Carmen Aguilar - cyogalife, New York, NY (2025)

10/10/2025

Day 10 of : or Floating
Watch out for that lower foot floating 🆙. Let’s take a look at different options today:
🎈don’t just ‘plaster’ yourself against the wall, rather try first to go into your best version of Vertical Splits, ONLY toes resting on wall, then actively raise that leg off a few secs at a time;
🎈when you’ve done that x3 on each side (10-20 secs hold), go deeper pushing hands on floor & press against wall. Try to maintain the same engagement in your legs, don’t relax them;
🎈in my classes, Splits is a frequent theme, so there are plenty to take, but I chose 💻 #340: “6 applications for Vertical Splits” because it’s fun, with extensive explanations and lots of props’ uses for everyone🙌🏻 (if you haven’t tried my library yet, head to cyogalife.com and start your 7-day free trial now💥!);
🎈push hands down like lifting into Hstands & float base foot up. Pass head through arms, send it to wall behind, tuck chin, elevate scaps & open shoulders into deeper flexion;
🎈avoid rotating torso towards back leg so, keep extending back hip to the best of your ability. If you don’t feel it in that thigh, you’re probably compensating with the spine;
🎈another amazing drill to work on is putting a small rolled towel between ribs & thigh and squeeze it tightly. Don’t let it drop during the entire time you’re in the pose. If your active compression isn’t that tight, put a thin/thick block, something you can TRULY squash for 10-20 secs. Practice the same pose right after without the block but with the same muscle memory. Notice how much easier it is to lift & hover👌🏻!
For a less strenuous option, head to and .moves and their option today 👍🏻.
🔓 Find today’s pose & more in class 💻 #340: “6 applications for Vertical Splits”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/09/2025

Day 9 of : or
Making a pretty straight line here is not obvious so, let’s take a look before unfolding your mat:
📐 many practitioners have a distorted reality of what straight feels like so, find a wall and do Shoulderstand with your back ENTIRELY resting on it, arms alongside it as well. If you can’t get that close, try as much as you can & hold for 1-2 min;
📐 if your limitation is in the neck/upper traps, make sure you warm up those thoroughly prior to getting into this demanding asana. For those practicing with my library, head to class 💻 #248: “BBends: Wild Thing exploration” where we’ll take your upper back for a spin & release it like never before 😌;
📐 another prep pose you can do is regular Shoulderstand, lower 1 arm @ time to the floor. Alternate x3 on each side & hold 10-20 secs each side;
📐 firmly retract scaps & press triceps & palms into the floor. Back of the head is also pushing down (small cervical retraction) to avoid dumping into neck;
📐if, when seated, your cervical spine protrudes a lot (usually C7 that sticks out the most), place a folded mat under shoulder line, right below it. Playing with different angles of chin tucking may help as well;
📐activate & connect with the WHOLE body front, especially abs, obliques & quads. Think of engaging while lengthening them, so you don’t get into a ‘piked’ position (legs over head);
📐 this is a phenomenal pose to do right before arm balances & inversions (especially handstands) as the muscle memory carries over beautifully👌🏻.
If you struggle, or your neck doesn’t like this, head to and .moves for a more doable option as well 😉!
🔓 Find today’s pose & more in class 💻 #248: “BBends: Wild Thing exploration”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/08/2025

Day 8 of : or variant
Another interesting that can help you grown your practice this month. Take a look:
🏵️ warm up that neck before attempting this! In my library, there’s a few classes you can do but 💻 #339: “Bbends: building strength for Sirsa Padasana” will give you lots of practical applications & a thorough warm up with bands/blocks to incorporate from now on👍🏻;
🏵️ practice regular Bridge prior to this, feet pretty close in so you can grab one hand to its ankle, like putting a bracelet around it. Make sure body doesn’t tilt when reaching each side;
🏵️ to enter this, you can first grab ankles, then carefully roll on the head OR, bring arms next to ears, lift on head crown, then reach hands to feet. Second option is safer;
🏵️ keep rolling slowly on head towards forehead. Maintain legs active, pressing through big toe & engage inner thighs like squeezing a beach ball;
🏵️ retrace your steps to come down and pay attention as you roll out (in my experience, many people that hurt themselves in a pose, they do so during the exit so, pay attention and save some energy for the dismount👌🏻);
🏵️ pressure shouldn’t be felt on the neck but rather distributed along spine, hips & chest;
🏵️ the more scaps squeeze, the more pecs’ opening. Grab firmly the ankles & make it happen;
🏵️training neck strength is important, not just for Headstand but for bbends like Pincha or Hstand Scorpion. If you struggle picking your head up & looking out, this is a good addition to your repertoire.
If you’re not convinced, head to & .moves for a more mellow option to practice 😉!
🔓 Find today’s pose & more in class 💻 #339: “Bbends: building strength for Sirsa Padasana”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/07/2025

