WEBVTT 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:02.100 hey everyone and welcome to yoga with 00:00:02.100 --> 00:00:04.650 Adriene I am Adriene and today we have 00:00:04.650 --> 00:00:07.010 an awesome sequence for the upper back I 00:00:07.010 --> 00:00:10.679 rarely meet anyone that doesn't complain 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:12.769 about upper back achiness or stiffness 00:00:12.769 --> 00:00:16.320 shoulder pain craving neck relief so 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:17.789 this is a sequence that you can 00:00:17.789 --> 00:00:20.160 incorporate to your daily routine your 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.560 your daily practice you can return to it 00:00:22.560 --> 00:00:25.289 five days a week seven days a week so be 00:00:25.289 --> 00:00:26.820 sure to favorite the video so you can 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:28.800 return to it easily because I think this 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:30.269 is something that everyone can benefit 00:00:30.269 --> 00:00:32.549 from so let's get to it hop on the mat 00:00:32.549 --> 00:00:36.739 and let's learn this upper back sequence 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:49.039 okay so to begin we're going to start at 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:50.930 a nice cross-legged position sukhasana 00:00:50.930 --> 00:00:54.589 or the pose of ease here just pressing 00:00:54.589 --> 00:00:56.539 into the sit bones and slowly 00:00:56.539 --> 00:00:58.579 lengthening up through the spine 00:00:58.579 --> 00:01:01.010 I'll bring the palms to the knees here 00:01:01.010 --> 00:01:03.070 and jumping right and I'm gonna inhale 00:01:03.070 --> 00:01:05.600 loop my shoulders draw my shoulder 00:01:05.600 --> 00:01:08.509 blades in together and back as I lift my 00:01:08.509 --> 00:01:09.860 heart now I don't have to crunch the 00:01:09.860 --> 00:01:11.840 neck here youch I'm just gonna keep it 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:14.630 nice and open but I am actively drawing 00:01:14.630 --> 00:01:16.640 my shoulder blades in and together and 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:19.640 down shoulders away from the ears take a 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:21.979 deep breath in here long belly tops of 00:01:21.979 --> 00:01:23.840 the thighs draw down and then on an 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:26.960 exhale I'm gonna slowly draw my chin to 00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:29.840 my chest draw my navel back allow my 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.000 shoulders to round forward kind of get a 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.740 little booty massage here as I roll 00:01:33.740 --> 00:01:36.979 through the buttock and allow the way to 00:01:36.979 --> 00:01:39.890 my head to drop over now I'm gonna hang 00:01:39.890 --> 00:01:41.929 here for a couple breaths catching the 00:01:41.929 --> 00:01:45.129 weight of my palms to the knees here and 00:01:45.129 --> 00:01:47.840 really just breathing feeling that upper 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:51.759 bar poor body upper back stretch 00:01:51.759 --> 00:01:54.020 creating a little bit of space here with 00:01:54.020 --> 00:02:00.970 each inhale and each exhale 00:02:07.110 --> 00:02:09.600 and then rolling back up I'll loop the 00:02:09.600 --> 00:02:11.700 shoulders rolling through pressing into 00:02:11.700 --> 00:02:14.210 the sit bones again lifting the heart 00:02:14.210 --> 00:02:16.680 drawing the shoulder blades in together 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:19.350 and down and really creating space 00:02:19.350 --> 00:02:21.390 between the ears and the tops of the 00:02:21.390 --> 00:02:24.420 shoulders take a deep breath in smile 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:27.810 relax your jaw and then send it back 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:31.320 down I like to call this mr. Burnes 00:02:31.320 --> 00:02:35.490 posture here but we'll put a positive 00:02:35.490 --> 00:02:37.910 spin on it here and breathe some space 00:02:37.910 --> 00:02:50.700 into that upper back I'm in inhaling 00:02:50.700 --> 00:02:53.340 back up to Center head over heart heart 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:55.459 over pelvis 00:02:55.459 --> 00:02:58.350 okay sitting up nice and tall I'm gonna 00:02:58.350 --> 00:02:59.910 send my fingertips forward like I'm 00:02:59.910 --> 00:03:02.340 swimming crossing them over swim around 00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:04.200 and then I'm gonna