Cool down, man! an inspiring yoga flow for the end of summer

When preparing a yoga class, I always consider the current weather and season. When I approach summertime, I favor the elements of ether/space and earth.

Space offers an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and expand. Earth provides the stability that allows for growth in all directions. In yoga, the earth element is accessed through strong standing postures, poses where the hands and feet are rooted to the ground.

The balancing practice here starts strong, then gradually slows down to promote coolness and a relaxed state.

Mountain with Mudras

Come to stand at the top of your mat in Tadasana/Mountain. Bring your palms together in front of your heart for Anjali Mudra. Bring the palms together and draw the thumbs to your heart space.

Allow the hands to become parallel to the earth - opposite of each other, drawing the index, middle, ring and pinky fingers into a “c” clasp for your Ganesha Mudra. Wrap your thumbs around the outer pinky edges of your hands. This mudra opens up the heart, and allows your to move past any obstacles.

Standing Sun Breaths

On an inhale, reach the arms overhead into an Urdhva Hastasana/Upward Salute; interlace your fingertips at the top, pulling the triceps and pinky sides of the hands to the back of your mat. As you exhale, soften the knees, hinge from the hip space and gently press your palms toward the earth to come into Uttanasana/Standing Forward Bend. As you inhale, release the hands, sweeping the arms and body to arrive back into Urdhva Hastasana and repeat this movement three to 10 times, slowing down the exhale as you progress.

Moon Salutation

Inhale the arms overhead into Urdhva Hastasana/Upward Salute. Exhale into Uttanasana/Standing Forward Bend; inhale to Ardha Uttanasana/Half Standing Forward Bend with a long spine. On an exhale, fold forward and step back to Anjaneyasana/Low Lunge, back knee on the ground. Interlace your thumbs and inhale the arms overhead.

Exhale into Ardha Hanumanasana/Half Split, straightening the front leg (soft knee!) and folding over it, hands framing the front leg. If your hamstrings are tight, place your hands on blocks for support. Inhale, and bend the right knee and bring your arms overhead, back to Anjaneyasana/Low Lunge.

Repeat the flow on the other side. Do one to three rounds of Moon Salutation.

Vinyasa Flow

Once you complete the second side of the last round of your Moon Salutation, arrive at the top of your mat.

On an inhale, reach the arms overhead into an Urdhva Hastasana/Upward Salute. As you exhale, soften the knees, hinge from the hip space and gently press your palms toward the earth to come into Uttanasana/Standing Forward Bend. As you inhale, arrive in Ardha Uttanasana/Half Standing Forward Bend.

Release the hands to the mat, pointer fingers in alignment with shoulders, and engage through your Hasta Bandha (pressing through the finger pads, ballmounds and heels of the hands, keeping palms soft). Step your feet back into Phalakasana/Plank or Ardha Phalakasana/Half Plank bringing your shoulders over wrists, heels over toes, long spine and engaged core.

Inhale, begin to shift forward on the toes so your wrists are just slightly over the line of your wrists and activates the muscles of the upper back. As you exhale, lower down until the insides of your biceps frame out your ribcage finding Chaturanga/Four Limbed Staff. Be sure to engage the chest, core and thigh muscles so the posture is safely supported. If you need a modification, you may lower down to Ashtanga Namaskar/8 Point Pose.

On the next inhale, stay with the engaged Hasta Bandha as you press the earth away from you, lengthening the arms, releasing the shoulders away from the ears, projecting your crown of the head to the sky and your heart forward, pressing down through the tops of your feet for your Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog -OR- press down through the thighs and tops of your feet for Bhujangasana/Cobra.

Exhaling, tuck your toes, engage the core, press the top of the mat away from you, drawing the underarms towards the heart and lengthen the backside of the body to the sky for Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog.

You may repeat this one to three times.

WARRIOR II FLOW

From Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog, inhale the right leg behind you towards the sky. Exhale draw the knee towards the chest and round the upper back like a cat. Exhale step the right foot through the thumbs and bend the right knee directly over the right ankle and reach the arms out into a T for Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II. Bring the left foot parallel to the back of the mat and hug the left hip and left shoulder towards the top right corner of your mat, and spin your right thigh towards the right side of the room to avoid the inner knee from collapsing inwards. In this variation, kep the palms face up to promote cooling. Hold Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II for three to five breaths.

