A fiery vinyasa class that features lots of twists with revolved lunge, chair, and Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana (revolved hand to big toe) pose as the peak. Lunges, warriors, boat pose, backbends, hip-opening and an inversion, round out the practice.
This class invites you to contemplate light and dark and explore your relationship to these two unique concepts. When you think of lightness and darkness, what is your connection, and how would you define these polarizing forces? How are they expressed in your life, and do you tend to one more so than the other? Light illuminates what is there while dark asks us to lean into the mystery; we have to work a little harder to perceive.
Style: Vinyasa
Duration: 57-minutes
Level: intermediate
Props: 2 Blocks.
Focus: Twists
Location: Vancouver, BC
Music: Spotify playlist
Opening Meditation
Take a seat of your choice and close your eyes.
Take a couple of deep breaths into your body on your own.
This class opens with a brief meditation on the forces of light and dark. Sit and breathe into how you feel about the light and dark elements you contain and how these words resonate in your life.
The light and dark are equally important. The light illuminates what is there. The darkness asks us to lean in because we have to work a little harder to see what is there. May you dedicate your practice to the parts of yourself that are more hidden—the aspects of yourself that are private, unseen, and secreted away.
Chant to Kali Maa
Kali is the Goddess of Darkness; she is the Dark Mother who brings that which is not easily seen into her heart where she protects it.
Om Shri Kali Namah
Om = the primordial sound that connects us all
Shri = blessings and salutations
Kali = the Goddess
Namah = may I recognize and honour thee
May we recognize the opportunity to nurture what is not easily seen.
Opening Flow
0-15 breath to move as you like, options:
Use this time to connect to your ujjayi breath, inhaling and exhaling through the nose.
2x Sun Salutations – flow on your own or follow the cues
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)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Anjaneyasana (lunge)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.
Wave 1
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Anjaneyasana (lunge) with knee off the ground
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
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) variation
Trikonasana (triangle pose) floating variation
Trikonasana (triangle pose) variation with a neck release
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Swirls: bring your extended knee to either tricep and back toward the sky
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Walk your hands to your feet at the back of your mat
Roll up to stand
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest) variation
Eka Pada Parivrtta Tadasana (standing twist opposite hand to knee)
Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest)
Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand hops) OR hold Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (standing splits)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.
Wave 2
Pada Hastasana (standing forward fold with hands under feet)
Navasana (boat pose)
Halasana (plow pose)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Parivrtta Utkatasana (revolved chair pose)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward facing dog)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Utkatasana (chair pose)
Tadasana (mountian pose)
SIDE 1
Eka Pada Parivrtta Tadasana (standing twist opposite hand to knee)
Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana (revolved hand to big toe pose)
Anjaneyasana (lunge)
Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (revolved lunge)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) variation
Phalakasana (plank) variation with nose to knee
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward facing dog)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Repeat from SIDE 1 on the other leg.
Floor Series
Ustrasana (camel pose) variation with hands behind the head.
Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)
Jathara Parivartanasana (supine spinal twist with wide legs)
Pavanamuktasana (wind releiving)
Ardha Ananda Balasana (half happy baby)
Supta Kapotasana (reclined pigeon pose) variation
Viparita Karani (legs up)
Savasana or seated meditation to close.