Amazing asana sequences

Challenging but empowering sequence

feeds@yuku.com (penguinasana) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:17:50 GMT

The other night I had one of those amazing "wow" yoga classes, y'know, the kind you wish you had every time. Anyway, we did a lot of poses that built up for a final, very challenging sequence. Didn't get it on the first try, but managed to pull it off the second time around.

The build up: twists and a little core work and shoulder openers to prepare for 4 foundation poses: sirsasana II, padmasana, lolasana, bakasana.

Once you're feeling comfortable...

Teaching a balancing sequence to all levels

feeds@yuku.com (yogialison) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:40:49 GMT

On our last retreat the group was very mixed ability.....the youngest just 24 (female) and had done gymnastics as a child. the oldest (male) late 60s with no experience of strong yoga flow only regular hatha classes.

But they all did the following.....

1.Stand feet hip width and forward bend.

2.Slowly stand up,holding left knee or foot to come up to standing balance.

3.Extend left leg or keep bent if cannot extend fully.Breathe at least 5 breaths
...

warm up sequences

feeds@yuku.com (lotusgirlyoga) — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:45:22 GMT

Wonder if anyone out there would like to share a favorite warm up sequence. I am stuck in a bit of a rut and would love some ideas.
Here's a really nice shoulder warmup I use a lot:
Sitting in a comfortable cross legged position with hands at your heart.
INHALE: lift the chest
EXHALE: keep chest lifted
INHALE AGAIN
EXHALE: clasp hands and press palms away from you, feeling the nice stretch across the upper back and shoulders
INHALE: hands back to the...

Mondfalke's Asana Sequence

feeds@yuku.com (Mondfalke) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:17:03 GMT

I've put together this Asana sequence and I would be glad if you judge them and tell me what I could do better.

Tadasana - Mountain Pose

Uttanasana - Standing Forward Bend

Utthita-Trikonasana - Triangle Pose

Garudasana - Eagle Pose
Janu-Sirsasana - Head...

Another soaring Eagle

feeds@yuku.com (yogialison) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:21:32 GMT

Here is my soaring eagle....
There is alot of balancing on one foot!!!!your ankles will get good and strong.

Start as in Sun salutaion A ....then jump feet to hands and.....

1....hang out in a forward bend...as long as you like.

2.Inhale lift chest look forward.

3.Bend kness...comming into a high squat(or down hill skier) Take your wieght on to left foot and lift right heel off floor, hold heel with both hands.(or hold back of knee for easy...

Grace Has Left the Building

feeds@yuku.com (flow2susie) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:10:44 GMT

Hey Buds,
Some of you may remember that several years ago in a wild and crazy outburst I posted a bunch of little flows in PDF format.
Because I didn't then have - and don't yet have - a real website of my own, I popped them into my family's Geocities website.
I just went in there and deleted them all, but posted nine of them in my yukupage galleries.
If by chance anyone recalls a favorite that they are missing, I still have them all, so please let me know....

Fun challenging heat building sequence

feeds@yuku.com (madeaux) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:41:41 GMT

Here's a fun little sequence I used in a level 2 class yesterday. The theme was tapas and this will build some heat!

Crow balance.
Uttanasana, to Utkatastana, step back to a high lunge.
Bring palms together, hook right elbow over left knee - twisting lunge.
Unwind to high lunge - lean forward, shift to warrior 3.
Lower hands & lift back leg higher to standing splits, then lower leg to uttanasana.
Repeat sequence so far on the other side.
...

Soaring Eagle

feeds@yuku.com (NamasteNancy) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:42:18 GMT

Hi everyone. I have been reading and...

sun salute idea-yea or nay?

feeds@yuku.com (moonflower) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:33:27 GMT

I thought about this as I was falling asleep, does it sound plausable?

Is it something you all might enjoy if you encountered it in a class?

Using regular sun salute "a".
Do first round using ocean breath and normal flow breath work.

2nd round hold each movement, not for the ususal inhale or exhale only, but for 2 breaths before flowing to the...

Progressive sequence--back to the beginning

feeds@yuku.com (Blissful Cat) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:57:44 GMT

Not so much a specific sequence--but yesterday in my mixed level class I worked the same sequence 4 times progressively making it more difficult.

I started out with the very most modified version of a series of poses probably 8 or 9 all familar poses and then did the same sequence in the same order --making it progressively more difficult. Along the way I encouraged my students to pick what was right for them at that moment, but at the same time not to be put off by the challenge of...

