GIULIA’s YOGA STUDIO

Your classes in your own time.

15 minutes a day are more impactful than 1 hour a week to reshape our body and mind.

Core & Back Strength, Leg Postural realignment.

This sequence supports wrist and ankle rehabilitation, leg postural realignment, core and back strength, and controlled flexibility.

Yoga Nidra.

20 minutes to reset and recharge. .

Summer Focus: Core + Hips + Upper Legs Strengthening

  • Special Focus

    • Left Side: Strengthen glutes + open hip flexors (e.g. lunge positions)

    • Right Side: Strengthen hip flexors + relax glutes (e.g. pigeon variations)

  • Full Body Stability

    Side Plank Variations

    • Options:

    • Classic (stacked legs or top leg in front)

    • Bottom knee down

    • Forearm variation (place block under supporting forearm if needed)

    • Focus: Core, shoulder stability, oblique strength. Test lowering the side body to the ground while keeping the bottom leg and side body strong (strength + elongating)

    Forearm Plank

    • Engage side body, shoulders broad

    • Keep pelvis slightly tucked without collapsing lumbar spine

  • Hip + Glute Activation and Balance

    Standing Asymmetrical Work

    • Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) – focus more on the left leg

    • Curtsy Squats – slow and mindful, favor left side slightly

    • Chair pose – test lifting one leg at the time

    • Step Work or Hip Swings:

    • Stand on a book or step

    • Move opposite leg forward/back or side/side

    • Focus on control and glute activation

  • Lunge-Based Sequences

    Left Side

    Glute strengthening + hip flexor lengthening

    Ideal poses:

    • Low lunge

    • Low lunge to WWIII

    • Lunge pulses or lifts (knee to the floor and suspended)

    Right Side

    Strengthen hip flexor while relaxing glutes

    Ideal poses:

    • Pigeon Pose

    • Seated 90/90 Hip Stretch

    • Active Hip Flexor Lift in Supine or Standing

  • Downward Dog

    Setup Tips:

    • Start in All Fours

    • Toes tucked and slightly in, fingers slightly turned out

    • Lift knees and push weight back to legs while keeping the knees deeply bent and lengthening the spine

    • Straighten the legs only when you reach the end of your range of motion

    Purpose

    • Load legs and arms equally

    • Better back engagement

  • Core

    Boat Pose

    • Before getting into boat pose sit and hug the thighs and do cat cow hugging the thighs.

    • Keep spine long, chest lifted and hold behind the knees transitioning to boat

    • Avoid rounding the lower back

    • Hold or pulse, focusing on steady breath

    • Progression: Squeeze a block or book between thighs to fire adductors and deepen core activation. Try slow leg extensions while holding the block

    Supine Leg Lowering

    • Engage lower abdominals and press gently into the floor

    • Only lower as far as you can keep control without arching the back

    • Exhale on the lowering phase

    • With Props: Place a block/book between the legs to keep inner thighs active and prevent flaring out. Focus on moving the legs as one strong unit

Breath work

  • Sama Vritti (Equal Breath) Warm-Up:

    • Inhale 5 counts, exhale 5 counts.

    • Add 1 count to each inhale and exhale every round until reaching 15 counts.

    Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) with Holds:

    • Inhale left nostril 5 counts, hold 5 counts, exhale right nostril 5 counts.

    • Inhale right nostril 5 counts, hold 5 counts, exhale left nostril 5 counts.

    • Repeat for multiple rounds with the same 5-count pattern.

    Viloma 3 (Interrupted Breath):

    • Inhale 3 counts, hold 2 counts, inhale 2 counts, hold 3 counts, inhale 1 count, hold 4 counts.

    • Exhale 1 count, hold 4 counts, exhale 2 counts, hold 3 counts, exhale 3 counts, hold 2 counts.

    • Repeat this stacking pattern for several rounds.

    Sama Vritti Cool-Down:

    • Start from 15 counts for inhale and exhale, reducing by 1 count each round until reaching 5 counts.

  • 1. Agni Sara Kriya (4 rounds)

    • Exhale completely.

    • Hold the breath out and pump the abdomen 20-30 times.

    • Inhale deeply, relax.

    • Take a few normal breaths before the next round.

    • Repeat 4 rounds.

    2. Kapalabhati with Breath Retention (4 rounds)

    • 30 rapid exhales (inhale is passive).

    • After the last exhale, inhale deeply and hold (10-20 sec).

    • Exhale slowly, relax.

    • Take a few normal breaths before the next round.

    • Repeat 4 rounds.

    3. Box-Style Breath Retention (6 rounds)

    • Inhale for 5 sec → Hold for 10 sec → Exhale for 10 sec → Hold for 5 sec.

    • Repeat 4 rounds.

    • Then, increase the inhale hold to 20 sec for 2 more rounds.

    4. Equal Breathing (4 rounds)

    • Inhale for 8 sec → Exhale for 8 sec.

    • Repeat 4 rounds.