EY Asana II Sequencing, Pace & Choreography

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Creating yoga classes is an art, and takes time and practice to develop, however, even beginners can become very competent yoga instructors when mindful of choreographing sequences and a pace that fit the theme and intention you have set for your class. Eventually weaving flows with sequences of poses in a pace that flows with the intention will make you a great choreographer.

 

Sequencing

 

Choosing a set of poses to sequence together for a class will depend on the theme of your class, the intention of the class and the ability of your students. However, the general rule for sequencing yoga poses together is to create a natural flow aligned with your intention.

 

FLOW

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Creating flowing sequences, stitching one pose to another in a natural flowing practice assists the student to go within and remain meditative and inwardly reflective during the practice. We share flows for you to offer your students and variations of poses to add to those flows that are integrative and create ease as you transition from one pose to the other. You are free to use all the information and flows available to creatively offer new flows to your students or use the Ecstatic Yoga flows as they are.

When creating a flowing sequence each pose sets up an easy transition to the following pose. It is best to include standing poses together into a flow, and floor poses together with a transition pose or two to smoothly go from standing to floor or floor to standing.

For example, a child’s pose to up dog flow is very natural. A childs pose can also flow into a single leg forward fold or balancing bear and then into boat with ease and grace. If you created a flow with camel then bridge it would take a bit more disruption because you would be up onto your knees and need to get onto your back to move into bridge. A solution to this is to add a pose in between like spinal rocks, allowing a more flowing transition. Or if you went from bridge to mountain that would create even less flow and more disruption because you would need to move from the floor on your back to standing. In this case you could either include your mountain earlier in your sequence with other standing poses or add in a few poses to aid transition. You could go from bridge to knees to chest, roll up to camel, to table, down dog, forward fold then finally to mountain.

 

Transitioning gracefully from a standing flow to a floor flow using forward folds and down dog.

Forward fold, Wide-legged forward fold, down dog and standing yoga mudra are favorite transitioning poses from standing to floor because they are all folds. When you are in a forward or wide-legged forward fold your students already have their hands on the floor and you can invite them to simple bend their knees and come to a seat. With standing yoga mudra you are folding forward and can invite students to bring their hands down to the floor and bend their knees to come to sitting position. Down dog is also a great transition pose that can provide a gentle transition from standing to floor by simply bending the knees to the floor and moving into seated pose, table or child’s pose.

 

Transitioning gracefully from a floor flow to a standing flow using table and down dog.

Table is a floor pose, and moves very easily into downdog which is used in many standing flows and can be used as a great transitioner from floor to standing. In table, you curl the toes under, lift the knees off the mat, straighten the legs and arms and you are in down dog. In down dog you can easily move into many standing positions.

 

Poses to Prepare the body

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In planning your sequencing you can add preparatory poses to assist students to more easily move into a final pose. Below are some examples of preparatory poses for forward folds, backbends and twists.

 

Forward folds

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Virasana (Hero’s pose) can prepare the knees for forward folds.

Modifications; Use blanket or cushion under sits bones or between calves and hamstrings.

Gomukhasana (Cow face pose) opens shoulders and creates mobility in the upper spine. Your forward fold can be restricted if you experience tightness in the upper back.

Modification; You can hold a strap between your hands If your hands don’t meet in Gomukhasana.

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)  offers stretching of the hamstring to prepare for deeper stretching in forward fold.

Modification; If your hamstrings are tight you can use a strap around the foot of the raised leg.

A few beginner/intermediate forward folds.

Uttanasana/forward fold

Parsvottanasana/pyramid pose

Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog Pose

Variation; Walking the dog, stretching one calve deeply at a time.

Seated forward folds

 

Backbends

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Backbends require open hips, shoulders, a flexible spine and nice long front body. Below are some warm-ups to move gently into deeper back bending poses. Backbends are good preparation for shoulder stands.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog), this is a great opener for back bending as it is a gentle backbend, arche’s the back and extends the spine.

Modification; use blocks, place your hands on blocks rather than the earth.

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), an intermediate backbend while laying on the belly.

Modification; use a strap around the ankles and take hold of the strap a few inches from the ankles.

Ustrasana or Camel; before moving deeply into camel move into a gentle camel where the hands are on the small of the back, chest is open, back is gently bending, spine extending, head in line with the spine (Don’t drop the head back) After a few breaths in this gently camel you may be ready to bring your hands down to your heels for a deeper backbend.

Modification; Come up onto your toes to bring your heels higher up, closer to your hands… bring the floor up.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) ; half bridge is a great preparation where you lift the hips up half way and hold. In this you are not arching your back, however your knees are up and feet hip width apart. Arms are resting alongside the body. After a couple half bridge poses you can move into a full bridge by pressing into the feet, lifting the hips and arching the back, while bringing the shoulder blades together, coming up onto the shoulders and clasping the hands together underneath your body. You can place a block between your knees, as the knees are holding the block this keeps the knees hip width apart.

Cobra; practice baby cobra before moving into a full cobra.

 

Twists

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Twist are great counterposes for forward fold