This week’s class video:

Bird of Paradise

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Are you too BUSY? Don’t have time for a full class? Here’s this week’s 10-Minute Warm-Up to get you moving, so you can still get on with the demands of your day:

(Just click on the videos above; they’re ready to play.)

It's good for a pose to have an ASPIRATIONAL name.

I know "Bird of Paradise" is a flower, but it's an interesting name in that context, too.

Can't say I feel much like a bird or like a flower when I'm trying to pull this off. It's a STRESSFUL pose, if your balance needs work or if your hips are usually tight. Your body will fight your attempts...

Or maybe you're one of those preternaturally limber people who loves this kind of pose and you look graceful and happy while you're doing it...?

Odds are, probably not. That's OK -- join the club. (But even if that IS the case, I think you'll benefit from honing the strength to lift up, and the control to hold yourself in place.)

There's a lot to keep you occupied in this sequence: Mobilizing toward a full split; strengthening your outer hip to support the one-legged stance; opening up through the chest and shoulders against the resistance of a heavy leg...

...and more, of course! Even if your body's not an easy fit for this position, it's SATISFYING to get close to something so challenging. You'll walk away from your mat at the end with more EASE.