Learn the arm balance eight angle pose (astavakrasana) step-by-step. This pose requires core and upper body strength, and very open hips and hamstrings. A sense of humor is also helpful! After you watch, try the classes below that prepare the body and build up to this advanced arm balance.
Here are some classes featuring Eight-Angle Pose.
By Ally Hamilton on Feb 5, 2024
Hello, friends! This is a full-body flow that targets the hips! We get right to the heat-building and move into those hips and hamstrings once we're warm. There's a sweet skandasana flow, lizard pose options, core strengthening, and compass pose with the option and building blocks to get into eight angle pose. You can also choose your inversion - legs up the wall, the L pose, wide-straddle handstand, or lotus pose variations. Please turn the heat up or down based on your energy! Also please note I forgot the Left-side lean-to's that come right after skandasana and before lizard pose, sorry about that. Just be ready to pause me for 10 seconds on the left side :) Enjoy yogis, this is a fun one!
By Ally Hamilton on Dec 30, 2023
If you're feeling a little maxed out and you want some serious hip-opening as we head into a new year, I have you covered! Eight angle pose and grasshopper pose are in your near future, along with all the sequencing you need to get ready for them. If you're looking for a deep dive mentally and physically, here you go! This class is a little longer because it includes Yoga Nidra in Savasana :)
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.
By Ally Hamilton on Aug 5, 2023
If you want anything to operate optimally, you have to give it some attention, right? In many ways, we have all these expectations of our bodies...we want the body to do what we want it to do when we want it to do it! This practice is all about checking in and giving all of your major muscle groups some attention and love, along with your spinal health, your nervous system and your emotional body, too! We work at a steady, mindful pace, you are going to sweat (I snuck in a little yoga sculpt, you're welcome ;)), we will deeply open the hips, hamstrings and shoulders and fire up the core, you will have opportunities to explore some more advanced poses if that feels right, you can decide to play on your hands and upside down ... but more than all of that, you'll have the chance to be in a respectful, compassionate partnership with your body!
By Lauren Peterson on Jun 6, 2023
Though this class leads up to a challenging arm balance, the bulk of the practice is a balance of accessible poses to stretch and strengthen the body. We start on our backs with gentle core work and hamstring stretches. Once on our feet we do a series of sun salutations and standing poses. Then sitting, we get into the hips and hamstrings leading up to ashtavakrasana or eight-angle pose. We finish with a rest and closing. Enjoy!
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!
By Ally Hamilton on Jan 9, 2023
Oh hello yogis! If you're looking for a deep hip and hamstring opening flow with lots of core work, arm balances and inversions, here you go! Lots of heat-building and mindful sequencing so you're prepared to play with poses like bird of paradise, koundinyasana 2, compass pose, astavakrasana, wide straddles in tripod headstand and handstand, and some deep poses that dive into those hips once we're warm. Guided meditation in Savasana xx Intermediate yogis welcome, please listen to your body!
By Kate Duyn on Sep 7, 2022
This practice is all about the relationship you're having with light! Do you open up to the light? Invite it in? Seek it out? Foster it inside yourself?Or are you repelling light in any way, consciously or unconsciously? This practice peaks with compass pose, Surya Yantrasana - a pose that turns your body into a compass or sun dial so you set yourself up to receive the light when it's offered to you, cultivate it inside yourself, and offer it up to the world around you! Pretty sweet, huh? Grab two blocks and a strap and let's get our compasses calibrated, yogis!
By Ally Hamilton on Aug 6, 2022
This is a great practice for opening the hips, hamstrings and shoulders and firing up the core. We are working toward a possible eight angle pose as our peak, but whether you get there today or not, the point is never the destination, but rather the way we're opening to the journey! You will certainly walk away with a strong core, open shoulders and hips and your sense of humor intact! I film these classes on Mondays at noon PST and I zoom them at the same time, so you are welcome to join me and other members of our fabulous global community for some yoga in real time if you like! The link to join is always in the weekly newsletter :)
By Ally Hamilton on Jun 14, 2022
So much hip-opening worked into this juicy flow that builds heat and gives you options for compass pose and eight angle pose, handstand hops and other fun variations. We're all being pulled in so many different directions, and this practice (and eight-angle pose) weaves in the idea of keeping your center strong as you handle everything with more grace, ease and breath!
Ally Hamilton
