This core strength session is all about valuing presence over outcome. Be present with what is. This is what the yoga practice lovingly asks of us. This session may not be easy. It really is not designed to be. I talk about why at the end of the practice. Choose to have fun!

Your Day 7 yoga practice begins with a little self massage and yoga philosophy - so if you were thinking about missing today’s practice - don’t. This hands free session offers an opportunity to re-balance the body after your first six practices, providing relief in the shoulders and wrists while initiating grounding energy to help you get in the right mindset for week two. This is not just the bendy stretchy stretch practice you might anticipate. No way, we said we were going all the way HOME. Stretch your mind’s eye, your imagination, and your awareness a little further beyond the physical body today. (Don’t fret, your body will get a nice opportunity to stretch it out too.)

It is easy to spot and own our physical wounds. But our emotional wounds seldom get the attention they need for real healing. Innately we know, even if you don’t understand, that it’s all connected. Yet, we often feel we lack the time, the space, and the tools to sincerely tend to what ails. At home yoga provides us an opportunity to heal ourselves. To seek and work to find a way to check in, recover, restore, and begin again - each time we show up. Today’s low to the ground moving meditation reminds you that your only task is to listen and respond. And to be honest about it. I hope you enjoy this session and find a moment to relax whatever might be gripping, to let go of that which is no longer serving you, and to Find What Feels Good. Bring a blanket and a pillow, if you have them at hand.

We begin week two highlighting the power of self-inquiry. Consider the idea that our practice is not one of “doing,” or one of imminent mastery, but rather one of self study. This is key for the journey HOME. What feels good? What doesn’t? What feels honest? Can we begin to close the gap between how we feel and how we want to feel? This time is about examining your self. It’s not about doing it right. When we approach the practice through the lens of self study, we find that we have everything we need to both gracefully and fiercely move toward what serves… and to move away from what doesn’t. Honor your inner voice. Celebrate the learning process.

Today’s offering is a standing yoga practice that is most necessary for us to move forward on this journey. It’s 18 minutes that should fly by, so whatever you are coming to the mat with, try to stay focused and take yesterday’s inquisitiveness with you. You might find that it’s easier to find your breath when you are flowing in and out of shapes. See if you can find that same depth of breath today as we ground in new asana vocabulary. Take whatever you are working with today and make a home for it. Allow it to teach you, serve you, reflect back to you. This is a practice for the mind and body. Ground. So we can grow. I got your back!

On Day 11, we jump right in with a dynamic flow practice to replenish your soil. If you like, please take a couple mindful breaths to tune in before you press play. In today’s practice, try to give your thinking mind a break, dropping expectations and patterns of judgment. I know it’s easier said than done, but use your tools. Namely, the sound of your breath. Feel it out. Loving reminder: You have everything you need here. So move mindfully and take your time. If you are not in rhythm with my guidance, that is okay. Move at your own pace. Work where you are today. (There are so many layers to play with!) Darling, allow yourself to… dig in.

Day 12 offers an efficient and therapeutic practice to nurture the mind and body. (Plus some sneaky core!) This is not about sweeping whatever you have going on under the rug so you can get your workout in. Nah. Yoga doesn’t play that way. Or at least, not our practice. Trust your practice. Trust that you are being led to the right place. Nurture. Please do not underestimate the power of stillness. So take that sweet sweet savasana ending today and bring a blanket if you have one. Take good care of yourself.

Let’s grow our practice, shall we? I am so excited to continue to expand on this home practice and create a vocabulary together. Not just in the shapes. But also in the way we approach and the way we listen. Make room to grow. Today’s session encourages you to make space so you can fill it with new discovery. Have you had a taste of your own potential lately? Are you giving yourself enough time and space to continue to grow and blossom in new ways? This is a flow that is designed to help you build strength, and endurance - in the most therapeutic way. Remember, you have to bring the breath. Own it. Inquire. Ground. Dig. Nurture. Let’s grow.

If you started this journey out seeking transformation or craving a change - consider this: in the philosophy of Yoga, we are not actually ever working towards the goal of becoming someone or something that we are not already. We are already that thing. That which we desire, we already possess. We are not trying to step out and change, conform, or embody someone else’s idea or concept of who we should be. This is a return. Expect, a juicy hip practice that engages the whole body. As we stir the pot today, anchor your thoughts by choosing something specific that you want to return to.

