sequences

Check this forum for suggestions on Yin Yoga flows, sequences and postures, as well as HOW to practice Yin Yoga.
moksaman
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:18 am
Location: Boston, MA

sequences

Post by moksaman »

I'm starting a post to see if there is any interest out there in sharing class flows. If there's interest, let's start a sequence swap.
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Sunday March 4, 2007

Post by Bernie »

Hey Moksaman: here is a sequence I used in my class last night (it was a 75 min class). The theme was the Kidneys

Butterfly - 4 mins
Snail (option: Caterpillar) - 4 mins
Straddle fold over right leg, with twist half way through - 4 mins
Straddle fold over lef leg, with twist half way through - 4 mins
Straddle fold right down the middle - 4 mins
counter poses for ~ 1 min (windshield wipers)
Saddle (option Sphinx) - 4 mins
Child's pose - 1 min
Sphinx - 4 mins
Seal - 4 mins
Child's pose - 1 min
Frog (Tadpole for 2 mins, then full Frog for 2 mins)
Reclining twists - 4 mins each side
Shavasana.

Cheers
Bernie
moksaman
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:18 am
Location: Boston, MA

Sequence 2

Post by moksaman »

Hi Bernie,
Nice Kidney class. I feel like planning a sequence is similar to planning a strategy in chess, and opening with a pose like Snail is always a bold move! I love it, but have received resistance from students who seem to prefer the Caterpillar option.

Anyway... here's an odd sequence I came up with that is in the Sarah Powers vein of doing lots of one-sided poses before repeating on the second side...

1. Butterfly 5 min.

2. Baby Dragon or Flying Dragon 5 min. (Right leg forward)

3. slowly transition to Half-Saddle 5 min. (Right leg Straight).

4. roll to right side to release left leg and come into Lying Twist with Right Leg straight coming out over to the left, holding Right foot with left hand, 5 min.

5. release twist and enter Eye of Needle with Right foot on Left knee, 5 min.

6. Roll up to sitting and take Square Pose with Right leg on top, 5 min.

7. Half-Butterfly with Left leg Straight, 5 min.

8. Seated Twist, 2 min.

9. Down Dog for 1-2 min.

10. Repeat Steps 2-8 with opposite leg

11. End with Happy Baby, knees to Chest and Savasana


I'd be curious on what you thought of this.

Anyway, thanks for getting the sequence chain rolling!

Best,
Josh
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:41 am

Josh' flow

Post by admin »

Sounds creative. I will have to give it a try. Just looking at the times, it would be too much for a 75 or 90 min class, as you are doing one side for about 40 mins each...but we could cut down the times of the holding. Have you taught this in a class, or just done it yourself?

cheers
Bernie
moksaman
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:18 am
Location: Boston, MA

timings

Post by moksaman »

Yep, you're right Bernie. Too long for a 90 minute class, but if you cut each holding down to 4 minutes and skip the opening butterfly it should fit. I have taught this once every few months or so as a way of mixing things up from the more symmetrical flows.

At any rate... I'll post a few more soon.

Cheers,
Josh
Lydia
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:33 am
Location: Stouffville, Ontario, Canada

Bernie - dragonfly with twist?

Post by Lydia »

Bernie,

This topic is great and I will post some of my flows. I teach a Yin class once a week, 1 hour and a half.

Question; in your flow what do you mean by twist halfway through dragonfly....what kind of twist???

Thanks!
Lydia
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:33 am
Location: Stouffville, Ontario, Canada

Bernie's Flow - again

Post by Lydia »

Ooops! I referred to dragonfly which you call straddle...I think it is the same posture, no?

Also, when you hold butterfly for so long, I assume it is with full release of spine, and then go into caterpillar, what is your thinking? Two forward bends, one possibly deeper than the other? Do you hold butterfly with straight spine for a while before softening down?

So many questions! I feel like I am in a vacuum here in Ontario regarding the Yin style!

Lydia
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Butterfly then Caterpillar?

Post by Bernie »

Hi Lydia ...

