Align Yoga, Pleasant Hill, CA Videos

Yogis — we are experiencing very high attendance lately! This is amazing because it means more humans practicing yoga 🙌 But sadly we’ve had to occasionally turn students away for a lack of space. We managed 30 in the big room last Friday, but as you can see it was snug. The only way to guarantee your spot in a class is to pre-register. You can do so using our website or downloading the Glofox app! Please try to remember to cancel your booking if your plans change. See you soon, OMies 🙏

If you are working on your drop back into wheel, this was one of the least threatening ways to get in! Find some teachers at Align to spot you and give it a try.

Align Yoga’s Tuesday Tip: Prep for handstand. Use these helpful tips to gain proper alignment and balance for handstand: 1. Measure the distance for your hands by sitting against the wall. Where your feet are is where your hands are placed. 2. Place hands on the floor and walk feet up the wall until feet and hips, shoulders and hands are in alignment. Your body makes a 90 degree angle. 3. Practice lifting one leg at a time, leg straight up. This exercise will help you gain arm and shoulder strength for unsupported handstands and other arm-balancing postures. Have fun!

Tuesday Tip. Here is a great restorative posture using a blanket to support the spine while allowing the back muscles and chest to open. Here’s how: 1. Fold a blanket, accordion style. Make sure it’s length is longer than your back for support. 2. Lay on the folded blanket so that it begins at your lower spine/sacrum, make sure it’s comfortable. 3. Roll the top of the blanket down to make a pillow. Relax and try to meditate for a few minutes. Happy Tuesday! 🙏🏼

Tuesday Tip: Cobra Pose. This “simple” asana is quite challenging to do properly in order to isolate and activate the leg, back and shoulder muscles. Thanks Ksenia for a great demo. We’ll see you soon at Align Yoga!

Fixed Firm Pose a.k.a. Reclining Hero Pose
This posture may not feel great on the knees in the beginning, but this is one of the best postures for general knee health and for healing knee issues. If you are limited by tightness or injury, this pose in particular does not come overnight. Depending on your flexibility, you may not even be able to get your hips on the floor. Be patient. It takes consistent practice and just going little by little with attention and body awareness. If you are very flexible, this pose should feel great, or you may not feel much sensation at all. Focus on lifting the chest. - INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Sit down in a kneeling position with your hips on your heels. 2. Separate your heels to the outsides of your hips, touching your hips. Keep your feet straight in line with your tibias/shin bones. Open your knees as wide as necessary to accommodate your flexibility and bring your hips to floor between your heels. (For tight knees, you may not be able to bring your hips all the way down. Open the knees, support yourself with your hands and STOP HERE. Breathe.) 3. Only if your hips are touching the floor, place your hands on your feet with your fingers pointing forward, and slowly lower one elbow at a time down to the floor. 4. Head back, slowly touch the top of your head, then the back of your head to the floor. 5. Lower your shoulders to the floor one at a time. Bring your arms overhead, clasping each elbow with the opposite hand. 6. Tuck your chin to your chest and lift your chest and abdomen up, creating an arch in the lower back. Hips and shoulders remain on the floor. 7. If your knees feel okay, begin to draw them in towards one another until they touch. Always be mindful of the knees—the health of your knee joints is a priority here. Breathe. - BENEFITS: -- Increases circulation to the lower limbs -- Strengthens and stretches the lower spine, abdomen, thighs and deep hip flexors (psoas), knees, and ankles -- Good for lower back pain, sciatica, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and varicose vein

TUESDAY TIP: Wrist Stretches 🔈Play Audio - Wrist health is so important for your regular yoga practice! Check out a couple wrist stretches that will keep you Flowing!

Align Yoga’s Tuesday Tip. If you are working on handstands, try this helpful tip. Using a doorway can help stabilize your back, core and legs. It does require some flexibility to forward fold in the doorway. If you are working on flexibility, wait until the fold is easier. Grab a friend to spot you and have some fun trying this doorway handstand!

Beginners Shoulder Strengthening
TUESDAY TIP: Beginners Shoulder Strengthening . Try 3 sets of 5 and build from there.

The Mini Wellness Fair is in full swing! Stop by in the next couple hours for Urban Remedy samples, mini massages, localized cryo treatments, anitioxidant scanning, essential oils, and Indriya Jewelry! 😄 . The Wellness Fair goes until 12pm, then we have Jamie’s Flow Foundations Workshop from 12-2pm!

Toe Transition
Beginner's Tip: Try this toe transition from Upward Facing Dog to Downward Facing Dog.