Day 7 of : variant
Interesting for several reasons, let’s take a look:
⭐️ if you struggle with hip adduction, try putting a rubber band around thighs and “rip” it apart while lifting (it’ll help you feel lighter as well);
⭐️ you can also place a band around feet & waist, to help with hip flexion & knee extension;
⭐️ a block between belly & thigh can be of great help, to teach the body to turn on low abs (not just upper quads). This is one of my fav drills I do with private students when they struggle with that connection;
⭐️ for those practicing with me, head to class 💻 #282: “Leg dips in inversions”, where you’ll find lots of (outside the box) applications of this for Headstand, Pincha & Hstand… there’s a reason why it’s a crowd’s favorite🙃;
⭐️ place hand between legs as close to inner groin as you can, right under shoulder, to push straight down;
⭐️ place outer hand close to hip flat or, like in pic, on the fingertips, for more of a challenge;
⭐️ lean body slightly forward, so it’s easier to float & hips can travel slightly behind;
⭐️ depress/move scaps down along the back, away from ears. Connect with low traps to make that happen;
⭐️ find contact between inner thigh & forearm to help you slide up/down & float. It’s not THAT big of a help but it may give you the nudge you need to hold it easier😉.
Remember to go check Katy and Christine .moves for a more mellow alternative & other ideas to practice today💡!
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #282: “Leg dips in inversions”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/06/2025

Day 6 of : or
Arm balance + hip IR combo for today’s menu. A few things you can are:
🧩 try BOTH from a seated and a standing position, wrap legs first, twist body, plant hands & go into the , see which option is tougher for you;
🧩 if standing is tougher, chances are your hip internal rotation needs extra work. There’s plenty of things you can do for that and class 💻 #408: “Better hip IR for inversions & arm balances” is one of the most popular ones that’ll give you MANY ideas & options to incorporate into your practice, not just today, but any day you work on mobilizing your hips;
🧩 if you have a hard time climbing on your arms from a seated position, see if your obliques & serratus need extra attention. A few sets of knee-to-opp-elbow abs, Side Plank holds, Baby Planks sliding feet along floor, are a few ideas you can incorporate before today’s posture;
🧩 once elbows reach 90°, and if you’re comfortable there, dip lower head & torso & find a more challenging angle. Keep squeezing legs together & into arm to not let them slide out;
🧩 gaze out & reach through head crown to feel lighter climbing & holding this;
🧩 for more of a challenge, link this with Twisting Scissors or lift into Tripod Headstand, switch legs’ wrap & come down on the other arm 💪🏻.
Remember to check and .moves for a more doable alternative and further options to practice 🙌🏻.
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #408: “Better hip IR for inversions & arm balances”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/05/2025

Day 5 of : variant
This month is about choosing strength, including your back. Deep backbends require BOTH flexibility and strength to protect the spine and explore end ranges. Let’s take a look:
🧚🏻‍♂️ HIGHLY recommend you today with class 💻 #404: “Finding your mid back in Camel”, which provides plenty of explanations & alternatives for everyone, especially the most rigid spines or those that feel aches right away… my specialty👌🏻!;
🧚🏻‍♂️ once warmed up, kneel away from wall & send arms overhead until palms find it. If you can’t, or low back hurts, go closer or try the same version standing up;
🧚🏻‍♂️ it’s important that starting point is COMFY, to articulate spine and hold 1-2 min easy!;
🧚🏻‍♂️when arching, “hold” hips back for as long as possible. In other words, delay the moment the lumbar spine steps in as it’ll try to overpower everything else and take control of the bend;
🧚🏻‍♂️ for those with low back pain, avoid thrusting pelvis forward to 100%. Go to 80-90% (less if low back hurts), engage low abs, softly pull in & concentrate on bending more from upper spine. Just having the intention of doing that will help a ton;
🧚🏻‍♂️ straighten arms, protract scaps & widen space between them, to externally rotate shoulders. The stronger you push palms into wall, the more active shoulders & upper back;
🧚🏻‍♂️ when walking hands down the wall, WAIT first until breath is ok & there’s no aches anywhere (this is crucial!). Walk hands a little lower, re-scan the body for new pains or erratic breathing, hold until that’s under control and repeat process 2-3 times;
🧚🏻‍♂️retract cervical spine a little instead of just dangling head in the air, so neck is supported. Again, class will clarify all these concepts a lot more than just these bullets points.
For an interesting alternative, check what and .moves have in store today 👌🏻!
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #404: “Finding your mid back in Camel”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/04/2025

