In this session, level 1-2 students will explore ways of letting go of the tension in their muscles and joints that prevents them from moving deeper into poses and becoming more flexible.
As this is a miscellaneous session, we will focus on all body parts, moving from the shoulders down to the hips and lower back. We will start the class with a warm-up in the form of several cycles of Adho Mukha Svanasana moving into Virasana Forward. We will also warm up the shoulders with some shoulder-opening exercises done in Tadasana.
Then, we’ll perform a few heating inversions such as Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Salamba Sirsasana, which are perfect for stimulating blood circulation and bringing energy into the body and mind.
Finally, the main part of the session will be done in the seated position. Here we will have the time and space to take a step back and observe the restrictions in our hips and other joints. We will look for ways in which stiffness and freedom correlate in our bodies in different poses. This is a very important skill, for, once you get into the habit of approaching your practice in such a way, it will translate into doing the say in your daily life and this will lead to a greater level of understanding and acceptance, regardless of the context.
Video stills from this sequence
