Winter Solstice

Wring out the cold and invite warmth into your body with this practice. Begin in child's pose to stretch and lengthen your whole body. Move through a cat/cow cycle, flowing into a downward dog and plank sequence to warm your core. Practice a heating vinyasa flow that includes twisted lunge and pigeon, with a focus on releasing your outer hips. Open your front body with an upright pigeon variation, concluding practice with gentle twists.

During the seasonal fluctuations of the winter, it is especially important to adequately support your ability to breath deeply. Support the suppleness of your accessory muscles of breathing with this sequence focused on creating greater articulation of the area around your rib cage, so that you can take a deep breath. Includes an active thread the needle sequence and supported backbends. Breath in more vitality and shake off that winter sluggishness. Props Needed: Two blocks.

Winter carries strong vata undertones and is marked by qualities of mobility and cold. How do you honor the colder, contemplative energy of the season and simultaneously build warmth? Counteract it by creating stability and heat! Move through a steady sequence of standing poses, arm balancing, deep hip openers and core work, with a focus on your solar plexus energy. Flow with mindful movements to steady your mind, engaging longer holds to stoke inner fire. Props Needed: A block.

Starting and ending with self-care, this sequence of moving meditations and postures will keep your energy flowing and your body tuned up for the winter. Powerful breath work sets the tone for class, before moving into a warming series of fluid arm and leg poses, a warrior flow, baby backbends and optional headstand. Cultivate a vibrant mind and boost your body's capacity to be healthy and strong during the colder months of the year. Props Needed: A blanket.

Offering positive and negative qualities into the transformative fire, and discovering the inner power that arises as they are transmuted into light.

When it's cold outside or you just want to build heat and sweat, take this warming sequence of empowering standing poses, arm balances, and inversions. These creative vinyasa flows won't repetitively stress your hips and legs on the same side. Turn up your inner thermostat and burn off whatever is no longer serving you with this dynamic class. Props Suggested: A blanket.

Whether we're talking about stimulating digestion, assimilation or elimination, you can use the art of stoking the internal fire in the practices of Yoga and Ayurveda to enhance your physical, mental and emotional digestion. Use long holds of classic twisting yin postures to stoke your internal fire and enhance digestion, assimilation and elimination. Suitable for warming the body during Fall season, expect lots of twists. Props Needed: A blanket.

Explore the fire element and learn to understand the need for balance when dealing with heat. Beginning with seated contemplation and meditation, flow through a strong asana sequence sensing both inner strength and suppleness. Get fired up with surya namaskar B’s, lots of breath of fire, plank play, a standing balance twisting sequence and backbends. With your core ignited, where will you direct your passions? Feel the radiant effects and transformative nature of this element.

Give warm breath to your body with this mellow flow inspired by cooler seasonal temperatures. This slow but heat inducing practice boasts a cozy, relaxing feel. Using a strap, begin with engaging shoulder work, then flow into sun salutations and poses likes crescent and pigeon. Conclude on your back, with an optional wall posture. A great practice during the colder days of the month when you want to warm up and wind down. Props Needed: Two blocks and a strap. Props Suggested: Wall space.