Full-Body Magic Circle

Hello, I am Laura Hanlon, back on the mat for a magic circle class or as some of my clients call it, the tragic circle, which would give you an idea of how much fun, we are about to have with this lovely prop. We'll start seated facing one end of your mat, bringing those feet towards the front, taking that circle between your palms. Reach those arms nice and long. Take a deep breath in at the top,(inhales deeply) and exhale to make your way all the way down onto your mat. We'll begin today lying flat, hugging those knees into the chest.

You can rest the circle on top of your shins, giving those knees a nice pull towards you. Just gathering our mind, our body together. Here is one with a few deep breaths inhaling through the nose.(inhales deeply) As you exhale, feel those shoulder blades pulled down away from your ears, further towards the floor. Another breath in.(inhales deeply) Maybe pulling the knees a little bit closer towards your chest, towards your shoulders, perhaps a little rock side to side, massaging the back, the back of the pelvis. One more deep breath here, inhaling (inhales deeply) and exhaling, letting any tension, stress from the mind and the body from your day thus far go.

Bringing it back to the center of the spine. Here, we'll press the palms into the circle, always extending those fingertips, so we don't close off or tense the energy in the body, pressing firmly into the palms to engage the arms, the pecs, the back, and begin to float the legs to a tabletop position inner thighs, tight shins parallel to the floor. Circles right over my chest and my chin is lifted away from the chest. Thinking about the whole body, beautiful posture while lying down on the mat. We'll begin by lowering the right foot to hover or tap the mat as we inhale (inhales deeply) and exhale, draw that leg back up next to the left.

Same thing lowering the left leg down and away. Inhaling.(inhales deeply) Exhale, inner thighs draw together, palms press together, right foot down and away.(inhales deeply) And exhale. Imagine a tight zipper up through your pelvic floor towards that your belly button zipping up that imaginary tight pair of pants. Inhale to lower (inhales deeply) tying that imaginary vest or course at tighter around your waist, really warming up the low belly below where your waistband is. Below where a seatbelt would lie in the car, dried everything to the midline here, palms, inner thighs together, ribs together.

Once more with the left, inhale down, breaking right at the hip, keeping that pelvis neutral. Now, keep the inner thighs together. Begin to lower both toes to hover or tap the mat on the inhale. Pull that belly button down. Press the palms together, drawing the legs back up.

Inhale to lower, toes hover or tap the mat. Exhale pulling the belly button a little bit deeper to the floor. Now if you feel like you're arching your back or your ribs are splaying, don't take those toes so low. We were more concerned with our form here with working into the correct muscle groups. We don't wanna be gripping in the thighs or working in our back.

Yes, our arms are working. Yes, the inner thighs are squeezing together, but this is an abdominal focused warmup exercise. Once more, inhale, toes lower hover tap the mat, deep in the belly to lift and stay. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) As you exhale, begin to lower the feet all the way down to the mat with control. Separate them about hip distance apart.

Feet stay firmly planted on the mat. Arms flip back overhead. Framing ears with biceps here, so that circle hovers off the floor, off the mat behind you, pressing into the palms, reaching the arms forward, circle, hovering right over the thighs. Again, moving the arms now opening up through the chest, keeping the chin lifted away from the chest. Exhale, pressing the arms down, pulling that belly button deeper to the mat, keeping that neutral pelvis, so we're not talking or tilting.

Inhale, arms reach back.(inhales deeply) This time curling. Chin up over the chest, pulling the belly. Deep fingertips reach forward, palms pressed together. Again, inhale, head and arms back.(inhales deeply) And exhale, reach up and over the ribs, pulling that belly button a little bit deeper towards the floor. Diminishing that space between your mid back, between your mat without tucking that pelvis.

Keep your sit bones, your tailbone. Reaching long in one direction. Fingertips in the opposite. Exhale, reach up and forward.(exhales sharply) Last time, inhale, take it back.(inhales deeply) Exhale to curl and reach up and forward.(exhales sharply) Holding it here, hovering at the tips of the shoulder blades, pressing into those palms. Reach the arms straight up to the ceiling. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And reach the arms back towards the thighs as we exhale.

Inhale, arms lift.(inhales deeply) Pull the belly deeper maybe curl up a little bit higher for three (inhales deeply) and reach and squeeze.(exhales sharply) And two, (inhales deeply) cinching the waist a little tighter, reaching a little bit longer. Once more, inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale. Hold.(exhales sharply) Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale lower all the way back down. Drawing those knees back into the chest. Letting the circle rest on the shins to pull those knees in. And then we'll transition to place the circle over our ankles, over our feet.

