Dynamic 5-Pose Practice

I absolutely love calming, quieting yoga sessions. I love Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga. Delicious.

But I also love bringing some dynamic poses to my practice. Here is a nice dynamic series to get you revved up with strength and energy!

High Lunge

Standing at the top of your mat, hands on your hips, step your right foot back into a high lunge. Then, straighten your front (left) leg. Take your hands down to your side. With each movement below, concentrate on slowly inhaling and exhaling with each movement. This is a deep concentrated connection between breath and body.

Inhale as your lift your arms up toward the sky.

Exhale as your bend your front leg. Maintain healthy alignment of the knee - make sure that the knee does not move past the ankle.

Inhale as you straighten your front leg.

Exhale as float your arms down to your side.

Repeat 5 times.

Switch legs. Standing at the top of your mat, hands on your hips, step your left foot back into a high lunge. Then, straighten your front (right) leg. Take your hands down to your side. With each movement below, concentrate on slowly inhaling and exhaling with each movement. This is a deep concentrated connection between breath and body.

Inhale as your lift your arms up toward the sky.

Exhale as your bend your front leg. Maintain healthy alignment of the knee - make sure that the knee does not move past the ankle.

Inhale as you straighten your front leg.

Exhale as float your arms down to your side.

Repeat 5 times.

Warrior 2

Standing at the top of your mat, hands on your hips, step your right foot back and position into Warrior 2. Then, straighten your front (left) leg. Take your hands down to your side. With each movement below, concentrate on slowly inhaling and exhaling with each movement.

Inhale as your lift your arms so they are parallel to the floor.

Exhale as your bend your front leg. Maintain healthy alignment of the knee - make sure that the knee does not move past the ankle.

Inhale as you straighten your front leg.

Exhale as float your arms down to your side.

Repeat 5 times.

Standing at the top of your mat, hands on your hips, step your left foot back and position into Warrior 2. Then, straighten your front (right) leg. Take your hands down to your side. With each movement below, concentrate on slowly inhaling and exhaling with each movement.

Inhale as your lift your arms so they are parallel to the floor.

Exhale as your bend your front leg. Maintain healthy alignment of the knee - make sure that the knee does not move past the ankle.

Inhale as you straighten your front leg.

Exhale as float your arms down to your side.

Repeat 5 times.

** play and experiment!! **  Dancing Warrior -- moving between traditional Warrior 2 to reverse Warrior in a flowing breathing movement. 

Plank --> Downward Dog

Start in table top (hands and knees), on an exhalation push up and back into Downward Dog. Stay here for a couple breaths.

Slowly inhale as you move forward into Plank.

Slowly exhale as you move back into Downward Dog.

Continue this slow inhalation movement into Plank and slow exhalation into Downward Dog. Repeat 5-8 times.

From Downward Dog, slowly inhale down to table top, then slowly exhale to Child's Pose for a few breaths.

Locust

From Child's Pose, move into table top, then flat onto your belly. 

Slowly inhale as you gently lift your shoulders, chest, arms, and legs. Take the first one as a very low lift.

Exhale release your body toward the ground.

Slowly inhale as you slowly lift your shoulders, chest, arms, and legs.

Exhale release your body toward the ground.

Repeat 5 times.

After the last exhale down, relax into the exhalation and turn your head to one side for a few breaths.

Child's Pose (Balasana)

Slowly inhale as you very slowly press up to table top. 

Slowly, gently press back and down into Child's Pose (knees are bent and slightly outward, buttocks resting on your heels, torso is folded down and resting on your thighs). 

Inhale as you very slowly press up to table top.

Exhale as you gently move back into Child's Pose.

Continue moving with your breath, slowly, for 5-8 breaths.

On the last Child's Pose movement, stay here in Child's Pose for 5-8 breaths for a moment of relaxation. Enjoy the moment.

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