Deep Slow Relaxed

Tilak Pyle
Year Released: 2008

Categories: Yoga
- Audio Workout

Note: I received a free MP3 copy of this workout as part of my arrangement to review workouts for the site iHanuman.com.

In this 68-minute live audio session, instructor Tilak Pyle offers a quiet, restful yoga practice. As the title suggests, this class moves at an unhurried pace, with a focus on becoming softer and deeper. After an opening seated meditation and single round of Ohm, Pyle leads the group in about 10 minutes of breathwork (pranayama), including skull-shining breath and three-part breathing. He instructs well here, proving simple cues and also allowing opportunity for individual practice.

Following the pranayama, the asana practice begins. However, Pyle keeps his students on the floor, leading them through gentle stretches to open the chest, shoulders, and spine. This class also contains a variety of poses to target the hip flexors, starting here with an extended cobbler’s pose (or diamond pose) and then moving into a unique half-cobbler’s forward bend on either side. Continuing at the same leisurely pace, Pyle moves the class through various basic flows, such as cat/cow, leg lifts on all fours, and runner’s stretches in down dog. The standing postures in this practice include low lunge work and warrior 1 pose. Plus, Pyle sneaks in some strength challenges here and there—for example, moving into the lunge postures from 3-legged down dog. Final poses for this class include pigeon, kneeling dancer’s, full seated forward bend, reclining twist, and a 10-minute savasana.

This class definitely provides an excellent opportunity to take a break from a fast-paced world and enjoy a meditative yoga session. Although the practice is performed at a slow, relaxed pace, it is not a restorative yoga class per se, and it would be most appropriate for experienced beginner to intermediate level yoga students.

Instructor Comments:
For those familiar with Tilak's Yoga: Altar of the Heart, you already know that Tilak has a wonderfully soothing voice. Tilak does very well with the audio format--I found him generally easy to follow.

Beth C (aka toaster)

06/28/2009