To the magic we create through our breath in this practice. 

A dynamic Lila Flow class that features leg balancing, side waist stretching, and heart-opening, with 30-minutes of breathwork to close. This class includes 30-minutes of asana, followed by 30-minutes of pranayamas with a bit of mantra to bring your focus to the subtle body. This class invites you to slow down, breathe deep, and consider the main energy lines of the body, Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala, to balance over-stimulation and create harmony through movement and breath.

Take the condensed Lila Flow of this class, here.

Style: Lila Flow Yoga & Pranayama

Duration: 60-minutes

Level: open

Props: 2 Blocks, 1 Bolster.

Focus: a dynamic yoga class followed by 30-minutes of pranayama and meditation.

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Spotify playlist

Opening Flow

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Anahatasana (heart pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Parivrtta Anjaneyasana (revolved lunge) variation with arms wide

Skandasana (wide-legged squat over one leg pose)

Spin toward the back of your mat

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

• With your extended leg, hook the big toe around the Achilles of the lowered leg
• Press the heel down with the help of your foot
• Lift the tailbone
• Breathe into your hamstrings

Vasisthasana (side plank pose)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Anahatasana (heart pose) variation with palms on your blocks

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog) variation with palms on your blocks

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) variation with palms on your blocks

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with palms on your blocks

Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3) variation with palms on blocks

• Bend your standing leg
• Press your palms to your blocks
• Lift the chest
• Squeeze your glute muscles

Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest pose)

Vrksasana (tree pose) variation within a side waist stretch

Rollerskating pose→ come down to a little squat

• Option to use no hands as you descend
• Option to use palms on your blocks or the ground

Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist)

Navasana (boat pose)

Halasana (plough pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward facing dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

• With your extended leg, hook the big toe around the Achilles of the lowered leg
• Press the heel down with the help of your foot
• Lift the tailbone
• Breathe into your hamstrings

Vasisthasana (side plank pose) variation

• Option to keep both of your feet on the ground
• Option to lift the bottom leg and extend it out in front of you

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

Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)

Trikonasana (triangle pose)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg

Cooling Flow

Take one backbend of your choice for 8 breaths:

1. Ustrasana (camel pose)
2. Setu Bandhāsana (bridge pose)
3. Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)
4. Supported bridge with a block under your bum

Baddha Konasana (seated bound angle pose) variation

• Inhale and round the spine, take your chin to your chest
• Exhale and arch the spine, draw the heart forward
• Repeat several cycles moving with your breath

Come to sit on your mat for pranayamas; you can use your bolster, blocks, or any other props you prefer. The other option is to recline with your legs up the wall or on the bolster down the length of your mat.

Simple pranayama: 

1. Take your palms and wrap your fingertips around your lower ribs. Bring your awareness into your palms. Breathe into your hands so that you feel your outer ribs expanding as you inhale and contract as you exhale. Spend 1-minute breathing in this pose.
2. Take one hand to your breastbone—the sternum—and place the other palm on top. Bring your awareness and breath into the front of your chest. Spend 1-minute breathing in this pose.
3. Take your hands to your mid-back OR press your back against the earth or the wall and send your breath into your back body. Spend 1-minute breathing into this pose.

Nadi Shodhana Variation:

Breath through each nostril by plugging one side and inhaling and exhaling exclusively on the other side.

• Inhale for the count of 8
• Exhale for the count of 12

Nadhi Shodhana benefits:

This style of pranayama carries more oxygen to the blood than regular breathing; it also soothes the nervous system, helps create calm in the body and mind, and balances the subtle body. Nadi Shodhana lowers the heart rate and reduces stress and anxiety as it purifies the subtle energy channels so the Prana (breath, life-force) can flow with ease.

Two energy lines traverse Shusumna—the spine—called Ida and Pingala. Sushumna is the body’s central channel and largest energy line. It is the home to the seven chakras. Ida and Pingala represent the other two main energy lines that move from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These two energy lines refer to the right and left sides of the brain; through these energy lines, or Nadis, we create balance in the body and connect the two hemispheres through the breath.

Pingala represents solar energy, masculine, extroverted, bright, left hemisphere.

Ida represents lunar energy, feminine, introverted, dark, right hemisphere.

We need both energies to be whole. We need both energies to feel balanced in body and mind. When we connect such dualistic expressions, we create our reality. Without the opposition of the other, there is no creation story.

Ida and Pingala may also be seen as forms of Shiva and Shakti.

The final portion of the class will be chanting the sound of Om.

Bring your awareness to the central channel, Sushumna.

We’ll express all three parts of the Om: Ah – O – Um.

Seated meditation to close.