The techniques of yoga integrate poses, breathing and meditation into one cohesive practice. Yoga poses work to improve the efficiency of body processes and improve overall health while breathing techniques increase body and mind functioning. Together, these elements prepare your body and mind for meditation (Reference 1-section 1). Combining yoga poses into a sequence of movements provides greater exercise benefits and follows along this all-inclusive process.
Identification
When you combine yoga poses into a sequence, or vinyasa, you create a flow that works your body from top to bottom. While you can choose from a number of established sequences, such as the Sun Salutation or Triangle/Warrior II, once you become familiar with the types and functions of basic poses, you can also create your own. Because a yoga sequence involves a number of different poses -- some more difficult than others -- it is a good idea to familiarize yourself by practicing individual poses before attempting a yoga sequence.
Order
The order, or flow, you follow in a yoga sequence is important to the overall process. Although no two sequences are the same, each follows a general framework. Most start with a sitting pose that helps you focus your mind and body. Next, a few simple poses help relax and reduce stress before you move to more active standing poses and/or backward extension poses. After a period of activity, you perform sitting poses, inversions or twists to settle back and then work to balance and relax your body using forward extensions, twists or restorative poses.
Sun Salutation
The Sun Salutation is one of the most common yoga sequences. The Sun Salutation is a combination of 13 steps, eight different poses and five deep breaths that work to stretch and strengthen all your major muscle groups as well as provide benefits to your respiratory system. Although the Sun Salutation does not start with a sitting pose, it does follow the general framework of a yoga sequence. This sequence uses one continuous motion to move upward through the Mountain, Hands Up, Head-to-Knees, Lunge, Plank, Stick, Upward Dog, Downward Dog and then back down by performing the Lunge, Head-to-Knees, Hands Up and Mountain poses.
Triangle/Warrior ll
This sequence focuses on breathing and relaxation. The Triangle/Warrior ll uses the Mountain, Triangle, Warrior ll and standing Yoga Mudra poses you can perform in two different ways by holding each position for a different period and by changing your breathing technique.
Bikram Yoga
An example of an advanced yoga sequence is Bikram yoga, which involves 26 poses you should perform in a room at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This sequence takes about 90 minutes to complete and in the process works every muscle, tendon and organ in your body. The 26 poses that collectively make up Bikram yoga include 12 standing and a combination of 14 lying and sitting poses (Reference 7).
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