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Week 23 : Developing Strength
Today the intention of our practice is to develop strength in our core to keep us stable in any other yoga practice we undertake. Take courage and stick with it even if it feels a little tough. It will be worth it!
We will start practice in easy pose, centering the mind with a few steadying deep breaths. If you remember your two part breathing or your Ujjai breath you can use either of those practices.
When you feel settled begin your alternate nostril breathing.
Take the correct hand mudra with your right hand by placing the index and middle finger of the hand into the palm.
You will use the thumb and last two fingers to alternately pinch each nostril during the practice.
Inhale deeply and exhale fully while bringing the thumb up to the right nostril.
Inhale to a count of 4 through the left nostril.
Exhale to a count of 4 through the right nostril.
Next inhale to a count of 4 through the right nostril.
Exhale to a count of 4 through the left nostril.
This constitutes one round.
Practice 4 – 8 rounds.
Then bring the breath back to its regular pattern.
We are now ready to begin our physical flow.
Come over onto all fours for cat and cow. Inhale into cow, exhale rounding the spine upwards for cat. Repeat 5 times.
Inhale and lift your knees and exhale as you come into down facing dog.
Inhale up to tip toes and exhale and reach you right heel to the floor, bending your left knee.
Inhale up to tip toes and exhale reaching your left heel to the floor and bending your right knee – repeat this practice three or four more times, until the backs of the legs feel nice and lengthened.
Walk the hands back towards the feet and come to rest in standing forward bend for 5 breaths.
Bend the knees and roll up to Tadasana.
Prepare now for 3 rounds of Sun Salutation. One round is the complete practice done on both sides, so it will feel like you are doing it 6 times, begin by working with the right side and then move to the left.
When you have finished, stand still in Tadasana and allow the breath to settle and the heart rate to slow down.
Drop gently forward into a relaxed Standing forward bend, holding the arms at the elbows and feeling like the upper body is a rag doll.
Bring the hands to the floor, bend the knees if you need to and step back into plank. Hold steady for 3 breaths.
Raise the hips and push back into dog, inhaling as you go up and exhaling as you bring your heels down.
Step the Right foot forward into Ashwasanchalasana and here you can raise the arms up to the sides opening the chest for an extra stretch.
Step back into dog and repeat to the other side.
You will repeat this step forwards and backwards, alternating side another 4 times. (right then left then right then left again).
Bring the knees to the floor and take a short 3 breath rest in childs pose.
Come back up to dog Inhaling up and exhaling heels down and then lower the body forwards into a nice flat plank.
In plank we are going to do a strong variation for your core. Without rocking the body from side to side, you need to hold everything tight and as still as possible and tap the right shoulder with the left hand, then bring it down.
Tap the left shoulder with the right hand and release – we are aiming for 6 taps, 3 to each alternating side. If you find the taps too hard just hold your flat plank for 3 long breaths.
Now drop the knees to the floor and lower the chest and chin, keeping the tummy off the floor and the hips in the air, in Ashtanga Namaskar. take a breath.
Lower the whole body to the floor and bring the hands under the shoulder joints to push up into a cobra with the arms bent and the shoulders down. Feel the stomach muscles enjoy this stretch after all the work they have just done.
Gently lower down and pillow the head in the hands, point your big toes together and drop the heels out to the sides to release the lower back in Crocodile.
When you are ready roll on to your back and settle into savasana for a 5 minute (or longer relaxation).
Finally you should really congratulate your self, this was not an easy sequence, so very well done for sticking with it. Try this every day this week and see if you feel your strength developing.
Om Shanthi!
Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.
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