Align & Flow Sequence: Side Crane

I taught the following 75 minute Align & Flow class at Binghamton Yoga.  My goal was to create a class that used twists, balance, and core work to slowly build toward side crane.  I didn't want to doa lot of intense twists, because that's it's own thing.  This class was meant to help the yogis reach Side Crane.



One key cue that I gave during this class was to set people up in Side Twisting Egg to start Side Crane but then, WALK your feet slightly forward and around as you attempt to put your hip up on your elbow.  This extra little cue got several people in the air whom had never gone up before.

I intend to try teaching the same class with minor variations in my 60 minute Flow class on Monday.

Yin Opening

2-Block Chest Opener

Side Psoas Stretch Both Sides

Conventional Awakening

All-Fours Wrist Stretches

Wide-Leg Prasaritta Padottanasana Stance

Side-to-Side Movement à Slowly Narrowing Stance to Uttanasana

Roll to Stand

Morning Stretch

Head, Neck, Shoulder Movements

Row, Press, Biceps Curl, Triceps Curl

Oblique Twists

Hand & Foot Dynamic Stretch

Vinyasa 1

Arms Up à Goddess Arms à Float Over

Uttanasana

Right Leg Back to Anjanayasana à Hands to Thigh for Gentle Backbend

Down Dog à Plank à Ground

Lengthà Superman Same Sides then Both Sides with Goddess Arms

Puppy Dog à Down Dog

Right Leg Forward to Anjanayasana à Hands to Thigh for Gentle Backbend

Step Forward à Uttanasana

Utkatasana

Rise

Vinyasa 2

Arms Up à Crescent Right à Crescent Left à Back Right Crescent à Back Left Crescent à Goddess

Fold Over à Uttanasana

Egg à Twisted Egg Both Sides

Right Leg Back to Anjanayasana à Gentle Pavritta Parsvakonasana

Plank à Look Back à Lift Leg Hold à Lift Other Leg Hold à Floor

Lengthà Superman Opposite Sides then Both Sides with Goddess Arms

Puppy Dog à Down Dog

Right Leg Forward to Anjanayasana à Gentle Pavritta Parsvakonasana

Step Forward à Uttanasana

Utkatasana à Pavritta Utkatasana Both Sides

Rise

Balance Interlude

Tree à Toppling Tree à Hands Down à Pavritta Ardha Chandrasana à Tree

Vinyasa 3

Arms Up à Fold Over à Uttanasana

Egg à Twisted Egg Hold Both Sides

Down Dog à Plank

Ground à Salambasana à Opposite Bow

All-Fours à Thread Needle Twist with Bind to Open Shoulder Both Sides

Core

Roll on to Back & Elbow à Place Blanket Between Thighs à Flatten Lower Back & Squeeze à Rotations

Climax

Pavritta Bakhasana Both Sides

Yin Ending

Using Bolster OR Pile of Blankets à Lay Hips Across Pile and Find Ab Stretch with Rotation

Shoulder Stand à Happy Baby with Feet Together à Savasana

Yoga Axis

Modern American yoga comes in all sizes, shapes, and styles. 

Some styles are extremely conscious about alignment, while others are more focused on movement.  This dichotomy forms a continuum from very exacting alignment to consistent flow, with varying degrees of both along the way.

Similarly, yoga styles differ in intensities from relaxed holds to strong actions.  This dichotomy goes from hard to soft, with varying degrees of both along the way.

These two dichotomies can be drawn as continuous, orthogonal axises, with an X-axis ranging from Align to Flow and a Y-axis ranging from Hard to Soft.  It would look like this:

I teach at least two classes a week at Binghamton Yoga studio. 

The first class is Monday evening from 5:45-6:45pm.  It's a large class with lots of post-work yogis, who really want an exercise-oriented approach.  Therefore, I generally work this class more toward the Flow end of the X-axis and slightly north of the Y-axis.

The second class is Friday morning from 9:30-10:45am.  It's a smaller class with a more relaxed, slightly-older crowd and it's labelled "Align & Flow," so I tend to try to stay very close to the middle of both styles.

Placing my two classes on the Yoga Axis, they would look like this:

Based on my understanding of yoga-related Sanskrit and martial arts terminology, I think it would be appropriate to rename these axises as such:

• Align to Flow becomes Chit-Ananda
• Hard to Soft becomes Yang-Yin

And is drawn like this:

When I create a class, I often spend time thinking about where I want the focus of my class to be in this Chit-Ananada / Yang-Yin plane.  I also choose poses that move us through a range from dynamic movement to steady alignment and hard, intense climax to soft, slow ending.

I'd love to hear your comments about this plane.

Jason

60 Minute Flow Sequence: Conditioning

My first Binghamton Yoga blog post was entitled Barre Integration.  It was inspired by a barre exercise video I watched on You Tube, and then I worked some of it into my yoga class that week.  Well, this week we revisit some of the conditioning work we did there in a new sequence this week.