Pressing gently out. I never like to have the circle right on a bone, so just above those ankle bones. Bending the knees back to tabletop, pressing gently outward with the circle to engage our outer legs, our abductors here. Reach the arms back up to the ceiling here. Palms facing forward. Shoulder blades pulling down.

Deep breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, curling up. Palms lower to hover off the floor. Legs extend along if you're able. We breathe in fives into three, four, five. Exhale, two, three, four, five.

Deep breath in through the nose.(inhales deeply) And exhale out.(exhales sharply) Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, pull that belly button deeper to the mat. Reaching long through those fingertips.(inhales deeply) Long through the toes. Five more. Let's flex the feet. Reach through the heels. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale out two, three, four, five.

Maybe lower those legs a little bit lower. Pull the belly deeper. Tear that circle apart for three (inhales deeply) and exhale out.(exhales sharply) Last two.(inhales deeply) And exhale out.(exhales sharply) One more breath in.(inhales deeply) And exhale out two, three, four, five. Stay hold, point and reach. Draw the knees in to rest.

Take the circle off the legs. Whoop! Reach those arms to the ceiling, legs long on the mat. Zipping up through those inner thighs will flex the feet. Reach through the heels. Reach through the fingertips. Press into the palms to prepare.

Deep breath here.(inhales deeply) And exhale begin to round and roll up, zipping up through the inner thighs, through the waist, making that roll up as smooth as possible. Feeling that link through the back of the legs, through the fingertips. Deep breath in at the top.(inhales deeply) And next exhale begin to roll back down, vertebrae by vertebrae, here pressing into those palms. Squeezing the inner thighs together. Knitting the ribs together, lengthening the arms overhead at the bottom.

Inhale arms float up. Exhale the rest of the body, peels up, curling over the ribs. Continuing to pull the belly button back. Deep breath at the top.(inhales deeply) And exhale, turn around and roll down. Shoulder blades. Stay away from the ears.

Continuing to use the core all the way. Even as we lengthen. Inhale.(inhales deeply) The breath and belly curls us up and forward. Keep those arms lifted. Keep squeezing into the circle. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale. Roll it back down.

Vertebra by vertebra, taking our time one bone at a time. Getting into the low back, middle back, upper back. Reach it long. Last time, inhale, arms float up.(inhales deeply) And exhale, we round and roll up. And join this moment of a forward stretch.

Keep squeezing those inner thighs together. Reach to the heels. Breathe into the back.(inhales deeply) This time, exhale, roll, just halfway down. This time, we want that circle to just pass the knees about mid thigh, keeping that spine rounded, shoulders down, heels reaching long, arms float up maybe a little bit, maybe all the way overhead. Exhale, they lower back down to hover over the thighs, pressing into the palms. Maybe we're reaching up a little higher.

Inhale.(inhales deeply) Deepening the belly back a little further. Exhale.(exhales sharply) Inhale to lengthen and lift arms. Exhale, zip up through that low waist. Twice more. Lift.(inhales deeply) And lower.(exhales sharply) One more time, inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, reach.(exhales sharply) Squeeze inner thighs, squeeze the circle, breathe in, (inhales deeply) twist to the right, warming up our rotation into the back, exhale. Inhale, center.(inhales deeply) Exhale, twist to the left, pulling back in that left oblique.(exhales sharply) Center, knees, toes.

Stay straight to the ceiling here. It's not a big movement. Inhale, squeeze your circle. Exhale, rotate to the left right from your waistline. One more time each side. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale. Pull back in that right oblique.(exhales sharply) Inhale center.(inhales deeply) Pull back in your left oblique.(exhales sharply) Come back to center. Hold for one more breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, roll all the way down, vertebra by vertebra by vertebra releasing at the bottom.

Reach the arm straight back up to the ceiling. Bending those knees back in, feet flat on the mat, hip distance apart. We'll turn the circle placing the right ball of the foot inside for a little bit of a stretch today. Squaring off through the hips. Keep that right butt cheek and sit bone reaching long.

Using the circle to pull those toes down, starting with a gentle bend of the right knee. We inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale, reach up and away through that right heel.(exhales sharply) Again, inhale to bend.(inhales deeply) And exhale to lengthen.(exhales sharply) Two more. Inhale, gentle bend. Exhale, reach up a little higher, a little bit longer.(exhales sharply) Last time. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, reach and stay.(exhales sharply) Option to keep this left knee where it is. Maybe the leg straightens out a little bit or all the way, flexing through that heel, circle comes into the left hand. We'll begin to take the leg across the body.

