Keeping Healthy Simple

Introduction to Yoga Series

Discover a love of yoga in this six-week series designed for beginners to yoga. Each section introduces yoga poses and breathing to build your strength, flexibility, balance, and confidence. There is also a vinyasa flow that builds with each week’s new poses.

The fine print.

  1. It is recommended to obtain exercise clearance from a physician if there is need to do so. You can take the online PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Quiz) test for an assessment of your need.
  2. Activities, like yoga, involve inherent risks, including risk of personal injury. By engaging with this series, you agree that you are fully aware of the risk and hereby release Keeping Healthy Simple and it’s domain owners from any and all liability, negligence, or other claims arising from, or connected with your participation.

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Intro to Yoga Series – Class 1: Sun Salutation A

Poses include child’s pose, tabletop, cat/cow, forward fold and halfway lift, mountain and extended mountain, step up and step back, plank, modified chaturanga, low cobra, downward facing dog. The vinyasa is Sun Salutation A and you begin to practice Ujjayi breath.

Grab your mat, a couple of blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Ujjayi Breath

Learning new poses can be a challenge, leading to shallow, choppy breath. The deep, slow, even, audible breath called Ujjayi is paired with movement. It can help you to stay present and focused, especially when poses become hard to maintain. It will be difficult to find and to maintain at first and you will forget about. This is normal. Just return to it when you notice. How to do Ujjayi breath.

Poses

There is Yoga Pose Directory by Yoga Renew. Scroll down to find an alphabetized list of poses. Beginners can check this out to learn the poses. More experienced yogis can also use the Directory to check on their form.

  • Child’s Pose
  • Cat/Cow
  • Forward Fold – Halfway Lift
  • Mountain – Extended Mountain
  • Stepping Back – Stepping Up
  • Plank
  • Lower Down (Beginning Pose for Chaturanga)
  • Down Dog

Flow Sun A with Ujjayi Breath

Time to flow and put it all together!

  • Mountain
  • Extended Mountain – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Halfway Lift – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Step Right Leg Back – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • Plank – Inhale
  • Lower Down – Exhale
  • Low Cobra – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • Step Right Leg Up – Inhale
  • Mountain pose – breathe
  • Repeat leading with Left Leg
  • Core: Dead Bug
  • Shoulder Opening: I and Y arms
  • End in Savasana

This week work on:

  • All poses learned so far after dynamic warm up.
  • Core strength with Low Plank and/or Dead Bug (protect lower back with flat hands under buttocks and only moving legs, also have option to keep knees bent and toe-tap the floor).
  • Gluts: Side-lying clamshell or standing outer leg lift to side and diagonally back.
  • Upper back: Scapular retractions.
  • Shoulder opening with Y and T arms.

Intro to Yoga Series – Class 2: Warrior Poses

Poses include Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle, Warrior 1, Chair Pose, Low Crescent Lunge, Rag Doll, and 3-Legged Dog. The vinyasa is Sun Salutation A with the addition of these poses. Continue to practice movement with Ujjayi breath and incorporate a Drishti gaze.

You can get information on how to do the poses with this Yoga Pose Directory from Yoga Renew. Grab a mat, 2 blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Drishti Gaze

Drishti is a method of choosing a focal point and un-focusing the eyes by “looking through” that point. It’s kind of like those Magic Eye hidden image posters from back in the day. Try this one if you don’t remember!

Drishti is used to deepen concentration and mental focus (to be fully in the pose and stop any comparison or judgment), while helping with poses and balance.

The Story Behind Warrior Poses

The Warrior Poses have a bit of a tragic story behind them; but don’t worry it all works out in the end. The warrior is manifested by a heartbroken husband to avenge his wife’s spontaneous combustion.

Warrior 1 is the warrior coming from underground to the earth’s surface with swords raised. Warrior 2 is the warrior cutting off the wife’s father’s head. Warrior 3 is placing the head on a stake.

