Years ago, when Patrick and I had our first yoga studios, he taught a 6:30PM Level 2 vinyasa class on Monday nights that was always sold out and packed wall-to-wall. Iâm talking those pre-pandemic days when the idea of putting yoga mats only 3 inches apart from each other felt normal (at least in the NYC area anyway).
The group of students who took this class were Patrick devotees and subbing it last minute was my worst nightmare because you could literally see the looks of disappointment on peopleâs faces when they walked in and realized he wouldnât be the one teaching the class.
Well, one Monday he needed a last minute sub and as his business partner it fell on me to heed those looks of sadness. In an attempt to ease the disappointment, I knew I needed to plan a fun, creative, and challenging class.
Enter the peak pose Pavritta Ardha Chapasana â or revolved sugarcane pose.
The first time I ever sequenced a class to this peak was during that night I subbed for Patrick and the students ended up loving all the side bending and twisty goodness that a class like this requires. So, Iâm happy to say that it wasnât the last.
This pose isnât taught all that often, which can be a really fun way to challenge your students to try something new. Itâs definitely a challenging peak, so a sense of humor is recommended when teaching it so that students donât get stuck on taking themselves too seriously if theyâre not able to hold the balance in this pose. Itâs definitely one of those poses thatâs more about the journey than the destination.
They key with building a class sequence for this pose is starting with a lot of open hip poses and side body opening and then leading students fully through the transition into neutral and then closed hip poses in order to facilitate the big twist required.
I find that focusing cues on the internal rotation created by lifting the inner thigh of the lifted leg helps students to find the balance here, and those cues can be worked into teaching Warrior 3, Warrior 1, and Revolved Triangle during class so they hear it over and over.
Puttering/Warm-Up:
- Seated Twist
- Anjenayasana with clasped hands
- Prasarita Padottanasana with twists
- Uttanasana with clasped hands
Sun Salutations:
- 3-4 Rounds
Standing Poses:
- Warrior 2
- Peaceful Warrior
- Triangle Pose
- Ardha Chandrasana
- Warrior 1
- Devotional Warrior
Balance Pose:
- Ardha Chapasana
- Supported Warrior 3 (blocks under hands)
Twist Pose:
- Revolved Triangle
Peak Pose:
- Revolved Ardha Chapasana
Wind Down Poses:
- Childâs Pose
- Janu Sirsasana
- Supta Baddha Konasana
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:
