The Upside: Invested in Wellness with Jessie Sarafian – March 11, 2026

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Hello and welcome to Invested in Wellness, I'm Jessi Serafian.

 

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So today's class is all about the core.

 

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I'm going to take you through some movements to strengthen our abdominals,

 

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obliques and lower back. It's perfect for all levels, so let's get started.

 

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Let's come lying down onto our backs.

 

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Hug our knees into our chest.

 

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Rocking from side to side.

 

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Relax the shoulders, soften the back of the neck.

 

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And begin to breathe deeply in and out through the nose.

 

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Keeping that right knee hugging into your chest, extend your left leg all

 

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the way down onto the floor. Take a deep breath in, and then

 

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exhale, hug that right in closer.

 

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Soften your shoulders.

 

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Breathing deeply.

 

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And then switch, hug your left knee in, extend your left leg all the way

 

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down, take a deep breath in, and exhale,

 

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hugging that left knee and closer.

 

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And then slowly bring your right knee to meet your left, rock

 

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side to side.

 

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And then place your hands on your knees, so right hand to your right, left

 

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hand to left knee, and then just start to make circles with

 

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your knees opening up into your hips.

 

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So your knees go away from you, your arms straight in, then you're gonna

 

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separate your knees wide, and then bring them back together into your chest.

 

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And then away, apart, together

 

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and in. And then just go nice, slow and controlled.

 

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Just warming up the body here.

 

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Staying with your breath.

 

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Come back to centre and you're gonna switch directions.

 

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So knees come towards you, apart, and then away.

 

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Together, apart.

 

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Away.

 

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One more round.

 

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And then release, place the soles of your feet onto the floor, separate your

 

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feet so they're hip width apart.

 

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So as you're laying here, you'll have that natural curve in your low

 

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back and your lumbar spine. So from here, you're just gonna tilt your pelvis

 

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and imprint that low back onto the ground.

 

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And then you're gonna slowly release and then inhale,

 

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imprint your lowback to the ground, exhale, release.

 

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So just do a few rounds, moving at your own pace.

 

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Just doing a few pelvic tilts, imprinting your low

 

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back to the ground.

 

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Again, very subtle movements.

 

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Release, you have that natural curve.

 

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Imprint your low-back.

 

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Exhale, release.

 

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Five more.

 

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And then slowly release.

 

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Inprint that low back onto your mat.

 

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So no space so you can use your hands see if there's any space there.

 

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So your low back is firmly planted onto the ground.

 

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You're going to slowly lift that right foot up coming to a tabletop and

 

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then release right foot down switching legs.

 

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Left foot rises come into a tablet top and then release.

 

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So we're going to go 10 on each side.

 

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Four.

 

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Five.

 

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Keep that low back firmly planted on the ground.

 

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Stay connected to your centre, your core.

 

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Seven.

 

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8.

 

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Nine.

 

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And ten. From here, keep that low back still firmly

 

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planted on your mat.

 

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Now you're going to lift both of your legs up to tabletop.

 

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Draw the belly in, stay connected to your centre.

 

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Now you're gonna tap your right toes to the ground, keep that left foot lifted,

 

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and then switch, tap your left toes to ground, keeping your legs in

 

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tabletop and keeping your core engaged,

 

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lower back firmly planted onto the ground.

 

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So 10 rounds, moving from right to left, go

 

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nice and slow, breathing deeply.

 

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Four.

 

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Five.

 

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Seven.

 

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8.

 

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Breathing deeply, nine.

 

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And ten.

 

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And slowly hug your knees in rock side to side,

 

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massaging into your low back.

 

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We're going to do one last sequence so this is a little bit more challenging so

 

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choosing the version that's right for you imprint that low back onto the

 

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ground knees are in tabletop from here you're going lower both of

 

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your legs and then come back up so if you want you

 

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can have both feet on the ground first variation

 

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one leg at a time maybe lowering one

 

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foot at a time, legs are up or lowering.

 

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Both of your feet to the ground, top your toes, lifting back

 

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up, but try not to lose your centre.

 

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Two.

 

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Three.

 

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Four.

 

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Five.

 

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Six.

 

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Seven.

 

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8

 

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Nine and ten.

 

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Slowly release, hug your knees in, rock side to side.

 

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Place your feet on the ground. This time you're gonna separate your feet wide,

 

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as wide as the mat. Knees are bent, open your arms out to the side, and

 

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then just drop both of your knees over towards the right.

