Slow and Controlled Mat

Hi, I'm Rhett Miller, and I'm here at Pilates Anytime today, and I'm going to teach a mat class. I'm very pleased for that. By the way, my son, Evan, he's 20 years old, he's here. He started Pilates when he was nine. Can't say he loves it but he does it when I tell him to, and so that's nice (chuckling).

Let's start with a warm up, thank you for being here with me. It's best for this warm up that we're going to do, sit closer to the front of your mat and have your feet off the front of your mat, and you'll see why in a minute. You're gonna engage the inner thighs so that the knees are straight up to the ceiling, and you're gonna release in the hips joints. You're gonna come up as high as you can, releasing in the hip joints as much as you can. Now, stretch your arms gently forward.

They're relaxed but they're stretched, the palms of the hands are down. You're gonna inhale, head is balanced up at the top, inhale. From deep in the center of the body, you're gonna lift up and under the navel and you're gonna roll half way back. You're rolling half way back, and you're gonna stretch your arms forward. Stay right there.

Inhale (inhales). On the exhale, you're gonna keep pulling back in the center, keep your arms parallel to the floor, head is between the arms, pull back in the center and stretch forward. Then, up through the spine, one, two, relax in the hip joints, straight up in through, inhale and exhale. Lift up and under, lift up and under, coming back, rolling halfway back, stay. Really feel from that lifting that you're stretching forward, don't just stick your arms forward.

Inhale (inhales) and exhale. Pull back in the center as you stretch forward, already starting with the opposition. Good, ladies, good, and slowly rolling up through the spine. One two, and gentleman, three, good, you, too. Exhale, slowly coming back.

Lift up and under, round a little bit more, Evan, very good. Lift up and under, stay. Really stretch your arms a little bit more, stay, and pull back in the center. As you glide forward, release your neck. Long in the arms, and slowly coming up.

And two, and three, let's take it a little bit further, please. Pull back on the center, coming halfway back. Two, stay there. Pick up your toes. You're still lifting up and under the navel, and you're gonna stretch your legs away, lifting this way, stretching away, stretch your arms away, lifting up and under the navel.

Stay. Good, now bring the legs back in. Two, three, and go forward. Pull back in the center, arms parallel to the floor, pull back, and coming up, two, two more of those. Exhale, lift up and under, round back.

Release the neck, stretch your arms. Nice, Ruth. Pick up your toes. Really feel the action of lifting up and under and stretching away from that lift. There's the dynamic of two-way stretch.

Now bring the legs back in to where they were, knees up to the ceiling, stretch your arms, pull back in the center, and coming forward over the legs. Stretch the arms, release the neck, release the shoulders, and coming up through the spine. One, two, three, you can all go a little slower from my point of view, if you want to, and slowly coming down. It was nice what they did but I'm a little bit, slower is better for me. Pick up your toes.

Lift up and under and stretch away. Lengthen. Ease your shoulders, lift more. Good. Slowly coming in with the feet.

Keep lifting up and under the navel, stretch forward with the arms, pulling back in the center. We had two-way stretch, now we're having the opposition in the body, and slowly articulating up through the spine. One, and two, and three. Nice, very good, Let's come up on our knees, please. You're going to face me.

You're gonna have your knees hip width apart. As you're hip width apart, you're gonna squeeze gently your legs in towards each other, to really get your inner thighs activated. Lift up from the center, that same lift we just had, you're lifting and that's supporting your spine. Take your arms up. If you're supporting from down below, you can be easy up above.

Keep your elbows nice and open, keep squeezing gently your legs in towards each other, take yourself out to the left, nice and long. Long out to the side. Keep your elbows open, now squeeze your legs gently together, and from deep down, you come up. Two, three. Open your elbows a little bit more if you can, Ruth.

Take it out to the side, lengthen out, good. Release your neck, good, and slowly coming up, really squeezing your legs, lifting, and coming up from down here. Be easy in the upper body and take yourself out long. Nice, Ruth, release your neck, good. Lift from the center, good, and slowly coming up.

You don't have to go quite so far over there, Evan, just take yourself out to the top corner. Squeeze your legs, nice and long, open your elbows. Gentle squeeze to the legs, lifting from the center, it's all from here, and slowly coming up. Nice, Evan. Good, two, and now you're up at the top.

Let's add a twist. You're gonna come out long, same as before. Keep squeezing the legs gently in towards each other, gently, good. Take your bottom elbow back and take it both so that both shoulders are parallel to the floor. Release your neck.

Keep squeezing your legs together. Take your body front again so that the shoulders are facing forward, stay out to the side, and slowly coming up. Slow. Slower, thank you. And take it out long.

Good, relax your neck, Jackie. Out long, through, good. Now take your right elbow to the back of the room. Pull up and under the navel. Squeeze them legs together, release the neck.

