Hatha yoga sequencing how to#

But even more important than preparing a specific part of the body at this stage is initiating an all-around transition to practice for your body and mind. In this sample sequence, you’ll focus on opening your shoulders while seated in Virasana (Hero Pose), which stretches the fronts of your thighs and provides you with a stable posture while you open your upper body. For example, in a hip-focused practice, you might choose to open with Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose), Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose), and Cross-Legged Forward Bend. As you become more experienced and intuitive, you may decide that you’re going to focus on a specific area of your body in your practice, such as your outer hips, and let that influence your choice of opening poses. Since abdominal stability and awareness are important for all of your poses, you could also choose to start with a few core-strengthening poses to wake up your center. Your practice puts a significant demand on your hips, shoulders, and spine, so it’s a good idea to incorporate two to four postures that gently wake up one or more of these regions. Next, take a few poses that slowly warm the major muscle groups of your body. A simple way to do this is to start with a few minutes of seated meditation. The Approach: Include some physical movement that gradually warms your body, a breath-awareness component, and a contemplative element that helps you direct your attention to what is happening inside your heart and mind. Why Do Them? The opening poses of a sequence wake up the major muscle groups and provide a transition from the busyness of your day to a more internally focused practice. And once you have a basic understanding of the different postural categories and begin to notice the energetic effects they have on your body, you can start to experiment with creating sequences that suit your needs on a given day, whether it’s focusing on a particular area of the body or working up to a challenging pose. You can make your practice longer or shorter, as time permits. You can vary the poses within each of the categories. By following this methodology, you’ll create a sequence that warms you up slowly and safely, builds in intensity before peaking with challenging postures, and then slowly brings you back down to a quiet, relaxed finish.Ĭonsider the following sample sequence to be a starting place from which you can tailor a practice to suit your moods and needs. Each pose-and each category of poses-prepares your body and mind for the next so that your practice feels like it has a beginning, middle, and end that flow seamlessly together. In this basic sequence, these categories progress according to their intensity and the amount of preparation they require. On the following pages, you’ll find the building blocks for a well-rounded sequence made up of eight pose groups: opening poses, Sun Salutations, standing poses, inversions, backbends, twists, forward bends, and closing postures, ending with Savasana (Corpse Pose). One way to begin creating your own at-home sequences is to familiarize yourself with a basic template that can be modified in many ways. Mastering the refined and subtle art of sequencing takes years of study, but you can learn some basic building blocks that will allow you to start putting together sequences of your own and to approach your home practice with confidence. Sequencing-which poses you practice and in what order-is one of the most nuanced and powerful tools that experienced teachers have at their disposal for teaching unique, transformative classes, and there are many ways of approaching sequencing in contemporary hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga sequencing how to#

While practicing yoga at home sounds easy enough in theory, even experienced practitioners can be uncertain about which poses to choose and how to put them together. But just like when you first get behind the wheel, that freedom can be overwhelming until you’re comfortable with the tools at hand and know how to get from one place to another. Like getting a driver’s license, practicing on your own empowers you and gives you new freedom to explore. It’s the point at which you really learn to move at your own pace, listen and respond to your body, and develop greater consistency and frequency in your yoga practice. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!Įstablishing an independent home practice is a rite of passage for yoga practitioners.