Advanced Round: strength vinyasa with the breath

Advanced 5 poses

Strength vinyasa: Crow Pose, an arm-supported backbend, and Standing Splits

The hardest flow in the app: an arm balance, a backbend in arm support and Standing Splits in one round. The level is advanced, and it's worth taking on once a Crow balance holds steady on its own. If Crow doesn't hold yet, keep your toes on the floor and lift one foot at a time.

This round is not for you with wrist, hand or shoulder injuries, pregnancy, a flare-up of a lower back disc herniation, acute knee injuries, or with hypertension and dizziness.

  1. Revolved Chair Pose Revolved Chair Pose 1
  2. Crow Pose Crow Pose 2
  3. Upward-Facing Dog Upward-Facing Dog 3
  4. Boat Pose Boat Pose 4
  5. Standing Splits Standing Splits 5

Why this order

Revolved Chair opens the round, and you go through both of its sides every time. From the twist you place your palms, rise into Crow, then send your feet back and open your chest into Upward-Facing Dog on an inhale.

Boat is held for two cycles and loads the abs, and Standing Splits, also done on both legs, stretches the hamstrings. Almost every pose gets two breaths for the transition, which makes this round longer than the others. If your breathing falls out of rhythm, pause and pick up again with the next round.

Cautions

  • Spinal disc herniation (Revolved Chair Pose)
  • Pregnancy (Revolved Chair Pose, Upward-Facing Dog, Boat Pose)
  • Knee injuries (Revolved Chair Pose)
  • Wrist injuries (Crow Pose, Upward-Facing Dog)
  • Fear of falling — a cushion in front of you helps (Crow Pose)
  • Lumbar disc herniation (Upward-Facing Dog, Boat Pose)
  • Diastasis recti (Boat Pose)
  • Hypertension (Standing Splits)
  • Dizziness (Standing Splits)
  • Only with warmed-up legs (Standing Splits)

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.