To the dance of life, to feel our own rhythm. 

A fluid vinyasa yoga class expresses the entire body through movement and breath. This class opens with moving meditation and simple stretching for the side waist and pelvis. Sun salutations and a sequence with leg balancing, twists, and hip opening create space and strength in the body. This class features a poem by Hafiz.

Poem to anchor your practice:

Forever Dance by Hafiz

I am happy even before I have a reason.

I am full of Light even before the sky

Can greet the sun or the moon.

Dear companions,

We have been in love with God

For so very, very long.

What can we now do but Forever

Dance!

Style: Vinyasa Yoga

Duration: 55-minutes

Level: open

Props: Blocks

Focus: hip openers, full body

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Forever Dance Spotify Playlist

Moving Meditation

Come to stand at the top of your mat and take your feet wide.

Inhale and take one arm over your head for a side waist stretch for a few breaths.

Reach both arms overhead and then repeat on the opposite side.

Use this time to dance with your breath and connect to each movement with an inhale or exhalation.

Pranic Moving Meditation

• Inhale and reach your arms overhead with legs long.
• Exhale and bend the knees as you sweep your arms toward the ground.
• Create long, wide circles with your arms as you sweep them toward the sky and then down toward the earth.
• Round your spine as you fold and arch the spine as you lift.
• Bend the knees for stability.
• Create circles in one direction before shifting to the other direction.

Pranic moving meditation from Pana Flow Yoga

• With bent knees and hands on the ground, inhale and bend one knee and extend the opposite leg. Keep the spine long as you inhale and shift to the other side with the legs in the same position. Flow back and forth with your fingertips on the ground as you inhale and exhale.
• Stay on one side with one knee bent and the other extended, now inhale and slowly rise to stand and wave your arms behind your head and over to the other side and move down to the ground.
• Repeat several cycles flowing from side to side, up and down to the other side.

Opening Poses

Utkata Konasana (goddess pose) variation with a twist

Ardha Kati Chakrasana (standing side waist stretch)

Why we stretch the side body:

• Relieve tension from the muscles that attach to the ribcage and the muscles between the rib bones—the intercostal muscles allow the ribs to express range of motion and the lungs to respond to the increase and pressure of air.
• Muscles stretched include the Quadratus Lumborum, Latissimus Dorsi, Serratus Anterior, and the Obliques.
• The digestive and lymphatic benefits from side body stretching. Opening the side body creates more space for and around the colon, intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Taking the arms above the head stimulates the lymph nodes in the armpits and spleen to propel lymphatic flow throughout the body to aid drainage.

Utkata Konasana (goddess pose) variation with cactus arms

• Take one elbow to your thigh and roll your chest open
• Extend the opposite arm over your head
• Breathe into your side body
• Lift one heel from the ground
• Hold and breathe
• Repeat on the other side

Utkata Konasana (goddess pose) variation with arms extended

• Press your palms together in line with your shoulders
• Breathe into your back body
• Option to lift both heels from the ground

2x Sun Salutations 

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Take one arm down toward the ground and breathe into your side waist
• Lift your front heel from the ground and breathe into this shape

Balasana (child’s pose)

Bidalasana (cat pose)

Ashtangasana (eight-pointed pose)

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Cactus your arms wide to either side
• Inhale and express the chest
• Exhale and take one elbow toward your outer hip
• Inhale through center
• Exhale to the opposite side
• Repeat several cycles with your breath

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence starting on the opposite leg.

Wave 1 

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)

Chatarunga

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

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2 pose) variation

• Take your hands overhead and towards the back of your mat
• Lift your front heel off the ground

Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Marichyasana (seated spinal twist)

Kapotasana (pigeon pose)

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

• Hold and breathe or take hip mandalas by drawing circles with the extended leg.

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (standing hand to foot pose) variation

• Bend the knee of the extended leg
• Draw circles with your leg that is lifted
• Reach your hands overhead
• Breathe into your side waist

Ardha Kati Chakrasana (standing side waist stretch) variation with crossed toes

• Option to lift your heels from the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold) variation with crossed toes

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence starting on the opposite leg.

Floor Series

Malasana (yogic squat)

Backbend of choice for 10 breaths:

Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana (bridge) OR Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel)

Agnistambhasana (double pigeon pose)

Pranayama – Nadi Shodhana, aka alternate nostril breathing

Nadi Shodhana set up:

• Take your thumb to your right nostril,
• Take your ring and pinkie fingers to the left nostril
• Place your index and middle finger to your third eye between the brows.

Nadhi Shodhana how-to:

• Plug your right nostril and inhale on the left side
• Plug both nostrils and hold at the top
• Release the right nostril and exhale from the right side
• Pause at the bottom
• Inhale on the right nostril
• Plug both nostrils and hold at the top
• Release the left nostril and exhale
• Pause at the bottom
• Repeat several cycles on your own.

Nadhi Shodhana benefits:

This style of pranayama carries more oxygen to the blood than regular breathing; it also soothes the nervous system, helps create calm in the body and mind, and balances the subtle body. Nadi Shodhana lowers the heart rate and reduces stress and anxiety as it purifies the subtle energy channels so the Prana (breath, life-force) can flow with ease.

Two energy lines traverse Shusumna—the spine—called Ida and Pingala. Sushumna is the body’s central channel and largest energy line. It is the home to the seven chakras. Ida and Pingala represent the other two main energy lines that move from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These two energy lines refer to the right and left sides of the brain; through these energy lines, or Nadis, we create balance in the body and connect the two hemispheres through the breath.

Pingala represents solar energy, masculine, extroverted, bright, left hemisphere.

Ida represents lunar energy, feminine, introverted, dark, right hemisphere.

We need both energies to be whole. We need both energies to feel balanced in body and mind. When we connect such dualistic expressions, we create our reality. Without the opposition of the other, there is no creation story.

Seated meditation or savasana to close.