Good, take yourself out to the side, nice and long, two, three, and we're gonna go slowly, one, two, keep squeezing the legs gently together, it's all happening from here, and take it out long. That takes time to find, two, and take your left elbow back, bottom elbow back, so both shoulders are parallel to the floor, elbows are open, take yourself back out to the side, squeeze your legs gently together. Keep squeezing the legs gently and find, from a deeper place, yourself coming up. Always looking for something deeper. Two, and take yourself out long, two, release your neck, nice and long.

Bottom elbow, take it back. Pull up in the center, squeeze your legs gently together, release your neck, open your elbows, coming back out to the side. Squeeze your legs gently, release your neck, good. Slowly coming up, and two, and three. Good, I'll go the side, you guys can stay right where you are, take your arms up, please.

Your arms, coming from the deep center, so you're, again, squeezing your legs gently together, and lifting, and then your arms are stretched up. Easy shoulders. Nice, Evan, squeeze your legs. Take your shoulders back, we're gonna go straight back, into a side stretch I think you call it, and stretch your arms forward. Don't just take your arms forward, stretch them long.

Squeeze your legs and slowly coming up. One, release your neck, two, now feel your balance up at the top and your shoulders are easy, and you feel your arms as an extension of that strength in the center. Take yourself back. All of that takes time to find. Nothing I say today, or very little I say today, stay, and slowly up, can be found in a second.

Deepening, deepening, easy shoulders, easier shoulders, gentle squeeze of the legs, two more times. Take it back long. Get longer in the spine, longer, stretch your arms a little bit more, Jackie, really stretch them, thank you. Just like your spine is stretching, lift, even though this is really hard. Last time.

And take it back, lengthen. Remember, long, nice lengthen. Good, Evan. Slowly coming up, release your neck. Two and three.

Good, let's go on our hands and knees, please, so you can take your heads back towards the center, please. I'll be here. Take your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Knees are directly underneath your hips. I'll come a little bit more forward.

Good, let's go slowly like always. Really stretch your arms, long spine, release the back of the neck. Inhale. Take your back leg and stretch it to the back of your mat, as you're stretching your arms into the floor. Keep your toe on the floor, please.

Release the neck, feel the long spine, and now lift the leg up in line with the rest of the body. Keep stretching your arms into the floor, don't forget your arms. Strong in the center, take your left arm forward, long. Two, I'm sorry, take your front arm forward, thank you. You're going to lift your arm and leg three inches higher.

Stay strong in the center, release your neck, bring your arm and leg back in line with the rest of your body and pause. You're gonna take your arm and leg up higher three inches, and now take your arms and legs back down parallel to the floor, in line with the rest of the body. Stay, and slowly coming in. Bringing yourself back to the original position. Stretch your arms into the mat.

Inhale, release the neck, long spine, exhale, slowly take the front leg back. Lengthen, two, and three, and lift your leg up high. Not high, in line with the rest of the body. Excuse me, I got excited. Take your other arm and out long.

Keep stretching your arm that's on the floor, stretch it down into the floor. Lift your arm and leg high. Just, three, I don't mean high, and slowly back down, I guess I'm over excited, I'm sorry. Lift your arm and leg three inches. Stay strong in the center and slowly bring them back into line, stay.

Good. Release your neck, bring everything back in. Two, and three. One more time each side, please. Let's take your back leg, slowly now, slow, and stretch it back.

Stretch your arms into the floor while you do it, please. Release your neck and lift the leg. Take your opposite arm and take it forward. Really relax the shoulders and keep that supporting arm stretching, don't just prop yourself, and lift, just one time. Three inches, lengthen everything.

Bring it back down into line, stay, release your neck and slowly in. We can release our neck when we get stronger and more coordinated from the center. Take your other leg back. Which takes time and that's why I go slowly, and lift, lengthen, release your neck. Good, now take your arm out.

Stretch your arm into the floor that's supporting you. Release your neck just one time, lengthen everything and lift, good, Jackie. Slowly back in line, release your neck, and slowly in. And two, now finish beautifully. Release your neck, stretch your arms, and let's come to the floor, please.

On your stomach. You're gonna have your legs together, please. Arms to the side, nice and wide, don't take them in so close, please, unless you want to (laughs). Take your nose to the floor, arms nice and wide. Squeeze your legs together, and you're lifting from up and under the navel to support yourself.

Here we go, inhale for nothing, exhale, take your nose forward, and slowly coming up. Release the back of your neck and you're not using your arms, and you're going to bring yourself up to that place where you can support yourself, and as you come down slowly, you're gonna lengthen, and two, and three, inhale. Exhale, take your nose forward, and lifting up. Nice, Evan, you can take your nose a little bit more forward, look at Amy. Release your neck, long, easy neck, thank you, Jackie, and slowly coming down.

