Tara Stiles leads quite a few little yoga workouts on Livestrong Woman. I previewed them and really liked the look of them so several went onto my playlist. This morning I did my first two. Flexibility Flow is a very dynamic yoga routine. It contained mostly basic yoga moves with a focus on flexibility. Some of it was pretty advanced and Tara didn’t offer many modifications tho she did tell you to do what you are capable of and to not go as deep if you are not able. Well, I am not able to do the splits, so my attempt was pretty pathetic, but I did feel the stretch by attempting!
A little bit about Tara. I did like her and she led a good yoga routine but she talks really fast. A good 3rd of the time I couldn’t understand what she was saying. She spoke so fast her words ran together and I felt like I was listening to an auctioneer. It was very odd, but I actually got used to it. I liked the routines I did today enough that I do not find her fast talking a deterrent, but it did seem at odds with the idea that yoga is supposed to be calming and relaxing. Rapid talking isn’t very relaxing.
Flexibility Flow is 10 minutes long. It starts with some cat and cow. Transition into down dog. While in down dog raise onto toes and back down. Down dog split (3 leg dog) and bring foot forward into a lunge. Lower back knee to floor and stretch torso back; lace hands and continue to stretch chest; twist to side. Shift hips back, straightening front leg for hamstring stretch. Return to down dog split. From down dog split, Tara raises onto one toe, lowers torso (so a sort of tricep strength move) until her chin touches the mat, then rolls up into up dog. Child’s pose. Repeat this sequence on other leg. Return to down dog then to down dog split. Bring leg out around on the outside of body until you are in lunge but with foot outside of hands. Lower to elbows in this position. Slide out into a diagonal split (she calls it an “open split”). Return to split dog. This time bring leg down into lunge between hands and go into a straight split. Twist to side while in split. Return to down dog. Do split dog on other leg and repeat entire split series on other leg. Return to down dog then to child’s pose.
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