Postcard from China

About This Class

Bryan Kest leads a nearly two-hour vigorous power flow built on a foundation of deep nasal breathing and mindful attention. The class opens in child's pose with an extended breathwork and focus-setting introduction, then moves through progressive rounds of a sun-salutation-style warm-up series — cobra, plank, down dog, and standing forward fold — before layering in standing leg balances (hand-to-big-toe, warrior-style lunges, and one-legged airplane), side plank arm balances, prone bow pose (dhanurasana), shoulder stand (sarvangasana), seated hip openers (baddha konasana, wide-leg seated poses), and a core series including boat-pose variations and Ashtavakrasana-style bow (Akarna Dhanurasana). Deep runner's lunges with twists and low-lunge hip-flexor openers address the hips and groin extensively. The instructor weaves constant reminders about neck softness, breath freedom, and working to one's own degree throughout — explicitly noting cautions for fragile knees in the low squat and framing the entire practice as a moving meditation culminating in a guided savasana.