Lengthen your legs back as you come down and squeeze your legs gently together. Inhale, stay, one more time. Exhale, nose comes forward, squeeze your legs, lengthen your legs back and coming up. Watch the back of your neck. Easy shoulders, nice, wide shoulder blades.

Slowly coming down. And down. And down. Take your hands, please, and put them underneath your forehead. You're gonna rest your forehead on your hands and you're gonna keep lifting from deep up and under your navel, from deep down, to support yourself Your legs were turned in, or maybe they were turned out, but if they were turned in, turn them out, so that the heels are touching each other.

Keep the legs together. We're gonna do hundreds with the legs, inhale, exhale, now lift your legs two centimeters up off the floor, nice and long, and you're going to start to beat them, open and close them, inhale for five. In, two, three, four, five. Flex your feet, exhale, two, three, four, five. Inhale, point, three, four five, and exhale, flex, three, four, relax your shoulders.

Two, three, four, five, and ex, two, flex your feet, and point, two, three, four, five, and keep lifting from the center, four, five, and point, two, inhale, four, five, and exhale, two, three, lift from the center. Last one, two, three, four, five, and ex, two, three, four, five. Slowly bring your legs down. Open your legs so that they're hip-width apart, please. Take your arms forward into a nice v-shape.

We're gonna do swimming prep. Listen closely. As always, even here, we're supporting ourselves deeply from the center, release your neck, long arms, long legs, I'll try to be clear with my instructions. Everything's on the floor, nose on the floor, lifting from the center, everything's engaged. Inhale, exhale.

Arms and legs up off the floor, two centimeters, one inch only. Back leg, front arm, is going to three times move. Go, up and up and up. Coming back, stay, and slowly down. Two, and three.

We're gonna move the same arm and leg three times. Inhale. Elegantly now, no popping, exhale coming up. Lengthen everything. Two centimeters, one inch, front leg, back arm, three times, go.

One, two, three, lengthen, stay, and slowly down. Two, really landing, good. Inhale, and exhale, slowly coming up, I'm gonna watch. Stretch your arms, stretch your legs, release the back of your neck. Back leg, front arm, three times.

One, beautiful, Evan, two, three, lengthen, stay. Good, ladies, and slowly down, and down. Two, lifting from the center, long in the spine, release the neck. Last time, slowly coming up. Lengthen everything up.

Good. Stretch your arms if you can, Jackie. Front leg, back arm, go. One, two, three, lengthen, stay, and slowly coming down and down and down. Very good.

Sit back, please, give yourself a well-deserved stretch. Nice, everybody. Strong in the center, feeling how that strength in the center helps us to release and get longer in everything we do, in all of our exercises, and then, in every day life. Very good. Let's come up, please, on our knees one more time and face me.

Same rules apply, please. Hip width apart with the knees. Always gently moving in towards each other when you're on two knees. Let's take our arms out to the side, nice and long. You feel the strength, and we're not just sticking our arms out, which you're not doing, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but you're really lengthening your arms out to the side from the strength in the center.

Find that. Good, Evan, you look great. Inhale, exhale. We're going to take our, I got excited, so please, take your left hand and put it behind your head. Good, and we're gonna go over there to the right, into the side leg kick.

But you're gonna stay long, and you're gonna stay lifted. Inhale, exhale. Coming over nice and long, put your hand right down beneath your shoulder and stretch your leg out nice and long. Really stretch. We're going to go a little bit easier variation of this.

All's your gonna do is lift your leg nice and long, good, and slowly coming down. You can take your head back a little bit, Ruth, just be careful not to take your head forward. In line, lift, nice and long. Good, you can also take your head back a little bit, Jackie, and slowly down. Really stretch this arm that's supporting you.

Good, lift from the center, and lift, longer, two, lift, good, and slowly down. Nice, Amy, and lift, lengthen. Open your elbow a little bit, Evan. Slowly down. Last time, please.

Slowly lift the leg. Bend that leg a little bit. Bend the arm, go out to the arm, here we go, gonna push ourselves up, and lift, catch yourself. Squeeze the legs gently together, feel the length, slowly take your left arm out long. Release your neck.

That wasn't slow, Amy, and inhale. (laughing) Slowly out long, go out long, and down. And lift. Nice and long, open the elbows, good. Stretch your arm into the floor, and lift the leg.

Good, take your leg a little bit more in front of you, Evan. Be careful you don't get your leg behind you, it's a little bit in front. Nice, Ruth, and lift the leg. And slowly down, release your neck. Lifting from the center, and lift, and down, good.

Slowly up, coming up to the last one, slowly down. Really lengthen, nice, Jackie, and lift, lengthen, stay, bend that leg. Bend that arm, go out to the arm, push yourself up, get long, strong in the center. Balance, balance, balance. Very good.

