Yoga with Kassandra

Your weekly Yoga with Kassandra newsletter ❤️

Yoga with Kassandra / 08:24:00

Hey yogis, happy Sunday!

I've got some new content and updates to share with you this week.

First up, my videos were featured in Cosmo (twice!) 😍 Check out the article HERE.

On Thursday I also released a new class and I would love for you to try it.

It's a 30 min intermediate vinyasa class for core & lower body strength. Get ready to work!

You can find it on YouTube and in my mobile app.

APP USERS - Exciting update!

There's been a layout change to make things even easier for you.

When you open your app now you'll see a tab called "This Month" which is where this month's challenge is 😊 I think this will make it a lot easier to navigate but let me know what you think.

Remember that the app is also available on Roku now 🤩

If you'd like to try it for yourself, start your 7 day free trial by CLICKING HERE or by heading to the app store on your phone.

ONLINE COURSE UPDATES

Finally, just reminding everyone that in November I'll be adding new content to my Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training which means the price will be increasing a bit. If you've wanted to join, now's the best time.

I also recently released YouTube 101 course for those of you interested in teaching yoga online.

>> BROWSE ALL COURSES

That's it for now! Talk soon,
Kassandra

P.S - Have you joined our Facebook group yet?

Hey yogis, happy Sunday!

I've got some new content and updates to share with you this week.

First up, my videos were featured in Cosmo (twice!) 😍 Check out the article HERE.

On Thursday I also released a new class and I would love for you to try it.

It's a 30 min intermediate vinyasa class for core & lower body strength. Get ready to work!

You can find it on YouTube and in my mobile app.

APP USERS - Exciting update!

There's been a layout change to make things even easier for you.

When you open your app now you'll see a tab called "This Month" which is where this month's challenge is 😊 I think this will make it a lot easier to navigate but let me know what you think.

Remember that the app is also available on Roku now 🤩

If you'd like to try it for yourself, start your 7 day free trial by CLICKING HERE or by heading to the app store on your phone.

ONLINE COURSE UPDATES

I also recently released YouTube 101 course for those of you interested in teaching yoga online.

>> BROWSE ALL COURSES

That's it for now! Talk soon,
Kassandra

P.S - Have you joined our Facebook group yet?

As much as we might want to deny it, sweater weather is just around the corner (at least here in North America). With that always comes the impending threat of a cold. Get ahead of it this year by upping your overall health and vitality, and stretching your lymph nodes.

Your lymph nodes are concentrated through the inner groin, inner thighs, the chest, the armpits, and the neck. This Yin sequence will move from the bottom up, starting with some inversions.

Have 2 blocks and maybe a blanket at the ready as you roll out your mat.

1. Legs Up the Wall - Bring your mat lengthwise and close to the wall. With a block handy, lower down on to your back. Bring the block under your hips, lifting them higher than the heart. Extend the legs up the wall. You don't need to be right against it, but your heels should be resting. Option one, is to leave the legs straight. Option two, is to extend the legs out to the sides in a straddle. You should still be able to relax and hold this pose for a few minutes, so be sure to find your edge and not go past it. To get in to the lymph nodes under the arms, you may also want to open them out to the sides (or in cactus, or over head).

2. Happy Baby - Remove the block under the hips and lower down flat. Take the knees wide as you clasp hold of the feet, big toes or shins. Guiding the knees down towards the armpits, while simultaneously kicking the heels up (so ankles stack over the knees). Elbows inside of the knees can be used to guide the legs further open. Keep your tailbone and low back rooted down. Relax your head and shoulders, not working too hard in the upper body here. After a few moments, roll over to one side. Staying for a few breaths in a fetal position.

3. Winged Dragon - Coming up to table top, you may want to place a blanket to support what will be the back knee. Step your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Begin to roll on to the outer edge of your right foot, opening the knee and hip to the side. Walk your hands towards the left, and extend the arms out. Lower down on to the forearms, maybe bringing the forehead to a block. This is a deep and intense yin yoga pose, so be sure to find a form you will be able to hold for the allotted time (about 3 minutes). Repeat on the other side.

4. Dangling - Bring the feet a bit wider than the hips. Fold forward, bending the knees as deep as desired. Relax your arms down to the ground, a block, or clasp opposite elbows as I have done here. You may also want to do this against the wall, with the hips resting. Relax your head, release the tension from the neck. Since you are upside down, and standing, you will just want to hold this pose for about 2 minutes.

5. Shoelace with Archer Arms - Stack your right knee over the left one (or you can opt for cross legged instead). Reach the right arm up to the sky. Bend your right elbow, and place the fingers down on the back of the neck. Push your elbow back and point it up to the ceiling. Stay here, or also reach your left hand under to clasp hands, a strap or on to your clothing. The emphasis here is on your right armpit. Keep tall through the spine, avoid arching and rounding in bad posture. Repeat on the other side.