Yoga for Digestion

feeds@yuku.com (redbecca77) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:01:44 GMT

Hey! With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I want to put together a digestion sequence. Anyone have any favorites?

Vajrasana Opening

feeds@yuku.com (mugwagilly) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:25:11 GMT

One of my new favorite openings:

1. from vajrasana: inhale one arm up and side stretch, then do the other side (x2); twist to both sides (x2); place your hands on your knees and do a handful of dog/cat tilts/stretches
2. interlace fingers behind back and lower to childs pose
3. come into dog (optional: raise one or the other leg)
4. dog
5. inhale up to table and dog/cat tilts/stretches
5a. bring one knee to your forehead and inhale leg long, head up. Repeat a...

On your toes!

feeds@yuku.com (mugwagilly) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:15:23 GMT

This one has a short and a long form. I usually do this as part of half salutes.

Toe stretch/strength/balanceshort form
1. from tadasana: hands at prayer, pedal feet (come up onto one set of toes, then the other)
2. inhale up on toes, arms up alongside the ears
3. exhale, hands to prayer, lower to heels or lower to chair
4. Repeat three times, either from the beginning or from step 2.

Toe stretch/strength/balancelong form
1. Repeat steps 1-3 above.
2. On the...

Crazy legs

feeds@yuku.com (mugwagilly) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:05:03 GMT

I did this the other day when I needed a good long hip opening. It combines two of Erich's patterns (the second bullet) with one of mine (the first 1 bullet). Enjoy!

-- Start by lying on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Cross the right ankle over the left knee, inhale the arms overhead, sit up and grab the back of the left thigh. Lower your head to the floor and stretch.

To come out of the stretch, lower your arms to the floor and straighten the left leg up. Engage...

Challenging fun little inversion flow

feeds@yuku.com (penguinasana) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:58:07 GMT

I went to a class that did this fun little challenging sequence that was so cool, I had to try it again today in my own practice. This is a good one to do after you're good & warm, but not too cooked.

Start in gomukhasana, right knee over left. Release arms forward in front of you and rock knees slightly up. Take it up into sirsasana II (tripod headstand) keeping the right knee bent and keeping the right ankle crossed over the left thigh or close to it.

Slowly begin to...

fast to slow sun salute sequence

feeds@yuku.com (spangled) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:00:39 GMT

This is very nice if you go into practise a little buzzed and want to let off steam and then slow down. If you know the bij mantras and Gayatri obviously much easier!

1) Fast trad-style salutes - Build up to a fast but smooth pace, moving 100pc all the time with the breath - no static poses. Do as many as it takes to get really quite hot - maybe five a side? I go straight from arms overhead to forward fold between these fast salutes, rather than coming back to namaste.

Come...

Any flows for chair yoga for the elderly

feeds@yuku.com (Justbe) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 03:54:39 GMT

I have been teaching a chair class for the elderly at a Congregate Living Center for 2 years now. I use music from their era during class to engage them. One flow I do is to Hawaiin music and we do a little "hula" to open fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders. I was wondering if anyone had some new ideas that they would like to share.
In gratitude, Lynne

this one needs a name

feeds@yuku.com (mugwagilly) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:54:18 GMT

Hi-- The other day I was doing my morning practice and spontaneously did sequence below. I'd like to give it a name if only to make it easier to write out a lesson plan when I teach.....

Start in tadasana. Step one foot back (for our purposes here I'll step the right foot back). Come into pyramid legs (like warrior one but both legs are straight). Raise your right arm alongside your ear. Lengthen both arms through the fingertips. Then simultaneously lower the right and raise the left...

Goddess Salutations/Asanas

feeds@yuku.com (zennataraj) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:52:08 GMT

Does anyone know any Goddess poses/Vinyasas?
I've recently in Yoga Journal seen Scott Blossom doing a "Krishna Pose" which was called a modified ardha chandrasana....and was wondering whether anyone has a laxshmi or radha pose...

Kneeling Sun Salutation

feeds@yuku.com (Justbe) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:12:38 GMT

~Start at back of mat kneeling in Thunderbolt or Virasana, hands in prayer at heart
~Inhale up to kneeling, using core, bringing arms overhead, alongside the ears
~Exhale down into extended child
~Inhale into upward dog
~Exhale up into downward dog
~Extend right leg, with hips level, push energy out through ball of foot and spread toes like the sun (surya pada), externally rotate leg with little toe facing ceiling, bend at the knee into full external rotation of the right...