I think we're warmed up now, huh? Let's do the traditional warm up of the Pilates series, which is hundred, roll up, and roll over. The hundred won't go slow, but the other ones will. Okay, here we go. (chuckling) Lay on your back, please, and we don't even have to do a hundred.

Make sure you have a nice neutral, please. I like to start in neutral, and have your legs together, please, so that there's a nice, gentle squeeze there. Sometimes we have them apart, sometimes we have them together. Inhale, take one leg up to what I call the tabletop position, stretch your arms along the floor, release your neck, feel your long spine. Consciously take your other leg up, as soon as it's up, you squeeze your legs gently together again.

Inhale, that togetherness brings a deep strength in the center, head comes up. Stretch your arms forward, stretch your legs out, keep squeezing them together, nice and long, don't get tense, inhale, and go. In, two, three, four, five, and ex, stretch your arms, please, Jackie, in, two, three, four, five, and ex, two, three, squeeze your legs, Evan, in, two, three, four, five, relax your wrists, Ruth, in, two, three, four, five, and ex, two, three, four, five. You look great, Amy. And ex, two, three, four, five, and in, two, three, four, and five, and ex, two, three, four and five, Let's do two more sets, please.

In, two, three, four, five, and ex, two, three, four, five. Okay, pull the knees in and give yourself a squeeze. Give yourself a real squeeze, give yourself a real squeeze. Really pull it in. Stretch your legs out to the diagonal, take your arms back by your ears, I surprised you with this one, nice and long.

Good. Take your arms around. Really pull yourself, give yourself a squeeze, this is where the internal massage comes in. Squeeze. And slowly coming out, and feel that relief in the whole body.

Lengthen, squeeze the legs together. Two more times. Slowly, in. I know this is not part of the traditional warm up, I'm sorry. That's not that I'm sorry, but I mean, I said I was gonna do that but now I added this 'cause I felt like it.

Slowly coming in, pull, squeeze your legs gently. Pull, pull, squeeze, good. Slowly take your legs down, stretch your legs out, hip width apart, I do them hip width apart, please. Really flex your feet. Feel your long spine, feel your long legs, pull your toes back, please, release your neck.

From that long spine, take your arms up to the ceiling. Your arms are long, your spine is long, everything is long. Take your arms back by your ears, here you feel the two way stretch, it's not just that I'm sticking my arms back there, and slowly take your arms back up the ceiling. Inhale, exhale. Peel your head off, stretch your arms forward, pull your toes back.

Start to pull back in the center, keep pulling back in the center, arms parallel to the floor. Head between the arms, stretch the arms. Release the shoulders a little bit, please, and slowly coming back. As you come back, stretch your arms forward. Don't just stick your arms there, stretch them as you pull back.

Slowly take your arms up to the ceiling, stretching, and take your arms back by your ears. Flex your feet, feel your length, release the neck, slowly coming up, inhale. Good, Evan, and coming forward with the head, stretch your arms, stretch, head, pull back from the center, arms parallel to the floor, head between the arms, nice, pull back in the center, beautiful, Ruth. Thank you, and slowly back. Nice to see all this skill and sensitivity, and lift up, that I have there before me, and slowly back.

Let's do it one more time, please. Slowly take the arms up to the ceiling, head comes forward, stretch your arms forward. Pull the toes back, feel everything long. Really get the connection between the pulling back in the center and stretching forward, the opposition, stretching forward in the legs, in the arms, and now slowly moving back. Release the neck, elegantly, elegantly, coming back.

Stretch through the arms, stretch through the legs, take your arms up to the ceiling, please. Inhale, stay. From your long spine, take your arms slowly down to the floor, but keep them long. Don't make it sloppy. Make it beautiful.

Nice and long, feel the long spine. Strong in the center. Good, surprise surprise, this goes slow, do your best. Take one leg up to the tabletop. When the other leg comes up, you squeeze your legs gently together.

Release your neck, long spine. Stretch your arms now and take your legs out on diagonal. We're gonna make some pauses. We're gonna slowly take your legs up to the ceiling and pause. Engage deep in the center, squeeze your legs together, and take yourself back long.

Touch your toes to the floor, or not, it's okay, whatever you wanna do. Open your feet, flex your feet. I don't open my feet so much, you can do whatever you want. As you come down, pull back in the center, and stretch your legs behind you as you come down. Two, and three, point your feet, and bring your legs in and let me talk one second, please.

Bring your legs in, please. The idea when you're rolling down, it's gonna be the same idea, the same here. I'm pulling back in the center and I'm stretching away. So when I'm here, I'm pulling back in the center and stretching away, as much as you can. Ready?

One leg comes up. Slow. Other leg comes up, squeeze your legs gently together. Feel your long spine, stretch your arms. Inhale, exhale, take your legs out, nice and long.

