Vinyasa Krama: Step by Step

Welcome to your practice. This will be an energizing yet mindful practice. Let's get started. Step to the top of your mat. And let's start with some shoulder warm-ups, okay?

So shrug your shoulders up to your ears and roll them back and roll them forward and shrug your shoulders up to your ears just a couple more times just to loosen up your shoulders a little bit. And then go ahead and interlace your fingers and press the palms of your hands forward, extend your arms overhead. Just take a couple of deeper, more satisfying breaths here. You can even sway a little bit from side to side, just moving into a lateral stretch. Just gently.

And then eventually just release your arms out to the side and interlace your fingers behind your back, roll your shoulders back, lift and open your chest, breathing all the way up into the top of your chest. So really starting the practice by also enjoying your breath. And then bring your hands together in front of your chest. Let's take a deep full breath in, feel as if you're breathing from the soles of your feet up through the crown of your head, standing a little bit taller. And when you're ready, exhale, lower your arms, inhale, circle your arms overhead.

And as you exhale, hinging from your hips, you can always bend your knees, go ahead and fold and then inhale, open up your chest, Ardha Uttanasana. And then as you exhale, step your right foot back into a high lunge. Take a deep full breath in here, pressing your right thigh bone up towards the ceiling. And then as you exhale, step into your first Downward Facing Dog. So maybe pedal your feet a little bit here.

Maybe sway your hips a little bit from side to side. And then next time you inhale, come forward into Plank Pose, pausing at the top of the inhale here. And then as you exhale, feel free to set your knees down, slowly lower all the way down. And then as you inhale, coming into a low Cobra, keeping your belly on the floor, broadening across your collarbones. And then as you exhale, you can push up onto your hands and knees and move into Downward Facing Dog.

Shift a little bit more weight into your fingers. And as you inhale, raise your right leg behind you. And as you exhale, step your right foot up between your hands. Take a deep full breath in here. And then as you exhale, step your left foot forward, feet about hips width for now.

And then as you inhale, open up your chest. You can always bend your knees. And then exhale, bow, inhale, spread your arms out to the side, lift all the way up. And as you exhale, hands to your heart, back to center, inhale, circle your arms overhead. And as you exhale, fold all the way forward.

As you inhale, lengthen your sternum away from your navel. And as you exhale, step your left foot back. Take a deep full breath in. And as you exhale, step into Down Dog. As you inhale, come forward into Plank Pose.

And as you exhale, start to come forward with your chest lower all the way down. Inhale low Cobra, or you could choose to deepen the Cobra, but shrug your shoulders down away from your ears. You could also choose to come up into Upward-Facing Dog, lift your knees and thighs and hips. And then as you exhale, Down Dog. Inhale raise your left leg behind you, leading with the inseam of the leg.

And as you exhale, step the foot up between your hands. Take a deep full breath in. And as you exhale, step your right foot forward. Feel free to step your feet all the way together. Inhale Ardha Uttanasana, exhale bow.

Raise your feet into the floor, inhale rise all the way up, and exhale hands to your heart. Inhale, circle your arms overhead, and exhale fold. Inhale open your chest, exhale step into Plank Pose. You can lower all the way down if you like, or Chaturanga Dandasana. Inhale Cobra or Up Dog to see what works best for you.

Exhale Downward-Facing Dog. Let's stay here for three to five breaths. As much as you can, breathing in and out through your nose. On your ears with the inner up arms, lengthening your tailbone away from the crown of your head. So if your hamstrings are a little tight, you can always bend your knees.

Now when you're ready, inhale raise your right leg behind you, exhale step the foot up between your hands, step your left foot forward, inhale Ardha Uttanasana, exhale bow. Inhale spread your arms out to the side, rise up, and exhale hands to your heart. Let's do two more. Inhale circle your arms overhead, exhale fold. Inhale open your chest, exhale step your left foot back, step into plank pose.

Choose the vinyasa that works best for you, so feel free to lower all the way down. Inhale Cobra or Up Dog, exhale Down Dog. So it's really about finding your own way in your practice. This is ultimately your practice. Two more breaths, deep inhales, long exhales.

