When my system needs a reset, one of my favorite methods for detoxing is sweating it out through a hip-hop hot yoga class at Y7. When I ask the studio founder Sarah Levey why the practice feels so, er, juicy, she tells me that all yoga—hot or not—is ideal for the purpose of essentially wringing yourself out, both physically and mentally, because certain poses, such as twists, support your body's natural detoxification processes.
Since I can't always make it to the studio—hibernation hangover is real—I ask Levey if she's willing to share some cleansing poses from her new book We Flow Hard: The Y7 Guide To Crafting Your Yoga Practice so that I (and you) can do them at home or wherever spring happens to fling me.
Keep reading to see Y7 founder Sarah Levey's fave detoxification sequence.
Y7 Mega Detox
For this yoga sequence, you'll need a mat and some room to move your body. Hold each pose for 10 breaths (per side, where needed).
High lunge
Start in a downward facing dog. From there, step your right foot forward into a lunge with your knee right above your ankle. Gently rise into a high lunge with your back heel lifted and arms extended toward the ceiling, framing your face.
High lunge T-twist
Start in a high lunge. Keeping the hips level and square, begin to twist your right arm backward and left arm forward until you arrive in a high lunge T-twist. You should remain upright and set your gaze over your back shoulder, sending energy out of the fingertips of both your arms.
High lunge closed-prayer twist
From your high lunge, lower your arms. Draw your left elbow down and outside your right thigh, and then bring your palms to meet. Keep the back leg energized, and with each exhale deepen your twist as you gaze over your left shoulder.
Chair pose
Step forward to stand at the front of your mat, toes and heels touching. Sit your weight back into your heels, stack your knees over your ankles, and hinge at the hips. Keep your torso facing forward and lift your arms to frame your face.
Chair twist
Fold forward in your chair pose until you can hook your left arm on the outside of your right knee. Bring your palms to touch and use that leverage to twist your torso from your waist and ribs. Keep your knees in the same line, hips level, and sit your weight back into your heels. With each exhale, encourage a deeper twist as you gaze over your right shoulder.
Diver's pose
Stand at the top of your mat with your feet together, toes and heels touching. With a flat back, hinge forward until you're parallel to the ground, and extend your arms behind you keeping them energized. Come high onto your tiptoes, encouraging your heels together and your weight into your big toes. Draw your heart toward the front of the mat. Engage the the abdomen to create stability.
Can't get enough yoga? Neither can Levey. Here, she teaches crow pose, but to really get your heart pumping try her sexy-time-enhancing sequence, too.
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