Shadowing Practice: 10 Min Morning Yoga Flow | Full Body Stretch To Start The Day - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Welcome to your super quick and energizing morning stretch and flow.
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Whether you're short on time or in need of a simple warm-up before diving deeper into your practice or workout, The next 10 minutes will gift you exactly what you need.
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Energy, peace and a moment to reconnect with yourself.
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So if you're ready to get started, grab your mat and let's begin.
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Today's video is sponsored and brought to you by Gymshark.
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Since being introduced to the Gymshark line of activewear, we've been highly impressed by this brand's ability to provide their community with functional
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and stylish apparel which uses absolutely no animal products whatsoever.
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So it makes it perfect for our active and mindful lifestyle.
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To us, mindfulness in yoga is about pushing ourselves to be better both on and off the mat, year after year.
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It's this idea which makes Gymshark so appealing
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because part of their mission has been to recognize they have more work to do and provide transparency reports on their website,
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reporting their journey towards becoming a more sustainable, eco-friendly and responsible company as each year passes and we encourage you to go check it out.
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Gymshark has a large line of active clothing for both men
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and women so if you're looking for some comfy and high quality yoga wear, click the link below in the description of this video and check out what Gymshark has to offer.
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They have been a great addition to our active wardrobe these days
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and we look forward to continue to watch them grow on their journey.
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With that said, let's get back to our practice, grab your mat, and let's begin.
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Alright my friends, let's get started today, seated at the center of your mat.
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Go ahead and reach both of your arms up towards the sky, big stretch.
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Interlacing all of your fingers and extend your arms so the palms of your hands are facing up to the sky.
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Big reach, take another inhale.
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Lengthening through the spine and as you exhale go ahead and just reach over to one side
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You can look downward towards the mat here
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Making sure that your shoulders are square your sit bones are square as well seated on your mat
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Good breathing deeply into the side body here inhale and then come back to center Exhale take it to the other side.
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So same thing your body is square your shoulders are square hips are square
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You can look down or up towards the sky depending on what feels best for you
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Breathing deeply into the side body here welcoming lots of oxygen and blood flow into that area of your body
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Awesome back to center
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Releasing your hands and then just bring your arms to the side keep looking up towards the sky big stretch
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open up that heart and chest and Release the hands back down Beautiful job.
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Now what I want you to do is just swing those feet over towards the front of your mat
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and then make your way all the way down towards the floor onto your back.
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We're going to just do a quick little gentle spinal stretch.
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So take your right ankle, place it over top of your left knee and then with that right heel, guide your left knee down.
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Take your arms out to the side in cactus or you can just keep them at your belly.
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You can keep your gaze up towards the ceiling or over towards your left shoulder.
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This is a very gentle spinal twist to begin our practice today, to warm up your body, to start your day with.
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Breathing in deeply, feeling any tension that you may feel in your body,
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letting go with each exhale good feel free to close your eyes here
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and just stay in this present awareness one with your breath awesome come back to neutral
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and just switch sides so now your left heel onto your right knee
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and then guide that right knee towards your left side your arms are staying open towards the side
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or in cactus formation
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and then you're more than welcome to look over your right shoulder to go even deeper into the spinal twist
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or just keep your gaze straight
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Good
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and as your eyes are closed take this opportunity right now
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to set an intention for your practice set an intention for your day
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Allowing yourself to find this present awareness Reconnecting with your own breath Your own being
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Inhale and Exhale returning back to center
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Great job and then from here just bring both knees into your chest
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and then start to extend both legs up to the sky
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Flex your feet Holding the back of your knees here just to feel this nice little stretch in the hamstrings
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And then bending your knees grabbing your ankles or the outsides of your feet into your happy baby pose
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Pulling your knees towards the mat then adding a gentle rock side to side if this feels good on your body
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This is a wonderful way to welcome our blood flow into the hip region
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Warming up your hips warming up all those joints those bones and muscles in the body
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So gently rocking side to side or staying still continuing to find presence with your own breath.
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Inhale deeply into your body.
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Exhale it all out.
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Let go of tension, physically and mentally.
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With each exhalation, let go of all that no longer serves you.
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Beautiful.
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Now come back to center with both legs bend your knees
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and then at your own timing rock yourself up over towards your child's pose position.
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So come to the back of your mat, go ahead and just take another reach with both arms and then dive the arms down into your child's pose.
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This is a wonderful posture to do
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when we start our day as it allows us to release any tension out of your lower back
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and don't worry if you can't come all the way down to your heels.
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Just breathe wherever you are with each exhalation notice how your body begins to let go.
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Reach your arms forward towards the front of your mat
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so you're feeling that gentle stretch through your shoulders through your upper back as well.
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Your forehead is releasing all the way down towards the mat.
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Breathe in deeply.
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Exhale slowly coming back to neutral position on all fours, tuck your toes.
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And then from here, pull the navel into the spine begin to lift the hips up towards the sky keep your knees bent
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or if you're able to begin to extend both knees all the way over to your downward facing dog beautiful
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and just hold it here if you're feeling
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that tension in the hamstrings keep those knees slightly bent
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or feel free to add some movement now bending one knee
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at a time pressing the opposite heel into the mat so feeling
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that stretch going into your calf muscles as well awakening the
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backs of your legs deep breath in exhale allow your sternum
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to release lengthening through the spine here with each exhalation allowing
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your heels to gently come further down towards the mat inhale in exhale out
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And then from here walk your way forward towards the very front of your mat taking four to six steps
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And once you make your way forward to your mat you can keep your feet together
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or slightly apart Whatever feels good grab the opposite elbows
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Bend your knees to make sure that your first knot folding from your lower back
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and then begin to rock side to side into this ragdoll position Allowing your head to be super loose here.
