 My previous post on How To Set Up A Home Yoga Practice was a list of tips to help you thoughtfully plan out a space to practice in and how to implement it as a routine. Consider this Starting a Home Practice, Part 2. As I wrote in my last post, the biggest obstacle I hear people mention to having a home yoga practice is simply: "I don’t know what to do." I also wrote that it’s best to attend a class with a trained instructor who can help you. Sometimes, though, life just gets busy and you’ll want to do your own thing. This list of poses is for those of you who are familiar with the basics of yoga. It's not an instructional piece on specific poses, or a how-to, but more of a guideline of poses that are done routinely in basic classes. I've put them together in a flowing format, meaning one pose naturally flows into the other for cohesiveness. Here’s a little gift to you… an easy, familiar sequence of poses that you can do on your own. But, seriously, don’t stop coming to class, ok? At Home Sequence: Begin seated in a comfortable position on your mat. Catch your breath and start to utilize the Three Part Breathing technique. Stay here as long as you need to. Think some grateful thoughts. Start moving with some Gentle Twists, rotating gently from side to side, flowing with breath Inhale > Lengthen the spine as you face forward, hand in Prayer Pose Exhale > Gently twist to one side, keeping your spine long Move into All Fours Pose and have Cat and Cow poses, flowing with breath Spinal Balance (aka Balancing Table) : flowing with breath Reach one leg back and the opposite arm forward Level the hips / activate the core and shoulders Child’s Pose : rest A few rounds of practicing your Chaturanga and Vinyasa Inhale > Kneeling Plank Exhale > Shifting forward slightly, then down into Chaturanga OR just lower down to the mat, stabilizing elbows the whole time. Inhale > Unsupported Cobra, to strengthen shoulder and back muscles, and to warm up the back muscles Exhale > Pressing up to Kneeling Plank and returning to Child’s Downward Dog, alternate pressing the heels gently toward the mat, gently stretching the legs Transition to Mountain Pose, standing tall and grounded Moonflowers / Sunflowers / Flowing Sun Pose / Plié Squats Choose 1 or 2, flowing with breath Inhale > stand Exhale > squat Sun Salutation : as many rounds as you’d like. Chair : hold for 5-10 breaths. Do this 1, 2, or 3 times Initiate the movement at the hips first to protect your knees Airplane : hold for 3-5 breaths. Do this 1, 2, or 3 times Squeeze and activate back and shoulder muscles Lengthening the spine Special attention on bringing shoulder blades together Sun Pose : hold for 5-10 breaths. Do this 1, 2, or 3 times Tree Pose : hold for 10 breaths per side Establish your foundation, be tall, and don’t lock your weight bearing knee Lateral Flexion / Side Stretch : lift one arm high to lengthen the side for a few breaths Chest Stretch : hold for 5-10 breaths Reaching arms behind you or connecting hands together behind the back to stretch chest and shoulders The spine stays neutral the whole time Plank : hold for 5-10 breaths, OR time yourself! Keep core and shoulders strong Downward Facing Dog : hold 5-10 breaths Child’s : relax for a few breaths Transition to Staff Pose, sitting tall and on sitting bones Cradle the Baby : hold up to 10 breaths Make the rotation at the hip and not the knee. Keep your ankle flexed to protect your knee Transition to Easy Seated Pose for the following: Eagle Arms : Hold for 5-10 breaths Gentle Neck Stretch : hold 3-5 breaths Seated Twist : hold up to 10 breaths per side To do a deep twist, make sure you’re sufficiently warm. Start the twist at the bottom of your spine and work your way up. This is basically the same pose from the beginning of the sequence, but you may be able to twist a little deeper now that you're warm. Transition to Knees to Chest Pose, hold as long as you like! Rock back and forth gently Hamstring Stretch : hold 10 breaths per side Hug one knee toward the chest, then extend the leg upward, gently stretching the hamstring Supine Butterfly : hold up to 10 breaths Soles of feet together, letting knees slowly lower to the floor Final Relaxation / Savasana : stay here at least a couple minutes, or as long as you’d like. Think some more grateful thoughts. Thank you for reading! Sign up for my free Monthly Newsletter here. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube here:
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