A slow flow class to stretch the hips includes glute and inner thigh strengthening as you work toward low-flying Dekasana II (low-flying airplane) and Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose). The peak poses for this class are Tarasana (star pose) and Kurmasana (turtle pose).

Style: Slow Flow

Duration: 60-minutes

Level: intermediate/advanced

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: hip flexors, hip openers

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Earth and Ether Spotify Playlist

Meditation

Come to a seat of your choice, using as many or few props as you prefer. Take a few deep breaths to arrive in your body, here and now. Take stock of how your body feels. Observe the quality of your breath and what you are naturally tending toward.

Mantra for practice:

“Relax and turn off your mind; relax and float downstream.”

May we take the focus out of the business and into a more quiet place within ourselves. May we soften into the flow and move into the current together.

Three sounds of Aum open the class together.

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.

2x Sun Salutations 

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)

Utkatasana (chair)

• Inhale and lift your sternum (breast bone) a bit higher
• Exhale and sit a little lower
• Repeat 3x

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Ashta Chandrasana (high crescent lunge) variation

• Take your hands to your shoulders
• Bend your elbows wide to either side
• Draw large circles leading with your elbow tips

Ashta Chandrasana (high crescent lunge) variation with Venus Mudra

• Inhale and straighten your front leg as you take your arms forward in Venus Mudra
• Exhale and bend your front knee as you draw your hands up to the sky

Anjaneyasana (low lunge)

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation

• Bring your hands inside your front foot
• Come onto fingertips
• Lift and lengthen your sternum forward and up
• Inhale and arch the spine as you lower your pelvis toward the ground
• Exhale and round the spine, taking your chin to chest and straightening the front leg

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) variation

• Clasp your hands behind your back at your tailbone
• Bow your torso forward and down, inside of the front leg
• Take the crown of your head toward the ground
• Reach your arms up toward the sky
• Hug your elbows towards each other and shoulders onto your back
• Press the back foot into the ground
• Stay here and breathe

Trikonasana (trianlge pose)

Anjaneyasana (low lunge)

Malasana (yogic squat) variation with a hand behind the head

*Option to sit on a block or the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Tadasana (mountain)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg

Wave 2 

Tadasana (mountain)

Utkatasana (chair)

• Inhale and lift your sternum (breast bone) a bit higher
• Exhale and sit a little lower
• Repeat 3x

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (low lunge)

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) variation

• With your hands inside your front foot, lower your chest toward the ground
• Grab onto your front ankle with one palm and try to snuggle your shoulder under the leg
• Hug the leg inwards to the forearm as you reach the chest forward

*Krama 1: straighten the back knee

**Krama 2: low-flying airplane – take both arms up away from the ground and extend them wide to either side

***Krama 3: take the bind – hands bound by your booty under the front thigh

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

• Bend your knee and stack your hips for hip mandalas

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

• Take your extended leg to your upper tricep
• Inhale and hug the knee into your armpit
• Exhale and slide it down to your wrist
• Repeat 5 times

**Option to lower the knee of the extended leg and do these oblique tucks from a tabletop.

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) variation with half or full cow face arms

Shanti Virabhadrasana (peaceful warrior)

Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Tadasana (mountain)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Floor Poses 

Tarasana (star pose)

Kurmsana (turtle pose)

Supported variations of either:

Matsyasana (fish pose) OR Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)

• Use block or a bolster to support your pose in fish or bridge

Viloma Pranayama

Viloma breath, aka interrupted breath, is the offering while in supported fish or bridge pose.

This technique includes a bit of kumbhaka (breath retention) after each inhale; hold lightly. This pranayama helps to expand the length of the breath and the lung capacity.

To do this pranayama:

• Inhale for three counts to the navel
• Hold for two counts
• Inhale for three counts to the rib cage
• Hold for two counts
• Inhale for three counts to the heart
• Hold for two counts
• Exhale everything out

Repeat this several times or breathe naturally

Savasana or seated meditation to close your practice.