We are at the halfway mark! We did not say that it would not be challenging to show up for the full 30. But darling, yes, we are here! We celebrate Day 15 with a strong, rejuvenating flow designed to guide you to your comfortable edge, promote healthy blood flow, and guide you towards a connected RESET. I cannot describe the true power of knowing when and how to hit the reset button. I practice this on the mat and then I find this power with me off the mat, showing up when I need it most. A connected RESET isn’t always comfortable. But trust it. Try to find something new today! The breath is your number one tool for RESET. Make use of it. You are doing great!

Happy Sweet 16. And oh, is it a sweet one, designed for you to SAVOR! Take the invitation to really focus on your exhalations today. In fact, don’t be shy, go for it. Really establish that exhale today, Okay? Learn to savor the moment. Allow one present moment to bleed into the next.

Today we synchronize our watches, our hearts, our brains, and the movement with our almighty breath. In this session we work to re-pattern the rigid beginnings of our past and find our renewed sense of self. This slower paced, gentle practice invites you to focus on grounding through the feet, working with the currents of energy through the back and front body, and the marriage between the movement and the breath. If you are feeling a little tired today, heads up, I got you. In fact, you will stay on the ground in a comfortable seat pose stretching it out for about the first 10 minutes. Look. It’s all about connection. Take the time to seek it, play with it, unlock it, use it to bring yourself back to savor the moment, over and over again. Stay open to the small (or large) ways in which these practices can show up off the mat.

Today’s practice does move, but it will start with a lesson on surrender. Surrender as a pathway toward home. I invite you to use what we practiced in day 17, linking the breath with the movement, and incorporate that into today’s flow. Remember to take a breath of gratitude. This is valuable time you are giving yourself. It’s a gift. You better believe it. Believe me when I say make it your own. Believe in your own intuition. Embrace the slower paced action to find that inner intrinsic work that is most valuable and necessary for when you are thrown off balance. Work from the inside out based on sensation. This is about working with your body. Not on it. What would it feel like to wake up each day and have a practice where you believed in yourself?

Balance is our natural state. I like to think that this notion of coming home really does make sense, because we are not trying to achieve balance, but rather return to it. The path to balance isn’t always in the “doing.” It can be about the undoing. Both require listening. In addition to your daily alignment work, this flow lights up the energy we’ve been cultivating this entire journey. It includes two sets of plank push-ups and some balancing work. But don’t let that intimidate you. Instead, acknowledge what it took you to get here. Look how far we have come. You should feel proud.

Let this day 20 day motivate you to stay on the path, dear one. 10 days left. Today’s session could be special, inviting you to be still… in so many ways. Building on the last few practices, we continue to work on finding action within alignment and continue to mindfully build on core strength. As our vocabulary grows, maintain your connection to the foundation. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be harder, faster, stronger. Come into stillness, notice where your thoughts go, and let’s keep exploring.

Do not fear, nor be wary of this BOOST practice. This session will provide. We will begin with some workshopping on the floor, continuing to explore and establish core connection. Core connection that is sustainable and truly serves. You will also get a little internal organ massage, boosting the health of the organs and the immune system. Who else will be able to say that they received that today? We work with a pranayama called Breath Of Fire today. Fair warning, animals/pets love this one. Be willing to receive the benefits of this incredible practice via your breath. I will guide you, but you have to bring the breath. I know you will.

Stir it up! This is a slow flow class to soften out the hard edges, inviting you to continue to pay attention to the sensations in the physical and emotional body. I love regular daily, at-home yoga practice because I really get this sense that every time I show up, the practice is catching me on any given day. Wherever I land, with whatever I am bringing, the mat has my back. What if that were true? Our exploration in yoga practice can stir up some powerful mind and body work. Continue to slow down your breath, move mindfully, and stay open. This practice (and this whole project) is designed to support you and have your back. Stir it up, little darling. Notice what it feels like to be alive today. Be kind to yourself. Be gentle. Create space. If you are this way on your yoga mat, you are more likely to be this way off the mat.