When you're ready, inhale raise your left leg behind you, leading with the inseam of the leg, exhale step the foot up between your hands, step your right foot forward. Inhale open up your chest, exhale bow. Inhale rise up, and exhale hands to your heart. Let's do one more. Inhale circle your arms overhead, exhale fold, synchronizing movement with breath.

Inhale open your chest, exhale step back, lower down on that exhalation. Inhale Cobra or Up Dog, exhale Down Dog. Lift a little bit more weight into your inner palms, and firm your triceps in. Come up onto the ball of each foot, bend your knees, empty out the exhalation, look between your hands, maybe hop your feet up between your hands. You can always choose to walk.

Inhale open your chest, exhale bow. Inhale spread your arms out to the side, lift all the way up, and exhale hands to your heart. Now let's turn to face the long side of your mat. So step your feet about four to five feet apart, spread your arms out to the side and measure this stance by having your ankles underneath your wrists. Turn your left foot in slightly, turn your right foot and right leg out 90 degrees.

Take a deep full breath and just stand a little taller, and then as you exhale, bend your right knee, tracking the knee in line with your second toe. Now turn the palms of your hands to face the ceiling, then as you inhale raise your arms overhead as you straighten your right leg. Then as you exhale again, bend your right knee, spread your arms out to the side, palms of your hands facing the ceiling, inhale rise back up, and exhale again bending your right knee. So do this a couple more times just to create a little bit of movement in that right hip. And then next time you find your way into warrior two, pause.

And then as you're ready, inhale, reverse the warrior. So you can choose to, as you extend the right arm over your cheek, you can choose to look up in front of your right arm or you can turn and look over your left shoulder. So just a couple more breaths here. Keep tracking the knee in line with the second toe. Bring a little bit more weight to the center of the left heel.

The next time you inhale, come back to warrior two, and then bring the right form on top of the right thigh, palm of the left hand still facing the ceiling, reach the left arm over your cheek. So just another four or five breaths here. So variation of parsva konasana, extended side angle pose. Make sure you're not sitting in that right shoulder, move up and out of the right shoulder. A little bit more weight to that back heel.

You can choose to look up in front of the left arm for one more breath. Press through the right heel, inhale back to warrior two, and straighten your right leg, parallel your feet. Now turn your right foot in slightly, turn your left foot and left leg out 90 degrees. Turn the palms of your hands to face the ceiling. Go ahead as you exhale, bend your left knee, tracking the knee in line with the second toe, and then as you inhale, straighten your left leg, reach your arms overhead.

Exhale again, warrior two, palms of your hands facing the ceiling, inhale, rise back up. So do this a few more rounds on your own, synchronizing movement with breath. Just creating a little bit more movement in that left hip, warming up the left hip. Next time you're in a warrior two, pause, and then bring the right hand to the back of the right leg, to the side of the leg, and then take it into reverse warrior, reaching your left arm over your cheek. Keep tracking the left knee in line with the second toe, so firming the outer left hip in.

And again, you can choose to look over your right shoulder if you like, or looking up towards the ceiling. One more breath here, a little bit more weight to that back heel, inhale warrior two, and then exhale, variation of parsva konasana, left form on top of the left thigh, and again, making sure you're not sitting in that left shoulder, move up and out of the left shoulder. And you can choose to look up towards the ceiling for two more breaths here. Strongly press through that left heel, inhale warrior two, exhale, straighten your left leg, parallel your feet, hands to your hips. You can shorten the stance a little bit, all 10 toes pointing straight ahead, inhale, roll your shoulders back, lift your chest, tuck your chin in, and you can look up, and as you exhale, hinging from your hips coming forward, place your hands on the floor.

Inhale, lengthen your spine, you're welcome to bend your knees, exhale, walk your hands back between your feet, prasada padottanasana A. Exhaling firmly through the four corners of each foot. Lifting the inner arches, firming your thighs, and as you draw the crown of your head down, lift your shoulders, two more breaths. When you're ready, walk your hands forward again, lengthen your spine, exhale, hands to your hips, maybe now if you haven't already, put a little bend in both knees, bring your hands to your hips, and inhale, coming all the way up. Now the next sequence you may want to use, blocks, you can place a block behind each foot if you like.