Good, now we're gonna come up to the ceiling with the legs, keep them long, and pause. Inhale, beautiful, Ruth, and deep center. Take yourself back long, touch your toes or not. Keep stretching your arms, open your legs, flex your feet. As you come down, pull back on the center and stretch back with your legs.

Good, Evan, stretch your legs as you come down, fantastic, Amy. Good. Nice, Jackie. Wow, I can go for swimming and leave you guys here. That's very good, squeeze your legs together.

Slowly coming up. Stay. Good, engage, squeeze your legs, go. Stretch your arms, open your legs, feel now. Flex the feet.

Pull back in the center. Keep stretching back. Release your neck. The same idea as in spine stretch forward, or what we did in roll up there. Nice and long, lengthen, point the feet, and (kissing) come together the legs.

Pull the legs in, one leg comes down, and other leg comes down. Good. Take your knees in your hands, please, and give yourself a little from side to side, little resting moment, which you'll need, 'cause we're gonna get hard now. Push your knees into your hands. Head comes forward, keep pushing your knees into your hands and try to come up with control.

Keep pushing, pull back in the center, and coming up. If you need to jerk yourself up, it's okay, no problem. Inhale out. Beautiful work, everybody. We're ready for rolling like a ball, but it's gonna go slow, so don't be surprised surprised.

Inhale, we're not gonna roll yet. You're gonna lift up and under the navel and you're gonna roll your lower back down to the floor while you're staying in this position. Easier shoulders as you do it, Jackie, and slowly coming up. Two, beautiful. Lift up and under the navel and slowly coming down.

I think you should get a close up on Ruth, who has beautiful beautiful articulation with this, so thank you, Ruth. Up, two, three, and last one of this more simple one, down, lift up and under the navel, coming back. Release your neck, release your shoulders, and you're really pulling back here, and slowly coming up. We're gonna go into the roll. It's this pulling back that takes you into the roll.

Lift up and under, take yourself back, and roll. Roll and slowly coming up and balance. Roll up and back and take it back, and lift up and balance. Lift up and under, take yourself back, good, and slowly lift up out of that. Lift up and under and that takes you back, go.

Good, and slowly up. Let's take it into a teaser, please. Three of them. You're gonna pull back and take yourself into the roll, come up unto the balance. Pull back in the center and stretch away from that pulling back in the center.

Stretch, squeeze the legs together, stretch, be easy, stretch through the arms a little more, Jackie, and slowly coming in. Take your back up, up, up. Two more times, and lift up and under, take yourself back, lift, and up. Good, pull back in the center and stretch, and stretch. Squeeze your legs.

Evan, you look fantastic. So do you, Amy. And coming in. Lift in the back, and take it back. And up, and pull back.

How many Pilates teachers have 20 year olds doing that? I have it, and slowly in (chuckling). And coming up. I have to brag a little bit. Coming back.

Please, take yourself, scoot yourself, to the back of your mat, and make sure your feet are on, and we're going to do a twist exercise thing so buckle your seatbelt and listen. I'll do my best for you. Your legs I'd like to be hip width apart, really flex, feel the length, and you're gonna be easy in the hip joints and be up in the body as much as you can. You're gonna take your arms out to the side. You can move back a little bit, Evan, so you don't hit Jackie and knock her out.

Flex your feet, please. Inhale, and exhale. Lift up in the body, lengthen, lengthen, lengthen, and coming twisting to the front. Nice and long, twist, really lengthen. Good, stop.

Everyone can lengthen their arms a little bit, it's a little like this, so lengthen lengthen lengthen. Okay, one more time. Flex your feet, lengthen, nice and long. Inhale, get longer, go, exhale, lengthen, yes, and now go back. Straight back and put your elbow on the middle of the mat and now you're gonna twist to the front.

Put your legs together. Make sure your elbow is further away from your shoulder. Stretch your arms up and now you're gonna lift, squeeze your legs together, lift your hips up, and slowly coming down. Keep looking at your hand if you can, relax in your shoulders, and exhale, slowly lift. Two, try to go slow if you can, Jackie.

I know it's hard. Slowly coming down. Stretch your arms. Good, from here, take your feet back where they were. Twist back to the front to where you were, hip width apart with the legs, stretch forward, pull back in the center, pull back in the center, stretch forward, and slowly up through the back.

Two, remember we talked about those long arms, which is a long spine and long legs, go, oh, excuse me, take your arms, got excited, take your arms out to the side, please. Lift in the center, lift, lift, lift, and twist. Coming back, long, good, middle of the mat, make sure your elbow's further away from your shoulder, and lengthen, and lift slowly coming up. Lengthen up. Keep everything long, and slowly coming down, and control, this is very hard, and lift, and lengthen, and slowly coming back, coming back to the front.

