Autumn Yoga Sequence For Introspection and Cleansing

It is time! Time to take a deep look inside – inside of self and inside of spirit. Reflect on the times past and what you wish to leave behind, to incinerate to provide an ash nutrient base for future seeds to incubate. These poses and this sequence bring attentiveness to the belly and its ability to churn, masticate, and eliminate thoughts and foods. Stoking this cauldron will help you assimilate nutrients and incinerate contaminants.

Autumn Introspective Sequence

Standing Uddiyana

1. Do five rounds.
2. Start standing, knees bent, hands braced on upper thighs pressing femurs down.
3. Inhale – Expand ribs and push arms straight, shoulders to ears.
4. Exhale – Flex abs to push all the air out of lungs, then pacify the abdominal muscles, pull belly in toward spine and up under ribcage. Hold breath for as long as possible.
5. To take a breath, relax belly, lengthen neck to draw pressurized oxygen back in lungs.

Horse Stance Twist

1. Do five breaths on each side.
2. Stand with feet 3.5-4 feet apart, feet active, knees at 90-degrees above ankles.
3. Activate glutes.
4. Inhale – Expand ribs, telescope torso up.
5. Exhale – Twist and rotate torso, aligning sternum with left thigh.
6. Twist back to center on inhale, to maintain height and space in each vertebrae. Compression while rotating will force the synovial fluid away from the center of each disc and run the risk of grinding the bones. Repeat the breath-linked movements on the other side.

Downward Dog with Uddiyana

1. Do five rounds.
2. On hands, shoulder width apart, knees, hip width apart.
3. Wrap shoulder blades toward armpits.
4. Inhale – Expand ribs and push arms straight, shoulders to ears.
5. Exhale – Flex abs to push all the air out of lungs, then pacify the abdominal muscles, pull belly in toward spine and up under ribcage. Hold breath for as long as possible.
6. To take a breath, relax belly, lengthen neck to draw pressurized oxygen back in lungs.
7. After five rounds, discontinue Uddiyana. Up level to Turbo Dog to increase strengthening.

Turbo Dog

1. Hold for five breaths.
2. Wrap shoulder blades toward armpits, lift the part of your spine between shoulder blades, feel for activating chest muscles and upper back, relax head and neck.
3. Inhale – Bend elbows three inches from floor, squeezing them toward each other
4. Exhale – Straighten your legs and lift into Downward Dog.
5. Keep energy moving through arms and chest, and collarbones moving towards feet.
6. Reach forearms away from wrists.
7. Use upper back, chest and arms to hold the space between the bones of shoulder joint.

Do this sequence to invigorate and practice loft and lift. Keep your focus on abdominal actions:

1. Plank
2. Turbo Dog
3. Jump and land in Crow
4. One Legged Crow
5. Switch to other side One Legged Crow
6. Squat (feet on floor)
7. Straddle Forward Fold
8. Horse Stance with Uddiyana

Reflect on all your accomplishments over the last quarter and think of what you learned as a result. How have you become a better person? Where did you grow? What were your prized moments? What do you want to leave behind and what do you want to bring forward? This level of discernment couples our heart and mind, so use them both with their inherent wisdom. Recognize when life eases around previous activities requiring intense effort.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.