**Please note: There are some minor audio issues in this recording, but the instruction remains clear and easy to follow.

This session, led by Pieter, focuses on the upper body and spine, providing a comprehensive routine to improve joint health and neurological control. The class transitions through various base positions - including half-kneeling, standing, and seated - to challenge your balance and isolate specific tissues.

Session Highlights:
• Top-Down Joint Priming (CARs): A full-body sweep of Controlled Articular Rotations, starting with the neck, spine, and shoulders in a half-kneeling position to bias one side, followed by standing hip work and seated rotations for the lower limbs.
• Shoulder Rotation & Flexion: Intensive work on the shoulders using a pipe or stick to create internal rotation tension for an ER position. The session also includes prone ER with PAILs/RAILs and liftoffs to strengthen the end-range.
• Shoulder Flexion: Performing flexion drills in a quadruped position while using a stick/PVC/dowel to ensure the movement comes purely from the shoulder without compensating through the spine or anywhere else.
• Spinal Segmentation: A shift from the traditional cat-camel segmentation, using a collapsed kneeling position to "wave" through the spine vertebra-by-vertebra. This technique builds deep body awareness and improves the connection between your brain and your back.
• Loaded Spinal Flexion: A unique drill using a pipe/pvc/stick/dowel locked under the feet to create maximum spinal rounding, followed by isometric contractions to build strength in a flexed position.
• Maximal Expansive Breathing: The class concludes with focused breathing cycles to expand the rib cage and down-regulate the nervous system.

Equipment Needed:
To follow this session, you will need:
• Yoga blocks.
• A PVC pipe (or a sturdy stick/belt).
• Tennis balls (or clenched fists to create tension)