Bird of Paradise Tutorial
Video
Bird of Paradise Svarga Dvidasana
Ally HamiltonA wonderful standing balance pose that opens the hips, hamstrings, shoulders and chest, while strengthening the core and legs.
Ready to work it?
Here are some classes featuring Bird of Paradise.
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Mindful Movement, Focus Flow
By Ally Hamilton on Feb 4, 2020
We start with alternate nostril breathing and then dive into the hips, shoulders and hamstrings. 6-minute abs happen early so you're connected to a strong center as you play with standing balance variations, like ardha chandrasana with a different focal point or no hands on the floor, and arm balances like flying pigeon. It's an intense practice with some long holds and time to feel your feelings and work your practice. Enjoy :)
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Slow Your Roll
By Ally Hamilton on Dec 7, 2019
Perfect for days when you have a moderate amount of energy, but want a nice sweat and a deep stretch at a steady pace. Connect to your breath, center yourself, and listen to your body. There are opportunities for arm balances and inversions, but maybe today is a day where you'd be better to turn the heat down, you decide! Longer holds, lots of love for your hips and shoulders, core-strengthening and a little talk about svadhyaya, self-study. Use this time on your mat to observe not just what your physical body needs and wants, but also what your emotional body needs and wants from you. Lots of love, yogis.
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Flow With It
By Ally Hamilton on Sep 5, 2019
Move with the ebb and flow on your mat so you can move with it in your life. Make the effort to find inner peace and strength, and then see if you can surrender the desire to control. Hard, I know, but worth working on!
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Twisted and Fun!
By Ally Hamilton on Aug 7, 2019
Hips, hamstrings and shoulders unwind as we flow, fly and fire up the core. Plenty of chances to play on your hands and kick it upside down, but just as many to breathe and release.
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Know Yourself
By Ally Hamilton on Jul 7, 2019
"Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone." Paul Tillich Get deep into the hips and shoulders and fire up your core as we flow and arm balance and invert ourselves until we lose ourselves and open to the quiet knowing within. The only thing to fear is never knowing yourself.
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Present on Purpose
By Josie Kramer on Jul 1, 2019
Practice mindful awareness: being present on purpose while holding space for whatever arises with openness, kindness and curiosity. What to expect: Cat/cow, sun salutations, crescent/warrior 1 flow, humble warrior, triangle, half moon, extended side angle, dancer’s bridge, bird of paradise, pyramid, reverse triangle, stranding splits, reverse table top, hip opening, forward folds, twists, and savasana!
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Rise, Shine, Energize
By Ally Hamilton on May 8, 2019
Oh my gosh did we have fun putting this together for you! This rise-and-shine has it all - hip, hamstring and shoulder opening, core and upper body strengthening, endurance-training mentally and physically, standing balance and arm balance and emotional balance! Can't think of a better way to start the day...and we had LAUGHS, too! Grab your mat and let's do this!
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Ride the Waves
By Ally Hamilton on Apr 5, 2019
Let's open the hips, hamstrings and shoulders, shall we? A little Series C starts us off, and leads into skandasana and lizard pose. Then we open the hips further with a dancing warrior flow that leads into bound side angle and bird of paradise. We work on non-reactivity, and learning to ride the waves, staying centered as circumstances ebb and flow.
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Hips, Shoulders, Abs, Focus
By Ally Hamilton on Jan 20, 2019
If your energy is finite, then it makes sense to be mindful about where you spend it, and upon what! Sometimes we get caught up in someone else's story, even a total stranger, and lose all sense of center. You can allow strangers on the road to raise your blood pressure, or not so much! You can give an entire afternoon to someone else's drama, or you can stay focused on your own life! Join us as we get really sweaty and flow through a sequence that targets the hips, shoulders and core. You'll get to play on your hands and also upside down if you want to, I just ask you to stay focused on your calm, steady breath and your own wild and beautiful heart :)
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Smokin' Hips
By Ally Hamilton on Jan 13, 2019
The hips have it in this flow that starts low to the ground but ends up flying. Give your hips a heads up, build a fire in your belly, and get ready to take your hips skyward.
