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HandoutHandout 1: Supply & Shopping List — Intermediate Vinyasa Flow
Handout 1: Supply & Shopping List — Intermediate Vinyasa Flow
Here's what actually works. This class moves faster than a beginner flow, so your gear needs to keep up with you, but you still don't need to buy the fancy version of anything to start. A towel, a wall, and a couple firm couch cushions get most people 90% of the way there. Below is what I'd actually put money toward, in order.
The Basics (budget tier)
- A mat with real grip. This is the one place I'd spend a little. Intermediate flow means faster transitions and more weight on your hands, and a slick mat will send you sliding right when you need to trust it. $25–35 gets you something decent. Don't buy the $12 one, oh man, I tried that once and spent the whole class re-planting my palms.
- A towel for wiping hands and mat when things get sweaty, which they will, especially with the swamp cooler off in summer.
- Water bottle, the kind you'll actually refill. We're at about 4,600 feet here and the air is dry as a bone. You lose water faster than you think in a flow class and don't feel thirsty until you're already behind on it.
- Clothes you can move in. Nothing baggy at the hem — you'll be in downward dog and forward fold a lot, and loose shirts end up around your ears. Leggings or fitted shorts, a shirt that stays put.
Nice-to-Have (once you know you're sticking with it)
- Two yoga blocks. Cork holds up better than foam and won't slide on hard floors. Great for balance poses and deep lunges when your hamstrings aren't there yet.
- A strap. Any old bathrobe tie or belt does the same job, honestly, but a proper strap has a buckle that won't slip mid-pose.
- A bolster. My friend Erin sewed mine years ago when the store ones felt overpriced for a firm pillow with a fabric cover. You don't need to buy the fancy version here either — two firm couch cushions stacked and covered with a towel work just fine for restorative poses at the end of class.
- A second mat or rug if your floor is hardwood and cold. Utah houses get drafty in the winter and cold hands don't grip well.
What You Genuinely Don't Need
Toe socks. Aromatherapy diffusers. A $90 "eco" mat bag. Special yoga water bottles with inspirational words etched on them. Save your money for the block, that's the one that actually changes your practice.
Local Shopping Notes
Mats and blocks are easy to find at the sporting goods stores out toward the mall, or the big box stores if you're already doing a Costco run — the basic block two-pack there is fine, don't overthink it. If you want something nicer, the outdoor gear shops up toward Provo tend to carry sturdier mats built for sweat and grip rather than looks.
For a bolster, honestly, check if anyone in your circle sews. It's a straightforward project if you've got a machine and some scrap fabric, and it's basically a fat tube pillow. If not, any firm couch cushions you already own will do the job — I still use mine some weeks when I don't feel like digging the real one out of the closet.
One last thing: bring your water bottle already full when you walk in. I'll remind you to drink before class starts, not just after. Dry air at elevation catches people off guard in a fast flow, and I'd rather you show up hydrated than find out the hard way during a standing balance.
See you on the mat. Give me your sunday best, but bring a towel too. 🙌
HandoutHandout 2: Cheat Sheet — Core Techniques & Settings
Handout 2: Cheat Sheet — Core Techniques & Settings
Print this one out and stick it on the fridge or by your mat. This is the stuff I want in your body, not just your head. Breath first, then the shape.
Breath Pattern (do this before anything fancy)
- Inhale = lengthen or lift (rising up, opening the chest, arms overhead)
- Exhale = fold or twist (forward folds, twisting, moving into the next shape)
- One breath, one movement. If you're moving faster than you're breathing, you're flailing, not flowing. Slow the flow down until the breath catches up.
The Warrior Family (get these solid before speeding up)
- Front knee stacks over the ankle, not past it. Peek down and check.
- Back leg stays active — press the outer edge of that back foot into the mat like you're trying to move the floor.
- Hips square to the front of the mat in Warrior 1, hips open to the side in Warrior 2. Mixing these up is the most common thing I see.
- Hold five full breaths before you ever try to flow through it. That's your sunday best on this one.
Balance Cues
- Balance is attention, not strength. Pick one spot on the wall or floor and don't let your eyes wander — no watching the door, no checking the mirror.
- Bend the standing knee slightly if you're wobbling. A soft knee is more stable than a locked one.
- If tree pose keeps dumping you, face a wall a few inches from your nose. Cuts the wobble almost every time.
Backbend Basics
- Controlled and small beats deep and dramatic. I'm not chasing a trophy backbend and you don't need to either.
