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Page 1 By Chelsea’s Yoga RIsIng UP Stronger II

Rising Up Stronger

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Page 1

By Chelsea’s Yoga

RIsIngUPStrongerII

table of contents

1.

About Me 3

2.

How to Use This e-Book 4

3.

Ways to Stretch 6

4.

Shoulders 7

5.

Legs 42

6.

Sample Practices 75

7.

Love Love 76

Page 2

About Me

Hiya! I’m Chelsea and yoga stole my heart

back in Oct’ 2014. It allowed my busy mom

brain some stillness, quiet, and focus (an

uncommon thing as a mom of three). I don’t

have a background in gymnastics, dance, and

am not naturally strong or super flexible so

I’ve gained a lot since starting my practice.

My 2017 brought some major life changes. In

areas I once found comfort, safety, and

familiarity in, I found myself face down in

the mud, single, and starting anew. These

changes led me to shake up a lot of things

and I started by setting down my daily

routined ashtanga practice. I forced myself

to get uncomfortable and I tried a lot of new

things, especially with my yoga practice. By

sitting with emotions, taking more time to listen to my quiet inner voice, and

asking my body to show up and find strength where I used to feel weak … I was

Rising Up Stronger and releasing my first ebook.

Now, two years later, I’ve leaned into a lot of “firsts”. I’ve traveled the globe,

I’ve led yoga retreats on five continents, and settled into my new “job” outside

the home after twelve years as a stay-at-home mom. I’m learning to trust myself

more than ever. I’m leaning on my strength to carry me into the next “right” thing.

And I am constantly reminding myself that I am ENOUGH.

It takes time to see big changes in yourself and your practice but it’s the little

wins that take us there. Make yourself a priority. Give yourself the time. Show up.

I firmly believe that if I can do this, YOU can do this too. I couldn’t be more

excited that you're starting the next phase of this journey with me. Cheers to the

next chapter!

love love,

Chels Page 3

How To Use This e-Book

When I started practicing handstands I became so obsessed about getting upside down that I started to neglect areas in my body that needed opening. In order to make the journey easier, lighter, and stronger I needed to create a sense of overall body awareness.

You will see lots of static holds, gentle movements, and stretches in these pages. Take time to explore Ballistic Stretching, Dynamic Stretching, Static Stretching, and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching (p. 5)

There is a lot of freedom in how to build your practice using this ebook. You can follow the Sample Practice I provide on page 75 or build your own. Start with some wrist warmups each day and follow with your workouts/stretches based on your personal goals or what your body is craving. I have actual days that I can feel the ache in my chest begging me for heart opening or back-bending sessions.

The length of time in this practice is dependent on how long you choose to hold each posture. You will find the minimum amount of time I typically spend in each pose listed on each page. For example, if I wanted to work into my Middle Split, I would typically spend around 20 minutes stretching to find my deepest range and would likely repeat each pose 2x through.

Page 4

Ways To Stretch

Ballistic Stretching - Bouncing repeatedly into a stretch. This reminds me a bit of Jane Fonda and the 80s and is something I’ve more recently fallen in love with. Gentle bounces leading up to longer holds feels fantastic!

Dynamic Stretching - This is slow movement stretching and it takes its time to ease deeper into each posture. This is super common when taking yoga classes when working toward peak postures. Think progressively increasing your range as your body warms.

Static Stretching - This is more about time. They can be done passively or actively and are generally held for 15-60 seconds but some schools of thought can go as long as 5+ minutes.

Proprioceptive Neuromucsular Fascilitation Stretching - PNF stretching is lovely because it combines isometric contractions with a passive stretch. Think contract-relax. I often use this approach when working into my splits. This is great with partners or manual assists because you work against your partner’s efforts to contract and to lengthen the muscle.

Page 5

Medical Disclaimer

Before beginning any new exercise program it is recommended that you seek

medical advice from your personal physician. This book is not intended as

a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should

regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and

particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or

medical attention.

Copyright Disclaimer

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in

any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by

any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—

unless used for personal use only.

