Short description of this class
This is the second class for students new to Iyengar yoga. Our aim is for each session to add a few new poses, as well as to consolidate and remember the basics. This helps you to progress and to still keep abreast of the foundations.
Step by step actions in this sequence
Set yourself up in simple cross-legs lying back over a bolster or blanket. This is to get settled and ready for the session, as well as to open the chest and to spread across the diaphragm to quieten the breath and to bring attention to the body before you come into the more active poses. A few minutes there.
Then come up and go forward into Virasana, to release any tightness in the lower back. Stand in Tadasana, where you will review the principles of this upright standing pose, before holding on to those same points as you interlock the fingers and extend up through the side chest to start to bring more life to this area.
The same action is found in 1/2 Uttanasana, a standing forward bend, with the hands to the wall. The wall helps you to get a feel of how to lengthen through the side chest and open the shoulders.
Now for the main part of the session, a few basic standing poses.
Here you will be reminded of how to jump or step the feet out and back, and to have another review of how you need to turn the legs and to find the basic alignment for each standing pose. You will go to Trikonasana (triangle pose), Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2 Pose) and this time add Parsva Konasana (Side Angle Pose) taking the bend of the front leg a little deeper and learning to stretch the top arm upwards.
Parsvottanasana, with hands to the hips and then to the shins to explore how far your body is ready to go with stability into a standing forward bend. You will finish with another very balanced standing forward bend, Prasarita Padottanasana, with the legs wide apart, taking the hands to the floor, or onto bricks, to line up with the shoulders.
Now sit in Virasana with a block under the buttocks to rest the legs and recharge a moment. From here you will stretch the arms up, with interlocked fingers, Parvatasana in Virasana, and then move back into Dandasana (Staff Pose) to release the legs after the bent-knee position.
We finish with a simple cross-leg twist, and legs up the wall. Here will lie with buttocks over a bolster and the legs up the wall for a few minutes, and then you slide the buttocks down to the floor to release the back, place the legs in simple cross-leg and take a moment to feel the opening in the chest.
The session finishes with a short relaxation, Savasana, to bring mind and body back to neutral.
Illustrated sequence of video
Download and print the free illustrated sequence of this video.
Video stills from this sequence