- Lead with the chest, not the chin. If your neck's doing the work, back off.
- Bridge pose done well gets you 90% of what wheel pose gets you, with way less risk to your lower back.
Sun Salutation Sequence (the one we build everything from)
- Inhale, reach up
- Exhale, fold forward
- Inhale, halfway lift, flat back
- Exhale, step or jump back to plank
- Lower with control (or knees-chest-chin if that's where you're at)
- Inhale, upward dog or cobra
- Exhale, downward dog, five breaths
- Step forward, inhale halfway lift, exhale fold, inhale rise
Own that sequence and the rest of class makes a lot more sense.
Heat and Elevation — Read This One
We sit around 4,600 feet here with dry air, and it catches people off guard. You get lightheaded faster in a fast flow than you'd expect, especially in summer with the swamp cooler working overtime. Drink water before class, not just after. If you feel gray, dizzy, or your ears start ringing, sit down. Nobody gets a medal for pushing through that.
Props (you don't need to buy the fancy version)
- Firm couch cushions work fine for bolsters
- A folded towel is a blanket
- A wall is a wall, use it for headstand practice and balance work
- My friend Erin sewed my bolsters because the store ones were pricey — most people don't need to spend money here at all
When You Mess Up a Sequence
Own it and keep going. I've led a whole class through the same sun salutation twice without noticing 🙈. Nobody's grading you. Fix it or don't, and move on to the next breath.
WorksheetHandout 3: Flow Check-In — Balance, Breath, Backbends
Handout 3: Flow Check-In — Balance, Breath, Backbends
Fill this in over the next couple weeks, not all in one sitting. This isn't homework for a grade. It's so you notice your own patterns instead of just taking my word for how you're doing.
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Part 1: Where your eyes go
Balance is attention, not strength. For each balance pose we've covered, write down where your eyes landed.
Pose Where did your eyes go? Did you wobble? Tree pose Warrior III Half moon If you wrote "the door," "the clock," or "the mirror" more than once — that's your answer right there. Pick a fixed spot low on the wall in front of you and stay with it. I face the wall myself for this exact reason.
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Part 2: The five-breath test
Before we go fast, we go clean. Hold each of these for five full breaths and check yourself honestly.
- [ ] Warrior II — back leg straight, front knee tracking over the ankle, five breaths, no shaking
- [ ] Crescent lunge — hips square, five breaths, no gripping in the shoulders
- [ ] Chair pose — weight in the heels, five breaths, no collapsing in the low back
If any of these fail before breath three, that's the one to drill on your own this week. Give it your sunday best, not the version that just gets you to the next pose.
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Part 3: Backbends, honestly
I've said this in class and I'll say it again here because it matters more than it sounds like it should: a controlled, moderate backbend beats a dramatic one with a cranky lower back. Every time.
Circle where you actually are right now, not where you want to be:
- [ ] Cobra, low and controlled
- [ ] Upward dog, full extension, no pinching
- [ ] Camel, hands on low back
- [ ] Camel, hands to heels
- [ ] Wheel
Wherever you circled — that's your working edge for this course. We're not chasing the bottom of the list. We're making the top of your list solid.
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Part 4: Heat and water check
At our elevation, dry air pulls water out of you faster than you'd think, and a fast flow can sneak up on you. Answer honestly, no judgment:
- Did you drink water before class this week, not just after? Y / N
- Did you feel gray, dizzy, or foggy at any point during flow? Y / N
- If yes — did you sit down and tell someone, or push through?
If you're pushing through, stop doing that. Sit on your mat, breath comes back, then you rejoin. I'll never think less of anyone for sitting one out. I'd rather you own it and keep going next round than tough it out and go down.
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Part 5: One thing, not ten
Pick exactly one thing from this whole handout to work on this week. Write it here:
This week I'm working on: _______________________________
That's it. One thing done well beats ten things half-noticed. Bring this back next class and we'll talk about it if you want — or just quietly know you handled it. Either way's fine by me.
HandoutHandout 4: Troubleshooting Guide
Handout 4: Troubleshooting Guide
Every problem on this list, I've either had myself or watched fifty students have in front of me. None of it means you're doing yoga wrong. It means you're a person with a body, doing hard shapes. Here's what actually works.
1. "I wobble like crazy in tree pose / warrior 3 / anything on one leg."
