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This comprehensive vinyasa flow draws on flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. It would open your shoulders, expand your chest, explore deep hip opening, and have interaction your core through strong standing poses. It would also push you slightly out of your comfort zone.

What makes the category unique is the creative spin it puts on traditional poses. You may already be accustomed to Warrior 3 or Standing Split, but on this sequence, we’ll practice them with our arms clasped behind our backs.

The thought behind these variations is to encourage you to revisit familiar poses from a distinct perspective, as if you happen to were experiencing them for the primary time. As a teacher, I know the way easy it’s to fall into the routine of performing poses on autopilot, forgetting how they felt once we were beginners. By adding unique approaches to standard poses, it might probably be easier to tap into that beginner’s mindset and truly feel each pose, even if you happen to’ve practiced them a thousand times.

A 30-Minute Full-Body Flow

No props are needed for this session, although if you’ve got them at home, keep them close by and reach for them as needed.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Child’s Pose with Prayer Hands

Start in Child’s Pose. You may bring your big toes to the touch or as close to 1 one other as is comfortable, keeping your arms prolonged in front of you. For a deeper shoulder stretch, bring your palms in your mat, bend your elbows, and convey your thumbs toward the back of your neck. Calm down your heart toward the ground and connect with the rhythm of your breath. Let go of any thoughts or concerns out of your day.

Consider setting an intention on your practice. It could possibly be so simple as a single word that captures how you need to feel or something else that you need to give attention to.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Tabletop With Shoulder Activation

Inhale, straighten your arms, and transition to a Tabletop position along with your hands under your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. Spread your fingers for stability. Engage your core and draw your navel in. Bring your right palm to the back of your head. As you inhale, lift your right elbow toward the ceiling, and as you exhale, bring it parallel to the mat. Repeat this movement twice more.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Thread the Needle

From Tabletop along with your right elbow lifted toward the sky, come into Thread the Needle by reaching your right arm underneath your chest toward the left side of the mat, palm facing up. Rest your right ear on the mat. Find a cushty position on your left hand, whether you come onto your fingertips or slide your hand forward toward the front of the mat. To accentuate the stretch, press your right arm and back of your right hand into the mat and gently turn your chest toward the ceiling.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Cat-Cow

Return to hands and knees on the mat in Tabletop. Practice one or two rounds of Cat-Cow stretches. Inhale as you lower your belly and exhale as you round and have interaction your core. Take yet another cycle.

Find Tabletop position and repeat the previous two poses in your left side.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Downward-Facing Dog and Spinal Warm-Up

From Tabletop, press into your palms and lift your hips up and back. As you inhale, ripple forward into Plank Pose, keeping your hips low, your head lifted, and your shoulders drawing away out of your ears. Bend your knees and return to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat this flow yet another time.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Downward-Facing Dog With Hip Opener

From Downward-Facing Dog, lift your right leg toward the ceiling, bend your right knee, and let your right foot reach behind you to stretch your hip. Give attention to opening and stretching your shoulders fairly than squaring them toward the mat. Stay still or trace a giant circle along with your right knee, moving it in each directions.

Pyramid Pose Variation

From Downward Dog, step or inch your right foot toward the front of the mat in a lunge. Transition right into a variation of Pyramid Pose by straightening your right leg and folding forward over your thigh. Your back heel may lift off the mat, which is totally superb. Square your hips to the front of the mat, keeping a bend in your front knee if you happen to need.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Low Lunge with Cactus Arms

From the variation of Pyramid, lower your left knee to the mat and are available to a Low Lunge. Draw your front ribs toward the spine and keep your tailbone reaching down. Open your arms right into a cactus position, squeezing your shoulder blades toward one another. Inhale as you broaden through your chest. Exhale as you lower your fingertips to the ground.

(Photos: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Warrior 2 Pose

From Low Lunge, lift your left knee, spin the periphery of your left foot down, and lift into Warrior 2. Your back foot can be almost parallel to the short fringe of the mat. Reach through your arms, along with your palms facing down, and squeeze your front knee slightly more toward the wall behind you. Maintain the bend in your front knee.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Prolonged Triangle Pose With Shoulder Stretch

From Warrior 2, straighten your front leg and angle your back toes in barely. Lengthen through either side of your body as you reach your left arm toward the ceiling, bend your left elbow, and reach your left hand behind your back. Take Cow-Face arms by bending your right elbow behind your head and reaching on your opposite fingers or just hold onto your shirt. Keep your hips reaching backward and your chest reaching forward.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Prolonged Triangle Pose

Inhale as you release your arms and move into Prolonged Triangle Pose, reaching your left arm toward the ceiling and rolling your left shoulder back as you place your right hand in your shin or a block. Shift your hips more toward the back of the mat. Then look all the way down to the ground, place your left hand down, and step back to Downward-Facing Dog.

