A smooth vinyasa practice that works with Mandala Namaskars from Shiva Rea’s Prana Flow Yoga, this class features twists and hip opening. You’ll move from the front and back of your mat in a circular sequence through variations of tree, half moon, and lunges. Backbends from the ground with no hands strengthen the spine and upper back muscles. A longer floor series with inversions settle the nervous system. Class opens with visualization and the Pavamana Mantra. Close with a seated meditation and savasana.

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 120-minutes

Level: intermediate/advanced

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: twists, hip openers

Music: Anchor Spotify Playlist

Meditation

Come to a seat of your choice and close your eyes.

Take a couple of deep breaths to allow yourself to align and arrive in the here and now.

As the dust of your day begins to settle, observe how you feel in your physical body.

Visualization

Bring your awareness into your pelvis and envision that your pelvis is a bowl. A very deep bowl. Envision what the bowl is made of; wood, porcelain, clay. What is it made of? Imagine that there is a marble at the base of the bowl. Put your hands on the ground or your knees and thighs, and imagine that you are rolling the marble around at the base of the bowl. Gently rock and tilt your pelvis from the front and back, side and side. Lift the sits bones from the ground as you rock and roll your body slowly to create circular motions in either direction.

The base of your spine is the anchor, and as it moves, it shifts everything from top to bottom. For practice, focus on the base of the spine- your anchor. We’ll work with Mula bandha to engage the root lock and contain the energy at the base of the spine.

Mantra

Aum (x3) to bring our voices together

Pavana Mantra 

Asato ma sadgamaya

Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya

Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya

Om shanti shanti shanti

Meaning of the mantra:

Asato ma sadgamaya – lead me from ignorance, lead me to truth

Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya – lead me from darkness, lead me to light

Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya – lead me from death, lead me to immortality 

Om shanti shanti shanti – peace peace peace

Movement

Sufi grinds from tabletop – rolling the hips from side to side, forward and back.

Cultivate ujjayi pranayama as you start to move

Balasana (child’s pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Mandala Sun Salutations 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with the back knee on the ground

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Place your fingertips on the ground
• Extend the back knee as you lengthen your chest forward
• Inhale here
• Exhale and walk your hands to the BACK of your mat

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with the back knee on the ground

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with the back knee on the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold) at the back of your mat

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Mandala Sun Salutations 2

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Place your fingertips on the ground
• Extend the back knee as you lengthen your chest forward
• Inhale here
• Exhale and walk your hands to the BACK of your mat

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Uttanasana (forward fold) at the back of your mat

• Clasp your palms at the small of your back
• Lift your arms toward the sky as you lower the crown of your head

Roll up to stand with your chin tucked into your chest

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Prasarita Padottanasana(wide-legged standing forward fold)

Skandasana (wide legged squat pose)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) at the BACK of the mat

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2) variation with tug-of-war

Trikonasana (triangle) variation with the bottom hand off the ground

Parsva Urdhva Hastasana (standing half moon) variation with a side waist stretch.

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Wave 2

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair) variation with flowing arms

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with a flowing twist

Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged standing forward fold)

Skandasana (wide-legged squat pose over one leg)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) from the BACK of the mat

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2) variation with tug-of-war

Trikonasana (triangle pose)

Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) variation with bottom hand hovering from the ground.

Vrikshasana(tree) variation with a twist

Parsva Urdhva Hastasana (standing half moon) variation

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Backbend Sequence 

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Lower to the ground

Bhujangasana(cobra pose) variation with cactus arms

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana(bridge pose) variations

• Take your arms into a robot for 8 breaths
• Extend one leg and hold for 8 breaths, then switch

Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)

Lunar Sequence 

Pavanamuktasana(wind release)

Ardha Ananda Balasana (half happy baby)

Jathara Parivartanasana (reclined spinal twist)

Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) OR Viparaita Karani (legs up the wall)

Take a seated meditation or enjoy a long savasana (corpse) to close.