Page 6

shoulders

Page 7

dolphin pose

• forearms down and parallel to one another

• ears between biceps and gaze back at your

shins

• the key here is to really press away from

the ground and create as much distance as

possible between your ears and shoulders

• draw your naval to spine

• hold for 30 seconds

Page 8

In my practice… I will allow my hands to come closer together to access a bit more room in the shoulders for longer holds

cactus shoulder roll

•belly down

•cactus your left arm out to 90

•tent your right fingertips to press and leverage against

•bend and lift your right knee

as you roll onto left shoulder

• allow right foot to rest on ground

• press into right fingertips to actively

roll left shoulder open

• relax left temple to your mat

• stay for 60 seconds, then switch sides

Page 9

straight arm shoulder roll

•belly down • extend left arm out in line with your shoulder

• bend your right arm, tent your right fingers into your mat

• bend and lift right knee as you open your hip

• allow right foot to rest on the floor

• allow left temple to rest on your mat

• press into right fingers to actively roll left shoulder open

• stay for 60 secs and then switch sides

TO DEEPEN POSE GO TO NEXT PAGE

Page 10

double shoulder roll

Page 11

• flip palm up with thumb pointing down

• deeply roll onto left shoulder and lift right arm up and back to search and reach toward left hand

• roll more onto left hip to anchor yourself down

• if your hands touch try to interlace your fingers

• stay for 30 secs and then switch sides

prayer drops on the wall

• measure your footing a gentle arm’s distance away from the wall

• bring elbows to wall to frame out your face

• to access a bit more room in your shoulders, bring your palms together and allow them to fall toward your shoulder blades

• gently ease chest toward wall

• stay for 30+ secs

Page 12

In my practice… I add some ballistic stretching here and bounce my chest before finding my deepest hold

puppy pose on the wall

Page 13

• measure your footing a

gentle arm’s distance away

from the wall, feet together

• reach your hands up the

wall then drop and drag your

chest down toward the floor

• play with the position of your head and see

what feels best as you work into your

shoulders

• stay for 30+ secs

For more…

Try walking your feet in a step and bring

your chest to the wall as you send your chin

up toward the ceiling

puppy pose

•from your tabletop,

walk your hands forward

as you start to melt

your head and chest

down

•as you deepen you will work into your thoracic spine

•maybe your chin softens toward the ground as you melt your

heart down

•stay for 30-60 secs

*notice the shallow sips of air

while you stay here and breathe

Page 14

• if you’re feeling

comfortable with your

chest down, untuck your

toes, lift your knees,

and straighten your legs

into Extended Puppy Pose

fists behind back

• internally rotate your arms to bring hands behind your mid-back

• create knuckles and press firmly into each other

• draw shoulder blades together and broaden collarbones to stay active

• stay for 5 breaths

Page 15

reverse prayer

• internally rotate your arms and bring hands behind your mid-back

• press palms together starting at the pinkie and then closing off with the

thumbs

• draw shoulder blades together and broaden collarbones to stay active

• stay for 5 breaths

Page 16

In my practice… Adding arm variations like these into my standing postures gives the added bonus of shoulder openers! Try in Warrior 3 or Pyramid Pose

• internally rotate your left arm and bring hand behind your back (you can use

your right hand to assist your left elbow to press your left arm back)

• reach your right arm up and overhead and then down between your shoulder

blades to find the bind (to assist the bind … use a strap or towel)

• press the back of your head back into right elbow to deepen stretch

• stay for 5 breaths and then switch sides

Page 17

gomukhasana arms

outer shoulder stretch

•internally wrap

left arm and bend

elbow at 90°

•keep palm open and

thumb reaching up

•grab right bicep, bend

your right elbow, and

gently pull right arm

forward to stretch left

shoulder

•stay for 15 secs

•switch sides

Page 18

thread the needle •from table top, press into left hand and pick up your right

• slide right arm under body to sink onto right shoulder, dropping

right temple to your mat

• tent left fingers to leverage your twist deeper into the pose or

bring left hand to the front of right thigh

• keep hips squared off to focus more on the shoulder

• stay for 30+ secs and switch sides

Page 19

1 2

3 4

5

child’s pose

•while this pose

can seem pretty

straight forward

you can change

how active you

are in it

• try with your

knees pulled

together OR

separate them wide so your ribcage falls between your thighs

• relax your elbows and hands down to your mat OR try reaching and gripping your hands,