First, I see no problem doing a couple of forward bends in a row to start a class. Unlike the yang styles, it is not necessary to do a counter pose right after each asana. It is nice sometimes to do a bit of movement between the poses, to get the juices flowing again, but often I will start with several forward bend postures: butterfly, then straddle with folds over each leg and then down the middle. Definitely though, the snail (which is the intended pose in my above flow) is deeper than the butterfly so I warmed up to it first. The caterpillar is for those who can't or shouldn't do the snail.

When I teach the butterfly, I also let the students release right into it. I find the spine straight version is very yang like as it engages the muscles.

Re the twist in the dragonfly: see the asana section of the book Yinsights for an example and a picture. You can also see a picture if you look at the butterfly options, and imagine what it would look like in straddle. You fold over the leg, but then twist the torso and look up.

cheers
Bernie
Last edited by Bernie on Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lydia
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:33 am
Location: Stouffville, Ontario, Canada

Thanks for Clarification

Post by Lydia »

Bernie,

You have answered all of my questions and yes, I referred to your book and found the twist in dragonfly. Brought it into my sequence that I taught this past Sunday.

Regarding the butterfly, I also like the idea of going right into the forward bend directly but I take a lot of so-called Yin classes and I am finding that many teachers offer Yang versions of postures before allowing the softening and deep holds. This seems inconsistent with Paul's teachings. I know there are no hard and fast rules but generally, I think one should let go completely in the Yin forward bends and not make then too Yang oriented. Am I correct to lean this way? Pardon the pun!
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Is it Yin?

Post by Bernie »

Hi Lydia

Like you, I believe that if you don't let the pose "soak in" or, as I like to call it, "marinate", then it is not yin ... at least not with respect to the deeper tissues we target in the yin style. Engaging the muscles is fine, but if the intent is to go deeper, we must relax the muscles.

cheers
Bernie
Jessica Powers
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:16 pm
Location: Washington State & New Zealand

An After Hike Sequence

Post by Jessica Powers »

Went on a 11km hike with 1500+ meter elevation gain while travelling through New Zealand. Up was actually alright, but down my knees were less than thrilled. I took the rest of the hike day 'off' and created this flow the next morning to work into the areas that felt the effort still. Because I needed to check out of my hostel I kept the times short and left out a full Supta Virasana at the end, which I intended originally. A full 5 minutes each pose would have been my preference, but stated times still had the effect I wanted.

Balasana 4 min
Sphinx 4 min

3 minutes each:
Anjaneyasana left leg forward and knee very forward of ankle
Supta Ardha Virasana right leg bent and foot next to body
Triang Mukaipadottanasana with right leg still bent
repeat opposite side

Twisted Deer with left leg forward first, the twist is same arm as front leg taken elbow to foot, if possible, making it an open twist focusing on outer hip of that leg, both sit bones do not need to be touching the earth for this

About the names: I learned Twisting Deer as Sleeping Swan, but with that having entirely other implications for most Yin students it is the one that, having no Sanskrit name for I have labelled with Bernie's name. Sphinx is also lacking a Sanskrit name, but also any other English name of which I am aware.

Viparita Karani 7min

Does anyoe else have any apres hike sequencing they find useful?
Lorien
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:06 am
Location: San Jose, CA

Post by Lorien »

A class sequence for students who are experienced in yin yoga; the theme was "choose what you need." Some of the poses are more restorative than yin, because I like to sprinkle in some relaxation for these stressed-out Silicon Valley type-A people. The choices are great for a class with a lot of different abilities. Pose times can be adjusted to match the length of the class. Enjoy!

