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Adho Muka Vrksasana (Handstand as the peak pose Vinyasa Yoga Sequence PDF)

Yoga Class Sequence Toward Handstand

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

One of the greatest gifts of being a yoga teacher is being able to provide an experience that shifts someone’s mindset and mood in a positive way.

I’ve taught classes on some “heavy” days over the years where emotions are high and you can feel that students are craving some type of relief from whatever it is they’re carrying.

My favorite way to do that?

Teach a handstand class.

There’s honestly almost nothing more fun than leading a group of adults through a class that flips them upside down and has them acting like kids again. It’s immediately uplifting to the spirit and it recharges the energy. That’s exactly what a handstand class does.

I definitely recommend practicing this at the wall. And, depending on the level of students you have, leading them through L-shaped handstand using the wall first is a great way to get everyone upside down, while still keeping your class accessible.

The key with this big post is to create a sequence that focuses on a lot of shoulder and side body opening while incorporating core integration and straight leg poses.

I keep a handstand class in my mental back pocket at all times so if I ever need to teach a fun class last minute, I always have one ready.

Have fun and let me know how it goes!

Puttering/Warm-Up:

  • High lunge with hooked thumbs
  • Low Lunge Twist
  • Modified Parsvottanasana (use blocks!)
  • Tadasana with Gomukhasana Arms

Sun Salutations:

  • 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses:

  • Warrior 2
  • Triangle Pose
  • Extended Side Angle (with hand outside of the ankle)
  • Ardha Chandrasana
  • Warrior 1
  • Parsvotanasana

Balancing Poses:

  • Tree Pose
  • Standing Split

Twist Pose:

  • Revolved Triangle

Peak Pose:

  • Handstand

Wind Down Poses:

  • Wheel
  • Reclined Spinal Twist
  • Happy Baby

Savasana

If you enjoyed this sequence, enter your email below for a FREE starter kit on building vinyasa yoga classes!

Also, be sure to follow us on @yogarenewteachertraining + @kate.lombardo!

11/30/2023
Love8
Athletic human stretching

3 Strength Yoga Poses

By Yoga

As movement practitioners who lead busy lives, sometimes we are faced with a decision to tend to our Yoga practice or our strength workouts. Now, I am a firm believer in that it’s beneficial to treat each modality as their own, but sometimes it works out to hit two birds with one stone. Certain styles of yoga inherently challenge one’s strength when done with good alignment and attention to form. However, there are particular postures which are especially helpful in maintaining or building strength. When I refer to strength I am mostly referring to muscular endurance strength, as building pure muscle strength or size would require larger external loads after a certain point.

1. Plank (Sanskrit: Phalakasana)

Woman in plank pose

Plank is an excellent strength posture which works the full body. Typically when we refer to plank in Yoga it’s a high plank on the hands, but you can incorporate forearm planks which may be challenging in a different way.

How to:

  • Plank with proper form requires a spreading of the shoulder blades (different from a rounding of the shoulder blades), the front ribs moving towards the spine, the hips more or less in line with the shoulders, and active quads.
  • The heels of the feet should be stacked above the balls of the feet.
  • To make this more of a strength exercise as opposed to a transition pose, extend the hold time of your plank. You can start by getting a baseline for yourself by holding a plank till failure, and then incrementally build upon that time.

2. Side Plank (Sanskrit: Vasisthasana)

Woman in Side Plank

When you’re in side plank, the bottom hip lifts up and strengthens to support the rest of your frame. Like plank, traditional side plank is on the palm (and full vasisthasana has the top leg lifted with the top arm by yogi toe lock). Since we are focusing more on the strength aspect of this posture, I recommend coming down to the forearm to create more stability in the shoulder.

General side plank alignments points are as follows:

  • The shoulders stack one on top of the other with the collarbones broad.
  • Draw the front ribs towards the spine and the sacrum towards the pubis.
  • The thighs are firm and the feet are stacked with toes spread.

Holding side plank will absolutely challenge your strength and extending the hold times can increase the capacity with which your body can withstand the posture. To challenge yourself further, try lifting the top leg and either holding, or lifting and lowering the top leg for 5-8 repetitions.

