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Molasses in Winter (30-mins) Slow Flow

A slow flow yoga class invites you to savor the small and subtle movements with heart and back opening, twists, and hip mandalas. This class features spinal undulations reclined, seated, and standing to connect you with the nuance and motion of the spine. You’ll move through a standing wave featuring lunges, fingerstand cobra, and a rocking plank pose before coming to the ground for several variations of bridge pose.

Remain curious; have no expectations. Curiosity does not have a pull towards one thing; it remains open to the possibility of the moment, of what each breath has to offer.

Soften expectations; stay curious.

Check out the talk with Yoga Therapist Erin Moon on Savoring the Small: Time to Get Curious as part of the Lila Wellness Summit. Read the highlights from the talk in the blog post.

Style: Slow Flow

Duration: 32-minutes

Level: open-levels

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: full-body yoga class with twists, side body lengthening, and heart-opening.

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Music: Molasses in Winter Spotify Playlist 

Opening Flow 

Come to lay on your back.

Close your eyes and connect to Ujayyi breath.

Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the ground by your hips.

Anchor your sacrum to the ground and begin to rock your hips side to side.

Gently undulate the pelvis and breathe into the front and back of your hips.

Make the circles with the hips smaller until the movement is barely perceptible.

Standing Flow 

Tadasana (mountain pose) variation

  • Take the rocking spinal undulation we did laying down on the ground
  • Move slow, like molasses in wintertime

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with 4 movements of lunge from Prana Flow Yoga

  • Inhale and round the spine as you squeeze the inner thighs towards each other
  • Exhale and lengthen the spine as you lift the chest and look forward
  • Repeat five cycles

Phalakasana (plank pose) variation

  • Lower the knees to the ground
  • Draw circles with your pelvis
  • Press the palms firmly to the ground and anchor each fingertip
  • Observe how the weight shifts from each part of the hand
  • Draw the circles in the opposite direction

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) variation

  • Draw your palms wide to either side
  • Come to your fingertips
  • Inhale and lengthen the chest forward and up
  • Exhale and lower your forehead to the ground
  • Repeat five cycles

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with 4 movements of lunge from Prana Flow Yoga

  • Inhale and lengthen the spine as you lift the chest and look forward
  • Exhale and round the spine as you squeeze the inner thighs towards each other
  • Repeat five cycles

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

**Second set:

  1. Take Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (twisted lunge) instead of the 4 parts of lunge.
  2. Take hip mandalas from Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (three-legged downward dog).

Floor Flow 

Bitilasana Marjaryasana (cat/cow)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose) variation

  • Inhale and lift the hips as you extend the arms overhead
  • Exhale and lower the hips as you take your arms to the ground
  • Lower each portion of the spine in succession from tail to shoulders.
  • Repeat five cycles

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose) variation with a block under the sacrum.

Savasana or seated meditation to close.