A playful and strong vinyasa yoga class that features twists, leg balancing, inversions, and Revolved Halfmoon as the peak pose. This class includes a little bit of everything; build heat and strengthen your core with plank variations, boat pose and work with the block between the inner thighs. Handstand hops, warrior 3, and revolved halfmoon test your ability to endure. Close your practice with a supported fish pose to express and open the chest and front body and Nadi Shodhana pranayama to calm the nervous system and ground.
“Suffering can’t be avoided. The way to happiness is to go into the darkness of yourself. That’s the place the seed is nourished, takes roots and grows up, and becomes ultimately the plant and the flower. You can only go upwards by first going downward”.
Style: Vinyasa
Duration: 60-minutes
Level: open-levels
Props: 2 blocks
Focus: twists, leg balancing, revolved half moon as the peak pose.
Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC
Spotify Playlist for this class
Meditation
Come to a seat on your mat or lay down where you are comfortable. Close your eyes, and express a deeper breath. Dropdown into your pelvis and feel the weight of your body against the earth. As you feel your sits bones anchor into the ground, lift the crown of your head to the sky.
To grow, we must go down into the depths of ourselves to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of who and what we are.
Mantra
Chant the bija seed mantra for the root chakra, 21 times.
Bija seed mantra for the root chakra is LAM.
Chant this sound over and over; hook your thumbs into your hip creases.
The root chakra is at the tip of the tailbone and is the first of the seven chakras.
To learn more about the root chakra, read this blog post or listen to the podcast.
Movement
Balasana (child’s pose)
10-15 breaths to move as you like, options:
Come to Uttanasana (forward fold) at the top 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)
Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)
Tadasana (mountain pose)
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.
Wave 1
Utkatasana (chair pose)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)
Phalakasana (plank pose)
Chaturanga with the block between your thighs
Shalabasana (locust pose) variation with the block between your thighs
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward facing dog)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2 pose)
Viparita Virabhadrasana (reverse warrior)
Baddha Viparita Virabhadrasana (half-bound reverse warrior pose)
Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged standing forward bend)
Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana A (revolved wide-legged standing forward bend)
Rotate to face the back of your mat
Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation
Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose) variation with the back heel lifted
Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (standing splits)
Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist)
Navasana (boat pose)
Setu bandha sarvāṅgāsana (bridge pose) variation
Utkatasana (chair pose)
Repeat the same sequence on the other leg
Wave 2
Tadasana (mountain pose) with feet together
Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3 pose)
Parivrtta Ashtachandrasana (revolved lunge pose)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Eka Pada Phalakasana (one legged plank pose)
Chatarunga
Bhujangasana (cobra pose) OR Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward facing dog)
Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)
Eka pada adho mukha svanasana (3-legged downward dog)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) variation with hops
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
Peak Wave
Tadasana (mountain pose) with feet together
Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3 pose)
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon pose)
Utthan Pristhasana (lizard) variation
Phalakasana (one-legged 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)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) variation with hops or standing splits
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.
Cooling Flow
Matsyasana (fish pose) variation with blocks
Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose)
Savasana or seated meditation for Nadi Shodhana.
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.