Magic Circle Mat

Hi, I'm Diane Diefenderfer. And I am Laura Hanlon, Diane's daughter. And today we are doing a magic Circle Class together, little co-teaching. So without further ado, let's get started, we'll be pretty advanced. So stick with us.

We're gonna sit all the way down onto our mat. You can lower down gracefully here. We'll sit right about in the middle with the circle in between those inner thighs. So please sit just above the knee crease here and hold onto the back of those legs. We'll work our posture a bit, really pulling the chest forward.

Chin lifted as you inhale, squeeze tight into that circle. And as you exhale, tuck and curl backwards until your arms are extended, still gently holding onto those legs. Relaxing those shoulders. Squeeze a little tighter into the circle as you inhale and exhale deep in the belly to round back up, finding that nice, straight spine, a little release in the circle here, inhale to squeeze in exhale, tuck in, curl back. Starting to open up through that spine, holding it here, squeezing a little tighter and exhale deep in that belly to curl back up, shoulders relaxed.

Feel free to reach your arms forward for a little more challenge, squeezing in inhale, exhale, tuck and around back. Maybe inching a little bit further down onto that mat, feet staying firmly planted, squeezing in inhale, exhale, tuck and curl it back up, last time. Inhale, squeeze that circle, exhale belly button to spine around and back down, holding it here for a breath in, exhale, lower a little further. And again, inhale. Think of a tight zipper around the low waist, lower into the tips of those shoulder blades.

Another breath in and exhale, lower all the way onto the back. Palms we'll press in towards the sides and we'll draw our legs up to a table top position. Go ahead and bring your heels and toes together into a little prayer shape with the feet, legs in a diamond. We're gonna lower this diamond shape down. It can lower an inch or two, or maybe your toes and heels hover off the mat.

And then pull that belly down into lift the diamond back up, inhale as you lower, exhale. Think of knitting those ribs together. Pulling that belly deeper to lift, twice more. Inhale, lower. Think about those low seatbelt muscles warming up the core here and lift, last time, inhale to lower exhale, belly to spine to lift that diamond shape back up, holding it here for a breath in, squeeze the circle a little tighter and lower the diamond all the way down to the mat with control.

We'll let those feet rest. Take the circle out, just rest it on top of the chest and let those knees rock a little side to side for a little stretch. Hopefully we're feeling those inner thighs. Bring the knees back together. The legs will come to a tabletop position and the arms will reach straight up towards the ceiling over the chest.

Keep those legs nice and still as we reach the arms back over head on and inhale and exhale, pressing those palms together into the circle. The circle will just hover or touch those knees. Again, opening up through the shoulders, inhale, arms reach overhead and exhale, palms press together, ribs knit together, inner thighs squeezing tight, everything towards the midline. Again, arms reach back and exhale, arms towards the legs. Pressing into that circle.

One more opening up through the chest on the inhale and exhale, arms reaching towards those knees. We'll add a curl forward this time, arms reach back on the inhale. Exhale, chin peels over the chest. Let's reach the arms and legs towards one another here. Again, knees bend, lying back, arms back, inhale, exhale, curling up, continuing to warm up those abdominals, reaching long through the fingers and toes, twice more.

Bending the knees, beautiful, inhale, take it back. And exhale, ribs together, curling up, finding the tips of those shoulder blades. Last time, inhaling back, exhale, curling all the way up. Reaching forward to hold and carefully bend the knees in, letting the circle rest on the shins, giving them a nice hug. We'll rock a little side to side, opening up through that back.

Whatever feels good here for just a moment. And then finding center, taking the circle and placing it in between those ankles. Bringing those legs back to a tabletop position, arms reaching to the ceiling. We take a deep breath in here to prepare, exhale, curling up arms and legs reaching long into our hundreds position. We pulse in fives in two, three, four, five.

As you exhale, squeeze into that circle, inhaling through the nose and exhaling out. Option to always bend the knees a little bit or maybe lower the legs a little further, doing whatever we feel our body needs today, inhaling and exhaling. Five more breaths in, nice strong arms and squeeze into those inner thighs for four. Yes, you can always flex those feet. Maybe lower the legs a little further.

