Category: Yoga Classes
You can think of this as the definitive guide on why you should be interested in chakras. Not the definitive guide on chakras because let’s be honest; this is just a blog post and you’re not here for all that anyway.
I teach two yoga classes per week at Finca Rosa Blanca in Barrio Jesus, Santa Barbara de Heredia.
If you’re looking for a way to access the tension in muscles along your neck, shoulders, back, and down into your hips then this class is for you!
Twisting stretches are the single most important habit for restoring and retaining your spine’s natural range of motion.
If you don’t use it, you lose it, as they say. The limited range of motion in our daily lives often leads to a shortening and lack of functionality in the soft tissue surrounding our joints. Ultimately, this can lead to the hardening and fusing of joints.
The Vinyasa Twists Class is jam-packed with, well, twists! Seated twists, standing twists, and twists lying down. You might not be able to do every twist and that’s okay. In this class, you will experience a variety of twists to add to your personal stretching repertoire.
This is a dynamic class that flows through familiar Sun Salutations. It includes forward bending and backbends that warm up the muscles and joints and prepare the body for the various spinal twists. It also includes some deeply restorative twists borrowed from Yin Yoga.
According to Indian legend, matsyendrasana, or seated spinal twist pose, was named after Matsyendra Natha, the first yoga master after Shiva. Matsyendra was born of a fish, but not just any fish, the Lord of the Fish credited with saving the world after a great flood.
The sequence of yoga poses known as Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskar dates as far back as 2,800 years. There are as many different versions of the sequence as there are styles of yoga, as well as multiple variations of Sun Salutations within a single style.
In this class, you will experience two sequences commonly known as Surya Namaskar A and Surya Namaskar B.
These five poses are integral to Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga, and for good reason! They allow us to explore a very important an often neglected range of motion in our bodies: the flexion and extension of our spine.
The woman pictured above is not showing an example of the full 280º range of the spine, not even close. First off, she only exploring maybe 10 percent of the amazing 115º range of flexion and extension of the cervical spine (aka the neck).
Practicing the five poses mentioned above is an excellent way to tune into the needs of your neck, shoulders, and back.
Sun Salutations provide a way to explore these types of tension in the body and find relief. The results can include:
In Hindu mythology, the first Sun Salutations were practiced by the monkey god, Hanuman. It’s a lovely parable about learning hard lessons, perseverance, and dedication. But it’s the story told between the lines — the way in which Hanuman is inspired to practice — that reveals the real insights to the origin of the series of poses.
The step-back-step-forward movement of the sequence; the sense of gratitude that comes with bowing and placing your hands together before your heart — Sun Salutations can feel like a devotional practice. It is a heart-centered moving meditation that is useful for building energy and giving thanks.
Spread your entire stance wide apart: you are generating energy. There is a fire growing between your hips in the core of your abdomen, breathe out the flames! Show your teeth with a powerful smile. Stick out your tongue until the tip reaches your chin, open your mouth wide and say “EHHHHHHHHH!”
In this class you will experience:
Oh Holy Hip Stretch
The Moon Salutations Goddess Kali Class is an excellent practice for picking up things from the floor without straining your back. The Chandra Namaskar, or Moon Salutation, begins by reaching tall, but then circles down to the floor. It passes through all the best hip-opening poses including stretches for the back of the hip, lower back, inner thighs, and hamstrings.
This class is for you if:
Get Creative Already
Creative breakthroughs can happen when you are able to harness your power. When you feel confident projecting power it makes you a more effective communicator.
Kali is also known as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, the Divine Protector, and the Freedom Giver. The Chandra Namaskar draws from Kali’s energy as it moves through some of her most iconic poses.
This class is NOT for you if:
Saluting the moon isn’t easy! Although only around 10 minutes of this class is spent in deep knee bends and hip-opening poses, they can be challenging for someone dealing with an injury. As always, I welcome you to join the class whatever your level or ability and participate up to your personal comfort level.