This is almost never an ankle problem. It's an eyes problem. If you're staring at the door, the clock, or your neighbor, you will wobble. Pick one spot on the floor or wall that isn't moving and lock onto it. Balance is attention, not strength. I spent a whole month falling out of tree pose because I practiced next to a window and kept watching for the mail truck. Face a wall if you have to.
2. "My wrists hurt in downward dog and plank."
Spread your fingers wide, really wide, like you're trying to cover as much floor as possible. Press down through your knuckles, not just your palms. If it still aches, drop to forearms for a few breaths. A folded towel under the heel of the hand helps too — you don't need the fancy version, an old towel from the linen closet does the job.
3. "I can't hold warrior poses without shaking."
Good. Shaking means the muscle's working. But if you're shaking because your stance is too long or too narrow, shorten it up. A cleaner, smaller warrior you can hold for five full breaths beats a huge dramatic one you collapse out of after two. Slow down before you speed up. The fast flashy flow only works once the shape is honest underneath it.
4. "I get lightheaded during standing sequences."
Around here, at our elevation, in our dry air, this happens more than people expect. Drink water before class, not just after. If the room's warm and you feel gray or spacey, sit down. Don't push through it to be polite. I learned this the hard way with the windows open and the swamp cooler off one summer — had to sit on the floor mid-class. Own it and keep going, just from the ground for a minute.
5. "My lower back hurts in backbends."
Stop chasing depth. A small, controlled backbend where your abs are actually engaged does more for you than a big dramatic one done with a cranky spine. This isn't a trophy pose. I mean that. Most of us over 35 get more benefit from restraint here than from range.
6. "I can't get my heels down in downward dog."
Nobody's heels touch the ground at first, and plenty of people's never do, and that's fine. Bend your knees generously until your spine can lengthen. The shape is about the spine, not the heels.
7. "I lose my breath rhythm halfway through the flow."
This is the most common one. When the sequence speeds up, breath is the first thing people abandon. If you notice you're holding your breath or gasping, slow the whole thing down, even if that means falling a beat behind everyone else. Breath first, then the shape. Always in that order.
8. "Crow pose — I just tip forward."
Everyone does. Shift your gaze slightly forward instead of straight down, bend your elbows a touch to make a shelf, and trust your knees to actually rest on your arms instead of hovering. I once demoed this in my living room and tipped straight into a laundry basket of clean socks. We left them there for the rest of the lesson.
9. "My hips are so tight in pigeon pose I can't relax."
Prop under the hip that's lifted off the ground, a firm couch cushion works fine, and stop trying to square your hips to the front of the mat right away. Square them over time, not on day one.
10. "I forget the sequence and get thrown off."
Happens to me too. I once ran a whole class the morning after staying up late working on tomato seeds and led everyone through the same sun salutation twice before a student caught it. 🙈 Own it and keep moving. Nobody in the room is grading you.
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 1
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —okay, so wait, you moved your entire practice spot because of stewed tomatoes?
AMIE: I did. My first real headstand, I was against the pantry shelving because that's the sturdiest wall in my house. And I'm upside down, and all I can see is three years of home-canned tomatoes staring back at me.
JESS: Three years.
AMIE: I don't get rid of things quick. So I'm holding this headstand thinking, if these shelves let go, it's not the concussion I'm worried about, it's Tyler never letting me hear the end of it. "Amie took out the pantry doing yoga." That's my legacy.
JESS: Did they fall?
AMIE: No. But I moved my mat to the living room the next day. Some risks aren't worth the story.
JESS: This is Amie Kelly, by the way, for anyone just tuning in, and this is the podcast that goes with Intermediate Vinyasa Flow. I'm Jess, I run the program over at Community Learning, and I make Amie tell me stories before every session starts because otherwise she'll just go straight into hip openers and never explain herself.
AMIE: I would.
JESS: So, session one starts Tuesday. Tell people what they're walking into.
AMIE: So this is the level up from the beginner flow. You should already know your basic sun salutation, you should be comfortable in a warrior pose without me cueing every single piece of it. If that's not you yet, that's fine, no shame, go take the beginner class first and come back.
JESS: And for the people who are ready?
AMIE: We're going to move faster than beginner class, breath locked to movement, less talking from me. But here's what actually works and what I want people to know going in — slow down before you speed up. Everybody wants the flashy fast flow. But if you can't hold a clean warrior two for five full breaths without your knee wandering all over, the fast version isn't a flow, it's just flailing with good posture for a second.