So when you're ready, spread your arms out to the side. Turn your left foot in slightly, turn your right foot and right leg out 90 degrees, take a deep, full breath in, you can turn the palm of the right hand to face the ceiling, and then as you exhale, think up and over as you move into triangle pose. So if you have a block, you can use the block underneath the right hand, otherwise maybe you can grab hold of your right ankle, pressing more firmly through the mat of the right big toe as you firm the outer right hip in. You can look up if that feels okay on your neck, reach up and out beyond the fingertips. Now bring your left hand to your left hip, look to your right foot, bend your right knee, step the back foot in a little closer, and then if you like, you can take the block with you, but reach your right hand forward about a foot.

It's a lot going on in this pose, and on top of it, you're trying to balance, right? So it is easier to look down initially. So put a slight bend in that right knee and firm the outer right hip in, pressing out through the left heel, flexing your left foot, and you can roll the left shoulder back, maybe reaching your left arm up. So three more breaths here in Ardha Chandrasana, half moon. And if you feel really steady, I don't right now, but if you feel steady, you can slowly turn your gaze towards the top hand.

And then as we transition back to triangle pose, do look down, left hand to your left hip, bending your right knee, reaching way, way back with that left foot to come back to triangle pose. Press your feet into the floor, inhale, come up and parallel your feet, hands to your hips. Now turn your right foot in slightly, turn your left foot and left leg out 90 degrees, and then inhale, spread your arms out to the side. Now you can turn the palm of the left hand to face the ceiling, reach your left arm up, and then think up and over as you move into triangle pose. Pressing more firmly through the mount of the left big toe as you firm the outer left hip in.

Reaching up and out through the top fingertips, maybe turn your gaze up for one more breath here. And then bring your right hand to your right hip, look to your left foot, bending your left knee, step the back foot in a little closer. Again, feel free to take a block here and just reach your left hand, forward hand on the block if that works better for you, and moving into half moon. So initially a little bend in that left knee to more easily firm the outer left hip in. Roll your right shoulder back and extend your right arm up.

So a few more breaths here. If you feel steady, slowly turn your gaze up, flexing your right foot, reaching up and out through the top fingers. And then as we transition back to triangle pose, do look down, right hand back to your right hip, bending your left knee, reach way, way back with that right foot, coming back to triangle pose. Transitions are always a little tricky and challenging. Press your feet into the floor, inhale, come all the way up and parallel your feet, hands to your hips, all 10 toes pointing straight ahead.

Take a deep full breath and lift and open your chest. You can look up and as you exhale, slide your hands down the sides of your legs, grab hold of your big toes with the middle finger, index finger, inhale, open your chest, exhale, fold. Always fine to bend your knees. Lift your shoulders up away from your ears, splaying the inner elbows apart. Two more breaths, prasada padottanasana d.

Keep pressing your big toes into your fingers, inhale, open your chest and as you exhale, hands to your hips and inhale, coming all the way up. Now step your feet together. We'll step back to the top of the mat and you may want blocks at the top of the mat to the side. Bring your hands together in front of your chest, take a deep full breath and stand a little taller and as you exhale, lower your arms. Inhale chair pose, shift a little bit more weight into your heels, curl your tailbone under, so a little bit of a pelvic tuck and then as you exhale, fold uttanasana.

