Introduction
This is a relatively short general-level sequence that aims primarily at working into the hips. The feet and legs are also important to be able to gain even access to the hip joints. For this reason, we will be focussing on holding the poses for longer so as to explore how to better ground and anchor ourselves through our feet. The extra time spent in each pose will also give us space to consider how the actions in our feet and legs translate into the sensations in our hips and to the nature of each pose as a whole.
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Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Join your feet together, your heels pressed to your pelvis. Lie back over a bolster or other form of support. Relax and let your chest open. If necessary, use a strap to hold your feet in place.
Downward-Facing Hero Pose
Join your feet together under your buttocks and keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You can rest your forehead on the floor or on a block.
Standing Forward Bend
Starting in Tadasana, exhale and reach down towards your feet. Let your spine release downwards. You can bend your knees or place your hands on blocks if you lack the necessary flexibility.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main aim is to elongate the back of your body and lift your hips up as high off the ground as possible without losing the stable foundation created by your hands and feet. If you lack the hamstring flexibility, bend your knees a little.
Full Arm Balance (Handstand)
Open your hands into the floor and strengthen your arms as you lift your body up, one leg at a time, into an inverted balance. Use the wall for support if necessary. If pushing yourself up proves to be too difficult, you can walk your feet up the wall.
Chair Pose
Plant your feet firmly on the floor and sit your buttocks back as if sitting into a chair. Keep your knees pointing forward. Make sure your back stays straight as you lift your arms up over your head.
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 1
Grab your foot by the toe and straighten your leg, maintaining your Tadasana line. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your body from tipping over. Use wall support if you lack the balance. You can also use a belt if you lack hamstring flexibility.
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 2
Grab your foot by the toe and straighten your leg, maintaining your Tadasana line. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your body from tipping over. Once balanced, open your leg out to the side. You can also use a belt if you lack hamstring flexibility.
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Press your back body into the floor, point the kneecap and toes of your supine leg toward the ceiling, as you extend the other leg up over your hip. Use a belt if needed.
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Lie down on your back. Point kneecap and toes on your left leg upward, as you stretch your right leg out to the side. Use a belt if necessary. Change sides.
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 3
Start in Supta Padangusthasana 1 or 2. Bring your left leg up and over towards your right shoulder. Keeping your right leg grounded, see how far over to the side you can bring your left leg.
Repeat on both sides.
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 4
Lie down on your back. Bend your left leg at the knee so that your shinbone is perpendicular to the rest of your body and bring it as close to your head as possible.
Repeat on both sides.
Lotus Pose
Cross your legs in a way that your feet are positioned in the thigh creases. Your back is straight, your sit bones point downwards. Your hands rest on the floor beside your knees.
Bound Angle Pose
Bring your feet as close as possible to your pelvis and join them together. Straighten your back and let gravity pull your knees down toward the floor. If necessary, use a strap to hold your feet in place.
Cow Face Pose
Cross your legs over each other, bringing your knees one over the other. Place the heels of your feet by your hips, and point your toes backward. Bring your hands behind your back, your elbows pointing in opposite directions. Join your hands or grab onto a belt if necessary.
Headstand 1
Activate your shoulders and upper back muscles as you lift your body up into inverted balance. Use the wall for support if necessary.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Bring your hips up to the wall and lift your legs up against it so that they're perpendicular to the floor. You can use a bolster or other form of support under your hips and lumbar spine to incorporate a mild backbend into the pose.
Simple Cross Legs Lying Back
Cross your legs and lie back over support or straight onto your mat.
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You are welcome to download the PDF of the sequence and print and distribute it freely. You may have to wait up to 30 seconds for the PDF to generate. Please credit the teacher who created it. All illustrations from Dona Holleman’s ‘Yoga Darśana’, RIMYI Institute texts and Yoga Vastu illustrators for original asana drawings.
By Pixie Lillas
