FireFlow Yoga

5.00 out of 5
(2 customer reviews)

It’s Yoga for the CrossFit Athlete. Fireflow is an intensive power vinyasa class that focuses on hip and spine mobility. Learn to float, stretch, and sweat as we turn up the heat in FireFlow.

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SKU: Power Vinyasa Yoga Class Category: Tags: , ,

The FireFlow Yoga Class

FireFlow features carefully sequenced asanas that build balance, endurance, and strength. Take the intensity of Bikram, the diversity of Astanga, the transitions of Animal Flow, and sprinkle in Rocket’s sequencing, and boom, you have FireFlow.

What is FireFlow Yoga?

FireFlow is yoga designed to help improve health and fitness. Yoga to help you move better with less pain. It’s yoga to help CrossFit better.

FireFlow unique design combines the ten years of Paul’s experience as a yoga teacher, mobility coach, strength coach, and CrossFit coach. It’s unique design makes it approachable to beginners, powerlifters, and experienced Yogis. FireFlow will light up your practice like never before.

Systematically sourced from Astanga, Bikram, Rocket, and Animal Flow, FireFlow is a best-of-breed practice. FireFlow fuses the best elements of each style into twelve heart-pounding vinyasas. Learn to float, stretch, and sweat as we turn up the heat in FireFlow.

FireFlow Yoga is for CrossFit Athletes

FireFlow is Yoga to Help You Get Better at CrossFit.  It’s Programmed and taught by Head CrossFit Coach Paul Roberts. FireFlow is everything you need to improve your mobility. And Nothing you Don’t. You want to Get Strong and Prevent Injuries? Then take FireFlow, and Start Moving Stronger Today.

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FireFlow Fitness Yoga Class

FireFlow is a live and online fitness class at Sand and Steel Fitness.  You can signup for a class membership here.

FireFlow Overview

Like the Primary Series of Astanga and the 26 + 2 of Bikram, FireFlow follows a consistent sequence of asanas or poses. Poses you learn and practice, but can take years to master. A balanced practice, FireFlow teaches all eight aspects of yoga.

  1. Folds for Back and Legs Flexibility
  2. Hip Openers for Hips and Groin Flexibility
  3. Heart Openers & Backbends
  4. Twists and Side Bends
  5. Inversions & Arm Balances for Strength and Control
  6. Planks and Core Stability
  7. Standing Poses for Improving Balance and Symmetry
  8. Seated Poses for Recovery and Building Maximum Range of Motion

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FireFlow maintains the therapeutic properties and careful sequencing of Bikram. But unlike Bikram, you’ll learn to flow your poses in a Vinyasa. We built the sequencing of FireFlow based Animal Flow and Rocket Yoga. With practice, each pose effortlessly flows into the next. Unlike Bikram, Rocket, and Ashtanga, FireFlow features 8 Sequenced Flows.

Foundation Flow
Foundation Flow focuses on teaching many of the base poses used in the more advanced flows. Foundation Flow also introduces the concept of transitioning and learn how to float from one pose to the next.
Big Twist Flow
The Big Twist Flow will challenge your balance and improve your rotational control. Balance and rotational control are crucial to building and strength and are not easily trained through other fitness disciplines. 
Ashtanga Express
The Ashtanga Express: Ashtanga is one of the oldest forms of Yoga. Ashtanga’s practice follows a consistent sequence of poses known as the primary series (more advanced students practice the secondary or tertiary series.) For most people, the primary series still contains too many unnecessarily difficult asanas. Plus, beginners typically need two hours to complete the class. Our modified Ashtanga Flow simplifies the primary series making it far more approachable to beginners.  
Yin and Yang Flow
The Yin and Yang Flow begins with a high energy, body-drenching yang flow. The Yang builds into a challenging muscular sequence that will leave your legs burning and asking for more. We push and push for 30 minutes until you can take no more. And then, the practice switches to a relaxing Yin flow on the mat. Yin will help bring down your body and stretch your spine and legs.
The Sun Flow
The Sun Flow: the Sun Salutation is a bedrock practice of the Ashtanga and Rocket Flows. Practiced for a hundred years, Sun Salutations A and B provide an excellent warmup for more advanced sequences. We introduce five more sun salutations in the Sun Flow, each slightly more challenging than the next. The Sun Flow features Inversions, Standing Balances, & Hip Openers.
The Moon Flow
The Moon Flow features longer poses allowing us to take our time and carefully work each pose. Two strong pranayamas surround a sequence of hip openers, folds, and arm balances. Like the moon’s phases, our bodies slowly turn on the mat each time we complete the 29 Moon Flow Asanas.  
FireFlow I
FireFlow I starts with Rocket’s challenging opening sequence of arm balances and balance challenges. It seamlessly transitions into Astanga’s Standing Balances and concludes with the infamous Jump Through sequences we explored in the Ashtanga Express.
FireFlow II
FireFlow II starts with Classical Sun Salutation and transitions into the forward splits and Ashtanga’s Standing Heel Lock Poses. From there, we build strength in the core with a score of power yoga exercises. We conclude the flow with some handstand practice and a thorough cooldown on the mat.

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The Pranayamas – Breath Control

FireFlow features 5 of the most powerful pranayamas.  Pranayamas help focus the mind and improve circulation.  More importantly, the build diaphragmatic control and strength.  When was the last time you exercises your diaphragm?

Ocean Breath- Ujjayi Pranayam
Exhale into your hand and fog the mirror.  Pretend your hand is a mirror.  Constrict your throat to make that happen.  As you inhale with your nose, maintain the throat constriction to make the ocean sound.