I like to bring my right hand into my right hip crease as a gentle reminder to stay anchored and square on the mat. If you have the space, you want a little more length, maybe opening that arm wide, goalpost the elbow palm up to feel a stretch across the shoulders. We'll stay for one more breath here.(inhales deeply) Exhale, flex that right pinky toe a little closer towards you.(exhales sharply) Draw the leg back to center. Switching the hand on the circle, taking it over to the right side. Again, I like to bring my left hand to my left hip as a reminder to keep it anchored to the mat.

Deep breath here.(inhales deeply) Pull the shoulder blades down. Pull your abdominals, especially your left obliques down to the floor. We don't wanna just roll off to the side in a fetal position using our body here as we lengthen out and up through those heels. One more breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale to stay.(exhales sharply) And draw that leg all the way back up to center. We'll keep the right leg where it is, trying to keep that length long through the back of the knee.

Then pointing through both toes and reaching up through the arms, pressing into the circle. We prepare here with a breath in (inhales deeply) and then circle that right leg across the body, down over to the right and straight back up. Think of making a circle, maybe just slightly larger than the one you're holding between your palms. It doesn't have to be huge. Here we're working on that stable pelvis.

We go across, down, out. Pull the belly deeper. Press into the palms a little, little more firmly for two.(inhales deeply) Lengthen and lift.(exhales sharply) Once more, across, down out, hold at the top, inhale, exhale to reverse out down across the body. Pulling that belly button deeper. Lifting the leg a little bit higher for four.

Keep pulling those shoulders down, lifting the chin away from the chest. Three, (inhales deeply) lengthen and lift.(exhales sharply) Last two.(inhales deeply) Ribs knit together. Belly deepens towards the spine. Once more, circle, lengthen, lift and hold. Keep those legs and arms long. Press into the circle.

Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Curl up towards the tips of the shoulder blades. Imagine touching the ceiling with your fingertips and right toes. Hover the left leg off the mat, breathe in.(inhales deeply) And scissor and switch. Exhale out.(exhales sharply) Right side, inhale.(inhales deeply) Left side, exhale.(exhales sharply) Breathing in.(inhales deeply) Reaching a little higher. Exhale out. We switch and we switch for four.(inhales deeply) Still thinking about that stable pelvis, that imaginary seatbelt, cinching it tight.(exhales sharply) Last one, finish with that left leg up. Lower the right leg, lower the head.

Bending both knees. Taking the circle, one side of the pad and the hands, hooking it around that left foot, pressing down into your right heel. Reaching up through the left. Making sure we're square here. Reach that left, sit bone.

Nice and long. Gentle bend to the left knee. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, reach the heel high. Pull the shoulders in the toes down. Again, inhale bend.(inhales deeply) And exhale. Lengthen up and away.(exhales sharply) Twice more. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale.(exhales sharply) Once more. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, reach and stay. Maybe that right leg straightens a little bit, maybe all the way flexing through both heels.

Really finding the most length for both the bottom and the tops of those legs. Circle into the right hand. Taking the leg across, starting small to start left-hand, maybe into that left hip crease, maybe it opens out to the side doing what your body is craving in this moment, we take a breath in.(inhales deeply) We relax the shoulders. We flex the foot a little more firmly, ensuring that we don't tense one part of the body as we're opening up the other. Stay for another breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, thinking about the center, the core, staying connected, beginning to use that core to draw the leg through.

Center switching hands, left leg opens to the left side, right hand to that right hip crease or out wide, shoulder blades pulling down. Collarbone, staying nice and open. Hips opening up, pelvis opening up. Reach out and up through the heels. Taking a breath in.(inhales deeply) And exhale it out.(exhales sharply) One more breath here. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Pulling down in that right waist, diminishing that space using your abdominals and your right obliques.

Bringing the leg back up to center with control. Squaring off through the hips and pelvis. Pointing up through the toes and out through the toes. Reaching up through the fingertips. Plug those shoulder blades down.

Deep breath and press into the circle and then exhale circle that left leg across, down out. Belly deepens toes lift a little higher. Four more this direction. Inhaling and exhaling for three,(inhales deeply) lengthen to lift.(exhales sharply) Think of finding those diagonals, we just stretched nice and even around. Belly deepens lift, stay. Inhale.