interlace my 00:03:04.200 --> 00:03:07.800 fingertips behind the back again good 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:09.180 marker is to keep the head over the 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:10.920 heart center of the sternum the sternum 00:03:10.920 --> 00:03:13.140 over the pelvis just to notice whether 00:03:13.140 --> 00:03:14.970 maybe you tend to sit back like this 00:03:14.970 --> 00:03:17.190 which is normal or maybe you're 00:03:17.190 --> 00:03:18.959 overcompensating and shifting the heart 00:03:18.959 --> 00:03:20.550 forward let's try to stack it nice and 00:03:20.550 --> 00:03:22.950 tall I'm gonna interlace the fingertips 00:03:22.950 --> 00:03:24.989 and then I have a couple options here if 00:03:24.989 --> 00:03:27.209 I can let's run to the side here so you 00:03:27.209 --> 00:03:30.950 can see I can bring the palms together 00:03:30.950 --> 00:03:34.440 check that out if that's a little too 00:03:34.440 --> 00:03:35.880 intense at the moment I might keep the 00:03:35.880 --> 00:03:38.550 wrists nice and square but I'm actively 00:03:38.550 --> 00:03:40.560 drawing the shoulders down away from the 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:42.600 ears shoulder blades together kind of 00:03:42.600 --> 00:03:44.489 wringing it out in the upper back here 00:03:44.489 --> 00:03:47.430 getting rid of that achiness kind of 00:03:47.430 --> 00:03:50.519 massaging that area of the body and what 00:03:50.519 --> 00:03:52.200 will help with that is of course taking 00:03:52.200 --> 00:03:56.820 a nice juicy deep breath in and a nice 00:03:56.820 --> 00:03:59.300 soft sigh out 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:03.020 let's do one more deep breath in 00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:05.070 notice my neck is getting a little 00:04:05.070 --> 00:04:10.440 involved here it feels good and slowly 00:04:10.440 --> 00:04:12.870 release and palms come back to the 00:04:12.870 --> 00:04:15.080 thighs 00:04:16.430 --> 00:04:19.589 okay so now I'm gonna come to a extended 00:04:19.589 --> 00:04:22.050 Child's Pose for a couple breaths so I'm 00:04:22.050 --> 00:04:24.810 gonna open the knees nice and wide big 00:04:24.810 --> 00:04:26.670 toes are gonna kiss together here we can 00:04:26.670 --> 00:04:28.050 pad the knees if you need to here if 00:04:28.050 --> 00:04:30.270 this is too much extension 00:04:30.270 --> 00:04:31.800 hyperextension in the knees you can put 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:33.270 a little blanket here between the knees 00:04:33.270 --> 00:04:36.180 little cushion and then I'm gonna sit up 00:04:36.180 --> 00:04:39.360 nice and tall inhale reach the arms up 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.210 towards the sky and then exhale keep the 00:04:42.210 --> 00:04:44.310 spaciousness in the side body as I dive 00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:47.090 forward into this extended Child's Pose 00:04:47.090 --> 00:04:49.200 fingertips are gonna reach towards the 00:04:49.200 --> 00:04:53.220 front edge of the mat palms are gonna 00:04:53.220 --> 00:04:55.230 spread wide notice I'm still looking 00:04:55.230 --> 00:04:57.300 forward here drawing my shoulder blades 00:04:57.300 --> 00:05:01.530 in together and back shoulders rotating 00:05:01.530 --> 00:05:05.370 externally away from the ears breathing 00:05:05.370 --> 00:05:08.880 here and then slowly bowing forward 00:05:08.880 --> 00:05:11.190 opening up the shoulders melting the 00:05:11.190 --> 00:05:14.010 heart to the earth forehead kisses the 00:05:14.010 --> 00:05:17.730 mat and the arms don't go limp here or 00:05:17.730 --> 00:05:20.310 lazy I kind of stay active here reaching 00:05:20.310 --> 00:05:22.070 fingertips towards the front edge 00:05:22.070 --> 00:05:24.360 connecting hasta bandha that hand earth 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:27.930 connection shoulders are alive as I 00:05:27.930 --> 00:05:34.140 breathe into the upper back and then 00:05:34.140 --> 00:05:41.280 breathe into the mid-back then send a 00:05:41.280 --> 00:05:45.049 nice deep breath to the lower back 00:05:47.740 --> 00:05:50.720 and then slowly when you feel satisfied 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:54.020 drawing a line with the nose looking 00:05:54.020 --> 00:05:57.830 forward and then using the palms to walk 00:05:57.830 --> 00:06:03.410 it back up okay so now we're gonna come 00:06:03.410 --> 00:06:06.610 to all fours here tabletop position and 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:09.500 I'm going to walk my right palm in 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:11.840 towards the center line here and on an 