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

• Inhale and lift your chest off of the ground
• Exhale and lower your chest to the ground

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

• Stack your hips and bend your extended knee

Vasisthasana (side plank pose)

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard) variation

• Lower your extended hip to the ground
• Press the earth away from you with your lowered hand
• Heavey your side waist toward the earth
• Look over your shoulder

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: 

• Donkey kicks OR handstand hops if you’re working with inversions

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