The Warrior's Path

Instructions

1. Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) at the top of your mat, feet together, arms at your sides.
2. Step your left foot back 3 to 4 feet. Keep your right foot pointing straight forward.
3. Turn your left (back) foot out to approximately 45 degrees, pressing the outer edge of the back foot firmly into the mat.
4. Square your hips toward the front of the mat. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward until both hip points face forward.
5. Inhale -- raise both arms overhead, palms facing each other or touching. Biceps beside your ears, shoulders away from the ears.
6. Exhale -- bend your right (front) knee to 90 degrees. The knee should stack directly over the ankle -- do not let it push past the toes. The back leg stays strong and straight.
7. Press firmly through the outer edge of the back foot. Feel the earth pushing up through your legs.
8. Lift your gaze slightly upward toward your hands.

Breath during hold: Inhale to lift taller through the spine and arms. Exhale to sink deeper into the lunge, grounding through the legs. Each breath is powerful -- breathe like a warrior, not a mouse.

Hold: 30 seconds each side.

Release: Inhale to straighten the front leg. Exhale to step the back foot forward to Tadasana. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: Take a shorter stance if the lunge feels too deep. Hands can rest on hips instead of overhead. If balance is difficult, the back knee can lower toward the ground (coming into a low lunge variation).

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Instructions

1. From Tadasana, step or jump your feet wide apart, approximately 3.5 to 4 feet. Arms extend out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
2. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees so the toes point to the top of the mat. Turn your left foot in slightly (about 15 degrees).
3. Align your right heel with the arch of your left foot.
4. Engage both legs -- pull the kneecaps up, thighs firm.
5. Inhale -- extend your torso to the right, reaching the right arm as far forward as possible, lengthening the right side of the waist.
6. Exhale -- hinge at the right hip and lower your right hand to your shin, ankle, or the floor outside the right foot. Do not collapse the chest -- think of your body as being pressed between two panes of glass.
7. Extend your left arm straight up toward the ceiling, stacking the left shoulder directly over the right.
8. Turn your head to gaze up at your left hand.

Breath during hold: Breathe steadily and fully. With each inhale, feel the ribcage expand -- the open side body gives you space for a deep breath. With each exhale, rotate the chest slightly more toward the ceiling.

Hold: 30 seconds each side.

Release: Inhale to press through the feet and rise back up with arms extended. Turn the feet to parallel, then set up for the other side.

Modification: Place the lower hand on the shin rather than the floor -- there is no prize for touching the ground at the cost of collapsing the chest. If the neck is uncomfortable looking up, gaze straight ahead or down at the floor.

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Instructions

1. Stand with feet wide apart, approximately 3 to 4 feet, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Inhale at center, standing tall with hands at heart center in Anjali Mudra (prayer).
3. Exhale -- shift your weight to the right, bending the right knee deeply into a squat. Keep the right heel firmly on the ground.
4. Extend the left leg straight out to the side, flexing the left foot so the toes point upward.
5. Bring your hands to the floor in front of you for balance, or keep them in prayer at heart center.
6. Keep the spine as long as possible -- avoid rounding the back.
7. Inhale -- press through the right foot and come back to center.
8. Exhale -- shift to the left side and repeat.

Breath: Inhale at center to gather energy. Exhale as you shift to one side, sinking into the squat. Inhale to rise back to center. Exhale to the other side. Let the breath drive the movement like a metronome.

Repetitions: 5 each side, flowing with breath. This is a dynamic warm-up -- keep moving.

Modification: Do not go as deep into the squat. Keep both hands on the floor for support. The extended leg can have a slight bend if hamstrings are tight.

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Instructions

1. Begin in Tadasana. Fix your gaze (Drishti) on a single point on the floor about 4 feet ahead of you. This point will be your anchor.
2. Bend both knees slightly, shifting your weight onto your left foot.
3. Lift your right leg and cross it over the left thigh. If possible, wrap the right foot behind the left calf. If not, rest the right toes on the floor beside the left foot like a kickstand.
4. Extend both arms forward at shoulder height.
5. Cross the left arm over the right at the elbows. Bend both elbows and bring the palms toward each other, wrapping at the wrists if possible. (Left elbow on top for right-leg-crossed variation.)
6. Inhale -- lift the elbows to shoulder height, lengthening through the spine.
7. Exhale -- sink your hips down and back, as if sitting into a chair. The deeper you sit, the more challenging the balance.
8. Keep the spine upright. Draw the shoulder blades down the back.
9. Maintain your gaze -- steady eyes, steady mind.

