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)
- Let them come back into bridge pose and back to floor
- Offer to go back into bridge pose OR introduce the idea of bringing hands by their ears and lift the hips (variation 1)
- Offer another variation to bring the top of head to the floor (variation 2)
- The last variation is to come to the full pose by pushing the hands to the floor and lift the head
- Let them stay wherever they decide for about 10 breaths
- 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)