Should you like, take a vinyasa here. For the left side, repeat the sequence by raising your left leg, bending your left knee, and opening your hip. Proceed with the flow from there.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Puppy Pose

From Downward-Facing Dog, lower your knees to the mat. Keep your hips aligned over your knees and walk your hands farther forward as you release your chest toward the mat or rest it on a folded blanket or block. Some people prefer to position their brow on the mat, while others prefer to rest their chin on the ground. The alternative is dependent upon your comfort and any neck considerations. Breathe slowly and steadily, out and in through your nose.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Forearm Plank

From Puppy, transition to Forearm Plank by activating your core, placing your palms flat on the ground, tucking your toes under, and lifting your knees and hips off the mat. Push through your heels and reach through the highest of your head.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Wild Thing Variation

From Forearm Plank, roll onto your left elbow and are available onto your right fingertips. It is advisable to angle your left forearm in barely toward the middle of the mat. Step your right foot behind you and push your feet into the ground as you reach your right arm overhead. It is a variation of Side Forearm Plank that’s much like Wild Thing. Return to Forearm Plank and repeat on the opposite side by shifting over to your right forearm.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Sphinx Pose

Out of your Wild Thing variation on the second side, transition onto your belly along with your feet a minimum of hip-distance apart. Place your forearms on the mat, parallel to one another, along with your elbows underneath or barely in front of your shoulders. Gently lift your chest and head, keeping your lower body grounded. Ensure your elbows align along with your shoulders and your forearms support your upper body.

Reset in Tabletop with just a few rounds of Cat-Cow.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Tabletop With Backbend

From Tabletop, extend your right leg straight behind you. Bend your right knee and convey your toes toward the ceiling. You may stay on this position or reach back along with your left hand, holding onto the ankle and pushing your foot against your palm as if you happen to’re reaching toward the wall behind you. Make sure that your right knee faces down fairly than out to the side. Slowly release to Tabletop after which transition to the opposite side. Lift your left heel, reach back along with your right hand, and hold the foot into your palm for a stretch. Release.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Humble Warrior 1 Pose

Come into Downward-Facing Dog. Lift your right leg and step your foot forward near the front of the mat. Push into your feet and stand up along with your arms alongside your ears in Warrior 1. Interlace your fingers behind your back, roll your shoulders down and away out of your ears, and convey your right shoulder and chest alongside your right thigh. You may lift your back heel if you happen to need. Keep the bind along with your hands as you lift your chest.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Warrior 3 Variation

With a generous bend in your front knee, discover a variation of Warrior 3 that works for you. Try to maintain your hips low and keep your knuckles away out of your lower back. Sink down slightly more by bending your knee again and check out to search out Standing Split by bringing your chest forward toward your thigh. Keep the bind as you begin to straighten your right leg and lift your left leg higher. Reach through your knuckles toward the ceiling. If you’re ready, bring your fingertips all the way down to the mat for stability and fold your chest slightly more toward your thigh in Supported Standing Splits.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Chair Pose

Release your left foot to the mat alongside your right and transition into Chair Pose along with your big toes together and heels apart, sinking your hips down.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Eagle Pose

Bend your elbows and convey your right arm under the left. Stay here or bring your palms or fingertips to the touch in Eagle arms. Cross your right leg over your left a couple of times. Sink down slightly. Pull your navel in.

Release your arms, exhale, fold forward, and transition to Downward-Facing Dog.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Wild Thing

From Down Dog, lift your right leg toward the ceiling and bend your right knee, opening your hip. Transition into Wild Thing by stepping your right leg behind you much like what you probably did in Forearm Plank. Keep your left arm straight and reach your right arm up and over. Keep each legs engaged, pushing up and forward.

(Photo: (Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt))

Pigeon Pose

From Down Dog, either step your right foot forward or first come to Down Dog after which step or inch your right foot forward. Bring your right knee behind your right wrist and straighten your back leg. Square off your pelvis and lift your chest. Stay here or fold forward, remaining here for some good, slow breaths.

Afterward, reset in Downward-Facing Dog. Should you prefer, you may take a further vinyasa at this point. Then, repeat the flow on the second side, starting with Humble Warrior 1.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Bridge Pose

As we wrap up that second side, you’ve got the choice to flow or return to Downward-Facing Dog. Lower yourself all the way down to all fours after which onto your belly, keeping your knees bent and feet flat about hip-width apart. Now, it’s time to search out Bridge Pose. Push through your heels, squeeze your glutes, and lift your head. Keep pushing into your big right toe and slowly uncurl, releasing down. You too can widen your feet and gently move them in a windshield-wiper motion, dropping your knees and thighs back and forth.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Reclined Butterfly Pose

Transition into Reclined Butterfly Pose by bringing the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall open. Your arms can rest in a cushty position alongside your body or some people prefer to bring their arms overhead for a gentle stretch within the chest and upper back. Take a moment here to release fully, and if there are another adjustments or movements that your body craves, be happy to make them.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Savasana

Move into Savasana, a time to rest and fully absorb the practice. Let your arms rest by your sides or keep them overhead, whichever is more comfortable for you. Savasana is a strong practice during which you’ll feel the consequences lingering. It’s a chance to return to the intention you set in the beginning of the category, allowing it to land in your heart. Stay here so long as you may.

As you awaken, wiggle your fingers and toes, giving your body a giant stretch. If you’re ready, use your arms to push into the bottom and discover a seated position, bringing your hands to your heart, feeling your intention deeply in your heart.

About Our Contributor

Kassandra Reinhardt is an Ottawa-based Yin Yoga and vinyasa yoga instructor whose YouTube channel has grown to 2.2 million subscribers and has greater than 230 million views. Kassandra recently released her guided yoga journal, My Yoga Journey: A Guided Journal, her every day affirmation card deck, I Radiate Joy, and her book, 12 months of Yoga.