The Upside: Invested in Wellness with Jessie Sarafian – March 18, 2026
Flow through a series of energizing Sun Salutations designed to warm the body, build strength, and create rhythmic connection between breath and movement. This class is perfect for cultivating heat and grounding your practice.
Transcript
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Hello and welcome to Invested in Wellness, I'm Jessi Serafian.
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So today I'm gonna take you through variations of a sun salutation.
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So these are great flows to connect our breath and our
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movement, it helps to warm up the body, and overall a great way to
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start our day. So let's get started.
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We're gonna come in a child's pose.
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Bring your big toes together, separate your knees wide, reach your
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arms straight out in front of you.
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So let's just ground here on our mat.
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Soften your shoulders, melting your heart down
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and just breathe into your front, your side and back body.
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And with every inhale and every exhale, working
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towards bringing your hips closer towards your heels.
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Again, you can gently rock a little bit more from side to side.
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So staying in your child's pose, just reach your arms straight out in front of
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you so your elbows are lifted.
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Take a deep breath in.
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And then as you exhale, walking your hands over towards the right.
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So slightly off your mat, feeling that stretch on the left side of the body,
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releasing the head back down.
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Inhaling here.
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Exhale back to centre and then walking your hand over towards
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right releasing the head.
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Inhaling here, exhale back to centre and
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then slowly lifting up onto all fours,
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knees or hip width apart, hands shoulder width apart
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wrists underneath your shoulders.
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You're gonna shift your weight to your left hand, you're gonna inhale open the
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chest reach your right arm up towards the ceiling and then just start to
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rotate that right arm.
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Forward and down. So just creating some openness and space here in
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our shoulders and in our chest.
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I'm going to reach that.
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Right arm up, pause, take a deep breath in, gaze up towards that hand
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and then as you exhale you're going to swing your right arm under your left
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palm facing up, come down onto that right shoulder.
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Soften your head, gentle tuck of your chin into your chest.
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Let's just hold here for five, four,
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three.
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Two and one. Press into your left hand, come back up
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and then we'll go right into the other side, shifting your weight to your right
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hand. Inhale, reach your left arm up, open the chest, gaze up
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and then swing your left and back behind you, down,
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forward and back up.
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Feel that expansion and openness on the whole left
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side of your body.
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One more round, reach that
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left arm up, pause at the top, deep breath in, and then exhale
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swing your left arm under your right, palm facing up, come down
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onto your left shoulder.
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Soften your head and hold for five.
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Four.
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Three.
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Two.
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And one, press into your right hand, slowly come back up,
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come back onto all fours, and we'll just do a few rounds of cat and cow.
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So as you inhale, you're gonna drop the belly, sitting bones come up, lift the
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heart.
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Exhale, round into the back, draw the belly and release the crown of the head.
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Two more times like that, inhale.
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Exhale.
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Inhale up.
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Exhale back.
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One more time, inhale.
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And I Coming back
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to centre, you're gonna step back with your right foot, step back with your
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left foot coming into a high plank.
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Strong in your arms, strong in your legs.
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Bring your attention to your core, your centre.
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Hold for five, four.
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And one slight bend in your knees, lift your hips up and
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come into downward facing dog.
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Pedal your feet out, shake out your head, no tension in
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your neck.
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From downward facing dog, keep your feet where they are.
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You're gonna slowly start to walk your hands back to meet your
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feet. So you're at the back of the mat, coming into a standing forward fold.
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Bend your knees deeply, you can grab opposite elbows.
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Gently sway side to side.
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Again, relax the head, no tension in your neck.
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And then very slowly release the hands.
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You're gonna roll up to stand nice and slow, nice and low.
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Head comes up last.
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Once you've come up, loop your shoulders up and back.
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And then forward and down.
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Again, you're gonna make your way up to the top of your mat, bring your
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big toes together, heel slightly apart, stand up nice and tall in
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a mountain pose, root down through your heels, arms down
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by your side, lengthen the spine, reach up through the crown of the head,
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stand tall, stand proud.
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Stand strong.
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And then you're gonna root down through your heels, inhale, reach the arms
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up and over your head, palms come together, slight gaze up.
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And then exhale, you're going to hinge from your hips, fold forward over your
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legs. You can bend your knees as much as you need to here.
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On an inhale, you are going to come up halfway, fingertips on your shin,
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gaze forward, come into a nice flat back.
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And then as you exhale, your gonna bend your knee deeply, bring your hands to
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the ground, you gonna step back with your left foot.
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Bring your left knee to the ground, uncurl your toes, and then inhale,
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reach the arms up. So coming into a low lunge to start.
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Reaching your fingertips up, soften your shoulders, and then sink a
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little bit deeper into that front knee.
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Hold here for one.
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Two.
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Three.
