Intermediate Yoga Classes
Future Perfect
A novel sequence featuring two poses you might not normally see (malasana and ardha chandrasana) in a flow. The overarching formula has a sun salutation structure, so you have familiarity there.
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Transformation Station
Any positive trait when overused can become a hindrance. Curiosity is great, but too much curiosity tips over into nosiness. Likewise motivation and ambition. In healthy doses you move consistently towards your goals and in large portions it can show as controlling behaviour. These well-intentioned traits appear in our practice on the mat, so let's release that which does not serve and keep looking for the "right amount" in our practice.
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Improve Your Backbends
The path to deeper backbends begins here. Warm up first and then use that heat and some props to explore supported backbends. We'll begin with the easier chest openers and then add some deeper bends in.
Props: 2 blocks and a strap. |
Flow on the Go
Consider this intermediate level vinyasa. It's dynamic and playful. Maybe nothing by itself is "hard" but it's the class I would send to someone with a bit of experience. Expect to combine standing poses in different ways. Think: warrior 3, revolved hand-to-foot pose, and chair pose variations.
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Full Moon Flow
Moon salutations meet fallen triangle in this continuously flowing experience. Perfect for days when you want to get into a rhythm and find your groove. Maybe nothing by itself is "hard" but it's the class I would send to someone with a bit of experience.
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Peak Pose: Dancer
Learn the fundamentals of this beautiful pose with a measured vinyasa and steps to get you there.
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Flying Pigeon Flow *30 minutes*
Let's start building the pieces to get into the glorious flying pigeon pose. If you are new to this shape this flow will help you stretch the muscles you'll need to start these more advanced shapes. Keep a sense of playfulness, listen to your body, and see how it goes. It's a great 30 minute vinyasa class with or without doing the peak pose.
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Peak Pose: Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
Parivrtta janu sirsasana (revolved head-to-knee pose) is one of those classically bendy-person shapes that one wonders if they'll be able to do. This class works into the side bends necessary to head in that direction. If you'd like a warm up, try out the Side-Bendy Flow on this page. It really helps.
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Sun Salutations: The Quick Edition
Sun salutations are one of the things that I return to when I want a full body warm up in a brief amount of time. This class is quite fast, so knowing the sequence a bit will help you. There's a class on this page called Sun Salutations that explains all the steps more thoroughly if that helps. Jump in and enjoy.
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Peak Pose: Splits
Hanumanasana (splits) is an exceptional pose. Even in preparing for it - as we do here - there's much to be learned about your body, your hamstrings, and how to open them. If you can set aside time to do this class everyday for 20 days, you'll begin to see how and at what pace your hamstrings will open. This sequence helped me greatly as a non-bendy person.
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My Favourite Seated Flow
When you wake up your legs and hips, you really feel a change in the way you stand and move. With regular practice, this class will help you find more ease and mobility in your legs.
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Peak Pose: King Pigeon
Master this deep hip opener and backbend to help stretch and release tension. Use this 15 minute sequence to safely warm up for King Pigeon pose.
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Balances and Binds
A slow and thorough all-round class, this one ups your game with some deep quad stretches, strong balance poses, and a few classic hip-openers.
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Flow to Crow
Master the basics for crow pose and begin one of the best arm balances there is.
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All-Round Flow
A quicker class that packs in twists, backbends, and all sorts of things into your 15 minutes. You'll finish this feeling accomplished and ready for the day. Note that in parts this gets quite fast. Hang in there. With repetition, it gets easier.
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Cabin Fever *30 minutes*
When you've been sitting in one place for too long or need to release some energy. This all-round flow starts gently but adds in some "emergency" side planks and variations on the side plank shape to help shift that restlessness and re-set your nervous system.
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Wheel Pose Prep
We spend absolutely no time in wheel pose (urdhva danurasana) but instead look towards activating the shoulders, releasing the lats and wrists so that your wheel pose can be a more even release when it happens. Props needed: two towels/blankes and a wall.
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Handstand Prep
Are you ready for handstands? What do you need to work on to help you embrace handstands? This class gives you some simple measures against which you can decide if you're ready. If all these poses are EASY for you, then you're ready to start kicking up at a wall. If they're challenging, use this video daily to help you develop your strength and confidence in this elegant pose. You'll need a clear section of wall for this.
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Forearm Balance
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Kicking Up!
Let's examine the parts that make up a great handstand, and show you how to approach this wonderful pose in "any amount". Complete beginners will love the seated and reclined versions with arms extended. Advanced beginners will learn how to know when they're strong enough to work on the next steps. Intermediate level practitioners might consider the props to help them kick up at the wall. It's fun, it's a great pose, and you can find the parts you CAN do within this class.
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The Courage to be Disliked
In a literal sense this class is about finding twists and where your sweet spot is. On the other hand the broader picture is a question on how much you want to fit in. Long dharma talk alert! The actual sequence begins at 3m15s. Use this sequence as a starting point for exploring your own habits of comfort and where you shrug from more difficult things. May you grow your ability to roll with all situations.
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The Path to Half Lotus
Remember it's more about the journey than the destination as we flow towards half lotus pose with a possible bind. Options are given for those who wish to explore this pose in any amount. We'll start with easier shapes and progressively deepen the fold of the leg. Suggested prop: one block or firm pillow.
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Trees & Frogs
Develop your internal hip rotators with tree variations and frog pose (mandukasana). A small burst of core work helps you stabilise the trunk of your tree. No props needed.
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Jump Through Practice
A key transition in astanga yoga is a jump through. It requires strong shoulders and deep abdominals, so today, we'll use the move itself to develop those muscles. A warm up class first is recommended, so that your muscles are ready for the deeper work. Two blocks are recommended.
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One Stop Shop
A great all-round class.
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From Yin to Arm Balances
Three classic arm balances* that you can build from your yin practice. This class is more of a workshop style in which I talk you through the steps to get into and out of the poses safely. One block needed.
*Crow, Koundinyasana, Flying Pigeon |
Topsy Turvy
Let's put different poses together and travel around the mat a bit more. If you're a beginner, you'll be able to do this class, but familiarity with the poses will help speed your transition between them. It's for fun. Enjoy!
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Playful Flow
Definitely a different style in this intermediate flow. We'll move through skandasana, fallen triangle, and a few other shapes that don't normally show up in vinyasa.
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Tabula Rasa
Tabula Rasa refers to the emptiness of a wax-covered tablet or slate prior to it being written on. It may be renewed repeatedly, by melting the wax of the tablet or by erasing the chalk on the slate. In our case we wipe the slate clean by doing our practice and thus wring out the experiences of the day or night. This is an intermediate level class with a micro-savasana.
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Presence
A slow flow in which we spend time in our bodies and feeling our place in space. Two blocks recommended but not mandatory.
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