Legs apart, flex your feet, coming forward, forward, forward, pull back in the center. Release your neck and slowly coming up, and two, and three. What I mean by putting your elbow further away from your shoulder is that your elbow should be further out this way, rather than in this way. That makes it much harder. I was a little but unclear there.

Scooch to the front, please. Now you get to say cheese to the camera when you're doing this exercise. Here we go. Legs are hip width apart and the arms are to the side. Remember we talked about the length, relax the shoulders.

The first thing we do is lift deeply from the center to get taller and take yourself out to the twist. Lengthen your legs, now lean back and put your elbows further away from your shoulders. Good, coming over on your side, put your legs together, lengthen your arms up to the ceiling and coming up with the body. One, good, just try to go slower, Jackie. I know, I mean, I'm sorry.

Jackie's gonna hate me. Lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, and slowly coming down. Good. Come back on your bum. Nice, long forwarding like a spine stretch forward.

Slowly lifting up and up and take your arms out to the side. Long legs, long spine, long arms, head balanced at the top. Twist to the back, long. Good, Evan. Lean back, take your elbow further away from your shoulders, and now you're gonna go slow, and you're gonna twist, stay.

Don't go up yet, please, and now you go up, one, and two, good, relax in your neck if you can, Jackie, and slowly coming down. Squeeze your legs gently together. Good, and lift. And lift. Good, and slowly down.

It's a killer, isn't it? And down. Good, slowly coming back to your bum. Hip width apart with your legs, pull back in the center, stretch forward, and slowly coming up and up and up. Very good.

Let's go into swan dive, please, huh? You're going to put your head to the center, please, and you're gonna lay down on the floor and your legs are gonna be hip width apart, turned out. Some people do it with their legs together, I don't understand that 'cause 'it's hard but, we're gonna do it with our legs a little apart 'cause that makes it easier. You're lifting from the center and your arms are, please don't squeeze in, keep it nice and wide and down. You're lifting from the center and your nose is on the floor.

Surprise surprise, it's nice and slow. Here we go. Take your nose forward, lengthen your legs back, take your nose forward and follow your head up. Inhale, and exhale, coming up, and up, and stretch your arms. Stretch your arms, stretch your arms, stretch your arms if you can, or else, take your arms more forward there, Jackie, if you need to, of course.

Good, now from here, bend your elbows and pull yourself forward, pull yourself forward and lengthen your legs back so you feel your spine getting longer, and release your neck and you come down and finish as you started, nose hovering on the mat. Take your nose forward, don't get tense in your neck, coming up and moving elegantly, two, release your neck, lift, lift from the center, no hanging. Good, Evan, you can lift from your center a little bit more but you're doing great. Pull back, elbows pulled back. Good, Ruth, that's nice pulling back, and that pulling back in the elbows takes your spine longer and down and through.

One more time, then we get harder. Nose forward, and exhale, push and lengthen, and lengthen, long, lift from the center, good, now pull back on the elbows, good, and slowly. Lengthen your legs back as you come down, hovering down so your legs stay on the floor, but now we're gonna get harder. Nose down. Long.

Nose comes forward, inhale. Nice, ladies, relax the back of your neck, coming all the way up. Lift and lift. Lengthen your legs, keep your arms straight, lift your legs. That means two centimeters, excuse me, two tenths of a centimeter.

Keep lifting your legs, pull your elbows back. Lift your legs, lift your legs, coming down into a nice bow shape, lift your legs, pull back on the elbows and lengthen your arms forward. Release your neck, long and through. Put your arms back where they were, stay in your bow shape, and slowly push yourself up. And up.

Lift from the center, nice and long. If you got back here with your arms, take them a little bit forward. Otherwise, the next move is gonna be impossible. Nice and long. Lift your legs, and now bend your elbows.

Pull back with your elbows, lift your legs, lift your legs. Stay strong in the center, long in the neck, take your arms forward. Lengthen back, lengthen forward, and slowly coming back with the arms, and slowly up, and two, and three. Let me move back a little bit. Jackie, don't take your head down quite so much.

See if you can see me, maybe it's hard. Lengthen your legs up first, now pull back, keep looking forward. Keep looking forward but keep the back of your neck nice and long. Nice, Ruth. Release your neck and keep looking forward from the top of your eyes.

Yes, Jackie. Slowly coming back with your arms, and slowly lift, and lift, and lift, we're finished, but be beautiful coming down, please. Keep your legs down, lengthen them, pull back on the elbows, and slowly coming down, and down, and down. Nose hovers off the mat, stay long, we're not finished yet, and now we're finished. Give yourself a stretch.

