We open standing with shaking — an ancient Taoist practice that gets the fascial fluid moving and wakes up the cardiovascular system before you've done a single exercise. From there the whole class is organized around one point: the Ming Men, or gate of life, at the lumbar spine. Everything we do — the spinal cord breathing, the belt meridian circles, the standing saw, the supine leg work, the abdominal series — is in service of opening and mobilizing that hinge. The floor work weaves in organ massage, lymphatic flushing, and the river flows into the valley from Qi Dao, then moves through a full Pilates sequence including roll-ups, rolling like a ball, the abdominal series, swan, sidekick, mermaid, teaser, boomerang, and pushups. There's also a moment mid-class worth sitting with: a reflection on limited beliefs in the body and what it might feel like to practice the opposite.

Shaking isn't just a warm-up — it's one of the most effective ways to shift fascial fluid and break up the sticky, dense tissue that feels like muscle tension but isn't
The Ming Men (gate of life) is the energetic and physical hinge of the lumbar spine — mobilizing it changes how the whole back feels, which is why it shows up in so many traditions
The abdominal series here is framed as organ massage — each movement compresses and releases the liver, spleen, and kidneys, which is as much about lymphatic flow as core strength
The "sacrum raft" breathing in prone is one of the gentlest and most effective ways to soften the dense tissue of the low back — good for anyone who carries chronic tension there