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
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
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
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
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.
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