Asana Power Class 1

1. Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in.
2. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.
3. Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Modification: Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

1. Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart, feet parallel.
2. Reach your arms toward the sky with an inhale, palms facing each other.
3. Bend your knees with an exhale and shift your hips back and down, as if you’re sitting on an imaginary chair. Make sure that your knees are not beyond your toes. Gaze diagonally downward.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Rise with an inhale, then exhale and release your arms.

Avoid this pose if you have low blood pressure.

1. Stand with your feet together, feet parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet.
2. Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Let your head hang.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Place your hands on your hips. Lengthen your spine with an inhale and rise to standing.

Modification: Bend your knees. Hold onto your shins to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.

1. Begin in Standing Forward Bend. Rest your fingertips on the floor in line with your toes.
2. Lift your torso with an inhale, keeping your fingertips on the floor. Lengthen your spine and gaze diagonally downward.
3. Hold the pose for a moment.
4. Fold forward with an exhale.

Modification: Bend your knees. Place your hands on your shins instead of the floor.

1. Begin in Plank. Bend your elbows with an exhale, lowering your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
2. Engage your core and legs, hugging your elbows toward your body.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower your knees and then whole body to the floor with an exhale.

Modification: Lower your knees to the floor.

Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or shoulder or wrist injury.

1. Lie on your stomach. Separate your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers. Rest your forehead on the floor.
2. Push into your hands and lift your head, chest and stomach with an inhale. Keep your pelvis on the floor.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower with an exhale.

1. Lie on your stomach. Bring your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers wide. Bring your feet as wide as your hips and curl your toes under.
2. Push into the floor and come onto your knees with an exhale, then slowly straighten your legs. Release your heels toward the floor. Reach your tailbone toward the sky behind you to lengthen your spine. Bring your head in between your arms.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Release your knees to the floor with an exhale and sit back on your heels.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or carpal tunnel syndrome.

1. Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot in between your hands with an exhale. Rise onto your fingertips.
2. Engage your back leg. Reach your arms toward the sky with an inhale, palms facing each other. Bring your torso upright.
3. Bend your right knee with an exhale, bringing the thigh parallel to the floor. Align knee over ankle.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Lower to Downward Facing Dog with an exhale. Change sides.

Modification: Keep your hands on your hips or back knee on the floor, toes untucked.

Avoid this pose if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or knee injury.

1. Begin in Plank. Bend your elbows with an exhale, lowering your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
2. Engage your core and legs, hugging your elbows toward your body.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower your knees and then whole body to the floor with an exhale.

Modification: Lower your knees to the floor.

Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or shoulder or wrist injury.

1. Lie on your stomach. Separate your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers. Rest your forehead on the floor.
2. Push into your hands and lift your head, chest and stomach with an inhale. Keep your pelvis on the floor.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower with an exhale.

1. Lie on your stomach. Bring your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers wide. Bring your feet as wide as your hips and curl your toes under.
2. Push into the floor and come onto your knees with an exhale, then slowly straighten your legs. Release your heels toward the floor. Reach your tailbone toward the sky behind you to lengthen your spine. Bring your head in between your arms.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Release your knees to the floor with an exhale and sit back on your heels.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or carpal tunnel syndrome.

1. Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot in between your hands with an exhale. Rise onto your fingertips.
2. Engage your back leg. Reach your arms toward the sky with an inhale, palms facing each other. Bring your torso upright.
3. Bend your right knee with an exhale, bringing the thigh parallel to the floor. Align knee over ankle.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Lower to Downward Facing Dog with an exhale. Change sides.

Modification: Keep your hands on your hips or back knee on the floor, toes untucked.

Avoid this pose if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or knee injury.

1. Begin in Plank. Bend your elbows with an exhale, lowering your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
2. Engage your core and legs, hugging your elbows toward your body.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower your knees and then whole body to the floor with an exhale.

Modification: Lower your knees to the floor.

Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or shoulder or wrist injury.

1. Lie on your stomach. Separate your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers. Rest your forehead on the floor.
2. Push into your hands and lift your head, chest and stomach with an inhale. Keep your pelvis on the floor.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Lower with an exhale.

1. Lie on your stomach. Bring your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers wide. Bring your feet as wide as your hips and curl your toes under.
2. Push into the floor and come onto your knees with an exhale, then slowly straighten your legs. Release your heels toward the floor. Reach your tailbone toward the sky behind you to lengthen your spine. Bring your head in between your arms.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Release your knees to the floor with an exhale and sit back on your heels.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or carpal tunnel syndrome.

1. Begin in Standing Forward Bend. Rest your fingertips on the floor in line with your toes.
2. Lift your torso with an inhale, keeping your fingertips on the floor. Lengthen your spine and gaze diagonally downward.
3. Hold the pose for a moment.
4. Fold forward with an exhale.

