Powerful Movements
Core, Strength, Twists
This yoga sequence explores classic postures that build power and strength! Interesting transitions and longer holds make this mini-flow a heat-builder!
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Start in warrior II with your right foot forward and your left foot back. Right toes face the front of the mat and the left foot is planted on the mat at a 45 degree angle. Your right heel should be in the same line as the arch of your left foot. Press into the outer-edge of your left foot and find a 90 degree bend in your right knee. Your hips and chest are open to the long edge of your mat, with your inner hips externally rotating and your shoulders relaxed. Your arms are spread wide, with your fingers energized. Your gaze falls directly over your right middle finger.
Triangle (Trikonasana)
Straighten your right leg, as you begin to pull your left hip back and reach your right fingers tips forward, bringing the right side of your body parallel with your mat. Bring your right fingers down to your right shin and reach your left arm straight up to the sky, stacking your shoulders. Keep pulling the right hip under and the left hip back. Gaze can be up or down.
To add in an additional challenge, firm up through the legs as you bring your right arm up towards your right ear, fingertips reaching towards the front of your mat. Use your core strength to keep your torso parallel with the mat. Elongate through the right side-body.
Half Power Triangle
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Come back into warrior II pose as a transition. Re-bend into the right knee and open your arms. Adjust your feet as needed.
Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)
Keeping the legs as they are, sweep your right arm up and back, finding reverse warrior. Keep the bend in your right knee and continue to press into the long-edge of the left foot. Create a stretch in the right side body. Gaze can be up to the right fingers, or down towards the ground.
Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
From reverse warrior, bring your right hand forward, reaching to the front of your mat. Keep your legs the same. Plant your right hand on the inside of the right foot, with palm or fingers pressing into the mat. Sweep your left arm up by your left ear. Feel a long line of energy reaching from the long-edge of your left foot, all the way up to your left finger tips.
Easy Twisted Lunge (Parivrtta Sanchalasana)
From extended side angle, bring your left hand to the ground. You’ll rotate your body so your hips and chest are square with the mat, as you peel your left heel off of the mat. You are now in a low-lunge position. Peel your right hand off of the mat and reach up to the sky. Your shoulders will stack one on top of the other as you peel your chest open for this easy twist.
Side Plank with Tree Legs (Vasisthasana Variation)
Keeping your left hand pressing firmly onto the mat, you’ll begin to rotate onto the knife-edge of your left foot. Keep your core engaged and your hips lifted, as you begin to lift your right foot off of the mat, setting up for side-plank. Bring the sole of your right foot onto your inner-left thigh, for tree pose legs. Reach your right fingers actively upwards.
Fallen Triangle (Patita Tarasana)
Keeping a strong core and lower-body, you will slowly bring your right hand down to the mat, pivoting onto the ball of your left foot. Thread your right leg underneath your left leg, and extend your right leg long, so that the knife-edge of the right foot is now on the ground. Reach your left hand up to the sky, finding your fallen triangle pose.
Three Legged Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)
You will bring your left hand back down to the mat and hug the right leg into your chest. Again, keeping the core strong and the body lifted. Once both hands are firmly rooted into the mat, and the hips are square, you can sweep the right leg up and back for three-legged dog.
