Part One
Mysore with Krista
8:00–10:00 AM
Practice the portion of the Ashtanga sequence you have learned while receiving individualized instruction based on your body, experience, and current practice.
Return to the full series
Mysore Masterclass 02 · Sunday, September 20, 2026
The Art of Backbending
Learning to Move with Stability, Not Fear
A complete morning of Mysore practice followed by an interactive exploration of stability, breath, strength, and intelligent backbending. Join us for the full experience, or choose either session on its own.
8:00 AM–12:30 PM
In Person + Live Zoom
$85
Most people try to bend farther. Very few learn how to move better.
Rethinking the Backbend
Healthy backbending is not simply about creating a larger shape. It is about organizing the body, controlling weight, and moving through space without abandoning the foundation beneath you.
In this masterclass, we will explore backbending from the pelvis outward—learning how stability, breath, strength, and movement organization allow the spine to extend without relying on momentum or force.
One Complete Morning
Practice first. Then explore what practice reveals.
Mysore practice and the focused two-hour masterclass are designed to complement one another, while each session may also be attended on its own.
Part Two
Backbending Masterclass
10:30 AM–12:30 PM
Explore how the pelvis, legs, breath, spine, and shoulders work together to create backbends that feel organized and supported.
Mysore + Masterclass
Join the full morning for $85, or choose either session separately below.
$85
Book Through Glofox
The Central Principle
Backbending begins with your center of gravity.
The pelvis must shift forward as the upper structure moves backward. This relationship allows you to control your weight instead of simply surrendering to gravity.
When the pelvis moves with intention, backbending feels less like
falling and more like balancing.
We will examine how the feet, legs, pelvis, breath, spine, and shoulders work together—and how losing that foundation can create fear, compression, or unnecessary strain.
What We’ll Explore
Understanding what creates a backbend—not simply how it looks.
We will take apart the physical and psychological components of backbending so you can better understand what your own body needs.
Fear & Orientation
Why moving backward can feel disorienting and how organization creates control.
Pelvis & Balance
How the pelvis directs your center of gravity and keeps you connected to the ground.
Legs & Foundation
Why organized legs are essential for supporting the spine when entering and exiting.
Breath Under Stress
How the breath changes under threat and how it can support steadiness and control.
Spine & Shoulders
Distribute extension through the thoracic spine, rib cage, and shoulder girdle.
Hip Extension
Understand how the front of the hips and thighs contribute to a supported backbend.
Compression vs. Flexibility
Recognize the difference between muscular limitation, structure, compression, and habit.
Progressions & Variations
Use appropriate variations to explore the same principles in different bodies and poses.
Who Should Attend
You do not need to be naturally flexible or have an advanced practice.
This masterclass is for practitioners who want to understand backbending more clearly—whether you are cautious, fearful, experienced, working with limitations, or refining advanced postures.
Guided Exploration
Feel where extension occurs, where stability is lost, and where compensation appears.
Wall Work
Use the wall for feedback, orientation, and a clearer relationship to balance.
Demonstration & Observation
See direction, timing, and movement organization before exploring them yourself.
Intelligent Progressions
Move from foundational patterns toward an appropriate level of challenge.
Postures and Variations
Different poses reveal different relationships.
We may draw from Ustrasana, Laghu Vajrasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, Kapotasana, standing backbends, and accessible variations. The goal is not for every student to perform every pose, but to understand the shared principles behind them.
Ustrasana
Laghu Vajrasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Kapotasana
Standing Backbends
Accessible Variations
Sunday, September 20, 2026
The Art of Backbending
Attend the full morning, or choose Mysore or the masterclass on its own. The masterclass may be attended in person or live through Zoom.
Schedule
Mysore
8:00–10:00 AM
Break
10:00–10:30 AM
Masterclass
10:30 AM–12:30 PM
Format
In Person + Live Zoom
Space is limited so the Mysore room remains personal and the masterclass leaves room for movement exploration, individual application, and meaningful questions.
$85
Register for the Full Event · $85
Full-event registration includes both Mysore practice and the masterclass.
Want to attend Mysore only?
Book the 8:00–10:00 AM Mysore practice separately.
Want to attend the Masterclass only?
Join the 10:30 AM–12:30 PM masterclass without the morning Mysore practice.
Masterclass Only · $60Joining the masterclass via Zoom? Register for either the Full Event or Masterclass Only, then email [email protected] and Krista will send you the Zoom link.