3. Boat (Sanskrit: Navasana)

Woman in Boat Pose

Boat is a wonderful posture to work on one’s strength as the “low boat” or “half boat” is essentially a hollow hold. It should be emphasized that while holding poses or positions will not take you to the heights of your fitness capabilities done alone, extending hold times trains our bodies to expand its capacity to deal with stress.

Points of alignment:

  • For boat, the sit bones are grounded with the legs either fully extended or bent with the shins parallel to the ground
  • The toes are spread and the back is more or less straight (no arched lower back)
  • The arms are reaching forward (traditional boat connects the hands to the feet by yogi toe lock).

For low/half boat:

  • The legs are lowered and extended forward with the thighs firm and toes spread.
  • The back is lowered to the ground with the tops of the shoulders and the head lifted.
  • The arms are reaching forward. *To make it more challenging, you can take the arms straight up or over the head.

There are so many poses (and variations) which can challenge your strength. Holding poses is just one way to work on your strength in a super simple (not necessarily easy to do though) way. Another way to challenge your strength is by adding external load (sometimes even a block will do) or incorporating repetitions of a particular exercise, such as going from low boat to high boat or turning your lunges into split squats. Again, I think it’s necessary to emphasize that both modalities should be treated as their own if you wish to effectively build strength and practice Yoga, but there are absolutely ways in which the two intersect and ways to customize to work with your life.

11/29/2023
Love0
Locust Pose Sequence PDF

Yoga Class Sequence Building to Salabhasana

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

Salabhasana, aka Locust Pose, is a prone backbend meaning the pose is practiced lying flat on the belly. Generally speaking, backbends are energizing and uplifting. They tone and stretch the spine, shoulders, and upper back while opening the chest. Salabhasana is a great backbend to work on with beginners because it doesn’t require weight bearing on the hands and arms and there are multiple modifications available for practice.

A few of the essential actions in Salabhasana, which are the basic actions that are needed to perform the pose, include pressing the tailbone towards the floor and extending it towards the heels, lifting the inner thighs and stretching the legs, reaching the arms back and upwards, lengthening and lifting the abdomen, chest, and head. These actions are essential to maintain the integrity of the shape, but equally important when practicing this pose is to breathe deeply, relax the face and throat, and release unnecessary tension. This is the essence of Yoga Sutra 2.46 – Sthira Sukham Asanam – the pose should be a balance of effort and ease. Backbends, like Salabhasana, typically require a lot of physical effort to practice. With that effort could come strain, tension, or gripping. The work is to keep the effort while stripping away any undue gripping or tension that doesn’t assist the shape. Every pose has a different formula between effort and ease and when you find it there is a sense of peacefulness and equanimity that washes over the body and mind of the practitioner.

In this sequence, we start by preparing the body for backbends with poses that open the chest and back, increase shoulder mobility, and lengthen the psoas and fronts of the thighs. Standing Poses like Crescent Lunge, Warrior 1, and Warrior 3, shoulder openers like Parvartasana and Gomukhasana in Virasana, and psoas exercises are essential to this sequence in preparation for Salabhasana. We conclude with poses that help pacify the spine and quiet the mind leading us towards Savasana. Poses like Bharadvajasana, Child’s Pose, Supta Padangusthasana, and Halasana help wind us down.

We know that backbends are invigorating and exhilarating. Having a proper wind down after practicing backbends will ensure that our mind and body move from a Rajasic (active) state to a Sattvic (harmonious) state. After taking class you should feel vibrant and light.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @patrickfrancojr and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.