lifting the elbows, and stretching more into the shoulders

• stay for 60+ seconds

Page 20

eagle arms

Page 21

• cross, wrap, and twist your

right arm around your left

• pull shoulders down and away

from your ears

• spread your scapula away from

one another to more deeply

stretch into your shoulders

• stay for 30 secs and switch

sides

Page 22

wide legged forward fold

• step your feet 3+ feet apart and

slightly turn toes in

• interlace your hands at the base of

your sacrum

• hinge forward and keep your back

long and flat reaching through the

crown of your head

• allow your hands and shoulders to

rotate, creating a shoulder rinse

as they reach toward the floor

• let the crown of your head relax

down between your feet and use your

breath to relax deeply in the pose

• stay for 30+ seconds

criss-cross

Page 23

• belly down

• thread right arm

under left

• cross right arm in

front of left

• palms up

• rest forehead down

to floor

• maybe flip palms

down

• stay for one minute

• switch sides

Page 24

•come into your yogi

squat

•thread one arm

between your waist

and thigh

•squeeze your

knee inward to

deepen the

stretch

•stay for one

minute and switch

sides

•f o r m o r e ,

t h r e a d b o t h

hands through

a n d s q u e e z e

both knees in

t o d e e p e n

stretch

chicken pose

Page 25

bound malasana

•find your yogi squat

• internally rotate

your left arm to

reach in front of

your left knee and

reach behind your

your hip

• allow your right hand

to reach behind your

back and maybe find

the bind

• if you find the bind,

use the left hand to

pull the right hand

down - opening the

right shoulder more

• switch the gaze up

and over the right

shoulder

• stay for 5 breaths

• switch sides

• for more, work both

arms around the hips

and sink low into

your hips to stretch

deep into your

shoulders

Page 26

bridge pose

In my practice… I use bridge not only to stretch into the shoulders and as a gentle backbend, but also to stretch to the core and the hip flexors

• focus on the shoulder rinse more than the backbend

• knees and ankles stacked, feet and knees parallel

• glutes are firm but not overly engaged (to avoid knees from splaying out)

• interlace the palms and roll the shoulders under

• stay for 60 seconds

camel pose

•come onto your knees and bring them hip’s width distance • lift and send your hips forward once your hands reach back for your heels • turn your arms outward and squeeze shoulder blades together • gently relax head back and cradle between shoulders • stay for 30 seconds

Page 27

camel pose variation

•sit back onto your heels and plant your left hand on your left heel • inhale, lift and send your hips forward • right arm reaches up and over, stretching right side body • stay for 30 seconds • switch and repeat on other side

Page 28

In my practice…

I move a lot in this variation. Floss and glide your arms and find your sticking point. Is it more in the side body? The shoulder? Stay inquisitive in your stretching

Page 29

wheel pose

•from your wheel

pose, rock back and

forth by bending and

straightening your

legs to bring your

chest and head

further forward

through the arms

• think more about

your shoulders

versus just your

backbend

hollowback on the wall

•measure arm’s length

from the wall and place

hands down where your

feet were marked

•kick up to the wall,

straighten the legs,

and gently let hips

land

•point the toes and

slowly slide hips down

the wall as you send

the chest away

•the lower your hips

slide the more you’ll

feel it in the

shoulders and thoracic

spine

Page 3054

1 2 3

4 5

bow pose

•belly down

•bend your knees and reach hands back to outside edges of your feet

•peel your chest up and back while drawing your shoulder blades together

•kick into your hands and lift your thighs up off the ground

*TO GO DEEPER, SEE PAGE 35*

Page 31

Page 32

forearm wheel •from your

forearm wheel,

rock back and

forth by flexing

and extending

your knees to

bring your chest

and head further

forward through

your arms

• play with the

rotation of your

shoulders and

placement of

your hands

• try with palms

together, up, or

down

• after several

rocks,

straighten your

legs and find a

static hold

• stay for a count

of 10

locust pose

•reach arms actively up and back through fingertips

• scapulas firmly squeeze toward one another

• lift thighs up away from your mat and work to bring toes together

Page 33

In my practice… I never realized how important prone backbends were to back body strength. Often we think of core strength having only to do with front side body but it’s about the entire corset. The more I practice these, the more I feel a difference in stabilizing my handstands.

cobras

Page 34

• allow your backbody to do the work

• keep minimal weight in your hands as you peel your chest up and back

• as you start to press more into your hands, think about letting your chest come through your arms (this will work more into your thoracic spine and not just your low back)

