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We tend to think of water as being a calm and passive element, but when you stop to think about it, all elements have the capacity to be both calm and turbulent forces of nature.
It is not always smooth sailing, water can be quite a powerful source of creativity. As well this element is associated with sensuality. The water element is associated with the second chakra, or sacral chakra, which is also associated with sensuality.
From the water element, we can learn to go with the flow, where the current takes us. But sometimes we need to learn to be the stronger current, choosing our own path. Which one do you need to focus on more today? Which are you going to bring to your practice?
These poses and mini sequences will take you in a circular motion on the mat, in a mandala practice. With lots of deep hip openers, move slowly and mindfully.
Want even more of these circles? Watch the full 40 minute video, Water Element Yoga, to practice along.
1. Reclined Butterfly – Laying down on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let the knees drop out to the sides. This is a very feminine element, with feminine energy, so we will take the Yoni mudra by bringing the thumbs together, and the index fingers together to make a triangle. Place this over the lower belly where the sacral chakra is. We will also incorporate a mantra of VAM. Exhale and inhale deeply through the nose, silently repeating VAM to yourself with each exhale.
2. Fluid Cat/Cow – Set up in a table top position, with your hands a bit further forward than shoulders. Inhale lifting the chest, looking up, dropping the belly. As you exhale, round the back, pressing the hips back towards the heels, incorporating a child’s pose. Keep flowing through this cycle with your breath, as you imagine the breath going to the sacral chakra. If you want to take the cycle deeper, replace cow with a cobra.
3. Three-Legged Dog – From downward dog, kick the right leg up, bend the knee, and open up the hip. Start to look underneath the right shoulder and armpit, getting a nice juicy stretch through the side body.
4. Lunge Cycle – Step right leg through between the hands, lowering the back knee, and inhaling as you lift the chest and look up. Exhale as you slowly straighten the front leg and fold over. After a few cycles of this, curl the toes under and lift the back knee coming into runner’s lunge. Keep the fingertips down or on blocks. Again inhale and open the chest to the front, exhale shifting the hips back into pyramid pose. Flex the right foot, pointing the toes to the sky, as your torso folds over the front leg. Repeat through a few cycles of this.
5. Warrior 2 – From runner’s lunge, spin the back heel down, opening your body towards the left side and reaching the arms wide. Drop the hips, finding stillness and stability in Warrior 2. Cross your arms in front of you, as you turn the feet, making your way smoothly to face the other end of the mat and taking Warrior 2 on the opposite leg. Push the front knee down, ground the heels and hug into the midline.
Staying as you are facing the back of the mat, work through numbers 3 – 5 on the opposite leg.
6. High Lunge Pulse – Now back at the front of your mat again, return to downward dog (taking an optional vinyasa first). Kick the right leg up and step it through to the front of the mat, this time coming directly into high lunge. Find your Yoni mudra again, placing it once more on the sacral chakra (low belly). The tailbone anchors down, bend a bit into the back knee to sink lower. As you exhale sink deeper into the lunge, and as you inhale straighten both legs. Take a few cycles of this with your breath.
7. Dancing Warrior – Coming up first into Warrior 2, inhale as you reach the left arm towards your front leg and the right arm up over head. Exhale to reverse and extend forward (left arm up and over, right hand reaches toward back leg). Flow through a few of these, then return to Warrior 2. Take eagle arms, twisting the right arm under the left, then hinge forward over the right thigh. To open the stretch further into the hip, use the right elbow to push the thigh away.
Come into a forward fold, before walking your hands to the back of the mat and setting up to repeat 6 and 7 on the opposite side.
Did the circular motion confuse you? Practice along with me in the video below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
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