With so many distractions these days, our ability to focus or refocus our attention is beyond valuable, in fact, it’s paramount. Today’s 20 minute session should fly by but will require you to dial inwards. For how else will you balance on one leg, my dear? The invitation today is one in which you can focus or re-focus back on your WHY. What led you to go on this journey in the first place? Remember, the goal is not to aspire to transform into something you have not yet become, but rather to return home to embody everything that you already are, fully. In this session we will focus on neck and shoulder relief, spinal flexion, and use what we’ve learned so far to maintain balance between the left and right sides of the body. Use the flow to build heat and enjoy the process of learning to find your balance. Pro-tip: work with your breath and lead from your center. Where attention goes, energy flows.

Today’s session is a quick 16 minute practice designed to stimulate and elevate. Uplift. This practice invites you to keep an open mind as you continue to build strength and condition. Do not be deceived by this quick vinyasa flow, it packs a loving punch with a focus that moves from your center. The journey continues. Remember the hardest part is showing up. Your core is calling! Enjoy this gift. Give it to yourself.

Today’s session offers you a chance to take it easy. Invite in stillness, a sense of calm, relax and unwind. In this restorative practice, we will work to increase flexibility and target areas of the body that may feel tired after your last week of practice. With the tempo of this therapeutic practice, you really get a chance to re-focus on sensation. Take it. Enjoy it. You deserve this. Bring a pillow and a blanket with you to this one if you can, because I have two words for you…

Drop into the moment today with this special practice that invites you to pull back another layer and look inside. This session asks us to look at our patterns and to take stock of our habitual side and its power. The tools of yoga invite you to get in the habit of keeping the things that work for you and gaining the awareness to notice the things that aren’t working for you. It’s about listening and responding. Keep what works, let go of what doesn’t serve. In this practice, we continue to work from center and the midline, still working to nurture a strong foundation in order to build strength from within.

The at-home yoga practice provides us the ongoing opportunity to begin again. This journey HOME offers a worthwhile opportunity to learn about your body, integrate the breath, and ultimately explore how to move better. I invite you to consider what it means to move well. We approach today’s practice with a willingness to explore what it means to integrate. Try to think of the body as one complete moving part, versus a bunch of different units. Then, notice if that changes the quality of your breath and the quality of your movement.

You don’t need to understand the science of yoga to experience it. And this session will prove it. In a lot of ways, the journey HOME is about simplifying. Peeling back those parts, those habits, those layers that take away instead of give back. It’s about reuniting with the type of vibration that gives life and connection to your relationship with yourself and to the big picture. When we take time to notice we can start to pay better attention to the things that nourish. But don’t forget, “simplifying” and “nourishing” don’t connote easy. We can build sustainable practices and rituals that serve. This can have a direct effect on how we carry ourselves, energetically, posturally, and in the way you hold space for yourself and for others. We will also take time to nourish parts of the body that could be a little bit sore from the past few practices. When we nourish ourselves, we can better serve others.

Oh Day 29, my luckiest number, and the most special practice that provides such a beautiful opportunity to listen to your inner voice, your higher self, your best teacher. Today, I invite you to find freedom within the form. Don’t decide where it ends. Embody it. Listen. Pay attention. Respond. Intuit. This is a powerful practice that starts with a good dose of spinal flexion and ends with creative core. Look, we have come a long way so I intuited that a little Wu-Tang boat pose was most necessary, for me. Don’t forget… it’s okay to have FUN! Use your breath to bring yourself back home, darling. We continue to play with our vocabulary today before our final session, Day 30. We are almost there, though I must gently warn you… tomorrow’s practice will be different. But the same. (Cool, Adriene.) It is all a part of the journey, which is most certainly the reward. The process is the candy. See? Honor the time you’ve taken to listen and hone your intuition.

Today’s theme is what it is all about. The Journey on home. One that is unique to all of us. For this practice, it is a Day 30 tradition for me to take the microphone off. Can you trust me? Can you trust yourself? You are going to use the vocabulary that we have learned together thus far to choreograph your home practice and to create your experience today. You have the tools. You always have had everything you need to uncover and to reveal what matters most. This is such a beautiful day because, for me, it really does embody the spirit of Yoga With Adriene and this exchange that you are participating in. It is this essence, or spirit, that says, “Hey, I am taking care of myself in my little corner of the world, but also… I am right here with you. I got you.” Try to keep an open mind, please move slowly, and as always, prioritize your breath. Use me as a reference or a guide. You have everything you need. Trust it. Trust it all.