And, if you want more in-depth vinyasa sequences like this along with teaching notes + tips on how to cue them, enter your email below to grab our FREE guide:

Puttering/Warm-Up:

  • Virasana w/ Parvatasana
  • Virasana w/ Gomukhasana Arms
  • Downward Dog
  • Crescent Lunge

Sun Salutations:

  • 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses:

  • Trikonasana
  • Extended Side Angle
  • Warrior 1
  • Utkatasana with Interlaced Palms Behind Back
  • Prasarita Padottanasana C

Balance Pose:

  • Warrior 3

Twist Pose:

  • Revolved Triangle

Prep Pose:

  • Supta Virasana

Peak Pose:

  • Salabhasana

Seated Poses:

  • Child’s Pose
  • Bharadvajasana

Wind Down Poses:

  • Supta Padangusthasana
  • Halasana

Savasana

11/22/2023
Love6

4 Tips for Teaching Yin Yoga

By Yoga, Yoga Teachers

In this video, Kate Lombardo shares her personal introduction to the practice of yin yoga. After falling in love with it, she made it a point to develop a yin teacher training… but first she wants to shed light on some helpful tips she learned along the way.

Tip #1: Explain to your students what yin is

Many students may not be familiar with the practice yet — and that’s okay! That’s what you’re there for; holding space for them and able to speak on why people practice yin yoga. Giving an explanation of what students can expect in a yin class is a great way to get them comfortable with the practice and hopefully returning.

One good point to focus on is that it mainly differs from other types of yoga classes in the sense that poses are held a bit longer. If you don’t explain what’s going to happen throughout class, students may be confused when there isn’t as much of a flow happening. On the inverse, students who are regularly familiar with yin but have never taken a class with you will probably also appreciate being debriefed on what to expect in your class specifically.

Key points about yin yoga:

  • Poses are held anywhere from 5-7 minutes
  • Targets the connective tissues (fascia) of the body
  • Is a practice designed to find stillness
  • Engages the body to quiet the mind

Tip #2: Find a balance between silence & guiding

Work on finding a balance between speaking and guiding students. It’s beneficial to any yoga practice to allow students the time and space to notice how the practice feels for them and how the poses feel for their personal body. Unlike a vinyasa class, during a yin yoga class silence can create comfort as students adjust and find a space comfortable for them while being in such deep postures.

Tip #3: Create a comfortable environment

Music, lighting, temperature… these are all things that matter when setting up an environment that feels inviting, safe and comfortable for students. Remember, they most likely came to a yin class to find the stillness, peace and stress relief a yin yoga class offers. If you’re not guiding students as to which props to use, how to use them, and aren’t focused on creating a calm environment for them, they may be turned off to the practice completely. If you notice the ambiance of the room, your students are noticing it, too.

Tip #4: Be a little ‘hands-off’

Let your students find the practice in their own way… meaning, let them determine their own experience with the practice. You are simply a facilitator. This not only empowers students and makes them feel like they accomplished squashing their stress and getting a good workout in, but it allows them to feel like they received a one-on-one experience. The more space you can give students to explore the practice on their own, the more intimate of a relationship they’ll have with the class.

If you’ve enjoyed Kate’s chat, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel with more content like this! As always, sign up for our newsletter if you are interested in becoming a yoga instructor yourself.

11/17/2023
Love5

Vashistasana (Side Plank) Sequence

By Yoga Teachers

Full Vashistasana, or side plank, is a pose that encapsulates the give and take of the yoga practice. It requires an embracing of strength and stretch and finding the balance in the pose comes from both effort and ease. With too much focus on strength and effort, it becomes difficult to lift the leg and open the heart. But, if all the focus is on the lengthening then holding the pose on one arm and one leg become impossible.

Creating a sequence for this class should focus on helping students to build familiarity with integrating the muscles of the body in towards the center line and also opening the shoulders and the hamstrings to allow for the lift of the leg.

The key is making sure that you visit side plank a few times in class while also not doing it so often that students become exhausted before you have a chance to teach your peak. Replacing chaturanga a few times with side plank in between your rounds of standing poses is a good way to achieve this.

As with any peak pose, it’s also important to offer steps along the way– staying with the top leg in a tree pose position in side plank or simply lifting the leg without reaching for the foot are great options for this.

The use of a strap can also be helpful if– and this is a big if– you are able to successfully demo how to use it. Sometimes that can get a little clunky and actually be more hurtful than helpful. In that case, staying with a tree pose leg is the way to go.