Exhale to reverse. Out down across. Shoulders pull down, palms press inward, ribs knitting together, thinking about the whole body for three.(inhales deeply) Lengthen to lift.(exhales sharply) And two.(inhales deeply) And (exhales sharply) once more, circle.(inhales deeply) Lift zip up through the waist. Lengthen the leg, high hold. Breathing in.(inhales deeply) As we exhale, once again, we curl up.

Hovering the right leg off the mat. Take a breath in, twist it outside of the left thigh. Reaching through the fingertips. Pressing into the circle into the palms. Both arms. Both legs.

Meet high to the ceiling. Inhale. Twist it outside of the right thigh. Left leg lowers to hover off the floor. Little bit quicker. Inhale, center. Exhale, lift and twist.(exhales sharply) Inhale, meet me center.(inhales deeply) Exhale, lift higher off that right shoulder blade, center.(inhales deeply) And twist.(exhales sharply) Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale. Two more each side.

Breathing in.(inhales deeply) Breathing out.(exhales sharply) Lift.(inhales deeply) And twist. Last time. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale.(exhales sharply) Center.(inhales deeply) And twist. Come back to center, hold. Draw those knees in to rest. Circle pulling towards the shins, pulling the knees close, holding on a little more firmly now.

I'll take a rock back (inhales deeply) and all the way up to a seat. Letting those feet touch down for a moment. Make sure you're right in the middle of your mat, keeping the same shape. Chin tucks, feet flex. We hover in our ball. We rock back four times.

Inhale back, chin stays tucked over the chest. Exhale, rock up. Use the circle. Pull the knees close for three (inhales deeply) and lift.(exhales sharply) Finding that balance for two (inhales deeply) and up.(exhales sharply) Once more, inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, lift and stay.(exhales sharply) Lengthen up through the spine. Point through your toes. Lift the legs to tabletop.

From here, we reach those arms forward. Letting go of the circle. You have your lovely brunch tray, dinner tray resting on your shins. You don't spill. You take a breathe in.(inhales deeply) You begin to roll down bone by bone in four.(exhales sharply) In three, pull that belly a little deeper.

Use the core. Hold on if you need. And two, arrive at the tips of the shoulder blades. Pull the knees in. Take that circle, once again. Arms hovering. Over the shin. Circle hovering over the shins.

Reach them up. Left leg shoots out. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Switch exhale.(exhales sharply) Breathe in. Curl up a little higher. Breathe out. Press the palms into the midline. Shoot that leg out a little bit longer.

Toes reaching, leg lengthening. We switch and switch for three (inhales deeply) and two. Curl up another inch. Pull that belly deep. Last time, both knees draw in, hug them in and rest the head. We're gonna place the circle between the ankles, so again, similar to our hundreds here when it was outside, just above that ankle bone.

Bend those knees back to tabletop. From here, reach your arms up. Take a breath in. Begin to curl up. Pull those knees in close, hands come towards your shins.

Squeeze into the circle. We go into our double legs stretch. The arms reach by the ears. The legs shoot out, squeezing into those inner thighs. Inhale. Exhale, circle.

Hug those knees back in towards your shoulders. Inhale, reach.(inhales deeply) Exhale, circle hug.(exhales sharply) Inhale, lengthen. Squeeze the circle tighter. Pull the belly button deeper. Last two, reach out.(inhales deeply) Hug and squeeze.(exhales sharply) Once more, inhale.(inhales deeply) Hug, squeeze hold.

Hands behind the head, curling up a little higher with that support from your fingertips, legs extend to the ceiling. Squeeze into that circle. Begin to lower the legs down. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Break at the hips. Exhale to lift. Keep your sit bones, tailbone reaching long pelvis stays anchored.

Inhale. Belly button pulls deeper. Maybe curl up a little bit higher. Can those legs lower another inch? Can we squeeze into that circle a little tighter to lift? Three more times. Inhale lower.

Deepen the belly to lift. Keep curling up over those ribs for two.(inhales deeply) And up.(exhales sharply) Once more, inhale.(inhales deeply) Squeeze, deepen, lift and bend the knees to rest. Taking the circle out, placing it back on those shins to take a moment to rest. Breathe in.(inhales deeply) Breathe out.(exhales sharply) And we'll take a little rock back and up to a seat once again. Moving into some spine stretch here, let your legs open the width of your mat.

Feet flex through the heels, palms press into the circle reaching those arms straight out in front of your sternum. Shoulder blades down. Arms squeezing and engage those arm bones, those triceps take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, chin tucks over the chest, fingertips reach forward, belly button scooping back. Rolling over that imaginary big beach ball. Lengthen up tall through the spine.

