Learn how to sequence a balanced yoga asana practice.

​Knowing how to sequence an asana class is important for many reasons, the main one being safety. There are some key aspects to always take in consideration to gradually take the body into the journey of HA THA - union of the dual energies, the feminine and masculine. Regardless if the class has a theme or not, balance between the two should always be a key priority. This means that we activate the sympathetic nervous system with the more dynamic and active asanas, and also cool down with more passive asanas, which focuses on the parasympathetic nervous system.

The following structure does not apply for yin and restorative yoga practices since they only focus on passive asanas.
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Let’s look at some key aspects to take in consideration for creating an asana sequence.

A supportive approach to 7 arm balancing asanas using yoga blocks.
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Arm balancing asanas can be a little challenging at first, but when attempting them from a place of humbleness and not ego, it can become a more accessible journey. For sure strength is required to get into and find steadiness in arm balances, and this can come only through practice. When I say to attempt them from a space of humbleness, I mean that when we first learn how to get into any arm balance, we should do it when we feel ready physically and mentally. Using yoga blocks can help to provide support for the body and find balance and steadiness. They are also a reminder that in our practice, and in life, we sometimes need support and help and we can learn to be open to receive it. I often see student being reluctant to use yoga props because somehow this would mean they are "not good enough at yoga". Please eliminate such concepts because in yoga, this does not exist. This is a cognitive pattern of the ego and we must learn to embrace our time on the mat with truthfulness, courage and humility.

There are three important aspects to take in consideration when practicing arm balances. One is the drishti (our focus point), another is the breath and lastly is mula bandha. The drishti is one of the most important parts of the asana practice. Where we focus our attention has a big impact not only on the steadiness of the body, but also for the mind. To be able to reach mental focus in our practice, in any asana, we must learn to use the drishti, which a teacher usually guides where it is. The breath is the most important part of our practice because it is the fuel of our existence. Without breath, there is no practice. So we need to learn how to use it wisely and to the fullest. In an arm balance, usually the exhalation is on effort, as the body creates space and with it we can activate the core muscles, which give us the strength for maintaining balance. Finally, using mula bandha in arm balances is a great way to develop strength and steadiness. Mula bandha (the root lock) activates the energy of Muladhara, the root chakra, the part of the subtle body related to creating a strong foundation on and off the mat, grounding and stability.

And of course, it goes without saying that practice is required to be confident and steady in arm balancing asanas. The practice is what guides us, it is our master that reveals to us some of the greatest teachings on the mat and in our life. What comes from it, is a result of continuous dedication and commitment. We must learn to love the practice and respect it, without desiring too much from the outcome. Just practice and see what comes.

Below are some helpful ways to practice some arm balancing asanas using the support of blocks.

Learn about the 3 important aspects to consider when practicing backbend asanas.

Back-bending asanas can definitely look beautiful, but they require a lot of hard work. It’s important to take in consideration that every physical body has its own natural abilities & limitations. Some people are naturally more flexible than others. They might be able to almost effortlessly get into Chakrasana/Urdhva Dhanurasana. Other people are naturally more strong, therefore they might approach arm balances with more ease or hold Navasana for longer. No physical body is perfect and thankfully yoga asana practice does not require this. Many of the asanas are available to most people, using modifications or yoga props for extra support.

What I sometimes see happen for those wanting to deepen their backbends is that they tend focus just on this. They over practice the more dynamic ones and exhaust their body and spine. They have no particular technique to this type of attempts, it is just the continuous practice of spine extension. And whilst results can indeed come quicker, the body might not be ready for this quick shift. As with anything in excess, over time this will cause exhaustion, muscle fatigue and maybe even injury.

The 3 most important aspects of practicing backbend asanas in my opinion are safety, technique and patience. Let's look at each of these in more detail. 

There are specific steps to follow before approaching a backbend asana. First we must learn to ground the body and mind through (usually) standing or seated asanas and by coming to a cycle of complete and natural breathing flow. Then as we journey into the practice, we gradually shift the focus on opening the hips to provide a healthy mobility range in this area. Both the hip flexors and hip extensors connect to and have an impact on the lower back. If there is stiffness experienced in the hips, and we don’t focus on this area first, then the backbend will not occur in a safe manner. Only afterwards we can start to focus on opening the chest and explore our spine extension range of movement. It is also important to remember that the lumbar spine naturally has a curve, so the extension to focus on is primarily in the thoracic area. This is the part that most needs this movement and rarely we apply this outside of our asana practice. So on the mat, it is the perfect opportunity to do so.

