When you've attending classes and/or followed video instruction for at least six months, you should have gained sufficient knowledge to create your own routine. It's always smart to start with poses you enjoy and have no trouble performing, as these will be your go-to asanas and will help you to keep that commitment to healthy living you've made.
The poses you select should include forward motion, backward motion, simple back twists, as well as shoulder and hip strengthening. Each pose should take you approximately two minutes to execute, and you should take time to recover in between whenever needed.
Your session should last from sixty to ninety minutes on the average; but it's wise to have a shorter version of about twenty minutes as well for those times when your schedule is more demanding. The intensity of your practice is something you can easily gauge by adding or removing asanas, modifying them to increase or decrease difficulty, and changing the temperature of the room where you practice. Here are the details of how you can get started:
Centering For Breath Awareness
This should be the very first phase of your Yoga practice. Spend five to ten minutes focusing on creating a balance of energy (emotion) at the center of your body by purposeful breathing. Pay attention to how your body responds to inhaling and exhaling, and let go of any tension you may be feeling. Clear your mind of itineraries and agendas; at the moment put your mind to work only on reaching a comfortable place where there is no stress.
Counter Poses
I call counter poses the most important aspect of Yoga because this is how you educate your body to bend, stretch and reach with gracefulness and ease. A counter pose moves the spine in the opposite direction of the previous pose and gives your spinal column a strength-building moment of recovery by returning it to neutral position. Forward movements are perfect counters to back bends, and vice-versa. Following this same line of thought, side bends should always include both left and right.
Warm Up Poses
This is a vital part of your routine that you should never skip. Even when you're creating a shorter, busy-day version there should always be at least a five minute warm up period. These moves increase circulation that literally warms your muscles, making them softer and easier to lengthen during your routine. Joint strength is increased as well, and by taking time to warm up you lessen the possibility of injury or of slowing down any healing process your body may be going through. Your poses can be seated, standing or reclined or any combination. Be sure to include arm, neck and shoulder stretches.
The Central Part of Your Routine
Here is an example of how your self-led routine should be organized. If you keep your asanas grouped in the order given, you'll get the most out of your sessions. Since you're familiar with Yoga, you can make changes that suit your body's ability, your time allowed, and enable you to reach your goals.
2. Standing Poses should be performed next. These will improve your posture and give you excellent body alignment for the rest of your routine.
3. Balancing Poses follow standing, and they improve your sense of how you move and give you the chance to focus on coordination.
4. Back Bends, done according to your own comfort level, should be performed next. These stretch the tension out of your spine and give you yet another chance to release any mental tension.
5. Forward Bends done next are counter to the back bends you just performed and have a calming affect on you body, mind and spirit.
6. Inversions can be added at this point, if you are at that level and have no difficulty with them. These are the best asanas for increasing circulation to the head, face and neck areas, and can bring a marked surge of mental strength.
7. Twists are performed at the end of the practice to further calm the nervous system, rejuvenate the body, and keep the muscles from contracting after cooling down.
The Relaxation Period
The way you end your routine is just as important as how you begin it, and so your relaxation time should last about fifteen minutes for a full-length session, and five minutes for a shorter session. Position yourself in Relaxation Pose (Corpse Pose) and allow your body to soften down into the floor and your mind to reap the benefits of having so much tension lifted from it during your session. It's helpful to visualize white light slowly moving from your head down to your legs and feet; giving you a boost of gentle energy as it goes.
As always, remember safety first, and if you have any difficulties seek professional medical help right away.