Puttering/Warm-Up:

  • Supta Padhagustasana
  • Supported Side Plank
  • Low Lunge Twist
  • Prasarita Padattonasana

Sun Salutations:

  • 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses:

  • Warrior 2
  • Triangle Pose
  • Ardha Chandrasana
  • Warrior 3

Balance Pose:

  • Tree Pose
  • Padaghustasana B

Twist Pose:

Revolved Triangle Pose

Peak Pose: Vashisthasana (Side Plank)

Wind Down Poses:

  • Uppavistha Konasana
  • Paschimottanasana
  • Bridge
  • Recline Spinal Twist

Savasana

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @kate.lombardo and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.

And, if you want more in-depth vinyasa sequences like this along with teaching notes + tips on how to cue them, enter your email below to grab our FREE guide:

11/16/2023
Love4
Yin Yoga Teacher Training instructor, Kate Lombardo

Ever Hear of Fascia?

By Yoga

The more you study yoga and the more you inevitably study topics like anatomy, alignment, muscles, tissues, and all things body-related. During these studies, you’re bound to come across the topic of fascia tissue. When I did my first Yin Yoga Teacher Training, I was totally obsessed with learning about fascia tissue and wondered why I hadn’t studied it more in the past. It’s often understood as the connective tissue in our bodies, but it’s so much more!

Like almost everything else in the practice of yoga, this fibrous network goes beyond being only about connection. As you dive into the deeper study of fascia, it relates to so many other concepts within the mind and body and hope you move through this world.

The first time a teacher described fascia to me, they compared it to “that white stuff” you see when you peel an orange. It’s what keeps the fruit connected, but it’s not something everyone thinks about when they think of an orange. In your body, fascia is like the thread that interlaces through every fiber of muscle, every pivot of bone, every whisper of nerve, and every thrumming organ. With its fibrous collagen, its resilient elastin, and its nurturing gel-like matrix, fascia is the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. It has a dual role of both supporter and facilitator within your body.

What exactly is fascia?

Fascia is an ongoing, continuous web of connective tissue that surrounds and supports every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel, and organ to the cellular level. Fascia is this super-thin, tough layer that wraps around all your muscles and bones. It helps keep everything in place and allows you to move, bend, and play without your insides getting all jumbled up. It’s really important because it serves as the connector to all the different parts inside of you and makes sure they work well together.

Why is fascia important in the yoga asana practice?

When you perform yoga asanas (postures), you’re not just stretching muscles; you’re also stretching and stimulating the fascia. Healthy fascia is elastic and resilient, so a regular yoga practice helps maintain its suppleness. This can lead to increased flexibility, improved range of motion, and a feeling of openness in the body. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

Yoga also encourages the mind-body connection through the practice. When you move mindfully, it may lead to a more nuanced perception of the body’s internal state. Since fascia is rich in nerve endings, it may play a role in proprioception (the sense of the relative position of one’s own parts of the body) and interoception (the sense of the internal state of the body). Yoga enhances this connection and awareness, which can, in turn, lead to better engagement and training of the fascial system.

What about trauma?

If you dig into the study of fascia, you are bound to come up with the connection it has to trauma. Yoga teaches us that every experience in life gets stored somewhere in the body. Fascia is thought to hold tension and trauma, both physically and emotionally. When fascial tension is released, it can sometimes help process and release emotional tension. Yin yoga specifically focuses on this concept and this practice.

What about flow?

In a vinyasa yoga class, there is more of a “flow” component to the practice than in other styles of yoga. You move from asana to asana in a more fluid way and also connect more deeply to the breath syncing with the movement. The quality of flow in yoga movements is similar to the quality of a healthy fascial system. A well-maintained fascial network allows for smooth, gliding movements of muscles and joints, which is something that regular vinyasa yoga practice can enhance.

Injury and Recovery

Regular movement, like a regular yoga practice, can help maintain fascial health, which is essential for injury prevention. When fascia is not well-maintained, it becomes dehydrated, stiff, or sticky. This can lead to a higher risk of injury. Yoga, and overall movement, can help keep the fascia and the body less prone to injury. When the fascia is well-maintained, recovery time from injuries may be shorter.

