222 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA
Getting the blood flowing and the body warm can be a great way to set up
your yin practice. You will encounter less resistance, and your body will nat-
urally be more supple. This can be a great approach when you are practicing
first thing in the morning. I rarely roll out of bed, stiff and tight, and say to
myself, “Hmmm... I feel like doing some yin.” Nope, no thank you! I prefer
to practice yin yoga after some yang activity or at the end of the day after
I’ve been on the move and need to nourish myself through something long,
slow, and deep. Now, that sounds “yinlicious”!
Here you will find five yang sequences: half sun salutation, mountain pose
series, sun salutation A, sun salutation B, and the warrior dance flow. Each of
these sequences can be done separately or linked with others. The five yang
sequences are listed in order of intensity, with half sun salutation being the
most gentle and warrior dance flow being the hardest. As mentioned earlier,
you can do them separately or you can pick a combination. If you have time,
do three or four. If you are short on time, then stick with one or two. Make
sure you start with a gentler sequence before progressing to a more difficult
one. For example, you would never start with warrior dance flow and then
do sun salutation A. Instead, start with sun salutation A and then transition
into warrior dance flow. When you are done with your yang sequence, move
straight into your preferred yin sequence. These are outlined later in this
chapter.
Keep in mind that the yang sequences are optional within your practice.
They are not necessary, but they can be a great addition to your practice for
the days that you feel inspired to move in an invigorating way. Following are
instructions for the five yang sequences.