• finally, take your gaze up to work into all spinal curves

Page 35

flip your grip •bend your knee, flex your foot, and reach your hand (palm up) under the top of your foot

to the inside arch

• as your thigh lifts, pull the heel toward your shoulder to make room for the shoulder

rotation

• wing your elbow out to the side as you keep a strong grip on your foot

• as your gaze moves forward so does your elbow and your shoulder rotates all the way around

Page 36

cat cow

• these can feel so simple

but spend some time to

linger

• in cat pose. think about

letting the scapula spread

and separate from your

midline. Tuck the chin

deeply into the chest

• in cow pose, reverse the

action. Open your throat,

squeeze the shoulder blades

together, and inhale into

each bit of the front chain

of the body

Page 37

upward facing dog

• press palms firmly into your mat while drawing shoulders away from ears

• send chest through the arms (envision emerging through a tunnel)

• thighs and knees lift up from the floor

Page 38

• unlike Bow Pose, here we reach for our ankles and keep thighs glued down

• inhale to lift your chest and kick your shins up and back

• keep thighs anchored to the ground and think more about opening the chest and shoulders through the kick

rocking horse

•slide left leg under right side body

•spin the hips up to the ceiling and peel your

right shoulder up and back, shining your heart

up to the sky

•think more about rotation in the shoulder and

flirt with the idea of the fingertips reaching

toward the ground

•stay for 5+ breath

•switch and repeat on the other side

Page 39

wild thing

Page 40

In my practice… I prefer to rotate my shoulder to enter kapotasana but you can also walk the hands in after you lower the head down. The forearms follow shortly after and then fingers walk toward your toes or heels.

kapotasana •use your inhale to lengthen the spine as much as possible and bring palms to your sternum

as you send hips forward and gaze up

•separate your hands and reach them up and over toward the floor behind you. Hips move

forward to balance your head and chest.

• lift your pelvis, lengthen and extend your thoracic spine. Press your shins and forearms into the

floors, Keep lifting your sternum up while actively drawing elbows toward the midline

legs

Page 41

fish pose

In my practice… I love the anchoring effect of taking full lotus and reaching my hands to my feet, but feel free to extend the legs long.

•press your forearms into the floor. shoulder blades squeeze together and lift

torso away from the floor as you let your head rest down

•tuck your forearms and elbows in close to your sides

•if comfortable, walk your hands down to straighten the arms and reach for the feet

Page 42

legs

pyramid pose

•from standing, step

right foot forward

and spin back heel

to a 45 degree

angle

• hinge at the hips

to fold over your

front leg

• let your hands

frame the front

foot or reach back

and tent the

fingers. If you

have more room,

reach both hands

behind the back leg

• maybe your chin

reaches toward your

shin as you

lengthen the spine

longer

• stay for 5+ breaths and

then switch sides

Page 43

This is one of my favorite poses to add a ballistic stretch to. Try pulling the ball of your front foot up and gently bouncing your torso 20x over the front shin.

skandasana variations

•work into your hips using my favorite side lunge, but play with arm variations

•add in some static holds, some gentle ballistic stretches, or some dynamic

movements

•a perfect shape to add a lot of shoulder openers. Think draping forward, binds,

or peeling arms up and back

Page 44

For more: Try playing with your points of contact. You might start with both hands down, but try lifting one finger, maybe two. Maybe your hands lift. Try moving between transitions with your hands lifted.

wide legged forward fold

Page 45

• step feet 3+ feet apart and point toes slightly in

• as you fold forward, hinge first at the hips with a flat back, and

then allow your thoracic spine to round as you lower the crown of

your head down

• reach your hands to the outside of your feet and use your bicep

strength to deepen the fold

• stay for 5-10 breaths

seated forward fold

Page 46

• find a comfortable seat and wiggle side to side to sit on to your sits

bones

• inhale to create a long spine

• exhale to hinge first at the hips and then allow your thoracic spine to

round over as you reach your hands forward and melt down

• stay for 60+ seconds

Page 47

janusirsasana b

•bend your left knee and pull

your heel into your right hip

crease (half lotus)

• on an inhale, sit up tall in

your seat

• on the exhale, hinge forward

with a long flat back and reach

toward your foot

• lead with your chest and chin

• once you maximize your depth,

then allow your thoracic spine

to round and hold your pose

• stay for 5-10 equal breaths

• repeat on other side

Page 48

janusirsasana a

• from a comfortable seat,

bring your left foot to the

inside of your right thigh

• use your inhale to lengthen

out and then hinge forward,

leading with your chest and

chin

• use your next inhale to

create a little more length

as you hinge a little

deeper

• exhale, round your upper

back, and relax into the

pose

• stay for 5 breaths and then

switch sides

revolved janusirsasana

•bring your left heel in close to inner right thigh and open the left knee up

beyond 90 degrees

•hinge and revolve at the waist to steer the right ribcage slightly in front

of your right thigh

•reach your left arm up and over the right leg and maybe your left hand finds

your right foot

•spin and open your chest up the sky as your peel your left arm up and back

to open your shoulder

•hold for 30+ seconds and then repeat on the other side

supported modified

Page 49

Page 50

three legged dog

from your downward facing dog, inhale your left leg to the ceiling

You have two places to move from…

1. square your hip off. Roll the front of the left hip down and reach

your leg high (think leveling off your hips)

2. open the hip up. Think about spinning the left hip point away from

the ground (your left shoulder will likely follow

I always work to create a little space in the shoulders here too. I

think about sending my chest toward the mat and sometimes even putting

my forehead on the ground

4

In my practice… I take a lot of liberties in my three legged dog by wiggling into the hips, bending into my knees, or allowing my head and chest to move down through my arms and toward my mat.

Stay for 5- 10 breaths and then switch sides

hip CARS

•the point of hip CARS is to hit your end of range motion within your hip

sockets

• from your downward facing dog, inhale and lift your left leg and then move

in all directions in your hip.

• try with a bent knee and see how that changes it

• complete 5 circles clockwise and then 5 counter-clockwise

• switch sides

Page 51

Page 52

shoelace pose

•bend your

right knee and

pull your foot

up and over

your left leg

to the outside

of your left

hip

• stack your

knees over top

of each other

• inhale and sit

up tall in

your seat. On

the exhale,

hinge forward

with a long

flat back and

reach toward

your foot

• round your

back and fold

over your

knees

• keep your

belly pulled

in

• stay for 10

equal breaths

then switch

sides

Page 53

• extend your left leg up

while your right hand rests

on your right thigh

• keep both hips anchored to

the mat (let your right

hand assist in that)

• externally rotate your leg

and open it up and out to

the side

• stay for 10 breaths and

then switch sides

supta padangusthasana

uttanasana

Page 54

• from standing, take an exhale and forward fold over your legs

• hinge as much as you’re able at the hips and then allow your

upper back to round as you take your deepest expression

• work this as a progression and when you need to back off,

inhale into your halfway lift

• use active strength in your core to pull you deeper and also

let your biceps do some work to assist in your end range

Page 55

•find a wide legged seat. Inhale and

lengthen your spine

•exhale, keep the length, rotate your pubic

bone toward the floor, and start to walk

your hands forward as you reach your torso

long

•extend from your base instead of bending

from your waist (keep the front body long

rather than collapsing the chest and rounding the back). If you can keep your sits bones

grounded and your quads facing the ceiling, try to lay your chest down

• keep your sits bones grounded to maintain your stability

• stay for 10 breaths

For more…

If you’re able to bring your chest down, try reaching your two peace fingers for your big

toes and lowering your shoulders to the ground. Maybe the chin lowers as well

‘pancake’

upavistha konasana

An Assist:

Place a block under

your sits bones

before you fold to

ease up on your

hamstrings

gate pose

•from kneeling, extend your left leg

out long, perpendicular to your right

shin

• open your right side body as you

reach your left arm toward your left

leg and your right arm up and

overhead

• check in with your neck and decide which position feels best

• stay for 5-10 breaths and then switch sides

Page 56

Page 57

• the focus here is not just to stretch your hamstrings and quads, but also to

stretch deeply into the hip flexor of the back leg

• play with variations … try stacking the front knee over the heel or wiggle the

right foot beyond and see how that feels

• continue driving your left hip down and forward, relaxing into the hip flexor

• stay for 10+ breaths and then switch sides

TIP: This is a great place to add blocks under the hands and create little bounces to move deeper into the pose

low lunge

Page 58

low lunge variation cont.

