This past Sunday, in the South Hills, Kendell Romanelli offered a Chakra Flow style yoga workshop. This two hour workshop encouraged the Pittsburgh yogi to seek balance by being active during a month that the vast majority of people would rather be asleep. The energetic practice and live music was worth the trip out to the studio.
Style
Chakra Flow or “Kendellini” fuses together Vinyasa, Hatha, and Kundalini yoga; merging together sun salutations and Kundalini kriyas. For the yogis who are unfamiliar with Kundalini yoga, the kriyas become more accessible when paired with sun salutations since yogis can still find comfort in the familiarity of downward dog and chaturanga dandasana. For yogis who have been exposed to different styles of yoga, Chakra Flow yoga offers an energetic and playful experience that includes kriya practice.
In the class, kriyas were described as prescriptions, used to balance energy and assist in overcoming problems that arise in life. Kriyas are movements, breathing, or chanting, arranged into sets to help achieve an intended result. For example, a kriya may have a goal of strengthening the immune system, cleansing the digestive tract, or even inviting abundance.
Level/Difficulty
Although this workshop was probably more beneficial to a practitioner who has attended at least one yoga class or has some working knowledge of yoga, this was not a workshop that demanded that the attendees bend into pretzels. The real difficulty in this workshop was in its aerobic demands, which were counterbalanced by the option to rest if the exercise got too intense. Generally, the workshop demanded hard work but was very accessible to those interested in participating. This felt like a mixed level workshop.
Impressions
Half-way through this workshop, participants were told to “pop like popcorn,” and were directed to hang down in a forward fold and jump up and down for two minutes while trying not to let laughter interrupt the attempts to keep popping. Needless to say, these were a highly enjoyable two hours.
Kendell Romanelli teaches several regular classes in the Pittsburgh area and her schedule can be found here.
