Starting a home practice can be daunting – even for the experienced yogi.
We roll out our mat, step onto it, root through our feet, extend through the crown of our head, inhale and…what do I do now? Blank mind. And, wait, is that anxiety beginning to push through? Suddenly, we seem to momentarily lose the instinctive flow with which we move through our class at the studio – Surya Namaskar, Hasta Ullola, Dancing Warrior. Where did it go?
It is all there. Your body knows what it is doing, but sometimes the voice of our ego can throw up a road block. Below are some sequences and pose breakdowns that my be helpful prompts for yogis of all levels.
Inhale. Exhale. Release. Flow.
Seated Sun Salutation
Below is a gentle, seated sun salutation. Sequence runs left to right. Right side is depicted. Please complete entire sequence and then repeat on the left. Breath (IN – inhale and EX – exhale) indicated for each pose.
REMINDERS –
- Your breath is primary. Please work to have the movement follow the breath.
- If taking your arms overhead or binding is too much for you, feel free to take arms in front of face, to a wide V shape overhead, or T shape off the shoulders.
- If forward bends are too much for your back, please come halfway forward with a flat back resting your hands or forearms on your thighs.
TO BEGIN – Begin sitting half-way forward in your chair, spine long and lifted, rooting through your sits bones and extending through the crown of the head. Shoulder blades sliding down the back reaching towards the back ribs and tops of shoulders soft. Knees hip distance with ankles lined up under knees. Feet straight and parallel to one another.