The Subtle Body

Through the study of the subtle body in yoga, you learn about the existence of channels of energy, or nadis, within the body. Some teachers I’ve had have suggested that fascia may correlate with these pathways because fascia penetrates all regions of the body. When you study the chakras, you also come to understand that some energetic blockages can cause physical blockages and vice versa. If the fascia tissue is healthy and well-maintained, it may be easier to move through blockages and create a better energetic flow throughout the body.

When the subtle body is in alignment, it may lead to more clarity, better decision making, deeper connections in relationships, and an overall healthier sense of self and feelings of wellbeing. As practitioners of yoga, we’re always learning how to connect the subtle body with the physical body and it’s so interesting how the fascia tissue can help support that connection.

Fascia as a Pathway to Awareness

As you aim to understand the landscape of your inner self, your perspective may shift from simply acknowledging the body’s mechanical nature to embracing its sentient capabilities. You may begin to notice the subtle cues of tightness or the signals of moving out of harmony and ease. When you’re aware that this fascia tissue is everywhere and that it’s one of the keys to healthy movement and awareness, it can help deepen your overall connection to yourself.

It’s so elegant!

Fascia is kind of like your body’s clever designer. It intricately layers itself from the outermost sheath that entwines nerves and blood vessels to the deeper fibrous networks that support muscles and bones, down to the webbing that encompasses each organ. Each layer is elegant support structure that delicately supports you.

It helps you be more graceful — The grace of our movement, the integrity of your posture, and your comfort within your own skin rely on the health of this connective tissue. Fascia isn’t just an observer in your bodily narrative; it’s an active participant in your ability to move through life gracefully. When cared for, it may feel like you’re moving with ease from place to place and with ease comes grace.

It’s all connected!

Yoga is about connection. As you bring this understanding to your mat, you can engage not only in a sequence of asanas but in a deeper relationship with the essence of your physical being. This practice goes beyond the physical realm. It asks you to connect with your soul and it revitalizes the hidden strands of your vitality. Begin to see each and every movement as a delicate tribute to the fascia. Try to see each breath as a gentle nudge to awaken its potential. With every asana, with every mindful transition, you can communicate with this web within you.

11/15/2023
Love4
Garudasana (Eagle Pose) Sequence PDF with poses

Garudasana (Eagle Pose) Sequence

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

Garudasana, or Eagle Pose, is a standing balance. This is such a great pose to work on for beginners and experienced practitioners alike because it requires concentration and coordination to maintain balance which further enhances the physical benefits of strength and flexibility in the pose. The intertwining of the arms removes stiffness in the upper back and shoulders. The intertwining of the legs tones the feet, ankles, calves, and thighs.

Teaching standing poses is a great way to work on foundational alignment principles and movements that will carry over to more complex poses later on in class. In fact, B.K.S. Iyengar has a famous quote that says, “You need to learn to stand on your feet before standing on your head.” This reinforces the importance of practicing standing poses in the overall arc of a student’s yoga journey.

Typically, we start with more open and spacious standing poses, like Warrior 2 or Triangle pose, before working our way to more compact and complex poses like Garudasana (Eagle Pose). Since Garudasana has intertwined legs and arms we work our way through many bent arm and leg poses that have similar actions to Eagle Pose. In addition, the rounding of the upper back with the shoulder blades moving away from the spine is also an important action of the pose that needs to be integrated throughout the sequence. Remember that even though the upper back is rounded, the rib-cage is still lifting up away from the pelvis and not sinking down.

Poses like Parvatasana, Gomukhasana Arms, and Garudasana Arms are great poses to weave into this sequence because they work on scapula mobility. Many of the bent leg poses like Virasana, Child’s Pose, and Extended Side Angle teach the action of the legs. Lastly, poses like Warrior 1 and Utkatasana were incorporated into this sequence because they have bent legs and lift the rib-cage away from the pelvis simultaneously. The wind down section of class takes the torso in the opposite of Garudasana bringing balance and harmony to the overall practice before Savasana. If you’d like to learn to craft yoga classes in this format, be sure to check out our Vinyasa Sequencing Online Course, where you can study at your own pace from anywhere!

