Deepening Flexibility and Heart-Opening Yoga
Whether you are looking to release tightness from a long workday or wanting to deepen your backbends, these sessions focus on sustainable, safe mobility for your body.
A demonstration of entering Wheel Pose (Chakrasana), a deep backbend that opens the entire front of the body. This heart opener is energizing and helps build strength and flexibility in the spine.
I stand before what is with an open heart. A standing backbend in a beautiful architectural frame, showing how yoga can be practiced anywhere to open the heart and spine.
Drawing awareness away from the external world with a full Wheel Pose in nature. This deep backbend, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, is a powerful heart opener that strengthens your entire body.
A variation of One-Legged King Pigeon Pose on a swing. This asana provides a deep stretch for the hip flexors and opens the chest and shoulders, a perfect example of creative practice.
This is a variation of Camel Pose (Ustrasana), a powerful heart-opening backbend. It stretches the entire front of the body, improves posture, and builds back strength.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) is an excellent backbend for increasing spinal flexibility and strength. It also opens up the chest and shoulders, countering the effects of slouching.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is a foundational backbend perfect for beginners. It strengthens the spine, firms the buttocks, and relieves stress and fatigue.
A deeper expression of Cobra Pose, or Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). This pose is part of the Sun Salutation and is fantastic for strengthening the back and opening the chest.
A wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) is a great way to stretch the hamstrings and inner thighs. This video shows the progression into a headstand from this pose.
Another view of the wide-legged forward fold. This inversion calms the mind while providing a deep stretch for the back of the legs and the spine.
About Deepening Flexibility & Opening the Heart
I focus on functional flexibility rather than just trying to force a pose. In these sessions, we use props like straps and blocks to meet your body where it is today, ensuring you stretch safely without overstraining your joints or spine.
Inflexibility often comes from the habits of our daily life—long hours spent hunched over a desk, carrying stress in our shoulders, and neglecting our spinal health. My approach to flexibility isn't about rushing into advanced inversions; it's about systematically releasing the tightness that keeps you from feeling your best.
When we work on heart openers like Camel Pose (Ustrasana) or Wheel Pose (Chakrasana), we aren't just stretching the chest; we are countering the physical patterns of tech-neck and rounded shoulders. These sessions utilize specific Hatha and Vinyasa techniques to build strength alongside suppleness.
I integrate props to ensure that if you are a beginner with tight hamstrings, you can access the benefits of a forward fold without strain. For those more experienced, we explore variations that deepen muscle awareness and spinal mobility. Whether you join my group batches or prefer a 1-on-1 session for injury rehabilitation, my goal is the same: to help you move through life with more openness and less tension.
Sharmila Sheoran
I’m Sharmila. I believe yoga is a balance between the strength we build and the grace we allow ourselves. In my classes, we move with purpose—whether it’s a deep stretch after a long workday or a challenging sequence to open the heart.
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