In CounterFlow Yoga, we approach movement from the foundations of exercise science and movement pattern research
These 4 principles guide every flow in every class.
Love for the different planes of motion
Change Direction Often
Each day we move in three different directions – forward & backward, side to side, and twisting (or rotating around ourselves). In the world of anatomy, these are looked at on a 2D model and labeled as the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of motion.
These 2D models can often be confusing and complex, but when you think about it in terms of how you’re moving then it becomes a bit more understandable! This is why we’ve opted to keep our discussion on planes of motion simple and showcase some of our favorite CounterFlow Yoga movement examples as they relate to the planes of motion and movement patterns.
A few important things to know are that you can discuss the planes in relation to your entire body or in relation to specific joints. For our examples, we focused on the full body versus independent joints. (But don’t worry, if that’s what you really want to geek out on, then stand by for our soon-to-launch Learning Academy because we’ll dive super deep into this concept).
Sagittal Plane | Moving forward and backward
The sagittal plane splits the body into right and left sides and reflects any movement going forward and backward.
- Roll: Rolling like a ball
- Plank: Forearm Plank
- Crawl: Beast Crawl
- Squat: Single Leg Squat
- Hinge: Single-Leg RDL
- Gait: Walking
- Lunge: Forward Stepping Lunge
- Push: Chaturanga (or push-up)
- Pull: Cresent Wave
- Carry: Mountain Pose
- Rotate: Shoulder Rotation
Frontal Plane | Moving side to side
The frontal plane cuts the body into the front and back sides and reflects any movement going side to side.
- Roll: Fetal Roll
- Plank: Side Plank
- Crawl: Lateral Beast Crawl
- Squat: Goddess (or 2nd Position Plie Squat)
- Hinge: Cougar Lunge (lateral hinge)
- Gait: Side Step
- Lunge: Lateral Lunge
- Push: Side Leg Lift
- Pull: Lateral Shoulder Raise
- Carry: Warrior 2 arms
- Rotate: Rotational Swings
Horizontal (or Transverse) Plane | Rotational or twisting movement
The horizontal (or Transverse Plane) separates the body into top and bottom portions and reflects rotational movements.
- Roll: Starfish Roll
- Plank: Thread the Needle
- Crawl: Beast Tic-Tok
- Squat: Squat with Rotation
- Hinge: Rotated Triangle
- Gait: Lateral Cross-Over
- Lunge: Lunge with Rotation
- Push: Side Crow
- Pull: Single Arm Rotational Pull
- Carry: Unequal Farmers Carry (anti-rotation)
- Rotate: Falling Star
Dig deeper into exercise science concepts
Add to your library with our curated list of top reads on exercise science and movement training.
If research articles are your thing, then this bibliography style list will make you happy.
The only way to really understand CounterFlow Yoga is to just do it! Enjoy this bundle of all 3 classes.
More than just movement. More modern than traditional yoga asana.
CounterFlow Yoga is the next generation of mindful movement.