Happy practicing…

Garudasana (Eagle Pose) Sequence

Puttering/Warm-Up:

  1. Virasana w/ Eagle Arms
  2. Cat/Cow
  3. Child’s Pose
  4. Downward Dog

Sun Salutations:

  • 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses:

  1. Warrior 2
  2. Extended Side Angle
  3. Warrior 1
  4. Utkatasana

Twist Pose:

  • Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose

Peak Pose:

Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

Seated Poses:

  1. Gomukhasana
  2. Bharadvajasana

Wind Down Poses:

  1. Supported Fish Pose
  2. Bridge
  3. Reclined Spinal Twist

Savasana

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @patrickfrancojr and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram, and if you want more in-depth vinyasa sequences like this along with teaching notes and tips on how to cue them, enter your email below to grab our FREE guide:

11/08/2023
Love17
Blog Sequence Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise

By Yoga Asana

The first time I ever saw a teacher teach Bird of Paradise in a yoga class I almost thought it was a joke.

Wait, you want me to do a bind, hip opener, and hamstring stretch at the same time AND while standing on one foot?!

I had to apply a serious sense of humor to my practice when I first started working on this pose because there was a lot of falling and feeling more like a bird fall out of it’s nest than a bird in paradise.

The key to teaching this is building each of the components – the hip opening, binding, and balance – throughout your class, and making sure that you offer instruction on a step-by-step entrance into the pose so students can stop along the way. A strap is also hugely helpful!

Puttering/Warm-Up:

  • Sukhasana w/ forward fold hip stretch
  • Lizard lunge w/ back knee down
  • Supported Parsvottanasana (using blocks + back heel up)
  • Wide Squat
  • Uttanasana (with clasped hand behind the back)

Standing Poses:

  • Warrior 2
  • Triangle Pose (built from the ground up)
  • Extended Side Angle (with hand inside of the ankle)
  • Ardha Chandrasana (with half bind in top arm)

Balance Pose:

  • Tree Pose (enter from the ground up)

Twist Pose:

  • Anjenyasansa twist

Peak Pose: Bird of Paradise

Wind Down Poses:

  • Seated Twist
  • Baddha Konasana
  • Happy Baby

Savasana

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @kate.lombardo and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.

11/02/2023
Love9
Melanie Rodriguez in camel pose with her arm up, looking at the camera excitedly

The Time I Stopped Questioning Myself and It Shifted My Whole Yoga Career

By Lifestyle & Wellness, Yoga

When I was in my early twenties I was plagued with the questions of what I wish to do for the rest of my life. This wracked me with overwhelm and anxiety as I wanted a career that was fulfilling in all aspects of my life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I may have not had this exact vocabulary at the time, but essentially I wanted to have a career that I truly loved.

Mel in Wheel Pose

One of my first yoga photos in 2015. This was pre-teacher training and only a couple months after college graduation. Much questioning going on.

Explore Your Curiosities and Notice Your Intuition

Rewind a couple of years to college where the question of “what do I want to do with my life” really took root. At first I considered majors like communications or journalism, but I quickly realized I was interested in Exercise Science. Initially I opted to work towards Physical Therapy school, which was a common pathway for students within the major, but at the last minute I decided to pursue a career in Fitness and Wellness. I didn’t really know what that meant but I knew I had a curiosity for teaching, training, and fitness programming. Teaching wise, I was specifically interested in group fitness and yoga. By this point, I had years of experience in my own body within both modalities.

What followed graduation was doubt and uncertainty. What felt like a freeing decision while I was in school, turned into overwhelm when I was out of school and living at home. I saw a bunch of my friends move onto full-time salaried positions or further schooling which led to a clear career pathway. I felt lost and like I was getting left behind. I tried going to job interviews in various fields, but nothing felt right. I felt stuck between my hearts’ longing to teach [and to become a fitness/yoga professional] and the financial pressures/societal standards of life. I was constantly stuck worrying about the future, which led to high amounts of stress and anxiety.