Shoulder blades pulled down into the back. Inhale at the top, exhale round and reach up and over. Getting that scoop from your waist. Using those abdominals as we round forward versus just plopping forward. Lengthen lift a little taller, press into the palms a little more firmly.

Inhale, exhale round and reach up and over.(exhales sharply) Inhale, lengthen.(inhales deeply) One more time. Exhale. Enjoy this. Stretch through the heels, through the fingertips, out through the crown of the head across the spine, and then use the belly, lengthen and left. Inhale, twist to the right.(inhales deeply) Reach your left fingertips towards your right pinky toe. Crown of the head down to the outside of that right knee and thigh.

Arms stay lifted right by your ears here. Lengthening back up onto those sit bones, squaring to the center. Lift and twist. Left. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Round and reach.(exhales sharply) Letting the crown of the head release, keeping the sit bones, firmly planted on your mat. So our hips and our legs stay square.

We twist from the waist as we breathe in.(inhales deeply) We round and reach up and over as we breathe out.(exhales sharply) Lengthen up a little longer, a little taller to lift.(inhales deeply) And exhale, center. Squeeze a little tighter. Last time, we twist left. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Round and reach over.(exhales sharply) Lengthen up.(inhales deeply) And center (exhales sharply) and rest. More you squeeze, the more you feel those lovely arms working. From here, we'll bend the knees.

We'll bring them into a diamond shape. Placing this circle, just above the knees and the inner thighs with the feet together here, hips in the middle of the mat. Hands coming behind that knee crease. Take a breath and pull the shoulders down. Balls of the feet here on the mat.

Round back just a little bit, kind of finding that sweet spot between your tailbone and your sit bones. So your core is scooped and activated. And then we'll lift the legs up into a diamond shape. Now, I actually think the circle helps us here roll evenly. We're gonna roll in this diamond.

Squeeze your heels together, squeeze the circle, tuck the chin over the chest. Think of bringing your nose right towards that circle. We rock back, again four times. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale. Rock it up.(exhales sharply) Three and lift.(exhales sharply) Last two. Keep squeezing those heels together, squeezing in her thighs around the circle. Last one, inhale back.(inhales deeply) Exhale, rock up and stay.

Lengthen through your spine. Pull those shoulder blades down. Think of a beautiful posture and lift. Right leg up. Inhale. Deep in the belly, bend it in.

Connect the heels. Exhale. Left leg. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Bend it in.(exhales sharply) Both legs. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Squeeze your circle. Exhale. One more time. Legs extend. Maybe they stay, maybe they bend back to the diamond, maybe you hold on a little higher. We rock like so. Chin tucks.

Inhale, take it back. Squeeze your circle. Pull the belly back, lengthen up, up, up. Find it. Three more. Inhale.

Deep in the belly, lift. Trying to roll evenly on that spine. Using our abdominals, using our arms and legs here, finding that connection. One more time. Inhale back.(inhales deeply) Deepen the belly lift and stay.(exhales sharply) From here, lengthen out through your spine. Bend the knees back to that diamond shape.

If you extend it, maybe you stay holding on behind the legs. Maybe you reach forward. We take a deep breath here at the top.(inhales deeply) We roll down bone by bone. Taking our time to lower the legs and the body together. Rolling into the low back into the middle of the back.

The shoulder blades, the feet hover. We release at the bottom. Reach for your circle. Take it out. Take a moment to let those knees open and butterfly. Maybe a little rock side to side, a little flutter of those butterfly wings.

Before we get into some more inner thigh work, we'll bring the knees back together, walk the heels a little bit closer and drape the circle over the tops of the knees. From here, we're gonna work a little bit of outer thigh. Give those inner thighs a moment to rest. These guys are just as important, creating that lovely leg line. Strong abductor outer thigh muscle.

Fingertips reach to your heels. Heels in line with the sit bones. Gentle pressure outward right into the pads of the circle. Think of tearing it apart as if you were using any type of band here. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, begin to tuck and curl.

Pull the belly button down, squeezing the glutes, pressing outward with the thighs, but knitting those ribs together. Chin remains lifted off the chest. Take a breath in at the top.(inhales deeply) And exhale to roll down vertebra by vertebra. This should feel like a beautiful stretch for your spine as well as the for the front of your thighs and your hips, especially after a lot of work. We've done inflection thus far.