Poses

  • Warrior 2
  • Extended Side Angle (with forearm on thigh)
  • Warrior 1
  • Chair (with block between knees if needed)
  • Low Crescent Lunge (use 2 blocks)
  • RagDoll
  • 3-Legged Dog

Flow Sun A + Class 2 Poses, Ujjayi, and Drishti

Time to flow and put it all together! New poses are bolded.

  • Mountain
  • Extended Mountain – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Rag Doll – Breathe
  • Halfway Lift – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Step Right Leg Back – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • Plank – Inhale
  • Lower Down – Exhale
  • Low Cobra – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • 3-Legged Dog Right Leg – Inhale
  • Step Right Leg Up – Exhale
  • Warrior 2 – Inhale (breathe)
  • Extended Side Angle – Exhale (breathe)
  • Warrior 2 – Inhale (breathe)
  • Warrior 1 – Inhale (breathe)
  • Step Right Leg up to Mountain Pose – Inhale
  • Chair Pose – Exhale
  • Mountain Pose – Inhale
  • Step back with Right Leg – Exhale
  • Crescent Lunge – Inhale (breathe)
  • Step Right Leg up into Forward Fold – Halfway Lift – Forward Fold – Mountain
  • Repeat from beginning with LEFT LEG
  • Core: Dead Bug
  • Shoulder Opening: I and Y arms
  • Savasana

This week work on:

  • All poses learned so far after dynamic warm up.
  • Core strength with Low Plank and/or Dead Bug (protect lower back with flat hands under buttocks and only moving legs, also have option to keep knees bent and toe-tap the floor).
  • Gluts: Side-lying clamshell or standing outer leg lift to side and diagonally back.
  • Upper back: Scapular retractions.
  • Shoulder opening with Y and T arms.

Intro to Yoga Series – Class 3: Balance Poses

Poses include Standing Knee Lift (Front then side), Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, Airplane Pose, and Warrior 3. The vinyasa is Sun Salutation A with the addition of these poses. Continue to practice movement with Ujjayi breath and incorporate a Drishti gaze.

We will also reflect on the Chinese Bamboo Story and how you can relate that to your yoga practice (and balance poses!).

You can get information on how to do the poses with this Yoga Pose Directory from Yoga Renew. Grab a mat, 2 blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Balance: The Chinese Bamboo Story

Planting: A farmer plants Chinese bamboo seeds, then waters, fertilizes, and cares for them every day…

Waiting: The first 4 years, nothing visible happens and people mock the farmer for wasting time…

Breakthrough: In the fifth year, the bamboo suddenly sprouts and grows a whopping 80-100 feet in weeks!

Roots: Even though it appeared the tree wasn’t doing anything, it was building a massive, complex underground root system to support its sudden explosive growth.

Lesson: Success requires deep foundational work and patience, even when your hard work does not show immediate external results.

How Does This Story Relate to Yoga?

Planting seeds: This is your Ujjayi breath and your Drishti gaze.

Waiting: We all want to be good at the things we do, so the waiting is all about working at your pace with your body. The pose and perfect alignment are not the goals of yoga.

Initially, you may find yoga difficult, uncomfortable, and new (it should never hurt!). With balance poses, your standing leg may talk back to you. Take breaks to shake out your legs and switch your standing leg.

Rooting: The rooting comes from grounding down through your standing foot; activating your legs, core, hands, and feet; and allowing time for your legs to develop the strength to comfortably support your weight on one foot.

Breakthrough: Yoga poses gets easier and, dare I say, fun!

Lesson: Be like bamboo.

  • Have patience. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
  • Let yourself sway and recover as bamboo does in the wind.

Poses

Use your blocks!

  • Standing Knee Lift (Variation of Hand to Foot A and B poses with lifted knee bent)
  • Tree Pose
  • Eagle Pose (Can do with elbows and palms together).
  • Airplane Pose
  • Warrior 3

Flow Sun A + Class 3 Poses, Ujjayi, and Drishti

Time to flow and put it all together! New poses are bolded.

