Because the furnace of the belly is under near constant demand to fire, it is imperative to periodically let the core cool down and idle. In this class all poses are supported. We do supine upper leg work and lower belly openers to revitalize the deep tissues of the abdomen.

The lower psoas muscle fibers are central to the lift of uddiyana bandha. In this class we harness the deep part of the belly in order to achieve structural support when sitting, standing and practicing pranayama.

The cranial loop is essential for postural alignment of the skull. In all movements throughout class, we feel the continuity of flow within the pelvic, kidney, heart, and cranial loops.

The lift of the palatine loop is essential for opening the internal airway of breath in the back of the throat while opening the sinus cavities leading up to the brain. In this class we overlap the cranial loop and the palatine loop with the revolving of the tongue backward.

The classic “alternate nostril breath” requires sensitivity and dexterity in the fingers. Like playing a wind instrument, we practice to hit smooth “notes” while regulating the flow of breath.

Yogis have described the internal pitch of pranayama to be like the sound of humming bees. In this class we activate the sound, vibration, and pitch of the pranayama breath in order to impart subtle shifts in the brain waves and consciousness.

There are very strong, strapping muscles that attach directly to the lumbar spine and all too often twisting, shearing or compressive forces pull the lumbar out of true. In this class we balance, fortify and tune the lumbar vertebrae.

Like a rudder to a boat, the sacrum provides balance, agility and equilibrium to the entire spine. However, the rudder of the sacrum is typically slanted, twisted, dropped down or pulled upward. In this class we bring structural integrity to the sacrum and sacral-iliac joints in order to generate lift and glide along the entire spine.

There are very strong, strapping muscles that attach directly to the lumbar spine and all too often twisting, shearing or compressive forces pull the lumbar out of true. In this class we balance, fortify and tune the lumbar vertebrae.

The upper back is prone to searing tension between the scapula, an aching tension that radiates up into the neck. In this class we mobilize the upper back and shoulders in order to support deep, rhythmic and relaxed breathing.

Because the vertebrae of the neck are the most delicate, they are the most easily displaced of all vertebrae. In this class we generate ease in the uppermost spine by mobilizing the strong musculature in the back of the neck while simultaneously making the throat pouch flexible.

The bone at the back skull of your skull is a vestigial vertebrae. Called the occiput, it receives nerve signals from your eyes into your back brain. In this class, we visualize having the eyes in the back of our skull while exploring how the eyes are strong governors of spinal motion.

In this class we trace the pathway of qi in the "microcosmic” orbit from the low belly (dan tian) upward to the “heavens” of the neck and skull.

In this class we sensitize the flow of breath through the nostrils and throat while attending to the subtle sound through the airway of the throat and palate.

In this practice we extend or “sip” the breath by interrupting the flow of breath using both deliberate and non-deliberate pauses.

The pelvic loop involves a downward centering of the sacrum and tailbone in tandem with an upward scoop of the frontal hips. We explore the pelvic loop in order to effect the subtle dynamics of the pelvic viscera.

In this class we compliment the Breath of Fire with a soft, fluid, watery breath (the Breath of Water).

In this class we focus on the juncture of the pelvic and kidney loop at L5-S1 in order to cultivate the internal lift of uddiyana bandha.

In the heart loop, we lift and spread the top chest while descending the shoulder blades in back. This movement lifts the lungs and heart upward from the diaphragm in preparation for pranayama.

In this class we isolate the flow of air through one nostril at a time in order to gain the feel and dimensionality of the breath along the right and left sides of the body.