A short core class to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and obliques, this class includes twists, lunges, and balancing postures. This class works with the elements of fire and water.

Mantra for the class:

May I connect to my heart’s truth today. May I share it with the world through my words, actions, and thoughts. May it connect me to my own inner wisdom and my community.

Style: Core

Duration: 20-minutes

Level: open

Props: 2 blocks

Focus: core, hip flexors, twists

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Surya Spotify Playlist 

Moving Meditation

Come up to stand at the top of your mat. Take your feet wider than hip distance and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths to arrive in your body.

• Inhale and take your arms out wide, reaching to the sky
• Exhale and draw your hands to prayer through the central channel past the heart
• Repeat several times, moving your arms with the pace of each breath

Visualization

Bring your internal gaze to your heart and take three deep breaths into the heart chakra.

Bring your internal gaze to your throat and take three deep breaths into the throat chakra.

Bring your internal gaze to the space between your brows and take three deep breaths into the third eye chakra.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdhva Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (low lunge)

Balasana (child’s pose) flowing variation

• Inhale and stand up on your shins and circle the arms up
• Exhale and step one foot forward to a lunge
• Inhale and lift your arms and heart a little higher
• Exhale into child’s pose
• Repeat several times, alternating the leg that steps forward

Anjaneyasana (low lunge)

Bharmanasana (tabletop) variation

• Hover your knees off the ground
• Round your mid-upper back
• Hug the belly in and up
• Claw the mat with your fingertips

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

• Take your hands inside your front foot
• Inhale and bend into your front knee as you expand your chest
• Exhale and straighten the front leg as you round your back and hug your inner thighs
• Repeat several cycles

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) lift the opposite leg.

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

• Take your hands inside your front foot
• Inhale and bend into your front knee as you expand your chest
• Exhale and straighten the front leg as you round your back and hug your inner thighs
• Repeat several cycles

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Brahmanasana (tabletop)

Dandyamana brahmanasana (balancing tabletop)

• Extend one leg back behind you and pump the leg toward the sky (20x)
• Bend the knee and press the heel to the sky, option to extend the opposite arm in line with the ear

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

• Take your hands inside your front foot
• Inhale and bend into your front knee as you expand your chest
• Exhale and straighten the front leg as you round your back and hug your inner thighs
• Repeat several cycles

Brahmanasana (tabletop)

Dandyamana brahmanasana (balancing tabletop)

• Extend one leg back behind you and pump the leg toward the sky (20x)
• Bend the knee and press the heel to the sky, option to extend the opposite arm in line with the ear

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with fingertips on the ground

• Take your hands inside your front foot
• Inhale and bend into your front knee as you expand your chest
• Exhale and straighten the front leg as you round your back and hug your inner thighs
• Repeat several cycles

Bharmanasana (tabletop) variation

• Hover your knees off the ground
• Round your mid-upper back
• Hug the belly in and up
• Claw the mat with your fingertips

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) lift the opposite leg

Balasana (child’s pose) flowing variation

• Inhale and stand up on your shins and circle the arms up
• Exhale and step one foot forward to a lunge
• Inhale and lift your arms and heart a little higher
• Exhale and step back to your shins with your hands overhead
• Inhale and lengthen your sternum and hands a little higher
• Exhale and step the opposite foot forward to a lunge
• Inhale and lift your arms and heart a little higher
• Exhale and step back to your shins with your hands overhead
• Repeat several times, alternating the leg that steps forward

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (revolved lunge)

• Option to keep the back knee on the ground OR lift the back knee
• Keep your hands in prayer or spread your wings

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog) lift the opposite leg

Balasana (child’s pose) flowing variation

• Inhale and stand up on your shins and circle the arms up
• Exhale and step one foot forward to a lunge
• Inhale and lift your arms and heart a little higher
• Exhale and step back to your shins with your hands overhead
• Inhale and lengthen your sternum and hands a little higher
• Exhale and step the opposite foot forward to a lunge
• Inhale and lift your arms and heart a little higher
• Exhale and step back to your shins with your hands overhead
• Repeat several times, alternating the leg that steps forward

Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (revolved lunge)

• Option to keep the back knee on the ground OR lift the back knee
• Keep your hands in prayer or spread your wings

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Phalakasana (plank)

Chaturanga

Salambasana (locust pose)

Dhanurasana (bow pose)

Balasana (child’s pose)

Pranayama – Brahmari Breath (bees breath) 

Come up to sit using as many or few props as you prefer.

3x Brahmari Breath:

• Heart chakra
• Throat chakra
• Third eye chakra

This style of pranayama has a calming effect on the mind and body. Brahmari is also known as bees breath, as it sounds like a bee humming when performed. This pranayama grounds the body to calm the nervous system and helps relieve stress, anxiety, or anger.

Benefits of Brhamari include:

• Calming of the mind.
• It soothes the nervous system, lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress and anxiety.
• Stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands.

Seated meditation or savasana to close your practice.