00:06:11.840 --> 00:06:14.000 inhale send my left fingertips all the 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.540 way up towards the sky now I'm not going 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:18.949 to collapse into this right shoulder 00:06:18.949 --> 00:06:21.350 here no way I'm gonna press up and out 00:06:21.350 --> 00:06:22.610 of the right palm keeping the 00:06:22.610 --> 00:06:24.080 spaciousness that I've built in this 00:06:24.080 --> 00:06:26.630 little practice all along breathing into 00:06:26.630 --> 00:06:28.820 the upper back here maybe the arm goes 00:06:28.820 --> 00:06:30.080 all the way up maybe it only goes to 00:06:30.080 --> 00:06:32.000 here just seeing where that space is 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.320 today taking a nice deep breath in and 00:06:36.320 --> 00:06:39.350 then exhale coming back to Center left 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:41.750 palm replaces the right right fingertips 00:06:41.750 --> 00:06:43.729 reach up let's do the side really fast 00:06:43.729 --> 00:06:46.580 inhaling you can move at your own pace 00:06:46.580 --> 00:06:50.260 drawing that shoulder away from the ear 00:06:50.260 --> 00:06:53.060 breathing nice long deep breaths and 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.190 then exhale back to Center we're gonna 00:06:55.190 --> 00:06:57.800 do it one more time this time keep the 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:01.160 palms a little bit wide and instead of 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:02.450 drawing the right palm into the center 00:07:02.450 --> 00:07:03.620 I'm going to keep it right where it is 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:06.650 as I inhale open the left palm up take a 00:07:06.650 --> 00:07:09.470 deep breath in and this time I have the 00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:11.150 needle I'm gonna take my left fingertips 00:07:11.150 --> 00:07:13.310 under the bridge of the right arm and 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:15.979 come to rest on the outer edge of my 00:07:15.979 --> 00:07:19.639 left shoulder left ear it comes to the 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:22.250 earth and I begin to breathe into the 00:07:22.250 --> 00:07:23.720 upper back here particularly the left 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:26.450 side for more leverage I can tent the 00:07:26.450 --> 00:07:28.580 right fingertips here maybe bend that 00:07:28.580 --> 00:07:32.150 right elbow up to find a little bit more 00:07:32.150 --> 00:07:36.800 in that upper back the toes are going to 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:38.150 want to come together I really don't 00:07:38.150 --> 00:07:39.830 mind that but if you like you can just 00:07:39.830 --> 00:07:41.419 keep a little integrity here by keeping 00:07:41.419 --> 00:07:42.950 the tops of the feet pressing into the 00:07:42.950 --> 00:07:47.360 earth and for more leverage or for a 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.860 little bit of a deeper stretch you can 00:07:48.860 --> 00:07:51.950 also add extending the right leg just 00:07:51.950 --> 00:07:53.780 kind of using the right toes here again 00:07:53.780 --> 00:07:55.640 to press a little bit deeper into the 00:07:55.640 --> 00:07:58.130 posture but I say start here and then 00:07:58.130 --> 00:08:00.440 work your way up to here so be 00:08:00.440 --> 00:08:03.530 really mindful in the shoulders here to 00:08:03.530 --> 00:08:04.820 come out of the posture I take a deep 00:08:04.820 --> 00:08:09.500 breath in then exhale out following your 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.500 breath back to Center and planting the 00:08:12.500 --> 00:08:14.090 left palm again this time we're not 00:08:14.090 --> 00:08:15.500 walking into the center but keeping it 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:17.840 nice and open as I inhale right 00:08:17.840 --> 00:08:21.050 fingertips reach up towards the sky and 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:23.120 then exhale diving through right 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:24.800 fingertips under the bridge of the left 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:26.690 arm as I come to the outer edge of my 00:08:26.690 --> 00:08:30.620 shoulder here hello and breathing here 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:32.210 each side will be a little bit different 00:08:32.210 --> 00:08:35.240 I can use my right excuse me left 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:37.760 fingertips here to tense the palms bring 00:08:37.760 --> 00:08:42.320 that