Yoga Spinal Roll Warm Ups

Video Transcript

"Spinal flexion and extension will be one of the things that you will be perfecting in yoga. Whether it is your warm-up, your basic to advanced poses or your cool down. So, you'll always want to incorporate that into your warm up. We want to see what we have to work with. Remember, never force the movement, you'll always want to work slow and controlled. Breathe and relax into your active range of motion. We are going start by doing an anterior tilt and rolling down. We will utilize the pelvis, which is anchored to your center of gravity and is your core strength. Let the chest lead. The head should be in-line with the spine. Now, when you reach your stopping point or your active range of motion, I want you to roll and take your chin towards the chest. Then you'll take your navel towards the spine. You will release and come up into the neutral position. Anchor your feet. You should feel a neutral pelvis and your shoulders depress. Inhale and exhale, as you bend, all the way down, as far as you can go. Remember, you need to work within your active range of motion. Roll your navel to your spine. It is basically similar to a standing Cat pose You've seen the Cat pose done on all fours, which is also a good way to work-in spinal flexion and extension. You will actually be able to get more range of motion, once you are on a quadruped extension. Let's do this one more time and release. Just let your stomach fall towards your thighs and round your spine as you come up. Once again, this time, we'll do it from a lateral angle. The knee is always behind the toe. We will lead with the chest. Place your hands above your knees and release your chest. Bend forward from at the waist, nice and slow. Exhale. Push all of that air out and roll your navel to spine. Come up and center yourself to a neutral position. Repeat. Release, inhale and blow it all out. With your chin towards your chest, you?ll round through, C-shape that spine, and come up. That is just one way, from a standing position, to work in some flexion and extension in the spine. This is going to be important for all of your yoga poses."