Stoking the Fire

About This Class

In "Stoking the Fire," Desiree Crossman guides students through a fast-paced, standing-heavy sequence rooted in her specialty yoga technique, which combines strength and flexibility training with an emphasis on the posterior chain. The class opens with a signature "lock and load" postural cue — tailbone tucked, navel drawn in, front ribs pulled back, sternum lifted — that anchors every movement. Students then progress through single-leg balance work with leg extensions and glute pulses, standing twists at the xiphoid process with deep chair-like sits that challenge the inner thighs and core, and a flowing lunge series featuring crescent lunge, twisting lunge, and a pyramid pose variation with active hip and hamstring work. Chair pose with heel lifts adds an endurance element, and a wide-legged forward fold walk-out provides a brief full-body release. The class is compact but demanding, calling on balance, lower-body strength, spinal rotation, and core stability throughout.