How we breathe is very important too in chest opening asanas. On inhalation we rise and expand through the chest, and on exhalation we create more focus on the hips supporting the backbend or apply the most effort. It naturally makes sense that when we practice backbend asanas, our inhalation will help us open the chest more. It is the fuel of our physical existence. Just as in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose) for example, first we inhale and open the chest, then as we exhale we raise the hips. The energising effect of practicing backbend asanas can be fully experienced only when we learn to use the breath in synchronicity with the movement. When the breathing is done effectively, and we work on the thoracic spine flexibility, then the chest and shoulders begin to open with more ease, more naturally.

And as always, counter poses are very important. I always say practice maximum 2 backbends but then apply a forward fold & some gentle twists to neutralise the spine.

Part 2 blog series of the 6 qualities for success in yoga as described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

In the last post I introduced the first three qualities for success in Yoga. To emphasise again on the word "success", it is not necessarily used to describe an achievement or outcome, but its meaning can symbolise one who becomes established in the sadhana (spiritual practice).

Our practice can indeed change over time, as well as the yoga path we naturally find ourselves exploring, but the sadhana can always be consistent and done with commitment. It is not just a practice that starts and ends on the mat, but a lifestyle which we can maintain throughout our physical existence if we choose to do so. What we learn on the mat, continues after we leave the mat. Life in our practice and we are continuously learning, exploring and transforming.

Let’s explore together the last three qualities mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika for our yoga lifestyle and spiritual journey development.

For our yoga practice to remain consistent and continue to evolve, there must be unshakeable faith. First, this refers to having unshakeable faith in our guru or teachers. A guru is a yoga and spiritual master who can bring one from darkness to light because they themselves have developed spiritual realisation. A teacher is one who guides their students with patience, truth and right knowledge on their yoga path. However we take it, we need to trust and have faith in our teachers. Then we must have unshakeable faith in Divine essence or that which is of higher nature and pure form beyond the ego/individual self. And finally, we must have unshakeable faith in ourselves, by developing mental strength and will-power.

Related to unshakeable faith, courage is an important quality to develop in our sadhana. Whilst the yoga journey is indeed coated with beautiful experiences and realisations, it also comes with many challenges, obstacles and sometimes doubts. Therefore, to have consistency, courage is needed to overcome these. If we have unshakeable faith in our teachers and the Divine essence, then courage and perseverance naturally evolve. On the mat, courage is needed to approach each asana. Courage of getting into the asana and courage to be present and still through all the realisations the practice brings. Courage to take our practice off the mat and remained focused, patient and compassionate throughout life.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika presents us with the last quality for success in yoga, which is avoiding the company of common people. I understand the word “common” may seem confusing, so I will explain what it refers to. Here, it is advised to stay clear of those who engage their time on gossip and laziness; on tamastic habits and behaviours and those who have lower aspirations. As sadhana is a journey that naturally evolves with discipline and commitment, many changes will take place within. This can sometimes takes us away from old useless habits or from mixing with people who don't support the transformation. This is actually a natural cycle of life, and when we do start to take our practice more seriously as a spiritual tool to self-realisation we will naturally gravitate and attract people who match this energy. It becomes more difficult to spend time with others of low vibration and negative mindset because our understanding of life, habits and mindset transforms. So we want to be in the presence of those who have similar attitude for life. Although it is important to note that we should not judge others and practice compassion always.

I invite you to explore the 6 qualities with patience and humbleness. The practice is lifelong, and what comes with it we can welcome it in and what goes we can learn to release. No matter what circumstances we face in life, we can always step on the mat with enthusiasm and perseverance to keep it consistent; with the analysis/discrimination of what is right and wrong, what supports our practice and what doesn’t; we can practice with unshakeable faith and courage; and by making the decision to surround ourselves with people who are uplifting and joyful. Most importantly, always practice with ahimsa (non-harm) to your mind and body, with satya (truthfulness) and santosha (contentment).

The 6 qualities needed for success in yoga as presented in Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is one of the oldest and most in depth texts of Hatha Yoga. It was compiled and created by Swami Swatmarama in approximately the 15th century. Here, we can get an understanding of many yogic practices which lead to the self-realisation of the yoga path. The text provides clear explanations of many important aspects of Sadhana (spiritual practice) and one who is devoted to the yoga path may find it a helpful guide on their spiritual journey.

​In verse 16, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika presents the 6 qualities needed to succeed in yoga. I often write about the importance of not setting goals or chasing something in the yoga path. So the word success here refers to one who becomes established in their sadhana and comes to the state of Moksha/Self-realisation.

In this part 1 of 2 for the 6 successes of Yoga blog series, I will focus on the first three aspects and will attempt to explain each one, so that you can understand it well. As the text is quite old, yet nonetheless insightful, sometimes it may be difficult to relate to some of the teachings especially if you have not been practicing for a long time and under a teacher who teaches you the philosophy. Our world now is much more different than it was for the rishis. If we can take what we can do well and apply it in our daily life, then this can give us the means to continue exploring the path. As most of you (my readers) practice asana as the main yogic practice, I will relate these to the asana practice. However it is important to note that this is just a small part of the entire yoga philosophy and its practices.

