A 10-Pose Yoga Sequence To Balance Your Whole Body

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt adapted from Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom by Colleen Saidman Yee. Atria Paperback Books.

In this sequence we are incorporating all categories of poses; we are trying to find balance between forward bends and backbends, closed twists, and open twists, inhalation and exhalation, internal rotation and external rotation — all of which are the balance of downward wind (apana), and upward wind (prana).

We practice the subtlety of relationships by keeping the recessive action alive while engaged in the dominant action.

From a tabletop position, tuck your toes and pull your thighs strongly back. Straighten your arms. If you can’t straighten the arms, then bend your knees.

Draw yourself forward into a plank position and lower slowly to your belly. Place your hands on either side of your body a few inches below your shoulders. Ground through the tops of your feet and pull your chest forward. Begin to straighten your arms and exhale to lower.

Take a giant step open to the right. Turn you left toes in 15 degrees and your right toes out 90 degrees. Reach your arms parallel to the floor. As you exhale place your right hand on a block on the outside of your right foot. If you don’t have a block, place your hand on your ankle.

Turn your left toes in 45 degrees and your right toes out 90 degrees. Turn and face your right leg. Reach your left arm up alongside of your ear as you inhale. With as exhalation, place your left hand to the outside of the right foot on a block.

Ground your back heel firmly into the ground and lift your right arm toward the ceiling as an extension of the bottom arm and twist from the back heel through the crown of the head. Stay for five breaths. Come up. Turn your feet parallel and change sides. (Left side is pictured.)

On an inhale, draw yourself forward into a plank, then shift your weight onto your straight right arm and the outside of your right foot, stacking the left foot on top or your right. Exhale to extend your left hand toward the sky.

Lower to your knees and swing your feet long in front of you. Fold your right leg deeply and open the knee out to the side. Spread your legs 100 degrees wide. Drop your left shoulder to the inside of your left thigh and reach your right arm up alongside of your ear.

Come to a squat with your feet together and your knees wide. Draw your hands together in a prayer at your heart and use your elbows to press into the inner edges of the knees as you continue grounding through your heels.

Spread your legs wide, press your legs into the ground and reach through your heels. Walk your hands forward any amount. Don't force or strain at all.

As you exhale, fold yourself forward creating an elongation of the waist. Don’t go to your max. If your hamstrings are tight, then sit up on a blanket. Hold for 10 breaths.