For three, and zip up those a low abdominals, last two. And watch that belly sink deeper towards the mat. Last breath in and exhale out two, three, four, five. Hold and reach and hug those knees in to rest. Circle comes on tops of the shins once again, and we take a moment here and I'll have my lovely mother over there take us away.

Okay, let's place the feet on the mat and slowly walk your legs out until they're completely straight. Inner thighs glued together. We'll start with the feet pointed. We have our palms to the outside of our circle and our circle up toward the ceiling with the shoulders down. Keep that zipper along the low belly.

We'll reach the arms back in preparation for our roll-up. We'll bring the circle to the ceiling. Inhaling, curling forward, exhaling, rolling up. Over your legs, hovering, inhale, and exhale. Rolling down, squeezing the inner thighs, reaching down vertebra by vertebra, by vertebra and out, Breathing easy inhale, and exhale.

(breathing) deep contraction, inhale, across the back. Exhale, low belly. Keep pressing on your circle and reach it back. We'll flex the feet, arms to the ceiling and gently bring the chin over the chest. Rolling forward, rounding, rounding, go a little bit farther forward, a little more stretch, but keep your back rounded, inhale across your back.

And exhale, roll away, push through the heels. Squeeze the inner thighs, a lot to think about. And one more time, circle up. Feel your pectorals, exhale up and over. Breathe in and rolling down, let's take five.

Breathe in again, four, breathe again three, into the waist. Two, into the shoulder blades and lengthen out, point the feet, stretching back. I'm gonna do a little maneuver so I'm not so far off my mat. We'll bring our knees in, extend the legs to the ceiling. Placing the circle again between the ankles.

All right, we'll start with the legs at perpendicular. We'll do our roll over. We're not going to open the legs and drop the circle on our heads though, we're gonna just keep it. Palms are down, the movement starts from the belly. Rolling over, inhaling and you're over, exhaling.

Start your decent, inhaling. Keep that circle, gentle squeeze, exhale, lower to 45 or where you can. Inhale one, exhale over two, press into your mat with your palms. Keep your head straight. Start descending through the spine.

Really use your low belly here as you lower the legs, you don't arch your back, flex your feet for two more. (breathing) One more, reach the heels back, feel a good stretch along the hamstrings. And then slowly come down vertebra by vertebra, by vertebra, anchor that low belly, lower the legs. Bend the knees, your circle and bring your feet to the mat, knees bent. We still again have the circle in our hands, in our palms, with our fingers extended, we'll slide the legs all the way out, straight, inner thighs glued together.

Feel that seatbelt across your low pelvis. We'll do our leg circles. You'll keep your circle over your waist. You'll extend the right leg up and we don't wanna have the legs so high so you're touching your circle, a little harder with the legs here, breathing in, circle the leg, cross down, open up, exhale, circle and up, two more this way. Draw your circle, toes to the ceiling.

Reverse. Make sure your bottom leg is quite still and around. This is for pelvic stability, not just for the leg and one more, and reach it up, slowly lower it down, feeling that belly deep. Bend the left leg, stretch it up. Keep the right leg quite still, breathe in and circle across, down, open up, your circles should be equal distant and around, up, one more across, down, open other way up and around center.

And I'm gluing my bottom leg into my mat and around and lower it down. We're gonna take a little stretch. So take your circle, but the right ball of the foot inside the circle, hold the handle, you can hold either leg, stretch that right leg up. Try to keep your hips really square and we'll bend that right knee, shoulders down and extend it. And bending, easy breath and extend, hold.

Now let's go into a high heel pointed foot idea and then flex push the heel to the ceiling. Oh, that feels good. And point the foot, not the toes necessarily, but the ball of the foot and then flex. Really get a good stretch there, take the leg out, stretch it out, bring the right foot up, ball of the foot in and left leg up. Hips are square, belly's tight.

Left leg is long in line with your sit bone there. Bend the knee on the left, inhale, shoulders are down. Exhale, stretch, oh, this feels good, bend. And it's nice when it feels good. And stretch, and point and flex, one more point and flex.