The first of the 6 successes of yoga as presented in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is utsah or enthusiasm. One must have a positive attitude toward their sadhana. I often relate this to the second Nyama by Patanjali, which is Santosha/contentment. The spiritual practice is not easy; many challenges and doubts may rise at first, and continue to do so. However, if we can practice with joy and enthusiasm then we will keep focused and committed. The whole purpose of the yoga path is to reach liberation and freedom from ignorance of the true self, meaning that it brings us to our true nature, beyond and away from our ego. This is a beautiful aspect and our practice can reflect such a connection with the Divine essence within. Everyday we start our practice it can be approached as a new experience. There is no need to put pressure on ourselves to reach a specific asana, or even more so, enlightenment. Practice with enthusiasm and see what comes. Keep positive and joyful, because this is part of the process.

If we want to bloom any seed of intention, then we must always keep consistent in our practice. Whatever circumstances may arise, we can learn to develop will-power to continue. No matter how many times you will fall on your mat, do it humbly and get back up. Accept this as the teaching of your practice that day. On the mat, and in life, sometimes there will be some situations which come up that can seem as obstacles. But it happens and we can learn to surrender to these and not lose our focus. Keeping our enthusiasm and persevering are needed. Often I get students asking me "How long will it take to reach so and so asana?" to which I respond "this is irrelevant". There is no final destination in our practice, especially on the mat. We do it daily and we persevere no matter what. Some might never be able to fully reach an asana due to their physiology, whilst other can do so with ease. Both are irrelevant. Step on the mat and practice. Keep consistent and committed, keep going, keep growing. 

Tattvajnana is made of two words “tattva” which can mean “truth” and “jnana” which can mean right or supreme knowledge. Discrimination here refers to our ability to discriminate between what is right and what is wrong. Relating to the practice, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains discrimination as a means to do everything with good outcome for the sadhana. It is not only about doing so on the mat, but in our every day life. The food we eat, the habits we engage with daily, the choices we make, the company we keep, the material aspects in our life etc must always have a positive effect on our practice. If they don't then this will interfere so it is advised to change and adapt to something that does.

Our practice goes beyond the mat. The way I look at it is that our practice is like our master. It teaches us so many different aspects, which we must then learn to apply in our life. Sadhana is not only on the mat, but continues throughout our life. It is not enough to practice asana for the sake of being physically strong, fit and flexible. These qualities should ideally reflect in our habits and all that we do.

Our spiritual practice is our life. Those who commit to the yoga path, can do so with the willingness to explore their life from a space of truth, direct experience and openness. Whilst I conclude the first three success aspects in yoga, I invite you to take the time to explore these for yourself. Whether you already have a practice or not yet, see if you can apply these to your daily life and spiritual practice. It is so important to do self-enquiry on our yoga path. It might not be an easy road to follow, but it is through the practice we discover the beauty and truth of life. And if you can experience more enthusiasm, perseverance and good actions in your life, perhaps this will bring some balance and joy to your everyday or at least keep you focused on your practice.

Embrace the lunar powerful with this gentle and restorative yoga sequence for the October full moon.

On the 9th of October, we have the Aries full moon. This energy is said to be all about healing, forgiveness and accepting the flow of all that is, but also connecting with our inner power and drive to live the life we want to live. The lunar energy is quite heavy in general, but when healing is involved it can feel even more so. Full moons always prompt us to reflect and realise where we are now, and what we need to do, to get to where we want to be. Whatever we are holding on to and burdens us, might suddenly become clear. Frustration and tension can also be experienced during this time. But the moon also teaches us to find light in the darkness; to face the shadows and not run away from them; to learn to embrace the moments of reflection and contemplation.

The beautiful aspect is that we just came out of a Mercury retrograde period. This time always comes with challenges, but as soon as it ends, its purpose is always understood and appreciated if we choose to see the lessons from it. So I see this full moon as the final cleanse after a challenging and heavy period.

Aries is a strong fire sign, independent and bold. This energy can be felt for all signs during this full moon, especially when it comes to making decisions. As Aries is courageous and brave, always wanting to feel free to express, this is our cue to reflect on what is holding us back from doing the things we love and expressing ourselves freely. Then we can take action to make smart choices that influence our lifestyle and our personal growth in a positive and truthful way.
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Although according to some yoga styles traditions, during full moons, it is not advised to practice asanas, a gentle restorative sequence can support this healing energy and give us the comfort we need to embrace this peacefully.

Hold for: 3-4 minutes on each side.