6. Seated Neck Release - You can do this one cross-legged or any other seat that works for you, as long as you can sit nice and tall. Roll your shoulders down and away from the ears. Drop your left ear towards the left shoulder. Keep your chin slightly lifted, so it's roughly parallel to the ground. To deepen this neck stretch, you can bring the left hand up and to the right temple (to create more space between this ear and shoulder). You might also want to crawl your right fingers out to the side. Soften your jaw, tongue, and cheeks. Switch it to the other side.

Take the time to close with a nice juicy savasana.

Would you prefer to not worry about time and be guided in and out of poses? Practice along with me below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel

As much as we might want to deny it, Sweater Weather is just around the corner (at least here in North America). With that always comes the impending threat of sickness. Get ahead of it this year by upping your overall health and vitality, and stretching your lymph nodes.

☮ Website: http://www.yogawithkassandra.com ☮ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kryoga ☮ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoga_with_k... Yoga with Kassandra - Disclaimer Please consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. By participating in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge Yoga with Kassandra from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of Yoga with Kassandra’s negligence.

6 Yin Yoga Poses for Improved Immune System

by Amy Stubbs on 10:20:00

As much as we might want to deny it, sweater weather is just around the corner (at least here in North America). With that always comes th...

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo

If you are battling any bloating, constipation, or trapped gas, you are probably sitting there in discomfort and not wanting to do much of anything. But I'm here to tell you that some yoga, of the right kind, is one of the best ways to find some relief.

Doing asanas which compress and decompress the stomach area is a great way to get through this pain and come out the other side. That means mostly twists and forward folds. Try these 7 poses, and let me know how you're feeling afterwards.

1. Gentle Twist - Find a comfortable seat, with the legs crossed. Inhale to find length through your spine, grounding down through the sit bones. Exhale, maintain this length as you twist the chest to the right. Bring your left hand to your right knee and the right fingers down behind you. Keep lifting the chest, rather than rounding the spine, and reaching the crown up. Hug the naval in towards the spine, contracting your abdominals. Exhale, to return to center. Then switch sides.

2. Seated Cat/Cow - Switch the cross of your legs, and let the palms rest on your knees. As you inhale, squeeze the shoulder blades back behind you, and open through the chest. As you exhale, round and contract the spine and drop the gaze down. Ensure this movement is coming from the belly area. Do a few rounds of this cat/cow, following along with the rhythm of your breath.

3. Caterpillar Fold - Extend the right leg out, and bring the sole of the left foot to the inside of the right thigh. Dropping the left knee out to the side. Keep a straight spine as you inhale. As you exhale, start to move in to a forward fold. Reaching the crown forward, and squeezing the shoulder blades back. After a few breaths, exhale and let the spine round and release down in to more of a passive fold. As you inhale, lift back up. Repeat this for a few rounds of breath.

4. Seated Twist - Pick up your left knee, and step the left foot across to the outside of the right thigh. Wrap your right arm around your left leg, then twist to open to the left. Draw the left shoulder back. Hug that leg in towards your belly, and also hug the belly in as you do so. If it feels okay, take the gaze back over the left shoulder. Unwrap and unwind back to center.

Repeat 3 and 4 on the other side.

5. Malasana (Yogi Squat) - Bring the heels in and the toes out. Bend in to the knees and drop the tailbone down. Lift the chest up. Bring the hands together at the heart, and use the elbows to guide the knees open. Then bring the fingers down to the mat. As you inhale, find length through the spine. Exhaling, straighten the legs and fold forward. You can keep a generous bend in the knees, and belly hugging towards the thighs. Let your self release in to the pose. Repeat this for a few rounds.

6. Thread the Needle - Come to table top, with the hips over the knees and wrists under the shoulders. Reach your right arm through underneath you, lowering on to the right shoulder and right ear. Maybe crawl the left fingers forward to extend the arm out. After a few breaths, push in to the palm to return to table top. Repeat on the other side.

7. Easy Child's Pose to Rabbit - Draw the knees and the toes together. Sit the hips back on the heels. Lower your forehead down to the ground, and sweep the arms back at your sides. With the belly resting on your thighs, maybe add some gentle swaying side to side. To take this in to Rabbit, clasp hold of your heels and then rock up on to the crown of your head. For a few breaths, feel this stretch through the back body.

Take a few breaths seated with your hands on your belly before you get up and on with your day. Inhaling to push the stomach out, then exhale to draw it in.

If you would prefer following along for a 10 minute practice, click the video below to watch.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel

7 Poses for Digestive Health

by Amy Stubbs on 08:45:00

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️ http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo If you are battling any bloating, constipatio...

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo

Are you ready to fire up your yoga practice? To take it to the next level? To get an all over toning session, and maybe sweat a bit? Give these 7 sequences a try for an intermediate Vinyasa practice.

This class will work your inner thighs, your shoulders, your upper back. You don't need any props, but if you want to have some blocks handy, feel free to do so.

