Basic Asana Cycle #1/Week #3 (Fundamentals)

Level: Fundamentals
Theme: Engaging abs, revolving trunk, opening chest

This is the third in our 4-week cycle of basic yoga poses.

The general theme of this sequence is twisting. The most important thing in a revolved pose is to keep the trunk as balanced as possible. If you do not take special care to maintain a balanced trunk, the twisting action will cause one side to shorten as the oblique abdominal muscles engage, pulling the chest down and distorting the spine. The net result will not be the desired revolving around your central axis, but a distorted and uneven slump. The other thing to watch out for is the pelvis. Without proper gounding, the pelvis will turn and the hips will become uneven. This means you will be losing the bottom part of the twist. A well-executed revolved pose will engage and tone all the muscles of the trunk and abdomen and will stimulate all of the vertebrae and their relevant muscles and nerves in a largely balanced fashion. In addition, it is important also to throw in the occasional symmetrical pose to even out the inevitable imbalances that come from our generally asymmetrical frames.

Click here for a fully illustrated, printable PDF of the sequence.

The Sequence

Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose)
Parvatasana in Vajrasana (Mountain in Thunderbolt Pose)
Parshva Vajrasana (Side Thunderbolt Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Parshvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III)
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose)
Utthita Marichyasana (Extended Marichi's Pose)
Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
Malasana (Garland Pose)
Adho Mukha Marichyasana (Downward Facing Marichi's Pose)
Marichyasana I (Marichi's Pose I)
Marichyasana III (Marichi's Pose III)
Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose)
Salamba Sarvangasana I (Shoulder Stand I)
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose)
Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

Click here for a fully illustrated, printable PDF of the sequence.