Unlock Your Float

That beautiful transition that people take to and from the top of the mat. Has it always felt elusive? For years I found no teacher could really explain to me what I should be thinking about or activating. I’ve put together this series of short classes that can be taken separately or as one 60 minute class. Each class portion focuses on a key part of the alignment and understanding needed to float. I recommend you try it in the separate classes first, then all together as one class. Just like anything else the name of the game is muscle memory. Repeat these practices and bring the concepts into your daily yoga practice. You’ll see below some of the videos, are a list of drills or recommended classes to work more specifically on the techniques used in that class.

Part 1: Shoulder Position

Drills/ Concepts:

• Press shoulders over fingertips, keep arms straight (can be done on the knees or in high plank for greater strengthening work)

• Heels of the hands in, spin fingertips to face side edges of mat. Lean side to side and bring the weight into the fingertips while simultaneously working to ground the heels of the hands.

• Take cat and cow with the backs of your hands on the mat, work the arms as straight as is comfortable

• Practice transitioning to the top of the mat (either step or hop) while pushing shoulders in front of fingertips and grounding the heels of the hands. The real trick to catching hangtime as you start to float is keeping the heals of the hands grounded even though the weight is in the fingertips.

Part 2: Creating a Hollow Body Shape

Drills/ Concepts:

• Work the transition from high boat to low boat, find the hollow body shape by pulling hips to ribs

• Hold low boat and extend arms over head. Hold for rounds of 30 seconds or as long as you can.

• Practice transitioning from mountain pose to forward fold on tiptoes, creating a hollow body shape at the top with arms over head and palms to the sky

• Sit-ups, crunches and reverse crunches all help to work the “hips-to-ribs” concept. Try all of those exercises thinking about driving the hips and ribs toward one another.

• High plank with deep protraction of shoulders. Come to the tip toes and shift forward and back keeping the arms as straight as possible.