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november/december 2017yogajournal.com.auPHOTOS: PAUL MILLER; MODEL: DAN NEVINS; STYLIST: JESSICA JEANNE EATON; TOP: KOZM; BOTTOMS: MODEL’S OWN1 BalasanaChild’s Pose
Position your knees wide, with the tops of your
feet on the mat. Bring your big toes to touch
and send your hips toward your heels. Lay
your hands on the floor alongside your torso
or stretched in front of you, and release the
fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel
how the weight of your front shoulders pulls
your shoulder blades wide across your back.2 Tadasana Mountain Pose
On an inhalation, come to Tabletop. Step
your feet to the top of your mat and rise to
stand, creating length through the sides of your
body. Turn your upper thighs slightly inward as
you raise your arms toward the sky. You might
even reach up and back into a backbend if you
are able. Stay here for at least 5 deep, Ujjayi
breaths, silently repeating the following mantra:3 Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
From Mountain Pose, exhale to fold forward.
Inhale to lift halfway up, then exhale to step
into Plank, then Chaturanga Dandasana
(Four-Limbed Staff Pose). On your next
inhalation, press the tops of your feet down
into the mat and lift your thighs off the floor
as you straighten your arms and press your
scapulas into your back body. Stay here for 1–2
breaths, silently repeating the following mantra:
“I am courageous.”4 Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
From Upward-Facing Dog, tuck your toes and
send your hips up and back on an exhalation.
Lengthen your tailbone away from the back
of your pelvis, lifting your sit bones toward
the ceiling. Straighten your knees but be sure
not to lock them, and press your chest toward
your thighs. Stay here for at least 5 deep,
Ujjayi breaths, silently repeating your
meditation mantra: “I am strong. I am powerful.
I am a warrior.”THERE ARE TIMES WHEN
we are called to show up
as our biggest and best
selves—experiences
where we must travel
to the depths of our life
force and bring everything
we have to the table for
a moment, a day, or
an extended mission.
Whether it’s a feat of
physicality or one that
demands intense mental
focus, these challenges
require us to tap into a
strength that isn’t always
at the surface and readily
available in our day-to-
day lives. But we are all
born powerful, bold,
and fearless—we simply
have to find it within.
This sequence is one I
turn to when I want to
manifest the warrior that
is omnipresent in me; my
hope is that it will help
you connect to your inner
warrior, too.Before you begin
Come to a comfortable
seated position. Close
your eyes and connect
your sit bones to the
earth as you lengthen
your spine and the sides
of your body. With your
head resting directly
over your sacrum, begin
deliberate, powerful,
full inhales and exhales
through your nose. With
each inhale, silently
repeat, “I am strong. I
am powerful.” With each
exhale, silently repeat,
“I am a warrior.” After
5 minutes, move into
Balasana (Child’s Pose).A home practice to
HOME PRACTICE
r r ti
By Dan NevinsOUR PRO Teacher and model Dan Nevins is a certified Baptiste yoga teacher who has brought his unique expression of the practice all
over the US. He lost his legs while serving in the US Army during the Iraq war. Learn more at dannevins.com.awaken your inner warrior