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Have you ever ever lost track of time while practicing yoga? Stepping onto our mats, even for a brief 10-minute yoga flow, can sometimes allow us to change into so present with our bodies that the constant chattering in our heads can finally quiet. It could almost feel like stepping through a portal into a distinct dimension.

One among my motivations for enrolling in a 200-hour yoga teacher training was to grasp how I could experience this sense more often. I desired to learn the way to access this sense of moving my body as self-expression while being secure but without being super structured or counting on guidance from an instructor.

During my training, I learned about pratyahara, the fifth limb of yoga based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This term is commonly translated as “withdrawal of the senses.” My interpretation of pratyahara is after we take away the instructors and their verbal cues, we empower ourselves to delve even deeper into our own experience. Flowing without the constraints of guidance or instruction, we heighten our perception of what’s happening for us internally. We allow ourselves to be guided by our own inner compass and discover a fluidity in our movement that comes intuitively. We change into cartographers, exploring and charting our own inner worlds.

After graduating from YTT, I started to experiment with my very own sort of asana. I began to free flow throughout the realm of familiar movement and in a fashion that was entirely unscripted. I discovered that my body knew where it was going next before my brain had a likelihood to catch up, and it taught me a lot in regards to the pleasure of transitions.

This approach permits you to link poses in creative, dynamic ways in which feel intuitive as a substitute of following the everyday class structure of constructing methodically to a peak posture. After I discover a sequence of poses that feels right, I wish to flow through it repeatedly, not unlike Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A). After I approach my practice on this fashion, I are inclined to lose track of time as I find myself.

Creating the next 10-minute yoga flow taught me a lot about constructing self trust and an awareness of your body through secure and intuitive movement. The main focus of the flow is on discovering that sweet spot between strength and mobility: think a lot of rotation to work your deep transverse muscles inside flowy movement patterns. Reserve it for days you’ve got quite a bit within the tank since it can have you ever feeling such as you’re dancing on the mat!

A ten-minute yoga practice to aid you find your flow

This sequence is designed for free-flowing movement. It’s not about getting it “right.” It’s about making it your personal. Be at liberty so as to add more Sun Salutations or funky transitions, take out poses that feel inaccessible, and vary the poses each time you wish.

Warm-up

I wish to prep for any intuitive flow with a brief warm-up that features a couple of Cat and Cows, hamstring stretches similar to Down Dog and Half Splits, hip openers like Lizard and Lizard Twist (sometimes called Crooked Monkey), and perhaps some Sun Salutations.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

High Lunge

From Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), step your right foot in between your hands, then root down through your right heel to rise into your High Lunge while reaching tall through your fingertips. Your entire body must be energetic—lift the arch of your back foot, squeeze your glutes, and draw your front ribs toward your spine somewhat than letting them flare out.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Revolved High Lunge

From High Lunge, keep your legs as they’re and twist to the correct as you reach your arms straight out out of your shoulders. Your lower body remains to be lighting up with activation here. Keep your back knee lifted when you can.

From High Lunge Twist, stay stable in your lower body when you lift your chest and land your right hand in your back (left) thigh. Reach your left hand up and overhead, working thoracic mobility in a slight backbend. If you happen to can, attempt to gaze toward your back hand.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Low Lunge Twist

From leaning back in High Lunge, keep your legs as they’re and lean forward to plant your left hand on the ground beneath your left shoulder. Twist to the correct as you reach your right hand toward the ceiling. Think of making one long line out of your left wrist to your right fingertips. Your lower body remains to be lighting up with activation here. Keep your back knee lifted when you can.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Vasisthasana (Side Plank)

From Low Lunge Twist, transition into Side Plank by rolling onto the periphery of your left foot, sweeping your right foot back, and either stacking it on top of your left foot or keeping your right leg lifted. Press down through your left hand and reach your right hand straight toward the ceiling. Be at liberty to drop your left knee to the mat for more support.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Camatkarasana (Wild Thing)

From Side Plank, bend your right knee and step your right foot behind you, landing calmly on the ball of your foot. Keep your left leg straight as you reach your right arm back alongside your head together with your palm up. Lift your chest and arch your back in Wild Thing.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Skandasana (Side Lunge)

From Wild Thing, shift your weight back to your left foot and are available back onto the periphery. Use that stability to attract your right knee into your chest and sweep your right arm around as you step your right foot to the highest of the mat in Low Lunge. Pivot to face the left long side of the mat in Skandasana by coming onto the heel of your left foot while keeping your left leg straight. Your right knee stays bent while your hands come together in Anjali Mudra at your chest or rest on the ground for support or you possibly can reach your left arm alonside your ear.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Three-Legged Dog

From Skandasana, turn to face the front of the mat and place your hands on either side of your front foot in a lunge. Sweep your right leg up as when you were using it like a paintbrush on the ceiling as you come into Three-Legged Dog. Make certain to squeeze your right glute.

Parsvottanasana (Pyramid Pose)

From Three-Legged Dog, quietly land your right foot back at the highest of the mat. Keep a microbend in your right knee as you angle your back foot out about 45 degrees, pushing into the back fringe of your left foot. Keep your spine long and hinge forward out of your hips (as a substitute of rounding the spine to force your brow to your shin) in Pyramid Pose.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Three-Legged Dog

From Pyramid, come onto the ball of your left foot and sweep your right leg back up for Three-Legged Down Dog.

(Photo: Bianca Butler)

Vinyasa

From Three-Legged Dog, move through a vinyasa by lowering your right foot to the mat and coming into Plank, lowering yourself to Chaturanga, after which pulling your chest forward and up into Cobra or Upward-Facing Dog, after which finding your way back to Downward-Facing Dog.

Repeat the sequence, various it nevertheless and wherever you want, on the opposite side. Practice the flow slowly as persistently as it’s essential feel comfortable with it. Then, when you’ve got the hang of it, let your body take over! Rinse and repeat as persistently as you want.

About our contributor

After burnout led to an autoimmune diagnosis, Bianca Butler found her purpose: bringing wellness to the workplace. Yow will discover her balancing her day job along with her life’s work—speaking about corporate well-being, teaching yoga, and browsing anywhere the water’s warm.