sequences

Check this forum for suggestions on Yin Yoga flows, sequences and postures, as well as HOW to practice Yin Yoga.
Lorien
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:06 am
Location: San Jose, CA

Post by Lorien »

I love working with the wall, because it really helps people with back issues. When I am teaching a class against the wall and there is limited space, I try this: have every other student take the straddle position, while the ones in between take the butterfly position... hold for the length of the pose, then have them switch. It works great! :) Lorien
Lorien
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:06 am
Location: San Jose, CA

Post by Lorien »

Forgot to add: the students with really open hips may need a little help to get any sensation in eye of the needle/figure 4 pose. Let's say the right foot is resting on the left thigh; as I bend my left knee and slide my foot down the wall, my right knee falls into my chest and I feel no sensation around my hips unless I open my right knee toward the wall. I've found that if I brace my right elbow on the floor and prop open my right thigh with my hand, I can hold this position without a lot of muscular effort. Some students place a block on their ribcage to prop the thigh, but I don't like what that does to my breath. Just some more thoughts on wall practice... Did I mention yet how much I love using the wall??? :D
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Shoulder Mala and Face Yoga while in Toe Squat

Post by Bernie »

I was asked to repeat a flow I often include in an eclectic yin class (and sometimes in a yang class too!) This is not a whole class, just a sequence. So ... here goes!

Begin with Dangling for 2.5 mins
Counterpose is Squat for ~2.5 mins.
Counterpose is Dangling for another 2.5 mins
Counterpose is Squat for final ~2.5 mins
(5 mins in a row of Dangling and Squat is pretty challenging! Easier to break them up into two sets.)

Toe Squat, with Shoulder Mala and Face Yoga
Ankle Stretch, with eye yoga
Toe Squat part two, with other shoulder
Ankle Stretch part two, with another eye exercise

Crocodile (pushup on elbows) as a yang counterpose to release the toes and knees.


That's it. Follow this with whatever you like, or Shavasana. If you aren't sure what these above poses are, check the Asana section of YinSights.

But, what is the Shoulder Mala and Face Yoga? Okay, here they are (with thanks for the inspiration from Shiva Rea.) Hold each position for around 5 breaths.

Shoulder Mala with Face Yoga: while sitting on your toes (or at any other time, such as while in Shoelace) stretch your right arm across your chest, and push the back of your hands together to add a little more stress. Don't let your right shoulder roll inwards. The straighter the right arm the more juicy this gets. You should feel a nice tug on the outside of the right shoulder. Add to this a big, goofy grin! Smile. Show off your pearly whites. You can't help but turn on your endorphins, even if you are faking the smile.

Next, slide your left elbow under the right and coming into Eagle Arms. Lift the arms up and away. Like Superman...Up, Up and Awaaaayyyy. Feel the stretch in the upper back. Hiding behind your arms, add a big silent scream. Like the poster by Munch (called the Scream), open your face as wide as you can.

To transition to the next shape, lower your arms, keeping them still wrapped for now, and just release and bring the backs of the two hands together. Now turn the palms face down, then roll them into each other. Interlock the fingers and raise the arms as high over your head and back as possible. While you hold, make your face as small and tiny as you can. Swallow your eyebrows!

Next, bend your right elbow and pat yourself on your back with the right hand. Grab that top elbow (the right one) with the opposite hand (the left one) and pull both elbows back. If you are very flexible, grab the right hand behind your back in Cow Face arms. If you can't grab, keep pulling the top elbow. To add now the Face Yoga, keep your head pointing straight ahead but slide your face to the right. Don't turn your head, just slide your mouth, nose, eyes, jaw, everything as far to the right as you can. You'll feel a bit like Popeye. But you am what you am, so that's okay.

Finally, interlock your fingers and just push your palms, turned up, as high up in the air as you can. While here, do the Lion (Simhasana) ... open your face as wide as you can, look straight up between your eyebrows, stick your tongue out and touch your chin (do the "wet check" after to make sure your students were touching their tongues to their chins!) and ROAR! Do it again. Maybe a 3rd time. Be proud of your pride.

