This series is intended to give you a simple routine or ‘vinyasa’ to follow as you begin your yoga practice. As with all exercise, do what feels right to you and listen to your body.
Step 1
Start in Easy Pose. (Sukhasana)
Easy pose is a comfortable seated position for meditation. This pose lengthens the spine and opens the hips, promoting a sense of calm.
With your buttocks on the flor, cross your legs, placing your feet directly below your knees. Rest your hands on your knees, with your palms facing up.
Press your hip bones down into the floor and lengthen the pine by reaching the crown of your head upwards. Drop your shoulders down and back, and press your chest towards the front of the room.
Relax your belly and face, letting your tongue rest on the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. Release any thoughts and let your mind focus simply on your breath.
Breathe deeply through your nose. Hold as long as comfortable, or 10 – 30 breaths.
Get on your hands and knees, into Table Pose.
Align your palms under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
Press back through your tailbone and forward through the crown of your head. Lengthen your spine.
Step 2
Inhale into Dog Pose
Dog pose or dog tilt stretches your low and middle back and hips. Lengthens your spine and stimulates your kidneys and adrenal glands.
From all fours, reach your tailbone up towards the sky, arching your spine and letting your belly drop.
Press your palms into the ground, and spread your fingers apart. Drop your shoulders away from you ears and reach the crown of your head towards the sky. Look up as high as possible, without straining.
Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.
Step 3
Exhale into Cat Pose (Bidalasana)
Cat Pose stretches your shoulders and middle to upper back.
From dog pose, exhale and touch your tail bone under, round your spine and let your head drop down.
Press down into your palms, and drop your shoulders away from your ears, while reaching your middle and upper back up towards the ceiling.
Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.
To release, inhale and flatten your back.
Step 4
Repeat 2 and 3, moving with your breath, 3-6 times.
Step 5
From Dog Pose, exhale into Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward facing dog deeply stretches your back, pens your chest and builds upper body strength. This posture stimulates your brain and nervous system, improving concentration, eyesight and hearing.
Come to a flat back after dog pose. From here, tuck your toes under and lift your hips up towards the ceiling.
Spread your fingers wide apart, with your middle finger facing forward and your hands shoulder width apart. Press your fingers and palms into the floor.
Using straight arms, press your hips up and back. Keep your spine straight and long.
Your feet should be hips width apart, with your toes facing forward. Press your heels into the floor, feeling a stretch in the back of your legs. Your legs should be straight, or have a small bend at the knees, to keep your back flat.
Let your head and hang hang freely, or look up at your belly.
Step 6
Inhale and step right foot forward, into Low Lunge (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)
Low lunge opens the hops and chest, stretches your groin and legs, lengthens your spine and strengthens your lower body
Bring your right knee directly over your right ankle. If you need to, slide your left foot backwards.
Press your palms, fingers or fists into the floor and lift the crown of your head up towards the ceiling or sky. Roll your shoulders down and back and press your chest forward. Look straight ahead.
Straighten your back leg by pressing your heel towards the floor and pressing the back of your knee towards the ceiling. Relax your hops and let them sink down towards the ground.
Breathe and hold for 3-6 breaths.
To release, inhale, step your left foot forward, or step the right foot back into downward facing dog.
Step 7
Inhale the arms up into Half Warrior Pose (Ardha Virabhadrasana) and hold.
Half warrior opens your chest and hips, helps straighten your legs and lengthens your spine.
From downward facing dog step your right foot forward between your hands, with your knee directly over your ankle.
Slowly lower your left knee and foot down to the ground.
Inhale your arms slowly up to your knee and then all the way over your head, with your palms together.
Press down into your right foot and left knee, dropping your shoulders down away from your ears. Press your chest open.
Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.
To release, exhale and bring your hands back to the ground, on opposite sides of your right foot. Step your right foot back into downward facing dog.
Repeat on the other side.
Step 8
Exhale your hands down to the ground, and step into Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Spread your fingers wide apart, with your middle finger facing forward and your hands shoulder width apart. Press your fingers and palms into the floor.
Using straight arms, press your hips up and back. Keep your spine straight and long.
Your feet should be hips width apart, with your toes facing forward. Press your heels into the floor, feeling a stretch in the back of your legs. Your legs should be straight, or have a small bend at the knees, to keep your back flat.
Let your head and hang freely, or look up at your belly.
Step 9
Step your left foot forward, repeating 6 through 8, on the opposite side.
Step 10
Exhale and bend your knees to the floor into Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Child’s pose calms your body, mind and spirit. It gently stretches your lower back, tones the abdominal organs and stimulates digestion.
Lower your hips to your heels, and forehead to the floor.
Your arms can be overhead with your palms on the ground, or your arms can be along side your body, with your palms up.
Breathe slowly and deeply, actively pressing your belly against your thighs, on the inhale.
Breathe and hold for 3-12 breaths.
To release, place your palms under your shoulders and slowly inhale up to a seated position.
Step 11
Slide your arms forward and scoop into Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Cobra opens your chest and strengthens your core body, while aligning the spine and invigorating your kidneys and nervous system.
Lie on your belly, with your chin on the ground, your palms flat on the ground under your shoulders. Your legs should be together.
Pull up on your knee caps, squeezing your thighs and buttocks and pressing your pubic bone down into the ground.
Without using your arms, inhale and lift your head and chest off the ground, keeping your neck in line with your spine.
With your elbows close to your sides, press down into your palms and use your arms to lift you even higher. Drop your shoulders down away from your ears, and press your chest forward. Keep your legs and buttocks strong, and your pubic bone pressing into the ground.
Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.
To release, exhale and slowly lower your chest and head to the ground. Turn your head to one side, and move your arms alongside your body. Rest.
Step 12
Roll over onto your back into Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Corpse or relaxation pose is essential to practice at the end of each yoga practice. This posture rejuvenates your body, mind and spirit, while reducing stress and tension.
Lying on your back, let your arms and legs roll open, with your arms about 45 degrees from the side of your body. Place blankets under or over your body if you need to, to be warm and comfortable.
Close your eyes and start by deepening your breath. Allow your body to become soft and heavy, letting it relax into the floor. Feel your body rising and falling with each breath.
Consciously release and relax any areas of your body that you feel tension in. You may need to move your body slightly to get comfortable.
Release all control of your breath, mind and body. Move deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation.
Stay in Savasana for 5 to 15 minutes.
To release, slowly deepen your breath and wiggle your fingers and toes. Reach your arms over the top of your head and stretch your whole body. Exhale, bend your knees into your chest and rollover onto one side in a fetal position. When you are ready, slosly inhale into a seated position.
Notes
Yoga is meant to relax and rejunivate you, so don’t be concerned about how much or how little you do. Keep in mind that every body is different, so you may need to personalize your posture sequence once you understand the correct execution of each movement and its ultimate aim.
Further study and attention to how your body feels will tell you whether or not certain postures are appropriate for you.
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