A quick core-strengthening class fires up the gluteal muscles and deep core stabilizers to support the low back. You’ll build heat and break a sweat with repetitive poses to get the blood pumping to warm the body. Squats, sit-ups, chaturanga push-ups, and work with a resistance band to stimulate the inner heat and encourage the digestive fires to pacify Kapha dosha. This class is ideal for anyone looking to strengthen and tone the body, specifically the legs and glutes.

Style: Core Yoga

Duration: 27-mins

Level: intermediate

Props: 1 block, 1 resistance band

Focus: Glutes and core to pacify Kapha

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Pacifying Kapha Dosha

Kapha typically has oily skin and hair with stocky, curvaceous, and broader-boned body types. Kapha has slow digestion, in life experience and diet, and is prone to skipping meals. Good stamina and physical endurance allow Kapha to take on any physical activity, but Kapha prefers solo sports, enjoying the time alone. Kapha gains weight easily and likes slower movement and lots of sleep.

Kapha prefers a slower-paced lifestyle; when imbalanced, over-eating, avoidance of exercise, and over-sleeping may cause Kapha to become overweight. Kapha has many close, long-standing friendships, but when hurt or angered, tends to withdraw and pull away, which may cause depression.

To maintain equilibrium and balance, Kapha should maintain regular exercise and eat regular meals in smaller proportions. Avoiding fatty, sweet foods in preference for spicy and flavourful foods help stimulate Kapha’s digestion. Running, vinyasa yoga and other heat-building activities stoke the inner fires of Kapha’s calm and steady nature to burn off the lethargy and clear the static energy.

Strong Roots and Glutes

This class asks that you use fire to transform how you feel and stimulate the digestive system. Agni is fire in Sanskrit; to stoke the fire we need to build heat to get things moving. Fire allows us to shift how we feel in the body and mind through the awareness of breath and our intentions. Through the Agni we light ourselves up from the inside, outwards, to burn away any impurities and release all that needs to be shed—including toxins waiting to be released.

Toxins are known as Ama in Ayurveda. Ama builds up in our body when we don’t get enough sleep, eat the right foods or get enough physical activity that aligns with our constitution, or take on too much stress. Ama also accumulates when we watch violence on television, argue with loved ones, or spend too much time on social media.

For more on what to eat or the activities to pacify Kapha dosha, refer to our Ayurvedic Nutrition Guide.

Opening Sequence 

Seated side waist stretching

• Lengthens muscles along the side body
• Releases the mid and upper back

Kapalabhati with breath retention

• Two cycles of kapalabhati breathing with arm kriyas draw the energy upwards

Strengthening Sequence 

Squats with the resistant band

• Strengthens the glutes

Plank pose with the resistant band

• Strengthens the core stabilizers

Chaturanga push-ups with the resistant band

• Strengthens the core, arms, and upper back

Downward Dog

Repeat this cycle 2x

Floating bridge pose the resistant band

• Strengthens outer hips and core

Yogi sit-ups

• Strengthens deep core stabilizers and inner thighs

Backbending Sequence 

Sphynx pose

• Opens the front of the chest and the throat

Fingerstand cobra

• Strengthens the core and opens the front of the chest

Cooling Sequence

Cow face (Gomukhasana)

• Opens the outer hips and glutes, which worked hard all class

Thread the needle or pigeon pose are alternatives to this pose if you have any knee pain. 

Meditation or Savasana to close your practice.