Align & Flow Sequence: Barre Integration

75 Minute Friday Morning Class

This class sequence integrates Barre techniques.  I explore the interaction between traditional yoga postures and conditioning.  In my experience, the average yoga student, who comes to our studio needs more conditioning before they're "ready" to really get the most out of traditional postures.

Most of the yogis who come to this class practice 1-3 times weekly.  Many of them also engage in other workouts, such as cross-fit and running.  They're generally women between 25-65, which is a wide range with many different abilities and goals.

The first half of the class is spinal activation and Barre conditioning techniques.  The second half builds a sequence that should be easier to do & FEEL as a result of the first half.  The peak posture is dancer, which relies on standing balance, open quads & long abs, and pliable shoulders.

The props we use are 2 mats, 2 blocks, 1 chair, 2 sandbags, 1 strap, and whatever blankets one needs to sit.  The second mat is folded into quarters and placed on the chair for the entire class.  This will make the chair easier & more comfortable to use.

Opening

• Seated in chair, facing forward with mat on floor and mat on chair
• Close eyes and loosen JAW --> Free form HEAD & NECK
• Free form SHOULDER (possibly standing for a moment)
• Seated Figure-4 manually initiated ANKLE ROTATIONS and individual TOES FLEX & CONTRACT

Conditioning

• Put chair at front of mat & stand on blocks
• CALF RAISES
• Move chair to side of mat & on mat
• PLIE SQUAT Heels Together --> PLIE SQUAT Heels Wide
• Chair to Front of Mat with Seat Facing Back...Hands on Chair Seat and Folded 90 degrees
• Lift One LEG straight BACK parallel POINT & FLEX toes to back of room strongly (both sides)
• Lift One LEG straight back KNEE BENT and push to sky lower knee next to knee (both sides)
• Turn Chair Sideways and put one hand on back. 
• Straight LEG TO SIDE (Both Sides)
• Move Chair Aside But Not Too Far
• Lay on Back with Knees Bent & Feet Flat
• Quad LEG EXTENSIONS to sky feeling thigh work
• Frog - Resist Inner Knee with Hand INNER THIGH

Abs & Spinal Activation

• Pull chair in with back toward knees then put calves flat on chair seat up to back of knees
• Tuck tailbone & flatten lower back then LIFT HIPS into PLANK
• Second time same technique then lift ONE LEG and balance with just one calf on chair
• Third time same technique but move chair further away
• Move chair completely away
• Put one sandbag behind mat & off mat
• Start with knees bent and feet flat then tuck tailbone & flatten lumbar to engage TRANSVERSE ABS - Progressively more intense AB ROLL-UPS
• Consider three distinct sets progressing from micro activation to roll-up - to press-up
• Neck Massage after this flattening
• Move sandbags to each side and spread arms into T - Lift Knees to beyond 90 degrees
• AB OBLIQUE TWISTS
• Laying flat on floor put one hand gently behind head
• DIAGONAL OBLIQUE CRUNCHES

Interlude

• Roll over onto belly
• Stretch chin long across floor for NECK counter-stretch 
• Then arms in Goal Post and turn HEAD to one side, wait, then the other
• Stretch arms straight out and relax into traction
• Pull arms back into relaxed SPHINX letting abs soften & counter-stretch
• BALASANA
• All-Fours - Turn back to Front of Room
• CROUCHING CAT
• Walk to front of mat & relax then ROLL-UP to STAND
• INFRASPINATUS Half Goal ROTATIONS 60-120 degrees
• SUPRASPINATUS Arm Wing Lifts 60-120 degrees
• STANDING COBRA with hands on Sacrum fingers pointed up back
• Still in Standing Cobra Release Arms and RAISE ARMS in sight and Interlace Fingers

Flow

• First Time: Swan Dive -- Extend Uttanasa -- ANJANAYASANA Low Lunge with Long Deep Exploration of Thigh & Abs -- Transition through Plank & Strong Crouching Cat (both sides)
• Second Time: Same but Low Lunge becomes exploration of other dimensions where we walk the foot wide and emphasize the INNER QUAD / INNER THIGH STRETCH then transition to LIZARD -- End from Crouching Cat - Bending Knees and Sitting Down into VIRASANA Hero
• Third Time: VIRABHADRASNA II -- PARSAVONASANA with Hand Bound Behind Back to Thigh to Open Chest -- End from Lunge & Turn Sideways for PRASARITTA PADOTTANASANA into Wide Leg Down Dog

Peak Posture

• Stand in Middle of Mat Facing Side - Put Chair Seat Facing
• Kneel with Both Knees on Chair then Turn Sideways for ELEVATED LUNGE- Hold - then THIGH STRETCH (both sides)
• DANCER First Time
• DANCER Second Time
• SUPTA EKA PADA VIRASANA with Sandbags - Slowly adding one to thigh if safe & the other out behind to reach for

Cool Down

• Laying on back Feet Flat and Knees Bent. Place Block under Sacrum and Pull Knees to Chest to Release Lower Back.
• Gentle Side Twists (both sides)
• SAVASANA