Tear it apart. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Pull the low belly down, tuck and curl. We're squeezing our sit bones and butt cheeks together, but we're also working that outer medial glute. The good dimple out here. To press the thighs outward, take a breath in at the top.(inhales deeply) And exhale, roll back down vertebra by vertebra, opening up through the middle of the waist and releasing at the bottom. Once more, tear it apart. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, tuck and curl up.

Rolling bone by bone, lengthening knees up and forward, belly button down, pelvis high. From here, lowering the hips, just an inch or two on the inhale, squeeze the glutes. Press down into the heels in the palms. Exhale, lift, lower an inch. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, lift and pulse those hips back up. Inhaling down.(inhales deeply) Exhaling up.(exhales sharply) Twice more lower.

Lift the hips high, pull the belly down. Once more, lower an inch. Lift an inch and stay. Keep pressing out with those thighs. Take a deep breathe in.(inhales deeply) And exhale, rolling back down. Keeping that outer thigh, keeping that glute connection all the way, until we release the tail and let it go at the very bottom, let the knees come together.

Remove your circle. We'll do the same thing with the circle back in between the inner thighs. They've had a moment to regain their strength. Reaching those arms forward, your heels should stay right in line with your hips. So let the knees open for a moment.

Let the circle be a true circle and then relax those arms, shoulders, hips, everything for a moment. Take a breath here. Feel that expansion legs to the side. Ribs open to bring in the air, and then exhale. Draw the ribs together.

Connect into your pelvic floor without tucking and squeeze into those inner thighs. The glutes should be relaxed here. Again, just like that, everything opens to the sides. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Everything squeezes to the midline as we exhale, feel that deep connection low in your abdominals, low in the abs, but high in the inner thighs. It's all connected.

Inhale, one more time just like this. Open.(inhales deeply) And exhale to close.(exhales sharply) Again, we'll open. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale to squeeze.(exhales sharply) This time adding on. Hold it here. Squeeze that circle a little bit tighter. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, begin to tuck and curl your hips up. Pull your belly button down, still reaching knees forward over the middle toes, hip bones high, ribs together and down.

Shouldn't lift it off the chest. We're aiming for that straight, beautiful diagonal line. We go right into our pulses. Lower an inch. Inhale, squeeze the seat, squeeze the circle. Exhale, lift.

Inhale, lower an inch. Exhale, lift an inch.(exhales sharply) For three.(inhales deeply) Keep drawing the inner thighs together as if they're going to touch for two.(inhales deeply) And up.(exhales sharply) Once more. Lower.(inhales deeply) Lift, squeeze, hold. Deep breath in.(inhales deeply) And exhale, roll all the way back down bone by bone. Squeeze those in our thighs. Your legs should really be feeling this, taking your time, getting into the middle of the waist.

Keep squeezing. Then release the low back and release this circle. Let it go. Bringing it back between the hands, we'll extend those legs out long, reach those arms up high. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) And exhale, turn around and roll all the way up to a seat.

Turning around into some extension, hyper extension work. If you have any shoulder girdle issues, any injuries, anything you need to take care of, feel free to modify with those hands underneath your head. Maybe off to the sides. We're gonna use the circle here if you're moving with me, placing one side of the pad down and then the other hands on top, one over the other or off to the sides are fine. Trying to keep the circle as much of a circle as we can.

Squeezing into those inner thighs, letting the head release down, pulling those shoulder blades back, already feeling the stretch through the armpits, through the sides of those shoulders and back. As you inhale, begin to press the palms down into the circle, opening up across the upper back and shoulder blades. As you exhale, begin to hover the forehead right about between your arms, maybe slightly higher, pulling those shoulder blades back, lifting the heart forward. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) And then exhale, begin to ease up on that circle as you lower the head back down through the floor. Deep breath in here at the top.

Pull those shoulder blades back and down.(inhales deeply) And exhale, begin to lift and hover up through the chest. Engaging into the triceps to press your arms down, engaging into those inner thighs to squeeze them together. But try and keep the tops of the feet on the mat to support that low back. Squeeze the glutes. Press into the palms. Lift a little higher, inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, pull the belly button up away from the floor as you lower with control.

Once more. Inhale, shoulder blades pull back. We begin to press into those palms.(inhales deeply) Exhale, pressing more firmly as we lift a little higher.(exhales sharply) Inhale to hold, maybe lifting one more inch, drawing that heart forward through the circle,(inhales deeply) and then exhale, nip the ribs together, pull the belly button up and in, and begin to release. The circle. From here, we'll turn it, placing it onto the mat, and then sit back for a moment into a child's pose, just to let our backs reset for a moment.

