Welcome to Yoga with Adriene. I'm Adriene.

Today on the "Yoga for Weight Loss" series,

we are going to strengthen and lengthen the body

in a little vinyasa flow practice.

I'm calling this, "Yoga Flow for Love" or "Love Yoga Flow."

It's really just because, right? Self-love.

Mainly, my point is,

who said a workout has to be harsh and unloving?

Let's see if we can marry our breath and our body together

in a way that feels good, but also gets our muscles nice

and toned and trim and strong. Right?

Building that lean muscle mass in the most loving way.

Let's get started.

(rhythmic guitar music)

- Okay, today we're going to begin

in a nice comfortable seat.

And we're just going to take a minute

to check in with our breath,

because we're going to use our breath

to move through the practice today.

And especially when we title a video "Yoga for Weight Loss,"

we want to make sure we're starting with integrity,

and that we're working from a place

of connectivity and listening to the body.

So, we could start this asana at the head of our mat,

but we're definitely gonna take a second here

before we get moving, to check in with the breath.

So, we're not gonna be here long,

so I'm just telling you all that, I guess,

to invite you to dive in,

commit to your breath in a new way.

And we're just gonna start, nothing fancy,

by closing the eyes, and inhaling in deeply

as you squeeze the shoulders up to the ears.

And then exhaling, drawing the shoulders, elbows away.

Finding length in the neck.

Inhale. Sit up nice and tall.

Squeeze the shoulders up towards the ears.

Full breath in, all the way to the top,

and then use your exhale

to draw the shoulders, the elbows down.

And one more time, just like that.

Inhale. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

And exhale, drawing the shoulders, elbows down, down, down.

Now close your eyes here, and play with your breath.

So if you're familiar with ujjayi,

you might begin to connect to that audible breath here.

But really, we just want to get the juices flowing here.

Get our mind to anchor

on the sound of the breath.

If it feels good to maybe teeter totter the head a little,

left to right, or maybe draw a couple circles

with the nose, do that.

Then on your next inhale,

draw the palms together at your heart.

Lift your sternum up to your thumbs,

and actively press the palms together here,

elbows out, left to right.

Another deep, conscious breath in.

Then we use the exhale out to bring us to all fours.

When you arrive, begin to move in your cat-cow.

But take this awareness of the breath with you, my friends,

as you spread the palms.

And drop the belly down to the earth as you inhale,

and drawing the navel up to the spine as you exhale.

Let the breath fuel the movement.

Careful not to rush here.

Awesome. Then begin to find a little movement here

that feels good,

maybe shaking the hips a little left to right,

maybe drawing circles with the hips.

Continue with your breath.

If you catch yourself holding your breath here,

then just notice that and then come back.

Cool. And then after a little movement here,

we'll make the journey to downward facing dog,

by curling the toes under.

Maybe walking the palms slightly forward,

drawing the shoulders away from the ears,

and then lifting the hips up high.

Find your breath again here.

Bending the knees.

Melting the heart back.

Stretching through the backs of the legs.

Stretching the feet.

Pressing into all ten knuckles strong here.

Should start to settle in here with the breath,

start to feel good.

Letting go of the day thus far, perhaps.

Allowing yourself to let go of any to-do lists

or anything that you have to do after practice.

Give yourself this time on your mat

to really focus on your breath, connect to yourself.

We're gonna take it to a nice slow walk

up towards the front edge of your mat.

Take your time getting there.

And we'll meet in a forward fold, toes pointing forward,

knees bent as generously as you like.

Take a couple moments here with your breath.

Maybe shifting your weight on your feet,

front to back, side to side,

really spreading awareness through all four corners

of the soles of your feet.

Maybe shaking the head a little, yes and no.

Clasping the elbows like I am here feels right for me.

Take one more deep breath here, wherever you are.

And we'll slowly begin to roll it up.

Loop the shoulders, press into your feet,

and find that lift up through the heart.

Lengthen all the way up through the crown of the head.

And close your eyes here,

and take a couple smooth breaths here in mountain pose.

Inhaling lots of love in,

and exhaling lots of love out.

Then inhale. Reach the fingertips up high towards the sky.

And exhale. Draw your shoulder blades together.

See if you can create more space

between your shoulders and your elbows here.

Spread the fingertips super wide,

and again nice, long, smooth deep breaths here.

Careful not to lock the knees. You might find a soft bend.

Notice if the tailbone is spilling out here.

See if you can allow the tailbone to grow heavy,

maybe tuck the pelvis here.

Last, but not least.

I know your arms might be getting tired,

especially if you're new to the practice. Stick with it.

We're gonna hug just the lower ribs in, just a hair here.

Drawing energy in from the arches of the feet.

Take one more deep breath in here. You got it.

Then exhale.

Palms come together, as we bend our knees generously,

and take it all the way down.

Awesome. Inhale, halfway lift.

Exhale, bow.

Inhale, reach it all the way up, spread the fingertips.

Press into all four corners of the feet,

and then exhale, hands to heart.

All right, let's flow. Soft knees.

Move with your breath.

Inhale. Reach it up.

Draw the shoulders down, open your heart.

Exhale. Down you go. Bend the knees.

Inhale. Nice flat back position here.

Extend through the crown.

Exhale. Forward fold.

Great. Plant the palms here and step the feet back to plank.

Take your time getting there on this first one.

Press away from your yoga mat.

You can always lower the knees here.

Or I'm finding a little stretch by bending the knees

back and forth, back and forth.

Then slowly, we'll lower down,

hugging the elbows into the side body.

Gaze is forward here, as I lower all the way to the belly.

Loop the shoulders.

Press into the tops of the feet, and inhale. Cobra.

Exhale, release.

Curl the toes under,

and make your way to downward-facing dog.

Inhale, lots of love in.

Exhale, lots of love out.

Melt your heart towards your toes.

Hug the lower ribs in. One more breath.

Inhale.

And exhale.

Great. Anchor through the left heel.

Inhale, lift the right leg up high.

Rotate the right ankle one way and then the other.

Make sure you're not dumping all your weight

into your left shoulder.

Square the shoulders here.

Then we'll squeeze the right knee

all the way up and in towards your heart.

See if you can touch your nose to your knee.