A vinyasa class themed for Anahata, the fourth chakra at the heart, you’ll work with leg, core, and back body strengthening to prepare for Anuvittasana (standing backbend) and Dhanurasana (bow).

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 60-mins

Level: intermediate/advanced

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: core, twists, backbends, hip flexors

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: As You Are Spotify Playlist 

Mediation

Come to a seat and close your eyes and deepen your breath. Bring your awareness into your heart space at the center of your chest. Envision a ball of green light. As you inhale, imagine that you are feeding the ball of light. As you exhale, imagine the ball of light getting brighter.

There are many emotions located at the heart center. The heart is then the source of grief, sadness, and suffering. It is also the space where we experience love, compassion, and patience. There is space for all of it in the heart. Observe what emotions appear as you feed the light with each inhale and exhale.

The element for the heart chakra is air, ever-expanding, ever-embracing.

Questions to sit with:

• What is in your heart?
• What do you feel?
• What words appear to you?
• Are you in the heart’s source of love?
• Are you in the heart’s shadow of grief?

Mantra

Yam – the bija seed mantra for the heart

10-breaths to move as you like.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose) with prayer at the heart

• Inhale and take your prayer forward and up
• Exhale and take your arms wide and place them on your lower back
• Inhale and lift your chest as you arch the upper spine
• Exhale and bow forward to take your hands to the earth

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with back knee on the ground

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)

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasan (revolved lunge) variation

• Inhale and take your top arm forward and up
• – exhale and take it down and back
• Draw big circles with your breath
• Repeat several cycles

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) with prayer at the heart

• Inhale and take your prayer forward and up
• Exhale and take your arms wide and place them on your lower back
• Inhale and lift your chest as you arch the upper spine
• Exhale and bow forward to take your hands to the earth

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with breath of joy

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Chaturanga

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasan (revolved lunge)

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

• Take hip mandalas

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with eagle arms

• Inhale and lift your elbows and chest
• Exhale and round your back, take your elbows to touch your belly button

Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (standing splits)

Rollerskating pose

Marichyasana (seated spinal twist)

Navasana (boat) into Ardha Navasnana (half boat) x3

Lay on your back and rock and roll to release the low spine

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Backbends

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Anuvittasana (standing backbend)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Bring your legs into two 90-degree angles
• Hug your inner thighs
• Drag your front heel back and your back knee forward
• Lengthen your low spine by hugging the belly in and up
• Bring your hands behind your head OR to your low back

Ardha Ustrasana (half camel) from lunge

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Lower down to the ground

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) from fingertips for 3-breaths

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Bring your legs into two 90-degree angles
• Hug your inner thighs
• Drag your front heel back and your back knee forward
• Lengthen your low spine by hugging the belly in and up
• Bring your hands behind your head OR to your low back

Ardha Ustrasana (half camel) from lunge

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Lower down to the ground

Dhanurasana (bow pose)

Floor Poses 

Kapotasana (pigion pose) OR gomukasana (cowface)

Inversion of choice

• Viparita karani (legs up the wall)
• Sirsasana A (headstand)
• Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand)

Savasana or a seated meditation to close.