A Lila Flow yoga class with side waist lengthening and upper body strengthening as you work towards handstand as the peak pose. This class includes a little bit of everything with lunges, hamstring and hip opening, backbends, inversions, and twists. Perfect for anyone who sits all day and needs to strengthen and stretch the body to relieve mental or physical tension. A short class that opens with a poem by Pablo Neruda and closes with a longer floor series to help ground over-stimulation and calm the nervous system.
It is Born by Pablo Neruda
Here, I came to the boundaries
where nothing needs to be said,
everything is learned with weather and ocean,
and the moon returned
with its lines silvered
and each time the shadow was broken
by the crash of a wave
and each day on the balcony of the sea
wings open, fire is born
and everything continues blue as the morning.
* translated by Stephen Mitchell
Style: Lila Flow
Duration: 30-mins
Level: open
Props: 2 blocks
Focus: inversions
Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC
Spotify Playlist: The Ability to Sustain
Opening Meditation
Come up to stand at the top of your mat. Take your feet wider than mat distance and close your eyes. Bring one palm to your heart and the other palm to your lower belly and connect to your breath.
Wave 1
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Anjaneyasana (lunge)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) variation on fingertips
Phalakasana
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 2
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Anjaneyasana (lunge) – hold for 5 breaths
Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1)
Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1) variation with hands behind the back
Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (standing splits pose)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) variation
Vasisthasana (side plank pose)
Utthan Pristhasana (lizard) variation
Anantasana (Vishu’s couch)
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)
Chaturanga
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Hop or step to the front of your mat
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.
Second set:
Floor Sequence
Malasana (yogi squat)
Virasana (hero pose) OR Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose)
Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana (bridge pose) – hold for 8 breaths
Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose) OR knees to chest
Jathara Parivartanasana (reclined spinal twist)
Savasana