The heart. The single most important and powerful organ in the body. A closed heart can lead to all sorts of physical and emotional problems, but when the heart is open, the possibilities are endless. We become more accepting, humble, genuine, our joys become greater and our sorrows bearable — not to mention all the physical benefits that come from having an open heart. So if you’re looking to open up your heart a little more, you’ve come to the right place. Yoga can help the heart, through both the mind and the physical body.
This week’s featured classes invite you to open your heart to possibility, forgiveness and change.
- Hearts & Flowers Valentine’s Day Flow with Giselle Mari: Open your heart channels through a challenging flow replete with plenty of heat, heart openers, binds, twists and eventually surrender to love itself in meditation and savasana. Set an intention and offer this practice up to someone you love with all your heart and devote yourself wholly to them. The ultimate goal here is to hold nothing back and bring it with a full open heart. Bring your strap and your joy. Props Needed: A strap.
- Raising Your Vibration with Tara Judelle: This dynamic set of sequences is designed to access your spine through a variety of stimulating twists and backbends. Opening up these two high frequency centers, your spine and your heart, helps to release stagnation and up level you into a higher vibration for your day. Use music to link challenging postures together, such as ardha chandra chapasana, eka hasta bhujasana and navasana. Create shapes that deliver energy and a sense of well being.
- Flame of the Heart Meditation with Tias Little: In a time of global, ecological and personal challenge, darkness and despair can cast its long shadow. Thus it is essential to lift the flame of spirit inside. Through guided imagery and mindfulness of your body’s interior, ignite the light of awareness. In order to sense and feel this, cultivate a steady flame in the cave of your heart. Live with greater commitment and promise in a world that is uncertain. Props Needed: A bolster or 2-3 blankets.
- Extreme Yin for the Heart with Felicia Tomasko: What is extreme Yin? It’s just Yin, pure and simple. Dive into the deep end and come face to face with what lies beneath your practice. Focus on your heart, chest, upper back, shoulders and neck. Using held poses to embrace your heart, unblock energy that may be stuck with tension. Tap into Ayurvedic theory on Kapha dosha characteristics, the dosha which governs your heart center. Props Suggested: A blanket and a block.
- Open Up to New Possibilities with Kia Miller: Open your chest and your heart with this strong kriya designed to open you up to new possibilities! This is a strong practice, please go at your pace and modify if you need to. A great practice to do if you are seeking change or need clarity on making a big decision.
- Prep for Dwi Pada Viparitta Dandasana with Kathryn Budig: A joyful but challenging flow class designed for opening your heart and chest to prepare for dwi pada iparitta dandasana, or two legged inverted staff pose. Play within a deep heart opening flow, with inversion holds sprinkled throughout and quite a bit of backbend work lead up to our peak pose. Props Needed: Two blocks.
