Based upon some of the basic movements of Kalari, the Marshal Art form from Kerala, we will cultivate fluidity within strength to the Banda's (ph) and circular movement. With your feet hip distance apart, draw your chin into your heart, and slowly unwind your neck, letting the crown of the head flow from one shoulder to the other. Start to feel the Banda (ph) quality transiting up your feet, up the base of the spine, that every movement be a whole body movement, and now we will circle the right-arm over the crown of the head.
In general, we are working with a few cycles at a time and then we switch. This is lubricating your shoulder joint, and we will take this movement now into yogic squat Marasana (ph) to draw your ankles under your knees and feel the pulse from your feet to the pelvic floor. Keep the pelvic floor rising, tail-bone drops, lower belly lifts to support your spine.
Now, take your arms to the right and circle them over the crown of your head, three times, opening the shoulder joints and then changing sides. And then slowly straightening your legs and come back down into yogic squat again. This time bend your elbows by your shoulders. Exhale, turn to the side, to the front, to the side, and back to center. To the side, front, side, and center.
As you circle your spine, stay steady at your base. Now, changing directions, going to the side, center, side, and back to center, side, forward, side, back to center, and as you circle in this flow, make sure you feel this in your upper body, lower body is steady. Now we will put this together into a Vinyasa.
Exhale, forward bend, hands under the shoulders, first link them to spine. If you need to, you can bend your knees here. Inhale, spine opens, exhale, forward bend. Inhale, let the spine rise, and straighten the legs as you bend your right knee, and slowly lifting the pelvic floor, keeping the weight off your knees and in your center. Inhale, exhale, bend the right knee, and now we will prepare for the Kalari Vinyasa.
Circle your upper body to the left and back down bending the right knee, look to the left as you straighten the left leg, walk your hands through. Back knee down; open your chest, exhale, tail-bone to the back heel. Inhale; come up slowly, and around hands, under the shoulders. Now, climbing through instinctually, gaze out like a tiger from your center, back heel grounds. Inhale, circle to the left, and back to center, walk-through, open your spine. Exhale, back heel down, inhale, circle up and around, exhale, inhale, walk your hands forward, open the heart, and exhale, back knee down, tail-bone to the back heel, inhale, come up and around again, exhale, climb through, heart opens, and stay here now, the counter-pose for your legs.
As you straighten your right leg, and lengthen your spine being respectful of your hamstrings, you feel the strength in your legs. Now, bring the hands under your shoulders, back heel comes down, hands to your thighs, draw your heart over your pelvis. You will feel a gentle back pain here, but let it rise from the back foot all the way up to pelvic floor.
Now, take the left arm up, right elbow under, stretch the arms up to the sky, and then exhale, sit back, either keeping your pelvis high or lower down. Inhale, climb through, this time take the opposite arm up, and exhale, shift back, opening the hips. Inhale, come forward, take the opposite arm in Garudasan. Exhale slowly back.
One more time, inhale, come up and change, and exhale. Hands come down. This time, reach for the back foot with opposite arm. Take your elbow down, and feel the quadricep stretch. Now, exhale, we'll shift to the other side, open the heart, exhale, take the knee down, straighten your left leg, return back to the rhythm of your breath, and there is you're ready back into the lunge, the last Kalari Vinyasa.
Ground your back heel, hands to the thighs, feel the weight to the back then, and then now add the shoulder opener. Left arm up, right-elbow under, stretch your arms to the sky, and then exhale, either use your hands to walk back, open the chest and hips, and then coming forward stretching up through the opposite arm.
Exhale slowly, either use your hands or no hands. Opposite arm stretches to the sky, exhale, shift back, change arms, take your elbows under, inhale rising, exhale, take the hands to the earth on the inside of the foot, and reach with the opposite arm and exhale. Heel comes to the buttocks. Slowly lower down, slow, and deep breath.
Now, release the back foot, slowly take the heel down, and walk your feet parallel, lifting your heart halfway, exhale full. Now, bend your knees to the side, take your elbows on the inside. Inhale; take your left arm up, right elbow under. Spread the arms, and change sides, in rhythm, inhale, move your fingertips wide, and exhale. Take the power of the breath in the movement, back to your center.
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