Bringing Your Practice Home

Many yogis don't practice at home because they simply don't know where to start. Here's how to create sequences that will keep you engaged, curious, and dedicated.

By Judith Hanson Lasater

The second kind of knowledge necessary for creating a home practice is an understanding of the principles behind sequencing yoga poses. Once you know what type of practice you want for today, you need to decide the order in which you'll do those asanas. But before you can understand the effect a pose has in relationship to others, you must first become aware of the effects of the individual poses on your body and mind. Then you will better understand where exactly to place each asana in your sequence.

One way to increase your understanding of a pose's effects is to hold it longer than you usually would-say by counting breaths and gradually, over a period of days, increasing the number of breaths as you hold the pose. If you do this, it may become more clear to you, for example, that backbends tire your arms quickly. Thus, you may decide to focus more on arm strengthening in your practice sessions and remember to follow backbends with poses that do not additionally challenge your already tired arms. Another way to observe the effect that a pose has on you is to practice it and then lie quietly for a moment, eyes closed, paying attention to all the sensations that arise in your body. The more clear you are about the effects of a pose, the more understanding you will have about exactly where to include it in your practice, as well as what might beneficially follow it.

The Basic Pose Groups

To begin to create effective asana sequences you enjoy, keep in mind that yoga poses fall into several groups. These groups are analogous to food groups. Most nutritionists will agree that health comes from balancing our intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. And any particular person's needs for one of these groups may be different at different times. Pregnant women, for example, have an increased need for protein; other people may do well limiting certain forms of carbohydrates. But to be healthy, we all need some of all these kinds of nutrients.

A similar balance is necessary in asana practice as well. On a certain day you may need more of one particular type of pose, but generally you need some of all of the basic types of poses. Here are the basic groupings of asanas. The first group is called standing poses and includes many poses, like Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose), the various Virabhadrasanas (Warrior Poses), and Vrksasana (Tree Pose), as well as other one-legged balancing poses. I also place Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation) in this group.

The arm balances are a relatively small group of poses that require both balance and strength. They include such poses as Bakasana (Crane Pose), Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose), and Vasisthasana (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Vasistha). I also include in this group other poses that require arm strength, like Plank Pose and Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose).

The next group of poses is inversions, which draw on the vertical power associated with standing poses as well as the upper body strength needed for arm balances. Inversions include Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), Sirsasana (Headstand), and Halasana (Plow Pose), of course, but also Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance), and others. Inversions are considered by many yogis to be at the core of asana practice. However as these powerful, satisfying poses can cause injury if performed incorrectly or when you have contraindicative health conditions (including menstruation, pregnancy, high blood pressure, and glaucoma), I strongly advise you to learn them directly from a qualified teacher who is able to guide you personally.

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