Tag: sequence

A Flow for All Moms

Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of mothers everywhere, we created a short sequence that is accessible to women of all ages and levels of fitness. Each pose can be modified so that it is appropriate for varying levels of strength and flexibility. We encourage you to share your practice with your mother, grandmother, or other special mom in your life. Give the incredible gift of yoga today with this all-levels flow. Start with a few rounds of sun salutations, and then remember to hold each posture for five full breaths (about 30 seconds). Practice the sequence on both sides of your body, and have a beautiful Mother’s Day!

Downward Facing Dog
Although the traditional posture looks like a perfect upside down letter V, your pose may look a bit different. Depending on your level of flexibility, your knees may be bent, and your heels may be lifted from the mat. These modifications are perfectly acceptable, and are welcome, as they offer a safe, full-body stretch.

Revolved Downward Facing Dog
Shift your weight into your right hand, and place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh. If you would like a deeper stretch, slide your hand to your calf or ankle. Twist your torso to the right, and gaze up under your right armpit. Don’t forget to engage your core, as this Downward Dog variation is a balance pose!

3-Legged Downward Facing Dog
From Revolved Downward Facing Dog, untwist your body and return to Downward Facing Dog. Extend your right leg high into the air for 3-legged dog. Flex the foot on your lifted leg, and rotate your right hip so that all five toes point down toward the mat. If this requires you to lower your leg, go ahead and lower it. Your leg does not need to be particularly high to reap the benefits of this pose. Make an effort to keep your shoulders equidistant from the mat and avoid sinking into your left shoulder.

3-Legged Downward Dog Variation
Bend the knee of your lifted leg, drawing the heel of your right foot in toward your body. Open your chest toward the right by stacking your right hip over your left hip. For a deeper stretch, slowly lower your left forearm to the mat.

Lizard Pose
Lower your lifted leg, returning to Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Walk your hands forward a few inches, and then lower your forearms to the ground for Lizard pose. If this hip stretch is too intense, lower your back knee to the mat for a more comfortable variation. Feel free to experiment in this pose by rocking onto the outer edge of your foot and then back down onto the sole. Maintain length in your spine, and remember to breathe!

Side Plank Variations
From Lizard Pose, lift onto your hands, and roll onto the outer edge of your left foot for Side Plank. Choose the variation that challenges you while allowing you to maintain your form. Keep your hips lifted and your core engaged.

Forearm Plank
From Side Plank, roll into plank pose (top of a push up), and then lower onto your forearms for Forearm Plank. This pose will strengthen your shoulders and core muscles. Your body should create a straight line from head to heel, and your shoulders should be stacked above your elbows. Feel free to lower onto your knees to maintain proper form.

Dolphin/Forearmstand
From Forearm Plank, begin to walk your feet in toward your elbows for Dolphin pose. Rise onto the balls of your feet or even your tippy toes to test your strength. Keep your feet together, and challenge yourself to try to stack your hips above your shoulders. Breathe deeply as you hold this intense posture. If inversions are a regular part of your practice, move into a Forearmstand.

May 10, 2015
How to Structure a 30-Minute Yoga Practice

I have a confession to make…On most days, I don’t flow for more than 30 minutes on my mat. Yes, of course, there are those special days when I can practice for hours without interruption, but most of the time, life calls, and I have to be perfectly content with a half hour of yoga. Fortunately for me, thirty minutes happens to be the magic number. I can get through my flow without sweating like a beast, and I can continue on with my life without having to shower. (This is actually a big deal for busy moms that are constantly on the go and feel pressed to find any time to exercise at all. Having to shower can be a deal breaker.)

If you are considering an at-home practice, start with thirty minutes! It’s a minimal commitment of time, and you will feel really good at the end of it all. Your muscles will be happy, your mind will be clear, and you will get a good deal of satisfaction from knowing that you did something good for yourself.

If you need a little help getting started, here’s how I would recommend structuring your practice:

0:00 – 5:00 minutes
Close your eyes, shut out the world, and begin to focus on your breath. Set an intention for your practice. Your intention doesn’t have to be particularly profound, but you certainly can go ahead and think about your purpose in life or your purpose for getting on your mat. Instead of an intention, you can state a few positive affirmations to uplift your spirit— For example—I am strong; I am healthy; I am enough.

When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and spend a few minutes doing some light stretching. I like to reach my arms overhead and stretch the sides of my body. I also do some gentle seated twists, a few cat-cows, maybe some wrist and shoulder stretches, and a nice long downward facing dog.

5:00 – 10:00 minutes
I always include a few rounds of sun salutations at the start of my practice. During this time, I warm up my body, and I also manage to completely clear my mind by focusing on each inhale and exhale that accompanies every pose. The best thing about sun salutations is that they are so engrained into my memory that I can simply move without thinking. I’m not worried about what comes next because my body just knows. If you are not yet at the point where sun salutations flow naturally without much thought, don’t worry. You will get there. If you include the same Sun Salutation A sequence at the beginning of every flow, you will learn it very quickly.

