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I have always found it helpful to look at yoga poses in terms of the general category of pose. A typical asana practice moves you through from sitting to standing to balance to forward bends to sitting poses and twists, then resting poses. After you practice enough you can begin to create your own personal vinyasa flow that works the parts of your body that need attention. Let us take a look at the different categories of poses.
1. Sitting poses
Sitting poses calm your mind, body and spirit. That is why many classes start on the floor. In this calm space you can remove stress and fatigue that you hold in your body and mind. You can begin to stretch out and limber up. Kundalini circles is a good starting activity. Pay attention to your body during sitting poses and it can have a positive affect on your blood pressure. These poses help with your second chakra, Svadhisthana, the naval chakra.
Common sitting poses: Vajrasana, Dandasana, Pascimottanasana, Baddha Konasana.
2. Standing poses
Next we stand up. Standing yoga poses support strength and energize your body. Your entire body is fully engaged. Through correct movement and alignment these poses help you become aware of the mechanics of your body. This is beneficial on and off the yoga mat. Standing poses affect the core of your body as they stimulate digestion. They regulate organs. They get energy to move through your body with the use of your breath. I am certain youve heard your yoga teacher say keep breathing it is critical. You increase strength and stamina with standing poses. Plus you gain confidence in your ability to move into more challenging poses. Standing poses develop your leg and hip strength and flexibility. During the flow you increase pelvic mobility. All standing poses help with your Base chakra, the Muladhara. It makes sense because you are solidly holding onto the ground in strength.
Common standing poses: Tadasana, Virabhadrasana, Ukatasana, Uttanasana
3. Balance poses
There are two types of balance poses. Standing balance and hand balance. If you are doing standing poses it is quite natural to flow into some balances. Every balance pose can be used for any level of yoga student. For example, Vrksasana or tree pose, can be done simply standing with arms down. You can also raise your arms; and you can even bend forward towards the floor. Garudasana is a standing balance that involves forward bend and Natarajasana, or Dancer is a standing balance wit a back bend. The second type of balance is hand balance poses. From Chaturangsana, which is usually done early on as part of a sun salutation, to Balasana, which is a forward bend and Purvottanasana, which is a back bend. Balance poses round out a vinyasa flow and are usually done after warming up. Balance boses work your Ajna chakra, the third eye. You are moving towards balance.
Common balance poses: Vrksasana, Garudasana, Natarajasana, Chaturangsana, Bakasana
4. Forward bends
Now you are back on the floor. You are warmed up and the vinyasa is perhaps at the half way point. Forward bends help with introspection and awareness. Even deep forward bends should provide a calmness that allows your mind to rest. I notice that in sitting forward bend, Pascimottanasana, my mind almost immediately slows down. I could meditate in this pose. Obviously, the flexibility of your hamstrings increases by practicing forward bends. Forward bends allow your spine to stretch out in a slow and thoughtful manner. Forward bends are, like sitting poses, good for your navel chakra.
Common forward bends: Pascimottanasana, Janu Sirshasana, Supta Vajrasana
5. Twists
I love twists. . You can feel them as the large muscles of your body fully move. They benefit your entire trunk and your internal organs. Like squeezing a sponge, a twist wrings out the toxins that accumulate in your body. Simple twists relieve upper and lower back aches. They can also help with head aches. You are activating your internal organs. This helps with digestion. You also can get a feeling of well-being as toxins release from your body. Twists add flexibility to your spine and this helps the hips open up and move easier. Yoga instructor Seane Corn does an incredible Detox Flow sequence which uses a number of twists. It is absolutely awesome! Twists activate your Anahata or heart chakra.
Common twists: Adha Matsyendrasana, Chandrasana
6. Backbends
You need to be warmed up before you do most yoga back bends. The exception may be Bidalasana, which is part of cat-cow. This can be an early warm-up that you do on the floor. Backbends open you up and give you a sense of personal freedom and courage. As you open your heart area, the anahata, toward the sky you allow an opening of your body, mind, and spirit. Backbends help create flexibility for the spine. Backbends open up your solar plexus, the Manipura chakra.
Common backbends: Ustrasana, Dhanurasana, Udhva Dhanurasana
7. Inversions
Vinyasa can end with yoga inversions. An inverted pose reverses the action of Earths gravity on your body. If your eyes are open an inversion also gives you a different perspective on life. Perhaps this is why kids love it when their parents hold them upside down. Or the experience you get at an amusement park when you suddenly see the world upside down. Now, instead of blood being pulled down to your feet the shift creates the opposite where blood moves INTO your head. When your heart moves lower then your head it does not have to work as hard to get blood into your brain. When I was a Boy Scout I learned this first-aid que: When pale, lift the tail. When red, lift the head. You become pale when you dont have enough blood circulating through your brain. Most people either stand or sit for a large portion of the day. Not much blood is naturally moving into our brain in these positions. The benefit of an inversion also extends to you on the emotional and psychic level. As everything is upside down it enables an clarification of your old and un-needed patterns of behavior. Inversions are known to reduce anxiety and stress as they increase self-confidence. As they move blood into your brain they also enhance mental power and concentration. In India even average citizens do inversions for extended periods on a daily basis. Inversions are good for your Sahasrara or crown charka.
Common inversions: Halasana, Salamba Sirshasana, Sarvangasana
8. Resting poses
After an inversion you are ready for the floor again. Your chakras are open and you are ready to let spiritual energy move through your body. The common ending to a yoga class is Savasana or corpse pose. Any resting pose will do. Even sitting in lotus. The idea is that after a vigorous vinyasa you have worked your body. The energy and clarity that you achieve can now be used for meditation and insight. It is a double edged sword really because sometimes you do such a vigorous practice, like with Power Yoga, that you are actually so energized, so awake, that you now have to calm down again to meditate.
Common resting pose: Savasana, Bupta Vajrasana, Apanasana