See what happens

when you…

• try bringing your

hands to your

knees

• frame out your

front foot

• wing your front

leg and gently

press the knee

open

• maybe try coming

onto your right

forearm

• extend your left leg long while

keeping your hips square

• frame out your left leg with

your hands

• on the inhale, lengthen your

spine

• on the exhale, hinge at the hips

and fold over your shin

• think about first sending your

chest and chin down to the leg and once you’ve hit your max depth, round your upper back

• stay for 10+ breath and then switch sides

Consider…

Adding a ballistic stretch over the front leg. Bounce 20x and then find your static stretch.

Page 59

half splits

splits

Page 60

• if you’re feeling warm after your low lunges, try easing your front leg forward into a

deeper position (and maybe) to find your full splits

• continue to pull your left hip point forward to square your hips

• play with your upper body and what feels best to help you stay for 5-10 breaths, and then

switch sides

Modifications:

Try using a block at different heights under your front thigh to elevate you a little

higher as you’re gaining your splits

compass pose

Page 61

option 1 hip lifted

option 2 hip grounded

• sit onto your right hip, bend your knees, reach right hand to outside edge of

your left foot

• pull your right knee high up onto your right tricep

• straighten your left arm and drive your left hand into the mat

• straighten your left leg up as you pull your right shoulder back and send your

chest through, creating a rotation

• play with keeping your left hip grounded or lifted to see what changes in the

sensations

• stay for 5 breaths and then switch sides

compass pose

Page 62

twisted quad stretch

•from your low lunge, bend

your right knee and reach

your left arm back to catch

your foot

• spin to the outside edge of

your left foot and let your

knee fall open

• pull your heel to your glute

to intensify the quad

stretch

• back off on your lunge to

find the connection. On your

exhale, send your hips

forward as you sink back

into your left knee

• move only as far as your

heel/glute connection stays

locked

• pull your left shoulder back

as you shift your gaze back

• stay for 5-10 breaths and

then switch sides

For more… try coming onto your right forearm

baddha konasana

• find a comfortable seat and bring the soles of your feet together

• gently use your hands to press your knees down (maybe they find the floor)

To Deepen…

• Walk your hands forward and fold over your legs

• Try gripping the floor to pull yourself deeper

Page 63

Page 64

pigeon pose

•bring your right

shin toward the

front of your

mat

• listen to how

your knee feels

and adjust

accordingly how

close your foot

needs to be to

your groin

• keep rolling

your left hip

forward to

stretch deeply

into your hip

flexor

• maybe you lower

down onto your

forearms

• maybe your lower

your head down

• stay for 1+

minutes and then

switch sides

Page 65

gomukhasana

• find a comfortable seat and stack your left knee over your right

• the further your heels are from your hips the more intense this

outer hip stretch will be

• Stay for one minute and then switch sides

For More…

• Fold your upper body over your legs

• Slide your heels out (while keeping your knees stacked) before

folding forward

Page 66

double pigeon

• find a comfortable seat

• stack your shins over one

another and flex your feet

• the tighter together you

pull your knees, the more

intense the stretch

• if above feels good, fold

forward over your shins

• continue folding to your

deepest hold

• stay for one minute and

then switch sides

malasana

•find your yogi squat

• nestle your elbows between your knees and bring your knuckles or palms

together to press out and deepen into your hips

• explore and play with widening your knees, sitting taller in your seat, or

pressing your elbows more into your knees

• stay for 60+ seconds

Page 67

To Modify… Keep your hands down on the ground. Consider resting heels on a blanket, blocks, or fold your mat up under

Page 68

supta baddha konasana

•from a reclined position, bring the soles of your feet together

and let your knees fall open to the sides

• play with your arm variation. Maybe on the the heart and one to

the belly. Maybe you reach them up and over head. Maybe they

rest on your thighs

• stay for one or more minutes

Page 69

• from your back, reach your hands to the outside edges or inside arches of your your

feet

• use a little arm strength to gently pull the feet to stretch into your hips

For More…

Straighten one leg at a time, roll to tap your toes to the ground

Reach hands to your heels. Straighten both legs and use arms to gently help feet to the

floor

happy baby pose

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reclined hero pose •find your seated hero pose

