Standing Series

“Exercises are like prose, whereas yoga is the poetry of movements. Once you understand the grammar of yoga; you can write your poetry of movements.” 
― Amit Ray, Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style

Step your left foot back, at a smaller stance. Point all ten toes forward. Place your hands at your hips.

Inhale, micro backbend.

Exhale, Pyramid Pose (Parsvottansana). Hinge at your hips. Lower with a flat spine and release your hands to the outsides of your feet.

-Root down firmly through the back foot

-Draw your right hip crease up and back, your left hip crease down and forward

-Inhale and open your chest to lengthen your spine

-Exhale and draw your nose to your knee

Inhale, bring your hands to your hips and rise to stand.

Exhale, Warrior III w/Airplane Arms (Virabhadrasana III w/Airplane Arms or Dekasana). Shift your weight into your right foot. Hinge forward at the hips. Lift your left heel towards the sky. Create one line of energy from the lifted heel out through the crown of your head. Sweep your arms back behind you.

-Root down into your right leg, keep a slight bend in the knee

-Square your hips so they are in line

-Dorsiflex your lifted foot

-Press your palms energetically together

-Squeeze your shoulder blades

-Spread your collarbone

Inhale, Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

-Repeat on the other side-

Exhale, Eagle Pose (Garudasana). Wrap your right elbow underneath your left. Grab for your opposite shoulder, or bring your palms to touch. Sit low in your hips. Bring your right leg up, over and around your left. You can either use your toes as a kickstand or wrap them around your ankle or calf.

-Align your knees to the midline

-Squeeze your thighs together       

-Sit tall through your spine

-Squeeze your forearms and lift your elbows

Exhale, Release.

Inhale, Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

-Repeat on other side-

Exhale, Standing at Attention (Samasthiti).

Inhale, Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Ground into the left foot. Butterfly your right knee open. Leave your heel there or place your heel on your shin or inner thigh. Careful to avoid your knee joint.

            -Press the bottom of your right foot into your leg and your leg into your foot

            -Externally rotate your knee

            -Lengthen your torso out of your hips

            *Option to raise your hands towards the sky or any other variations of the pose

Exhale, Release.

Inhale, Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

Exhale, Samasthiti.

-Repeat on other side-

Inhale, Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

Exhale, Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana). Lower your right elbow to your ribcage, your palm face up. Kick up your right foot towards your glutes. Reach for the inside of your right foot.

            -Zip your thighs together and find stability

            -Reach energetically towards the sky with your left arm

*You have reached Dancer’s Pose. If you would like to mover deeper into the posture:

            -Kick into your back leg to bring it away from your body

            -Lift and open your chest, draw your shoulder blade together

Exhale, Release.

Inhale, windmill your right arm high and bring your left arm to your ribcage.

-Repeat on the other side-

Inhale, Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Exhale, Forward Fold (Uttanasana).

Inhale, Halfway Lift (Arha Uttanasana).

Exhale, Tuck, Curl and Round. Come onto the ball mounds of your feet. Tuck into a ball.

            -Draw your forehead to your chest

            -Push the earth away with your fingertips

            -Stretch your shoulder blades apart

Inhale, look forward.

Exhale, High-to-Low Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana).

Inhale, Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana).

Exhale, Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana).