My weekend yoga practice included experimenting with doing yoga as a circuit or yoga intervals. Okay, for purists, it probably is more like Grape Nuts---neither yoga nor intervals or circuits. However, it was a challenging practice and fun. The key for me was trying to make it as aerobic and possible by keeping myself to one breath per movement and not holding any poses except for those noted. This was a practice about flowing and staying balanced. It definitely wasn’t about doing perfect poses. Have fun!
1. I warmed up for 5-10 minutes---for me that included jumping on my rebounder to get my blood flowing.
2. Then I did 1 Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskara A.
Starting with arms at sides, inhale arms overhead, exhale over to a Forward Fold. Inhale and glance up. Exhale move back to Plank (knees on or off the floor). Take an inhale and on the exhale lower yourself to the ground. From there, inhale to Cobra Pose. Exhale, do an optional Pushup and then finish in Down Dog. Take five breaths and then jump back to a Forward Fold. Inhale looking up and flattening your back. Exhale back to Forward Fold. Inhale come up to standing, arms overhead. Exhale bring your hands together in prayer position in front of your heart.
3. I took a breath and did a Surya Namaskara B---Surya Namaskara starting from Chair Pose with added Warrior 1's.
From standing inhale to Chair Pose and exhale over to a Forward Fold. Inhale and glance up. Exhale move back to Plank. Take an inhale and then on the exhale lower yourself to the ground. From there, inhale to Cobra Pose. Exhale, do an optional Pushup and move into Down Dog. Lunge with the right foot and inhale into Warrior 1. Exhale arms to the floor and take the right foot back. From Plank, exhale to the floor. Inhale to Cobra and then do the optional Pushup and go to Down Dog. From Down Dog lunge with the left foot. Inhale to Warrior 1. Exhale hands to the floor. From Plank lower down to the floor. Inhale Cobra. Exhale, Pushup and Down Dog. Take five breaths and then jump back to a Forward Fold. Inhale looking up and flattening your back. Exhale back to Forward Fold. Inhale come up to standing, arms overhead. Exhale bring your hands together in prayer position in front of your heart. Immediately repeat the sequence but take your left foot forward first into Warrior I.
4. Then I did a Vinyasa into Warrior 1, 2, Side Angle Pose, Triangle Pose, Twisting Triangle, Pyramid Pose, Warrior 3, and finally Standing Splits.
From a Forward fold, look up, move to Plank, lower down, Cobra, Pushup, Down Dog---lunge to Warrior 1, right foot forward. From Warrior 1 take a breath and move into Warrior 2. From Warrior 2 put your right hand on the floor next to your right foot, left hand in the air. Take a breath. Straighten your right leg and move into Triangle pose. Take a breath and switch arms going into Twisting Triangle. One breath later, put both hands on the ground or on your leg and drop your head. Next breath, lift your left leg up and extend your arms forward into Warrior 3. Exhale dropping your hands and head to the floor and then inhale while you lift your left leg to the ceiling---Standing Splits. Drop the left leg on an exhale. Glance up from Forward Fold on the inhale. Drop back down. Inhale and come to standing. Immediately repeat the sequence on the left side.
That was 1 round of the circuit. I repeated it 4 times and then I did legs-up-the-wall pose (Viparita Karani) for 5 minutes.
Be great!
Namaste,
Dean
From standing, step back with the right foot and turn it out slightly. Bend the left knee, navel and face forward, raise your arms, palms toward each other and come into Virahabdrasana I, Warrior I. Hold for 3-5 deep breaths.
