Open your day with a vinyasa sequence featuring classic Sun Salutations ‘A’ and ‘B,’ twists, hamstring lengthening, and pranayamas with Bhramari and Khumbaka. This short class gets your body moving to enhance circulation, a deeper breath, and the release of feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. The practice is here to make us more receptive, open, and engaged with the world within and around us; may you honor this as you flow on your mat.

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13nJ0ZQWmVkAPVfDmcbP7D?si=d90af5c0dd29449f

A quote by Max Strom opens this class for you to anchor in how you feel and remember who you are.

“Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a yoga posture you go – what does matter is who you are when you get there.” Max Strom

Max is a teacher, author, and trainer on mindfulness practices and breath-based yoga.

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 20-minutes

Level: open-levels

Props: none

Focus: A classic vinyasa class with sun salutations, twists, and pranayamas.

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Opening Meditation

Come to stand at the top of your mat.

Place your hands at your heart and connect to your breath.

Take a moment to sit with Max Strom’s quote and examine your intentions for the class, the day, the month.

Opening Flow

Open your class with several cycles of classic sun salutations.

Sun Salutation ‘A’ – two cycles 

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdhva Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

• Hold for 2-5 breaths in stillness or pedal the legs.

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdhva Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Sun Salutation ‘B’ – one full cycle

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) or Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) or Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) or Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

• Hold for five breaths.

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Standing Sequence 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) or Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1)

• Bring the palms together above the head and stay here for a couple of breaths.

Parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)

Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist)

Navasana (boat pose)

Ardha Navasana (half boat pose)

Halasana (plow pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Standing Sequence 2 

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Parivrtta Utkatasana (revolved chair pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Parivrtta Utkatasana (revolved chair pose) on the opposite side

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose) or Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (upward dog)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Floor Series

Come to a seat on your mat.

Virasana (hero pose) OR

Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose) counting five breathes on ether side.

Bharmanasana (tabletop) with each leg extended to release.

Baddha Konasana (seated bound angle pose) variation

• Take eagle arms,
• Inhale and take the elbows to the sky,
• Exhale and round the spine and take the elbows to the navel.
• Switch sides.

Closing Pranayamas 

Take a seat of your choice or come to lay on your mat for two different styles of pranayama.

Bhramari breath (aka bees breath)

Benefits of Bhramari breathe include:

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

Kumbhaka Pranayama (aka breath retention)

Benefits of Kumbhaka include:

• Better oxygenation to improve overall health and concentration occurs when we retain the breath as it increases the carbon dioxide level. This event activates the respiratory center in the brain and leads to a greater exchange of oxygen.
• Improvement of lung capacity
• Strengthening of the diaphragm