Mel Rodriguez in child's pose on a yoga mat in her 200 hour yoga teacher training

This is a MacBook photo taken during the time I was in my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (2016). I took many photos and videos during this time. And I practiced…a lot.

Take Any Step Forward (Action, Action, Action!)

As I explored other job opportunities and repeatedly either got rejected or turned them down, I decided to take any step forward that I could as it came to building a career in fitness, wellness, and yoga. I completed a Group Fitness Instructor certification, a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, and applied to and got accepted into a Master’s Degree program for Exercise Physiology. By this point, I had decided to commit myself to this path and still had no idea what lay ahead.

I started teaching yoga in 2017 and it started by subbing classes here and there. I was probably subbing anywhere from 1-2 classes a week, and after doing this for a couple of months I was offered a class on Saturday morning at 9AM, which is a prime time spot. After this class, other offerings for classes started coming in. My confidence was building. I was making mistakes, but I was also learning and growing. I was teaching steadily for 2 years, completed my Master’s Degree, and even decided to begin a 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Certification to improve my teaching skills. At this point, you would think I was all in. I mean, I was on my way to making a full on career in the field I had so desired.

This was taken in 2019 during an event called Headstands for Hunger. I had been teaching for about 2 years and was starting to gain traction in the yoga community.

Commit to Yourself

Yet, I kept doubting myself. I kept thinking that I would never make enough money to support myself by doing what I loved. I looked into potential other roles and even considered going back to school for physical therapy despite my dreams of leading teacher trainings, developing programs to further others’ teaching skills, and hosting retreats.

During this time I had also been working part-time at a college within the Physical Education Department. I had been working 12-20 hours per week teaching and running the campus fitness center. A full-time teaching position had opened up and I was slated for the role. An opportunity literally fell into my lap, and yet I still continued to question if this was the right path for me.

After much back and forth in my head between applying to PT school or taking the teaching job, I remember making the firm decision to take the teaching position. I considered my strengths and my skills and at this point something switched in me. I told myself “why not go all out? Why not fully commit myself to this career path that I love and that I have been working so hard towards?”

And so that is what I’ve done.

Bhakti immersion in a 300 hour yoga teacher training

This photo was taken during the Bhakti immersion during my 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (2020). This weekend was a defining weekend in trusting that I was on the right path.

This photo was taken during the Bhakti immersion during my 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (2020). This weekend was a defining weekend in trusting that I was on the right path.

Keep Making the Conscious Choice

I have made the very conscious choice of stepping into my dreams. And let me tell you, it doesn’t always feel like a dream. There have been moments where I was doubting myself, moments where other people were doubting me or questioning my choices, extended time periods of hustling, and plenty of times where I lost sight of myself. And overall, I can with certainty say that I am beyond grateful for sticking with myself. While there are tough moments, I can say that I am in a place of joy, content, and deep gratitude for what I do and where I am. One time, someone asked me “what would you say is your biggest accomplishment?” And I said, “making a career out of something I absolutely love.” And as I answered, I felt it within every fiber of my being.

You must make the conscious choice, not once, but every single day to build and shift your yoga career towards that of your dreams. On a micro-level, I tend to my own asana practice, meditation practice, and write in my journal pretty much every day. On a macro level, I see a life coach every other week, participate and complete trainings and workshops, and take on opportunities such as leading teacher trainings and retreats. This level of commitment has shifted my career in ways I could never have predicted.

What I have learned and what I always share with others is that you have much more power than you believe. You have the ability to shift your life and your career in ways you cannot even fathom. This does require you to take action, reflect, and repeat. You might have to take some risks, choose to trust yourself, make mistakes, and course correct. And at the end of the day, if you don’t choose this path…it is okay, but in my experience the pros have far outweighed the cons. So why not go for it?

This was taken in 2021. This was right around the time I was attempting to launch my first yoga retreat. That retreat didn’t end up happening. My first retreat was done in 2023 with a co-teacher and was a major success.

