UOCA YOGA YOGA ASANA ROUTINE Start with level one asanas then slowly move up levels; relax into the posture, do not force and hold the posture breathing deeply and slowly full yogic breath. More important to do a few postures well than a lot badly – though this depends on one’s mood. The longer you can hold the posture the better and let it move you more deeply into it. Stay with the breath – generally inhaling going in and exhaling out of the asana. This can change. Take it slow and steady and allow the body to align itself in small movements as you hold the pose. BREATH – though in some instances allow the breath to be retained. This has taken me almost to NOW to learn after 20 years of practice – how it is not quantity but quality. HOLD THE POSE. I was doing my postures rapidly, forcing myself into the bends and reached a stage where I was getting little additional benefit or improvement. I could not work out what was going wrong and tried many teachers and styles. Nothing helped. That was until I learnt to HOLD a posture. THEN IT BEGAN TO HAPPEN! Better to do 5-10 postures well than 30 badly. Next day move to the next sequence. But in the end it is talking to your body and asking it what it needs. This means sometimes a full rapid routine is necessary. I would say this depends on you but one in three practice sessions can be rapid. Also one in three asanas in a routine. But decrease this as you advance. Make sure you do 20 minutes aerobic exercise a day at least as well. Jog, swim, sport etc. SEQUENCING your asanas is very important. This order may not be right for you and I change order from time to time. However the order is there for a reason to protect your body and advance it. So if you change the order read these notes or refer to a yoga book. This entire sequence would take 3-5 hours to complete properly so depending on your time chose the asanas most important to you and try and do ones you missed at your next session. It is important in your yoga week to get a full variety of postures, so make sure by the end of the week you have done at least a few from each category.
ASANA TYPE Red are core poses to do – level 1 Orange are next level 2 Black level 3 (Optional level 4) There are 10 levels in UOCA yoga	Repeat/ Breath (b)	TRANSLATION
WARM UP:
	5	Arm swings - x5 each side
	5	Arm rotations - x5 back and forward
	5	Shoulder raises and rotations
	3	Head rotations
	1	Arm hand stretches
Dishtis	3	Eye exercises
VINYASA (Optional (opt.): Suryasana p34 – x5)	5	sun sequence
Suryanamaska p42 - x5: Tadasana p46 – Uttanasana p68 – Kumbhakasana p158 - Chaturanga Dandasana p160 – Urdhva Mukha Svanasana p244 – (Eka Pada) Adho Mukha Svanasana p162 - (opt. Virabadhrasana 1 p60/Anjaneyasana p248/ Utkatasana p58/)	5	sun salutation*: mountain – deep forward fold - plank – four limbed staff (croc) - upward facing dog – downward dog (warrior 1/crescent moon/chair/) *Alternate legs or jump
MAIN PRACTICE:-
STANDING ASANAS:
Tadasana p46 – 2 breaths (2b)	2b	mountain
Parsvakonasana p52 –	2b	stand side stretch
(opt. Parsvottanasana p74) –		single leg forward bend arms behind back
Utthita Trikonasana p54 –	2b	triangle
(opt. Ardha Chandrasana p56) –		half moon
Parivrtta Trikonasana p78–	2b	revolved triangle
(opt. Virabadhrasana 1 and 3 p60-2) -		warrior
(opt. Garudasana p80) -		eagle
Prasarita Padottanasana p66 –	3b	wide leg forward bend
Vrksasana p48 -	4b	tree
(Padangustha Padma Utkatasana p88) –		half lotus toe balance
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana p92–	2b	upright big toe
Padahastasana/Uttanasana c p70/68–	3b	deep forward fold/forearm releasing forward fold

