Yoga Pulse: Sexy Legs

The teacher and 2 students demonstrate poses on elevated pedestals in a serene beach setting with palm trees. Overall this is a basic, slow-moving practice with a focus on good alignment and standing hip openers. It provides a good workout for the legs, and the spiritual connection to the hips and source pulse zones make it unique. At the end, I felt tingling energy in my pelvis, hips, and legs which signified that the visualizations and affirmations included in this practice worked and helped me connect to the hips and source pulse zones.

Yoga = 45 minutes

Basics:
The focus of this short practice is on opening and strengthening the lower body, specifically the hips, legs, and the base of the spine. The teacher, Anastasia, aims to connect yogis to their inner strength and creativity, and to be more open and connected to the earth and to others. By opening the area at the base of the spine and the hips, yogis can strengthen and tone their legs, hips, and butt with this practice. ©2009; Optional yoga block, blanket, and yoga strap

Details:
Anastasia, a yoga and nutrition expert and former international model, has developed a terminology for different areas of the body using the word pulse. The pulse zones seem to be similar to the chakras. This practice is customized to help open the hips pulse zone (also known as the second chakra) and the source pulse zone at the base of the spine (also known as the root chakra). What makes this practice different from others is that the teacher frequently reminds students to use affirmations to cultivate strength, connection to self, and creativity. Throughout the practice, she consistently invites yogis to bring the energy of the colors red and orange into the source and hips pulse zones, respectively, to deepen the connection to these qualities and areas.

The way this teacher connects the movements to simple yogic philosophy makes this DVD unique, particularly with the pulse zone concept. She helps practitioners center themselves with an easy-to-follow breathing exercise and affirmation at the beginning of the practice. Then she guides practitioners through some warm-up sun salutations. The two other students demonstrate some Level 1 and 2 modifications using props to help yogis with tight hips, shoulders, or hamstrings. Anastasia reminds students to align both sides of the body to correct any imbalances, which is an important awareness to develop in yoga. For example, she discusses how emotional opposites in life, i.e. being happy or sad, focused or spaced out, can be reflected in the body. She encourages yogis to just focus on aligning the left and right sides of the body, and oftentimes the emotional alignment will follow.

Practitioners who enjoy the spiritual side of yoga will benefit from this practice. Any yogi who is feeling disconnected, scattered, physically or emotionally weak, or unhappy on their path, can find connection and strength with Anastasia’s instruction. Warm up is followed by slow-moving instruction for common standing poses to open the source pulse zone. It may feel challenging to hold some of the poses as long as suggested, but this is where the teacher’s encouragement to connect to spiritual energy helps yogis go one step further with their practice. For example, in Tree pose, a common balance pose, she directs practitioners to focus on the base of the spine and “imagine a vibrant red color there, extending through the legs, into the earth as if you are growing roots.” Seated hip openers follow the standing poses to open the hips pulse zone. The instruction suggests that opening the hips pulse zones helps yogis share the strength built in the source pulse zone with others. Anastasia is well-versed in the benefits of common yoga poses and this will help practitioners deepen their awareness of yoga and its effects on their health. Final relaxation includes positive affirmations to help yogis feel more balanced and creative.