Get that calf opened up, release the legs, stretch the legs up, we'll do another roll up. Bring your arms back to the behind you, circle over your head. Now bring the circle to the ceiling, pressing, using your pectorals, inhale and rolling up as we did earlier. And I believe Laura is going to take it away. Hopefully this feels as good as the stretch, I don't know.

We're gonna move our hips a little bit further forward towards the front of our mat, towards our heels and take that circle remaining in between the palms, right up against those shins, so pull those heels in tight. We're going into our little ball shape here. Point the toes, hover them off the mat and really bring your forehead in between those needs as best you can. We're gonna rock back on the inhale. Chin stays tucked over the chest.

Exhale, rock up toes stay hovering off the mat. Three more, inhale back, exhale. Find that balance at the top for two, keep pressing circle into the shins, shins into that circle for stability. Last one, find that balance at the top and hold, knees come together to tabletop, arms reaching on that high diagonal, relaxing through the shoulders, inhaling here, exhale lower, just to the tips of those shoulder blades. Keep those legs nice and still.

We're gonna keep the arms we're reaching long, going into our single leg stretch, breathing in twos, nice and quick. Right leg reaches, long, inhale, switch, inhale and exhale, switch and switch and in and exhale out. Think of curling up a little bit higher off the tips of those shoulder blades. Reaching long through the fingers and toes in two, little quicker, out two, last breath. Pull those abs deeper, hugging both knees all the way in, circle onto the shins.

Forehead to the knees, arms reach back by the ears, legs long inhale hold exhale, hug it in for that double leg stretch, again, reaching through the arms and legs, exhale, palms press in, chin hovers over that chest, reach and exhale, tight little ball. Last two, inhale to lengthen. Exhale, pull that belly deeper as you hug. Last one, reach, exhale, hug it in, arms and legs reach straight up to the ceiling. Let's flex the feet, scissoring the legs, lowering the right switch and switch, exhale and in, two, see if you're going to reach a little higher with those fingers.

Inhale, reaching out, long through the heels. Last breath, pull that belly a little deeper and deeper, leg straight up to the ceiling, heels together, knees and toes apart. We're gonna take the back of that pad of the circle, place it right at the base of the skull. Palms pressing into that other side, to curl us up a little bit higher off those shoulder blades, supporting the head and neck. We inhale, lower both legs down, exhale, squeeze into those inner thighs, deep in the belly to lift, inhale, reach those legs long, pulling abs down and into lift.

You look good, inhale, keep pressing pumps into the circle, see if you can curl it a little higher. Engage those triceps, deepen the belly to lift, last time, inhale, lower, tight zipper across the waist to lift and hold. We bend to table top, we twist right for criss-cross, inhale and exhale, nice. Think armpit to knee, not just elbow to knee. Really get off the tips of those shoulder blades.

And exhale, keep it moving, nice and fluid. We're getting warm now and exhale. Last breath, twist and switch and switch. We meet center hold and hug those knees back in, removing that circle and placing it on the shins. Taking a nice breath here and exhale, let it go.

We'll extend those legs back long on the mat, arms reaching straight up to the ceiling, long through the fingers and toes. Another breath in and exhale to roll, rounding all the way back up to seated. What do you have next for us? The spine stretch, well, I felt that and we're warm. All right, we haven't left star circles yet.

Okay, let's take our legs to a small V to the mat, maybe just outside of it. Feet flexed and then hand, put one hand on and then midway through we'll change. So you're tall on your sits bones. Your back is straight as though you're against a wall. Shoulders engaged, the whole body is engaged.

We're gonna inhale, press, contract the belly and slightly it's a small movement, rounding the spine stretching over. Inhale, back up. I'm gonna move my circle out a little bit, I have long arms and press and deep contraction. (breathing) Inhale, stack your spine against your wall. Again, deep belly here, stretch across your back as well as vertically.

I'm gonna change my hand press, and contract forward. This feels good and then tall, through the spine anchored on your sits bones, two more. Rolling up along your imaginary wall, press, exhale forward. Oh, come back up. Tall, tall, tall, let's point the feet for a second.

