A strong vinyasa class with twists, arm balancing, and core strengthening to build toward Parsva Bakasana (side crow).

This class opens and closes with a reading from the Radiance Sutras.

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 60-minutes

Level: intermediate/advanced

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: hip flexors, arm balances, side crow pose

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Secret Lovers Spotify Playlist

Poem to anchor the class:

“The light of consciousness illumines the world.

The world reflects this splendor.

Energy and matter, essence and manifestation,

Reveal each other to each other.

Individual soul and cosmic energy,

Pulsing heart and infinite awareness—

Are secret lovers, always merging in oneness.

When the secret slips out, there is laughter

And a flash of brilliance in the air.”

— The Radiance Sutras translation by Lorin Roche.

Mantra

Aum 4x with hands at your heart.

10-15 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)

Come to Tadasana at the front of your mat.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Anahatasana (heart pose)

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Place your fingertips on the ground on either side of your front foot
• Lift the back knee off of the ground
• Inhale and reach your chest forward
• Exhale and round the spine as you straighten both legs
• Repeat five cycles.

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Uttanasana (forward fold) at the BACK of the mat

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to the sky) on tiptoes

• Bring your hands to prayer and hips to heels

Phalakasana (plank) with toes touching

** You can always lower your knees or forearms to the ground

Phalakasana (plank) variation

• Lower both heels to one side and hold, keeping your palms where they are stacked under the shoulders.
• Come through the center and then lower the heels to the opposite side and hold.

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog) kriyas

• Inhale and shift forward to plank
• Exhale and push back into down dog
• Repeat several cycles moving as slow or fast as you like

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to the sky)

Tadasana (mountain)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg

Wave 2 

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to the sky) on tiptoes

• Bring your hands to prayer and hips to heels

Bakasana (crow pose) OR Malasana (yogic squat)

Phalakasana (plank)

Anahatasana (heart pose)

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) – 4x breaths

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Ashta Chandrasana (high lunge pose)

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (revolved lunge pose)

Parivrtta Utkatasana (revolved chair pose)

Parsva Bakasana (side crow) OR Bakasana (crow)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation

• Inhale and lift your chest as you look up
• Exhale and round the spine as you gently straighten your front knee
• Repeat several times

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Uttanasana (forward fold) at the back of your mat

Roll up to stand

Tadasana (mounain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to the sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Floor Poses 

Ustrasana (camel pose)

Salamba Bhujangasana (sphinx)

Ardha Bhekasana (half frog pose)

Supta Matsyendrasana (reclined spinal twist)

Savasana or seated meditation to close, with the option to take a corpse pose on your belly.