Cues

Question 1

Mountain

Answer 1

Getting into the pose:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the pinky edges of your feet parallel.
• Anchor the four corners of your feet (big and pinky toe mounds, and inner and outer edges of heel) into the earth.
• Draw your shoulder blades slightly together on the back and rotate your palms to face forward.

Points of alignment to transform your practice:

• Inwardly rotate your legs so that your inner thighs spiral back.
• Balance inward rotation with outward rotation by allowing your sacrum to drop down and hugging your navel up.
• Energize the lower half of your body into the ground, and allow that energy to rebound up off the floor to lift your upper body.
• Float rib cage up off of your pelvis, lengthening the front, back, and sides of your body equally.
• Activate the arms and point your fingertips to the earth gently and purposefully.uuuuuu
• Release your shoulder blades down your back and float the back of the head up so that your ears draw back to stack over your shoulders8

Question 2

Standing Forward Bend

Answer 2

Getting into the pose:

• From Mountain Pose with feet hip-width apart and parallel, take a breath to reach the arms overhead.
• On an exhale, separate your arms and swan dive into a forward bend.
• Touch the floor, let your arms hang, or take a bind such as grabbing for opposite elbows.

Points of alignment to transform your practice:

• Tip your pelvis forward to lift the Sitz bones and deepen the fold.
• Spread your toes and root all four corners of your feet into the earth. Center your weight over the arches of your feet
• Allow the weight of your arms and head to gently traction the low back and draw the torso out of the hips.
• Keep your shoulder blades on your back as you lengthen your spine from tailbone to crown.
• Draw your navel in and soften your solar plexus toward your spine to create space for your kidneys and adrenal glands.
• Draw the kneecaps up to activate the legs.

Question 3

Chair

Answer 3

Getting into the pose:

• From Mountain Pose, step your feet together so that your big toes touch while leaving an inch of space between your heels. Feel the seal of your inner thighs.
• Inhale to lengthen your spine and add space between your bottom ribs and the top of your pelvis.
• Exhale and bend your knees as if sitting into a chair.
• Fingertips may touch the floor outside of your feet, reach overhead, or hands may stay in prayer mudra at heart level.

Points of alignment to transform your practice:

• Draw your Sitz bones back to take your weight further back toward your heels. Look down and check that you can see your toes.
• Lift your toes, spread them wide, then connect toes down into the mat again.
• Allow your sacrum to slide down and your tailbone to drop. At the same time, hug your navel into your spine to reduce curvature in the low back and draw your ribcage slightly back to keep alignment with the pelvis.
• With each inhale, draw energy up from the earth to the center of the body. With each exhale, drop deeper into the pose.
• Keep your chin parallel to the earth, and relax your shoulders down your back.
• Find the balance of effort and ease as you witness heat and sensations arise within the body.

Question 4

Table Top

Answer 4

Allowing your breath to guide your movement:
inhale: arch your spine, lift hips, lift chest, into cow.
Exhale: round your spine, tucking pelvis, tucking chin

flow back and forth between these two poses, at your own pace, your breath guiding your movement, and do this for six more breaths.

Question 5

Thread the Needle

Answer 5

As you finish that last round of cat and cow, move back into your tabletop position this time with knees further apart, from here, moving into thread the needle pose, step you right hand closer to the right edge of the mat, inhale lift your left arm toward the ceiling, and exhale thread in under your right arm. head and left shoulder come to rest on or near the ground or chair seat.

reconnect with your breath here. 5 breaths.

On your next inhale, lift your torso and sweep the left arm back toward the ceiling. exhale bring that hand back down to the floor or chair.

Question 6

Reverse Warrior

Answer 6

turn your right palm to face the ceiling, place your left hand on the back of your left leg, moving into reverse warrior.

your gaze can be wherever it is most comfortable for your neck.

Question 7

Goddess

Answer 7

turn both feet to point at the long edge of your mat.

step those feet far apart, in a wide stance.

start by placing your hands on your knees, legs still straight.
bend at the knees and hips, as if you are going to sit down.
find length in your spine.

find engagement in the abdomen, drawing bellybutton and lower ribs slightly toward the spine.
you can choose to keep your hands on your legs, place them on the back of a chair, or bring them into cactus arms.