Breath during hold: Breathe steadily. The compression of the chest and the wrapping of the arms makes breathing challenging -- this IS the practice. Do not take shallow breaths to compensate. Inhale deeply and feel the breath pushing against the tightness. Exhale fully and sink a fraction deeper. Breathe through the restriction. This is how warriors breathe under pressure.

Hold: 30 seconds each side.

Release: Inhale to slowly unwrap the arms and legs. Exhale to return to Tadasana. Shake out both legs gently. Set up for the other side (left leg crosses over right, right arm crosses over left).

Modification: The wrapped foot can rest on the floor beside the standing foot (kickstand position) instead of hooking behind the calf. Arms can simply cross at the elbows without wrapping at the wrists -- hold opposite shoulders for a simpler version.

Teacher's Note: Watch for students leaning their torso forward excessively. Cue them to keep the chest lifted and the spine vertical. The tendency is to collapse forward to "find" balance -- real balance comes from an upright spine and engaged core.

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Instructions

1. Sit on the mat with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands resting beside your hips.
2. Lean back slightly, keeping the spine long and chest lifted -- do NOT round the back. The moment your back rounds, the core disengages and the hip flexors take over.
3. Inhale -- lift both feet off the floor, bringing the shins parallel to the ground (Half Boat position).
4. Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor, palms facing each other. Fingers are active, reaching toward the front of the mat.
5. If your core allows, exhale and straighten both legs to a 45-degree angle. Your body now forms a "V" shape, balanced on the sit bones.
6. Keep the chest lifted and the shoulders drawn back and down. The tendency is to collapse the chest -- fight it.
7. Engage the lower belly. Draw the navel toward the spine.

Breath during hold: Do NOT hold your breath. The temptation to hold the breath in Navasana is enormous -- resist it. A held breath creates tension; a steady breath creates power. Inhale to lift and lengthen the spine taller. Exhale to engage the core even deeper. Steady breath equals a steady boat.

Hold: 20 to 30 seconds. Then lower the feet to the floor, rest for 5 breaths, and repeat. 3 rounds total.

Release: Exhale to lower the feet to the floor. Place your hands behind you, lean back slightly, and take 3 to 5 recovery breaths before the next round.

Modification: Keep the knees bent throughout (Half Boat / Ardha Navasana). You may also hold behind the thighs with your hands for additional support. There is no shame in the modification -- the pose is still working.

Teacher's Note: Walk through the room during Navasana. Look for rounded backs (cue: "Lift the chest, as if someone is pulling you up by the sternum") and held breath (cue: "If I cannot hear you breathing, you are not breathing").

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Instructions

1. Lie face down on the mat (prone position). Legs together, tops of the feet pressing into the floor.
2. Place your palms on the mat beside your chest, fingers spread wide, fingertips roughly in line with the tops of your shoulders.
3. Hug your elbows close to the sides of your body. They should point straight back, not splay outward.
4. Press the tops of your feet, thighs, and pelvis firmly into the mat. These stay grounded throughout.
5. Inhale deeply -- using your back muscles (not your hands), begin to lift your chest off the mat. The hands are there for support, not for pushing. If you took your hands off the mat, your chest should still hover. That is the correct engagement.
6. Continue to lift, straightening the arms as much as is comfortable. Do not lock the elbows.
7. Draw your shoulders away from your ears -- roll the shoulder blades down the back.
8. Lift your gaze slightly upward, keeping the back of the neck long. Do not crank the head back.
9. Distribute the backbend evenly through the entire spine, not just the lower back.

Breath during hold: Inhale deeply -- feel the chest opening, the lungs expanding against the front body. The open chest in Cobra allows a remarkably deep breath. Exhale slowly -- maintain the height of the pose, do not sink. Each inhale lifts you a fraction higher; each exhale stabilizes you.

Hold: 15 to 20 seconds. Exhale slowly to lower the chest back to the mat. Turn your head to one side and rest for a few breaths. Repeat 2 to 3 times.

Release: Exhale to slowly lower the chest, chin, and forehead to the mat. Release the hands and rest with arms alongside the body.

Modification: Keep the elbows bent and the lift small -- this is Baby Cobra (Ardha Bhujangasana). Lift only as high as is comfortable for the lower back. Even a small lift with correct engagement is a complete expression of the pose.

Teacher's Note: The most common error is pushing up with the arms while the back muscles remain disengaged. Cue students to try lifting the hands off the mat momentarily to check -- the chest should stay lifted from back strength alone.

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Instructions

1. Lie face down on the mat, forehead resting on the floor, arms alongside the body.
2. Bend your right knee, bringing the right heel toward the right buttock.
3. Reach your right hand back and grasp the right ankle or the top of the right foot. If you cannot reach, loop a strap around the ankle.
4. Extend your left arm forward along the floor, palm facing down, as if reaching for something in front of you.
5. Inhale -- simultaneously lift your chest and your right thigh off the mat. Press the right foot into your right hand to deepen the lift. The kicking action of the leg is what opens the chest.
6. Keep the left leg grounded and active, pressing the top of the left foot into the mat.
7. Gaze forward, keeping the neck in a neutral, comfortable position.
8. Engage the core to protect the lower back.