10:00 minutes – 20:00 minutes
If you are designing your own flow, you need to be aware of how much time each pose will take to complete. This is up to you, and you can move as quickly or as slowly as you like, but my preference is to hold poses for about 30 seconds, or 5 full breaths. I am assuming that each full breath is about 6 seconds long (i.e., 3 seconds for your inhale; 3 seconds for your exhale). Following this simple math, a sequence that includes 10 poses will take you about 5 minutes to complete. And of course, if you are practicing the right and left sides of your body, your 5-minute sequence will actually be a 10-minute practice. For a quick 10-minute flow, check out our Yoga for Busy Moms sequence.

20:00 minutes – 30:00 minutes
At this point, assess how you feel. Some days, you might feel very energized and want to stay on your feet. If that’s the case, go ahead and repeat your 10-minute flow. Other days, you might want to do some floor work and stretch a specific body part. Go ahead and take a seat. Work on whatever body part is calling for attention. When your hips feel tight, sit for a few minutes in various pigeon pose variations. When your shoulders and chest feel tight, lie down across a block or practice other heart openers. Or maybe you choose to do 5 minutes of seated stretches and 5 minutes of inversions. The beauty of your at-home practice is that you can do whatever you want! Experiment, play, and enjoy yourself.

Please feel free to tell us about your own home practice in the comments section!

April 11, 2015
Yoga for Busy Moms

The daily demands of being a mom can make it challenging (if not overwhelming) to find an extended block of time to practice yoga on a daily basis. The good news is that you can reap many of the benefits of a full practice in just a fraction of the time. If you are having a particularly busy day, practice this sequence just once on each side of your body for a quick 10-minute flow that will leave you feeling refreshed and centered.

We’ve selected a variety of fundamental poses that will stretch and strengthen the entire body in a short span of time. If you can fit in a 20-minute routine, practice this sequence twice. Make the most of your abbreviated practice by being mindful and present as you hold each posture for 3-5 breaths.

Cat/Cow
Begin your practice in Tabletop position with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Gently warm up your chest and back with 3 rounds of Cat/Cow. Inhale, as you sink your chest toward the floor and gaze up. Exhale, as you round your back like a cat.

Low Lunge Variations
After warming up your spine with cat/cow, step your right foot forward between your hands for one of two Low Lunge variations. Keep your hands on your front thigh for greater stability, or interlace all 10 fingers behind your back for a chest-opener. If you choose to take the backbend, remind yourself to breathe deeply through your nose.

Revolved High Lunge Variations
From Low Lunge, align your right knee so that it stacks directly above the right ankle. Bring your hands together in front of your heart, and twist to the right, hooking the left elbow onto the outside of the right thigh. If you are comfortable, challenge yourself by tucking your back toes, and lifting your back knee off of the floor.

Side Chair
From Revolved High Lunge, shift your weight into your right foot, and step your left foot forward for Side Chair. Press into your hands to twist deeply to the right. If your left knee protrudes forward more than your right knee, make an effort to pull the left hip back in space. Be sure to rock your weight back onto your heels to protect your knees.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
From Side Chair, untwist your upper body and straighten your legs for a deep forward bend. Breathe deeply, relax the neck, and allow the weight of your upper body to stretch the hamstrings and release any tension in the lower back. Feel free to take a variation or grab opposite elbows and sway from side to side.

Chair
Bend your knees, sweep your arms overhead, and rock your weight back into your heels for this strengthening pose that will energize your legs. Make sure that your weight is distributed properly by confirming that you can lift all ten toes from the mat. Keep your fingers active, shoulders rolled down and core engaged.

High Lunge
From Chair pose, shift your weight into your right foot, and take a large step back onto the ball of your left foot for High Lunge. Feel free to keep your torso perpendicular to the floor, or lift your chest toward the sky for a backbend. If you choose to take a backbend, remember to keep your biceps along side your ears.

Warrior 2
From High Lunge, spin your back heel down for Warrior 2. Challenge yourself by maintaining a 90 degree angle in your front leg as you stand strong. Resist the urge to lean forward toward your bent knee. Keep your shoulders stacked right over your hips.

Plank
From Warrior 2, windmill your hands to the ground and step back into plank pose. Create a straight line from head to heel. Engage your core to keep your hips from sagging. If your hips are sagging or lifted toward the sky, take a modification by lowering onto your knees. It’s definitely preferable to perform each pose with good form.

Downward Facing Dog
From Plank pose, simply lift your hips up and back to create a shape that looks like the upside down letter V. Remember to spread your fingers, grip the mat, engage the core and keep the leg muscles active in this pose.

Pyramid Pose
From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot about halfway up the mat, straighten the front leg, and breathe into this intense hamstring stretch. For the most effective stretch, keep length in your spine as you fold. Whenever your legs are scissored in a yoga pose, be mindful to pull the front hip back, and push the back hip forward. The goal is to have the hips equidistant to the front of the room.

March 4, 2015