Village Hot Yoga Flashcards
Learn Verbal instructions for poses. Instructions with counter & complimentary instruction. Use one image with each pose.
Child’s Pose
Feel most of your weight of your torso drape over your legs as your neck and head rest easily. Adjust the distance between your legs so your weight falls back toward your heels.
- Stretch side body long and press more into your heels and hips.
- Play with the position until you find total ease and then give yourself to it completely.
Crescent B
Lengthen deep into hip flexor
Half Splits
Drag heel back
Virabhadrasana 2
- Search for greater contact with your back foot, and from that grounding, bend your front knee to 90 degrees. Pump the energy up your legs from the arches of your fee, and let this upward force surge through your hips into the your spine. Allow the strong reach of your back arm to draw your upper torso over your back leg.
- Press down into outer edge of back heel keep that and *Move the front thigh parallel to the mat.
- Take the inner thigh of the back leg up
- Move the outer edge of the front leg down towards the earth.
- Your back leg is your home, so let it be the source of your mindfulness and supprt.
Chair Pose
Thunderbolt
Sit as if you were sitting into a chair
Press into your heels
Cat Cow.
Shins press down, raise your sitting bones and arch your lower back while you extend your armpits and chest forward. With your hands pressing drop your tailbone and your belly hollows
Crescent Warrior
Engage muscularly
Half Moon (Standing)
- Toes and heels touching
- Reaching arms up overhead, interlacing all 10 fingers, releasing the index fingers and crossing thumbs.
- Straightening arms completely, locking the elbows, reaching fingertips for the ceiling, pressing arms against the ears.
- Eyes focused forward, chin is lifted away from the chest.
- Pushing hips to the left and reaching arms up and over to the right.
- Whole body faces forward, stretching the upper body to the right, and simultaneously pressing the hips to the left-creating a beautiful stretching sensation on the left side of the body.
- After 60 seconds come up to center position keeping fingertips reaching for the ceiling, stretching upward and reacing arms to the left while pressing the hips to the right.
- Remmeber to tell beginners to lift chin and lock out elbows.
Awkward 1
- Stand with your feet 6 inches apart (two fists)
- Raise arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, palms don and fingers together.
- Keeping heels flat on the floor, exhale completely and sit down as deeply as you can (as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair bebind you) working thighs parallel to the floor.
- Keeping weight in the heels, lifting the chest away from the thighs and leaning upper body backward while stretching fingertips toward the mirror in front of you.
Awkward 2
- Come up slowly with arms in the same position and keep going, raising all the way up onto the toes-locking your knees and squeezing thigh muscles.
- Begin to bend the knees-keeping the heels lifted-sitting down again, spine straight, back flat and stomach sucked in until thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Heels stay as high off the ground as possible, slowly bring it back up to standing, high up on tippy toes then drop heels down.
Eagle
- Feet together, extend arms up overhead, cross the R arm underneath the left-Keepting the knees bent-lift the right leg high up and over the left.
- Twisting the arms together like ropes, forearms interwined in front of you with no dylight between them.
- Keeping your head up, still facing forward try to pull elbows down toward your chest so your fingertips go below your nose.
- Just like the arms, calves are wrapped around each other, tight like ropes sinking down deeper on the standing leg-leaning the upper body back and squeezing the knees, ankles and thighs.
- Unwind through flying eagles-bringing it back to utkatasana reaching arms up overhead and swinging the L Arm under the right and lifting the L leg high up and over the right.
Warrior 3
Standing leg strong
Standing Head to Knee
- Stand upright, feet together, shift the weight into the left foot-focus on lifting your kneecap towards your quadriceps
- Lift the right kee-hip level-ankle, knee, and hip are aligned -creating an upside down L shape with your leg.
- Interlace fingers just below right kneecap on top of right shin.
- ONLY for those students that have a grip on their foot, after the first 30 seconds of the pose, can begin to extend the leg so that it is exactly parallel to the floor and straighten the leg.
- Flexing your foot so that the toes are facing you, simultaneously pushing the heel away from the hip.
- Once both legs are straight (forming a 90 degree angle) lock out both arms and lift the chest.
- Bend the elbows, pointing elbows towars the floor, once the elbows drop below the calf muscles, tuck the chin towards your chest and round your forehead to kneecap.
- Slowly reverse out of the pose same way you went into it-same thing left side.
Standing Bow
- Lock out the standing right leg
- Bend your left leg at the knee and reach behind you with yoiur left hand and grip the foot from the inside around the ankle.
- The sole of the foot faces up and the right kneecap faces the floor.
- Raising the left arm straight up, fingers reaching for the ceiling, bringing the knees together and stretching up as far as possible.