Day 4 of : Floating
This is a personal fav especially good for compressions, pikes, presses & the likes. Take a look:
📐 if chest doesn’t reach thighs, use a block between them & squeeze it really hard, like you’re trying to squash it. Personally, I’d recommend you do that regardless. It’ll awake abs much more & reinforce those neuro pathways;
📐 for those practicing with me, head to class 💻 #256: “Lolasana: how to suspend & float” (if you haven’t tried my library yet, remember the first 7 days are FREE💥!!). The class gives a lot of alternatives, different props’ uses, plus a detailed warm up, breakdown & further applications;
📐 when lacing arms around legs, do it as close to butt as possible, so it’s easier to float;
📐 if balancing is too difficult, turn palms down (not holding opposite elbows), see if that helps;
📐 let legs take you with them, project through toes & head crown, to lift butt with ease;
📐 in the first few seconds, find the perfect see-saw balance between legs & hips. It’s normal to fall back & forth a bit until you fine tune things and accurately find your balancing point;
📐 lots more details could be said, but this is a good starting point. Let’s see how well you balance and come back to this pose when you need some active compressions👌🏻!.
For other interesting alternatives to explore, go check and .moves
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #256: “Lolasana: how to suspend & float”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/03/2025

🇲🇽 1 semana para CDMX, Oct 9-12, en mi querido .yogashala ❤️!!! Últimas plazas disponibles y AHORA puedes comprar algún taller suelto⚡️! Qué haremos cada día y por qué es este training único?:
👉🏻 nos enfocaremos muchísimo en cómo secuenciar de una forma creativa y segura, entendiendo la anatomía de lo que estamos haciendo;
👉🏻 sesión diaria de ajustes para docenas de asanas: arcos, caderas, splits, invertidas, balances en los brazos, torsiones
👉🏻 práctica diaria con un enfoque distinto cada día:
⦿ Torsiones, oblícuos & balances en los brazos
⦿ Apertura & movilización de caderas
⦿ Confianza, alineación y precisión en la parada de manos
⦿ Arcos sin dolor

4 días, 2 maestros en uno de los mejores estudios de CDMX🙌🏻.
Y SÍ, este training será en español 🇪🇸!!!

Últimos talleres hasta final de año:
🇮🇹 Cesena, IT: Oct 31-Nov 2, workshops
🇬🇷 Athens: Nov 5-9, 40hr yoga + hstands + adjustments + mobility
🇪🇸 Madrid: Nov 14-16, workshops (en español 🇪🇸!!!)

Para más info sobre alguno de ello, o para registrarte, visita cyogalife.com 🙌🏻🔥.

10/03/2025

Day 3 of : Tripod or variant
First of the month🙃. Let’s take a look before unrolling our mat:
🌀warm up your twists for a proper dissociation between upper & lower body. Shoulders should turn very little (ideally nothing) while hips & legs face the extended arm. The stronger you are, the more you’ll rotate without moving your foundation;
🌀for those subscribed to my library, head to class 💻 #411: “6 directions to steer Compass Pose”, which is PACKED with fun stuff, variants and an insanely good sequence🤯!;
🌀make an equilateral triangle between head & hands. I must insist on this because I see too many times people putting their heads on the same line as the palms… for the sake of your neck, DON’T do that and measure properly;
🌀 palm up (of the extended arm) is a bit more challenging, balance wise, than palm down. Eyes closed also adds something extra 😌. Adapt these 2 elements as needed;
🌀imagine a straight line between upper knee & crown. If upper thigh drops, think of lengthening quads, squeeze gluts & hamstrings, rather than arching lumbar area;
🌀turn on pecs by squeezing arms towards each other (they won’t move, just have the intention of keeping them closer);
🌀press tongue against soft palate, to support neck a bit more;
🌀neck & upper body warm up is also needed, to not dump all the weight on the cervicals. Find the best angle for the head to rest on (not too much cervical flexion nor extension). One good way to do that is by sitting up, lace hands on top of head & push straight down, what angle is the most adequate for your neck? Find that same spot upside down.
For other fun alternatives & further explanations, check & .moves and see what they provide.
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #411: “6 directions to steer Compass Pose”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/02/2025

