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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Breathe + Stay Curious
By Ally Hamilton on Nov 1, 2024
This practice opens with a short (4 minute) talk about attachment and non-attachment, the sandwich generation, loss, grief, change - and how cultivating curiosity is the best and easiest way to move through it all (which doesn't mean it's easy, just easier). We then move into a dancing warrior flow that targets hip and shoulder opening, standing balance, core strength, backbends, deep stretching, and inversions. Try to stay curious about what you're feeling as you move from shape to shape, and let your deep breath be the foundation. Quick note - we are replacing a mixer, but I went ahead and filmed without it. I know the sound is a little echo-y, but I don't think it will be distracting. Love to all as we navigate whatever losses come our way x
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Deep Shoulder Opening Flow
By Ally Hamilton on Dec 22, 2023
This is a great practice for days when you have some time to open deeply. We pay special attention to the shoulders, chest, upper back, neck, jaw...if you're feeling tension in these areas, this is for you. We also do lots of core work, hip and hamstring opening, standing balance, arm balance and inversions. Yoga Nidra in savasana is the cherry on top! Intermediate yogis welcome, just listen to your body.
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A Hip Delight
By Ally Hamilton on Mar 25, 2023
Hello yogis! This is a fun practice that will leave you feeling energized, open and grounded! Lots of love for all the major muscle groups with some extra goodness for your hips and hamstrings. Restorative backbends with deeper options if you like, time upside down, and Yoga Nidra in Savasana! Enjoy!
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Yogi LSD Flow
By Ally Hamilton on Mar 4, 2023
What is the yogi LSD flow you may be asking? LSD stands for Long, Slow, Deep (Breathing!) If you really moved one breath per movement, you'd be going pretty slowly, right? And the longer you practice, presumably the greater your lung capacity, so the slower you'd go. When was the last time you truly practiced that way? If you want to experience what that feels like (and it is deep, intense and trippy) this flow is for you. We start with grounding and meditation, then begin with mindful juicy sweet movement and stay curious and open along the way. We deeply open the hips, hamstrings and shoulders, fire up the core, play with arm balances and inversions, all while staying with one breath/movement. You will be sore tomorrow, in the best possible way! And I vacillated between intermediate and advanced on this one. Intermediate yogis are absolutely welcome, just listen to your body and keep breathing. Enjoy this very deep practice yogis, and the natural high that comes with this kind of breath-work!
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All About the Binds, Part 3
By Brent Laffoon on Feb 8, 2023
A nice, juicy practice that incorporates a variety of binding postures, and invites you to investigate all the elements that go into making them possible--strength, balance, flexibility and mobility. Enjoy Part 3 of our binding adventure!
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Deep Shoulder + Hip Rx
By Ally Hamilton on Dec 16, 2022
When you have an hour and want to deeply release your shoulders and hips, strengthen your core and turn your world upside down!
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All About the Binds, Part I
By Brent Laffoon on Dec 9, 2022
A short practice that focuses on basic binds--Triangle, Side Angle, Half Moon, Bird of Paradise and Yogi Squat. This practice is great as a stand alone, and also as a way of building a foundation for deeper binding in "All About the Binds, Part II"... which will be coming soon... enjoy!
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Quads Going On
By Ally Hamilton on Oct 12, 2022
Need an energy-shifter? Grab your mat and let's go! We start with a moment of grounding and breathing and then we're off! Spinal mobility, cat-cows, lion's breath, shoulder opening, standing balance, hip and hamstring opening, core strengthening, arm balancing, back-bending and lots of love for those quads! This is the Wild Card Monday class and you are always invited to join me live at noon PST over zoom. I send the link out in the newsletter each week. I LOVE seeing y'all in real time, getting to chat after class and meet your dogs, cats, goldfish and an occasional foul-mouthed parrot! Plus your other humans. Local yogis are also invited (you'll see various body parts of Bob's in and out of frame if you look carefully ;)) Enjoy, yogis!
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Just Right
By Ally Hamilton on Apr 4, 2022
If you're looking fir an hour-long practice that has a good balance of energizing/heat-building and deep stress relief, look no further! We get to it pretty quickly with Series C variations to build heat, core strengthening to amp things up, hip opening to get ready for some fun standing balance poses, and arm balances and backbends before we cool things down. Lots of emphasis on paying attention to sensation and working with your own energy level. You can turn the heat up or down accordingly. This practice is not too much or too little, it is just right :)
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Seriously Open Hips
By Ally Hamilton on Mar 28, 2022
Well, if you're looking to seriously open your hips every which way from Sunday, here you go! We are working our way toward a possible grasshopper pose, but whether that arm balance happens today, or you end up working the building blocks, you will 100% walk away from your mat with open hips and hamstrings and freed up energy! Core strengthening, chest-opening, arm toning, hamstring-loving good fun all the way through. But the hips steal the show. Enjoy, yogis!
