Seeing all of the practiced yogis bent into seemingly impossible poses can make you run the opposite direction from a yoga class. But while it might seem complicated, yoga is actually a simple practice based upon the individual and continual learning and improvement. In fact, most yoga classes arestructuredaround an apex approach, or building up to improvement and challenging poses. Don't fear the yoga class -- it's structured around increasing your individual abilities.
Warmup
While there are several different types of yoga, from basic Hatha to fast-moving Ashtanga and sweat-inducing Bikram, most follow the same pattern of work and poses to bring your body to its peak performance and then gently wind it back down again. That means starting with a warmup. A yoga warmup usually begins with a short conversation with the instructor that includes tips on what types of poses will be tackled during class and some light stretching of each major muscle group. The warmup takes little skill and is meant to help build your confidence at the beginning of class.
Salutations
After warmup, there's a good chance your instructor will move directly into a sequence called Sun Salutations. This a sequence of yoga poses that flow into one another and are made up of easy to moderate moves. The Sun Salutation sequence has two purposes -- first, to begin practice with submission to the sun, which is life-energy, and second, to build confidence with simple poses that even beginners can master.
Work Poses
After Sun Salutations, your yoga teacher will move into work poses, which are poses that are more difficult and take more practice. In some yoga classes, it's up to the instructor to choose the work poses, while other types of yoga -- such as Bikram -- use the same work poses in each class. Work poses are meant to challenge your body and help you see real results from class. As you become stronger, more flexible and better balanced, your work poses will improve. If you can't execute a more challenging pose right off the bat, a good instructor will suggest modifications that help you get there incrementally.
Intense Stretching
You can expect a few moments of intense stretching after you move through your work poses of the day. This sequence is known as an apex, where an instructor increases the intensity before topping out at a difficult pose and then slowly brings thestudents back down to simpler and more restful poses. Deep stretching can include anything from deep leg stretches to bridges and neck stretches.
Meditation
Because the deep stretching portion of your class is akin to a cool down, you'll finish class with some meditation time. Your instructor will lead you into the pose for meditation -- usually seated Lotus or Corpse pose -- and give you three to five minutes to clear your mind and absorb your yoga practice. While it may seem like the perfect time to head home, don't skip meditation. It's a vital part of class and a way to slow your heart rate and the ideal way to end your session.
If you haven't tried yoga but are interested in joining a class, it's important to decide whether you want a class that is relaxing or one that is physically demanding. Yoga classes range from so relaxing that it's easy to fall asleep to so challenging that you won't be able to hold some of the poses. The key to picking the right class for you is knowing what each type of yoga offers.
Relaxation
Certain types of yoga classes are geared toward relaxation rather than fitness. A common type of relaxation yoga is yin yoga, in which poses typically focus on the body's connective tissues, rather than muscles. A key trait of a yin yoga class is that you often hold the poses longer than in other types of class, which can promote a feeling of calm and relaxation in your body. If you practice yoga at home, tailoring your routine to focus on relaxing poses is ideal in the evening before bed.
Fitness
A yoga class focusing on fitness is ideal if you want a break from your traditional cardio or weight training workout. Yoga classes that emphasize fitness include Ashtanga and hot yoga, which typically include challenging poses that require a combination of strength and balance. In hot yoga, the room is hot and humid, which helps you sweat to eliminate toxins from your body. Remember that sweat isn't tied to burning calories; when you sweat, you're losing water weight.
Calories Burned
You'll burn calories in all types of yoga, but the more vigorous the class, the faster you'll burn calories to help you lose fat. In a 90-minute Hatha yoga class, someone who weighs 155 pounds will burn roughly 447 calories. Hatha yoga is a moderate type of class; not as vigorous as Ashtanga and slightly more fitness-oriented than yin. If you want to lose fat, taking a couple of yoga classes each week is an effective way to burn calories.
Other Benefits
Regardless of your reasons to taking a relaxation- or fitness-oriented yoga class, you'll receive a number of wide-ranging benefits. Adding yoga to your workout regimen can lower your level of stress, help you manage your weight, prevent a number of health conditions and increase your strength, flexibility and overall fitness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Another key benefit of yoga, according to Dr. Mehmet Oz, is the cleansing of your blood by stimulating your lymphatic system.
One of my good friends moved to France about two years ago to study, and she recently asked me for help with yoga. So I typed up my favorite simple yoga sequence for home, which is the one I also use when I teach or substitute teach for my friends, and send it over to her in Paris to try. Many people since then have asked me to create a routine for them to use at home that is easy for them to do alone without having to watch a video or plug in their computer to get someone in youtube. So here is my favorite yoga sequence for a one hour class/routine.
Simple Hatha Yoga Sequence
This sequence is divided in several parts or sections that will create a
complete
routine that is easy to follow at home.
Beginning Meditation
Come to a comfortable seated position. Grab a towel, bolster, or block to support you if you need to. Bring your hands to your knees or to your heart.
Take a deep breath and relax your mind.
