Align & Flow: Forward Bending

75 Minute Hatha Class on Saturday Morning at Binghamton Yoga

In the past four weeks, I've found that my students benefit the most from a slow, deliberate pace, since it allows time to set up the pose and settle into it. I may switch gears in time, but for now this has resonated in my own practice and many of my regulars seem to enjoy it as well.  

I focused this sequence on forward bending while also incorporating gentle twists. I targeted hips, side body, thighs, and shoulders to allow for better movement leading up to Upavistha Konasana. We started in a chair (with stiff bodies in mind) to warm up the body slowly and gently after a full night's sleep. Open hips, active shoulders, and a long side body, come together for greater access to the body in twists and forward folds.

Type of Class: Forward Bending/Gentle Twists Props: Strap, 2 Blocks, 2 Blankets, Chair

Warm Up/Conditioning:  

• Seated on Chair: Feet => Figure 4 => Feet Wide Fwd Fold (Grab chair legs for deeper fold)
• Seated on Chair: Wide Forward Fold Twists => Upright Seated Twists
• Laying Oblique Twist => Cat/Cow => Extended Cat/Cow
• Uttan. => Grapevine feet for light twist fwd bend => roll to stand
• Sun Salutation => Anjaneyasana => Traction/Sphinx
• Puppy => Extended Child’s posture (R/L) => Puppy Spinal Rolls
• Uttanasana => Flat Back => open to right, right hand on right hip 

Standing Poses: 

• Wide Leg Down Dog => Prasarita Padottanasana A => Twist
• Sun Salutation => Virabadhrasana I => Cobra
• Tadasana C => Trikonasana
• Standing Balance (Knee perpendicular) => Standing Thigh Stretch
• Utkatasana => Parvrittra Utkatasana
• Pigeon => Twist

Seated Poses (w/blankets/strap):

• Dhandasana => Paschimottanasana
• Upavista Konasana => Side to Side => Paschimottanasana
• Janu Sirsasana 

Cool Down (Twists/Forward Bends):

• Roll on back => Setu Bandhasana 3x (w/Tailbone tucked)
• Supine Twist, Knees Together, Arms in ‘T’ Position
• Supta Padagustasana w/ strap => Side to Side => Figure 4 
• Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)
• Legs up wall w/chair => stay for savasana or move into relaxed savasana