Core Power Vinyasa Flow Flashcards
Opening Breaths
Take a moment here for yourself - You’ve made an important decision to carve out this time today and show up for yourself. This is your time to connect, relax and restore. Start to acknowledge being here on your mat. Scan from your fingertips to your toes. Notice your breath and it’s quality.
Together let’s Take a deep breath inhale and open your mouth exhale all the stale out and again take a deep breath and open your mouth let all that air out
Last one is for you to breath in and breath out - find a strong consistent rhythm with the breath
Cat / Cow
Inhale deeply while curving your lower back and bringing your head up, tilting your pelvis up for cat
Exhale deeply and bring your abdomen in, arching your spine and bringing your head and pelvis down for cow
Downward Dog
hands pressed into the mat, shoulder-width apart, spread your fingers out wide, shoot the hips back, straightening your legs as much as you can, Engage the lower belly by drawing the navel in towards the spine.
start to petal out the feet
Sun Salutation
- Step or jump to the top of the mat and fold over here inhaling to release in that lower back and exhale to lengthen the spine
- Inhale flatten the back pressing your hands on your shins or on the floor in front of you exhale to fold forward
- Inhale to rise up to standing and sweep the arms up above your head to Urdhva Hastasana. Reach through the fingertips and lengthen the sides of the waist
- Exhale, draw the belly back and your thigh muscles upwards, soften your knees slightly and fold forward into Uttanasana
- Inhale flatten the back pressing your hands on your shins or on the floor in front of you exhale to fold forward
- Exhale step or jump back in Chaturanga
- Inhale and roll forward and upwards into Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). Press the hands into the floor, shine your heart up and out and roll the shoulders down the back.
- Exhale, draw the belly in and up and press back into Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Ground your hands and feet into the floor, press the tops of the thighs back and extend the whole spine. Take three long, deep breaths…
High lunge
Check that the right knee is aligned above the right ankle.
Ground through the feet, pull your lower abs in, sweeping your arms out and up, palms facing towards each other
lengthen your tailbone down towards the floor, then extend through the back leg, opening and stretching the sole of the foot.
Open your chest and draw your front ribs down into your torso.
Warrior 2
Turn your right foot and knee to face the front of the mat.
Angle your left toes slightly
Bend your right knee and stack it over your right ankle.
Distribute your weight evenly between both legs. Press down through the outer edge of your back foot.
Keep the crown of your head stacked over your pelvis and your shoulders over your hips.
Reach strongly through both arms toward the front and back of the mat and turn your head to look past your right fingertips.
Stay here for 5–10 breaths.
Triangle
Extend your right hand down and left hand up, keeping your right hip tucked.
Hand can come to the floor or your shin. Do whichever one feels most comfortable.
The left shoulder stacks on top of the right one as you open your chest, reaching your left fingertips toward the ceiling while keeping your left shoulder rooted in its socket.
Turn your head to take your gaze up toward your left fingertips. If this is uncomfortable for your neck, it’s also fine to keep the head in a more neutral position.
Continue to draw your right thigh muscles upward, deepening the crease in your right hip.
Soften your right knee slightly to prevent hyperextension. (This is called a microbend.)
Stay for at least 5 breaths.
wide leg fold hands interlaced behind back
feet as close to parallel as feels comfortable. You are looking for stability and grounding.
Lift your inner arches by drawing the inner ankles up. Firm the outer edges of your feet and big toes into the floor. Engage your thighs by drawing them up. Interlace your fingers behind your back.
Lengthen your spine and open your chest as you inhale.
Release your shoulders down your back and draw your shoulder blades together as you fold from your hips bringing your hands overhead.
Keep your back straight and release your head down towards the floor – keep your chest open by maintaining a focus on bringing your shoulder blades together, and aim your hands a little further overhead keeping your arms as straight as feels comfortable for you.
Stay in this pose anywhere between 5 and 10 breaths.
