Challenging Yoga Transitions

Instructor: Julie
Style: Vinyasa Flow (Peak Pose Focus)
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Required Props: Two yoga blocks (or sturdy household alternatives)
Class Theme: Challenging yourself

Hi! Happy Monday. Today’s Weekly Class Theme is: Challenge Yourself and we are bringing you the best of the best with a class from Julie Pasqual.

In this class, Julie shows a challenging transition between three different poses:

1. Eka Hasta Bhujasana (Elephant’s Trunk Pose)
2. Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose)
3. Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (One-Legged Arm Balance)

These three yoga poses require strength, stability, concentration as well as fluidity and grace. The poses Julie picks to support the challenging transitions focus on arm strength, stretching of the hamstrings and hip flexion. While she picks specific poses, you are able to utilize any poses that support those muscle actions to build the skill necessary to work with these asanas.

In our yoga practice, we always want to listen to our bodies – but challenging ourselves in an appropriate way that makes sense for our anatomy is a great way to explore the yoga practice more deeply.

We invite you to make any modifications or implement any variations you see fit for any portion of this practice! If you want to see more classes from Julie, be sure to follow our YouTube channel or download the YogaRenew app.

Here is Julie’s entire class:

Were you able to transition into 1? 2? All 3? No matter where your practice takes you, it’s right where you need to be!

Challenging Transitions Yoga Class Sequence

This intermediate/advanced Vinyasa practice focuses on mindful transitions. The class systematically warms up the shoulders, core, and outer hips to prepare for a peak sequence of advanced arm balances.

Warm Up (Puttering)

• Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
• Reclined IT Band Twists
• Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana) and Hovering Tabletop

Standing Poses

• Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II)
• Peaceful Warrior
• Wide-Legged Straddle Twists (Prasarita Padottanasana)
• Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
• Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
• Malasana Squats

Balance & Twists

• Block-Supported Warrior 3
• Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana I)
• Eagle-Arm Humble Warrior
• Shoulder-Under-Knee Lunge
• Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Peak Pose: Challenging Transitions 

Cool-Down & Rest

• Block-Supported Heart Opener (Fish Pose Variant)
• Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
• Supported Corpse Pose (Savasana)