Question 8

Revolved Bound Angle

Answer 8

move to seated. the soles of your feet together, knees out wide. support your legs and hip comfort by placing a folded blanket under each knee/thigh if you are feeling hip discomfort.

feet can be close to the pelvis or far away from it, checking with your knees to find what is most comfortable.
sitting on the edge of a folded blanket can make seated postures more comfortable, add one as you like.

inhale length into your spine, exhale twist to the right, using your hands to support holding your twist.

Question 9

Warrior 1

Answer 9

Step the right foot in between the hands, stack the knee over the ankle, press into fingertips, lift the chest. You can turn your back foot out slightly, about 45 degrees or you can keep both feet facing forwards. Do what feels right to you.

Ground down into the little toe side of the back foot.
Core strong and engaged.
Shoulders over hips. Ribs facing forwards and tucked.
Squeeze the back buttock.

Inhale - lift your arms up to the sky.

Question 10

Easy

Answer 10

On your next inhalation, raise your arms overhead and sit up tall. Flare through the fingers and create as much space and openness as you can along the side body. Feel as though you are lifting your ribs away from your hips.

Question 11

Easy Pose Side Variation

Answer 11

Exhale, lower the arms using your fingers to ground you. Inhale - raise the right arm overhead and extend the right arm over your ear towards the left. Create length and open your chest to the sky. You can also raise your gaze to look under your right armpit if that is comfortable for you.

Exhale and lower the arm back to the floor at the side of your right hip.

Question 12

Easy Pose Bound Hands

Answer 12

Interlace the fingers behind your back and lift your heart and your gaze upwards. Feel the expansion and openness across your chest.
Breathe and enjoy the opportunity to deepen your inhales with your heart open.

Question 13

Seated Cat Cow

Answer 13

Ground down again through your sitting bones and sit up tall creating as much length in the spine as you can. Place your hands on your knees.

Inhale reach your heart forward, gaze up toward the sky.

Exhale, round through the spine, chin to chest.

Question 14

Cow Face

Answer 14

Extend the legs away from you about hips width apart and sit up tall grounding through the sit bones.
Inhale as you bring your right leg and cross it over your left leg, crossing at the knee with your right foot resting on floor beside your left thigh. You can stay here.

If available to you, lean over your extended leg as you bend that leg and bring your left foot towards your right thigh. Only do this if comfortable for your knees and you can maintain alignment in your hips and pelvis by sitting on both sit bones.

If you have a shoulder impingement or other issues with the shoulders you can interlace your hands behind your back and lift your chest.

Otherwise, using a strap here if you need, inhale left arm up and bend the left arm so that your hand is resting down between your shoulder blades. Make sure you keep your neck nice and long here. You can use your right hand to gently rest on your left elbow but do not drop your neck. Keep your chest lifted and maintain length across your collarbones.

Extend the right hand out to the sides with your palm facing backwards and rotate your right hand so that it comes to rest on your lower back or catches the strap behind your back. If you are not holding a strap, wriggle your fingers towards one another. Perhaps you can reach your finger tips or the palm of your hand. Perhaps you can interlace your fingers behind your back.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Release on exhale, switch sides

Question 15

Puppy

Answer 15

Coming on to our fours keeping the knees hip width apart
Inhale walk your hands to the front of the mat. If you have any issues with your shoulders you can widen the hands and bend the elbows. Any serious issues, take a wide-legged child pose.

Exhale and melt the chest and heart towards the floor.
Try to lower the forehead down to the mat if that feels good you may be able to lower your chin to the floor coming into puppy pose or melting heart. Open your heart to the ground.

Release into this pose, find a place of peace and stillness. Send your breath to areas holding tension.

Exhale. Walk the palms backwards, releasing the arms and the shoulders and move backward with the torso and come back to a neutral spine in all fours.

Question 16

Thread Needle Bind

Answer 16

Inhale, sweep your left arm up, reach tall with your fingers.
Exhale and thread your left arm between your right arm and leg. Rest your left cheek/ear on the mat.
Keeping your feet planted on the mat, if you’re feeling balanced you can walk your right arm above your head or to deepen your stretch here you can take a bind by wrapping your right arm behind your back. Stay here for a few breathes.
Come back to table top.

Question 17

Gate Pose Kneeling Half Moon Flow

Answer 17

Extend your right leg out to the sides. You can turn your right foot so that the toes are facing in front of you.

Inhale raise left arm up and over the ear and slide the right hand down on the right leg. Place the right hand/ finger tips very gently on the shin. Keep the left hip over the knee. Do not fold forwards but lift the chest and the gaze upwards lengthening your ribs and side body on the left hand side. Take a couple of breaths here.

