Here’s a creative vinyasa yoga flow designed for intermediate students, blending fluid movements with mindful breathwork. This sequence will challenge strength, flexibility, and balance while offering opportunities to explore deeper expressions of traditional postures.
Creative Vinyasa Flow for Intermediate Yogis
1. Centering and Breath Awareness (Sukhasana with Ujjayi Breath)
- Begin seated in Sukhasana (Easy Pose), close your eyes, and focus on deep, slow Ujjayi breaths.
- Stay here for 5 breaths, bringing awareness to the body and setting an intention for your practice.
2. Warm-Up: Cat-Cow Flow with Heart Opener
- Transition to Tabletop (hands and knees).
- Move through 5 rounds of Cat-Cow to warm up the spine, following your breath.
- After your last round, move into Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana), keeping your hips above your knees and reaching your arms forward, lowering your forehead to the ground.
- Hold for 5 breaths, feeling the deep stretch in the shoulders and spine.
3. Flow: Sun Salutation with Variations
- Inhale: Come to Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for 5 breaths.
- Exhale: Walk or hop to the top of the mat. Sun Salutation A:
- Inhale: Ardha Uttanasana (Halfway Lift).
- Exhale: Uttanasana (Forward Fold).
- Inhale: Urdhva Hastasana (Extended Mountain Pose).
- Exhale: Uttanasana (Forward Fold).
- Inhale: Ardha Uttanasana (Halfway Lift).
- Exhale: Step back into Chaturanga Dandasana.
- Inhale: Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana).
- Exhale: Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana).
4. Dynamic Flow: Lunge Variations
- From Downward Dog, inhale and step your right foot forward into a low lunge. Low Lunge to High Lunge Flow:
- Inhale: Rise into Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana), arms reaching up.
- Exhale: Open into Twisted Lunge (right arm reaching back, left arm forward), deepening the twist.
- Inhale: Return to Crescent Lunge.
- Exhale: Drop your left knee for a deep Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana), arms extended.
- Inhale: Reach for a backbend in this lunge, lifting the heart.
- Exhale: Plant your hands, step back to Plank. Side Plank Variation:
- Inhale: Shift weight onto the right hand for Vasisthasana (Side Plank), stacking your feet and raising your left arm.
- Option: Lift your top leg for a more advanced variation.
- Exhale: Return to Plank. Repeat this sequence on the left side.
5. Standing Flow: Warrior Series
- Inhale: From Downward Dog, step your right foot forward, coming into Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I).
- Exhale: Open into Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II).
- Inhale: Shift into Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana), stretching through the right side body.
- Exhale: Transition into Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana), resting your right forearm on your right thigh or reaching to the floor.
- Inhale: Lift your left arm overhead and feel the length through the side body.
- Exhale: Cartwheel your hands to the mat and flow through Chaturanga to Downward Dog. Repeat this Warrior flow on the left side.
6. Balancing Sequence: Eagle Pose to Half Moon
- From Downward Dog, step forward into Chair Pose (Utkatasana).
- Inhale: Lift the right leg, crossing it over the left in Eagle Pose (Garudasana), arms wrapping into Eagle arms.
- Exhale: Focus and hold for 3 breaths.
- Inhale: Unwind and transition into Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III), floating your right leg back and reaching forward.
- Exhale: Shift into Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana), lifting your right leg high while balancing on your left leg and extending your right arm toward the ceiling.
- Hold for 3 breaths, then release and repeat on the other side.
7. Deep Stretch: Lizard to Pigeon Pose
- From Downward Dog, inhale and step your right foot outside your right hand, lowering into Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana).
- Exhale: Sink deeper into the hips, maybe lowering onto your forearms for an extra stretch.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale: Transition into Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), bringing your right knee forward and settling into the stretch.
- Exhale: Fold over your front leg for 5 deep breaths, feeling the release in the hips.
- Repeat this sequence on the left side.
8. Backbending Flow: Locust to Bow Pose
- Lie down on your belly.
- Inhale: Lift into Locust Pose (Salabhasana), lifting your arms, legs, and chest off the mat, reaching your arms back.
- Exhale: Release.
- Inhale: Move into Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) by bending your knees and reaching for your ankles. Kick your feet into your hands to lift your chest higher.
- Hold for 3-5 breaths.
- Exhale: Release gently.
9. Cooling Down: Supine Twist and Happy Baby
- Inhale: Roll onto your back.
- Exhale: Hug your knees to your chest, then drop them to the right for a Supine Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana).
- Hold for 5 breaths, then switch sides.
- Inhale: Come to Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana), holding the outer edges of your feet and gently rocking side to side to release the lower back.
10. Final Rest: Savasana
- Finish your practice with a peaceful Savasana (Corpse Pose), letting go of all effort and fully relaxing into the mat for 5-10 minutes.
This flow combines balance, strength, flexibility, and mindful breathing to challenge intermediate students while allowing them to explore variations of familiar poses. Encourage your students to move with intention, staying connected to their breath throughout the practice.