Do you listen to your thoughts as you practice yoga? Do you allow for the mind body connection to speak? These flowing transitions will give you the chance to tune into yourself with each one.
Note what thoughts come up, and see if they are optimistic or positive. If not, why? After finishing I encourage you to grab your journal and write down what came up.
1. Half Butterfly Sequence – Take a seat, extending the right leg out to the side and bringing the left foot inside of the thigh. Come into a side bend, sliding the right arm down the leg and reaching the left arm up and over. Let the head be heavy as you roll the shoulder back. Lift back up. Bring the left hand back behind you. Reach the right arm up as you push into left palm and right heel to lift the hips in baby wild thing. Release the hips down. Face towards the extended leg and fold down. Repeat to the other side.
2. Forearm Flow – Come to table top, with knees under hips. But lower to forearms so elbows are shoulder width apart. Work through a few rounds of cat/cow here. Inhale to drop the belly, lift the gaze and curl tailbone up. Exhale to round and contract the spine. Come back to a neutral spine. Walk the feet back, lifting knees up in a forearm plank. Draw the low belly in. Keep hips low, without dropping the pelvis. Lower the belly and thighs down, and open the chest to sphinx.
3. Plank Series – Start in downward dog. Kick the right leg up. Exhale to come forward to plank, tapping the right knee to right shoulder. Inhale back up. Exhale to twist, right knee toward left shoulder. Inhale back. Exhale, knee to nose.
4. Lunge Series – Step the foot through between the palms, push into the feet to lift up to high lunge. Bend the back knee as needed, keeping core engaged. Cactus shape the elbows. Inhale to lift and lengthen, squeezing shoulders back. Exhale to round and contract, bringing elbows together in front. Take a few rounds. Then as you come forward, wrap left elbow under the right for Eagle Arms. Push off the left toes, bringing the leg forward and wrapping left thigh over right for full expression of the pose. Bend the knees and sink the hips down.
Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
5. Laying Triangle – Return to downward dog. Kick the right leg up and bend the knee. Tap the knee to the left shoulder. Roll to the inner edge of the left foot. Straighten the right leg. Drop the foot and reach the left hand up. Both legs pushing into the floor.
6. Crouching Tiger – Bring the left hand down and step right foot to top of the mat. Push into feet and lift up. Left foot parallel to the shorter edge of the mat.Keep right knee bent, bringing right hand down and left hand up and over in extended side angle. From here bring the left hand down and swing it back. Straighten the right leg and bend into the left knee. Flexing the right foot and sink as low as you can. Return to top of mat, bending into the right knee and straightening left leg. Bring the left hand down and reach right arm up for an easy twist.
7. Cat Pulling Its Tail – Lower to your back. Straighten the left leg,pull the right knee in. Cross the right thigh over to the left. Option to straighten the right leg and slide the left hand down further. Bend the left knee and use right hand to grab hold of the foot. Keep the right shoulder pressing down to the mat.
These 7 poses come from a 30 minute Go with the Flow class I recently released.
Kassandra
