Iyengar-Style Sequencing, Part 1

Flowers in Summer by Michele McCartney-Filgate

by Nina

Before I start delving into some of the more subtle aspects of how to sequence yoga poses in the Iyengar tradition, I thought it would be useful to give you an overview of how to sequence the basic categories of poses. Typically most Iyengar sequences are based on the following template:

1. Starting Poses
2. Standing Poses
3. Headstand
4. Backbends
5. Neutral Pose
6. Twists
7. Shoulderstand (and Plow)
8. Forward Bends
9. Restorative Pose
10. Relaxation Pose

Obviously if you were going to do all those kinds of poses within a single practice, your practice would end up rather long! To create a shorter practice, you simply eliminate certain categories of poses from the list while keeping the remaining ones in the same order as they are on the list. The following examples show typical formats for Backbend, Twist, Forward Bend, and Standing Pose practices.

Backbend Practice 
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Backbends
4.    Neutral Pose
5.    Relaxation Pose

Twist Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Twists
4.    Relaxation Pose

Forward Bend Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Forward Bends
4.    Relaxation Pose

Standing Pose Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Shoulderstand (or another inversion)
4.    Relaxation Pose

Although our classes typically include standing poses, they are by no means required. You could, for example, use the inverted poses to prepare yourself for forward bends as in the following sequence.

Forward Bend Practice with Inversions
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Headstand
3.    Shoulderstand
4.    Forward Bends
5.    Relaxation Pose

Or, you could design a seated practice with twists and forward bends.

Seated Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Twists
3.    Forward Bends
4.    Restorative Pose
5.    Relaxation Pose

The Starting Poses and Standing Poses you select for your sequence typically relate to the focus of the practice. For example, if you are focusing on forward bends, you might do leg stretches as your starting pose and the standing poses with straight legs to prepare your hamstrings for the forward bends. For backbends, you would do shoulder openers, lunges, passive backbends and/or standing poses with backbend elements (such as Warrior 1). For twists you might select poses that lengthen your side body (Half Dog pose), that move the spine in all directions (various standing poses), and that incorporate twisting elements (such as Revolved Triangle).

I’ll do a separate post on how (and why) to choose warm-up poses in the near future. But, in general, sequencing is art rather than a science, so start out by practicing some of that “post asana assessment” that Baxter recommended in yesterday's post (and probably some pre-asana assessment while you are at it). You'll soon start to learn which sequences of poses suit your particular body and which do not, and which warm-up poses help you do your subsequent poses with more ease and comfort.