Align & Flow: Back Bending

75 Minute Align & Flow Class on Saturday morning at Binghamton Yoga

This sequence is punctuated with a slow, intentional pace, picking up where we left off with last week's class. I found that everyone's postures truly benefitted from the extended pace, allowing them to settle into each posture after 5-6 breaths. The warm up is longer than others I've done in the past, but many of the yogis were able to find a more successful backbend after taking the care and attention to prep their bodies effectively. As a back bending class, the sequence targets the hips, thighs, shoulders, and chest, as a way to lead up to the pinnacle posture, Ustrasana.

I began class with a focus on releasing the Iliopsoas muscles, which are the strongest muscles of the hip flexors. A tight iliopsoas leads to a tight abdomen, which prevents an open and successful backbend. After this I emphasized an open chest and active shoulder to support a strong Ustrasana. 

Type of Class: Back Bending Flow Props: Strap, 2 Blocks, 2 Blankets 

What needs to be open? Hips, Thighs, Shoulders, Chest

Warm Up/Conditioning: 

• Supine Chest Opener: a block between shoulder blades and one to support head, arms extended out (5-10 min)
• Roll on Right Side, extend left leg long and reach left arm over head => deeper stretch bring left leg to left corner of mat => Repeat on Left
• Cat/Cow => Anahatasana (Extended Puppy)
• Ardo Mukha Svanasana => Walk Dog => Feet to Hands
• Standing Neck/Shoulders Activation: Neck Rolls, Arm Reach, Cover/Reveal, Pec Squeeze, Bicep Curls
• Extended Puppy => Spinal Rolls => Traction => Sphinx
• Bridge => Tailbone Tuck => Tuck and Lift Hips => Extend One Leg and Lift with Tailbone Tucked

Standing Poses: 

• Tadasana C => Sun Salutation => Crescent => Baby Cobra => Salambasana
• Tadasana C => Sun Salutation => Anjaneyasana C => Cobra
• Step Wide => Virabhadrasana II => Reverse Warrior
• Standing Balance (Knee perpendicular) => Standing Thigh Stretch: clasp ankle behind butt
• Step Wide => Trikonasana

Seated Poses:

• Ustrasana (3x building deeper into pose)
• Ardha Dhanurasana (L/R) => Dhanurasana
• Bridge A => Bridge C => Block

Cool Down (Twists/Forward Bends):

• Hands Behind Thigh => Slowly Press Straight
• Knee to Shoulder => Half Happy Baby => Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby) 
• Hug Knees to Chest => Laying Twist, Knees Together, Arms in ‘T’ Position
• Savasana

Good Morning Flow

75 Minute Hatha Style Align & Flow Class at Binghamton Yoga 

I put this sequence together as a way to wake the body up after a hopefully long night's rest. The sequence targets the hips, side body, chest, and hamstrings, with the intention of simultaneously balancing strength and flexibility between the major muscles and their stabilizers. I know many of my students are stiff in the mornings, and, with that in mind, the sequence has a slow, intentional pace. We held each pose for 5-6 breaths and let the weight of the posture settle into the body and warm up each muscle, tendon, and joint. 

Type of Class: Flow                            Props: Strap, 2 Blocks, 2 Blankets 

Focus: Hips, Thighs, Shoulders, Chest, Side body

Warm Up/Conditioning: 

• Seated Side Stretches 
• Cat/Cow => Balasana (Left and Right) => Anahatasana (Extended Puppy)
• Ardo Mukha Svanasana => Walk Dog => Feet to Hands
• Side Stretch => Urdhva Hastasana (small backbends in warm up)
• Ardo Mukha Svanasana => Virabhadrasana I => Traction => Sphinx
• Leg lifts w/ Blocks
• Ardo Mukha Svanasana => Low Lizard => Baby Cobra

Standing Poses: 

• Prasarita Padottanasana => Wide Leg Down Dog => Prasarita Pad C => Twist
• Tree
• Sun Salutation => Anjaneyasana => Cobra
• Step Wide => Virabhadrasana II => Parsvakonasana => Trikonasana
• Utkatasana => Parvritta Utkatasana
• Parsvottanasana 
• Pigeon

Seated Poses:

• Ardha Dhanurasana (R/L) => Dhanurasana
• Pinnacle Pose: Bridge A => Bridge C => Bridge w/block
• Supported Shoulder Stand 

Cool Down (Twists/Forward Bends):

• Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)
• Laying Twist, Knees Together, Arms in ‘T’ Position
• Savasana

Align & Flow: Activating Hips, Hamstrings, and Thighs for Upavistha Konasana

75 min, Level 1 Hatha Flow at Binghamton Yoga on Saturday morning. 

In this class, I was looking to warm up the key muscle groups needed for Upavistha Konasana through a dynamic flow while maintaining a focus on alignment. Saturday morning at 8am tends to draw yogis who tend to come 1-2 times a week and are often older. Before moving directly to standing postures or sun salutations, I opened class on the floor using supine hamstring stretches, which offer an accessible way to reach the hamstrings without too much strain. Once the hamstrings and hips had been activated I wanted to focus on balancing flexibility and strength in each of the poses.  

Type of Class: Forward Bending Props: Strap, 2 Blocks, 2 Blankets

What needs to be open? Hips, Groin, Hamstrings, Thighs

Warm Up/Conditioning: 

• Laying on Back, stretch one leg long on mat and extend other leg straight in the air => flex/point the foot to warm up the ankle 
• Supta Padagustasana w/strap => Leg loops => Side to Side => Figure 4)
• Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)
• Roll Fwd => Cat/Cow
• Anjaneyasana => Pull back to do ardha hanumansa w/blocks
• Adho Mukha Svanasana => walk dog => feet to hands
• Uttanasana => Grapevine feet for light twist fwd bend => roll up to stand

Standing Poses: 

• Prasarita Padottanasana A => Twist
• Goddess => Active Inner Thigh Stretch 
• Sun Salutation => Anjaneyasana => traction/baby cobra
• Step Wide => Virabhadrasana II => Parsvakonasana => Trikonasana
• Middle of mat turn to front => Parsvottanasana w/blocks
• Tree

At this point I realized I had more time and poses I could use to further prep for Upavistha Konasana, so I added 

Seated Poses (w/blankets/strap):

• Dhandasana 
• Paschimottanasana
• Agnistambhasana (Fire Log Pose) => beginning with one leg and working up to two
• Janusirsasana (Head to Knee) => Twice on each side, with a focus on twisting the second time
• Baddha Konasana

Pinnacle Pose: Upavista Konasana => Fold Forward => come up and fold to each side, returning to center each time

Cool Down (Twists/Forward Bends):

• Paschimottanasana => relaxed using a block under head 
• Matsyendrasana => Twice on each side, building into a deeper twist
• Roll on back --> Setu Bandhasana 3x (block b/w knees)
• Supported Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) using a block under sacrum
• Knees to Chest --> Supine Twist, Knees Together, Arms in ‘T’ Position
• Windshield Wipers
• Supta Chest Opener --> stay for savasana or move into relaxed savasana