On an exhale, straighten your right leg into Trikonasana/Triangle. The right hand can reach down for a block, the shin, or the floor. For more heat, float the right and left hand parallel to one another. Hold Triangle for five to 10 breaths.

On an exhale, soften the right knee (small bend) and move the right hand towards the top right corner of your mat. You may use a block if your hand cannot reach the mat. Inhale, lift the left leg into Ardha Chandrasana/Half Moon. The left leg reaches to the back wall as the left side body and hip stacks on top of the right. The left arm can either hold onto the left hip or it can reach toward the sky. Soften your gaze—which can be down toward your rooted big toe or up toward your extended thumb. Expand through the back of your heart and relish the space around your limbs. Hold Balancing Half Moon for three to five breaths.

Slowly release the back left foot towards the back of the mat and bring the body back into the alignment of Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II. Bring the hands down to frame out the right foot as you simultaneously spin the left foot so the toes point forward. Step the right foot back so the body aligns into Phalakasana/Plank. Follow your Vinyasa Flow - Chaturanga/Four Limbed Staff Pose or Ashtanga Namaskar/8 Point Pose, arriving in Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog.

Repeat the flow on the other side.

Tree Flow

After you complete the second side of your Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II Flow, arrive at the top of your mat in Tadasana/Mountain Pose. Ground down through your right leg, engaging through your quad thigh muscle and hug your left knee towards your chest. place the sole of the left foot on the inside of the thigh, calf or ankle for Vrikshasana/Tree pose. Just make sure that the foot is not pressing into the knee joint. You can reach your arms overhead, bring your Anjali Mudra to your heart, or keep them resting on your hips. Whichever arm variation you choose, make sure that the arms are moving away from the midline in order to air out the sides of the waist and your armpits. Hold Tree pose for five to 10 breaths.

Release your left foot from Tree but keep the leg lifted. Reach for your left big toe and extend your left leg out in front of you for Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana/Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe pose. If you are new to this posture, bend the left knee and wrap your fingers around the front of the shin. Hold for three to five breaths.

Repeat the flow on other side.

Balancing poses create stability. As you move through this sequence, keep your eyes soft, the back of your heart open, and the breath smooth and silky.

Releasing

Now the cooldown begins.

From Tadasana/Mountain Pose, you may enter through a Vinyasa Flow, or slowly transition into Balasana/Child’s Pose. If you are moving through a Vinyasa Flow, you may enter into Balasana/Child’s Pose from Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog. Stay in Child’s Pose for five to ten breaths.

On an inhale, lift into Table.

Exhale forward into Bhujangasana/Cobra, expanding through the heart center.

Inhale back to Table, and a long exhale takes you back to Child’s pose, gently rounding the spine.

Repeat this flow three to 10 times. Enjoy a brief pause at the end of the exhale each time you come into Balasana/Child’s pose and Bhujangasana/Cobra.

After your last Balasana/Child’s Pose, come to sit on the earth or the edge of a blanket if you hips need some elevation. Press into your sit bones and allow the spine and crown to lengthen upward. Begin to find your way into Baddha Konasana/Bound Angle by bringing the soles of feet together, lengthen out from the inner thighs to the outer knees. Ground down evenly through your seat. Soften your breath as you slowly fold forward on an exhale reaching your heart towards to the top of your mat. Hold Bound Angle for five to 10 breaths.

Savasana

In the summer, allow for a spacious Savasana/Corpse Pose. Lay on your back, lengthen the spine and cervical spine. Create space by extending your arms and legs so that they are wider than your mat. The palms face up. Close the eyes or cover the eyes with a cool towel. Soften into the earth, and release your breath to a whisper. If you cannot find Savasana/Corpse Pose on your back for any reason, please take a Parsva Savasana/Side Lying Pose on your left side while using your left arm as a pillow. Allow 8 - 10 minutes minutes for rest and integration.

Namaste!

- Cathy