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 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!
By Kate Duyn on May 24, 2022
A hip-opening flow that may or may not lead you to a funky eight-angle pose, but is sure to leave you smiling big! Lots of hip, hamstring and shoulder-opening along the way, twists, turns and core strengthening so you're centered, and options to have fun with our friend the lotus once you're warm! Grab a blanket and a block and let's have some fun!
By Ally Hamilton on Oct 20, 2021
This is a deep hamstring-and-hip-opening journey that may or may not lead you into astavakrasana (eight-angle pose). This pose has us moving in all different directions! You need open hamstrings, hips and shoulders, you need a fired up core. You need to be ready to play with balance and counter-balance and maybe even fall on your face or your asana a bunch of times along the way! But more than all of that you need an open mind and the willingness to play. Ready to move and breathe and see what happens? *Please note! There are advanced poses in this flow but there are also tons of variations and building blocks to help you explore where you are now, and how you might move your edge a little bit! And there is Yoga Nidra in savasana, so no matter what happens you'll walk away from your mat with bliss in your heart <3
By Ally Hamilton on Sep 4, 2021
I've had so many requests lately for grounding practices. Here's one of my answers :) This is a methodical steadily-paced class where we go deeper and deeper into the hips, hamstrings and shoulders as we build heat and focus on deep breathing. You will feel your body start to release layers of tension if you can make this whole practice about breathing deeply and staying curious. You can expect to sweat, we work hard, do core strengthening, arm balancing and inverting, but the emphasis is on staying rooted. Intermediate students are welcome, just please listen to your body and don't force anything! Sending you all a lot of love. Keep breathing ;)
By Ally Hamilton on Jul 15, 2021
This is a steady, heat-building flow where we go deeper and deeper into the hips but we keep it casual. We're not trying to get anywhere, we're just enjoying the experience of practicing together, listening intently to what our bodies have to tell us, and seeing what unfolds. This is an intermediate flow, but we do play with some advanced poses without any pressure whatsoever, and with modifications offered so you can turn the heat up or down!
By Ally Hamilton on Jul 9, 2021
How open do you want to get? Asking because this practice will deeply open your hips and shoulders so we can play with some fun poses that include compass pose, eight-angle pose, every pigeon variation you can think of including Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, along with back bends, core work and opportunities to get upside down! We follow up this fun, deeply opening practice with yoga nidra in savasana. Give yourself some extra time to go deep and see what you find :)
By Ally Hamilton on Apr 12, 2021
If you're looking for something super deep and fun - fast! - look no further. We do lots of heat-building on the early side, give the hips a lot of love, fire up that core (hello 6-minute abs you love), and fly! Koundinyasana 2, bhujapidasana, firefly pose, eight-angle pose and a wide straddle upside down. Of course we do lots of shoulder-opening along the way and our constant companion is deep, conscious breath. Couldn't decide between intermediate or advanced for this one - strong intermediate yogis are welcome, just listen to your body, have blocks handy and remember you can pause the video to work on a pose anytime!
By Lauren Peterson on Feb 23, 2021
We are working towards an advanced arm balance in this class. Despite that, this is an intermediate class, culminating in an advanced pose. We do a lot of hip and hamstring stretches to prepare to do the eight-limbed pose. There's also a nice balanced flow of standing poses and backbends. I encourage you to play! Enjoy!
Ally Hamilton
