Reaching Back for Something

About This Class

Bryan Kest leads a richly philosophical dynamic flow built around the idea of "touching yourself gently" — meeting every pose with sensitivity rather than force. The class opens with breathwork and a grounding seated moment before moving into a repeating sun-salutation-style sequence (Downward Dog, Cobra, Plank) used as both warm-up and connective tissue between segments. The first major block emphasizes upper-body strength and balance: arm balances, plank variations, and a detailed single-leg balance series on each side featuring baby arm balance, hip-opening side stretches, reaching-back clasps, bent-knee balancing, and a return to crescent lunge. A deep hip-flexor interlude (low lunge with elbow-to-floor) transitions into a parallel lower-body block with runner's lunge, balancing lunge, crescent lunge, standing splits-style forward fold, warrior-III-adjacent airplane balancing, and repeated reaching-back-to-clasp-the-foot sequences. Each side concludes in a long-held pigeon-style hip opener on the floor. The class winds down through a wide-legged seated forward fold targeting the groin, hamstrings, and glutes, followed by supine spinal twists and a seated gratitude meditation, before settling into Savasana. Throughout, Bryan explicitly frames the practice as a counter to stress, a training in calmness, and an antidote to sitting-related tightness, while cautioning students never to strain and to exit any pose that irritates.