Breath during hold: Inhale to lift and open further -- feel the backbend deepening with each breath as the chest expands. Exhale to stabilize and hold your position. Do not collapse on the exhale; maintain the height. Breathe into the expansion.

Hold: 20 seconds each side. Release, rest for a few breaths with forehead on the mat, then repeat on the other side. 2 rounds per side.

Release: Exhale to slowly release the foot and lower the chest and thigh to the mat simultaneously. Extend the arm forward, then relax both arms alongside the body. Rest with one cheek on the mat.

Modification: Use a yoga strap looped around the ankle if your hand cannot reach the foot. Keep the lift small -- even a few inches of lift with correct engagement is effective. You can also keep the extended arm beside the body instead of reaching forward if the balance is too challenging.

Teacher's Note: Watch for students who grip the toes instead of the ankle -- the grip should be around the ankle or the top of the foot for a secure hold. Also watch for excessive compression in the lower back; cue core engagement.

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Instructions

1. Lie flat on your back, legs together and extended, arms alongside the body.
2. Slide your hands, palms facing down, underneath your hips and upper thighs. The backs of the hands rest on the mat, and you are sitting lightly on your palms.
3. Bring the elbows close together underneath the body.
4. Inhale -- press your forearms and elbows firmly into the mat. Use this leverage to lift your chest high toward the ceiling, creating a deep arch in the upper back.
5. Gently tilt your head back and lower the crown of your head toward the mat. The crown may touch the mat lightly, but very little weight should be on the head -- the weight is in the forearms and elbows.
6. Keep both legs together, active, and extended. Press through the heels, engaging the thighs.
7. The chest should be the highest point of the body -- lifted, open, expansive.

Breath during hold: This is the pose that allows the deepest breath of the entire class. The open chest and expanded ribcage create extraordinary space for the lungs. Inhale deeply and fully -- feel the breath flooding into the chest, the intercostal muscles stretching, the heart space opening. Exhale slowly and completely. Breathe as if you are trying to fill every corner of your lungs. This is the warrior breathing freely after battle.

Hold: 30 seconds.

Release: Inhale to press into the forearms and lift the head. Exhale to slowly lower the back of the head to the mat, then release the arch, lowering the back flat to the floor. Slide the hands out from under the hips and rest in Shavasana position for a few breaths.

Modification: Place a bolster, block, or firmly rolled blanket under the upper back (between the shoulder blades) for a supported version. In the supported version, the arms can rest alongside the body or open to a T shape. If the neck is uncomfortable, keep the back of the head on the mat instead of the crown -- simply lift the chest without tilting the head back.

Teacher's Note: Matsyasana is an excellent counter-pose for Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) -- it opens and releases the neck and throat in the opposite direction. If your students ever practice Shoulder Stand, always follow it with Fish Pose. Mention this connection: "In traditional sequencing, the Fish always follows the Shoulder Stand -- what was compressed is now opened."

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Instructions

1. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position (Sukhasana). Spine tall, shoulders relaxed, hands resting on the knees.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Begin with a demonstration: open your mouth and exhale as if you are fogging a mirror -- "Haaaa." Feel the gentle constriction at the back of the throat. Now close your mouth and make the same constriction with the mouth closed. This is the Ujjayi technique.
4. Inhale through the nose with the throat slightly constricted. You should hear a soft, sibilant sound -- like a gentle ocean wave rolling in, or like a whisper. The breath is audible to you but should not be loud enough for someone sitting across the room to hear.
5. Exhale through the nose with the same gentle constriction. The exhale also produces the soft ocean sound.
6. The breath should be smooth, steady, and even -- not choppy or forced. If it sounds harsh or strained, you are constricting too much. Soften.

Pattern:

• Inhale for 4 counts
• Exhale for 6 counts (the longer exhale calms the parasympathetic nervous system)
• Perform 10 to 15 rounds

1. After completing the rounds, release the constriction and return to natural breathing. Sit quietly for a few moments and notice the shift in your internal state -- warmth in the body, clarity in the mind.

Teacher's Note: Walk around the room and listen during Ujjayi practice. Students commonly make two errors: constricting too much (the sound is forced, harsh, effortful -- like choking) or constricting too little (no audible sound at all). The sweet spot is a gentle, soothing hiss. If you hear a student straining, quietly cue them: "Soften the throat. Think less effort, more ease."

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