Finish with a brisk scalp massage and then enjoy the joy of coming out of the Toe Squat. When you do this the second time, just reverse left for right.

Enjoy!
Bernie
Lorien
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:06 am
Location: San Jose, CA

Post by Lorien »

I've begun posting my sequences on a blog for students to use and comment on. You are all welcome to view it and share your thoughts, too. Namaste!
http://yogabylorien-sequences.blogspot.com
Jessica Powers
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:16 pm
Location: Washington State & New Zealand

Post by Jessica Powers »

This is the sequence I ended up leading my friends through when my Insight Yoga dvd biffed in in the player. It was a totally instinctual series that left everyone feeling open, balanced, and more stable emotionally - I was alarmed and agitated from not getting my passport and visa, and one of my friends was very angry.

Butterfly
Half Butterfly
Dragonfly
Shoelace
Sphinx
Half Saddle
Twist
Childs Pose
govindamelinda
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:15 am
Location: hudson, ny

Thanks Bernie and a sequence my students loved.

Post by govindamelinda »

Bernie,
I am so inspired and grateful for all the work you are doing with yin yoga. I started teaching it because I felt strongly that people needed this form of yoga. I found my classes to be a little boring at first and I realized that I was missing the yang to my yin. You can't have one without the other. You helped me bring a whole new life to my classes and to be comfortable to explore. I did a wall yin class last night with 75 minutes of tibetan singing bowls and read from the tao. One student said he said that his face felt like it was melting off, i think thats good. I'm getting texts this morning as well about how transformative the class was. I try to make themes for my classes. Here is lasts week peace class. I was inspired by one of the earlier posts by moksamon.

Start with a meditation emptying the heart using the peace breath. Breath out worry, conflict pain & breath in peace. Come back to this concept during the class.
Bring hands to prayer, thumbs gently resting on the cv 18 point in the center of the sternum. this is the convergence of all the yin points.
Om together.
Wide legged forward bend- 5 mins
Butterfly - 5 mins
baby dragon- 2 mins into...
sleeping swan- 4 mins, bring back leg around into...
square pose- 2 mins, gently roll on the back into..
eye of the needle 4 mins, roll onto one side, arms into a t position into...
twist
Repeat on the other side
forward bend- 5 to 8
sphinx- 5
seal (option after 3 minutes of sphinx)
child pose -3 mins
happy baby
savasana
om....
DaveHuz1
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:43 pm
Location: Scottsdale, AZ

breaks in between???

Post by DaveHuz1 »

Bernie

Your sequence at the top of this forum has a 75 minute routine that starts with the butterfly and ends with the frog/twists/savasana. You stated this was a 75 minute routine and after giving it a go, i found it to be an hour.... Am i not resting between poses long enough?

Thanks for any feedback!!

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

75 minutes?

Post by Bernie »

How long was your opening meditation and closing shavasana? In any case, the times are always approximate. I usually linger in the final pose, the twists for the amount of time I have left (excluding shavasana of course).

Cheers!
jafler
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:51 pm

yin sequence

Post by jafler »

My class really enjoyed this sequence so I thought I'd share:
YIN: 60 MIN.
2 MIN. BREATH/CENTERING
2 MIN. STAR
2 MIN. RECLINING PIDGEON BOTH SIDES
3 MIN. ROLL FORWARD AND BACK. FALL INTO BOUND ANGLE
3 MIN. STAFF FOLD
3 MIN. CHILD POSE 1MIN CENTER 1 MIN ARMS RT 1 MIN, ARMS LEFT
3 MIN. CAT/ COW... MOVE..HIP CIRCLES..EYES CLOSED
1 MIN. DOWN DOG
3 MIN SPHINX.. LAST 1 MIN. SEAL
1 MIN. SLOW VINYASA
4-5 MIN PIDGEON BOTH SIDES.( THREAD NEEDLE IN LAST 45 SEC)
1-2 MIN FISH
2 MIN BUTTERFLY FOLD
2 MIN. BRIDGE
2 MIN. DEAD BUG
4 MIN TWIST WITH STRAP. LEG BOTH WAYS. INNER SPIRAL OF LEG SLIGHTLY TOWARD BIG TOE SIDE. DROP LEG ACROSS BODY 3-4 INCHES FOR IT BAND STRETCH
3 MIN SNAIL
SAVASANA
Lorien
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:06 am
Location: San Jose, CA

