Open Heart

About This Class

This expansive 80-minute morning flow is themed around opening the heart and expanding lung capacity through a carefully layered backbend progression. Mike Nader begins in Child's Pose, immediately establishing Ujjayi breath with equal-length inhales and exhales as the structural foundation for everything that follows. The warm-up moves through spinal balancing, Cobra variations, Shalabhasana (Locust), and Surya Namaskar A before building into standing sequences: Warrior One with a bound chest opener, Half Moon Pose, Warrior Three, extended hand-to-foot balance, Twisting Triangle, Parsvakonasana with a bind transitioning to Bound Triangle, and hop-switch lunges to spike the heart rate. A dynamic Vinyasa series links Down Dog, Upward Facing Dog, and Chaturanga with progressively longer holds. Floor work includes Zoro Pose (kneeling back-lean), kneeling backbend with ankle grab, Dolphin and optional Forearm Balance, Bridge Pose with interlaced hands, Bow Pose, and the peak pose Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow). Counter-posing flows through Supta Dandasana, supine twists, Pigeon Pose on both sides, seated twists, and a wide-legged forward fold. The class closes with Viloma Pranayama (three-part broken inhale) and a heart-centered meditation, reinforcing the "Open Heart" theme on both a physical and contemplative level.