A playful vinyasa practice with leg balancing and twists, this class features tree, Halfmoon, and warrior 3. There is no peak pose for this class, instead, you’ll flow through three waves that build with core and back body strengthing to create stability. Open practice with mantra to Gayatri—the Mother of the Vedas. The Gayatri mantra is often chanted to revere and bless the beginning of something we are about to embark upon.

This practice opens with a reading from the Messengers of the Great Bear Oracle Deck. The focus is on the wild and primal side that lives in each of us; to the longing that lives in our hearts; to the reclamation of anything that we have lost or forgotten, to be returned.

Style: Vinyasa

Duration: 60-minutes

Level: open

Props: 2 Blocks.

Focus: leg balancing, twists, back body strengthening.

Location: Vancouver, BC

Music: Tortuga Spotify Playlist by Razteria

Opening Meditation

We’ll open the practice with a reading from the Messengers of the Great Bear Oracle Deck. Come to sit at the top of your mat and close your eyes. Breathe deeply into your body.

The passage from the Great Bear Oracle Deck:

“Loon invites what you may have forgotten to come forth and be reclaimed. Both inspiring and haunting, the call of the Loon is one of the most visceral and primal sounds in our natural world. This call could manifest at a time when old hopes, dreams and ambitions have come to the surface and are firmly asking for your attention.

What part of your wild nature have you lost?

What would you like to reclaim?

The appearance of Loon could also speak to the reawakening of that primal, wild side of you – and signal it coming out to play more. At first, this may be overwhelming, but allow yourself to move through these new emotions and feelings with grace, as the Loon moves through its waters with grace.

Loon’s message is for us to cherish the wildness inside our hearts. It reminds us to honor our dreams and inner wild nature. May we humbly ask for what we’ve forgotten or lost along the way to be returned.”

Opening Mantra of Gayatri

Generally chanted to revere and bless the beginning of something we are about to embark upon. It’s also a deep remembering and honouring of the teachers, both seen and unseen, to remind us that we don’t walk this path alone. We have teachers and guides that we don’t see who support us as we move forward.

Gayatri Mantra

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tat savitur vareṇyaṃ

bhargo devasya dhīmahi

dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt

One Translation 

The eternal, earth, air, heaven

That glory, that resplendence of the sun

May we contemplate the brilliance of that light

May the sun inspire our minds.

*Translation by Douglas Brooks

Opening Movement 

Balasana (child’s pose)

10-15 breaths to move as you like, options:

• Balasana (child’s pose)
• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down dog)
• Uttanasana (forward fold)
• Bidalasana (cat pose)
• Bitilasana (cow pose)

Come to Tadasana (mountain pose) at the top of your mat.

Wave 1

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation with back knee on the ground

Balasana (child’s pose)

Bidalasana (cat pose)/Bitilasana (cow pose) variation seated on shins

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Inhale with your arms overhead
• Exhale and twist to one side
• Inhale and take your arms to the center
• Exhale and twist to the other side
• Repeat twice on either side

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Urdvha Hastasana (hands to sky)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Wave 2

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Balasana (child’s pose)

Bidalasana (cat pose)/Bitilasana (cow pose) variation seated on shins

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Inhale with your arms overhead
• Exhale and twist to one side
• Inhale and take your arms to the center
• Exhale and twist to the other side
• Repeat twice on either side

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge) variation

• Keep your fingertips on the ground or on blocks
• Inhale and lift your chest as you look forward
• Exhale and straighten both legs as you take your hips up and back
• Repeat several cycles

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

• Stack your hips and flex the foot of the extended leg

Ardha Chandrasana (halfmoon pose)

• Option to take the bottom hand to your heart

Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest)

Vrksasana (tree pose) variation

• Inhale and take the arms overhead
• Exhale and spread your arms wide as you twist to one side
• Inhale through center and take your hands overhead
• Twist to the opposite side
• Repeat twice on either side

Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1) variation

• Turn your front foot out so the toes extend to the corner of your mat
• Reach your torso forward so you are on a diagonal
• Keep your arms in line with your ears
• Breathe into your back body
• Press your front heel into the ground to activate the outer glutes

Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3) variation

• Turn your front foot out so the toes extend to the corner of your mat
• Keep your fingers on the ground, OR
• Extend your arms in line with your ears

Tadasana Pavanmuktasana (standing knee to chest)

Uttanasana (forward fold) variation with toes crossed

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 3

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utkatasana (chair pose)

Uttanasana (forward fold)

Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

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

Anjaneyasana (lunge)

Ardha Hanumanasana (half splits pose) variation

• Walk your hands to one side of your mat
• Turn your torso to the side
• Breathe into the outer side body and hip

Ardha Chandrasana (halfmoon pose)

Vrksasana (tree pose)

Virabhadrasana I (warrior 1) variation

• Turn your front foot out so the toes extend to the corner of your mat
• Reach your torso forward so you are on a diagonal
• Keep your arms in line with your ears
• Breathe into your back body
• Press your front heel into the ground to activate the outer glutes

Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3) variation

• Keep your standing leg bent
• Turn your front foot out so the toes extend to the corner of your mat
• Keep your fingers on the ground, OR
• Extend your arms in line with your ears

Marichyasana (seated spinal twist)

Phalakasana (plank pose)

Chaturanga

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Adho mukha svanasana (down dog)

Repeat the same sequence on the other leg.

Cooling Sequence 

Salabasana (locust pose) variation with arms in line with the ears

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge) OR Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel)

Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose)

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (revolved head to knee pose)

Baddha Konasana (seated bound angle pose)

Savasana (corpse pose)