JESS: So even in an intermediate class you're still slowing people down.
AMIE: Every time. I'd rather somebody do three strong vinyasas than eight sloppy ones. Own it, do it clean, keep going.
JESS: Okay, give me something a listener can actually use right now, without even coming to class.
AMIE: Sure. If you struggle with balance — tree pose, that kind of thing — it's almost never your ankles. It's your eyes. People wobble because they're looking at the door, or checking the clock, or in my case for like a month straight, watching out the window for the mail truck.
JESS: Wait, that actually happened?
AMIE: Oh yeah. I could not hold tree pose to save my life for weeks and I finally figured out it was because I kept setting up right by the window. Balance is attention, not strength. Pick one still point, a spot on the wall, and just don't let your eyes leave it. Half the wobble disappears. No new muscle required.
JESS: I'm going to try that tonight standing in line at Costco.
AMIE: It works standing in line too, honestly.
JESS: One more thing before we let people go — anything they need to bring? Gear-wise?
AMIE: You don't need to buy the fancy version of anything. A towel for grip, maybe a firm couch cushion if your knees complain in kneeling poses. That's most of it. Save your money.
JESS: And session two, what's coming?
AMIE: We're building toward a longer standing sequence, and I want to spend real time on backbends. Which — I'll say now so nobody panics — is not about anybody chasing a dramatic wheel pose. Most of us over thirty five get way more out of a small, controlled backbend than a big one done with a cranky lower back. So we're doing it slow, we're doing it smart.
JESS: Give me your Sunday best.
AMIE: There it is. Give me your Sunday best on it, and I promise it won't wreck you the next morning.
JESS: All right. Tuesday, 6pm, bring water, bring a towel, don't bring your phone unless you want to test the tree pose theory.
AMIE: See everybody there.
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 2
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —wait, say that part again, about the socks, because I don't think I got the whole story last time.
AMIE: Oh man. Okay so this was years ago, before I was really teaching, I was just showing a friend crow pose in my living room.
JESS: Sure.
AMIE: And I demo it, full confidence, and I just tip straight forward. Face first. Into a laundry basket. Knocked it right over, socks everywhere.
JESS: Whose socks?
AMIE: Kai's. Clean laundry, folded, gone. We both just lost it laughing. I left the socks on the floor for the rest of the lesson because at that point what's the difference.
JESS: That's basically the mascot story for this whole class, honestly. Falling down with dignity.
AMIE: Falling down and then just continuing on. That's the whole practice, really.
JESS: Okay, so week two. How'd it go in the room?
AMIE: Good. Better than good. I had a couple people who came in wanting the fast, flashy version right away and I had to pull the reins in a little.
JESS: You always say that, slow down before you speed up.
AMIE: Because it's true. If you can't hold a clean warrior for five breaths, the fast flow is just flailing with good music. There's no shortcut through that part.
JESS: Give the listeners something they can actually use, though. Something they could try tonight without coming to class.
AMIE: Sure. Here's what actually works — if you're wobbling in any kind of balance, tree pose, whatever, stop blaming your ankle. Look at where your eyes are. Nine times out of ten you're staring at your phone or the door or something moving, and your body follows your eyes. Pick one still spot on the wall, in front of you, and just leave your eyes there.
JESS: That simple.
AMIE: That simple. I spent a whole month years ago convinced my balance was garbage because I kept falling out of tree pose. Turned out I was practicing next to a window and kept checking for the mail truck.
JESS: You were waiting for a package.
AMIE: I was waiting for a package. Balance is attention, not strength. Face a wall, not a window, and see what happens.
JESS: I love that you just admit that.
AMIE: Well, own it and keep going, right. No point pretending I've always had it figured out.
JESS: Speaking of figuring things out — heat check for this week. It's warming up, people are gonna want the windows open.
AMIE: Yeah, drink water before class, not just after. We're at elevation, the air's dry, and a fast flow with no water in you catches up fast. I've had to sit down mid-class myself before, learned that one the hard way.
JESS: You'll stop people if they look off.
AMIE: If somebody goes gray I stop the whole room. Every time. Nobody's earning a trophy by pushing through that.
JESS: Alright, last thing — bolsters. People keep asking me in the office if they need to buy props before showing up.
AMIE: No. You don't need to buy the fancy version. I use a set my friend Erin sewed me because the store ones were pricey, and honestly a firm couch cushion does the same job for most of what we do. Save your money.
