Jr I Sequences from Previous Assessments

Utthita  Parsva Hasta Padangusthasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Salamba Sirsasana

Parsva Dhanurasana

Urdva Dhanurasana

Salamba Saravangasana II

Prasarita Padottanasana II

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Salamba Sirsasana

Purvottanasana

Salamba Sarvangasana II

Ubbaya Padangusthasana

Utthita Parsva Hasta Padangusthasana

Pincha Mayurasana

Salamba Sirsasana

Bekasana

Urdva Dhanurasana

Parsva Halasana

Prasarita Padottanasana II                                   

Salamba  Sarvangasana  II

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana                              

Ardha Matsyendrasana II

Salamba Sirsasana

Parsva Halasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Pincha Mayurasana

Salamba Sirsasana I

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Utthita Parsva Hasta Padangustasana

Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (hands turned out)

Salamba Sirsasana I (away from wall)

Salamba Sarvangasana

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, dropping back from Sarvangasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana                                          

Salamba Sirsasana I

Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana

Ubhaya Padangusthasana

Eka Hasta Bhujasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Pincha Mayurasana

Salamba Sirsasana I

Maha Mudra

Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana

Salamba Sarvangasana II

Halasana

Utthita Parsava Hasta Padangusthasana (w/ & w/o support)

Prasarita Padottanasana  2

Salamba Sirsasana away from the wall

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana on chair w/head on floor

Salamba Sarvangasana 2

Utthita parsva hasta padangusthasana (supported)

pincha mayurasana

salamba sirsasana

bhekasana

urdhva dhanurasana

parsva halasana

prasarita padottansana II

sirsasana

dwi pada viparita dandasana

salamba sarvangasana II

halasana / parsva halasana

ardha matsyendrasana I

ardha chandrasana

adho mukha vrksasana

sirsasana

urdhva dhanurasana

ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana

setubandha sarvangasana

utthita parsva hasta padangusthasana (supported)

adho mukha vrksasana

sirsasana

bhekasana

urdhva dhanurasana

salamba sarvangasana

prasarita padottansana II                                     

ubhaya padangusthasana 

adho mukha vrksasana

sirsasana

purvottanasana

salamba sarvangasana II

Iyengar Junior I Sequencing

To check out the flow chart I've created to illustrated Junior I level class sequencing, click here.

The Process

How to study and learn a pose, aka "The Process"

1. Practice the pose.  
2. Look the pose up in _Light on Yoga_, _Gem for Women_ and other books.
1. Pracice
2. Read
3. Practice 
4. Read
5. Repeat
3. Find which 3 prior poses, from prior syllabi, teach the actions to do your current pose.  What poses give us the knowledge to practice the pose.  Which poses teach us the compenant parts of our pose?
4. Do the pose and study the effects and results from practicing this pose.  What does this pose do?
5. Draw a cartoon with the arrows showing direction of intent.
6. Write down the 10 points of motions and actions in the pose. 
7. Determine what pose(s) may need to come after this pose.  Does this pose require a follow-up?
8. Compare the pose with similar poses.  How are they similar?  How are they different?
9. What are the props required for this pose?  What are common modifications for this pose?
10. Sequence your pose into your practice.  In what week should you practice this pose?  Standing pose week?  Forward bend week?
11. Study, practice, repeat.

Purvottanasana

Purvottanasana - Intense pose of the East (or front-body), aka Upward Facing Plank

When teaching, allot 1 minute for demo, 2 minutes to get your students into the pose. 

Little practice sequence to learn Purvottanasana:

1. Down Dog -Straighten both arms, straighten both legs.  Press the roots of the fingers and thumbs down well as you straighten your arms completely.  Draw the triceps in to the back corner of the armpit.  Reach your heels back and down as you take the thighs back.  Firm the knees and draw the quads up to straighten the legs completely.   
2. Up Dog - Keep you legs working as you did in the previous 2 poses.  Press your hands down to lift your breastbone up.  Roll your shoulders back and draw you rlower shoulderblades close to the spine and deep into the body to roll the armpit chest open and up.
3. Ustrasana
4. Chatoosh Padasana - Lenghthen your buttocks to your knees, learn to  keep the lumbar spine long!
5. Urdhva Dhanurasana, pushing up from a chair
6. Dandasana
7. Dandasana to Purvottanasana

Instructions for getting into Purvottanasana

1. From Dandasana, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor
2. Press your hands down with straight arms and pull your triceps up and into the bone
3. Exhale, press your feet down to swing your hips forward toward your feet then scoop up and lift your hips.  Continue pressing your hands down.
4. Take your tailbone in to your body as you roll your buttocks towards your knees to elongate your lumbar spine.  Keep your tailbone well higher than your lumbar spine.
5. Keeping your tailbone higher than your lumber, keeping your lumbar long, keeping your buttocks lengthening towards your knees, straighten one leg at a time.  Draw your hamstrings towards your buttocks.
6. Press your heels down to firm your legs, sharpen your knees, and lift your hips up.  Keep your tailbone moving towards your pubis.
7. Press your hands down as you draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine to lift the armpit chest up and towards your head.  Keep your shoulders plumb vertical over your wrists as you puff your armpit chest up towards the ceiling.
8. Keep your armpit chest puffed up as you lengthen your neck and head back.
9. Without losing the lift and length of the chest, point the toes to the floor.  Do not let the chest move towards the hips at all!
10. To come out of the pose, bend your elbows and knees and lower your buttocks to the floor. 

Practice Purvottanasana with Backbends.  If you practice this pose sloppily with forward bends, it could potentially put you at a higher risk for slipped discs.  Make sure your tailbone is well higher than your lumbar!

Modifications:  Keep the knees bent.