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Workouts

Awake & Evolve: Cycle 1 – Open Your Heart Flow

The first cycle of Awake & Evolve workouts focuses on balancing the chakras and relieving stress and tension with gentle yoga stretches.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on May 16, 2013

A.

Cobra/Upward Dog Vinyasa

Bring your body into a supine position setting up the body for cobra pose. Use this cobra pose flow to warm the spine. Bring your hands to the floor under your shoulders and hug the elbows into your body. Begin to press the tops of the feet and thighs firmly into the floor. On the inhale lift the upper body up and press your hands into the floor. Repeat this slow flow for 5-8 rounds lengthening and extending the spine with the breath. When the spine begins to warm move into an upward dog flow repeating for 5-10 rounds with breath.

B.

Gate Pose with Heart Opener

Extend your right leg out to the side, be sure to keep the knee and ankle in line with your right hip. As you take your next inhale, reach the left arm up and extend it over, stretching deeply through the side waist. To go deeper and open the heart release the left arm up and over feeling the deep stretch in the chest and heart center. Stay in the pose for 10-15 deep breaths, and then repeat the pose on the opposite side.

C.

Wheel Pose

Lying on your spine, begin to bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, placing your heels close to your bottom. Bend your elbows and spread your palms flat on the floor beside your head with your fingers pointing toward your shoulders. Take an inhale and press down with your feet actively into the floor. As you exhale push your spine up toward the ceiling, firming bottom as you lift. Keep your thighs, knees and feet in a parallel position. Take 3-5 long slow deep breaths and slowly come down on the exhale to rest. As you inhale lift your body away from the floor again. Begin to press your shoulder blades down your back and feel your chest and heart center open. Remain in this lifted wheel position for 5-10 long slow breaths. If you wish to take the pose deeper rise up onto the balls of your feet, and feel a deep stretch in the ankles and Achilles.

D.

Fish Pose

Come up onto your elbows and gently move your body towards the back of your mat, keeping your forearms on the floor. Open up through the chest as your drop the top of your head back to the floor, opening your throat and neck. Stay in the pose for 5-10 deep breaths and gently release your upper body down to the floor.

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

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