Intermediate Yoga Sequence Variation

Start with sun salutations to warm up

The three postures below will help with your hip flexors :)

Warrior poses

Malasana

This is a wonderful asana for opening up the hips and also for working on balance.

Badakonasana

This posture is also known as bound angle pose or cobbler’s pose is also a very good posture for opening up the inner thighs. Remember there are variations where you can lean forward to increase the stretch and a variation where you can lie back to relax into the stretch.

Crow pose - this brings strength into your arms and core muscles

Crane pose - this is similar to crow but uses the triceps more as you try to bring the knees into the shoulders

Jump back into chaturanga again to strengthen the arms. Even if you can only jump back a little bit :)

Side crow - this strengthens your core muscles as well as your arms. You work the internal obliques as well as the transverse abdominus for both sides of the body.

Navasana

This posture is also known as boat pose is a very good posture for strengthening the core muscles.

Makarasana

Makarasana is also known as crocodile pose. It involves lying on your front with the palms supporting the chin is very good for opening up the upper back.

Salamba Bhujangasana

This posture is also known as sphinx pose. To do this pose lie on your front with the forearms on the ground and your elbows under your shoulders. This opens up the upper and middle back.

Sarpasana

This posture is also known as snake pose. Lie on your front with your hands behind your back and interlinked. This helps to open up the shoulders and the upper back.

This is one of the best ones for opening the shoulders slowly as is the exercise with the strap against the wall :)

Bhujangasana

This posture is like upward dog which is described below but in this version you only rise to where feels comfortable and also in this version you take your palms off the ground. This helps to open up and strengthen the upper back.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

This posture is also known as upward dog and stretches out the whole of the spine. Extend up as much as you can in this pose.

Bridge Pose - repeat 3 times 

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Brings you a lot of energy and you are very good at it :) When you can hold it for longer then have a go doing leg raises :) But only when you feel confident :)

Ustrasana - Camel Pose

On your knees to open up your spine. Again this is good for the iliac psoas and hence for opening up your hip flexors :)

From here come to natarajasana :) Make sure that your shoulders feel open :)

Ardha Matsyendrasana

This is also known as half spinal twist and is exactly that. As well as releasing out the spinal cord (which is good after practising backbends) this posture also helps to stimulate the pancreas and hence the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans within the pancreas which produce insulin. This posture hence helps prevent diabetes.

Gomukhasana

This posture is also known as cow faced pose and helps to open out the shoulders as well as the hip muscles.

Agnistambhasana

This posture is also known as fire log pose and helps to open up the hips, the gluteus muscles and also the piriformis muscle. Sit on the floor with the fronts of the legs parallel to the yoga mat, ankle over knee of the opposite foot and feet flexed.

The two postures below are good for hamstrings - remember you can also hold them for 3-5 minutes at 65% maximun capacity so that they become yin yoga stretches :)

Janushirasana

is also known as head to knee pose. Remember that in order to protect the back, as you breath in straighten the back and as you breath out come forward. Take a strap around the foot or bend the knee to help the back to come to upright if you need to. Repeat this posture on both sides. Helps with introversion. This opens the hamstrings as does the next asana :)

Paschimottanasana

is also known as seated forward bend and is similar to janushirasana but with both feet together. Again the back should straighten on the inhalation and a strap or bent knees can be used. This posture helps with introversion too :)

Trikonasana

Trikonasana is also known as triangle pose. This posture also helps to open up the hips.

Rajakapotasana

This posture is also known as king pigeon pose. It helps open out the quadricep muscles at the front of the thigh from the leg which is rested on the ground. It also helps open out the hip muscle of the opposite leg.

From here come to half warrior pose to open up your quadracep muscles and your groin area

and from here to hanumanasana now that your groin, hamstring and quadracep muscles are more open:

From here come to ardha bhekasana opening up one quadracep muscle and and then the other side:

Now that both quadracep muscles are open come to full bhekasana :)

Vrksasana

This posture is also known as tree pose. This posture helps to strengthen out the core, develop balance as well as strengthening the supporting leg. The hip also opens up for the leg which is out to the side.

Remember you can try to bind one hand behind to the foot if you like and then come forward to the floor with one hand :)

This helps open out the hip ready for padmasana :)

Headstand from here if you want to and remember variations such as cobbler's pose :)

Remember to use your core and your triceps and to be confident :)

 Shavasana - to relax