CHROMATIC YOGA

Chromatic Yoga is not a style—it’s an intelligent system rooted in education and exploration. It’s designed to help us move through the practice step by step, anchored by awareness and strategy. When we build towards a bind, or any posture really, it’s the clarity of process that takes us there. Matt’s approach is inspired by the Koshas—the five layers of self. It’s a reminder that we’re not just muscles and bones, but energy, breath, intellect, and spirit too. By understanding and differentiating these layers, we can direct our energy and attention with precision. Our intellect—our buddhi—benefits from breaking things down into digestible steps. We learn to ask the right questions, to discern between physical challenge and mental resistance. This way, we move inward with purpose. When we explore a bind, we do it from the inside out—layer by layer, building both body and insight.

FORWARD FOLD SHOULDER DRILL

Matt opens the practice with a Forward Fold shoulder drill that begins the biomechanical journey toward a bind. While folded, we interlace the hands behind the back, initiating internal rotation in the shoulders. Pressing the thumbs together activates the rotator muscles and teaches the body coordination between internal and external movement. As we retract the shoulder blades and straighten the elbows, gravity helps draw the arms toward the ground, but we don’t surrender entirely—we press into the thumb side of the hand for isometric engagement. Coming to stand while keeping the arms lifted above the buttocks, we move dynamically between forward fold and upright chest expansion. This alternation wires the neuromuscular system to support a bind without passivity. The triceps, rear deltoids, and even the rhomboids come online. Strength, not just openness, becomes our guide. It’s a powerful, foundational step as we build towards a bind with stability.

WHAT IF THERE’S TOO MUCH RESTRICTION?

When we explore Humble Warrior, the bind-like position behind the back can feel like a wall. For many of us, pressing the palms together isn’t accessible—and Matt explains why. Tightness in the anterior deltoids and pectoralis major may be the culprit, making it hard to broaden the chest enough to narrow the back body. But that doesn’t mean we’re blocked. Instead, we explore with a prop: a block placed between the hands behind the back. This increases the space between the arms, making the rotation accessible while still building strength and proprioception. As we squeeze the block, we learn the actions of the bind without forcing the shape. It’s a tool for re-patterning. Restriction isn’t the end of the road—it’s the beginning of better inquiry. Each adjustment and prop is an invitation to explore smarter, so we can safely build towards a bind, even in a modified form.

PLAN, PROCESS, PREVAIL

To build towards a bind is to plan, process, and prevail. Our plan begins with curiosity and information—learning about our bodies, gathering tools, and choosing our path. The process is where transformation lives: in drills, props, setbacks, and moments of insight. Sometimes the route we imagine isn’t the one that leads us to the bind—but that detour teaches us more than we expected. And prevailing? It’s not just about the clasp of the hands. It’s about choosing an approach that helps us move better, feel stronger, and understand our bodies with greater clarity. For me, it started with letting go of force and embracing internal rotation. That unexpected step back became a leap forward. When we commit to the plan, lean into the process, and trust ourselves enough to pivot when needed—we always prevail. Not just in the pose, but in our connection to practice, presence, and personal growth.

Take advantage and participate in the unfolding of the Chromatic process in Matt’s upcoming Scorpion 2-Hour Online Workshop.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15 Hour Online Immersion