Lift Your Practice: Yoga With Resistance

We all experience resistance every day, and we can either use it to shy away from life, or lean into it to help us become stronger and more capable. This program alternates resistance work with yoga flow in order to boost our physical strength and enhance the efficiency and longevity of our practice. When we feel strong we are able to hold poses and flow more effortlessly. So grab a set of light weights and a resistance band, and let’s get started.

Props:

weights,
resistance band

Week 1

Limbs and Core

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

Our first class weaves together yoga flows and strength work that targets the core, glutes, thighs, and arms. You'll warm up your limbs with a brief flow before gearing up for your first round of conditioning work: squats and rows with the resistance band. Flow through standing splits, lunges, and child's pose before grabbing your weights for overhead presses and drinking bird. Props Needed: A resistance band and a set of light weights (5 lbs recommended).

Backside Prowess

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

Time to shift focus to the hamstrings, shoulders, glutes, and upper back - areas not fully worked in a regular yoga practice. After warming up, we'll alternate between stretchy flows and resistance work that includes a variety of pulldown actions with the band, squat and pushup variations, and shoulder strengthening. Props Needed: A resistance band and a set of light weights (5 lbs recommended).

Total Power and Strength

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

Combine lower body power with upper body toning for the ultimate, all-around strength practice. Target the arms, glutes, inner thighs, and core with bridge work, rows, lunge dips, squats, and leg raises. You'll blast through several rounds of resistance work, interspersed as always with flows including warrior variations, triangle, and janu sirsasana. Props Needed: A resistance band and set of light weights (we used 5lb weights)

Week 2

Buff Shoulders and Core

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

This class gets deep into the core and strengthens the lower back through lots of controlled twists and side bends. You're also going to feel the burn in your shoulders thanks to overhead cross presses and high side plank with your weights. Support your strength work by encouraging mobility in the same areas with warriors, lunge twists, and cobra. Props Needed: A resistance band and set of light weights (we used 5lb weights)

Butts and Guts

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

Let's zero in on the abs and glutes! We'll fire them up with conditioning work including clam shells, bowler squats, side leg raises, and warrior III leg lifts interspersed with flows that engage and release the same areas. Bring it down to the mat for pigeon, cobra, and eye of the needle, then settle into a well-earned savasana. Props Needed: A resistance band and set of light weights (we used 5lb weights)

Shakti Tone

Amy Ippoliti • Yoga Conditioning

Awaken your shakti energy with a powerful practice for the legs, core, and upper back. After a gentle warm up, complete a round of prone strength work with your resistance band, then release shoulder tension with a downward dog flow. Grab your weights for squat variations, then twist it out with another flow. You'll end with a deep release in pigeon and reclining hand-to-big-toe. Props Needed: A resistance band and set of light weights (we used 5lb weights)

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whenever you need.

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Week 1

Week 2

Practice wherever you want, whenever you need.

Practice wherever you want,
whenever you need.