This class opens the hips, hamstrings, and heart, a fluid vinyasa practice in honour of Saraswati, the Goddess of Creation & Communication. Dance in your body with your breath as you move through sun salutations and three waves, featuring Shiva Rea’s Wave Theory. There is no peak pose for this class. The invitation is to feel each sensation and enjoy the playful and flowing transitions with twist and leg balancing as you move through the standing series. This class closes with seated forward folds, a neck release, and seated meditation.
To consider during class:
Is there anywhere in your life you’d like to bring more fluidity and lessen the resistance?
The poem featured by Hafiz:
I Got Kin
Plant
So that your own heart
Will grow.
Love
So God will think,
“Ahhhhhh,
I got kin in that body!
I should start inviting that soul over
For coffee and
Rolls.”
Sing
Because this is a food
Our starving world
Needs.
Laugh
Because that is the purest
Sound.
Style: Slow Flow
Duration: 60-mins
Level: open
Props: 2 blocks
Focus: full body yoga class with a little bit of everything
Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC
Music: Saraswati Flow Spotify Playlist
Opening Meditation
Come up to stand at the top of your mat
Bring your hands to prayer in front of your heart for I Got Kin by Hafiz.
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) to Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation
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)
Utkatasana (chair pose)
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)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)
Viparita Virabhadrasana (peaceful warrior)
Trikonasana (triangle) variation
Ardha Chandrasana (halfmoon pose)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle pose)
Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation
Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated twist) with a number four-leg
Ardha Purvottanasana (reverse tabletop) with a number four-leg
Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
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
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Utkatasana (chair pose)
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)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)
Viparita Virabhadrasana (peaceful warrior)
Trikonasana (triangle) variation
Ardha Chandrasana (halfmoon pose)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle pose)
Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation
Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated twist) with a number four-leg
Ardha Purvottanasana (reverse tabletop) with a number four-leg
Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
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 3
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Utkatasana (chair pose)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Anjaneyasana (lunge)
Come to shins with a number four-leg crossed in front
Anjaneyasana (lunge)
Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)
Rollerskating pose
Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist)
Ardha Purvottanasana (reverse tabletop) with a number four-leg
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Come to shins with a number four-leg crossed in front
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg from this pose.
Floor Series
One backbend for 8 breaths
Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana (bridge pose)
OR supported bridge with the blocks under your sacrum
OR Chakrasana (wheel pose)
Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose)
Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose) variation
Upavistha Konasana (seated wide-legged forward fold)
Neck release with a block
Benefits:
Savasana or seated meditation to close