1. Reclined - Start by laying down on your back. Bend knees, bringing the soles of the feet together, drop knees out to the sides in a reclined butterfly. Bringing your knees back together, hug the right knee in to the chest and extend the left leg out. Keep your head and shoulders down, but maybe add a bit of a sway side to side. Extend the right arm out to the side, use the left hand to guide the right knee across to the left side, for a twist. Keep the right shoulder down, but the right hip can lift up. Come back to center and extend the right leg up to the sky, holding the back of the thigh or wherever is accessible. Bend and straighten your leg a few times. Curl the head and shoulders up now, bringing the head towards the knee. Maybe lift the left leg up in to a hover. To fire it up, release the hands and extend them up overhead. Hug the knees to the belly and rock gently side to side. Then repeat on the other leg.

2. Seated - Come up to a seat. Extend your right leg out to the side. Bring the left sole to the inside of the right thigh. Slide your right hand down your right leg. Reach the left hand up and over. Drawing the left shoulder back so that you're lengthening through the left side body. Bring your left hand down beside you. Lift the hips up, while sweeping the right arm up and over for a Baby Wild Thing. Lowering down, turn your chest towards the right leg. Place the hands down on either side of the right leg. Point your toes, then try to pick up the right leg to hover. Keep from leaning back here. Feel your hip flexors working. Lift and lower the leg 5 times. Then repeat on the other side.

3. Low - Come to table top, with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Take a few rounds of cat cow, dropping the belly and lifting the gaze on your inhale, then exhale rounding and contracting the spine. Tuck the toes, then lift the hips up and back for down dog. Pedal out the feet by bending one knee and pushing the other heel down. Kick the right foot up to the sky, bend your right knee and open the right hip up. Then straighten the leg and square the hips. Inhale knee to chest, exhale back to three-legged dog for a few rounds. Next, step the right foot through between the hands and lower the left knee down to the ground. Melt the pelvis down and forward for low lunge. Push in to the feet and lift the arms up. Take the arms to cactus shape, squeezing the shoulder blades together and shift the gaze up in to a bit of a back bend. Bring the hands down to frame the front leg. Shift the hips back, curling the right toes up and straightening the leg, in a half split. Hinge forward towards the leg. Take a vinyasa, then repeat on the other side.

4. Kneeling - Return to downward dog, kick the right foot up, then step it through between the hands. Drop the back knee down. Inhale the hands up overhead. Reach the tailbone down and melt the pelvis forward. Open to a twist, reaching left hand forward and right hand back. To take further, bring the right hand to the left shin and reach your left hand up. Bring the left hand down to the mat, the right arm straight up. Step your right foot back to a modified side plank, with the left knee directly under the left hip. Shift the weight forward and see if you can lift the right leg up from the ground. Flex the foot and activate the glutes. Lower the right foot, and bring the right hand to the back of the head. Push in to the right foot, and try to lift the left knee off the ground. Try to bring the right elbow to the left knee. Lower down to a forearm plank. Drop hips down and untuck the toes, coming in to sphinx. Take a vinyasa, then repeat on the other side.

5. Standing - Come to a high lunge, with the right foot forward. Bend generously in to the right knee. Reaching the hands up. As you exhale, tilt forward and sweep the hands back at the sides. Inhale back up, and repeat for 3 rounds of breath. Open to Warrior 2, spinning the left toes out and the heel down. Squeeze the right knee open, so it's tracking over the middle toe. Reach the hands out at shoulder height. Flip the palms up and reverse your Warrior, taking the left hand back and right hand up. Return to Warrior 2. Then straighten your front leg, hips tilt back. Drop the right hand to the right shin, a block, or the ground. Extend the left arm up, stacking the shoulders. Look to the floor, bring the left hand down, tuck the left toes as the heel lifts up. Reach the right arm up in an Easy Twist. Maybe step your right foot back in to full Side Plank. Take a Vinyasa, then repeat on the other side.

6. Balance - Return to high lunge, with the right foot forward. Reach hands up over head. Start to hinge forward, and lift the left toes up. Coming to Warrior 3. The chest and left leg are at most parallel to the ground. Lift back up, and bring the left knee towards the belly. Bring your right hand to the left knee, and extend the left arm back as you open the chest for a twist to the left. Keep the upper body twisted to the left. Release the leg, extending it back. Tilt towards the front of the mat, letting the right arm extend down in Half Moon. Feel your muscles working. And try to keep your right hand hovering in this balance. Release down. Take a vinyasa, and repeat on other side.

7. Stretch - Come to table top. Bring the right knee behind the right wrist. Extend your left leg out behind you. Square your hips. Then fold down in Sleeping Pigeon. Take long deep breaths, relaxing the shoulders and arms. Repeat on the other side. Then flip on to the back. Bend the knees, pressing in to the heels to lift the hips up in to Bridge. Move in to Shoulder Stand, supporting your low back with the hands and lifting the feet off the ground. Maybe transition in to plow pose if this is in your practice, by taking the feet back behind you (as pictured). Take a laying spinal twist, opening the arms out to the sides and dropping the knees to one side. Then take the knees to the other side. Be sure to take a Savasana before getting up from your mat.

If you prefer to practice along with me, press play on the 45 minute video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel