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Krenela
Krenela
January 8, 2019

Really love the slower pace of this class. It helped me take the time to focus on firing up the correct muscles in each pose.

cjb0290
cjb0290
January 8, 2019

I was feeling very distracted when I stepped on to my mat today, that changed quickly with this class! By the end, my heart felt open, light, and free! I also felt a strong calling to reevaluate something in my life that I have been determined to change/fix for some time now! I do believe cultivating an open heart, more love, and acceptance will be a new path to explore in this particular situation!

David Procyshyn
David Procyshyn
January 8, 2019

Just to make sure we're on the same page, if you imagine that your pelvis is a bowl full of water, tilting the pelvis back means that you are trying to spill the water on your heels. Tilting the pelvis forward would be spilling the water on your toes.
Unless your pelvis is already tilted to far back, the tendency for most people is to inadvertently tilt it forward when doing backbends or stretching the groin or hip flexors. So I'm trying to bring awareness to that by encouraging students to tilt it the other way. You need to be careful that you're not over tilting, though. It's a fine balance.

David Procyshyn
David Procyshyn
January 8, 2019

Happy to hear that, Sebastian! To answer your question, everything comes back to the alignment basics. Remember when we put the strap around the thighs and the block between the knees. The goal is to keep that same energy in your legs no matter what you are doing. The purpose is to align the joints, encourage stability and the effort that you need to get a good stretch and to create length in the limbs. So imagine that the strap and block are still there, while in warrior 2. You're squeezing the thighs into the block, pressing them out into the strap and pressing them back to straighten them. In this case, though, the tendency is for the back thigh to collapse down and the knee to bend, so you need to put a little extra energy into lifting the back thigh (pressing it into the strap) and straightening it (pressing the thigh back). All of this while keeping the front knee over the ankle (so pressing the front thigh out as though it's against a wall).
Let me know if that all makes sense.

themmases
themmases
January 8, 2019

I tried this class as part of the Beginner to Intermediate program, and bookmarked it immediately on completing it. This is a nice full body flow that follows my favorite type of progression in in-person classes: warming up with sun salutations that increase in difficulty and incorporate standing poses, then gradually moving down towards the mat.

After a few months of doing yoga 3 times a week at somewhere between the beginner and intermediate levels, I am using the program to get through the holidays when most of my classes don't meet. I was really pleased with the level of this class after taking a several week break where I did very little, and only beginner/gentle, yoga. I made it through the class using a strap whenever my hands couldn't meet (pretty often!) and will go back to it again whenever I need a moderate challenge.

My only comments are that I would have liked more instruction about the purpose of some of the twists: how they should feel, what should be stretched. That would have helped me modify them myself. And although I liked the relaxation at the end, I found it too uncomfortable to lie on the floor for that long, even with a rug underneath my mat. I made it as long as I could-- about 10 minutes-- but will see if I can go longer next time.

the.yoga.lover
the.yoga.lover
January 8, 2019

Such a gentle, cleansing practice to start my morning. Mind and body were able to enjoy the flow of this practice, and I enjoyed the guidance toward releasing what no longer serves you and filling yourself with what does.

mia.bergstrom2
mia.bergstrom2
January 8, 2019

What a great practice! The length of the class was a little daunting, but I'm so happy to have taken the time today to practice. I feel warm and refreshed! Thanks Tracey!