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:

• Balasana (child’s pose)
• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down dog)
• Uttanasana (forward fold)
• Bidalasana (cat pose)
• Bitilasana (cow pose)

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

• Inhale and reach your front arm and torso forward
• Exhale and shift back
• Repeat 4 cycles with your breath

Trikonasana (triangle pose) floating variation

• Inhale and reach your arms wide, hands to the top and bottom of the room
• Exhale and draw your palms to prayer in front of your heart
• Repeat 4 cycles

Trikonasana (triangle pose) variation with a neck release

• Take your top arm behind you, towards the back of your mat
• Reach your arm away from your torso
• Take your ear that’s facing the ground towards your shoulder
• Move your back hand forward/back, up/down until you feel the neck release

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

Swirls: bring your extended knee to either tricep and back toward the sky

• Repeat 4 cycles

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

• Hip Mandalas: draw slow circles with your knee

Eka Pada Parivrtta Tadasana (standing twist opposite hand to knee)

Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest)

Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)

• Option to place your hands on your hips, the ground, or blocks.

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)

• Inhale and lift your chest and heels
• Exhale and extend the legs long and hover the torso from the ground

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)

• Option to keep a hand on the outer thigh OR take the foot
• Extend the leg out in front of you
• Take your back hand out behind you

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

• Extended the lifted leg
• Reach the leg out to the same side of the mat

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)

• Hold for 8 breaths OR take a backbend of choice for a similar duration.

Jathara Parivartanasana (supine spinal twist with wide legs)

Pavanamuktasana (wind releiving)

Ardha Ananda Balasana (half happy baby)

Supta Kapotasana (reclined pigeon pose) variation

• Extend the leg that is on the ground
• Work the foot that is at your chest behind your head.

Viparita Karani (legs up)

• Place a block under your sacrum and take your heels to the sky
• Option to take your arms up
• Move to a wall if you have the availability

Savasana or seated meditation to close.