Opening meditation and body scan, identify what you need today
Legs up the wall
Twists on a bolster
Forward bend: butterfly, half butterfly or caterpillar
Side bend: half butterfly, dragonfly or cross-legged
Groin: tadpole, frog or sunbathing frog (aka supta baddha konasana)
Hip release counterpose: circles in all fours or on back
Backbend: sphinx, seal or saddle
Spine release counterpose: child's pose or down dog
Swan
Outer hips fold: cross-legged, square or shoelace
Release knees and ankles by extending legs in front and "bouncing" or rotating them
Happy baby
Half happy baby
Reclined twists
Reclined fold: knees to chest or snail
Savasana
Ending meditation and body scan
jellybean679
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:03 pm

90 minutes entirely against the wall

Post by jellybean679 »

Hi Bernie,

I just did the teacher training classes with you at Semperviva and LOVED the class we did with our legs against the wall!
I'm going to be teaching some friends this weekend who have been sick so have low energy but are also quite stiff from laying around recovering, so I thought I'd like to share that same class with them. The only problem is that I can't remember all of the poses you used and am not quite familiar enough yet with all the yin postures to comfortably get creative.
Would you mind sharing that flow with us?

Thank you!
Alyson
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Wall Yin

Post by Bernie »

Hi Alyson

Let me see if I can remember that day's flow. A nice challenge for the memory banks. Usually I can only do that flow when we have less than 20 people in the room (which means only on Oscar Sundays), due to limited wall space. Let me first list the postures, then I will describe some of the variations:

Sitting meditation ---- arriving and centering
Against the wall...snuggling your butt to the corner of the wall and floor
Butterfly .... let your heels come as low as they can, allow the knees to go as wide as they can.
Legs straight up the wall (ie: Caterpillar)
Squat: placing both feet against the wall, wider than the hips.
Wide-angle legs (ie: Straddle) ... let the legs fall apart as far as they can go
Eye of the needle:right side
Reclining twist: left side
Eye of the needle: left side
Reclining twist: right side
Sphinx with knees bent, and shins up against the wall
Shavasana
Ending meditation

I think that was the full flow. We held the poses for about 6 minutes each but, of course, that is variable.

The wall squat (my favourite) is easily reached from Caterpillar...simply slide the feet down the walls, keeping them at hip width apart, or wider if possible, until the sacrum starts to lift off the floor. Either stay with the feet at that height, lowering them little by little as the body opens up, or slide the butt away from the wall until the sacrum can stay flat.

The eye of the needle poses need some description for getting into/out of them. Start with the legs straight up the wall, then place the right ankle just below the left knee flexing the foot strongly to protect the knee (since you are upside down "below" means closer to the floor, which actually is above the knee, if you were standing, ie: on your thigh.) Now bend the left leg by sliding the left foot down the wall, until you get a nice stretch in the right hip. For many people, the sacrum will again rise up, as with the squat. This can be okay: you may want to stay there and let your hips be off the floor, or you may choose to move a bit away from the wall until your sacrum is again flat on the floor. One is not better than the other position: just different. Notice the differences in where you feel each variation, then choose which one you want to do today.

From the eye of the needle we come into a reclining twist by simply lowering the lower body (the legs and hips) to the floor while keeping the upper body where it is. You may want to spread your arms wide apart to help anchor your shoulders, then drop your right foot and left knee to the left and find a comfortable twist. Having your left foot still touching the wall will keep your knees closer to your chest, which can make this a deeper twist for many students.

The order was done for specific reasons, but feel free to experiment with your own arrangements. We didn't have the space to do another pose that I really like doing at home...it is a variation of the reclining twist against the wall. If you have room you may want to try this too: lying so the wall is to your right and parallel to you, and just a couple of feet away, draw your left leg into the chest; use your right hand to hold the knee in, opening your left arm to the left for anchoring; draw the left leg across the body and roll onto your right hip, keeping both shoulders on or close to the floor; now ... try to straighten the left leg and rest the foot against the wall. As you open up with time, slide your torso closer to the wall. Hopefully you can picture what I mean. Don't forget to do both sides.

Hope this helps.
Cheers
Bernie
jellybean679
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:03 pm

re: 90 minutes entirely against the wall

Post by jellybean679 »

Thank you SO much for this Bernie I appreciate it so much! I'm excited to share it with my class this weekend!
Alyson :D
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