Featured Sequence: Challenging Agility Practice

by Baxter

A while back I shared a basic agility practice with you. Today, I’d like to up the ante by having you try some different dynamic sequences and modifying one classic one, the Sun Salutation. Because agility involves both accuracy of movement and speed (as well as flexibility, strength and balance!), I am going to suggest that you try each dynamic sequence slowly at first, for a few rounds, to get your accuracy down. Then, gradually, over the course of several practices, start to move with a little more speed. Be sure to reasonable with yourself. You are not trying to become bluegrass fiddle champion of the yoga world. Just gradually work on going a bit faster with each round, without sacrificing your precision. 

And certainly, with all these poses I am suggesting for today’s sequence, feel free to do any of them statically first to get the alignment clearly into you body and mind. 

Challenging Agility Sequence 

1. Dynamic Reclining Hip Stretches, 3 rounds.

This vinyasa is a great starting place, as you get to do it lying down.

If you don’t have any lower back issues, feel free to take the twist a bit deeper if it feels good. Try to get more precise in linking your breath to the movements. See Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretches for more details on how to do this sequence. 

A round includes doing it on both the right and left sides. I recommend you do at least 3 rounds. Once done, roll over on to your side, sit up, and come to Hands and Knees position. 

2. All Fours Pose to Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), 6 rounds. 

Starting in Hands and Knees position, move your hands one hand-length forward of your shoulders. On an inhalation bring your spine into a Cow arch. Then, as you exhale, turn your toes under and lift up briefly into Downward-Facing Dog pose, allowing you knees to stay a bit bent the first time. On your next inhalation, bring your knees back to the floor, keeping your hips over your knees and once again move into the Cow arch (your arms should be angled forward of your shoulders about 30 degrees). As you exhale once again, return to Downward-Facing Dog pose. 

Continue this dynamic pattern, which I sometimes refer to as Dynamic Dog (sounds like a yoga super hero!), for at least six rounds of breath. After returning to Hands and Knees position, rest in Childs’s pose (Balasana) for a few breaths before coming up to standing. 

3. Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), 4 rounds. 

In our easy agility practice, I had you doing an easier version of Sun Salutations. Today I’d like to offer a more challenging variation. Instead of doing Cobra pose (Bhujangasana), try replacing it with Upward-Facing Dog pose (Urdva Mukha Svanasana). Here are two versions of Upward-Facing Dog: 

The first version has the toes left turned under as they would be in Plank pose, which I find very efficient if I am only going to inhale directly into Upward-Facing Dog pose from Downward-Facing Dog, and then exhale right back to Downward-Facing Dog. The second version has the tops of the feet on the floor, which requires that you roll onto the top of the feet as you come into Upward-Facing Dog, and flip back onto the balls of your feet as you go back to Downward-Facing Dog. 

On the rounds you do this variation, I recommend you stay in Upward-Facing Dog for 2-3 breath cycles. Do at least 4 rounds of Sun Salutations. 

4. I Walk the Line Pose, once on each side. 

This is one of my new balance practices. Here is the video for you to review if you wish.

Start at the back of your mat on with the left side of the long edge of your mat. Step your right foot half on and half off the long edge. Now walk down the edge, half on and off, alternating feet until you come to the front of your mat. Then, walk backwards the same way. This part of the journey is much harder, as you cannot see where you are going and must rely more on the sense of touch of your foot to stay on the edge of your mat. When you get to the back, step off for a moment, then slide to the right edge of your mat and start the process again with your left foot first. 

5. Dynamic Tree-to-3 Pose, 3 to 6 times on each side. 

This is another one of my new balance practices. Here’s a video for you to review if you wish. 

Take this one slow at first and get faster gradually. Start in Mountain pose (Tadasana). 

Over one to two breaths come into full Tree pose (Vrksasana) standing on your left leg with your right foot up.

From Tree pose, let your arms come by your sides, bend your left knee slightly and release your right leg alongside your left, keeping the knee bent and your right foot off the floor. Now, begin to tip your torso forward into Warrior 3 pose (Virabradrasana 3), extend your right leg back and keep your arms along your sides. 

Let this all happen over a few breaths. Then slowly return to Tree pose without letting your right foot touch the floor. After staying for few breaths in Tree pose, bring your right foot down into Mountain pose. Then repeat the pattern two or more times on the same side (with your right foot up in Tree pose). 

After finishing the right side, switch to doing the same sequence on your left side (standing on your right leg with your left foot up) and repeat for the same number of times you did on the first side. Eventually you will work towards inhaling into Tree pose, exhaling into Warrior 3, inhaling back to Tree and exhaling to Mountain, repeating this pattern 6 times on the right, followed by 6 times on the left. 

7. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to Side Plank pose (Vasithasana), 2 times per side. 

For this dynamic sequence, start in Downward-Facing Dog pose. 

Inhale into Plank Pose. 

Once there, as efficiently as you can, exhale and swivel your feet to the right as you shift your weight onto your right arm, turn your chest towards the left edge of your mat, and take your top arm toward the sky. For this version of Side Plank, do not stack your feet (see photo). If you’re not already practicing Side Plank Pose, see Featured Pose: Side Plank Pose.

From Side Plank pose, reverse your steps by inhaling back to full Plank pose and exhaling back to Downward-Facing Dog. Next, do the series on your left side, doing Side Plank pose with your left hand on the floor. Then, repeat the sequence one more time on both right and left sides. 

If you need to take more time initially in each position, do so, and then gradually work towards the faster version. 

8. Reclined Cobblers’ Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Finish your practice in resting in Reclined Cobbler’s pose, as shown with two blankets and two blocks in this photo or as shown with more props in this video. See Featured Pose: Reclined Cobbler's Pose for further information. 

Set a timer and stay for 5-10 minutes, releasing the dynamic, agile movements of the active part of practice and coming back into a calmer, quieter state before moving back into your day. 

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