(exercisers grumbling) I know, it's a killer, but it's beautiful, huh? Now we're gonna do another swimming prep. This that we did on our arms and knees was swimming, then we were on our stomach and we did this three times, now we're gonna do still a swimming prep, you're gonna come up and we're gonna alternate five times. Three, four, slowly, long, and down. Of course, everything is longer than what I just did.

Please lay on the floor again. Yeah, you got a little break there. Back in action. Nose to the mat, hovering. You're lifting from the center, arms are in front of you, in a v-shape.

Nice. Ruth, it's really nice to have you here. Nose on the floor, release your neck. Long, inhale, exhale, everything comes up off the floor two centimeters. Back leg, front arm starts, alternate five times, go.

One, two, long, three, four, five, stay. And slowly down. Get longer as you come down. Inhale, exhale, slowly up. Nice and long, stretch your arms, stretch your arms more.

Good. Other way, start with the other leg and arm. Go, one, two, three, four, five, stay. And slowly down. Two, one more time, inhale, and exhale, slowly lengthen everything up.

Long, lengthen, lengthen, here we go. Back leg, front arm, go. One, two, three, four, five, stay. Lift from the center, easy shoulders, slowly coming down slow. Two, three.

One more stretch, good. Give yourself a stretch, please. Good. Now we are going to do, on our backs, we will do two more exercises, and then we'll stand and finish, okay? Please come on your back.

You're gonna have your legs hip width apart, feet hip width apart, knees up to the ceiling, and bring your feet pretty close to your bum, 'cause we're gonna do roll up, we're gonna do shoulder bridge now so you don't wanna get caught with your feet so far out. This is also, we're active here, we're not just laying, we have a nice, neutral position, easy on the hip joints, arms are long. Everything is beautifully and gently engaged. If you don't know what I'm talking about, that's okay, it's something to look for. Inhale.

Lift up and under the navel and articulate your pelvis back, release your neck as you do it, stretch your arms as you do it, and slowly start to roll up off the floor. Keep your knees up towards the ceiling, don't let them fall to the side. You're still articulating up, up, and up. Push your back leg down to the floor and take your front leg up the ceiling, long. Gonna go slow.

Pull your toes back, as you pull your toes back, you feel that length. Take that length down, down, so that one knee is along the other knee. Keep stretching your legs, keeps pushing down to the floor. Point your foot, and slowly coming up. Count of two, one, keep lifting the bum, release your neck, stretch your arms.

Slowly put your foot down on the mat. Lift in the bum, release the neck, stretch your arms, slowly coming down through the spine, articulate. Keep your knees up to the ceiling, release your neck, stretch your arms. Nothing sloppy, everything elegant. Consciousness, awareness, beauty, inhale.

Lift up and under the navel, that same lift that articulates your pelvis back, and that starts the exercise. Keep your knees up towards the ceiling, lifting, and lifting, and we're still moving. Release the neck. Push the front foot down to the floor and take the other leg up. Two, three.

Really stretch your arms, release your neck. Pull back your toes. When you pull them back, you feel the length in that leg that's up there. Take it out long, two, and three. Point your foot, get it longer, slowly coming up.

One, keep stretching your arms, releasing your neck, pushing into the floor with that supporting leg, slowly coming down. Articulate your foot down onto the floor, lift your bum, release your neck, stay strong in the center, and articulating yourself down. Keep your knees up to the ceiling, release your neck, stretch your arms. Can we do that one more time? Down and through and in.

Relax your toes. Try to relax your toes through the whole thing, if you're grabbing your toes. Slowly lift up and under the navel, slowly coming back. You're using excess tension and slowly coming up. There's no problem with that, notice it coming up.

Relax your toes, stretch your arms, release your neck. Push your back leg down into the floor, keep your bum up and lift that front leg. Flex the foot, feel the length, take the length down. We'll go a little faster. Keep stretching your arms, release your neck, point your foot.

Slowly up, one, keep pushing, relax your toes, long. Beautifully bring the leg down. Put your leg onto the floor, lift your bum, stretch your arms, inhale. And slowly coming down. Knees are up towards the ceiling because your inner thighs are engaged.

You're articulating, it's beautiful. Relax your toes. Bring yourself back to the neutral position. Relax in your hip joints, feel the long spine. Last time, then we're almost done with class.

Lift up and under. Then slowly up. And two and three, inhale. Push your front foot down, take the back leg up, lengthen, lengthen, lengthen, pull the toes back, feel the length. Lift, up and under the navel to support you, and take it out long, get longer.

Two way stretch, out through the back of the leg, out through the top of the head. Point your foot slowly up, lift that supporting bum cheek, and slowly coming down. Stretch your arms, relax your feet, inhale, and exhale, slowly down. And down. And down.

And bring yourself back to the neutral. Inhale. One leg comes up, no rest for the wicked, and slowly coming up. Squeeze your legs gently together. Put your hands on your knees, please.