As the throat passage is narrowed thus, too, is that the airway, the passage of air through that creates a “rushing” sound. The length and speed of the breath are controlled by the diaphragm, the strengthening of that is, in part, and the aim of Ujjayi Pranayama.

Fire Breath - Bhastrika Pranayama
A forced inhale and exhale of 2.5 seconds.  You’ll build the power of your fire breath as you strengthen the intercostal chest muscles and diaphragm.  There are two different techniques for Bhastrika Pranayama.  One is predicated on the classical approach given within the Hatha yoga Pradipika. The other is a modern and changed version of the technique and involves the movement of the arms and shoulders alongside the breath.  This style is similar to the open pranayama in Bikram.  FireFlow performs Fire Breath for 2.5 seconds in and out.  The Bikram variation is generally 6 seconds.
Bahya Pranayama - Vacuum Breath
Bahya Pranayama or vacuum breath utilizes a forced inhale, forced exhale, and retention in the exhaled state.  Bahya Breath operates on a 1:2:3 ratio.  Beginners should try 1 second in, 2 seconds out, 3 seconds hold.  More experienced yogis can aim for 4 seconds in, 8 seconds out, 12 seconds retention.

Bhramari Pranayama - Bumble Bee Breath
The name for Bhramari Pranayama comes from the sounds the breath makes —  bumblebee.  This particular breath is very effective at calming and resetting the mind.  It helps you block out the noise and stress of the outside world.

To practice Bumble Bee breath you perform the following steps:

  • Close your ears lids or flaps with your thumbs.·
  • Place your index finger just above your eyebrows and the rest of your fingers over your eyes
  • Applying gentle pressure to the sides of your nose with your middle fingers .·
  • Concentrate your mind on the area between your eyebrows.·
  • Keep your mouth closed; breathe out slowly through your mouth making the humming sound of Om.·
Kapalabhati Pranayama - Skull Shining Breath
Kapalabhati consists of alternating short, explosive exhales and slightly longer, passive inhales. Exhales are generated by powerful contractions of the lower belly (between the pubis and navel), which push air out of the lungs. Inhales are responses to the release of this contraction, which sucks air back into the lungs.

Focus on your lower belly. Many beginners aren’t able to isolate and contract this area. If needed, cup one hand lightly in the other and press them gently against your lower belly.

Now quickly contract (or pump your fisted hands against) your lower belly, pushing a burst of air out of your lungs. Then quickly release the contraction (or your hands), so the belly “rebounds” to suck air into your lungs. Pace yourself slowly at first. Repeat eight to 10 times at about one exhale-inhale cycle every second or two. As you become more adept at contracting/releasing your lower belly, you can increase your pace to about two exhale-inhale cycles every second.

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FireFlow Comparison with Bikram, Ashtanga, Rocket, and Animal Flow

The 4 practices from which FireFlow is based (Bikram, Ashtanga, Rocket, and Animal Flow) are some of the best styles of yoga available.  FireFlow builds on the most successful elements of these practices.  Here is a summary of key differences.

FireFlow Versus Bikram
FireFlow includes all 26 poses from Bikram and the two pranayamas. And to Chaudray Bikram’s credit, he picked 26 excellent poses. But in creating such a limited sequence, there were many vital poses (like Downward Facing Dog, Lion’s Pose, and Crow) that he didn’t include. FireFlow fixes this oversight. To practice Bikram yoga, you need to devote 90 minutes to each class. We built FireFlow to require only 45 minutes. And while Bikram eschews any use of Yoga props like blocks and bands, we realize that these tools are essential for assisting beginners.
FireFlow Versus Ashtanga
Ashtanga is a legendary practice and many of the Asanas aren’t readily available to most people (especially the poses in the secondary and tertiary series.) Some of the sequencing from Astanga is pure brilliance, and we wholesale copied it into FireFlow. Where Astanga struggles the most is that so many of the poses are just too hard for beginners. In FireFlow, we take the mindfulness of a rigorous Astanga practice but break down the barriers to entry.
FireFlow Versus Rocket
Of the big three, FireFlow is most similar to Rocket. Rocket’s flows are entirely too long. Classes are often half completed. We liked Rocket’s attention to teaching arm balances and inversions. Like Rocket, you’ll learn not only the asanas but also the transitions to maintain time under tension. This principle from personal training is critical for leveraging yoga into a strength-building practice.
FireFlow Versus Animal Flow
Animal Flow isn’t yoga — it’s a yoga-inspired / gymnastics inspired primal movement flow class. Like yoga, Animal Flow is a practice. Where Animal Flow shines is in its sequencing and its transitions. In Animal Flow, the challenge is to transition smoothly with control between base poses. In contrast, most Yoga practices focus on the pose itself (and the transition is often an afterthought). In contrast, in Animal Flow, the transition is everything. In FireFlow, we bring the knowledge and technique of Animal Flow into a yoga practice.

2 reviews for FireFlow Yoga

  1. 5 out of 5

    Krista D’Archangelo

    I look forward to Fireflow Yoga every week. The movements are challenging but I always leave feeling more relaxed than when I came. The coaches are very knowledgeable and provide scaling options for all levels. My mobility and flexibility have increased significantly since joining this class and I have seen the benefits reflected in the CrossFit exercises. I would recommend this class to anyone!

  2. 5 out of 5

    Nema

    I’m would consider myself a pretty frequent yogi, but have not experienced anything like this. I only started with these group classes and was expecting it to be like the traditional, same routine style classes with not much variation to the previous class. Not here though. We start with basic moves for a good warm up and then move into different variations each time. This is a great class for all levels of skill because variations of the same moves are incorporated to challenge those who may be more experienced. I’m always leaving feeling good. I’m already looking into trying some of the private yoga classes to see if there is an added bonus.

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