Wholistic Fitness

New Year Flow; 2011

Here is an offering for your solo asana Practice in celebration of your devoted support, strength, and spirit.  This Slow Flow HP Yoga™ vinyasa routine – which takes between one hour to 90 minutes depending on how deliciously deep you want to go – was created throughout 2010.  This NYF 2011 reflects some of my most healing, energizing, and popular sequences from my personal and professional yoga practice and instruction.   I actually refined this routine in early December, 2010 while channeling during solo asana to Self Heal a severely sprained knee. The salient and palpable training effect from this flow is a deeply rejuvenating tonic for the body, mind, and spirit. Enjoy! All abilities.

Translated directly from my Zendo Notes…

NYF2011 Practice Notes:

• perform in Slow Flow style

• Ujjayi Breathing throughout; hang out in Childs Pose if Ujjayi gets away from being smooth, long, and rich

• Mula and Uddihyana Bandha’s are to be engaged as often as is remembered

begin with my “Winged Angel” Shoulder Opening Sequence:

a) sit in virasana (heels on buttocks is fine)

b) interlock fingers the way you don’t often, press arms parallel out in front of you, palms facing outward

c) after several breaths, inhale arms overhead…relax jaw/throat/temples/shoulder girdle…draw eye of elbows backward

d) exhale and release arms into a wingspan, then draw R. upper arm over L. and bring the arms into Gomokasana, tuck chin, round spin, breathe into the upper spine/shoulder blades

e) release, repeat b & c & then d using the L. arm over the right.

f) release, repeat b & c then bring arms behind the spine, holding elbows, opening the scalenes on BOTH sides before…

g) interlacing fingers, pressing heels of palms together

h) superimpose the HP Asana Mudra while holding g

i) exhale after the Mudra into a Forward Fold

DownDog (DD) for a couple of minutes

into Plank, into “Running Man Plank” back to DD

DD into Plank into Chaturanga Push Ups 7 reps back to DD

lift right leg up (keep hips squared) for One Legged DD, inhale out to Plank into Chaturanga Push Ups 7 reps back to DD

repeat above sentence for left leg

DD lower onto forearms, inhale out to Sphinx Plank into Running Man Sphinx and then lift right leg for reps and then the

* left leg for reps

* come into classic Sphinx posture

* inhale into Cobra and then do Sphinx/Cobra pushups for at least 7 super slow reps, holding * Cobra on final rep then to DD

DD; inhale R. leg up, then draw out to R. Side, hold

* inhale R. leg back to center & try 2-point DD by lifting L. hand onto sacrum

* L. hand back down, exhale R. leg across midline toward left

* exhale R. foot down on left side of body, inhale out to Plank with legs scissored

* lift R. arm up into sky for a variation on Sage pose (Vasisthasana)

* back to DD

repeat above for left leg

DD, jump up to front of mat and perform a scissored-leg Lateral Reed posture for both sides, employing a standing BackBend (BB) between sides and then after both Reeds have been performed.

War 1 Vinyasa with HP Hold and Hovers

DD; inhale R. leg up, lift L. heel and perform several Knee Drives, driving in super slow motion your R. knee through your forewarns on an exhale, then lifting her back up behind you on the inhales, then to the outside of R. forearm, under and to the side of the L. forearm and then do a static hold with the R. knee beyond the forearms and try to heave the R. knee up into R. elbow, and perhaps even the R. armpit then:

* step R. Foot through and arise into HP Style of Warrior 1

* bring hands into Shiva Mudra and then try to point elbows up into Father Sky by drawing Shiva Mudra between the shoulder blades, pointing toward Mother Earth

* Release Shiva Mudra and exhale into Chaturanga, Upward Dog, and back to DD.

repeat above for left leg

From Standing: Perform Sun Salute A with a Warrior 1 on both sides

Step Wide and come into War 1 w/ R. leg forward, take elbows in back or reverse Namaste for a while before extending front leg into Parsvottansana for a while back into War 1 and repeat for other leg taking Prasarita Padottanasana (handstand option) in between and afterward.

From Prasarita, settle into Goddess Squat, Parsva Goddess, into Goddess/Visvamaitrasana option for both sides.

From Standing: Perform Dancing Warrior vinyasa x 1 each side…War 2, reverse war, War 2, extended side angle pose, war 2…repeat for other side

Jump to Top Of Mat: Standing One Leg Balance Sequence;

1) left hand to left hip, Yogic Lock R. toe

2) inhale to standing one legged extension

3) exhale out to side

4) switch hands at mid-way, exhale to rear twist

5) inhale center to OUTSIDE MAGAZINE posture with hands criss-crossed under sole.

repeat for other leg

Final War 1 Vinyasa to:

1) childs

2) table

3) inhale right knee/leg laterally, doing several Karate Kicks in super slo mo

4) awkward airplane

5) into Gate Pose, R. Leg extended

6) exhale into Gomokasana (right knee in front of leg knee)

7) add traditional Gomok hands with Mudra, releases over front thigh forever

repeat 1-7 for other left

childs pose

plow into twisting plow option into

traditional vipariti karani

into supported bridge pose

piriformis stretch both sides

if time permits; one legged supine spinal twist on both legs

or skip to:

supine konasana

into: Savasana