Abdominal Strength, Backbends and Inversions Vinyasa

Asanas for Health and Energy!

Often if we feel tired, stressed or depressed, our inclination is to rest.

However, asanas performed dynamically and combined with particular breathing practices may give that boost to our health, energy and over-all physiology that we are looking for.

1. Tadasana and Raise the Arms

Take a good inhale as you raise your arms above the head and arch the upper back.

2. Uttanasana

With a good exhale, move into your standing forward bend. Pull the lower belly in and up as you exhale into the movement.

Move between 1. and 2. with the breath, one breath per movement for 6 rounds.

3. Warrior 1 Vinyasa

Begin with the left foot forward and the right foot back. Check that when you bend the left knee it will ?land? above the ankle and no further – if needed step the right foot further back.

Try to have the front of the pelvis fairly level.

Inhale as you raise the arms, bend the left knee and arch the upper back.

Hold the breath in for 2 counts.

Exhale as you lower the arms and straighten the left knee.

Repeat for 6 rounds on the left side then change sides for 6 rounds on the right.

4. Twisted Triangle

Start with the legs wide apart. Inhale as you take the arms out to the sides.

Exhale as you twist, right hand to left ankle.

Inhale and twist further, looking up at the left hand.

Hold the breath in for 2 counts.

Exhale relax the twist- drop the head and spine.

Inhale come up to centre arms out wide.

Exhale twist left hand to right ankle.

Inhale as you twist deeper, looking up at the right hand

Hold the breath in for 2 counts.

Exhale relax the twist- drop the head and spine.

Inhale come up to centre arms out wide.

This is one round. Repeat until you have done 3 rounds.

5. Utkatasana – Chair Pose

Start standing in Tadasana.

Inhale into posture number 1.

Exhale into posture number 2.

Then inhale as you come into Utkatasana

Hold the breath in for 2 counts.

Exhale into posture 2.

Inhale into posture 1.

Exhale let the arms come down.

This is one round. Repeat until you have done 3 rounds.

6. Savasana

Relax in Savasana for 5 minutes.

Abdominal Strength, Backbends and Inversions Vinyasa

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Flo Fenton is a senior yoga teacher and registered yoga therapist, based in Byron Bay NSW Australia. She is a major and consistent contributor to Australian Yoga Life Magazine. Flo's focus is on finding our natural ease within the postures, and on cultivating an ever deepening awareness of the relationship between the body, the breath, and our state of mind. 'Paring back' each pose and starting always from a point of full awareness of the essential foundation of each posture, we build awareness of where we can remain with comfort in each pose, through the medium of graceful, flowing sequences in synchrony with the breath. Her style is both meditative and enlivening, balancing the active and the passive sides of our nature. As we focus within, developing the capacity to witness ourselves, the sessions themselves become a form of Yoga Therapy, which flows out into our lives beyond the class-room.