
Photographed by Jaimie Baird
At-Home Master Class
Taryn Toomey's The ClassThe Class in 5 Steps
Create a playlist with the following songs, in order:
1. "Places" by Blaze
2. Gone Too Soon" by DARKSIDE (yes, it's all caps)
3. "Little Lion Man" by Mumford & Sons
4. Silence
Stand tall. Begin by tapping your heels and active the systems in your body.
Move into slow squats on the beat.
Reach and pull the arms forward and back—BIG movements to open the side of the body.
Feel. Breathe. When the sensation gets difficult, make a loud "HUH" exhale from the guts as you stand and throw the arms back. Feel what you are doing while you are doing it.
Come into a wide straddle. Track knees over toes. Ease the hips low and extend the arms wide. Keep the collar bones broad and shoulder blades down back.
Settle in, close your eyes. Simply follow the breath in, and out. In and out. Begin to pulse the hips and keep the arms extended.
Continue for the entire song as you notice your internal dialogue. When the feeling arises of "I want to stop" use the breathe to anchor you in each beat, and take it ONE BEAT AT A TIME. Practice staying present as you feel.
Hop. Shake. Bounce. Flutter your lips. Shake your body, your hands, your jaw, your shoulders, irrigate your organs. Laugh. Yell. Weep. Move so much that you feel the vibration in your fingertips. Notice the judgement. Release it. Enjoy your freedom.
End of song, get still and place hands on your beating heart. Recover it. Remind yourself how strong it is, YOU are, by feeling it.
Sit. Meditate. Notice how different you feel.