MAP MY SEQUENCE
76
april 2019yogajournal.com.auTHIS PAGE: RICHARD SEAGRAVES; MODEL: ANNIE CARPENTER0IEVRJVóXIEGLIV
Annie Carpenter
THE SEQUENCING OF yoga asana is both a
science and an art. It is much more than
linking together a series of poses to build
toward a physical goal; it involves an
openness to exploration and enquiry,
and a commitment to living in the now.
Because of this, we don’t teach poses in
SmartFLOW; we teach Movement
Principles that ask us to seek balance in
various shapes and sensations. Each
Movement Principle describes a
continuum of motion that has an
extreme expression at one end (the
effort) and an intelligent means for
backing out of that effort (the return to
centre).
Each pose can be seen as an
exploration of a specific effort and its
return, and the arc of each sequence inits entirety also explores that same
concept of effort and return. In this
sequence, we explore hip flexion as our
effort and spinal extension as its return.
My belief is that the main reason we do
yoga asana is to take care of our spines.
The spine houses the central nervous
system and is where the sushumna nadi
runs—where prana (vital subtle
energy) flows. Every pose we practice is
designed to throw the body off, so that
we learn how to stabilse the spine and,
in turn, enhance the flow of prana. In
this case, increasing hip flexion
demands that we find active spinal
extension to keep the spine in its
natural, optimal shape. In other
words: Can you find a little backbend in
your forward fold?In the first few poses, hip flexion is
explored in relationship to the spine.
And while some of the peak poses may
not be accessible to all, the progression
toward true hip flexion is essential work
everyone can do. Any SmartFLOW
sequence will also include a few beloved
and well-known movements and poses.
Toward the beginning of a sequence,
these poses work to warm your entire
body and help you drop into a state of
receptivity and wonder. Toward the end
of a sequence, we include slower
movements and hold poses for longer
periods of time to shift us from
activation to relaxation—from effort
to a return to centre—so that we may
feel fully ready for a deep Savasana
(Corpse Pose).Wish you could jump inside the mind of a master teacher as she
designs a sequence? Here, this teacher’s teacher gives us a look
at how she created a SmartFLOW sequence to help you keep your hips
free and your spine healthy—both on and off the mat.