Freeing up the breath is imperative for mobilizing the spine. And freeing up the spine is imperative for improving ease and reducing tightness and pain in the entire body. The postures in this flow class are simple, but the slow pace allows you to work your spine in a nuanced fashion, clearing the “stuck” spots with dedicated attention and guided deep resonance breathing. Close with a juicy twist and some hip opening. It’s almost like you just had a massage therapist drop by your house.

When we think of “hip opening,” we usually mean stretching the outer hips. But the inner hips, or groin, need our loving attention (and deep resonant breath) as well. This slow flow moves through wide squat variations and peaks with Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) which requires both strong and open inner hips. We counterpose with some love to the outer hips and soothing forward bending. Releasing tightness and breathing awareness to the inner hips will loosen up everything above and below the pelvis — and bring a swing to your step.

Tightness in the shoulders is an epidemic. Anyone who works on a computer, drives a car, carries a child or holds stress in the body – in other words 99% of the population – knows this. We open all sides of the shoulders in this creative class, closing with wide-legged twists and forward folds. Resonance breathing is the WD-40 for your locked shoulders and slow movement is the tool for rewinding our habitual posture patterns. 

The lower back is a hot spot for stiffness and pain. If you suffer chronic discomfort in this area, you’ve surely been told that diaphragmatic breathing is a key to reducing sacro-lumbar pain. Deep, slow resonance breathing paired with slow conscious movement is even more effective. Layering on core strengthening makes this class a holistic salve. Practiced regularly, this very specific sequence will bring just the right amount of strength and suppleness to the lower spine and upper pelvis, enhancing digestion and elimination as an added bonus!

Hanumanasana seems unattainable to many people — and, really, doing a full split is not something anyone needs to attain in this lifetime. But opening and strengthening of the muscles at the front and back of the legs – i.e. prepping for this particular posture – is beneficial for all! The monkey god Hanuman surely took mighty breaths as he spanned mountains … just as you will breathe your way into experiencing every part of your legs, with a twisty bonus at the end.

How often do you think about opening your side body? Probably not as much as you should! Opening the sides of the ribs works synergistically with deep breathing. Opening the sideline of the body, from fingertips to outer ankles, brings an incredible feeling of liberation to the whole body, setting you up for ease in twisting and backbending — and simply feeling amazing.  This slow resonant flow wraps up with Half Wheel, a modified Shoulderstand and Plow Pose to slide you gracefully into Savasana.

Think about Superman and Wonderwoman: Shoulders open and upper chest lifted, ready to take on the world. Slow resonance breathing and dynamic flow targeting the upper spine and pecs is the antidote to a contracted chest and tight shoulders. You will be well prepared to breathe through a challenging standing balance like Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana) and an unusual Bow Pose variation, and will be rewarded with a deep and delightful Pigeon to close. Everyone’s super power is an open heart!

Opening the outer hips is always a crowd pleaser. But we also need to strengthen our outer glutes for the health of the spine. This slow flow class will breathe both satisfying space and just the right amount of tone to the outer pelvis. You might even feel prepared for a moment of flight in a hip opening arm balance (Eka Pada Galavasana). We counterpose with a deep stretch to the front of the hip and quad, plus a satisfying twist. Liberating the outer hips will infuse the rest of your day (and night) with just the right amount of swagger.

Twisting can be challenging, but it’s so good for the entire body that it’s worth meeting the challenge. Twists not only mobilize the spine and stretch all the muscles of the trunk, but they also squeeze and soak the organs of digestion and elimination. This class includes a variety of familiar and more unusual twists, using both leverage and deep core strength, wrapping up with hip and upper chest opening. When you layer deep, diaphragmatic resonance breathing to the twisting practice, you have a tonic for whole body health. 

In this creative mandalasana-style sequence, we breathe into the often neglected nooks and crannies of the body — from toes to neck.  The destination may or may not be Headstand (Sirsasana) but as you well know, it’s the journey that counts. We finish with an inversion. Legs over the hips and hips over the heart is beneficial for the four main systems of the body: cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, and endocrine. Boosted with resonance rate breathing makes this a whole system reboot.  Ctrl + Alt + Delete + Restart.