left elbow up another option though 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:43.820 sometimes offer students is to come 00:08:43.820 --> 00:08:45.020 palms together here and just kind of 00:08:45.020 --> 00:08:47.330 gently extending those right fingertips 00:08:47.330 --> 00:08:53.840 how that feels nice another option to go 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:55.700 a little deeper again is to extend the 00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:59.900 left leg curl those toes under breathing 00:08:59.900 --> 00:09:07.940 into that upper body that upper back and 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:10.580 then following your breath to come out 00:09:10.580 --> 00:09:13.250 of the posture moving nice and slow 00:09:13.250 --> 00:09:18.430 and mindfully here and back to all fours 00:09:18.640 --> 00:09:20.990 okay so now we're gonna come on to the 00:09:20.990 --> 00:09:24.170 belly for a little cobra sequence gently 00:09:24.170 --> 00:09:26.900 coming on to the belly drawing the palms 00:09:26.900 --> 00:09:29.600 underneath the shoulders here I'm gonna 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:31.280 keeping the feet just nice and hip width 00:09:31.280 --> 00:09:33.550 apart here pressing into the pelvic bone 00:09:33.550 --> 00:09:35.720 looping the shoulders the elbows are 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:37.490 coming in nice and close to the side 00:09:37.490 --> 00:09:39.740 body go ahead and rest your forehead on 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:42.650 the mat and then we're gonna move nice 00:09:42.650 --> 00:09:46.970 and slow here inhaling and exhaling 00:09:46.970 --> 00:09:49.130 pressing into the pelvic bone pressing 00:09:49.130 --> 00:09:51.320 in your foundation drawing the shoulder 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:53.720 blades in together and down as we slowly 00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:55.730 look up not a big move here at first 00:09:55.730 --> 00:09:58.940 just a nice gentle thing and then exhale 00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:03.470 back down forehead kisses the mat moving 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:08.960 with the breath now whether you rise up 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:11.300 on the exhale or the inhale is totally 00:10:11.300 --> 00:10:12.360 your choice 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:15.000 I say for a sequence like this that's 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.089 therapeutic and about getting into those 00:10:18.089 --> 00:10:20.760 dark nooks and crannies it's just about 00:10:20.760 --> 00:10:22.950 following your breath you might start to 00:10:22.950 --> 00:10:26.399 find a little more space but we're 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:31.820 moving at a nice be nice and mindful 00:10:31.820 --> 00:10:34.230 notice lots of space between the ears 00:10:34.230 --> 00:10:38.070 and shoulders and then if you want from 00:10:38.070 --> 00:10:39.839 here you can build this into upward 00:10:39.839 --> 00:10:41.480 facing dog we're not gonna do that today 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:44.070 but if you're already have a practice 00:10:44.070 --> 00:10:48.750 and you're ready you can begin to take 00:10:48.750 --> 00:10:53.190 this into a nice upward facing dog when 00:10:53.190 --> 00:10:55.200 you feel satisfied you can send it to a 00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:57.899 downward facing dog or just a nice 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:00.810 little counter pose here as we come into 00:11:00.810 --> 00:11:03.300 extended Child's Pose swimming the 00:11:03.300 --> 00:11:06.180 fingertips forward up and back and then 00:11:06.180 --> 00:11:09.360 resting the forehead shoulders melting 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.829 forward as we breathe into the back and 00:11:13.829 --> 00:11:19.980 rest okey doke so that was yummy 00:11:19.980 --> 00:11:22.050 sequence for the upper back this 00:11:22.050 --> 00:11:24.360 actually was a request from a viewer so 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:26.310 if you have other things that you're 00:11:26.310 --> 00:11:28.410 craving some relief or you want some 00:11:28.410 --> 00:11:31.410 yoga knowledge or advice on leave me a 00:11:31.410 --> 00:11:33.449 comment below leave your requests 00:11:33.449 --> 00:11:36.120 questions always welcome subscribe to 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:37.649 the channel if you haven't already and I 00:11:37.649 --> 00:11:41.060 will see you next time namaste