A life lived in fear is a life half lived.

• Spanish proverb.

A faster-paced and fiery Lila Flow class builds heat in the body as you connect to your inner strength. This class includes twists, leg balancing, hip and hamstring opening, and back bending to feel strong and spacious once you hit savasana. The theme for this class is fear; connect to where you feel fear in your body and breathe into that space as you move. Fear originates in the amygdala in the brain, and we tend to feel fear in our belly. Connect to your inner power, your core, and breathe as you conquer your fear with balancing postures!

Style: Lila Flow

Duration: 32-minutes

Level: open

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: twists and leg balancing.

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Music: Pete Wonder

Take the class without music: Fear Lila Flow w/o music

Opening Meditation

Come to stand at the top of your mat with your hands at your heart or by your sides. Close your eyes, and take a moment to connect to your body, how you feel, and your breath. The theme for today’s class is fear.

A life lived in fear is a life half lived. Fear holds us back. Fear hinders us from taking a chance. Fear blocks us from following our passions. When was the last time you felt fear? Where does fear live in your body? Can you breathe into your fear? Can you learn to dance with your fear?

The offering for today’s class is to dedicate your practice to fear. Keep revisiting the place in your body where the fear lives, and breathe there.

Opening Flow

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Balasana (child’s pose)

Roll up to shins at the back of your mat

• Inhale and take the arms overhead
• Exhale and take the hands to the front of your mat

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Inhale and sweep the arms overhead
• Exhale and take the ribs to thighs with arms back behind you

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Balasana (child’s pose)

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Uttanasana (forward fold) variation with hands interlaced at your back

• Alternate bending each knee and taking each shoulder to the knee, gently twisting to the side

Roll up to stand with your hands interlaced at your back

Vrikshasana (tree pose) variation with the hands interlaced at your back

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1)

Baddha Virabhadrasana (humble warrior)

Anjaneyasana (low lunge) variation with hands overhead and a slight twist to one side

Anjaneyasana (low lunge) variation with eagle arms

Garudasana (eagle pose)

• Option to take nesting eagle by bringing the elbows to your knees and rounding the spine

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Repeat the same sequence on the other side

Wave 2

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Inhale and sweep the arms overhead
• Exhale and take the ribs to thighs with arms back behind you

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation on a diagonal with arms overhead toward the front of your mat.

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) variation with hips stacked.

Phalakasana (plank pose) variation with your extended leg tucked into your chest.

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

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Virabhadrasana || (warrior 2) variation with arms extended to the back of your mat

Trikonasana (triangle pose)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Roll up to stand

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (standing hand to foot pose)

Garudasana (eagle pose)

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1) variation with eagle arms

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1)

Uttanasana (forward fold) variation with crossed legs

• Option to place hands on the blocks
• Option to walk hands over to one side of your mat to release the glutes

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Cooling Flow

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)

Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)

Supta Kapotasana (reclined pigeon pose)

Supta Matsyendrasana (supine twist)

Savasana or seated meditation to close.