Take your circle in your hands. Flex the feet, we'll do a little saw. You're gonna rotate to your right, contract the belly round forward, reaching circle past your little toe. Come up and center, turn to the left, exhale forward. Let's do one long, smooth breath, center right.

Squeeze it, and exhale, reach. Roll up center and left. And your opposite hip is always anchored, a little quicker. (breathing) And. One more, rotate then forward, last one.

And come up tall and pause. This is your favorite so let's have you do this one. (laughing) Well, it is. I do love this, that felt wonderful. Bend those knees.

We're gonna place the circle in between those ankles and we're gonna work on a little balance here today. You're always welcome to stick with that balance if what we move into doesn't work for your body. Draw the legs to a tabletop position. Make sure you have a nice, tight squeeze into the circle. And then let's lift the chest, the heart forward, dropping those shoulder blades down.

Really press hands into the hamstrings, hamstrings into the hands, we'll extend the legs up as we inhale and exhale, bend those knees right back to tabletop. Again, reaching those legs long, inhale, exhale, resist to bend, squeezing that circle, two more times. Lengthen through the toes. Stay long through the crown of the head. Last one, we'll keep those legs straight if the balance feels okay and walk the hands a little bit higher up to those calves.

Little flexibility here. So if you need to keep your knees bent, you can, maybe you just hold this. Chin tucks over the chest if you're moving on with us, we go to our open leg rocker, taking it back, inhale, press the legs into the hands, hands into the legs, find the lift, squeeze the circle, inhale, take it back. Exhale, lift it up twice more. Inhale back, chin, staying tucked over the chest, belly pulling back and into lift.

Last time we lift and we hold. Keep squeezing that circle. You can walk your hands down the legs or find a teaser and lower all the way down. Toes reach to the ceiling, head relaxes back, palms pressed by the sides. Squeeze that circle a little tighter, nice, small corkscrew.

Toes go over to the right, down to the left, making that small circle on the ceiling, then left. We inhale and exhale, sweep and a down around and up. Inhaling at the top, take it right down around the left and lift, inhale, keeping those hips square, belly anchored, chin nice and lifted, one more each direction, right. Maybe a little lower, scooping from those low labs to lift. Last time, left, down and around, lift and hold.

Let's bend those knees back to tabletop. Reach the arms up to the ceiling. Inhale, exhale, roll all the way back up. Finding that balance, lift and rest feet down. (laughing) Beautifully done.

All right, we're gonna flip around and lie facing one another prone. Time for some back extension, hyperextension. If you have any shoulder issues here, this next exercise you might need to modify. We're gonna place one side of the pad onto the circle. The hands will be on top of the circle like they were for spine stretch here.

Try and keep your circle as much a circle as possible versus a oval here and let your head relax down onto the mat. We'll pull those shoulders away from the ears. Squeeze into those inner thighs, take a breath in to prepare. Start to press down into the palms and exhale to hover the head, just an inch or two off the mat to start. Feel those shoulder blades pull down and away, inhale, maybe press a little more firmly with those triceps and exhale, slowly resist lowering the forehead and releasing in that circle.

Again, inhale to prepare, shoulders away from the ears. Exhale, press down to lift the chest up, inhale to hold. Maybe lifting another inch. Exhale, pull those abdominals away from the mat as you lower, belly button to spine, ribs knitting towards one another. Once more, shoulders down and back.

Inner thighs tight, inhale and exhale, press to lift. Try and pull your heart forward through the circle, towards one another here, inhale, lift and hold and exhale. Zip up those low abdominals to lower and lengthen all the way back down with control. We'll let the circle lower and bring the palms towards the pads here towards one another. So try and get your shoulder, your elbow and your wrist all in a straight line here, inner thighs still zipped up, press into the forearms to really lift in those low abdominals, once again, pulling the heart forward.

We'll go into a nice slow single leg kick. Right heel kicks, breathing in two, exhale, extend squeeze into those glutes and left kick for two, reach it back, lengthen through the toes. Inhale, exhale, reach, shoulders keep pressing down away from the ears, lift, reach and squeeze those inner thighs last time each side. Belly up and in, away from that mat. Last time and extend and hold.