 

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So as your knees fall to the right, feel that nice stretch on the top of

 

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your left thigh.

 

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One more deep breath in, exhale,

 

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come back to centre, dropping your knees over to the left.

 

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Inhaling here.

 

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And exhale, come back to centre,

 

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bring your feet back to hip width apart, and now we're gonna add on now.

 

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Feet hip width a part, reach your hands down by your side, see if you

 

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can touch the backs of your heels.

 

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Root down through your feet and then inhale, slowly lift your

 

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hips up, coming into a bridge.

 

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So knees draw away from you, chin away from your chest,

 

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lifting the hip.

 

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And then as you exhale, lower down slowly, upper back, middle back,

 

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low back, and hips.

 

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Five more like that. Inhale, lifting up.

 

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Exhale, lower down.

 

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Inhale up, squeeze your glutes at the top and

 

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exhale lower.

 

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Two more, inhale, bridge.

 

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Exhale, lower.

 

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Inhaling up.

 

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Exhale down.

 

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This time we're gonna add the arms. So as you inhale, you're gonna lift the

 

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hips, reach your arms up over your head,

 

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and then exhale, lower your hips down, arms come down

 

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by your side.

 

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Moving together, inhale, hips lift, reach your arm up and over.

 

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Exhale, lower down, arms by your side.

 

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Three more like that. Inhale, hips lift, arms

 

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reaching up, exhale, lower down.

 

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One more time. Inhale, lift the hips, reach your arms

 

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up and over. Again, staying here, hips are lifted.

 

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You're gonna lower your arms down by your side.

 

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You can stay here or you can interlace your hands underneath you.

 

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So you're rolling onto your shoulder blades, press your

 

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hands down, chin away from your chest.

 

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Imagine a block between your thighs, squeeze into that imaginary

 

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block and let's hold here for one.

 

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Two.

 

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3 4

 

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and five slowly release the hands lower your

 

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hips down pause for a moment

 

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and then bring your knees back into your chest and

 

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rock side to side

 

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From here, bring your hands underneath your knees.

 

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You're gonna rock yourselves up and back a few times.

 

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Rolling back and up.

 

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And up and then you're going to come all the way up

 

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extending that left leg out bending your right

 

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knee and then cross your right foot just over your left knee

 

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wrap that left arm around your leg right hand comes behind you inhale lengthen

 

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sit up tall engage that left leg so flex your foot so your

 

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toes are pointing up and then come into a nice twist this should feel really

 

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good in your twisting from your belly, gazing

 

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over your right shoulder for one.

 

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Three.

 

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Four and five slowly unwind come back

 

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to centre take a counter twist at the left

 

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and then release and then switching sides extending your right

 

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leg out bend your left knee cross your left foot just

 

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above your right knee engage that leg that's extended down

 

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through your heel left hand comes behind you wrapping your

 

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arm around that left sitting up nice and tall.

 

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Twisting from your belly, gazing over

 

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your left shoulder.

 

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For one.

 

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Too.

 

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Three.

 

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Four and five, unwind, come back to centre,

 

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count or twist to the right, and then slowly release,

 

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and then come on to all fours.

 

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Spread out through your fingers, wrists underneath your shoulders, knees

 

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hip-width apart, right underneath your hips.

 

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From here, inhale, drop the belly, sitting bones come up, lift the heart.

 

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Exhale, round into the back, draw the belly in, release the crown of the head.

 

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Two more times like that. Inhale.

 

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And exhale.

 

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Inhale, chest lift, shoulders back.

 

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And exhale in round.

 

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Coming back to centre. From here, you're gonna step back with your right foot,

 

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curling your toes under, and then reach your left fingertips out in front of

 

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you. So adjust so your right wrist is stacked right underneath

 

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your shoulder. Focus on a point, and then when you're ready, raise your left

 

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arm up and your right leg back.

 

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Pull up from your belly, breathe into your upper back.

 

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Take a deep breath in, and then exhale, bring your elbow to

 

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your knee, round into the back, squeeze everything together.

 

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And then exhale, extend your hand and leg back out.

 

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Exhale, pull it in.

 

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Inhale, extend.

 

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Exhale in.

 

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Two more, inhale.

 

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Exhale.

 

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Inhale in, inhale out, exhale,

 

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bring it in. Hold and then release, switching sides.

 

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First, start by extending that right left leg back, pushing back through your

 

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heel, shift your weight to your left hand, reaching your

 

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right fingertips out in front of you, focus on a point.

 

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Once you feel stable, right arm lifts, left leg lifts.

 

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Hold here, take a deep breath in.

 

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Exhale, elbow to knee, round to the back, squeeze everything together.

 

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Inhale, extend.

 

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Exhale in.

 

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Inhale.

 

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Exhale.

 

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Three more. Inhale.

 

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Exhale.

 

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Inhale, reach, exhale in.

 

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One more time, inhale.

 

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Exhale pull it in hold and then release right

 

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hand down left knee down sit back child's pose big toes together

 

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knees wide turn your palms so they're facing up and then

 

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soften your head down Gently

 

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move your hips side to side, melting your heart down

 

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towards the mat.

 

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Soften your shoulders and breathe.

 

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Very slowly press into your palms making your

 

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way back up coming on to all fours wrists

 

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underneath your shoulders from here you're gonna step back with your right foot

 

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step back to your left foot and come into a high plank so

 

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plank pose you're in one straight line with your body try not to sink into

 

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your hips so pull up from your belly breathe into

 

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your upper back push back for your heels, so strong arms, strong legs.

 

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Take a deep breath in and then exhale, slowly bend your knees,

 

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shift your hips back and come into downward facing dog.

 

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Walking your feet out, bending your left knee, bending you right,

 

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move side to side.

 

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From here, inhale, come back into plank pose.

 

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Holding here, one straight line with your body.

 

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You're gonna lower onto your right forearm, onto your left,

 

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and you're gonna hold for one.

 

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Three, four, and five.

 

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Straighten your right arm, straighten your left, come back into a plank,

 

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and then exhale, push back, downward facing dog.

 

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So we're going to do that a few more times.

 

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I'll offer you modifications. So inhale, come forward to plank,

 

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holding here. If you want, you can drop your knees, lower onto your right

 

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forearm, onto your left.

 

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Hold here for five or straighten your legs.

 

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Four, three,

 

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two, and one.

 

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Straighten your right arm, straighten your left, hold plank,

 

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exhale back. Downward facing dog.

 

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Breathing deeply.

 

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One more time, inhale come forward plank pose,

 

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lower onto your forearms, stay with that nice straight

 

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line for one.

 

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Drop your knees if you need to, three, four,

 

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and five. Straighten your arms, come back into a full plank,

 

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inhale, exhale back, downward facing dog.

 

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Take a deep breath in.

 

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Deep breath out.

 

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From here you're going to drop your knees, you're gonna come all the way onto

 

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your belly.

 

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Come onto your forearms, so your elbows right underneath

 

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your shoulders. Separate your feet a little bit wider than hip width.

 

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So we're coming into a sphinx pose.

 

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So press into your palms, pull your chest forward,

 

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roll your shoulders back.

 

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So feeling that nice stretch in your low back.

 

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If it's too much for you, pull the belly in.

 

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You can lower a little bit further down

 

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towards the mat.

 

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So just listen to your body here.

 

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Again, just going to that point where you feel the stretch,

 

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make any necessary movements.

 

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Staying lifted from here take a deep breath in

 

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and then exhale turning your head towards the right looking

 

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back at your foot your right foot inhale

 

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centre exhale turning your head to

 

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the left.

 

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Inhale, come back to centre, and then exhale, lower all

 

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the way down, turn your head to one side, arms alongside

 

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your body, palms facing up, and just gently

 

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rock side to side.

 

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And then push back into child's pose.

 

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Just for a breath, stretch your arms out in front of you.

 

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Very slowly walk your hands in,

 

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sitting back onto your heels, rolling up slowly,

 

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bring your knees together, shift your hips to one side, reach your

 

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legs out in front of you, and then you're going to make your way onto

 

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your back again.

 

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Hug your knees into your chest, rock side to side.

 

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We'll do one more fiery core

 

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exercise. You're gonna interlace your hands behind

 

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your head, keeping your knees bent.

 

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You're going to slowly peel your shoulders and your

 

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chest off the mat, and you're going bring your right elbow to your

 

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left knee, extend your right leg out, and then switch.

 

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Left knee to right elbow and switch, so.

 

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Moving from side to side.

 

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Bicycle crunches here

 

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Five, six,

 

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breathe, seven.

 

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08, 9,

 

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10, 11,

 

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12, we'll go to 15, 13,

 

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14, and 15.

