Playful with purpose, in this heart-opening class, you’ll work on back and core strengthening as you build toward Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose) as your peak. Open the class with Clara by chanting to Krishna, the God of Sustainability and Compassion. Expect leg balancing, arm balancing, and deep twists to build core strength, and chest and quadricep opening to prepare you for deep back bending from the ground.

For the short version of this class (45-minutes) please visit: https://practice.clararobertsoss.com/programs/for-the-love-of-krishna-vinyasa-45

For the Krishna mythology class (15-minutes) please visit: https://practice.clararobertsoss.com/programs/mythology-krishna-meditation

Spotify playlist:

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 60-minutes

Level: open-levels

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: core and back strengthening to backbend Wheel, Urdhva Dhanurasana

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Mythology for Krisha 

Krishna is part of the Trimurti, the tremendous forces that create the cycle of life. The Trimurti consists of Brahma (creator), Krishna as the avatar of Vishnu (sustainer), and Shiva (destroyer).

Avatars of Vishnu are seen to motivate the human race and inspire humankind as a reminder of our divinity. Other avatars for Vishnu would be Jesus Christ and Mohammad.

When we see Krisha in mythology, he is blue and usually surrounded by women. Krishna clones himself to be with all of the women at the same time to represent that love is all around us and that Krishna is everywhere and everyone’s great lover.

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion and how we celebrate Krishna. Bhakta’s are the practitioners of Bhakti yoga. A spiritual practice is one that makes us feel whole- it takes us to a holy place. If we devote ourselves to a sacred act or action/ activism, it gives us purpose; it grounds us. May we through this mantra and being together, may we feel connected to all aspects of ourselves that make us who we are- the totality of who we truly are. May we love, accept, and embrace all aspects of ourselves.

Mantra for Krishna

This chant praises Krishna and honors the divine.

Radha is the feminine aspect of Krishna – an all-loving force.

Through this mantra, we chant to the feminine and masculine versions in ourselves, this creative force, celebrating and praising the joyous union.

Hari = is one of the names for Vishnu.

Krishna = honors Krishna

Ram = honors Radha, Krishna’s consort

Hari Krishna Hari Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hari Hari 

Hari Ram Hari Ram

Ram Ram Hari Hari 

As we chant together, we dedicate the practice to the totality of who we are, to becoming whole and celebrating all parts of ourselves.

10-breaths to do as you please, options:

• Balasana (child’s pose)
• Marjaiasana/Bitilasana (cat/cows)
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)
• Uttanasana (forward fold)

Come to stand at the top of your mat in tadasana with hands at your heart.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (halfway lift)

Anjaneyasana (low lunge) variation with the option to use a blanket or block to support the knee

• Take hands to the back of the head.
• Bring elbows to the forehead.
• Inhale, lengthen the chest
• Exhale draw the belly to the spine
• Breathe into the long-line from back knee to elbows

Āñjaneyāsana (lunge)

Kumbhakasana (plank pose)

• Drag hands back to toes isometrically.
• Pull toes forward to the wrists isometrically.
• Breathe here for 3-5 breaths

Chaturanga

Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana/ Bhujangasana (upward dog or cobra)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged dog)

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1) variation with one hand behind the head and the other hand to the opposite elbow.

Virabhadrasana | (warrior 1) variation on a diagonal

• Take hands overhead and extend from tips to toes, OR
• Take hands to heart to support the low back.
• Hold here and breathe 3-5 breaths.

Virabhadrasana ||| (warrior 3) variation with standing leg bent

• Hands at heart, OR
• Extend arms out in front of you with biceps by the ears

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Standing quad stretch

• Take one hand to the ankle at your bum.
• Take the other hand to the sky OR both hands to the sky.

Uttanasana (forward fold) variation with feet crossed, then lift heels off the ground.

Bakasana (crow pose) with ankles crossed.

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other side.

Wave 2

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Parivrtta Utkatasana (chair twist)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Move as you please for 5-breaths to transition, options:

• Take the half vinyasa,
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog),
• Balasana (child’s pose)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged dog)

Āñjaneyāsana (low lunge) variation

• Take hands behind the head as we did before, OR
• Bring hands to low back as you would in Ustrasana (camel)
• Hold and breathe 3-5 breaths.
• Then, take hands to the front leg and breathe here to neutralize the spine.

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation with fingertips tented on the earth and lift the chest

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (revolved lunge)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)

Vasisthasana (side plank pose)

Move as you please for 5-breaths to transition, options:

• Take the half vinyasa,
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog),
• Balasana (child’s pose)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)

Repeat the same sequence on the other side.

Peak Pose Flow

Come to sit back on heels.

Take your 2 blocks and set them under your heels at the top of your mat for 3 backbends.

1. Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana (bridge pose) variation with heels on blocks.

*** Using the blocks under the heels gives your lower back more space as the heels are up higher.

1. Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose) with hands wide and elbows a little bent.
2. Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose) with blocks under the hands and heels off of the mat.

Cooling Flow 

Supta Matsyendrasana (reclined spinal twist)

OR

Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist)

Supta Baddha Konasana (reclined bound angle pose)

OR

Baddha Konasana (seated bound angle pose) variation with a side waist stretch

Take a pose of choice to close your practice; options include:

• A forward fold of choice,
• Legs up the wall,
• Seated meditation,
• Savasana.