  • Mountain
  • Extended Mountain – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Rag Doll – breathe
  • Halfway Lift – Inhale
  • Forward Fold – Exhale
  • Step Back R leg – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • Plank – Inhale
  • Lower Down/Chaturanga – Exhale
  • Low Cobra – Inhale
  • Down Dog – Exhale
  • 3-Legged Dog – Inhale
  • Step up R leg – Exhale
  • Warrior 2 – Inhale – Exhale
  • Warrior 1 – Inhale – Exhale
  • Crescent Lunge – Inhale – Exhale
  • Step up to front of mat, prayer hands – Inhale
  • Chair – Exhale. Rise up – Inhale.
  • Eagle Pose Legs (Exhale) then arms (Inhale). Release Eagle (Exhale)
  • Airplane – Inhale. Release Airplane – Exhale
  • Standing Knee Lift, Front – Inhale
  • Knee to side, extend arm – Exhale
  • Gaze towards lifted leg – Inhale
  • Tree Pose – Exhale
  • Release into Mountain Pose
  • Repeat from beginning with LEFT LEG

This week work on:

  • All poses learned so far after dynamic warm up.
  • Core strength with Low Plank and/or Dead Bug (protect lower back with flat hands under buttocks and only moving legs, also have option to keep knees bent and toe-tap the floor).
  • Gluts: Side-lying clamshell or standing outer leg lift to side and diagonally back.
  • Upper back: Scapular retractions.
  • Shoulder opening with Y and T arms.

Intro to Yoga Series – Class 4: Ease

Poses include triangle pose, pyramid pose, high/low boat pose, and waterfall. The vinyasa is builds on the Class 3 flow and adds these poses. Continue to practice movement with Ujjayi breath and incorporate a Drishti gaze.

We will also reflect on the Ease and and it relates to your yoga practice.

You can get information on how to do the poses with this Yoga Pose Directory from Yoga Renew. Grab a mat, 2 blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Ease

Ease has a few definitions; we focus on 2 of them.

First

  • Ease means making something less serious
  • Today, smile and bring playfulness to practice.
  • Be curious, not judgmental,about your body’s abilities.
  • Avoid comparison to past your practice or other people’s practice.

Second

  • Ease means making something less severe.
  • Don’t try too hard. When we do this, we lose balance on the mat and in life.
  • Bring mellowness to your mat by taking rests as you need to and by not forcing the poses. Stop where your still feel comfortable.

Poses

Use your blocks!

  • Triangle
  • Pyramid
  • Boat
  • Waterfall

Class 4 Flow

Time to flow and put it all together! New poses are bolded.

Warm Up

  • Modified savasana (knees bent, feet on floor)
  • Bring knees to chest and circle them L then R
  • Feet and knees wide, windshield wiper legs with T-arms
  • Cobbler’s pose with Y-arms
  • Feet wide, knees together, I-arms
  • Supine (on your back) plank, ankle and wrist rotations
  • Rock and Roll 3x and land in an easy seat
  • Staff pose with bend in knees or a blanket under knees
  • Lift chest, shift forward for a hamstring stretch (3x)
  • Easy seat

Flow

  • Mountain to Extended Mountain
  • Forward Fold for Rag Doll
  • Halfway Lift
  • Forward Fold
  • Step Back RIGHT LEG leads to Down Dog
  • Plank
  • Lower Down
  • Low Cobra
  • Down Dog
  • 3-Legged Dog
  • Step up RIGHT LEG leads
  • Mountain pose
  • Repeat with LEFT LEG leading
  • Option: repeat 2-3 more times ending in mountain pose
  • Warrior 2
  • Triangle
  • Warrior 1
  • Pyramid
  • Crescent Lunge
  • Step up to front of mat
  • Chair with prayer hands
  • Eagle, legs then arms
  • Airplane
  • Standing Knee Lift with knee front then open to side
  • Tree
  • Mountain
  • Repeat LEFT LEG
  • Option: repeat 2-3 times
  • Easy Seat with scapula Squeezes
  • Boat
  • Side-Lying Clamshells 10x on each side
  • Supine (on back) Cobbler’s Pose, Y-arms
  • Supine Spinal Twist (right then left) w/ T arms
  • Waterfall
  • Savasana

This week work on:

  • All poses learned so far after dynamic warm up.
  • Core strength with Low Plank and/or Dead Bug (protect lower back with flat hands under buttocks and only moving legs, also have option to keep knees bent and toe-tap the floor).
  • Gluts: Side-lying clamshell or standing outer leg lift to side and diagonally back.
  • Upper back: Scapular retractions.
  • Shoulder opening with Y and T arms.