All right, taking the circle behind the back. Your very favorite, let's start with the right face cheek on the mat carefully there. Palms will press into the side of the circle and we're gonna try and get it as much into the back as possible, with loads long arms, that might be tricky. Let those elbows drop to the sides to get that lovely stretch for the upper back. We'll squeeze the inner thighs together.

Hovering the thighs off. Kick both heels towards the glutes for three, two, one. Lift and lengthen, pressing the palms towards one another, left face, cheek down. We kick for three, two, one. Inhale, reach fingers and toes back, heart forward.

One more each side, right face cheek down. We kick two, three inhale, lift and hold, left face, cheek down. We kick for three, elbows nice and wide, two, one, lift hold, squeeze everything to the midline, palms together, inner thighs together, lift up one more inch and we rest all the way down. You can place that circle off to the side. We'll take a little child's pose, rest position here.

Knees can stay together or apart with a knee injury or replacement as she has. You do have to be careful here, inhaling and exhaling. All right. Do you have something else that feels. Oh it feels wonderful, it's just challenging, but that's what we're here for.

All righty, I think we are up to some bridging, whatever you wanna do. You do the neck pull, I'll do the bridging. Neck pull, another one of my favorites. Sweating, okay. Let's use the circle to help us rather than make it more challenging for this one.

So I like to place it on the outsides of my feet. Kind of by that fifth metatarsal here, you're really gonna pull out on the circle to engage those outer abductors for the legs, but also gives you a little more security. Hands can come in front or behind the head, totally up to you, we can show two other options here. Let's just do a few here. Finding the lift of the beautiful posture to start, reach through those heels, take a breath in and exhale, contract back.

Tucking that tail beautiful contraction underneath, releasing all the way down at the bottom. We inhale, start to lift the head straight up towards the ceiling. Exhale, dive the crown of the head all the way down between those knees. Inhale, lifting back to that flat back, exhale, start to hinge with a flat spine. We hold here, inhale, press out on that circle.

Exhale, tuck in, curl the rest of the way down. Vertebra by vertebra, inhale. Think of imprinting the face to the ceiling, exhale, dive it all the way up and forward. Really press out on that circle for assistance. Inhale, stacking the spine tall, shoulders away from the ears.

Exhale, press the base of the skull into those fingertips and hold for another breath in, zip up those low abs. See if you can lower one more inch and hold, another breath in, tuck and curl back. Maybe finding the tips of the shoulder blades to hover for a moment before releasing it down. Once more, inhale, straight up, exhale, dive it all the way up and over. Enjoy this stretch moment, it's brief, inhale.

We stack up tall, we hinge back an inch. We inhale hold, exhale, another inch, keep those ribs pulling away from the hips. Find that length through the crown of the head. One more breath in, one more inch back, hold it, and tuck and curl the rest of the way down. That was fun.

Good one. Okay, should we curl up? We can. I've got to do it one more time, and up. All right, good.

Let's go on to some shoulder bridge. All right, so get yourself on your mat correctly. We'll put the circle inside the knees. Sometimes we can have the circle outside of the knees. All right, so we have our feet and knees in parallel, reach forward, shoulders down.

Let it go. Breathe in, contract, scoop the belly and then line your spine down beautifully and long. I'm gonna bring my feet in a little bit. So they're quite even, pelvis starts neutral. We'll inhale here with the exhalation, engage your pelvic floor, low belly.

Well not low, high hamstrings and dairyair, lifting up, holding and rolling down through the spine. Keep the neck and throat open as you unfold. Squeeze the circle, inhale and scoop as we did before, pelvic floor fired up, inner thighs, squeeze a little harder and roll vertebra by vertebra, by vertebra. Rounding that low back into the mat. Completely backed down on the pelvis.

Sacrum, inhale and scoop again. (breathing) Now holding the line. You could place your hands by your hips if you need to, extend the right leg out and put it down, the left leg out and put it down. The hips are high, the buttocks is tight here. Inhale the right and put it down.

