For the Birds of Paradise

About This Class

Bryan Kest leads a richly layered flow class explicitly designed around a "laid-back, casual" holiday energy, urging students throughout to work at 50% of maximum and honor their own thresholds. The class opens on the floor in Child's Pose and a seated hero variation, moves through a warm-up sequence of cat/cow-inspired spinal movements, Down Dog with shoulder-stretch variations (forearm dog, bound arm between scapulas), cobra progressions, and a fluid eight-movement standing warm-up resembling a yogic Tai Chi. Wide-legged standing forward folds with spinal twists, a bound standing forward fold, and deep hip-flexor lunges methodically prepare both sides of the body for the peak pose, Bird of Paradise, performed on each side. Supporting sequences include plank-to-chin-touch push-up sets (six total), three-legged Down Dog balancing, side plank variations, and standing bound half-forward-fold twists. The class closes with supine knee-to-chest poses, spinal twists in Savasana, and an extended rest. Throughout, Bryan weaves in mindfulness cues — returning attention to the breath as meditation — and mentions his own spinal condition (two titanium discs) to normalize modification. Props are not called for; all variations are body-weight only.