From gate pose, take the left arm and place hand on the floor. Inhale and reach the right arm up overhead for a side
stretch. Take a couple of breaths creating that expansion and openness. Optionally you can raise the right leg at hip height and flex the foot turning the foot to face the front.

If you’d like, raise the right leg up and raise the arm up. Kneeling Half moon pose or take a half bow pose. Take in a couple of breaths.

Question 18

Down Dog to Low Lunge Flow

Answer 18

Lower back to table top. Hands underneath the shoulders and ground down through all four corners of your hands.
Tuck your toes.
Exhale - lift the knees and lift the tailbone and hips upwards as you extend into downward facing dog, adho mukha svanasana.
Wrap the shoulders and push the chest back to the thighs, ears inline with the arms. Lengthen the back of the legs and lift the knee caps.

You can paddle your feet here for a moment before coming into stillness.

On your next inhale, lift your right leg up behind you, gently flexing your foot and pressing the heel and inner arch toward the back of the room. Engage Pada Bandha in your standing leg. As you exhale, bend your right knee and bring your foot in between your hands. Drop your back knee and come into a low lunge. Notice the position of your front knee. Ground down through all four corners of your feet to engage Pada Bandha in your right front foot. Bring awareness to your pelvic floor as you soften your hip flexors.

Question 19

Warrior 1 Bound Hands to Humble Warrior

Answer 19

Lower the arms and interlace the fingers behind your back.
Option to hold onto opposite elbows or maybe use a strap if your shoulders are tight
Squeeze the shoulder blades together, lengthen the collarbones and open the chest.

Keeping the core engaged, exhale as you fold forwards over your bent leg.
Do not to rest on or dump your weight onto the front leg.
Perhaps your arms come away from your back, maybe they come up over your head, raising them to the level that feels right to you.
Breathe!
Inhale bringing your arms back to your lumbar spine and raising your self up at the waist.

Question 20

Wide Leg Forward Fold DD Hands

Answer 20

Lower the hands and walk the hands around so that you are facing the long edge of your mat with your legs apart - wider than your inner leg length.
Engage the core and lengthen your spine as you exhale and lower the crown of your head to the floor.

Take a few breaths.

Question 21

Revolved Wide Leg Forward Bend

Answer 21

Plant your right hand on the mat under your heart. You can use a block here to get some extra lift and openness as you twist.
Inhale, raise your left arm up twisting to the left. Open the chest to the sky and keep the collarbones long.
Look up to your left hand or keep your neck neutral looking toward the left.
Root down into the heels

Stay here for 2-3 breaths.

Question 22

Bow

Answer 22

Lie down on your belly, forehead on the floor, arms by your sides, palms down, and toes pointed.

Feet hip-distance apart. Straighten your knees and reach back through your feet, sliding your toes away from you to lengthen the legs.

You can do this one leg at a time, or if in your practice, both legs at the time time. Listen to your body and switch off the ego! Any pain in the lower back then stop and come into Sphinx or crocodile pose.

Lift one foot and then the other towards your bottom - bending the knees to bring the heels as close to the bottom as you can. Keep the hips square and you can gently press the pubic bone into the mat to release the lower spine.

Keep the chest square.

Reach the arms back, rotating the arms so that the palms face in and reach the arm(s) back to hold on to the outer edge of the raised foot/feet. Point the toes on the raised foot/feet.
If you are doing half bow pose, you will use the same arm as the foot that is lifted.

Inhale - kick the foot/feet away to lift the back and the torso off the floor. Use the muscles in your back to lift your torso away from the mat.

Squeeze the glutes, squeeze the shoulder blades if you are in full bow pose.

Exhale as you gently lower your chest and torso back to the mat vertebrae by vertebrae.

Repeat to allow those to come into half bow pose on the other side.

Question 23

Crocodile

Answer 23

Fold your arms in front of you and rest your forehead on the your hands or forearms.
Gently rock your hips from side to side. Relax and release the lower spine.
Relax your face muscles and your eyes and tune into your breath.
Enjoy the stillness and the rebound.

Question 24

Wind Release

Answer 24

Lie down on your back with your neck long and your sacrum down.

Inhale - draw your knees into your chest. You can have your knees together here or apart depending on what is more comfortable to you. Keep your sacrum on the floor so do not lift your knees so much that you lift the sacrum off the floor.