Try not to lose the circle then the left and put it down. Let's give a little hip boost, inhaling, squeeze that circle and roll down vertebra by vertebra. Closing the ribs. I talk to myself too, as I work, so I feel that. Let's try taking the legs through the circle and just do a couple presses with the legs pressing out into abduction, inhale, prepare, spread the circle.

Same pelvic tilt scooping. It feels different, feels great. High hips, pelvis, inhale and roll down again, keep the neck long. Sink the ribs, sink the waist, pubic bone to tailbone, to mat inhale, spread the circle. Exhale, scoop, hips high, tight seat, inhale and roll.

I like to think of my back becoming broad as well as long. It feels so good, let's do one more of these, spread the circle and scoop, inhale, press it out. Keep your feet parallel and roll vertebra by vertebra and so on, take air as you need it and lengthen out. I'm gonna take my legs out. Circle over my shin bones and again, hug or swivel.

Do what you need to do. And Laura, I think it's your turn. That felt great. Good. Let's rock ourselves up here.

We're gonna work into some teasers. Oh boy, oh boy, okay. All right, let's keep the circle on the shins and find a tabletop position. My favorite. Just to feel, only so we can imagine our lovely tray of champagne here.

And of course we don't wanna spill that. You may remain holding onto the back of the legs or reaching the arms forward. We'll warm up these teasers with a few, just for the upper body, inhaling at the top. Exhale to curl back, releasing the head in the arms, back on the inhale and exhale. Chin peels over the chest, rounding all the way back up.

Maybe taking a little sip of champagne, holding at the top and exhale. Rolling back down vertebra by vertebra, inhale at the bottom and exhale, zipping up those low abdominals. Finding that balance at the top. We'll take our circle, our tray, reach those arms up overhead, legs extend long, inhale, lift everything one more inch and slowly lower one vertebrae at a time down onto this map, those shoulder blades and heels hover, and we release everything down. Find that length, take a breath here, stay here as you exhale, press the palms together.

Knit the ribs together, feel the body connected. We roll up for our teaser, arms reach up, chin peels over the chest, exhale, reaching towards those toes. Open your legs just enough to place the circle in between the ankles, squeeze into it, reaching the arms long and roll back down. This time, the circle, the legs hover off the mat, head and arms reach back. We're here for just a breath in and exhale.

We curl right back up, oh, tough one. Use those arms if you need, take the circle out, back up over the head, squeeze inner thighs tight. We roll all the way down this time, vertebra by vertebra. Legs can always come to tabletop, they can always stay bent. Few different variations we're gonna show you today, inhale, curling back up.

However we need, finding our teaser. Once again with that circle in between the ankles, we squeeze into it and exhale slowly, roll it down. Maybe you hover, maybe you reach back. Last time, all the way up, inhale, exhale. Find that lift, draw those legs tight, inhale, lift everything one more inch.

And we roll all the way down for four, for three, for two, and rest on one. Reach those arms up to the ceiling, legs along on the mat, press into the palms, take a breath in and exhale, roll all the way up, chin over the chest. We'll flex the feet and reach forward for a forward stretch. Any flexibility issues here, you can always use that circle to pull those toes back and just feel so nice to get a little more activation and length for the back of those legs. Staying here for a breath in and maybe sinking a little deeper into the stretch.

How you doing? Oh, I felt that one too. Who doesn't feel a teaser if you don't, you're probably not doing it right. All right, let's go into some sideline work. So I will face the camera, we'll start on our left side, working our right leg.

The circle is going to come in the middle of your mat. Your left leg will come through the circle. Then we're gonna lay down. I think of a straight pencil line onto that left forearm. The right leg is going to squeeze the top of the circle here.

We'll flex the feet, press the ground away. Really activating in that left shoulder and your oblique, drop those shoulders down. We squeeze into the circle as we inhale, and exhale, release gently, get into those inner thighs, inhale, pressing down, exhale release up. Inhale to squeeze those inner thighs. Keep pressing the ground away out of that left forearm, inhale down and exhale lift, once more inhale, squeeze and release, pointing the toes.

