How To Create A Practice Part II

"17 Secrets Of Sequencing"

By Richard Bird

Sequencing a yoga practice is not always easy!  Just as important as the postures you do is the manner and order in which you do them.

It is very easy to take a Western Mind set of push and do into the Eastern Philosophy of yield and flow!

When you listen to your breath and body and hit the sequencing just right your body responds with openness, strength and aliveness.

Here are my “17 Secrets of Sequencing”:

1) Create your Sacred Space.  Calling in the energies of the Four Directions- East, South, West, North, Mother Earth And Father Sky. Alternatively use the invocation to Patanjali, or call in the Buddha or Christ energy.

This helps to clear the space, focus your energy and gives you guidance and assistance.

2) Unplug from the day behind you, the day ahead of you, and everyone who has hooks or chords of attachment to you and whom you may be hooked into.  (See my Enlightened Women” CD).

3) Start your breathing.  The breath gets you into your body, lets you feel, brings you present, and helps ground you.  It’s the body’s fuel and done consciously creates internal space and heat!

If sitting isn’t comfortable yet, either sit on blankets or lye down.

Remember: Postures without breathing is stretching.  Adding smooth, strong and steady breath to postures makes it yoga!

4) Warm up your shoulders and upper back, unlock the hips and turn feet on.  Shoulder Shrugs, Neck Release, Seated Side Bends, Forward Bend One Knee Bent, Knee Pile/Eagle Arms or Unlocking Shoulders release the shoulders and hips from spine.

These postures undo the fusing and space shrinking effects of stress, break up adhesions and create internal space.

5) Get your blood flowing, turn the heat up to the next level with Down dog or Dolphin.  Hold for a minute or so and amp your breath up to match what you’re feeling and intensify the effects of the posture.

6) Waking up your core: Abs, Elbow to Knee, Sacrum Lift or Abs With a Roll.  These connect your upper and lower body and gets energy flowing thru your bottom three charkas.

Start using and controlling your tail bone, butt and back of solar plexus.  Using your abs properly releases the neck!

Most people don’t want to work their abs but if you do, you will develop a more conscious and stable foundation in your practice and your life! What postures do you avoid? Why?

7) Bridge is a great un-winder after abs but for me, just as important are its’ grounding effects.  I never do a practice without it!

8) Spinal extensions like Half-Boat, Boat, Sphinx, Cobra or Cobra Pull-Ups helps prepare for Sun Salutations.  Once again it also helps you to be more aware of the spine moving in two directions from the waist. Grounding from the waist down, freeing the spine from the waist up.

9) To release the back after a spinal extension you might do Child’s Pose, Embryo or Figure Four Back Release.

10) If you are feeling strong and want to stay warm, move into First Lunge or Sun Salutations.

11) After a few Sun Salutations (at east 3 on each side) begin to mix in other Lunges.  I love Second Lunge, Second and One Half Lunge, Twisting Lunge, and Third Lunge.

This will get you extremely warm and get you below your waist. Remember to match your breath to the challenge of the posture, lift your front toes, use your abs and release your neck!

12) Mix in Standing poses: Warrior 2 and Extended Warrior Variation, Extended Warrior or Interlock.

Beginners, do each standing posture separately side to side.

Intermediate and advanced students, begin to work all postures in the sequence on one side for ten or so breaths.  Change sides and do all the postures on the other side.

Doing all standing postures on one side first helps to really work the muscles and get you into surrender mode.

Recognize your quit point, where you go unconscious and stop.  Become conscious and remain in the posture.  Feel the enlivening benefits of remaining focused, in ease and staying out of struggle mode.

13) Right angle standing postures really work the legs!  Straight legged postures like Pyramid and Triangle give your legs a break and worked properly (with toes lifted, legs straight but knees unlocked) grounds you and supports your spine in a completely different way.

14) To completely release the core and wind down for Svasana, try Pigeon or Figure Four Back Release and/or a Lying Down Spinal Twist.

Where to put back bends and inversions?

I like to do inversions such as Down Dog On The Wall and Handstands after Abs or after three or more rounds of Sun Salutations - before my arms are fried!

Before you do backbends make sure that you are warm with lots of Elbow to Knee, Sun Salutations and extra Lunges. So back bending: Camel, Bow, Wheel are usually towards the end of practice . . . when you are warm and melting.

After backbends unwind with Cobra Pull-Ups and/or Elbow to Knee.  This clears out any discomfort or possibly back strain from overwork!

15) Ground yourself and calm your nervous system with at least five minutes of Svasana before you move into your day.  In Svasana all of the work and Yoga comes together creating a sense of wholeness and balance.

16) End your practice by sitting, re-rooting and a few breaths to grow your core from a new perspective.

17) Release the energies you called in to create your sacred space.

Namaste!

Remember the body doesn’t lie! Everyday your body will feel different.  Your practice is a barometer for you where you are physically, mentally and emotionally on any given day!

There will be days you can do just a little and days where your body and time allow and call for more.

There are no rights or wrongs.  These are general guidelines and not etched in stone.

To guide you step by step in your practice use my Audio Series.