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Four and five. Release your hands to the mat, step back plank pose.
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As you exhale lower chaturanga, hug your elbows in.
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You can come all the way onto your belly if you'd like.
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Inhale cobra or up dog, lifting the heart and
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then exhale back downward facing dog.
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Stretch it back. Take a deep breath in,
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deep breath out.
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Lift your heels up high, look forward, bend the knees.
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You can lightly hop or step to the top of the mat.
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Take an inhale, come up halfway.
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Exhale and fold.
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Inhale, rise up to stand, reach, knee arms up.
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And exhale, hands together in front of your heart.
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Left side, inhale, arms reach up.
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Exhale, fold forward.
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Inhale, come on halfway.
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Exhale, bend your knees deeply, hands to the ground.
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This time, you're gonna step back with your right foot.
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Right knee comes down, uncurl your toes.
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Inhale, rise up, low lunge.
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Reach up through your fingertips, drop your shoulders,
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holding here for one.
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Three.
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Four and five release your hands to the mat step back
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plank pose exhale chaturanga inhale cobra
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or up dog exhale back downward facing
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dog take a deep breath in
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Deep breath out.
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Bend the knees, lift your heels up high, look forward, step or hop, top
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of the mat. Inhale, come up halfway.
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Exhale and fold.
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Inhale, rise up to stand, reaching the arms up.
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Exhale, hands together in front of your heart.
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So we're gonna add on to that now.
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Inhale, arms reach up high.
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As you exhale, fold forward over your legs.
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Take a deep breath in, come up halfway.
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This time as you exhale, bend your knees deeply, hands to the ground.
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This time you're gonna step back with your left foot.
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Keep that left knee lifted.
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Stay in your low lunge here.
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Come onto your fingertips, focus on a point, walk your hands up your front
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knee, your thigh, hands onto your hips, and
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then inhale, reach the arms up.
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Sink deeper into your front.
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If you need to modify, you can always bring that left knee to the ground.
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Coming into that first variation.
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Stay with your breath, one.
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Two.
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Three.
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Four and five. Hands to the mat, step back plank,
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exhale, Chaturanga.
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Inhale, upward facing dog, exhale back,
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downward facing dog.
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Take a deep breath in, deep breath
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out.
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Lift your heels up high, look forward, bend the knees, step or hop,
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top of the mat. Inhale, come up halfway,
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exhale and fold.
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Inhale, rise up to stand.
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Arms reach up high, palms come together.
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Exhale, hands together in front of your heart.
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Left side, inhale.
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Exhale, fold.
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Inhale, come up halfway.
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Exhale, bend your knees, hands down.
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Step back with your right foot.
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Stay in your low lunge. Right knee is lifted, push back through your heel.
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Walk your hands up your front knee, your thigh, hands onto your hips,
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steady your balance, and when you're ready,
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reaching the arms up and hold.
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One.
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Two.
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Three.
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Four.
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And five, release your hands down, step back plank,
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exhale chaturanga, inhale upward facing dog
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and 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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Lift your heels up high, look forward, bend the knees, step or hop, top of
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the mat. Inhale, come up halfway.
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Exhale and fold.
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Inhale, rise up to stand, reaching the arms up.
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And exhale, hands together in front of your heart.
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Adding on now to that.
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So feet together, heels together, thighs together.
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You're gonna bend your knees, inhale, sweep the arms up and come into chair
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pose. So imagine you're sitting back into a chair.
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Tuck your tailbone under, lengthen the spine, make sure you can see your toes.
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So put more weight back into your heels, arms reaching up
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high on either side of your ears.
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Bend the knees, sink a little bit deeper.
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Take one more deep breath in and then exhale,
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straighten your legs and fold.
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Inhale, come up halfway.
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Exhale, bend your knees, bring your hands down to the mat.
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You're gonna step back into plank.
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Inhale and plank. Exhale, downward facing dog.
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Feet come together. Inhale, you're gonna stretch your right leg all the way up.
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Towards the ceiling, bend the knee and open up into that
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right hip.
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And then straighten your right leg, square off your hips, look forward,
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right foot steps forward between your hands.
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So if your foot doesn't reach, just grab your ancle and step it forward.
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Stay on the ball of that left foot.
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Back leg is strong. When you're ready, inhale, rise up.
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And then as you exhale, turn your back heel in and you're gonna
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open up into warrior two.
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So your torso's facing the left side, just your gaze is over
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your right fingertips and hold for one.
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Three.
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Four and five turn your right palm up reach it
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up and over left hand comes down your leg come into reverse warrior open
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the chest and then exhale bring your right elbow to your
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front knee and then reach your left arm up andover side
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angle chest is lifted reach
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up through that left Bring your tips forward and then look
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down towards the floor.