• check in with your quads and knees as you begin your journey down, and stop

wherever your max depth is

• stay for one minute

Note…

This can also be done with one leg at a time. Just extend one leg straight

forward and then switch sides

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frog pose

• on your belly, bring your

left leg into a 90 degree

bend

• make sure your knee is in

line with your hip

• stay for one minute and then

switch sides

For More…

• bring both knees in line with

your hips

• set pillows, blankets, or

bolsters beneath your torso to

settle in

• let your feet stay close

together and work to soften

hips down

• keep knees in line with hips,

and then create a 90 degree

bend in your knees

• take a look back to make sure

all of the angles are correct

and be mindful to keep sending

hips back (they will naturally

want to fall forward)

• stay for one or more minutes

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• step your feet 3+

feet apart and

slightly pigeon toe

your feet in

• sink your hips down

as low as is

comfortable

• play with arm

variations and see

how that changes or

intensifies the

hold

• stay for 10+

breaths

For More… Try lifting your heels up high to challenge your ankle mobility and balance

goddess pose

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• from table top, reach

your left arm and leg out

to create length

• bend the left knee and

reach your arm back to

find your foot

• kick into your hand to

open your shoulder more

Now Try…

• Extend opposite arm and leg long

• Bend your left knee and reach your right arm

back to find your foot

• Kick into your hand and to stretch into the

shoulder

• Maybe flip your grip to deepen your shoulder

stretch

tiger pose

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lizard lunge

•from table

top, step your

right leg to

the outside of

your right arm

and lower down

onto your

forearms

•wiggle your

left knee back

until you feel

a deep stretch

in your left

hip flexor

•stay for 10+

breaths and

then switch

sides

For More…

• Try lifting

your back knee

and see how

that changes

the action

sample practices Feel free to get creative and choose different poses from each section to

create your own practice. Since these can all act as stand alone postures, you can change the amount of time spent in each one. You can also experiment with how you enter [ie. ballistic, dynamic, PNF, or

static stretching (p.5)]. This practice schedule is built around peak posture work that many yogis are always working to improve. I often

revisit any posture that feels like it needs extra time.

forearm stand Shoulders:

Cactus Shoulder Roll

Straight Arm Shoulder Roll

Puppy Pose

Wild Thing

Chicken Pose

Dolphin Pose

tight hip flexors Shoulders:

Bridge Pose Legs:

Hip CARS

Low Lunge Variations

Twisted Quad Stretch

Supta Baddha Konasana

Lizard Lunge

Pigeon Pose

Reclined Hero Pose

handstand

Shoulders:

Cat Cow

Puppy Pose on the Wall

Prayer Drops on the Wall

Fists Behind Back

Legs:

Wide Legged Forward Fold

Seated Forward Fold

Pancake

Hip CARS

Skandasana

back-bending

Shoulders:

Cactus Shoulder Rolls

Cobras

Puppy Pose

Locust Pose

Bow Pose

Rocking Horse

Camel Pose

Wheel Pose

Forearm Wheel

Kapotasana

splits

Legs:

Pyramid Pose

Three Legged Dog

Skandasana

Low Lunge Variations

Half Splits

Lizard Lunge

Seated:

Janusirsasana

Pigeon Pose

middle split

Legs: Happy Baby

Supta Baddha Konasana

Malasana

Skandasana

Wide Legged Forward Fold

Goddess Pose

Hip CARS

Pancake

Gomukhasana

Double Pigeon

Frog Pose

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love love,

After releasing my first ebook, I was completely blown away by everyone’s

support, love, kind words, and stories. Seeing all of your transformations

makes me so incredibly proud and beyond humbled. Thank you for walking

alongside me, sharing your journeys, and being a part of the Rising Up

Stronger family!

Thank you to my mom and photographer

@kathleenwilliamsphotography for opening up your home,

rearranging all of your furniture, shooting, and editing these beautiful photos!

Thank you to Liforme (@liforme) for sponsoring this e-book, making my most loved yoga mat of all time, and being the best brand to work so

closely with.

Thank you to Alo Yoga (@aloyoga) for supplying the beautiful clothing.

And lastly, thank you to all of YOU!! Without your constant love and support, I wouldn't feel so comfortable sharing what I’ve learned and

love. I am here to support you in your journey, so always feel free to

reach out whether it’s an email ([email protected]) or a DM on

Instagram (@chelseasyoga).

I am so excited to watch you #RISINGUPSTRONGER so share your journey with

me! Post your progress and transformation photos on Instagram and tag

#RISINGUPSTRONGER so I can follow along!

X, Chels

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