Today’s 90 minute Forrest Yoga class for your home practice!

Theme: Stretching & Lengthening Psoas
Intention: Psoas is one of the deepest & strongest of the hip flexors. It is associated with the “fight or flight” response, and can get hardened if your life has constantly high levels of stress. When stress is present, Psoas reacts in a similar way to the scalenes. Focus on breathing softness into psoas & hips.

-Pranayama : Sivananda Breath, focusing on feeling comfortable & relaxed in your body
-Seated Side Bend with 1 leg forward, other foot in groin. Two hand positions: Chest Opener & Neck Release
-Knee Pile with a Twist & Forward Fold
-Elbow to Knee with Quad Traction (once upper body lifts, traction quad away & up)
-Bridge on a block w/ Figure Four & Quad Opener
-Kung Fu Frog (or Gate Opener)

-1 Round of Classical Suns like you normally do
****DEMO**** Lunge Breakdown : Don’t dump forward in your lunge, bring hips back a bit, while in lunge lengthen low back to increase opening of front quad & psoas, press back shin down, activate front toes. Looking for a much more active & aware low lunge.
-Then do 2 more rounds of Classical Suns with this active engagement

Cobra Pushups Over Roll
1. Warrior 1 w Quad Opener – Easy Twisting Warrior – Pigeon
a. (after first side) Diamond Cobra (see photo – press hands into floor, lift chest by using back muscles. Elbows off the floor…bend…and wrap together opening the upper back & shoulders)
b. (after second side) Flank Stretch

Wave Dancer Phase 2
2. Extended Warrior – 1/2 Moon Kicks (come into 1/2 moon, on exhale slowly bring raised foot towards the head, then back to original position on inhale) – Head 2 Ankle Prep
a. Diamond Cobra     b. Egg Beater

Wave Dancer Phase 3
3. Arrow Lunge – Lunge H2B (heal to butt) – Lounge Lunge
a. Diamond Cobra     b. Dancer (with or without a strap, focus on lowering the upper body)

-Psoas Release Over Bolster
(see photo – Come into bridge over a bolster with a blanket on top of it to give it more height. Inhale hug the left knee into your chest. Exhale, pull the belly in. Inhale extend right leg straight up, exhale keep that leg straight and lower it slowly towards the floor. Inhale back up, exhale lower again. After a few breaths, relax the right knee and lower the right heal to the floor. Inhale hug left knee into chest, exhale reach through the right heal to stretch the psoas even more. Then switch sides)

-Laying Down Spinal Twist
-Happy Baby
-Savasana