OATFit!: "Joy Time with Julie!"

Hey there OatPop lovers, I'm Julianna! I am so excited to share the first of two beginner vinyasa-style yoga flows with y'all.

There are so many reasons yoga can improve your everyday fitness routine and overall lifestyle! For me personally, I fell in love with the practice of yoga because it allowed me the opportunity to slow down and reconnect with my body and my breath. It reminded me to be present in the flow. And while it has played a huge part in improving my overall flexibility and strength, the greatest benefit of yoga has been the ways it's shaped my mentality and taught me to discover peace in difficult moments through mindfulness and breathwork. Overall, yoga is a well-rounded practice that has left me feeling more conscious, inspired, and confident.

As someone who has experienced the positive effects of an at-home yoga routine firsthand, I was so happy Brandon asked me to create a couple of approachable flows for on-the-go beginners and for my fellow Oaties! These quick routines take about 15 minutes long and include entry-level poses that are perfect for anyone and everyone looking to add an intentional, focused practice to their day that will help them feel stronger and more energized while connecting the body and spirit.

First, try out one of my favorite Youtube playlists to flow to! (or feel free to put on your own!)

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b35haQV7tU

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCCqqPqDqSY

Let's walk through the first flow together, and always focus on following your breath!

1) start in Child's Pose / Balasana

· feel free to walk the hands to the right, back to the center, to the left, and back to the center again for an additional side stretch

· with your arms centered, push up from the palms, and square the hips over the knees and the shoulders over the wrists

2) begin Cat-Cow Stretch / Marjaryasana-Bitilasana

· after a few breaths of cat-cow, come back to a centered position, making sure the hips and shoulders are still squared

3) Thread the Needle / Urdhva Mukha Pasasan

4) push the hips up and back for Downward Dog / Adho Mukha Svanasana

· feel free to peddle the feet for an additional stretch

· I like to remind people here that it's important to listen to your own body and bend the knees as generously as needed; focus your intention on straightening the spine

· from here, slowly walk the feet to the top of the mat

5) with the breath, flow through a few cycles of Forward Fold / Uttanasana to Halfway Lift / Ardha Uttanasana

6) in your own time, complete one final forward fold and then use the arms to rise slowly and with control, all the way up to Upward Salute / Urdhva Hastasana

· I like to take a few side stretches here, or sometimes a light back bend, listen to your body and stretch where you need it!

7) with control, bend your kneed and lower your body into Chair Pose / Utkatasana

· for an additional stretch, you can bring their hands to the heart, and then cross the left elbow the right knee, alternating sides with the breath

· from a center chair pose, drop the body down to a forward fold, take a breath

8) raise all the way up to Mountain Pose / Tadasana

9) step the right foot back for Warrior / Virabhadrasana

· I also like to suggest Warrior Pose variations such as Warrior II / Virabhadrasana II or Peaceful Warrior / Viparita Virabhadrasana

· remember to reverse the stretch and do both sides!

· bring feet together at the top of the mat for mountain pose and then forward fold

10) step feet back for Plank / Phalakasana

11) lower body down for a Low Plank / Chaturanga Dandasana and then lower body all the way to the mat

12) Cobra Pose / Bhujangasana

· take a few breaths alternating in and out of cobra pose

13) Downward Dog

14) from downward dog, rotate the body into Side Plank / Vasisthasana

· remember to reverse the stretch and do both sides!

· return to downward dog and then raise the body to mountain pose

· stretch out the legs, rotate the body's orientation on the mat, and take a wide stance

15) Wide-Legged Forward Bend / Prasarita Padottanasana

· take a few breaths here, feel free to stretch toward either side

· slowly and with control, raise back up to a standing position and walk the feet back to center

16) Chair Pose

· from chair pose, lower yourself onto the ground, with a generous bend in the knee

17) cross legs for Easy Pose / Sukhasana

· for an additional stretch, reach one hand up and over the head and toward the opposite side, alternating with the breath

· you could also do a seated forward fold here

This completes our first practice, Oaties!

Depending on the time you are able to dedicate to your practice, feel free to either begin or end your flow with a few minutes of meditation and take some time to set some positive intentions for the day ahead of you.

Regardless of whether you are able to stretch for 5 minutes of your day or 30, I hope you are able to slow down, enjoy the moment, and go with the flow!