Inhale open your chest and as you exhale, step into plank pose, slowly either lower all the way down or chaturanga, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale down dog. Inhale raise your right leg behind you, exhale step your right foot up to your right thumb, sit the back heel down, inhale virabhadrasana one, warrior one, exhale back to plank pose, again either chaturanga or lower all the way down, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale down dog, inhale raise your left leg behind you, exhale step your left foot up to your left thumb, pivot the back heel down, inhale warrior one, exhale bring your hands back down, step into plank, slowly lower, inhale your back bend, exhale down dog. So just three breaths here, nice way here to a good time to kind of slow down the breath, to bring the breath back to more normal rhythm, normal pace. Bottom of your next exhalation, step or lightly hop, inhale open your chest and exhale fold, inhale chair pose, shifting more weight into your heels, exhale back to center. Let's do one more, inhale chair pose, so this is surinamaskar B, sun salutation B, exhale uttanasana folding, inhale ardha uttanasana, exhale step back, see if you can lower down on that exhalation, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale down dog, inhale raise your right wing, exhale step it through, inhale warrior one, exhale back to plank, lower, inhale cobra or up dog, exhale down dog, inhale raise your left wing, exhale step it through, inhale warrior one, exhale, I think you know the rest, plank pose chaturanga, inhale up dog or cobra, exhale down dog.

So breathing smoothly in and out through your nose, bottom of your next exhalation, step or lightly jump, inhale open your chest, exhale bow, inhale chair pose, exhale back to center. Now separate your feet about hips width and then bend your knees a little bit, step your left foot back about three and a half feet, straighten your right leg, square your pelvis, roll your shoulders, elbows back, imagine you're squeezing a block between your elbows and then start to come forward. So initially form a tabletop, you're welcome to stay right here, a little bit more weight to the ball of the front foot, you could also use blocks here, hands on blocks or hands on the floor, see what works best for you. So really working on strengthening the hamstrings but also stretching them and for a deeper stretch you may want to fold over your right leg if that feels okay in your body. So just a few more breaths here, you're very flexible, you can always walk your hands forward, that may feel interesting but it's also not necessary.

And then when you're ready please go ahead and step your left foot forward, feet hips width, bring your hands to your hips, inhale come all the way up. Second side, so bend your knees, step your right foot back just three and a half feet, shorter stance than before and then square the pelvis, so a little bit shorter than triangle pose. And then starting to come forward, squeezing the elbows towards one another, pressing a bit more strongly through the ball of the front foot, you could stay right here or hands on blocks or hands on floor, you're also welcome to fold over your left leg. So just a couple more breaths here and if your hamstrings are really tight you can always bend the left knee. And then when you're ready, stepping your right foot forward, feet hips width, move the blocks out to the side, take your middle finger, index finger, reach around your big toes, inhale, open your chest and as you exhale fold, Padangusthasana, as you draw the crown of your head down, lift your shoulders, inhale, open your chest and as you exhale, slide your hands underneath the soles of your feet for Padahastasana, foldings are a nice counter stretch for your wrists, let your head dangle just a couple more breaths here.

And then inhale, open your chest and as you exhale, release your hands from underneath your feet, gently, carefully just squatting down to sit down and then crossing your legs with the right leg forward, inhale, raise your arms and as you exhale start to hinge from your hips coming forward, place your hands on the floor, maybe walking your hands forward just a little bit more, just a couple of breaths here, maybe you feel a nice stretch to the outer hips. And then walking your hands back, changing the crossing of your legs, inhale, raise your arms overhead and as you exhale, hinging from your hips coming forward, folding, maybe walking your hands forward just a little bit more for just a couple of breaths. Moving your hands back, stretch out your legs for a moment, bending your knees, grab the back of your legs, make a C curve and just very slowly lower down one vertebra at a time. Getting comfortable. So we're moving into Shavasana and you can always choose to stay in Shavasana for a long time but at least here with me just a minute or two, just taking a moment to kind of reap the benefits of your practice.

Simply being and not moving, feeling your breath, the air flowing in and out through your nose, arising and falling off your belly, switching from doing to being and just simply observing sensations, your breath, even just simply observing thoughts, allowing your mind's eye to rest in the center of your chest. If you're ready to bring your attention to the outside again, place your hands on your belly or chest, maybe a moment to appreciate your practice, your body, your breath. Bending your knees and slowly rolling over onto your right side and sitting up. I hope you feel energized yet kind of calm and centered. Thank you so much for practicing with me.

Namaste.