Warm Up

• Start Standing
• Head Neck Up Down with Arm Shoulder Expression Reps
• Alternate Shoulder Rolls Reps
• Downhill Skier --> Reverse Flies for Back & Shoulder Muscles Reps ... Hold
• Fold Over --> Alternate Calf Stretches Reps
• Roll Back Up
• Oblique Twists Reps
• Hands & Feet ... Over Reps ... Under Reps

Conditioning

• Plie Squat Narrow Reps ... Plie Squat Wide Reps
• Deep Lung Stretch Both Sides
• All-4's ... Donkey Kick Reps ... Both Sides
• All-4's ... Fire Hydrant Lift Reps ... Both Sides
• Roll onto Back
• Leg Extension Quad Kick to Ceiling Reps ... Both Sides
• Inner Thigh Frog Reps with Resistance
• Bridge ... Extend Leg Straight Lower & Lift Reps ... Both Sides
• Roll onto Side
• Side Leg Lift Reps ... Both Sides 
• Hinge ... Slow Decent ... Hold ... Several Times
• Hinge ... Roll Forward

Transitioning

• Forearm Plank Hold ... Lift One Leg Hold ... Lift Other Leg Hold
• Come to Ground --> Stretch Long Traction ---> Sphinx Hold
• Single Sided Bow with Reach Back to Ankle Thigh Stretch ... Both Sides
• Down Dog with Fingers Spun Out Hold
• Walk to Front of Mat
• Uttanasana
• Rise Strongly

Moving Balance Flow

• Simple Tree --> Float Back --> Lunge Balance --> Kneecap Kisses Earth
• Turn Sideways
• Lunge Balance--> Kneecap Kisses Earth --> Float Forward --> Simple Tree
• Repeat Several Times

 External Rotation

• Vinyasa
• Pigeon with Block Under Thigh Yin Length Hold ... Both Sides
• Gomukasana Hold ...Sykas Spin to Other Side

Standing Balance Flow

• Simple Dancer Hold ... Transition
• Reverse Utthita Hasta Padangustasana Hold ... Transition
• Figure-4 Squat Hold
• Repeat Other Side

Coming to Earth

• Malasana
• Crow

Yin Ending

• Cat Tail Yin Hold ... Both Sides
• Snail with Block Hold
• Svanasana

60 Minute Flow Sequence: Time to Stretch + Taking Flight

Last week's 60 Minute Flow went so well at Binghamton Yoga, that I decided to make some minor changes to the Vinyasa sequence and do it again tonight.  It combines some Yin at the beginning and the end plus some very flight-oriented work in between.

Yin Opening Yin Chest Opener   3 Min   (2 Blks, 2 Blkets, Strp) Yin Side Bed Stretch Both Sides   2 Min Each Balasana --> Spinal Rolls Down Dog --> Walk Forward --> Uttanasana Roll to Rise

Vinyasa 1 Urdhva Hastasana Swan Dive to Uttanasana Anjanayasana Right Back   Lower Knee & Stretch Eka Pada Down Dog Left Up Plank Leg Switch Eka Pada Down Dog Right Up Anjanayasana Right Forward   Lower Knee & Stretch Turn Prasaritta Pada    Wide Leg Down Dog Turn to Front & Step Forward    Uttanasana Egg Roll to Rise

Vinyasa 2 Standing Strap Chest Opener Uttanasana  --> Utkatasana High Lunge Right Back Vira II --> Parsvakonasana --> Trikonasana Eka Pada Down Dog Left Up Plank Leg Switch Eka Pada Down Dog Right Up High Lunge Right Forward Vira II --> Parsvakonasana --> Trikonasana Turn Sideways Wide Leg Down Dog Prasaritta Padottanasana    Tripod Balance Uttanasana  --> Utkatasana Roll to Rise

Vinyasa 3 Clasp Hands Behind Back & Strong Upbend Fold Over into Drinking Bird Utkatasana High Lunge Right Back Vira II --> Parsvakonasana -->                                Ardha Chandrasana Eka Pada Down Dog Left Up Plank Leg Switch Eka Pada Down Dog Right Up Vira II --> Parsvakonasana -->                                Ardha Chandrasana Turn to Front & Step Forward    Pada Hastasana Malasana Roll to Rise

Vinyasa 4 Vrkasana Right Foot Up Float Right Back to Ardha Chandrasana Transition to Vira III Step Back to Ashta Chandrasana (High Lunge) Eka Pada Down Dog Left Up Plank Leg Switch Eka Pada Down Dog Right Up Right Forward to Parsvakonasana Float Forward Ardha Chandrasana Transition to Vira III Swivel Back to Vrkasana Tadasana Bakasana Crow  Balance Bakasana Crow  Lift Bakasana Crow  Pick Up Leg

Yin Close Traction on Belly Yin Sphinx --> Seal   2 Min Balasana --> Spinal Rolls Yin Twisted Roots Both Sides  2 Min Each Yin Snail  3 Min Fish Matsayasana Savasana    20 Breaths Roll to Side Relax Sukhasana    20 Breaths OM...om shanti, shanti, shanti,