Exhale - squeeze your knees into your chest. You can wrap your arms around your shins or have your hands resting on your knees or shins.

Can gently rock from side to side to massage the lower spine.

Question 25

Bridge

Answer 25

Ensure the spine is neutral and your feet are flat on the mat but that you are grounded down through all four corners of the feet.
Palms facing down at the side of your body.
Neck long.

Inhale as you begin to posteriorly tilt the pelvis by bringing the pubic bone towards the belly button.
Engage the core and do not flare the ribs.
Press down through your feet, lift your hips and lower spine up and away from the mat.
Exhale - lengthen your knees forward as you feel as though you are dragging your heels towards your bottom.
Inhale - scissor the inner thighs together and squeeze the glutes.
Hold at the top for 3 breaths.
Exhale - roll down vertebrae by vertebrae.

Question 26

Svanasana

Answer 26

This pose is all about a surrender and letting go and is a great way to seal the practice.

Lie on the back of the body with your legs apart and your right foot rolling out to the right and your left foot rolling out to the left. Legs and feet soft.
As an alternative if lying flat on your back is not comfortable you can have a blanket or cushion under your knees or lie in constructive rest.
Arms resting alongside the body, palms facing up. You can also have your arms resting on your belly with your elbows out if that is more comfortable for you. Relax your shoulders and keep your arms soft. Let the back of your heart melt into the floor.
Tuck your chin slightly.
Close your eyes, or if that is not comfortable for you keep a soft and gentle gaze.
Release any effort and find complete ease. Feel grounded and supported by the floor. Allow your body to fully relax. Releasing any tension you may be holding around the eyes, in your jaw, in your face, your hands and your feet.
Turn your focus to your breath and start to deepen your inhale and exhale. If you can - start to count your inhale and exhale starting on 1 on the inhale, 2 on the exhale, 3 on the inhale etc. All the way up to 10 and then repeat. As you do this, consider whether your breath feels any different to the start of the class. Are your inhales and exhales more balanced?
How do you feel? Do you feel more open and softer?

Release the focus on your breath and gently return your focus to your sankalpa from the beginning of the class. Think about taking that intention and resolve with you as you leave the class and go on with your day.

Start to gently deepen your breath. When ready, gently wriggle your fingers and your toes and then draw your knees in one at a time with your feet on the floor. Gently roll onto your right hand side, resting there for a moment. When ready, gently press yourself up to a comfortable seated position.

Question 27

Extended side angle

Answer 27

Inhale And step your right foot back, wider stance, arms stretching out. You have two options, hands all the way to floor or elbow to your knee.
Ring the right arm up over the head with an inhale keeping it in line with your ear. Shoulders down. Lower left hand down beside left leg. Fill a stretch from the side body.

Question 28

Warrior 2

Answer 28

Turn the left toes towards the left pointing to top of Matt. Angle back right foot 45°. Arms come up to shoulder height. Gays passed left hand, gently bend the left knee, keep it lined up over ankle. Press into pinky toe edge of right foot. Feel extension outward from all fingers.

Question 29

Warrior 3

Answer 29

On next inhale shift weight into front foot. Arms may be lifted overhead, extended two sides, or reaching behind you. Bend front knee and hinge forward at hips, lifting back foot off the floor. Bring leg parallel to the floor in line with Patty. Extend through back for it tells pointing to mat.

Question 30

Reverse warrior

Answer 30

Inhale lien upper body back
Slide left hand down the leg to calf. Right arm raised up stretching behind you. Shoulders away from ears. No weight on your calf. Inhale loosen body. Exhale expand and extend the Stretch. Guys up to right hand.

Question 31

Triangle

Answer 31

From Mountain step feet apart about 3 feet. Both legs straight. Ground feet and lift up through thighs. Look left and form T with your arms. Inhale reach Forward with your left arm. Exhale hinge Forward at the left hip. Lengthens mine over front side. Rotate torso right and left right arm to Skye. Look up towards your left at hand.

Question 32

Plank

Answer 32

Come into a plank chest open, shoulders away from ears and above wrists. Arms shoulder with biceps towards front of Mat. Activate size and glutes. Ground toes. Lengthen your spine. Gaze between hands.