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Hands to the mat step back plank pose exhale chaturanga
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inhaling up and exhaling
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back find your breath
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feet come together, doing all that again on the left side.
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Left leg reaches up high, bend the knee, open
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up your hip.
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And then straighten your left leg, square off your hips, left
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foot steps forward between your hands.
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Adjust here, knee over your ancle, stay on the ball of your right foot.
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When you're ready, inhale, rise up.
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And then turn your back heel in, open up into Warrior II.
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Reach out through your fingertips and gaze over your left hand
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for one.
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Three.
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Four and five turn your left palm up reach it up and
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over coming into reverse warrior and then exhale
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bring your elbow to your front knee reach your right arm up and
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Find length on that whole right side of the body.
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And then look down towards your mat, hands come down, step back
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plank, chaturanga.
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Inhaling up and exhaling back.
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Take a deep breath in.
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Deep breath out.
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This time drop your knees, child's pose.
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You're gonna bring your arms alongside your body, palms facing up.
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Soften your shoulders, rest your head down.
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And gently rock from side to side.
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By now, you should feel warmth in
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your body.
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The increase in your heart rate.
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In your breath.
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Start to slow it down, even out your inhales and your
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exhales.
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Slowly bring your hands by your side.
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You're gonna push up, sitting back onto your heels,
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nice and slow. Bring your knees together, shift your hips to one
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side. Reach your legs out in front of you.
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Make your way onto your back.
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Hug your knees into your chest, rock side to side.
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And then place the soles of your feet onto the mat.
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You're gonna cross your right ancle just above your left knee and flex your
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foot. Use your right hand to draw that right thigh away
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from you. So right away, you can feel that stretch into
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your outer right hip.
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This can be your pose right here if you want to go deeper reach your right hand
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through your legs pick up your left foot and then interlace
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your hands around your left thigh so as that
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left knee comes in closer working towards bringing that right knee away
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from you so you can use your right elbow to push that right thigh
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away and breathe.
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Very slowly release, uncross your
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legs, separate your feet wide, as wide as the mat, and then drop
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your knees to the right.
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Inhale up, drop your knees to the left.
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And coming back to centre, feet comes closer together.
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Cross your left ancle just above your right knee, holding
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here. Use that left hand to push that left thigh away from
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you, feeling the difference between sides.
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If you wanna go deeper, reaching your left hand through your legs,
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pick up your right foot.
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Right knee comes in closer, but at the same time, left knee draws
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away from you.
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Slowly lower down, uncross your legs,
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separate your feet wide again, as wide as the mat, and then drop your knees
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to the left.
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You kneel to centre, knees to the right.
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Coming back up, bring your feet together,
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hug your knees in, give your knees a big hug, lift the shoulders, lift the head
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up, draw your nose towards your knees, squeeze everything together.
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And then exhale, release the head down, extend your legs out
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in front of you.
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Arms alongside your body, palms facing up, coming into Shavasana,
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final relaxation.
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Soften every muscle in the body from the crown of your head all the way down
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to your feet.
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Focus on your breath, on the space,
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in the space.
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And as you lay here and breathe.
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I'll read today's meditation by Melody Beattie's journey to
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the heart.
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Heart connections.
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For a long time, our connections to people and places may have
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come from someplace other than our hearts.
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We may have been connected out of need, fear, unfinished
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business, or simply the unwillingness to leave, to know there
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was.
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To know there was any other way to be connected.
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Or we may not have even felt particularly connected to
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the people around us.
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Now is a different time.
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It is time now to let your connections come from your heart.
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Open up, listen.
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Does someone have something to say?
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Maybe only a sentence or two.
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That's just what you need to hear.
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As you're going through your day, does someone come to mind, someone you think
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about getting in touch with?
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Don't shrug off the things you know and sense.
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Be open to your inner voice.
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Do what it leads you to do.
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Love isn't bound by time or space when our connections come
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from our heart.
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So start to bring your attention back into your breath.
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Taking deep inhales and exhales, in and out through the nose.
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Start to wiggle your fingers, your toes, bring small
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movements back into the body.
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Slowly bring your legs together, reach your arms up and over your head.
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Take a deep stretch out through your fingers, out through you toes,
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get nice and long, take a deep breath in.
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Open the mouth, let it go.
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Bend your knees, place your feet on the mat, gently roll over onto your right
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side, staying here for a moment.
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And then slowly pushing yourself up, coming into
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a comfortable seated position at the top of your mat, palms
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together in front of your heart.
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Thanking your body for the work that you did today.
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Thank you for taking the time to practise and sharing your energy.
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Have a wonderful day.
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Thank you so much. See you next time.
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Take care.
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Thanks for listening to, or watching,
Fidelity Canada's The Upside podcast.
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Fidelity Mutual Funds
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with a financial advisor
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Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy
for more information.
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While on fidelity.ca, you can also find
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