Yoga Blocks for Core Warm Ups

Video Transcript

"Another important part about warming up for yoga practice is to engage your core and connect with those muscles. A lot of times you hear navel to spine connection, use your core and people don't really know where to feel it. A really good technique is to grab a yoga block. You could also, if you have, you can use a book, preferably a block because it allows you to give some resistance. They're made out of foam. You lay back on your back. You could put the block one of two places. You can put it sideways, or this way, between your thighs and you can raise your legs straight to the ceiling. If for any reason you have any low back tightness or pain, any hamstring tightness, bend your knees slightly. The important part is, you squeeze that block between your thighs and engage the core. The other place you can put the block is putting it sideways, this way, between the feet. So, actually, you want to go this way, between and raise the feet to the ceiling. Again, if your legs are shaking and there are any tightness, you can bend the knees slightly. So you find a nice flat position, let the chin come slightly down towards the chest so you're laying on the ocsiput of your skull. In either position you want to make sure you squeeze the block, palms flat down on the ground, and then slowly, on an inhale, lower the legs down. If this is all the further you can go without lifting your back up, then stay there. If you can continue down to the floor, continue slowly going down and then continue back up. And, as you probably noticed, I'm shaking a little bit, so that's my body's way of telling me that I need to stop at a higher spot. So today I may only be right here, and then slowly come up. If you find it's hard to balance the block that way, again, put it between your thighs, squeeze your thighs in and slowly lower it down. And this is a great way to work the core and the abdominals and you'll feel this lower and up into the middle part of your abdominals. And you can use a block or a book."