Day 2 of : or variant
A variation on the classic Crow to keep things interesting… let’s take a look:
🐦‍⬛ diamond hands are harder because you won’t have 2 balancing points right below shoulders, but just one in the middle of both;
🐦‍⬛ unlike regular Crow, bending elbows is not an option to float. Focus on actively squeezing inner legs into arms, as high as possible, folding deeply at the flexors & tucking heels to butt;
🐦‍⬛ obliques & serratus engagement is more crucial than in the regular version;
🐦‍⬛ shoulders need to travel more over wrists than you may feel comfortable with. A thorough wrist warm up routine is mandatory for this kind of extension;
🐦‍⬛ instead of going “forward”, think more of hollowing “up”, THEN go forward. It’ll dramatically change how you’ll feel your own weight🤯;
🐦‍⬛ we do this variant often in my classes because it calls for a deeper engagement along abs, flexors, legs & overall concentration. There are several classes you can with, but 💻 #241 “Dolphins & Pinchas: 1hr to strengthen & float” is very comprehensive and has lots of ideas to apply to your personal one;
🐦‍⬛ if you’ve never done this, start placing hands like for regular Crow, walk them 1’ closer and try there. Can you do it & are you comfortable enough? If yes, come down & repeat until you find a distance that’s tough, yet still doable👌🏻.
For other fun alternatives, go check & .moves and see what they provide💡.
🔓 Find today’s pose & more in class 💻 #241: “Dolphins & Pinchas: 1hr to strengthen & float”
To practice with me from home 🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

10/01/2025

Day 1 of :
Welcome to our first day 🏁!! Ready? Let’s see what happens 👍🏻. Considered more a kriya than a yoga pose, this abdominal drill will help us feel much lighter, especially when balancing on our hands🙌🏻. Important cues to keep in mind:
🌟 practicing this on an empty stomach is recommended for a deeper pull in;
🌟 before starting, take a few strong breaths, in & out, emptying lungs completely;
🌟 when ready, exhale fully, tuck chin to chest, squeeze perineum, pull abs in towards low back & hold for as long as you can;
🌟 relax abdomen first before gasping for air;
🌟 this is great to massage abdomen, strengthen abs, diaphragm, pelvic,floor & intercostals;
🌟 combine this with Nauli (mid abs pushing out) and make a habit out of toning your belly before practicing (just 2-3 min will have a big impact on how “light” you’ll feel on your hands or upside down👍🏻);
🌟 brace yourself, placing hands on floor or thighs, from a stronger suction effect;
🌟 for those practicing with my library, head to class 💻 #96 “Uddijana, Nauli & abs to float & fly” to cover more in depth the intricacies and further applications of this kriya that’ll surprise you.
And just like that, day 1 is down! Welcome and let’s have an amazing month👌🏻!
For alternatives, head to my gorgeous helpers this month & .moves and see what alternatives they provide☺️.
🔓 Find today’s pose and more in class 💻 #96: “Uddijana, Nauli & abs to float & fly”
To practice with me from home🏠 visit https://www.cyogalife.com
🍂💪🏻🏵️

09/29/2025

Announcing October’s 💪🏻. This month is all about building resilience, active flexibility, confidence and awareness. Feeling “strong” encompasses so much more than doing Handstands, arm balances or push ups. It’s also being able to control your end ranges, embrace uncomfortable postures, maintain a clear mind and keep a purposeful breath. This month will cover 28 poses that’ll help you cultivate that and more🙃.
We’ll shift from arm balances to backbends, hip openers, inversions and more, all with the common thread of an underlying strength & grit. If you think you can’t do it, I encourage you to try this month and surprise yourself😉.
Everyday, besides the caption, I’ll suggest the best class from my library that you can with💻👌🏻 so, I highly recommend you subscribe to it if you haven’t already (first 7 days are FREE🔥!!). Also, my gorgeous assistants Katy and Christine .moves will provide daily modifications so that nobody stays behind🙌🏻. As usual, to participate:
1️⃣ follow
2️⃣ repost this, comment, tag 2 friends (seriously, it’s much easier to finish!🤝)
3️⃣ participate and post using
Plus, some awesome gifts 🥳 for the winners at the end! Jump in, practice, learn and let’s have a blast this fall… get ready, we start Oct 1st!🍂

Carmen Aguilar - cyogalife

10/10/2025

10/09/2025

10/08/2025

10/07/2025

10/06/2025

10/05/2025

10/04/2025

10/03/2025

10/03/2025

10/02/2025

10/01/2025

09/29/2025

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