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