hey writers & creatives 👋
I taught a longer version of this flow in-person at The Commons here in San Francisco last week, and after class one of my students came up to me and said “this flow feels very much like a Los Angeles yoga class!”
Aside from being a sweet compliment, I knew exactly what she meant. I’ve taken yoga classes here in SF as well as NYC, Kyoto, on the beaches of Costa Rica, and (of course) in Los Angeles, which is where I got my 200-hour yoga certification at a beautiful studio called YogaRaj (which, unfortunately, is no longer around.)
There’s something about LA yoga that just hits different. My instructors in that city taught flows that repeated and built upon themselves: themes would recur in class, each twist and warrior pose leading to a peak pose or a peak sequence. It blended a rhythm of breath and movement and creative sequences that usually ended with a melting savasana that paired with literary quotes from Rumi, Mary Oliver, or a meditation teacher’s musings.
That’s what inspires the classes I teach.
And no, I’m not a yoga influencer (nor am I trying to be!), so this video I’m sharing with you today isn’t “perfect” in many ways.
But this 30-minute yoga flow does contain…
shoulder openers to reverse the 🥐 croissant posture we get from being hunched over in front of our computers and devices all day
🥨 twisting and backbends to activate your back-body and re-awaken your spine to make you back feel less crunchy and more fluid
❤️ heart openers to help you get reconnected to the part of yourself that creates for the love of it
⚔️ warrior poses to give you confidence to tackle hard things
⚖️ balancing movements to keep you feeling into the present moment by getting you out of your head and back into your body
🧘 rocking movements leading into savasana to tell your parasympathetic nervous system to sloooooooww dowwwwnnn so you can drop into a calm and creative place
🧪 These are the ingredients of a yoga flow that help you be more creative, unlock a tight body so you can move and think more freely, and allow you to return to your writing with a fresh mind.
Also, I recommend playing this playlist in the back of the video if you want the playlist I use when I teach:
I’m also working on this new playlist I wanted to share with you as well:
As you join me in my creative lab here at 💡 Sutoscience, I hope you continue to experiment with your creative practice in ways that feel interesting and inspiring to you.
enjoy :)
-Amy
p.s. if you’re in SF I’d love to see you in one of my classes! Right now I’m teaching a weekly “yoga &” series that pairs 50+ minute yoga classes with different mindfulness practices just for $5 suggested ticket. This Wednesday 5/20 is yoga & tea tasting — RSVP here.
Feel free to follow me on Instagram or reply to this email saying you want to get notified about upcoming classes in San Francisco!
