• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Creatine
      • AG1 Review
    • Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Workouts

Awake & Evolve: Cycle 4 – Creating Calm Flow

The fourth cycle of Awake and Evolve workouts focuses on energizing and lengthening the muscles to improve athletic performance, with a meditation component to improve concentration and mood.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on June 26, 2012

A.

Starting in a comfortable seated pose begin to find your natural breath pattern and shift towards a deep belly breath. Delve into the mind and ask what the body needs for today if your are feeling energetic complete 5- 10 rounds of a warming sun salutation. If your energy level is low and you need some grounding proceed to the down dog/child’s pose flow.

B.

In this simple flow you will alternate between long holds in child’s pose and downward dog. When working through this flow try to use a breath count, stop watch, or timer and keep the eyes closed through the series to allow the mind to dive deeper in the flow.

Down Dog/Child’s Pose Vinyasa

Spend 1 minute in child’s pose and then move into 1 minute of downward dog pose try to commit to completing 5-10 rounds.

Child’s Pose

Coming on to your knees bring your big toes together and sit on your heels, try to separate your knees about as wide as your hips. Inhale and exhale through the nose and drape the body between your thighs. Lengthen through your entire spine and bring your tailbone down and away from the pelvis. Chose a hand variation that works for you, either laying your hands on the floor alongside your torso with the palms up or in front of you body on the floor. You can also experiment with reaching back and touching the feet which sends calming message through the body preparing for release and relaxation.

Downward Dog

Finding your downward dog pose bring the hands shoulder width apart and feet hip with apart. As you exhale lengthen through your spine and release the shoulders down the back. With your next exhale stretch your heels down toward the floor. Try to firm your outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. Let the head release between the arms, be careful not to hold tension or tightness in the neck and shoulders.

C.

Savasana

Lying on your back or supported with props for your level of comfort, begin to close the eyes and relax the breath. Progressively go through the body relaxing and releasing with each exhale. Stay here for at least 5 minutes or as long as you wish. To come out roll off to your side coming to a seated position and taking a few breaths, noticing the difference in your internal state.

*Yogi’s Tip – When coming out of savasana if you are proceeding with your day or needing energy roll of to your right side which corresponds with sun energy. If you are wanting to maintain a sense of calm and doing this practice in the evening or making your way to sleep roll off to your left side which corresponds with moon energy and relaxation.

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.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Long-haired person in gym running on treadmill
Try These HIIT Treadmill Workouts for Different Goals
Muscular person in gym doing dumbbell curls
The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced
A person doing a barbell bench press.
The Ultimate Bench Press Workout to Increase Strength and Muscle
black and white image of long-haired person performing chin-up
Try These Biceps Workouts Without Weights for Muscle, Strength, and Fat Loss

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Hunter Labrada Looks Shredded Before Taking on 2023 Texas Pro and 2023 Tampa Pro

Lat Pulldown vs. Pull-Up: The Battle for a Bigger Back

2023 Strongest Man in Iceland Results — Kristján Jón Haraldsson Repeats

Dorian Yates Explains the 2-Exercise Ab Routine That Fueled His Mr. Olympia Dynasty

Latest Reviews

Breaking Muscle Best Protein Powder

17 Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and More

Athletic Greens AG1

Athletic Greens AG1 Review: Is This Greens Powder Worth It?

Best Adjustable Dumbbells

9 Best Adjustable Dumbbells for Home Gyms of 2023

Best Creatine

11 Best Creatine Supplements For Building Muscle, Cutting, and More

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About