Beginner’s Mind

About This Class

Bryan Kest guides this 65-minute dynamic flow through the lens of "beginner's mind" — the Buddhist invitation to approach every pose, every breath, and every moment as if for the first time. The class opens in Child's Pose with an emphasis on deep, fluid breathing before moving into a rhythmic sequence of Down Dog, Cobra, and Plank. A rich mid-section explores hip-opening standing poses including low lunge, triangle, humble warrior, and a challenging bound/wrapped variation that threads the shoulder under the front leg and clasps behind the back. Balancing sequences on each side layer in single-leg work with arm variations and optional half-bow reaches. Prone backbend work (Cobra and Locust/Shalabhasana variations with wings and interlaced fingers) revisits and deepens with each round. The class closes with supine twists and a long, intentional Savasana framed as the culminating goal of the entire practice — stress dissolution and deep relaxation. Throughout, Bryan encourages personal modification, breath awareness as meditation, and releasing comparison with past performances. No explicit contraindications are stated, though numerous options to take knees down, skip poses, or exit early are offered throughout.