Inhale, keep your toes together, open your knees, so your hands are on your knees and you're making a diamond with your legs. Nice, inhale. Exhale, take your head up off the floor, look through the diamond, coming up as much as you can. Stretch your arms back by your ears. Legs out, squeeze them together (kissing).

Flex the feet. Slowly down to the floor. Easy in the shoulders, squeeze the legs gently together. Point the feet. Slowly up, two, easy shoulders, stretch with your fingers, thank you.

And slowly in. And two and three (laughing). Inhale, three more, or should we do two more? Let's see. Inhale, if Amy, Yes sir.

If Amy stretches through her fingers, it's just two more. Slowly coming up. Looking through your legs, stay strong. Stretch your legs out, take your arms forward, did I do something different? I don't know.

Take your arms back as you take your legs down. This is the real thing. Slowly take your arms back forward, take your legs back up, up, up, stay, slowly coming down, and down, Was I good? Yeah, your fingers were good. Inhale, last time, and exhale, head comes up.

Look through the diamond, really come up, easy. Good. Open your legs a little bit, Evan, please, and stretch your legs forward. Stretch your arms forward. Squeeze your legs (kissing).

Feel the length in the back of your legs when you flex, and slowly coming down. And two, easy shoulders, stretch through your fingers. Good, slowly up, point your feet, arms come forward, stay, and slowly coming down, back to how you were. Two, and three. Slowly coming in, give yourself a gentle squeeze, finished with the hard part.

Push your knees into your hands please, head comes forward, and bring yourself up, and up, and up, good. If we can please stand, and we're gonna finish class standing. Let's finish with a nice, we're gonna two simple exercises. One is a balance exercise and then a nice warm down. Take our arms out, lifting from the center, lifting gently, which allows you to have the long spine which balances your head up at the top.

Arms are long to the side, really helping you balance. Take your right leg up and feel the balance, release the neck, do your best. If you're looking at the ocean, it'll be impossible. Try to touch your toe on your knee, please, since I'm so picky about everything, and slowly coming down, just as much as you can. Relax your toes if you can and slowly pushing up.

Four times. Yes, get stronger in the center, please, Jackie, 'cause you're getting a little bit like this as you come in so try to stay long and easy in the upper body as you do this. Ease your shoulders, Evan, if you can. Of course, this takes time. Good, relax your wrists a little bit, like this.

Ruth, like this, so relax them a little bit more and more from the center. Last time, slowly down. Two, good, and lift, and two, and three. Again, slow, put the leg down. Really feel the stretch, you're lifting from the center, you feel your long spine.

Take your left leg up, touch the toe to the knee. Feel the right leg nice and long, stretch your fingers, and down. Two, three, and slowly coming up. Remember to go slow. Good, and down.

Good, and slowly up. Two more times, please. Take your head back a little, Jackie, so that you can be in a nice balance as you come down. Try to relax in your shoulders a little bit, Ruth. You're doing great.

More relaxing, so it's here, but that takes time, and, as you see, 'cause Ruth's been doing this a long time, we just never ever finish learning, and slowly coming up. Good, good, now put your leg down. Inhale, bend your knees a little bit, take your head forward. Rolling down, relax your toes, relax your toes, just hang for a second. Good, and now start to roll up.

Vertebrae by vertebrae coming up, nice and long. Stretch your legs into the floor, strong in the center, long spine, head balanced at the top. From that long spine that's supported in the center, please take your long arms forward. Really feel it's coming off of a long spine. Easy shoulders, your legs are long and easy.

You're balanced because you've been working intelligently. Take yourself out to the side, nice and long. Release your neck, easy shoulders, strong, long. Good, relax your neck, take a look to the right. Easy, all the way, and coming back.

Take a look to the left. Nice and long and slowly front. You feel your long legs, long spine. Slowly take your long arms down, feel as you're lifting gently from the center. Your head is balanced at the top.

That was so beautiful that we'll do it one more time. Bend the knees, head comes down, and then we're finished. Be beautiful. Be sensitive. Relax your toes.

Head down, feel the weight of the head taking you down, release your neck, and slowly coming up. Vertebrae by vertebrae coming up. Stretching your legs into the floor. Relax your toes. Gentle lift from the center, which has your spine nice and long, head is balanced at the top.

From that balance, you take your arm slowly forward. Arms are long and shoulders are relaxed and everything is coming from the center. Slowly up, more and more and more over time. Take yourself out long. Longer arms.

Evan, you're doing great. Good, Ruth, lift from the center gently, relax your toes, look to the right. Easy neck, look to the left. Strong in the center, stretch your arms, stretch your legs, feel the whole body. Slowly coming down, and down, and down, and if everything is gone, like I hope for, then we feel good and strong and balanced and hopefully beautiful.

Thank you for today. (applauding)