Yogini

Yogini is another yoga fusion workout by Ellen Barrett. It is also available for free on YouTube (at least right now it is), which is how I did it this morning. This was a tough workout! For me at least. It is a flowing fusion workout. You never hold any pose longer than 4 counts and you are always flowing between at least two different moves. You get bodyweight strength in this workout, your heart rate is elevated so you get some mild cardio and you also get flexibility. However, it worked me hard. I was sweating and was surprised when I checked my FitBit afterwards and I had barely burned 150 calories. It seemed like the calorie burn should have been higher! But it was still a great workout. Today is my recovery/yoga day and this workout did not feel like a recovery workout! So I finished it off with one of Jessica Smith‘s quick total body stretches. That actually stretched me out and was a nice way to finish this more intense workout.

I spent a lot of time on my feet yesterday and was suffering for it (I have plates and screws in both heels). I did not expect yoga with my shoes on to hurt my feet but my feet were frequently cramping painfully during the first half of this workout. Something to keep in mind if you suffer from foot problems. By the second half of the workout, my feet were no longer hurting.

Yogini is 44:30 minutes. No equipment is needed except a mat. Ellen and crew did this workout barefoot but I wore shoes. There is a modifier showing easer versions of many of the moves.

1. Breathing plies (wide plie squats, extending arms overhead at top of squat)
2. Alternate reaching arms overhead; add alternating stationary side lunges
3. Side angle pose w/ forearm on thigh
4. In runners lunge w/ hands on mat, rock forward and back
5. Repeat #1 & 2
6. Repeat 3 & 4 on other side of body
7. Repeat #1
8. Lunge in and out of Warrior 2
9. Flow between side angle pose and reverse warrior; hold side angle w/ hand on floor beside foot
10. In runners lunge, jump switch legs
11. Crescent pose; add pulsing legs down
12. Repeat #1
13. Repeat 8-12 on other side of body
14. Pulse in Warrior 2 lunge
15. Warrior 1 hold
16. In wide plie, do a torso circle, lowering into plie squat when hands are near the floor, reach arms overhead when at top of circle
17. Repeat 14-16 on other side of body
18. Repeat 14-17 several more times, reducing the amount of reps each time
19. Repeat #1
20. Stand with legs wide and hands clasped, stretch arms overhead to one side then the other, then stretch arms down to one side while rounding back then to the other side while rounding back
21. Stationary side to side lunges w/ hands on thighs; add reaching one arm straight in front of you w/ each lunge, alternating arms; changes to reaching elbow to opposite knee with each lunge
22. Repeat #19-21
23. Repeat #1
24. Stand with legs still wide, toes turned out, arms extended out straight to sides, swan dive into forward fold and hold; raise torso and extend arms overhead while clasping hands and stretch, arching spine and hold; continue to flow between these two moves
25. In straight arm plank, lower to belly then press up to cobra then back to down dog; repeat this vinyassa several times
26. In straight arm plank, alternate bringing knee under body to opposite elbow
27. Stand on one leg, finger tips on floor and extend other leg straight behind you and hold; add pulsing leg
28. Repeat #24
29. Repeat #27 on other leg
30. Repeat #25 & 26
31. Child’s pose
32. Downward dog; add bending knees and lowering them nearly to the mat then straightening
33. Chair pose hold; add pulses
34. Bow pose; add pulsing legs and chest up
35. Straight arm side plank; add raising and lower hip while reaching arm overhead then down to mat
36. While seated, cross one leg over the other, both knees are bent and the foot of the crossed leg is on the floor beside the opposite leg’s thigh, pull leg into chest, stretching glute
37. Repeat #35 on other side of body
38. Repeat #34
39. Repeat #32 & 33
40. Alternate one push up with downward dog pose
41. Downward dog hold
42. Child’s pose; add alternating freestyle swim arms; hold child’s pose again
43. Sit with one leg extended in front of you and other leg bent with sole of foot against opposite thigh, reach for foot of straightened leg and hold; bring hand to floor behind you and lift hips off floor, reaching other arm overhead (one leg still bent and the other still straight) and hold; flow between these two moves
44. Sitting on bottom, pull knees into chest, hands on shins and feet raised off floor; release hands and hold in modified boat pose; add pulsing knees into chest; changes to reaching arms to side while also moving knees side to side (hands opposite of knees) (feet still raised off floor)
45. Repeat #43 on other side of body
46. Repeat #44
47. Sit cross-leg with hands on knees and rotate torso (she calls it “hula”)
48. Still sitting cross-leg, take deep breaths while reaching arms overhead