Let's hover the top leg just an inch off the circle. We're gonna make a little rainbow here. So take the top leg up and over and then up and back, it can hover tap the mat, depending on how much range of motion you have, keeping that upper half totally stable here. So only moving the bottom half, staying lifted through those low abdominals. And two more times inhale, exhale forward, inhale, exhale, taking it back last one, forward and back.

Beautiful, bring that leg up. We'll thread it through the inside of the circle, flexing the feet once again and lowering all the way down onto our left arm, think ear to bicep here, press the top hand down into the mat. Gently staying relaxed through the shoulders. We're gonna press out on this circle and lift both legs up so they hover off the mat on the inhale and exhale lower, keep pressing out on the circle the whole time, working that abduction and then a little additional right oblique here. Three more, inhale to lift, exhale to lower two more up and lower.

One more, we're gonna lift and hold, your very favorite transition here, keep the circle lifted. Start to bend your knees, flipping over onto your stomach. She with me? I was with you. One hand over the other, relaxing the forehead down.

We're showing you our true selves here. I'm gonna let this go because of my knees as well. Reach those heels up to the ceiling, a little additional glute pulse here. We lift for five and four and three and two and one. Now we have to flip over to the other side.

So carefully extend those legs and start to transition onto the left side, I've rolled off my mat. So you're not alone. You didn't lose your circle, okay. We're now gonna face away from you. That right leg goes in the circle, you get a nice view, right four arm down, pressing out of that shoulder, left leg on top flexing those feet, knitting those ribs together.

We press down, squeezing into the circle and resist it back up. Inhale to press it down and exhale resist, reaching out long through those heels, inhaling and exhaling. Last two and resist. Last one, inhale, squeeze a little tighter and resist, point those toes, hover that top leg off. Find your balance.

Lift through the waistline up and forward, and around and back, inhaling forward and down, breathing here, using your abdominals to stay stable through that waist moving just from that hip, and back and forward. Just barely skimming that circle. One more, forward and back, inhaling. Nice big rainbow, and exhale. Maybe we'll find a pot of gold at the bottom.

Lift that leg up, thread it through the circle. Flexing the feet, tearing it apart. We'll lower right ear to right bicep here, left palm in front of the sternum. Hopefully she gives me dinner tonight after this. All right, both legs up on the inhale and exhale to lower, working that outer left oblique, inhale, lift and exhale to a lower, think of tearing that circle apart.

Work that outer leg line for three and lower and two, we're almost there, and lower, last one, keep those legs hovering. One more time, we flip over onto the stomach here. We have to be even and do both sides. Relaxing that forehead down, did she make it? Shoulders down, heels pulsing up to the ceiling for five, tear that circle apart, four squeeze the, three and two and one and rest.

Let's take the circle off from here. I don't have another way to get out of that, and take a gentle child's pose, breathing in and exhaling out. All right, why don't you get us out of this one? We'll stay where we are, you face me. Curl, keep your circle nearby.

Curl your toes under you, you all can crouch deeply. I don't do that with my knees into a little rounded posture, like a little gnome or something and just press in, exhale here, again, trying to get your heels towards the mat. They probably won't touch, but then you do press your heels into the mat and stretch your legs carefully. Head toward the knees, belly pulled in, bend the knees, slightly inhaling and exhaling. You can certainly just have your fingertips to the floor if need be, bend again, and then exhale, belly in.

Find your circle with you nearby, now take it in your hands, breathe in. And slowly, if you need you to bend your knees, that's fine. Roll up vertebra by vertebra by vertebra, by vertebra. Whew, we made it all right. Let's face our camera.

We'll do a little bit of arm work. We'll come into a slight Pilates stance. Try to pull your inner thighs together. It's a work in progress for me. Take your circle near your hips, fingers extended.

Squeeze it as you exhale, a little higher. (breathing) In front of your sternum. One more notch higher. Look through the window, shoulders down, pull the circle in and extend the arms. One more time and extend.

Go to parallel, trying to bring those inner thighs together and then a little bending of the knees, gentle pulses back straight, belly tight and stretch tall, and circle down, good. I hope you enjoyed our class. I hope you enjoyed our class. Yes, indeed. All right, thank you so much.

Enjoy, be well.