FLOOR ASANAS:
ABDOMINAL –
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana p176 – 10 x each side (es), then both	10 es	Single (ankle held) then double leg raises
(Navasana p178 – 5x)	5	Boat
(Jathara Parivartanasana p190 – 5x es)	5	Revolved abdomen
(Supta Padangusthanasana p164)		Reclining hand to toe
INVERSIONS –
Sarvangasana p286+ – 5 breaths	5b	Shoulderstand
(Variations:
Urdhva Padma p290		Upward lotus
Niralamba p291		Unsupported
Eka Pada p288)		One leg extended
Halasana p292	3b	Plough
Supta Kona Sarvangasana p289		Supine angle shld st (wide leg plough)
Karnapidasana p294	2b	Ear pressure
BACKBENDS –
Setu Bandhasana p260	2b	Bridge
Purvottanasana p258	2b	East Stretch
Urdhva Dhanurasana p266	2b	Upward facing bow
Matsyasana p262	2b	Fish
(Uttana Padasana p210)		Extended leg fish
SEATED FORWARD BENDS –
Dandasana p104	2b	Seated staff
Paschimottanasana p118 - 5 breaths (b)	5b	Double leg forward stretch
Janu Sirsasana p114	2b	Head beyond knee
(Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana p116)	ONE LEG	Revolved head to knee
Ardha Padma Matsyendrasana p196		Spinal Twist in Half Lotus
(Janu Sirsasana C p150)		Toe stretching head beyond knee
(Marichyasana A p144)		Sage forward
(Ardha Baddha Padma p146)		Half bound lotus forward bend
(Upavista Konasana p130)	2b	Seated angle
Can do suryanamiska in between bends		Jump through
Lying down BACKBENDS –
Bhujangasana p242	2b	Cobra
Dhanurusana p252	2b	Bow
(Sukha Gherandasana p254)	2b	Gheranda
Salabhasana p238 - Back leg raisers supp. x2 es bl	2b	Locust
Viralasana p32	2b	Cat
INVERSIONS – HEADSTANDS
	5	Dolphin
Sirasana p296	5b	Headstand
- Parsva p299		Revolved
- Urdhva padmasana p300		Inverted lotus
- Urdhva dandasana p301		Upward staff
- Salamba p302		Tripod
- Adho mukha vrksasana p304		Full arm balance or handstand
- Pincha mayurasana p306		Elbow balance or scorpion
SEATED FINISH –
Balasana p100
Utthita Balasana p102		Child’s pose
Ustrasana p256		Camel
Simhasana p110		Lion
(Virasana p120)		Hero
Ardha Mastyendrasana p182	2b	Seated Half spine twist
Baddha Konasana p134	2b	Cobbler’s or butterfly
Supta Baddha Konasana p136		Reclining bound angle
Gomukhasana p140	2b	Cow
Padmasana p152	5b	Lotus
(Baddha Padmasana p154)		Bound lotus
Tolasana p204	2b	Scales
Bakasana p216	3b	Crane or crow
(Mayurasana p234)		Peacock
PRANAYAMA:		BREATH:
Bhastrika p326	3b	Bellows
(Ujjaya p322)	3b	Warming
Nadi-Sodhana p320	4b	Alternate nostril
PRATYAHARA:
Bhramari p318	3b	Humming bee
Sanmukhi Mudra p333	3b	Closing six gates
ADVANCED (include BANDHAS in each asana p340) BANDHAS Mula Jalandhara Maha MUDRAS Mudras in asanas marked * p330 Dhyani/Bhairavi/Chin/Chinmaya/Adhi/Brahma		Locks to muscles of glands while holding pose or breath in asana Root - perineum Chin - throat Great Seals using hands, etc
Drishtis p328	3	Gazes – up/down/corners/round/finger – see underneath eye exercises
DHARANA:		CONCENTRATION:
Trataka p344	5 min	Candle gazing
DHYANA:	10 min	MEDITATION:
Padma		Lotus
(Mantra)		Recite
Mudra		Hand position
YOGA NIDRA:	5 min	FINAL RELAXATION:
Sivasana
Sama Vritti Pranayama p316		Equal breath
(Viloma p324)		Against the flow
Anjali Mudra p332		Prayer
Gayatri/Om
CLEANSING:
Jula Neti p346		Saline nasal irrigation
Nauli p348		Abdominal churning

p refers to page in The Yoga Bible, Godsfield Bibles 2009

es - each side

b - breaths while holding pose

x – number of times posture is done on both sides

min – minutes keeping the practice

p refers to page in The Yoga Bible, Godsfield Bibles 2009 (not published online) and UOCA generally follows this method with elements of Ashtanga, Iyengar and a core of Sivananda asanas.

For explanations of asanas online see –

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogapractice/postures.asp simple explanations with pictures in series of how to do them

http://www.santosha.com/asanas/ a bit more detailed with religious information

http://www.yogapoint.com/info/yogasana.htm gives simple pictures and explains internal effects, precautions, dos and donts and duration.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories allows you to build your own sequence. Gives detailed explanations, anatomical, therapeutic, preparatory and contraindications.

A very useful online link giving detailed notes on Iyengar postures and other information including sequencing asanas correctly is contained in http://www.bradpriddy.com/yoga/

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