A Yoga Girl Flow – Rachel Brathen Energizes Your Morning with a Flow Sequence
Photography by Liana Louzon
This sequence is a continuation of the partial sequence shown in the August/September issue available on iTunes. It’s is an easy going and love filled sequence to wake you up in the morning and build a little heat in your body. First, by tapping into the present moment and observing how you’re feeling, you will set an intention for the day ahead that resonates with your being. Filled with feel-good postures, stretches and twists, you will then move your body to detox and de-stress. By meeting your body where it’s at, this sequence is designed to draw you into a place of self-acceptance and love to begin a fresh new day with a positive outlook.
Continued from the print/digital sequence ending in posture 7—Standing Forward Twist
8. Runner’s Lunge (image not shown)
Place both palms on the ground; framing your front left foot. Step your right foot back to a runner’s lunge, keeping a slight bend in the back knee or engaging the leg. With a 90-degree bend in your front leg, draw your heart through and gaze forward.
9. Low lunge
Release your back knee onto the ground and inhale to reach your arms to the sky, interlacing your fingers and extending your pointer fingers once more. Maybe lean into a slight backbend if it feels comfortable for your lower back. Engage your core and gaze upwards towards the sky.
a. Low lunge twist
Keeping your left arm extended, place your right hand on the ground beside your front left foot. Stack your shoulders and twist from your spine to open your heart to the sky. Gaze up at the left fingertips.
10. Plank pose (not shown)
Place both hands firmly in the ground beneath your shoulders, stepping your left foot back to come into a plank position. Create one steady solid line in plank by engaging your core. Your head is an extension of your spine.
11. Chaturanga (Not Shown)
From plank, keep your elbows close to your body as you exhale to lower yourself half way to chaturanga or all the way to the ground.
12. Upward facing dog
From chaturanga, inhale to lift your heart, coming into upward facing dog. Press down firmly with the tops of your feet, lift your thighs off the ground, and gaze forward.
13. Downward facing dog
Exhale to engage your core and lift your hips to the sky to come into downward facing dog. Firmly ground through the palms of your hands and wrap your triceps back. Create length in your spine by bending your knees slightly if it’s more comfortable for you. Draw your ribcage inward and connect to your breath as you pause in downward-facing dog, releasing tension with each exhale.
14. Three legged downward facing dog
From downward-facing dog, inhale to lift your right leg up into the sky. Keep your hips square to the ground, making sure not to stretch the leg too high toward the sky,
15. Transition by stepping your right foot in between your hands at the front of the mat. (Note: This is a transition, not a pose)
16. Side lunge (Not shown)
Straighten your right leg as you bend deeply in your left knee. Move your hips towards the back of the mat and come into a side lunge.
17. Side lunge with a bind
If it is in your practice, wrap your left arm around your left shin, connecting your hands together behind your back and coming into a bind. Soften your face and gently lift your heart to the sky.
18. Three legged down dog
Release your bind and re-bend your right knee as you walk your hands back to your right foot. Extend the right leg into the sky once more, coming back into a three-legged downward facing dog.
19. Pigeon Pose
Bringing the right leg forward once more, place the right knee behind the right wrist, preparing for a half pigeon pose. Keep your right shin parallel to the top of your yoga mat, and your back left leg straight. Inhale to draw your heart and your gaze forward.
As you exhale, fold forward toward the ground. You can rest on your forearms if it is more comfortable for you, maybe placing your forehead on a block. Stay in this pose for at least 5 deep breaths. Notice where you are holding tension and use your breath to release.
20. Seated twist
Coming out of your pigeon, keep the right knee bent, shift your weight into the right sit-bone and cross your left leg over it. Inhale to twist to the left, bringing the left hand down to the ground behind your back. Hook the right elbow over left knee, and touch the tips of the right pointer finger and thumb into a Gyan mudra to improve concentration. Gaze over the left shoulder.
21. Cow face pose with Eagle arm variation
Coming back to centre, drop your left knee to stack on top of the right in cow face pose. Bring your heels as close as you can to your sitbones to soften. Wrap your left arm underneath your right arm bringing the backs of the hands or palms to touch. Lift your elbows but draw your shoulders down your back, sitting tall with a flat back. Close your eyes and breathe into your shoulder blades.
Don’t forget to balance it out by completing this sequence on the other side before you finish your practice.
22. Easy Pose
Finish the sequence by coming to a comfortable seated position with a long spine. Bring your hands to heart centre, close your eyes and breathe. Take a moment to reflect back on the intention you set at the beginning of your flow.
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