There’s something beautiful about practicing the same sequencing over and over until you know it by heart, inside out, upside down. If I really needed to, I can teach it backwards and still makes sense.

For the last 10+ years, I have not changed my sequence on a fundamental level. Even though there are slight differences in each class I teach or practice, I have stuck to this sequence more or less. It works for my body and worked on most students.

Peak

Backbends, specifically Urdhva Danurasana, wheel pose. This is a backbend pose I LOVE to teach all levels. Why? Because the ones who know this pose will automatically come up as soon as I mention it and almost always have the time of their life! But the students who don’t know or have never done this before, I can still include them and have them discover their strength, freedom and courage for self-expression. This is a spinal extension, 3rd chakra pose that opens up 4th and 2nd using the strength from the 1st chakra, turning things upside down for our normally-over-used head and allows us to start listening to our wildly expressive heart courageously.

Integration

• Child’s pose/Downward Dog/Uttanasana

Connect with: Downward dog – High Plank – Chatturanga – Upward facing dog – Downward facing dog (a few breaths) – Step into Uttanasana – Halfway Lift – Fold forward – Mountain pose

Sun Salutations

• Sun Salutation A x 2-3 times (depending on how much time I have)
• Sun Salutation B x 2-3 times
• Sun Salutation B variations
  • Virabhadrasana B (warrior 2)
  • Viparita Virabhadrasana (reverse warrior)
  • Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle)

Standing poses

• Anjaneyasana (high/low lunge)
• Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (rotated side angle)
• Virabhadrasana B (warrior 2)
• Trikonasana (triangle)
• Prasarita Padottanasana (open V forward bend – either back to warrior 2 or low lunge into Downward facing dog
• **Second side
• From the last downward facing dog, jump forward to come to Mountain Pose
• Utkatasana (chair pose)
• Parivrtta Utkatasana (prayer twist)
• Tadasana (mountain)

Balance poses

• Uttitha Hasta Padangusthasana (hand to big toe)
• Natarajasana (dancer)
• Vrksasana (tree)

Backbend poses

• Salabhasana (locust)
• Danurasana (bow)
• Bhujangasana (cobra)
• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (up dog)
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)
• Ustrasana (camel)
• Sit down in Zazen style to breathe and lie down
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge)
• Urdhva Danurasana (wheel)
  1. Let them come back into bridge pose and back to floor
  2. Offer to go back into bridge pose OR introduce the idea of bringing hands by their ears and lift the hips (variation 1)
  3. Offer another variation to bring the top of head to the floor (variation 2)
  4. The last variation is to come to the full pose by pushing the hands to the floor and lift the head
  5. Let them stay wherever they decide for about 10 breaths
  6. Back down to the floor
• Supta Baddha Konasana (reclined butterfly)
• Lying twist

Inversion

• Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) of any variation
• Halasana (plough)
• Karna Pidasana (deaf man’s pose)
• Matsyasana (fish)

Hip Openers

• Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (pigeon pose)
• Agni Stambhasana (double pigeon/fire log)
• Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose)

Forwardbends

• Janu Sirsasana (single leg forwardbend)
• Pascimottansana (seated forwardbend)

Cool Down

These are optional just as the rest of the sequence. But these are my go-to before I enter savasana

• Pranayama of some kind to calm the system such as Viloma, Dirga or simply paying attention to Ujjayi
• Lying twist
• Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose)

Savasana