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If you’re challenged to create space on your yoga practice, likelihood is you crave something that delivers enhanced strength and suppleness and a few measure of mindful awareness all of sudden. This 20-minute power yoga flow delivers all three by counting on blocks to assist engage muscle groups you may not normally engage or connect with.

You could be accustomed to counting on blocks to shut the gap between the mat and your body—they usually are amazing at doing exactly that. But by creatively incorporating blocks into your practice in ways in which transcend their common usage, you possibly can allow you to engage muscle groups that are inclined to be neglected and unlock latest dimensions of strength, flexibility, and awareness.

How Using Blocks Can Change Your Experience of Common Poses

Most yoga teachers are pretty diligent about saying “spread your fingers” and “push into your fingertips and knuckles” to assist ensure not all your body weight is collapsing onto your wrists.

But while you’re using blocks beneath your hands, you’ve no alternative but to make those adjustments to your practice. You almost have to grip the block, so it teaches you to make use of those hand muscles and take the load off of your wrists. You’ll feel the activation in your shoulders in ways in which transcend closing the gap between your body and the ground. As well as, you’ll learn find out how to make adjustments that more evenly distribute your body weight, a mindful approach that may foster a long-lasting muscle memory and protect your joints in your future practice.

In Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), placing blocks beneath your hands allows you slightly extra space and a lift through the arms. Notice how that shifts your pelvis further back. What happens while you’re capable of get your heels slightly bit closer to the mat? Where’s the activation felt in your shoulders?

If you transfer your body weight into one hand in Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana), does all your body weight now go into your pinky finger versus your thumb versus your palm? Even noticing what it looks like to have your elbows lifted off the mat in Child’s Pose (Balasana) may be interesting. These are only a number of the advantages of intentionally practicing with blocks even in a 20-minute power yoga flow.

20-Minute Power Yoga Flow With Blocks

This dynamic 20-minute power yoga practice is tailored to students with some yoga experience who’re acquainted with the essential alignment of every pose. It goes beyond constructing strength and enhancing flexibility to supply a novel opportunity for self-awareness. By difficult yourself mentally and physically, you’ll expand your practice and cultivate a more resilient mindset.

You’ll wish to have two blocks on the ready. Probably the most stable position for the blocks is on the bottom level, although you possibly can adjust the blocks as needed.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Cat-Cow with Blocks

Begin with Cat-Cow using the blocks on the bottom level beneath your hands. Place your thumbs and little fingers on the outer edges of the blocks and your three middle fingers on the tops. Align your hands directly beneath or barely in front of your shoulders, along with your hips stacked above your knees.

Inhale and arch your back in Cow Pose. Exhale and round your back in Cat Pose. Breathe into this space as you repeat the movement a few times. The blocks offer extra space so that you can stretch, especially in your upper back. Return to a neutral tabletop position.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Half Moon Variation

From Tabletop, extend your right leg straight behind you, along with your foot in regards to the same height as your hips. Shift your weight into your left hand and switch your chest and hips toward the side wall. Reach your right arm toward the ceiling in a kneeling version of Half Moon Pose. Attempt to lift your right leg slightly higher. Using the blocks requires more engagement in your glutes.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Low Lunge with Blocks

Rigorously return your right hand to the block and step your right foot forward between the blocks at the highest of the mat in a Low Lunge along with your hands or fingertips on the blocks. This lets you find stability through your arms as you sink your hips forward and all the way down to stretch your hip flexors.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Plank Pose Variation With Blocks

From Low Lunge, keep your palms on the blocks as you step your right foot back into Plank Pose. Exhale as you shift your hips forward, lower your knees, and bend your elbows halfway right into a modified Plank Pose.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Child’s Pose With Blocks

Transition right into a variation of Child’s Pose by shifting your hips back and keeping your hands on the blocks. Your knees may be together or wide. Repeat this sequence as you inhale for the modified plank, exhale for the push-up, inhale to press up, and exhale to maneuver back three more times to construct slightly heat. Resting your hands on blocks in Child’s Pose intensifies the stretch in your shoulders.