Question 33

Eagle

Answer 33

From Mountain bend both knees. Shift weight onto right foot. Cross left leg over the right. Route down through right foot. Soul or foot planted evenly and firmly. It’s comfortable, wrap right toes around right calf. Extend arms out to sides and cross the right arm over the left. From here rap forearms bringing palms together. Engage core and study your gaze

Question 34

Cobra

Answer 34

Exhale come down to earth hands under shoulders hug elbows in. back legs together and active push through hands for cobra fingertips point towards top of mat. Allow lift to come as a natural movement of spine instead of pushing yourself away from floor.

Question 35

Boat

Answer 35

Come to seated position with knees bent and feet on floor. Hug knees into chest and hold thighs. Roll body weight to tailbone until you feel abdominal muscles activate. Left lower legs up, find your balance. Stay here or straighten the legs. Reach fingertips towards Hills continuing to lift through chest. Soft and shoulders away from ears.

Question 36

Seated forward fold

Answer 36

With legs together in front of you remove flesh under sit bones, inhale and fold from hips as you exhale reaching your toes.

Question 37

Side plank

Answer 37

From plank shift weight into right hand. Bring feet together so inner ankles and thighs touch. Roll to outside of right foot to shift to side plank. Stack feet together or apart. Float left hand towards Skye keeping wrist under shoulders. You may place your left knee/station on ground. Engage core and ground through right hand pushing yourself away from the mat

Question 38

Marichi C

Answer 38

Ring right knee to chest and set foot in inner left thigh. Take a left arm over right knee and take right arm behind you. Inhale Lifts and Exhale and Twist to your right. He’s had passed right shoulder. Spine is tall, gently press left elbow into right knee for 80 per twist

Question 39

Half moon

Answer 39

From warrior to exhale shifting weight forward into right leg. Lean forward and place right hand on mat or black about a foot length in front of right foot. Extend arms towards Skye keeping shoulders in one line. Or bring left hand to left hip. Press into the floor and left back leg. Flex your foot. Toes pointing towards long side of mat

Question 40

Locust

Answer 40

On next inhale bring arms to your side with palms up. Fuck down engage less glutes and core. Lift head and chest. Hold. If this feels OK lift legs.

Question 41

Crescent high Lunge

Answer 41

Inhale bringing right foot forward in between hands. Even hips pointing them towards front of mat. Bring arms up overhead with palms facing each other. Knee above ankle. Lengthen back leg pointing your heel towards the back of the mat.

Question 42

Standing split

Answer 42

Put a bend In right knee and plant Hands. Inhale left leg floating up into standing spot. Press your hands and fingers into the mat. Left foot is flexed even hips.

Question 43

Crescent low lunge

Answer 43

Inhale into low lunge keeping neutral pelvis and torso upright. Exhale. Inhale right foot pressing into ground. She’ll supporting bodyweight. Exhale. Inhale squeeze glutes and lift arms above with palms together. Exhale. Inhale lean back slightly into small backbend. Engage back leg and exhale.

Question 44

Crow

Answer 44

From Garland, inhale palms on floor close to feet. Exhale bend forward. And he’ll move knees onto elbows. Exhale take body onto toes. Inhale and head down. Exhale raise buddy onto elbows.

Question 45

Child’s

Answer 45

Move states bones toward heels and Eli rest on legs. For head on mat and arms by sides.

Question 46

Shoulder stand

Answer 46

From Savasana Bring chest close to face and engage core. Begin to raise hips. With forearms on floor placed palms on small of your back. Using forearms as support, shift weight into shoulder blades. Slowly raise leg towards ceiling. Engage glutes, core, shoulders to keep body and straight line. Point toes. Hold and lower one leg at a time to lower back from starting position.

Question 47

Dolphin

Answer 47

From forearm plank Exhale and Street and legs lifting sit bones up to Skye. A line had between arms and rotate shoulders away from ears and down.

Question 48

Happy baby

Answer 48

Begin on back and hug knees to chest. Hold feet at outer arches. Guide source of feet towards sky so they are flat. Knees pole down to armpits/floor. Inhale press feet up for lightly exhale Draw knees down a little deeper..

Question 49

Wheel

Answer 49

Bring feet flat to match with knees directly above them hip with distance. Place hands flat on mat next to ears with fingers pointing to shoulders and elbows pointing up. Exhale press hands down to lift arms up as you lift hips. Left until crown is off the ground. Draw chest towards back of room. Keep legs parallel and close together. Exhale and release bending into elbows and bringing body back to ground.