This series of four progressive 60 minute loaded asana classes will take you on a well-rounded journey towards deep physical and mental ease.
When: Four Wednesdays at 6:15 pm PST: Jan 22 & 29, Feb 5 & 12
Where: Virtual and in Person. Drop-ins welcome (online only). Recordings available. Drop-ins available.
This is for you if you’re looking to:
Strengthen your Deep Core
Reduce & prevent achy Back, Neck & Shoulders
Diversify your practice for greater performance, balance, and ease
Have more fun in your practice
You will have the opportunity to explore an effective blend of weighted flow-training that includes the ancient art of Steel Mace work, science-based Alignment Yoga, myofascial release, joint mobility drills, cardio-boosting HIIT segments, and stretching.
The focus will be on creating strength-based ease: by strengthening your deep stabilizers of the core, and your hip and shoulder joints, you will experience the surprising release of chronically tight muscles in your back, shoulders, and neck.
You will come away with the ability to lift with ease, move with alacrity, and balance with confidence, increasing your ability to show up and to be more present for your family, your work, your athletic performance, and your community.
Props: Broomstick or wooden dowel, or steel mace (ca. 40$). Dowels: available at hardware stores. ca. 1.25” in diameter and 36” length.
About Steel Mace Vinyasa:
Q: What is a steel mace, and what is the benefit of using it in yoga?
A: A steel mace is a long metal shaft with a ball fused onto one end. Originally used alongside Yoga asana to train ancient warriors in India, this asymmetrical tool has been rediscovered in mobility and strength training, because of its exceptional ability to simultaneously build dynamic rotational power, strength, and stability, avoiding the joint stress caused by conventional one-sided workouts. Steel mace training improves grip strength, core stability, rotational power, endurance, and range of motion. It can also help build upper body power and shoulder strength that is harder to train in traditional Yoga asana. Most recently, the Steel Mace practice has been combined with vinyasa yoga by coach Summer Huntington, founder of Steel Mace Vinyasa.
Class structure: each class starts has three phases:
1. Prime: a joint priming warmup including sun salutation variations, as well as mace basics. Joint priming opens your tight connective tissues (fascial adhesions), restoring proper muscle function.
2. Condition: set of cardio-boosting Interval training based on the joint priming
3. Flow: Loaded yoga flow with mace, followed by unloaded flow, followed by a cooldown.
List of Classes:
1 Jan. 22: Integrate: joint opening, mobilization & how to ‘co-recruit’ your deep core stabilizers along with the ‘4 corners’ of your trunk (shoulders/hips). You’ll feel energized ‘to the core’ and powerful in your major joints.
2 Jan. 29: Mobilize: This class will open the front & back of your legs, mobilize your upper spine, and increase your shoulder strength as we build up to a Forward Fold/Backbend twisty flow with plenty of planks (& variations).
3 Feb. 5: Open: This hip-opener class both opens your inner & outer thighs and fires up your glutes, building up to masterful warrior I/warrior II transitions.
4 Feb.12: Anchor & Flow: Our mini-series concludes with a hamstring-extravaganza and exploration single-leg balances, with the added spice of dancing with your Steel-Mace-Weight.