Bind & Balance
Twists, Core, Balance, Legs
Build heat to encourage opening before moving into binds that lead you to fun balancing shapes. This advanced flow is fun to play with and fall out of!
One Legged Mountain (Eka Pada Tadasana)
Begin in a standing position, then firm up through your right leg and lift your left foot off the ground. Your left knee is bent at a 90 degree angle and in-line with your left hip. Your left foot is flexed. Keep your gaze steady. Option to bend your elbows in towards your side-body and make fists with the hands, bringing strength into the shape.
Twisted Standing Balance
From Eka Pada Tadasana, extend your left leg straight out and twist the torso to the left, opening the left arm behind you and your right arm in front of you. You can shift your gaze back towards your left hand. Strong engagement in the core and legs here!
Bring your gaze forward and begin to sweep your left leg back as you bring your right fingertips down towards the mat. Plant your right fingertips on the mat and then stack the left hip over the right hip for half moon pose. Flex your left toes and keep your left leg parallel with the mat.
Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana)
Goddess (Utkata Konasana)
Bring your left foot down to the mat and lift the torso. Point your toes out and heels in, and then sink your hips in line with your knees, coming into goddess pose. Extend your arms out to the sides and then bend at the elbows at 90 degrees, with fingers pointing to the sky. Keep your shoulders stacked over your hips, and find a slight tuck of the tail bone.
Halfway Lift Pyramid (Parsvottanasana Variation)
Rise from your goddess pose by straightening both legs. Pivot so you’re facing the back of your yoga mat, with your left foot now in front and left toes facing the short end of the mat. Step your right foot in and out slightly, and plant the foot at a 90 degree angle. Square your hips to the back of the mat. Bring your hands to prayer behind the back, with fingertips facing up. Lengthen the spine on an inhale, then hinge at the hips and lower your chest until it’s parallel with the mat. Press into both feet evenly and engage the core to keep the chest lifted.
Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana)
Keep your legs and torso as they are, but release the hands from behind the back. Drop your right hand to the inside, or on top of, the left foot. Extend your left arm up to the sky, stacking left shoulder on top of right shoulder. Keep your hips level with one another. Gaze can be up or down.
Revolved Side Angle (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)
Untwist from your revolved triangle, bend into the left knee, and bring both hands to frame the left foot. Press into the fingers to step your right foot further back, finding a low lunge with your legs. From here, engage your core to left your chest away from your left thigh. Bring hands to heart center and twist over the left leg. Hook right elbow on the outside of the left knee.
Bound Revolved Side Angle Pose (Baddha Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)
Keeping the twisted lunge, open your arms wide, nestling your right arm pit into the left thigh. Flip your left hand and bend at the elbow to drop your left hand behind your back. Wrap your right arm under your left thigh and clasp the left fingers. Press strongly through the back right foot and keep your spine long.
Bound Half Moon (Baddha Ardha Chandrasana)
If you feel solid in your bind, gaze down at the left standing foot and shift weight into that foot. Pick up your right foot and step it closer to the left foot, maintaining the twist in the chest. From here, begin to shift the chest forward and down, keeping the core engaged. Straighten the left leg and begin to hover the right toes off the mat. Keep gaze steady, as you shift all the way into the left leg and extend the right toes to the sky.
Revolved Bird of Paradise (Parivrtta Svarga Dvijasana)
From your bound half moon, carefully drop the right foot onto the mat next to the left foot, bending both knees as needed, but keeping the bind. Transfer weight into the right foot and begin to straighten the right leg. Keeping your bind around the left leg, begin to lift the torso and lift the leg foot off the mat. With right leg fully straightened, and torso lifted, begin to extend the left toes up to the sky, gazing over your left shoulder.