Journal Prompts for Focusing on your Yoga Career

These are some helpful journaling prompts for you to begin to shift your yoga career (or really any career you’re trying to focus on):

  • What are you curious about and what do you wish to explore? If you’re reading this blog post and got this far, I am assuming you are interested in exploring shifting your yoga career. What is it about this that excites you? Where do your curiosities lie within the practice and the sharing of it? Why is this important to you?
  • What are you currently committing to in your life? This is anything that you put energy and effort towards. Relationships, children, your current job, projects, hobbies are all examples of commitments. Some commitments must stay a priority, such as your children. Is there something else you would like to commit yourself to? Do you want to commit yourself to building/shifting your yoga career? Is there something you’d like to commit less to in order to make space for something new?
  • What doubts come up for you when you think about committing yourself to a career in yoga (or fitness, wellness, etc.)? What is the dialogue in your head? Does it have to do with finances, other peoples’ perceptions, confidence, self-esteem, logistical matters? Write down whatever comes to mind.
  • What if everything were to go right? What would your dream career look like, or if you’re already teaching what would it look like for you to commit to it more fully? How would you feel and what would you be doing? You can even include what you want to make financially, where you want to live, and what other things you’re doing in your life. Paint the picture for yourself in as much detail as possible.
  • What are some micro-level and macro-level things you can do within your life that will contribute to shifting your yoga career? Think about activities, events, and practices that you can do to help you step into you, be present, expand your perspective/skill set, and open up possibilities.

*You can use these prompts to shift anything in your life! It doesn’t have to be a yoga career. It could be a different career path or anything else that you would like to shift in order to live your most aligned life.

11/01/2023
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Sirsasana A (Headstand A) Sequence

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

Sirsasana A (Headstand A), is an inversion and has been referred to by B.K.S. Iyengar as, “The king of all poses,” for its importance both physically and mentally. Practicing this pose consistently is believed to quiet the mind, as well as strengthen and tone the shoulders, neck, back, and legs.

In this sequence, the focus is on the placement of the head downward, below the heart, which can be very quieting for the mind. I find that practicing additional poses that quiet the mind, in preparation for Sirsasana A, helps students learn the sattvic qualities in Sirsasana before actually going completely upside down.

Poses like Prasarita Padottanasana (Standing Wide Leg Forward Fold), Parsvottanasana (Pyramid), Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold), and any of the seated forward folds are great poses to incorporate into a class that is preparing for Sirsasana A.

Physically, this sequence focuses on the straightening of the legs. Although, in Sirsasana, we are balancing on our head, forearms, and wrists, it is important to remember the full extension of the legs upward. Dynamic extension of the legs gives direction to the shape upward and helps resist gravity or weight bearing on the head and arms.

As in Headstand, this sequence is a balance between the sthira and sukham (effort and ease). This pose is physically demanding and yet when we can practice it without strain or tension, the gripping is stripped away and the mind begins to quiet. One key to preparing the body and mind for Headstand is to weave those concepts into the sequence in preparation.

Lastly, the wind down section of class focuses on shoulderstand, or, “The Queen of all Poses”. It is important to lengthen the cervical spine after the weight bearing of Headstand. Poses like bridge pose and shoulderstand are great counter poses to headstand that can lead students physically and mentally towards Savasana.

Here is a great class sequence to gear students up for Headstand A:

Puttering/Warm-Up

  • Sukhasana Forward Fold
  • Child’s Pose
  • Supta Padangusthasana A
  • Downward Facing Dog

Sun Salutations

  • 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses

  • Triangle Pose
  • Standing Wide Leg Forward Fold
  • Warrior 1
  • Pyramid Pose
  • Uttanasana
  • Padangusthasana
  • Padahastasana

Balance Pose

  • Standing Split

Prep Poses

  • Virasana w/ Gomukhasana Arms
  • Seated Forward Fold

Peak Pose: Sirsasana A

Wind Down Poses

  • Seated Spinal Twist
  • Bridge Pose
  • Halasana
  • Shoulderstand

Savasana

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @patrickfrancojr and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.

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10/25/2023
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