Post by Lorien »

This was a nice fall sequence for a 60-minute class (could be stretched out with longer holds) that I taught last Friday. The class is at a corporation with only blocks and mats as props, and the room was quite cold!

Standing warm-up for hands, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles ~5 min (this was necessary; fingernails were blue!)
Dangling 2 min
Squat 2 min
Dangling 2 min
Squat 2 min
sit down facing left edge of mat
Half butterfly side bend w/right leg ext to front edge of mat 2 min
Half butterfly forward bend (torso between femurs) 2 min
counterpose: come into Deer w/left knee facing back edge of mat, right knee bent into left foot, lean into left hand and left hips as right arm reaches overhead
Repeat Half butterfly sequence on the other side, including counterpose... ending with Deer w/right knee pointed to front edge of mat
Sleeping swan w/right knee forward 2 min, awake Swan 2 min
Counterpose: Downward facing dog
Repeat Swan sequence other side, including counterpose
Child's pose 1 min
come onto back
Supine backbend (see below) ~ 2 min each side
Windshield wiper knees 1 min
Reclined twists 2 min each side
Savasana 5 min

Supine backbend... I don't have a name for this, but it's a combination of supported bridge and supta virasana; if you teach this, demo it first!
Come into Bridge and slide 2 blocks under sacrum, largest face down, one at a time. This is Phase 1 and you can be here for the remainder of the pose if you like. Or... walk the ball of your right foot back towards right hip. This is Phase 2. If your foot goes back pretty far, consider pointing your toes back and resting on the top of your foot for Phase 3. Once the right side is complete, extend the right knee before proceeding to the left side. Go slowly through the phases and find that place that is just right for you. Some may need to modify to 1 block only (especially if blocks are really tall).

Hope you enjoy it! I really liked how the poses sort of flowed into each other, with the exception of the backbend. It made for quick and easy transitions.
Lorien
yogachick
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2012 12:49 pm

today's sequence

Post by yogachick »

I teach a varying population 2x/week -- the group includes athletes, mom's and people with arthritis, MS and Parkinson's Disease. Understandably, there are some limitations on knees, so I leave out swan/pidgeon, otherwise, they're pretty game. Here is a sequence we did this morning. Hold each pose 5 minutes:

1- Butterfly
2- half butterfly

transition by folding your extended leg to create a swastika shape (I call this mermaid legs in class)

3- Mermaid legs, twist (away from the feet)
4- Mermaid legs, fold torso toward floor, reach arms long (away from feet)
5- cat catching tail
6- half butterfly
7- Mermaid legs, twist (away from the feet)
8- Mermaid legs, fold torso toward floor, reach arms long (away from feet)
9- cat catching tail
10 -supported bridge
11- pentacle

I find that the mermaid stretches work beautifully for releasing the QL, sometimes we combine them with hip flexor releases to free up the lumbar curve of the spine.
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Mermaid?

Post by Bernie »

Is mermaid legs the same thing as Deer pose?
zuzana
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:10 pm

morning class

Post by zuzana »

May I ask about any advices how to built end of morning class (60 minutes class) to be a little bit more yang to give energy to start day, but no too yang to allow take a little bit yin into coming day? :)
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Post by Bernie »

Wow....I missed this post! Better late than never? Anyway, here is one option for ending a yin class with a bit of yang: the Golden Seed! It was created by Paul and Suzee Grilley and you can add on a lot of variations to spice it up. I generally will offer 4 cycles at the end of a longer yin class. It is describe in detail in the Forum here.

Cheers!
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