Shoulder Work Ahead

About This Class

Bryan Kest leads this energizing yet mindful flow class with a clear intention: warming up and opening the shoulders while building full-body strength and mobility. The class opens in child's pose with an emphasis on deep, free breathing as the foundation of practice, then moves through down dog, a side-plank warmup series, and multiple rounds of a dynamic eight-pose flow (forward fold, standing side stretch, interlaced-hands backbend, plank, cobra, down dog). The bulk of the class works both sides of the body through a rich sequence including three-legged dog, knee-to-elbow core work, half-moon variations, runner's lunge, balancing lunge, crescent lunge, hero/warrior two with a one-minute hold, extended triangle, warrior one, and a deep forward fold with interlaced hands designed to specifically prepare the shoulders. Crow/elbow balance (Bakasana) appears as a peak arm-balance challenge. Backbending is addressed through cobra, locust with arms extended, and bow pose (Dhanurasana), all framed as shoulder-opening work. The class closes on the floor with supine figure-four hip stretches, supine spinal twists on both sides, and a final savasana with explicit guidance on stillness of mind and complete relaxation. Throughout, Bryan emphasizes gentleness, breath awareness, non-comparison, and listening to one's own body, making the class accessible despite its dynamic content.