After that extension work, fingertips reach forward, sit bones towards the heels, maybe giving those hips the tail, a little wag, a little wiggle, and then coming back up and forward. From here, the circle stays where we just set it with the palms pressing into it from the outsides. Try and squeeze into it enough, depending on how firm your circle is. So those arms are in line with your shoulders, your elbows, you're creating the letter number 11 here, shoulders shift forward of the elbows, palms pressing inward, toes and legs extend backwards. We're meeting in a forearm plank here, tailbone tucks under.

Squeeze your inner thighs and glutes tight. Press the forearms down into the floor. Keep lifting your heart between your shoulder blades, squeezing the circle a little tighter. Really feel your arms work here as they should in any form of plank. We hold for three deep breaths you, inhale.(inhales deeply) As you exhale, you squeeze the circle a little tighter.

You also nip those ribs a little tighter for two, (inhales deeply) zipping up through the waist, squeezing the glutes and inner thighs, everything to the midline. One more breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale to stay.(exhales sharply) Gently lower those knees and sit it all the way back, once again. Great way to bring a little more awareness to the upper body when we are in that forearm plank. From here, we'll turn off to one side, going into some sideline legwork using the circle starting in our hand. So I'm gonna lie my right forearm down onto the mat, elbow towards the back edge, hips towards the back edge, and then bring the circle in front of my chest, in front of my heart with my hand on the top.

Legs will extend out straight towards the front edge of the mat, feet flexed, pulling those shoulder blades down. As you inhale, press into that top hand, top palm, and lift your leg up. No more than a foot here. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, resist the circle. Lower the leg, working in opposition here. Inhale, we press down and lift up.

Exhale to reverse, inhale press and lift.(inhales deeply) Exhale to resist.(exhales sharply) Using this top arm to both engage your bicep and tricep, your lapped, but also for stability. Inhale to press. We're pressing down into the right forearm as well. Keeping that chest and heart lifted for to (inhales deeply) resist.(exhales sharply) One more time. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale, resist the circle a little bit. Lower the top leg a little bit.

We kick that leg forward on the inhale. Gentle pressure down into your left palm. We're reaching back through those left toes, flexing kick forward, deep in the belly point and press it back knit those ribs a little tighter for three, (inhales deeply) and reach (exhales sharply) and two, (inhales deeply) and reach.(exhales sharply) Once more. Inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale. Bring that leg down, lower, bending the knees in and sitting our bodies all the way up. Finding as much of a seat as we can here.

We'll press the palm down onto that left circle and reach the right arm up overhead this time, pulling the shoulder blades down. Same idea here. Lifting out of the hips, pressing into the palm, and reaching over into a mermaid. Maybe your left arm is straight. Maybe it's a little bit bent.

Do what feels best to pull both shoulder blades away from the ears and then lengthen and lift back up. Deep breath here.(inhales deeply) Exhale, reach up and over. Pressing down, reaching over. Inhale, lengthen and lift.(inhales deeply) Exhale to reach.(exhales sharply) Once more lift.(inhales deeply) And reach.(exhales sharply) Coming all the way back up. Lowering that arm and turning to the other side.

Setting up. Left forearm down. Hips back, elbow back. So we have a straight line through the upper body from the crown of the head out through the tail, toes and legs, slightly in front of us, and then that top palm pressing into the circle in front of the chest. Pulling those shoulder blades down and really zipping up through the waist line. We begin, pressing into the right palm, lifting the right leg as we inhale.(inhales deeply) And exhale, resist a lower.(exhales sharply) Press down, lift up. Inhale.

Exhale, reverse. Inhale, lengthening out and up through the heel. Feeling that outer thigh working, feeling the arm and the back working. Inhaling.(inhales deeply) Belly button pulls backing in.(exhales sharply) Inhale lift.(inhales deeply) Exhale to resist against the circle. Resist against gravity with the leg for three (inhales deeply) and lower, (exhales sharply) two (inhales deeply) and lower.(exhales sharply) One more time. Leg lifts.

Palm presses down. Lower the leg just to hover. Keep some pressure into that right palm. Begin to kick that right heel forward. Feel a stretch in the hamstring. Point through the toes.

Reach the right toes to the back corner of your mat. Feel length in the front of that right hip. Flexing kick forward inhale, point and press back, deepening in the waist, exhale, little to no movement in this upper body, keeping it as still and stable. Using that right arm for support for two (inhales deeply) point and press,(exhales sharply) right like moving on a horizontal plane. Last time, point press hold.