Crescent lunge
Inhale as you raise your torso to an upright position. Sweep your arms overhead. Draw your tailbone toward the floor. Spin your pinky fingers toward each other, opening your arms so your palms face each other. Gently tilt your head and gaze up at a space between your thumbs.
Make sure your front shin stays vertical. Widen your stance as needed to make sure that your knee does not move forward past your ankle.
Tuck your tailbone under and engage the muscles of your abdomen to help stabilize your core.
Extend up through the crown of your head, lengthening your upper body. Draw your shoulder blades firmly into your upper back.
Draw your lower front ribs in and down toward your belly — do not let them poke forward.
pyramid pose
Keep your hips stacked equally, side by side, engaging the front of the thighs. Hinge first at the hips, and keep the abdominals drawn up and in toward the spine. On each inhale, feel your chest expand and spine lengthen. On each exhale, relax the back of the front thigh and dissolve forward.
Goddess pose
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. You’ll want a good amount of distance between your feet, but you should be able to bend your knees comfortably.
- Turn your feet slightly outward, with your toes pointing toward the corners of your mat.
- Begin to squat down while bending your knees.
- Tuck your tailbone, press your belly button up and in, externally rotate your thighs, and straighten your spine while relaxing your shoulders.
- Keep your knees over your ankles and keep sinking. If you can make it there comfortably, try to get your thighs parallel to the floor.
- Your arms can bend at the elbows or rest wherever they’re comfortable. Many yogis like to integrate mudras, hand gestures that channel energy, into this pose, particularly Anjali Mudra (hands pressed together in prayer position) and Gyan Mudra (palm up with the tips of your index finger and thumb touching).
Child’s pose
Spread your knees as wide as your mat, keeping the tops of your feet on the floor with the big toes touching.
Bring your belly to rest between your thighs and root your forehead to the floor. Relax the shoulders, jaw, and eyes. If it is not comfortable to place the forehead on the floor, rest it on a block or two stacked fists. There is an energy point at the center of the forehead in between the eyebrows that stimulates the vagus nerve and supports a “rest and digest” response. Finding a comfortable place for the forehead is key to gaining this soothing benefit.
There are several possible arm variations. You can stretch your arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring your arms back alongside your thighs with the palms facing upwards. These are the most common variations. But you can also stretch the arms forward with palms facing up for a shoulder release or try bending the elbows so that the palms touch and rest the thumbs at the back of the neck. In this position inch the elbows forward.
Lizard
Bring your right foot to the edge of your mat, right knee still bent at a 90-degree angle and stacked above the ankle.
Inhale as you bring your elbows or hands down to the floor. If your elbows are on the mat, forearms plats. Spread your palms out on the floor (use a block underneath the forearms here if necessary).
Keep your head in a neutral, relaxed position.
Exhale and press into your left heel to keep your left leg active. This will help ensure your hips don’t sag toward the floor.
Bridge pose
With your palms face down, extend your arms long to each side of your body. Spread your feet to hip-width distance, so your fingertips graze the back of your heels.
Press down through your feet and hands, and lift your hips off the ground without squeezing your glutes. Lengthen the back of your neck by tucking your chin in slightly towards your chest. Inch your shoulder blades underneath you, then interlace your hands while still pressing down on them to lift your torso. Relax all of the muscles in your gluteus maximus. Use the strength of your quadriceps and hamstrings to keep your hips lifted. Breathe in and out. If possible, lift your hips even higher for a few breaths towards the end. Feel the bend in your low back and the deep stretch in your hip flexors and the front of your body.Unlace your fingers and slowly begin to lower your hips, vertebra by vertebra, until your tailbone reaches the floor. Take a few deep breaths as you complete the pose.
Happy Baby
Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly.
Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands, or loop a strap or belt over each foot. Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
Position each ankle directly over the knee, so your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Flex your feed. Gently push your feet up into your hands (or the belts) as you pull your hands down to create a resistance.