From Child’s Pose, return to Tabletop. Find your Half Moon variation, Low Lunge, and Vinyasa variation on the second side.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Downward-Facing Dog with Blocks

From Child’s Pose, shift your hips up and back to Downward-Facing Dog, still using the blocks beneath your hands. Using blocks in Downward Dog provides extra space and lift through your arms, prompting a shift in your pelvis and allowing you to bring your heels closer to the bottom, making a stretch along your back body.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Plank Pose with Blocks

From Downward-Facing Dog, inhale as you shift forward into Plank Pose. Exhale as you keep off again into Down Dog. Repeat this transition 4 more times.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Down Dog Hip Opener with Blocks

From Downward-Facing Dog, reach your right leg up, bend your right knee, and open your hips.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Pyramid Pose Variation

From Down Dog with the fitting leg lifted and bent, step your right foot between your hands at the highest of the mat. Use blocks beneath your hands for support. Straighten your right leg, hinge at your hips, and fold forward over your front leg, bringing your chest toward your right thigh along with your back straight. Keep your back left heel lifted off the mat.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Prolonged Side Angle

Bend your front knee, spin the periphery of your back foot all the way down to the mat, and keep your right hand on the block. Reach your left arm alongside your head in Prolonged Side Angle Pose. Proceed to bend into your front knee and keep pressing through your back foot. The block beneath your hand effectively makes the mat closer, which lets you keep some lengthen in your lower side body.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Revolved Triangle

Place your left hand on the block beneath your left shoulder, lift your back heel off the mat, and widen your stance barely to make sure all 4 corners of your back foot are on the mat. Straighten your front leg to return into Revolved Triangle Pose. You may prefer to show the block on the next level for this difficult pose. Reach your right arm toward the sky for a deep twist.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Standing Splits

From Revolved Triangle, transition into Standing Splits by bringing your right hand back all the way down to the block and shifting your weight forward onto your right foot as you lift your left leg straight up behind you. Use your block for support, if needed, or release your fingertips to the mat. Breathe deeply.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Forward Bend

From Standing Splits, lower your foot to the mat and are available right into a Standing Forward Bend at the highest of your mat, which may be either a ragdoll or a simple forward fold. In case your hands don’t touch the mat, you possibly can rest them on blocks. Alternatively, for a more intense stretch along the backs of your legs, you possibly can stand in your blocks.

Step back into Plank Pose along with your hands on the blocks and flow through Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog and back to Downward-Facing Dog, keeping your hands on the blocks. Repeat the sequence in your other side.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Dolphin Pose

From Down Dog, bring your knees to the mat and move your props aside. Come onto your forearms, positioning them barely narrower than your shoulders along with your palms flat on the mat. Tuck your toes, lift your hips, and press into your forearms as you come into Dolphin Pose. Lift your heels as high as they’ll and maybe raise your right leg while bending the knee and letting your foot fall behind you, opening up the hip. Then straighten your right leg, lower it to the mat, and repeat in your other side.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Now, shift into Camel Pose. Drop your knees to the mat, and lift your chest as you lean backward. You possibly can either keep your toes curled under or pointed behind you. Support yourself along with your hands in your lower back or release your palms towards your heels while pressing your hips forward.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)

Come to a seated position for the cool down portion of your 20-minute power yoga flow. Extend your right leg straight in front of you while bringing your left foot to the inside your right thigh. Inhale as you sit up tall, and exhale as you fold forward over your straight leg. In the event you like, you possibly can bring the blocks underneath your forearms to encourage your shoulders to loosen up. Maintain length in your back at the same time as you hinge at your hips and fold forward in Head-to-Knee Pose. For the second side, extend your left leg in front and produce your right foot to the inside your thigh. Hinge on the hips and fold forward while specializing in maintaining length.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Supported Bridge Pose

Lower yourself onto your back and place the block on its lowest level beneath your sacrum, which is the flat triangle-shaped bone at the bottom of your spine. Pause here in Supported Bridge Pose. Draw your right knee toward your chest as you straighten your left leg. Hold this position for a couple of breaths after which gently switch sides by bringing your left knee in and straightening your right leg.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Waterfall Pose

Transition into Waterfall Pose by extending each feet toward the ceiling along with your sacrum resting on the block for balance and support. This pose offers a mild inversion to ease into rest.

(Photo: Kassandra Reinhardt)

Savasana

As you conclude your 20-minute power yoga practice, lie down in your back along with your feet on the ground, allowing your body to rest and completely loosen up in Savasana. Concentrate to the sensations in your body and observe your internal dialogue as you release the necessity for any effort or work, fully surrendering to rest.

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 day by day affirmation card deck, I Radiate Joy,and her book,Yr of Yoga.