Bring that top leg over the bottom, flex and lower to rest. Bend those knees in. Sitting up for a mermaid stretch here. Squaring off through the body. Keeping that circle in the right palm. Gentle pressure down as we lift to the left arm up.

Shoulder blades pull down, lift out of the hips. Deep breath in at the top.(inhales deeply) Exhale to press down and reach over. Shoulder blades pulling away from the ears. Feel that right back. Activate right tricep activate. Inhale, lengthen up.(inhales deeply) Exhale, press it down.

Trying to lift out of the hips here as much as we can. Inhale to lengthen.(inhales deeply) And exhale to reach.(exhales sharply) Once more, lift (inhales deeply) and exhale, reach up and over.(exhales sharply) Coming all the way back up, releasing that top arm, spinning back around to face one side of your mat, moving into some teasers. Everyone's favorite with the circle. Just an added bonus. How lucky are we? Reach the arms forward, squeeze into the palm, squeeze into the knees.

Take a breath here.(inhales deeply) And begin to roll back vertebra by vertebra. Making our way onto the mat, releasing the head down, keeping those arms right over the sternum towards the ceiling. Gentle pressure into those palms. Pulling the shoulder blades back, setting ourselves up for success, taking a breath in.(inhales deeply) As we exhale, drawing the right and left leg up to tabletop. Using the low belly connecting right away.

Take another breath in. Begin to extend those legs along on a diagonal. Maybe you keep them bent. Maybe you keep them straight. Take a breath here.(inhales deeply) Begin to curl up. Chin over the chest.

Belly button sinks down to roll the body up. Think of matching the diagonal of the legs with your arms. Reaching the circle in the fingertips towards your toes, lifting your gaze to challenge that balance, take a breath in.(inhales deeply) Rolling the upper body down vertebra by vertebra. The legs don't move. Who in our teaser one? Head lowers down. Maybe those arms float back.

Again, inhale, arms up. Exhale, round and roll up. Trying to lift from the waist versus momentum. Hold, teaser two, legs lower, inhale.(inhales deeply) Press into the palm. Squeeze the inner thighs, deep in the belly to lift.

Once more legs lower, inhale. Exhale, lift and stay.(exhales sharply) Lift everything up. One more inch. Shine the heart through the circle. Forward and up. Deep breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, begin to lower vertebra by vertebra. Taking our time, hovering heels and shoulder blades off the mat, pulling the belly a little deeper before releasing all the way down and back.

Still active in the body. We go into our full teaser threes here. Arms float up. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Exhale. Chin peels over the chest. Legs begin to hover. Pulling the belly button down, lifting the whole body up, up, up.

Deep breath in. Lift a little higher. Inhaling.(inhales deeply) Exhale to roll down vertebra by vertebra. Keep reaching through your fingers and toes, lengthening out at the bottom. Two more times here, arms reach up. Inhale. Everything, we've worked inner thighs, arms connecting to the midline.

If you want that added challenge, this time the circle goes between the ankles. Never really getting a rest at the bottom. Reach up, squeeze into it. Inhale. Exhale. Begin to lower vertebra by vertebra. Those heels stay hovering, so the circle doesn't touch the mat.

Reach the arms and head back. Reach back up. Inhale.(inhales deeply) Zip up through the waist. Squeeze your circle lift, lift, lift. Whew! We feel this. Lift a little higher. Grab your circle.

Once again. Last time. Give it everything you have left. Reach the arms. Maybe overhead. Think of a halo. I know you all think I'm an angel now. Keep it there. Framing ears with biceps. Take a breath in.(inhales deeply) We lower in four.(exhales sharply) And three.(inhales deeply) Pull the belly a little deeper.

Take an extra breath if you need it. Hover two, and let it all go on one. Whew! This is why we love Pilates. We feel our whole body active. Release that circle and give your knees a hug.

We are right back on the mat where we started class here. We will finish with those same three deep breaths, we started with. You could still hold the circle or simply hold on to those shins. Maybe give the knees a few circles, the hips or the head of few circles. Take a deep breath in.(inhales deeply) Exhale, pull the knees a little bit closer.

Really hugging them, thanking them for everything they just did. Your legs, your hips, your back, your body. Another breath in.(inhales deeply) Maybe close your eyes, relaxing the shoulders, the head, the neck, the mind, the face, the jaw. One more breath in.(inhales deeply) And exhale.(exhales sharply) Bringing it all back onto the mat. Feeling grateful for movement, for breath, for everything you just did.

And gently rock your body back and up to a seat. I am grateful for you all, and I hope you had a wonderful class. See you again soon!