 

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Release, pull your knees in, separate your

 

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knees wide, Ah, grab the outer edges of

 

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your feet, happy baby pose.

 

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Holding your knees down towards you on either side, rock side

 

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to side.

 

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Bring your knees together, extending your arms out,

 

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spinal twist, dropping your knees to the right.

 

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Soften your left shoulder down.

 

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Coming back up to centre and dropping your knees over

 

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to the left.

 

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Soften your right shoulder down.

 

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Coming back up to centre, giving your

 

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knees a big hug, lift the shoulders, lift the head up, draw your nose towards

 

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your knees, squeeze everything together, and then exhale, release

 

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the head down, extend your legs out in front of you.

 

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Coming into final relaxation, Shavasana,

 

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arms alongside your body, palms facing up, closing the eyes.

 

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Melting, surrendering onto your mat,

 

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let your body take in the work that you did.

 

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From the crown of the head all the way down to your feet.

 

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Soften every muscle in the body.

 

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So as you lay here, I'll read today's meditation

 

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by Melody Beattie's Journey to the Heart.

 

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Enjoy the changing scenery.

 

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How easy it is to think.

 

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I will be feeling like this forever, but look at how quickly the

 

[00:25:03.635]

scenery changes.

 

[00:25:05.604]

In the space of a few hours while driving down the highway, we can see

 

[00:25:09.708]

mountains, deserts, a petrified forest, and iron-rich

 

[00:25:14.679]

messes. In the place of a day, we can courage, faith,

 

[00:25:19.351]

despair, desolation, anger, healing, and joy.

 

[00:25:23.555]

If there's one thing that's true, it's this.

 

[00:25:26.224]

The universe is always changing.

 

[00:25:28.693]

It is constant, continual evolution.

 

[00:25:32.664]

The same holds true for the minutes, hours, and days of our lives.

 

[00:25:37.269]

We are continually changing and shifting.

 

[00:25:40.272]

Each emotion, attitude, and experience, each piece of

 

[00:25:44.476]

scenery leads into the next.

 

[00:25:47.045]

Put them all together and what do you have?

 

[00:25:49.581]

A grand journey. An exciting trip that leads to someplace worth

 

[00:25:53.552]

going and someplace worth being, each moment you are

 

[00:25:57.622]

here.

 

[00:25:59.324]

Look at how quickly the scenery changes, learn to enjoy

 

[00:26:03.328]

the view.

 

[00:26:15.173]

So start to bring your attention back into your breath.

 

[00:26:21.279]

Taking deep inhales and exhales in and out through the nose.

 

[00:26:28.086]

Start to wiggle your fingers and your toes, bringing small movements

 

[00:26:32.190]

back into the body.

 

[00:26:35.694]

Slowly bringing your legs together, reach your arms up and over your head.

 

[00:26:40.365]

To the streets, start health care centres,

 

[00:26:44.035]

Getting nice.

 

[00:26:45.170]

Take a deep breath in, and exhale,

 

[00:26:50.342]

hold it up. Put your knees, place your feet on the mat, gently

 

[00:26:54.512]

roll over on your feet.

 

[00:26:56.681]

Staying here for a moment.

 

[00:27:00.952]

And then slowly pushing yourself up, coming into

 

[00:27:05.156]

a comfortable seated position at the top of your mat.

 

[00:27:10.395]

Bring your palms together in front of your heart, sitting up tall.

 

[00:27:17.702]

Taking this opportunity to thank your body for

 

[00:27:21.640]

the work that you did today.

 

[00:27:24.242]

Thank you for sharing your energy.

 

[00:27:26.778]

Let's have a wonderful day.

 

[00:27:28.880]

Namaste. Thank you so much.

 

[00:27:31.616]

See you next time. Take care.

 

[00:27:51.603]

Thanks for listening to, or watching,

Fidelity Canada's The Upside podcast.

 

[00:27:55.907]

Subscribe on your podcast platform

of choice so you don't miss an episode.

 

[00:27:59.678]

If you like what you're hearing,

please leave a review or a five star rating.

 

[00:28:03.548]

Fidelity Mutual Funds

and ETFs are available by working

 

[00:28:06.384]

with a financial advisor

or through an online brokerage account.

 

[00:28:09.788]

Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy

for more information.

 

[00:28:13.324]

While on fidelity.ca, you can also find

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[00:28:17.696]

and don't forget to follow Fidelity Canada

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[00:28:24.969]

Thanks for tuning

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