JESS: Good to know. Okay, next session — give people a reason to show up.
AMIE: We're getting into backbends, but the honest, controlled kind, not the trophy version. I'll say up front I think people chase a big dramatic wheel pose when a gentle one done well gets them way more. So that's the plan. Sunday best on the small stuff.
JESS: Love it. See everybody next week.
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 3
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —so I told her, if you knock over the socks again I'm putting it in the podcast, and she said "too late, already happened once."
AMIE: It happened exactly once and it's followed me for two years.
JESS: This is Amie Kelly, by the way, for anyone who just joined us. Episode three, Intermediate Vinyasa Flow.
AMIE: Hi. Yeah. That was crow pose, my living room, a while back. I was showing a friend how to get into it and I tipped straight forward and took out a whole laundry basket of Kai's clean socks. Just wiped it out.
JESS: And you kept teaching?
AMIE: Left the socks right there for the rest of the lesson. Stepped around them. What else are you gonna do, oh man.
JESS: I love that you didn't stop to fold them.
AMIE: We were mid-lesson. Priorities.
JESS: Okay so this week in class you've moved everybody into faster transitions, right, chaturanga to updog to downdog, actually linking breath to movement instead of just holding poses.
AMIE: Right, that's the vinyasa part finally showing up. And here's what actually works if you're listening and you're not even in the room right now: before you chase speed, go back and check your slow version first. Can you hold a clean warrior two for five full breaths without your front knee wandering all over? If you can't do it slow, the fast flow is just flailing. It looks like yoga but it's not doing anything for you.
JESS: So slow down to speed up.
AMIE: Basically. Everybody wants the flashy flow. I get it, it's more fun to watch. But your body doesn't care what's fun to watch.
JESS: Give me a practical tip somebody could use today, not in class, just at home.
AMIE: Sure. If you're standing in a balance pose, tree pose, whatever, and you're wobbling all over — before you blame your ankles, check your eyes. Where are you looking? People stare at the door, or their phone on the floor, or out a window, and then wonder why they can't hold still. Balance is attention, not strength. Pick one spot on the wall, quit looking around, half the wobble just disappears.
JESS: That's such a simple fix.
AMIE: It took me a month to figure out for myself. I kept practicing next to a window and I'd watch for the mail truck every single day. Genuinely a month of bad tree pose because I wanted to see if I got a package. Finally turned around and faced the wall instead and it fixed itself in like two days. 🙈
JESS: That's very relatable honestly.
AMIE: We've all got a mail truck. Figure out what yours is and turn away from it.
JESS: Should we do the water thing? I feel like people should hear the water thing.
AMIE: Yeah, this matters more up here than people think. We're at what, 4,600 feet, dry air, and once we start moving fast in a flow people get lightheaded way quicker than they expect. I had a bad one myself a few summers back, windows open, swamp cooler off, standing balance, and I just about went down. Had to sit on the floor for a minute and feel dumb about it.
JESS: What'd you learn from that?
AMIE: Drink water before class, not just after. And if you look gray to me mid-flow, I'm stopping you, doesn't matter what pose we're in. I'd rather you sit one out than pass out on your mat.
JESS: Noted. For next session — what's coming up?
AMIE: We're starting to work backbends, but I want to say up front, I'm not chasing anybody toward some big dramatic wheel pose. Most of us over 35 get way more out of one clean, controlled backbend than a flashy one done with an angry lower back. Sunday best on the basics, that's the goal.
JESS: Gentle but real.
AMIE: That's the whole idea, yeah. Bring a towel if you've got a slippery mat situation, and bring water, especially if it's warm out.
JESS: Perfect. Alright, that's episode three. See everybody on the mats.
AMIE: See you there.
Videos worth your time
Hand-picked by your instructor, with notes on what to watch for.
- 1 HOUR YOGA | Intermediate Vinyasa Flow Yoga | CAT MEFFANCat Meffan
Cat Meffan leads a full hour intermediate vinyasa flow, so watch how she links breath to each transition throughout the class.
- Yoga For Strength - 40 Minute Vinyasa SequenceYoga With Adriene
This 40 minute Yoga With Adriene vinyasa sequence builds strength, so pay attention to her cues for engaging the core during flows.
- 30 min INTERMEDIATE Full Body Vinyasa Flow - NO PROPSYoga with Kassandra
A 30 minute no props full body intermediate flow, good for noticing how the pacing moves faster than a beginner class without stopping to rest.
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