The Mane Event | Embodying Leo’s Fire While Uplifting the Pride

You Can Be a Mane Character without Being a Main Character

After a season of emotional processing and reconnecting with our softer sides, it's time to party. And by "party," we mean gather your people, create with purpose, and cultivate intentional communities that support peaceful resistance and systemic change (yes, including smashing the patriarchy).

Leo season invites us to step into the spotlight—not for ego’s sake, but to ignite and inspire. Getting your crew together, even for serious goals, can feel as joyful and energizing as a celebration. This is the sign of the lion, after all: courageous, expressive, and magnetic. While Mercury Retrograde may stir the drama pot, we have the inner tools—presence, clarity, and community—to lead with grace and intention.

Leadership takeaways for Leo season:

• Shine without overshadowing. True leadership uplifts others. A thoughtful leader doesn’t dominate the space but makes room for every voice to be heard.

• Don't let the past dictate your purpose. Leo reminds us to lead from the heart, not from ego or old wounds.

• Support the whole pride. A strong leader honors the unique gifts and paths of each person in the community.

In our "Sutra of the Season," Patanjali reminds us that actions rooted in stillness and clarity don’t leave karmic residue. Through Dhyana—deep meditation—we can part the mental clouds and align with the life-giving power of the sun, Leo’s ruling planet. Rather than charging forward with unchecked “main character energy” (an example of a klesha that plants karmic seeds), we refine our actions with mindfulness and intention. We'll dive deeper into the philosophy later in the article.

So yes, it’s a party—but think nourishing potluck, not chaotic frat house. This is your invitation to show up as your brightest self and help others do the same. Together, we shine brighter. 🌞🦁

The Mane Events (aka Leo Season Workshops & Community Events)

This Leo season, we’re channeling bold-hearted leadership—the kind that uplifts the whole pride. Our upcoming events are all about rising together: from a sunrise hike that taps into Leo’s solar energy, to a donation-based flow that turns movement into meaningful action. Join us for a creative entrepreneur's class designed to fuel your purpose, a radiant sound bath to recharge your inner light, and a restorative YIN training that reminds us that slowing down is a power move. Let’s lead with heart, move with intention, and shine as one.

• 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session w/ Cindy Godell: Thursday, July 24 at 5:45pm in Echo Park
• ODDGIVES | American Cancer Society FLOW w/ Hallie Anoff: Friday, August 1 at 8:30am in Eagle Rock
• Sound Bath w/ Dylan Wallace: Sunday, August 3 at 7:30pm in East Hollywood
• Community Hike | Sunrise Strut w/ Zoe Benson: Sunday, August 17 at 9am in Elysian Park
• Community "Anti-Networking Networking" Event | Flow & Connect w/ Jessica Rosen and Courtney Sauls in partnership with Recess for Creatives: Sunday, August 17 at 2pm in East Hollywood
• Continuing Education | YIN Yoga Teacher Training w/ Sarah Helt: Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 24 in Echo Park

Playlist of the Season: 

This month’s playlist is designed to reflect the spirit of Leo season: bold, heart-centered, and community-powered. These tracks will help you embody joyful, purpose-driven leadership—fueling your fire not just to shine solo, but to light the way for your whole crew. Here comes the sun.

Asana(s) of the Season: Surya Namaskar A

FLOW like the sun, lead like a LEO

1. Samasthiti / Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
   Stand tall at the top of your mat, feet together or hip-width apart.
   Press through all four corners of your feet, engage your legs, and lift your heart.
   🔥 Leo reminder: Stand like you mean it. Root into your strength and let your presence fill the room—this is your stage.

2. Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)
   Inhale and sweep your arms up overhead, gazing toward your thumbs.
   Reach high, lifting through your chest and ribcage.
   🦁 Feel the warmth of the sun at your fingertips—Leo is ruled by the sun, after all. This is your solar power moment.

3. Uttanasana (Forward Fold)
   Exhale and hinge at your hips to fold forward, relaxing your head and neck.
   Let the crown of your head pour toward the earth.
   🌞 A moment of humility in the flow. Even leaders bow when it’s time to listen and reflect.

4. Ardha Uttanasana (Halfway Lift)
   Inhale, lengthen your spine, bringing your hands to your shins or fingertips to the mat.
   Gaze forward with clarity.
   🧘 Leo’s courage meets clarity here—look ahead with purpose, not pride.

5. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
   Exhale, plant your hands, step or jump back, and lower halfway down.
   Elbows hug the ribs; core strong.
   💪 Feel your inner lion here—steady, powerful, and in control.

6. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog)
   Inhale, roll over your toes, lift your chest and thighs off the mat.
   Shine your heart forward.
   ✨ This is your roar—open up through the heart and let your light beam out.

7. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
   Exhale, roll over the toes again and send your hips high.
   Ground through your palms and press back evenly.
   🌄 A lion’s rest—alert yet calm. Take five breaths here to reconnect with your inner fire.

8. Step or jump to the front of your mat
   On your next inhale, float forward into Halfway Lift.
   Exhale to Forward Fold.
   🔄 Return with intention, carrying the lessons of the journey.

9. Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)
   Inhale, rise and reach tall once again.
   Feel the arc of the cycle—lit up and renewed.
   🦁 Leo season is a reminder to rise each time brighter and more aligned.

10. Samasthiti / Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
    Exhale, hands to heart center.
    Pause. Breathe. Feel the pulse of the sun within you.
    💛 Lead from this place—centered, courageous, and connected.

Repeat this cycle 3–5 times to stoke your inner fire and start your day with clarity, power, and heart-led intention.

🦁 Let this be your morning roar or sunrise strut—a ritual to awaken the leader within and honor the season of the sun.

Channel Leo’s heart-led leadership and show up with strength that uplifts the whole pack. In Mat Pilates, every precise movement builds core power—not just for yourself, but so you can stand taller, lead with clarity, and support your community with confidence.

Sutra of the Season: 4.6

In a world that often rewards ego-driven hustle, Leo season invites us to redefine what leadership really looks like. Yoga philosophy reminds us that true power isn’t about control or recognition—it’s about presence, discernment, and the ability to act without attachment. The lion doesn’t need to prove its strength; it simply is.

Patanjali’s Sutra 4.6 speaks to this kind of action—those that arise from deep meditative absorption (dhyana) are not driven by unconscious patterns or karmic imprints. They are clear, purposeful, and free from residue. When we embody this sutra, leadership becomes less about asserting dominance and more about choosing our actions with intention—leading not from impulse, but from insight, so that what we do uplifts the whole pride without adding to the world’s weight.

Journal Prompt:
Reflect on a time when you acted from clarity and presence rather than impulse or ego. What was different about that experience—both in how you showed up and in the impact it had on others? How might embodying this kind of intention-based leadership (as described in Sutra 4.6) change the way you move through your relationships, your work, or your practice?