Begin with chanting 3 OMs inhalin and exhaling OM.
Take a deep breath and think of all the wonderful amazing things that happened to you today.
Awakening & Standing Breathing Exercises
These are the warm up exercises
Rotate feet 3 times each way.
Rotate knees 3 times each way.
Rotate shoulders 3 times front and back.
Rotate hands 3 times each way.
Rotate neck 3 times each way.
Rotate head 3 times each way (look to the left, back to center, look to the right, back to center).
Bring your arm over your head, clasp thumbs from both hands together for side stretch (Inhale pull to the left, exhale back to center. Inhale pull to the right, exhale back to center).
Sun Salutations
Sun Salutation are done in rounds meaning one round is both sides. I suggest a minimum of 3 rounds, 5 max.
Simple Sun Salutation Sequence
The simple sequence is as follows: Inhale (IN), Exhale (EX)
Start by standing in mountain pose at the front of your mat. Face East to do your sun salutations.
IN arms up over your head.
EX bring your arms down and to touch the math or toes (bend your knees if you need to).
IN look halfway up up.
EX bring your right foot to the back of the mat.
IN bring your left foot to meet the other one for plank pose, and hold your breath while in plank.
EX bring your knees down, chest down chin down to the mat,
IN and come and up to upward dog or cobra (which ever you prefer)
EX to downward dog
IN bring your right foot to the front of the mat
EX bring your other foot to meet it
IN come up, arms up
EX bring your hands to prayer (chest)
This is half of one round, then you would do the left foot and that would be 1 complete round.
Some people do chaturanga instead of the knees-chest-chin, come thru before up dog or cobra. But if you have never done a correct chaturanga, is better to stick to knees, chest, chin come thru. I had been doing chaturanga all wrong for 8 years until 2010 when a teacher in an advance class showed us!!! It’s sad but most teachers don’t teach a correct chaturanga, specially at gyms
Advanced Sun Salutation Sequence
Include warrior poses in the simple sequence above, in round 3, after downward dog when your foot comes to the front and you are in a lunge position, start with warrior I, then II. I never do warrior III in sun salutations though.
And then after one round of warriors, the next round will have triangles (trikonasa).
Add trikonasa from warrior II to simple sequence (in combination with either 2 above).
Balance
Tree Pose on both sides. Release each side with control. Shake legs after coming out of Tree Pose.
Dancer Pose on both sides. Release each side with control. Shake legs after coming out of Dancer Pose.
Spine
After the balance poses, I like to start working the spine.
Begin with Dandasana, hold for a few breaths and do a forward fold.
Next is, Janu Sirsasana, hold for a few breaths on each side and fold.
Lay on your back and bring knees to chest, head to knees, hold for a few breaths, and release.
Detox Poses
After working the spine, I find that detox poses are best to follow.
Start with a twist from Janu Sirsasana on both sides. Hold for a few breaths in each side.
Laying down twist, knees to chest and bring to each side. Hold for a few breaths in each side.
Laying down twist one leg to the side, do both sides. Hold for a few breaths in each side.
Core Poses
The core is extremely important and one of the hardest to workout in a regular gym routine or yoga routine. I like to do boat pose and when I have advanced students or athletes, I will have them do boat situps, never touching the ground
My favorite inversion to do in class is dolphin. I don’t believe in head stand for myself. I do enjoy 90 degree hand stand on the wall, but I don’t include either in my routine or classes because they don’t call to me. It’s an inner voice that tells me head stand is not for me. So I practice other inversions such as Dolphin, Plow, or Shoulder stand instead. For this simple routine, Dolphin works great.
Dolphin and Dolphin push-ups (10 if possible and increase as days go by)
For more advanced students, dolphin pushups with one leg up
Final Meditation
For the final meditation, enjoy about 10 minutes in Savanasa, reflecting on your practice or giving thanks to yourself for doing something for your body and mental health. And when you are ready, come up to a comfortable seated position and chant OM.
Here are all the Hatha yoga poses you need to teach a 60-minute beginner Hatha Yoga class.
This sequence is suitable for
students
at a community center, rather than a health club. The assumption is that some folks never went to a yoga class before and, for a variety of reasons, may have limited range of motion and/or might not exercise regularly. The goal is to relax and gently stretch the students, without breaking too much of a sweat, and set them up for success so they want to come to class again. I opted out of the closing inversion.
All the poses for this 60-minute sequence for a beginner Hatha Yoga class come from the books Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and The Yoga Bible by Christina Brown.
The descriptions following the poses in this list are critical to performing the postures properly and not a detailed description of how to perform them. I recommend acquiring the above books, which are excellent texts, or searching Yoga Journal for that information.