Modification: Bend your knees. Place your hands on your shins instead of the floor.

1. Stand with your feet together, feet parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet.
2. Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Let your head hang.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Place your hands on your hips. Lengthen your spine with an inhale and rise to standing.

Modification: Bend your knees. Hold onto your shins to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.

1. Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart, feet parallel.
2. Reach your arms toward the sky with an inhale, palms facing each other.
3. Bend your knees with an exhale and shift your hips back and down, as if you’re sitting on an imaginary chair. Make sure that your knees are not beyond your toes. Gaze diagonally downward.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Rise with an inhale, then exhale and release your arms.

Avoid this pose if you have low blood pressure.

1. Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in.
2. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.
3. Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Modification: Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

1. Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in.
2. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.
3. Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Modification: Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

1. Stand with your feet together, feet parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet.
2. Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Let your head hang.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Place your hands on your hips. Lengthen your spine with an inhale and rise to standing.

Modification: Bend your knees. Hold onto your shins to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.

1. Begin on all fours. Bring your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Bring your head to a neutral position.
2. With an inhale, arch your spine, reaching your head and tailbone toward the sky. Let your belly drop toward the floor.
3. With an exhale, round your spine, drawing your head and tailbone toward the floor.
4. Repeat this movement.

Modification: Place a folded blanket under your knees for cushion.

1. Begin kneeling with your knees hip-width apart. Curl your toes under.
2. Place your hands on your lower back. Lengthen your spine and expand your chest with an inhale.
3. Slowly arch back with an exhale, keeping your hips over your knees. One at a time, bring your hands to the insides of your ankles. Rest your neck in a neutral position.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Return your hands to your back, then rise with an inhale and sit back on your heels.

Modification: Keep your hands on your low back to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

1. Begin in Equestrian with your right leg back. Extend your left leg forward with an exhale and flex your foot.
2. Support your weight on your fingertips. Energetically pull your left heel toward you.
3. Bend forward with an exhale, keeping your head in line with your spine. Inch your foot forward as your flexibility allows.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Drag your front leg toward you with an inhale. Change sides.

Modification: Stay upright.

1. Begin kneeling with your knees hip-width apart. Curl your toes under.
2. Place your hands on your lower back. Lengthen your spine and expand your chest with an inhale.
3. Slowly arch back with an exhale, keeping your hips over your knees. One at a time, bring your hands to the insides of your ankles. Rest your neck in a neutral position.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Return your hands to your back, then rise with an inhale and sit back on your heels.

Modification: Keep your hands on your low back to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

1. Begin in Equestrian with your right leg back. Extend your left leg forward with an exhale and flex your foot.
2. Support your weight on your fingertips. Energetically pull your left heel toward you.
3. Bend forward with an exhale, keeping your head in line with your spine. Inch your foot forward as your flexibility allows.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Drag your front leg toward you with an inhale. Change sides.

Modification: Stay upright.

1. Begin kneeling with your knees hip-width apart. Curl your toes under.
2. Place your hands on your lower back. Lengthen your spine and expand your chest with an inhale.
3. Slowly arch back with an exhale, keeping your hips over your knees. One at a time, bring your hands to the insides of your ankles. Rest your neck in a neutral position.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
5. Return your hands to your back, then rise with an inhale and sit back on your heels.

Modification: Keep your hands on your low back to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

1. Begin on all fours. Bring your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Bring your head to a neutral position.
2. With an inhale, arch your spine, reaching your head and tailbone toward the sky. Let your belly drop toward the floor.
3. With an exhale, round your spine, drawing your head and tailbone toward the floor.
4. Repeat this movement.

Modification: Place a folded blanket under your knees for cushion.

1. Stand with your feet together, feet parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet.
2. Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Let your head hang.
3. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
4. Place your hands on your hips. Lengthen your spine with an inhale and rise to standing.

Modification: Bend your knees. Hold onto your shins to lessen the stretch.

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.

1. Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in.
2. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.
3. Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.
4. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Modification: Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

1. Begin kneeling and place your elbows on the floor. Clasp the outsides of your elbows with opposite hands. Release your hands but don’t move your elbows– keep this distance throughout the pose. Interlace your fingers and place the pinky fingers on the floor.
2. Place the part of your head that’s just behind your hairline on the floor. Cup the back of your head with your hands.
3. Curl your toes under, straighten your legs and walk your feet in toward you.
4. With an inhale bring one knee into your chest, then the other. Straighten your legs toward the sky with an exhale.
5. Fix your gaze at one point to balance. Press your elbows and wrists into the floor.
6. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
7. Lower your legs to the floor one at a time with an exhale.
8. Rest in Extended Child’s Pose for 30 seconds.

Headstand should only be learned from a yoga teacher. Always follow headstand with shoulderstand. Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, headache, back or neck injury, glaucoma, or a heart condition.