Awkward Cobra

About This Class

Bryan Kest leads this extended vigorous flow by anchoring the entire practice in deep, fluid breath as a meditative foundation — distinguishing yoga as a mindfulness practice ("asana") from mere physical exercise. The class opens on the floor with Downward Dog and Dolphin, then builds methodically through push-up variations (plank, lower plank, chin-to-floor), baby cobra, locust, bow, and the signature "awkward cobra" (fingers turned in, elbows flared). Standing sequences layer in crescent lunge, warrior, hero, triangle, and core twist on both sides, interspersed with balancing poses including airplane/Warrior III, single-leg standing with leg extension (psoas activation), and standing side bends. Chair pose, tiptoe balance, and wide-legged forward folds round out the standing work. The floor cool-down features bound angle, reclined pigeon (figure-four), supine twists, boat pose with core leg lowers, and seated twists, all held with an emphasis on finding a personal "sweet spot" rather than maximum depth. The practice closes with a structured four-minute gratitude meditation followed by a compassion meditation and an extended savasana with mindfulness cues. Bryan consistently frames effort as personal, encourages modification and rest (child's pose, knees down), and never explicitly names contraindications.