1. Guided Meditation: Click here
2. Neck Stretching / Greeva Sanchalana – 3 to 5 times
a. If students can’t sit in a cross-legged position
— Knees up and ankles crossed, elbow crease around the knee with interlocked fingers
b. Forward and back
c. Side to side, relaxing the ear to the shoulder
d. Neck circles, left and right
3. Shoulder Socket Rotation / Skandha Chakra – 3 to 5 times, FB
a. Elbows touch in front
b. To reduce the crunchies, engage the scapulae
4. Cat – Cow / Marjari-Asana – 3 to 5 times in Table Top position
a. Hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips
b. Roll inner arms outward
c. Start in a neutral position looking at the floor
d. Cat: drishti point is up
e. Cow: chin towards chest
f. Hold pose and breath for 3 seconds
5. Sit back into Child’s Pose / Balasana – 4 to 6 breaths
a. Roll up to sitting and bring chin up last to avoid dizziness
6. Step to the top of the mat for 3 rounds of Surya Namaskar
a. The easiest version
7. Shavasana – 1 to 2 minutes
8. Step to the top of the mat for Standing Forward Bend – Padahastasana
a. Roll up to standing with knees slightly bent and bring chin up last to avoid dizziness
9. Side Stretch LR
10. Step right foot back for Triangle Pose / Trikonasana LR
a. Drishti point is the raised hand or the floor
b. Easier: Bend front leg, optionally place arm on thigh
11. Reverse Triangle Prep LR
12. Palm Tree Pose / Tadasana – 3 times
a. When heels are on the floor place hands on head
b. When heels are off the floor raise hands into the air
c. Drishti point – look forward or up
13. Tree Pose / Vrikshasana LR – 4 to 6 breaths
a. Hands in Pranamasana or above the head
14. Sit in a comfortable cross-leg position for Psychic Union Pose / Yoga Mudrasana LR – 4 breaths
15. Butterfly Pose / Badhakonasana – 4 to 6 breaths
a. First, flap your butterfly wings
b. Then, relax and bring your forehead to the floor
16. One-Legged Forward Bend / Janu Sirshasana LR – 4 to 6 breaths
17. Seated Forward Bend / Paschimottanasana – 4 to 6 breaths
a. Relax the back
18. Tabletop Pose LR
a. Lift opposite arm and leg
19. Easy Cobra Pose / Saral Bhujangasana – 2 times
a. Forehead on the floor
b. Hands next to head, fingertips in line with crown
When you practice Hatha yoga you have choices. The sheer number of poses and their variations and modifications gives you the freedom to enjoy any practice that speaks to you on any given day. If one day you feel like doing back bends exclusively, and balancing poses the next, you can make that decision based on how you feel or what you want to achieve. That being said, a well-rounded one-hour Hatha yoga practice consists of certain types of poses that work in concert to improve your well-being. Your choice.
The Clock Is Ticking
One hour can whiz by very quickly when you’re occupied doing something worthwhile. Make the most of your 60 minutes by anticipating in advance what you’d like to experience on your yoga mat. If you enjoy the idea of practicing a variety of poses but also notice that some areas need more work than others, then apportion your time accordingly. Save 20 to 30 minutes for poses that address issues such as aching shoulders, a weak core or tight hamstrings. You can be as creative or traditional, as playful or precise as you like. If you need inspiration, check out YogaJournal.com under “Poses,” where you can even use a tool to build a Hatha sequence.
Stand Tall
Standing Hatha yoga poses were designed to strengthen your muscles and improve your focus and balance. Whether you choose to ground yourself in Mountain pose, balance on one foot in Tree or display some attitude in the Warrior series, standing poses are where you should start your Hatha practice. It’s during the practice of standing poses where you’ll learn to make the adjustments that will bring your body into alignment and correct your posture. Among the very best and useful standing poses you might consider in addition to the ones already mentioned are: Chair, Triangle, Standing Forward Bend, Eagle, Downward Dog and Extended Side Angle.
Please Be Seated
No practice would be complete without seated poses that include twists, forward bends and poses that strengthen your abs. You can work your way up over time to the full expression of a seated pose that might be a bit beyond your current level of expertise or stretch-ability. Before Lotus pose, you can practice stretching your inner thighs and preparing your knees with poses like Cobbler, Easy, Fire Log and Cow Face poses. Likewise, before Full Boat pose, practice Half Boat until your abdominal muscles are strong enough to maintain the full version. Seek tranquility with Staff, Head-to-Knee and Seated Forward Bend; and unwind with twisting postures like Bharadvajasana I.
Back It Up
Back bends are useful poses in reducing tension and stress in your shoulders and back. They’re also what are called chest-openers. If you tend to sit or stand slumped forward, then make back bends a part of your regular Hatha practice. Perform Locust, Upward Dog, Bow, Cobra, Sphinx, Bridge and Camel. Pay particular attention to lengthening your spine by tilting your tailbone toward your pubic bones in order to avoid compression of your lower back.
Cautions
Unless you have been instructed in the correct execution of arm balances and inversions by a qualified Hatha yoga teacher, don’t try these poses on your own. You need sufficient wrist, arm, shoulder and core strengthto hoist yourself into these poses, and one wrong move could set you up for an injury.
