Community & Government, Wellness
Moving From the Inside Out
Lesson time 16:14 min
Donna teaches you how to move fluidly from the core of your body to the periphery.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Warrior Two | Virabhadrasana II • Side Angle Pose | Parsvakonasana • Revolved Triangle | Parivrtta Trikonasana
Teaches Yoga Foundations
Renowned yoga instructor Donna Farhi teaches you the most essential physical and mental elements of creating a safe, sustainable practice.
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[BIRDS CHIRPING] - So often, when we learn movement, we learn it from the outside in. In this class, we'll be exploring moving from the inside out and trusting our perception from our felt intuitive sense of impulse traveling from the core of the body to the periphery. You can use this then in whatever you do. It's a skill that's there, whether you're sitting, whether you're walking, dancing, swimming, climbing, or doing a yoga posture. Often, when people show up to yoga class, the primary way that they learn their movement is through a process of monkey see, monkey do, Simon says. And unfortunately, the structure that we see in front of us is not our own structure and maybe not the best way to actually learn the movement. So here, we'll be spending some time restoring our felt connection to movement and using that felt connection as the resource for finding our alignment into postures. [MUSIC PLAYING] There are several variations of the Warrior Pose, but I've decided to teach Warrior II, or Virabhadrasana II, because it focuses the mind and builds stamina. Your front leg will bend at a 90 degree angle. Your back leg will be straight, reaching behind you, and your arms will be reached out to opposite sides, making a T figure. We're going to bring together that principle of moving from the inside out. So the first thing you want to establish is the relationship between your front leg and your back leg. So step your feet wide apart, Karla, and you'll notice that, when she begins the stance, she's going to turn her feet slightly in. And we do that so that, when we bend the knees, the knees track to the ankle and to the foot, If you were to turn your foot out 90 degrees. The first thing that we want to explore here is, as Karla bends her knee, I can place force through her shin. And what I want to see is that that force immediately gets transferred into the back leg. It feels really strong here. What would happen if you were to bring your heel just slightly forward of that place? And we'll test again to see whether this gives you an even stronger position, and you let me know if that feels stronger or weaker. - I would say the first, for me. - OK. So the first one felt better for her, and then slowly straighten the leg. Now, what allows that connection to really work is that the force of the foot has to connect to the center of the femur. Now, there's a second piece to this that is really crucial, and that is the reorientation of the pelvis. Now, everywhere I go in the world, I encounter people who have been told that, when they turn this leg out 90 degrees, they are to keep their pelvis square to the front. And it's very difficult to do, because it's not anatomically possible. So we're going to look at that. Step your feet together, if you would, Karla, into Tadasana, and we can test by bringing the feet close together and then turning the feet out, bending the knees. So I get a sense of what my...
About the Instructor
With nearly 40 years of experience, Donna Farhi is one of the most sought-after yoga instructors in the world. Now the “teacher of teachers” is sharing her approach to creating a safe, sustainable yoga practice with students of all levels. Whether you’re looking to realign with the heart of traditional yoga or are just getting started, learn postures, foundations, and philosophies to guide you on your journey.
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Donna Farhi
Renowned yoga instructor Donna Farhi teaches you the most essential physical and mental elements of creating a safe, sustainable practice.
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