- Keeping the whole torso and your extended arm in one piece, your upper body moves forward from the hips to the fingertips, until the abdomen is parallel to the floor.
- Simultaneously stretching forward with the arm and kicking with the leg.
- Focusing on your reflection in the mirror, notice if the kicking leg is rotating externally to the side. It should be invisible and behind your body. The lifted arm stays alongside your head.
Balancing Stick
Extend like a capital letter T
Tree
- Root down through all 4 corners of the standing leg.
- Focus eyes on a spot that is not moving. Lifting the leg and finding balance on the standing leg.
- Reach down with both hands and grab the lifted foot and bring it as high as you can on the front of your left thigh or hip .
- Ideally the outside of the right foot is the part making contact with the upper leg, not the sole.
- Standing tall, pushing both hips forward, try to move the right knee downward and back toward the wall behind you. Ultimately it is aligned with the other knee.
- Lifting your chest so that your back is nice and straight and strong, hands to heart center.
Folding Forehead to Knee
- Arms reach up overhead, press the palms and cross the thumbs.
- Tuck your chin towards your chest and round your forehead to your kneecap.
- The outside edges of the pinky fingers press against the floor in front of your foot, with the arms and elbows straight and strong.
- The hips are square and parallel to your mat.
- Gazing to the navel point, hollowing out the belly and rounding the back.
- Bend your front leg enough to get your head to the knee and choke the throat.
- The benefit of this pose is in the compression (activating the thyroid gland) created when the forehead rounds to the kneecap, therefore the emphasis is keeping the forehead to the kneecap and bending the knee as much as needed to keep this connection.
- Reverse out of it the same way you went into it-stacking each and every vertabrae of the spine as you roll up.
Virabhadrasana 1
- Bend your front leg either toward or to 90 degrees while maintaining the grounding of your back heel.
- Feel your spine emerging from your back leg into a graceful arch.
- Lengthen your lower back by moving your sitting bones and tailbone down toward the ground as your back lower ribs rise up.
- Use your arms to support the opening of your heart.
- A WONDERFUL ARC OF EQUANIMITY FROM YOUR HEELS TO YOUR FINGERTIPS.
Triangle
Two straight legs
Ardha Chandrasana
Extend your back leg vigorously and let it be the source of your orientation. The sensitivity of your feet gives you the necessary feedback to continue to balance. Slowly take your body more and more into one plane-as if you were pressed between two sheets of glass.
*Broaden your chest from the expanse of the wings of your outstretched arms.
Parsvottanasana
Feel the triangular shape of your legs as they evenly carry your torso’s weight. Let your front body extend to its full length.
Bring the hips to even by moving the one hip back.
Uttiha Hasta Padagusthasana (Big Toe Grab)
Standing leg must be straight or bend your extended leg
Cobra
Lift with your back and not with the hands
Flying Locust
- Lying on the stomach, extend both arms out to the sides, palms facing down.
- Keeping legs together, pointing your toes, engaging the muscles around the legs, and hip area.
- inhaling, raising your head and chin off the floor in one movement raise both arms, legs and entire torso off the mat.
- Arms are lifting and moving backward slightly-just like airplane wings.
- Fingertips level with the top of your head and palms parallel to the floor.
Bow
- Bending knees behind you, lowering heels towards your hips.
- Reaching hands back and taking a hold of the outside edges of your feet or ankles, keeping all 5 fingers together.
- Pointing toes, lifting the thighs off the mat-using the strength of the lower body to lift the upper body.
- Kicking both feet backward and upward will help lift the lower body even more off the floor.
- Lift your thighs strongly upward and into your hamstrings.
- As they lift, your arms will extend further as if they were the string of a bow.
Hero
Shins stay on the mat
Camel
- Kneeling knees and feet are 6 inches apart.
- Placing hands on your hips, fingers pointing down towards your heels, thumbs to the outside.
- Using your hands to support your lower back, slowly bend torso backward as far as you can while breathing comfortably.
- Keeping hips pressing forward, reach right hand for the right heel and left hand for the left heel.
- Slowly and gently reverse out of the pose with same step by step process as you went in.
- If reaching the hands for the heels compromises the forward motion of the hips then keep the hands to hips and continue to press forward.
Rabbit
Sitting with hips on your heels, knees and feet together.
- Reaching back, cupping heels with your hands.
- Lifting the crown of the head to the ceiling, look towrd belly button, ticking chin toward chest and rounding forehead to your kneecaps.
- The top of your head is touching your mat-if there is space between the forehead and kneecaps, walk kneecaps to meet your forehead.