Intro to Yoga Series – Class 5

Poses include Locust, Sphinx, Bridge, Cobbler’s pose, Happy Baby, and supine Spinal Twist. The vinyasa is builds on the Class 4 flow and adds these poses. Continue to practice movement with Ujjayi breath and incorporate a Drishti gaze.

Poses

You can get information on how to do the poses with this Yoga Pose Directory from Yoga Renew. Grab a mat, 2 blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Use your blocks for Triangle and Pyramid to bring the floor up to you.

  • Triangle
  • Pyramid
  • Boat
  • Supine Spinal Twist
  • Waterfall

Class 5 Flow

Time to flow and put it all together! New poses are bolded.

Warm Up

  • Child’s Pose
  • Tabletop Pose
  • Cat/Cow
  • Balancing Table
  • Low Lunge
  • Mountain
  • Grab R wrist to lean left (repeat other side)T-arms, palms up, twist right (repeat on L)
  • Goal Post Arms w/ Slight Backbend
  • Forward Fold
  • Rag Doll
  • Halfway Lift
  • Forward Fold
  • Mountain

Flow

  • Mountain
  • Step back with L leg and land in Warrior 2
  • Extended Side Angle
  • Chair
  • Eagle (R leg over, R arm over)
  • Tree
  • Forward Fold
  • Sphinx
  • Plank
  • Mountain (Repeat sequence on L side)
  • Peace Fingers around toes
  • Gorilla Pose
  • Locust – 3x w/ 10 count
  • Seated Cobbler (counteract locust w/ round back)
  • Boat – 3x w/ 10 count
  • Bridge Pose – 3x w/ 10 count
  • Happy Baby
  • Supine Spinal Twist w/ T arms
  • Waterfall
  • Savasana

Intro to Yoga Series – Class 6

Poses

You can get information on how to do the poses with this Yoga Pose Directory from Yoga Renew. Grab a mat, 2 blocks, a blanket or folded towel for padding, and let’s go!

Use a strap (or dog leash) around your feet for seated folds.

  • Thunderbolt Pose
  • Seated Double Leg Forward Fold
  • Seated Single Leg Extension
  • Supine Reclined Pigeon (90-90)
  • Half Pigeon
  • Modified Side Plank

Class 6 Flow

Time to flow and put it all together! New poses are bolded.

Warm Up

  • Child’s Pose
  • Tabletop Pose
  • Cat/Cow
  • Balancing Table
  • Low Lunge
  • Mountain
  • Grab R wrist to lean left (repeat other side)T-arms, palms up, twist right (repeat on L)
  • Goal Post Arms w/ Slight Backbend
  • Forward Fold
  • Rag Doll
  • Halfway Lift
  • Forward Fold
  • Mountain

Flow

  • Mountain
  • Step back with L leg and land in Warrior 2
  • Extended Side Angle
  • Chair
  • Standing Knee Lift R leg lifts front then open to side
  • Tree
  • Mountain
  • (Repeat sequence on L side)
  • Rag Doll or Peace Fingers around toes
  • Step Back and lower down to Locust – 3x w/ 10 count
  • Thunderbolt (round back – counteract Locust)
  • Plank – Side Plank R – Plank – Side Plank L
  • Bridge Pose – 3x w/ 10 count
  • Knees to Chest (counteract bridge)
  • Seated Single Leg Extension
  • Seated Forward Fold
  • Supine Reclined Pigeon
  • Supine Spinal Twist w/ T arms
  • Waterfall
  • Savasana