Tuesday Tips from Align Yoga
Tuesday Tips from Align Yoga. Vinyasa Flow (Sun B). Start in Downward Facing Dog. Hands are shoulder distance apart with fingers spread wide and palms flat on the mat. Distribute your weight equally on both hands. Strongly extend through your arms, elbows straight and broaden the shoulders. Your back is straight with core muscles engaged. Lift your hips and engage your thighs to create a long, straight line from your wrists to your tailbone. This will allow your heels to sink closer to the floor. Benefits of Downward Facing Dog are strengthening the legs and arms and creates traction to align the spine. From Down Dog shift to High Plank by drawing your torso forward until arms are perpendicular to the floor. Shoulders are directly above the wrists and legs are engaged. Tighten your lower belly/core muscles. Keep shoulders, hips and knees in one line. Benefits of Plank are posture stability and core strength. From Plank, move into Chaturanga. Shift forward, shoulders slightly ahead of wrists. Lower your body down towards the floor by keeping the elbows close the the body, think half push-up. Keep your back and legs strong with the hips in line with your shoulders and knees, a straight line. As you lower down, don’t let the shoulders drop lower than the elbows. Benefits of Chaturanga are strengthening the core, shoulders and arms. Flow from Chaturanga to Upward Facing Dog. Push with your arms and bring your chest up and through your arms and at the same time roll over your toes so the tops of your feet are on the mat. Lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor. Keep the legs and arms firm. Look straight ahead or slightly up. Benefits of Up Dog are opens the chest and heart and lengthens the spine. Lastly, from Upward Facing Dog push back to Downward Facing Dog, where we began. Push with the arms and lift the hips up and back. Roll back over your toes. Your hands and arms are firm and thighs engaged. Spine straight, hips up and heels towards

Pranayama breathing exercise
Have you tried our Hot 90 class yet? The class begins with a breathing exercise. Check out the video to understand the movement.

Yeah, we know we opened a hot yoga studio in the middle of Summer.. ☀️ So we just stocked up on some cool shorts and tops from @lalalandcomfywear and @yogabela! Men, we've got you covered too 😉 Come sweat with us today at 5pm Hot Fusion! . . . #AlignYogaStudio #yogastudio #yogaclothes #yogagear #hotyogastudio

We are just wrapping up the last few construction items together. What a journey it's been! We are so excited for the next chapter.. connecting with all of you! 🙏🏼 . @align.yoga @sportsupportyoga @yoga_wire . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #yogastudio #hotyogastudio #yogapleasanthill

Hand-troweled concrete floors. It's all about the European craftsmanship! 🇧🇦 . @sportsupportyoga . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #align #alignyourself #yoga #yogastudio #hotyogastudio #hotyoga #yogapleasanthill #pleasanthillyoga #pleasanthill #artisan #artisanconcrete #craftsmanship #inprogress #comingsoon #underconstruction #constructionvideo #constructiontimelapse #timelapsevideo #timelapse #yogi #bosnian #bosnianyogi #doinwork #itsallhappening

Even the furniture is handcrafted with love and attention. We aim to create a special experience and a welcoming space for our wonderful yoga community! 💗 . @yoga_wire . . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #align #alignyourself #yoga #yogastudio #hotyogastudio #vinyasaflow #fromtheheart #forthelove #yogalove #yogacommunity #yogapleasanthill #pleasanthillyoga #underconstruction #inprogress #doinwork #constructionvideo #constructiontimelapse #timelapse #timelapsevideo #woodworking #liveedgewood #inprogress #handmadefurniture

We have something special just for the guys. We're calling it the man cave. 🙌🏼 . @sportsupportyoga . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #align #yoga #yogastudio #hotyoga #hotyogastudio #mensyoga #mendoyoga #yogapleasanthill #pleasanthillyoga #pleasanthill #menatwork #comingsoon #underconstruction #timelapse #timelapsevideo #constructiontimelapse #alignyourself #doinwork #inprogress #yogi #bosnianyogi

Accentuating.. Getting down to details now! Almost there... ☺️ . @sportsupportyoga . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #align #alignyourself #yoga #yogastudio #pleasanthillyoga #pleasanthill #yogapleasanthill #hotyoga #hotyogastudio #construction #constructiontimelapse #constructionvideo #timelapse #timelapsevideo #underconstruction #inprogress #doinwork #comingsoon #menatwork #venetianplaster

Keeping it conscious by recycling our discarded construction material. ♻️✌🏼️ . @align.yoga . . . #AlignYogaStudio #alignyoga #align #yoga #yogastudio #comingsoon #alignyourself #underconstruction #construction #constructionvideo #constructiontimelapse #timelapse #timelapsevideo #doinwork #inprogress #recycling #♻️