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So feeling that decompression of your upper back and your neck
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Allow your entire upper body to be super heavy here as you gently rock side to side
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feeling a gentle release through the back of your legs
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and Then release your hands towards your ankles
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and then grab onto your ankles as you release into your standing forward fold Just notice where you're at here.
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Don't force anything Just breathe.
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And with each exhalation, allow your body to gently go further and further.
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Maybe your forehead can touch your knees.
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Maybe you're far away from it today.
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That's okay.
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Just breathe.
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Inhale.
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Now exhale, bend your knees and slowly begin to roll up to standing, vertebra by vertebra.
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Coming up to your standing position at the front of your mat, roll your shoulders back away from the ears.
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Let's start with some sun salutations here.
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Very easy.
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Inhale, arms reach out.
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Exhale, dive your body all the way to the mat.
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Inhale, come up halfway.
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And then exhale, take two steps back into a high plank.
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Then take a chaturanga or drop down to your knees to make this easier.
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release the back toes and then open up your chest into your upward facing dog stretching out your upper back and
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then press into the hands exhale push it back downward facing dog breathe it out
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Allowing those heels to come down as you inhale deeply exhale out Hold it here one more breath in
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Exhale, bend your knees, lift your heels, hop to the front of your mat.
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Inhale, halfway.
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Exhale, forward fold.
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Inhale, slowly come up to standing, reach both arms up to the sky.
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And then exhale, hands at your heart.
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Samastiti.
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Let's do it again a little faster.
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Inhale, reach up.
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Exhale, dive your body down.
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Inhale, halfway lengthen.
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Exhale, two steps back into your plank position take
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that chaturanga inhale upward facing dog as you extend exhale push back release into your downward facing dog breathe it out
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now notice each time you get into your downward facing dog how your body begins to let go
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inhale now let's lift the heels bend your knees hop or step to the front of your mat
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inhale halfway exhale forward fold inhale standing up reaching both arms
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up to the sky exhale hands to heart let's do it
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again inhale reach up we're building up some heat now in the body, exhale, dive it down.
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Inhale, halfway.
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Exhale, hop or step back to plank.
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Chaturanga.
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Inhale, upward facing dog.
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Exhale, push back, release into your downward facing dog.
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Inhale.
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Exhale, lift the heels, bend your knees, hop or step in front of your mat.
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Inhale, halfway.
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Exhale forward fold.
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Inhale come on up reach both arms up to the sky.
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Exhale hands to heart.
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And one more time.
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Inhale reach up.
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Exhale dive it down.
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Inhale halfway.
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Exhale you're going to step or hop into plank and then take your chaturanga dandasana.
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Upward facing dog as you extend and open.
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Exhale push back and release into that downward facing dog breathe it out
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Good make sure your elbows are not pointing out to the
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side tuck them in lift the heels bend your knees
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And this time make your way back over into your seated position
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Beautiful work come on over to your easy pose with your feet crossed in front of you
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And just take a deep breath in reaching both arms up to the sky
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and then exhale bring your hands to heart And again inhale reach up
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Great and exhale bring your hands over to your heart
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Closing your eyes and just taking one last exhalation Thanking yourself for your beautiful and quick practice today
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Thank you so much for joining me.
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Have a beautiful rest of your day.
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Namaste Thanks so much for watching.
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If you enjoyed this practice, it would mean the world to us if you click that subscribe button to help our content rise to the top.
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If you're looking for more of an immersive yoga experience,
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check out our new Boho Beautiful official app which can be found at www.bohobeautiful.tv.
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Thanks again, and we'll see you soon.
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you
Why practice speaking with this video?
This engaging 10-minute morning yoga flow video offers an excellent opportunity to practice speaking in English while also improving your overall well-being. As you follow along with the flow, you absorb the instructor's tone, pacing, and vocabulary. This context makes it easier to learn English with YouTube since you’re not just listening passively; you're participating actively. The video invites you to reconnect with yourself, which is a positive mindset to adopt in your English speaking practice. By mimicking the instructor's movements and words, you can develop your pronunciation and fluency, making this a dual-purpose practice—enhancing both your physical and linguistic skills.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the video, the instructor uses various key phrases to guide the viewers through the yoga session. Analyzing these can help improve your understanding of contextual English. Here are a few important structures:
- "Go ahead and reach both of your arms up towards the sky." – This imperative form encourages viewers, showing how giving instructions often uses the base verb.
- "Take another inhale." – This phrase utilizes the simple present tense, indicating habitual actions, which is common in spoken English.
- "Breathing deeply, feeling any tension that you may feel in your body." – The use of gerunds here creates a sense of ongoing action, enhancing descriptive language.
- "Set an intention for your practice." – This phrase emphasizes the importance of mental focus, showing how encouragement can be framed as actionable advice in a gentle tone.
By repeating these expressions during your own practice sessions, you can significantly enrich your English speaking practice.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While following the instructor, pay attention to some pronunciation aspects that may be tricky. Phrases like "energizing morning stretch" can be challenging due to the linking of sounds, particularly the 'n' and 'm' sounds. Additionally, the word "breathing" often presents difficulty because it includes the 'th' sound, which is not present in many languages. To improve English pronunciation, focus on articulating these words clearly as you practice. The instructor’s soft, yet clear delivery makes it easier to mimic proper pronunciation, helping you refine your skills through shadow speak techniques. Being mindful of these challenges will aid in your journey toward more fluent speech.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.