Inspiration abounds, let's harness it

// a juicy backbend class plan featuring funky table top and funky crow

Dear Humans,

Have you heard of the yogic principle: Pratipaksha Bhavana?

It means cultivating the opposite.

The principle suggests that when a negative or unhelpful thought, habit, or approach arises one should consciously cultivate its opposite.

For example:

• If forcefulness isn’t working in a posture, try surrender.

• If over-effort leads to strain, try ease and patience.

• If negative thoughts are dominating, consciously invoke positivity.

In other words: If one path isn’t yielding results, the solution isn’t persistence but a radical shift in approach.

I was writing this newsletter today, and trying and failing, trying and failing to say what I wanted to say. And so I scrapped it all and here I am, beginning again.

That’s so often how the creative process is. It moves in fits and starts. Sometimes creativity flows, sometimes it, well, fizzles.

When that happens, especially when I’m trying to write or maybe plan my yoga class, I tend to look outside myself for inspiration.

The truth is there’s so much of it to be found. Sometimes too much. We scroll. We consume. We save. But all that inspiration doesn’t do much for us if we don’t do anything with it. If we don’t return to it, open it up, try it out in our own bodies, and then make it our own. Inspiration is meant to be used.

So that’s exactly what I did when I was planning this class last night. I’d been feeling like I was in a bit of a creative rut. I wanted to shake things up. So I unrolled my mat, opened up my phone, and took a look at some of the sequence inspiration I’ve saved lately. I found many gems, but I was inspired specifically by two bits of movement in particular: The funky tabletop movements I picked up from Myriam Hamer and the dancing warrior sequence I picked up from Vicky Lobo.

I had so much fun thinking about how I could take these two sparks of inspiration and build from there. I started by thinking about what these movements engaged and targeted in the body (quads, glutes, shoulders, side body length). That made me think about back bends and heart opening. (We need strong glutes and quads for safe backbends!). It also made me think about building onto the funky tabletop in other ways.

All of this turned into a class focused on heart opening, balance, and funky arm balances (from funky table top, it just makes sense to try out funky crow!).

I really love how this class turned out and I’m definitely adding it to my rotation of classes I want to teach again.

I don’t think creativity is an individual pursuit. Everything I’ve taught I’ve learned from someone else—whether directly or indirectly. That’s how learning works.

Maybe I do occasionally stumble upon something that’s totally unique, a movement that’s never been done before, but how would I ever really know for sure? Who’s to say someone else hasn’t been doing it for years? But that’s not the point. Novelty isn’t the point. And more importantly novelty doesn’t equal creativity.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we’re being inspired by one another. That we aren’t always creating “from scratch.”

When we create and share with one another, we co-create the practice. We help shape its evolution. Really, that’s a great honor.

So if you’re in a creative rut or if you’ve ever had the thought of “ah, I should be creating sequences myself,” or “I shouldn’t be relying on online tools or other peoples’ sequences,” then I’m here to dispel that. Using tools and resources is a gift. Inspiration comes from all around us. Let’s use it. Let’s create together.

My friends, today I FOUR sequences to share with you.

I start by sharing the opening of the yoga class I taught last night. This sequence takes you from the opening moments, including pranayama, all the way through the modified sun salutation sequence.

Then, paid subscribers get three additional sequences which make up this yoga class: a mini flow, main flow, and peak flow.

I’m so thankful for the sparks of inspiration that helped me create this beautiful class. I really love the way it turned out. It’s the perfect blend of strength, flow, juiciness, and focus.

I hope you like it. I hope you use it. I hope you make it yours.

I couldn’t do this alone. I never have, in fact.

And remember, you don’t have to either.

Sending love, dear humans,

Izzy

Izzy Martens

author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast

@yoga.humans | @martensizzy

What I Taught in Yoga This Week | May 21, 2025

class opening — the write-up:

• supported hero’s pose

  • sitting on your shins with a block between your ankles

• alternate nostril breathing (read more here)

• arms overhead

• supported backbend

  • hands plant at sacrum, elbows hug in, heart opens

• arms overhead

• side bends with cactus arms

• spinal exploration with cactus arms

• tabletop

• cow / cat

• tabletop on forearms

• find barrel rolls in spine

• funky tabletop

  • keep one forearm down, plant other palm in line with elbow

• vertical 90 degree leg lift

• lateral 90 degree leg lift

• *repeat a few times

• extend leg out to the side

• child’s pose with gate legs

• unwind to table top

• repeat on the other side

• downward facing dog

sun salutation variations — the write-up:

• walk hands back to feet

• wide leg ragdoll

• clasp hands behind neck

• open twists in ragdoll

• coil up

• extended mountain with side stretches

• forward fold

• find a half or full squat

• forward fold

• repeat

• walk hands forward to high plank

• lower to belly

• first round of sun a: cobra rolls

  • focus on shifting some weight into the hands and getting more lift in the chest, keeping the glutes and legs lightly engaged

• second round of sun a: cobra into wild thing

  • the second time you arrive here, start by lifting in cobra, then kick one heel into glute, pivot to the side of the hip, plant the foot and lift into a gentle wild thing

• unwind to belly

• high plank

• downdog

• spinal waves

From here, the class flows into the mini-flow, main flow, and peak flow, which I share at the end of the newsletter for paid subscribers!

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If you don’t have the means to become a regular paid subscriber, but want to send a thank you for the time and energy it takes to create this content, buy me a coffee instead!

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We’ve set up our foundation by warming up the quads, glutes, and inviting in some gentle backbends. We’ve even introduced some movements which we’ll build upon, like our wild thing transition. I have three more sequences for you below. They continue to flow and build heat, while keeping that juiciness and flow. I hope you enjoy them!