- Continue to lift the hips away from the heels, pulling on your heels with your hands.
- Let your body roll froward-allowing the tension between your heels and arms to hold up the majority of your body weight-instead of pressuring head and neck
Pigeon
Extend
Janu Sirsasana
*Lead with your sternum
Baddha Konasana or Uppavista Konasana
- Bring your attention to your grounded legs as you slowly bend your body forward like bamboo in a heavy wind, staying intensely rooted to the earth while your head and body soften.
- KEEP PINPOINTING THE AREAS OF RESISTANCE AND KNOWING THAT WITH TIME AND PRACTICE YOU CAN TURN THIS POSE INTO ONE THAT IS ENJOYABLE AND SOOTHING.
Passchimottanasana
- Extend both legs straight out in front of you.
- Make space in the sitting bones.
- Inhaling, reaching both arms up overhead and exhaling folding forward.
- Taking a hold o fyour big toes with yoru pointer and middle fingers, palms facing each other.
- Chest up and back flat, using the strength of the legs to pull the upper body forward.
Halasana
Inversion beneficial
Shoulder Stand or Sarvagasana
Need
Karnapiedasana
Drop knees around ears and squuze
Savasana
Find your self
Hands to feet pose
- Bend forward from the hips and bending the knees as much as needed inorder to reach hands to feet.
- Bending as much as needed to reach hands back and hold onto the heels with the hands-thumbs and forefingers touching your mat.
- Bending the elbows and pressing forearms completely against the back of your calves and ultimately getting the elbows to touch behind the calf muscles.
- Stretching the body as much as possible toward the floor and laying the stomach on the tops of the thighs and placing the chest on the knees so that no gaps are visible form the side.
- Face is against the legs somewhere below the knees and eyes are wide open.
- Gently pressing the knees back, keeping the upper and lower bodies glued together, straightening the legs as much as possible.
- Body wight shifts forward on the toes, pulling your heels and lifting hips toward the ceiling.
Reclined Thigh over thigh twist
On your inhalation feel the natural arch of your lower back pulsing open int the expanse of your chest. The outreach of your arms furthers the twist.
- Some areas will be difficult to twist, while others are fluid. Mindfully walk from your tailbone to the crown of your head, observing how to create equanimity throughout your spine.
- Breathe into your pelvis and exhale through your upper chest.
- OBSERVATION - the secret of dossolving the subtle tensions of the body and the mind.
Uttanasana
As you deepen and drop your groins backward, fold your pelvis over your thighs and cascade your spine over your legs. As your fee plant themselves, let your legs draw energy up from the earth like the vibrant trunk of a tree. Pelvis liquid, spine flowing , neck and head giving.
- Breathe into the broadness of your hamstrings, and search for balance between front and back.
- FROM THE STURDINESS OF THE LEGS-FLOW THE LIQUID SPINE
WISDOM WORDS
- Let your breath be the thread-that weaves your mind and body together.
- Stay in the configuration you achieve with struggle, but let go of the struggle.
- Repetition and ease will allow you to deepen the pose far more profoundly than force and strain. So soften your determination and deepen your observation. Let the difficulties course through your body-don’t hold onto them.
We use most of our energy holding up the illusion of control- its fictitious and tiring.
*The opening of your body will respond to gentleness, attention, and your breath. If you are pushing too hard-your mental body becomes like a sword instead of a cloud.
Instructions to Students
Inquire on 1st timers to heated yoga
Describe class to students: ( It is a sequence of static and flow transitions at a heated temperature). The heat assists in opening your body up by warming it up. There is a detoxifying effect that comes from the sweating. It can be a difficult practice and requires mental discipline as well as patience.
You are stronger and more capable than you may know.
Practice with Purpose
Breath in Inspriration Exhale Surrender
Instructions for Teacher
Dialogue to include breath, discipline actions, counter actions.
Count down time and tell them when they are halfway there.
Use Thesaurus
Stand Tall and own the Room!
Thoughtforms and positive affirmations
Opening Dialogue
Visualize and imagine the perfect day. What is it like? How does it feel? Open your senses, can you taste it, can you smell it? What is it that makes this day so special? Can you not choose to have this day right now if you truly wanted? Try it. Decide that today is going to be a perfect day no matter what else happens around you, no matter anything else, YOU through your decision will choose to be Happy and Joyful for today. With Great Gratitude and Thankfulness for today - begin to elongate & stretch out even further. Practice smiling today
Opening Dialogue 2
This may be hard it may be difficult but let it be enjoyable for you. Let it touch you inside and have fun with it. Definitely do not worry about the pose just know that you are here to practice and to receive the benefits of the practice so let’s get started
