I realised this week that we’re now halfway through our epic 26-week long A-Z yoga theme! I wanted to take this opportunity to recap the themes we’ve explored in our Monday evening classes over the last 13ish weeks. Some recaps will have clear teaching points/summaries, whereas some will just be little reminders of what we got up to. So far, we’ve explored 13 different themes, covering the letters A to M! Let’s take a look back…
A – Alignment and ‘Advanced’ Practice 🧘🏼♀️
If you can cast your mind back to Monday 8th July, we kicked off the A-Z yoga theme series looking at alignment and this idea of an ‘advanced’ practice. We explored how:
Our alignment affects the way we experience a posture both physically and energetically.
‘Good’ alignment helps us get the maximum benefit from a pose with the least risk of injury.
Alignment is unique to every individual’s structure, and it’s about finding what feels right for you.
This is what an ‘advanced’ practice is – knowing which option/variation is right for you and your practice in the moment. Not being able to get into crazy Instagram-worthy poses!
B – Bricks and Blocks 🧱
On Monday 15th July we explored the various uses of bricks and blocks in different postures, looking at how they can be used to enhance comfort and confidence in your practice, whether you’re a beginner or more experienced yoga student. We also explored how props can be used to create space, release tension, build strength, offer support and deepen a stretch, and we played around with using bricks to challenge our mobility (it was fun!).
I’ve got a few examples of the different uses for these props on my Instagram here. And a video of the mobility challenge if you want to try it at home (if you don’t have a yoga brick, it works just as well with a book!) here.
C – Chakras ✨
On Monday 22nd July we looked at each of the chakras one by one, exploring postures that work with/activate that chakra, finishing with a crown chakra visualisation in Savasana. Each chakra is said to represent a specific set of physical and spiritual energies. It is thought that yoga practices including asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breathwork) and mantra can help to awaken and balance the chakras.
Expand for my brief summary of each of the chakras.
Reminder that the chakra system popular in the West today is a mixture of traditional and modern ideas and inventions and that the chakras won’t resonate with everyone, and that’s okay!
D – Doshas 🤍
On Monday 29th July we looked at the doshas, the three Ayurvedic patterns of energy (Vatta, Kapha and Pitta) that are said to make up each person’s unique constitution, or pure nature. According to Ayurveda, everyone has a unique mix of each dosha, but one is usually more predominant. We explored each of the doshas individually, their physical and emotional attributes, and we practiced postures and breathing techniques that are said to balance each dosha. It was fun to see whether we resonated with one dosha in particular, a mix of two or all three!
Expland for a brief summary of each of the doshas.
Dosha | Vatta | Kapha | Pitta |
Elements related to | Air & Space | Earth & Water | Fire & a little bit of Water |
Qualities | Light, dry, subtle, changeable | Cold, wet, stable, heavy | Fiery, intense, hot |
Physical attributes | Tall or short, slim build, irregular bone structure, curly/wavy hair, dry skin and hair, cold hands/feet | Sturdy, heavy build, larger bone structure, lustrous and thick hair, beautiful skin, pale, large eyes | Medium build, athletic, fair skin, freckles, oily/glowing skin, burns easily, straight, thin hair, warm hands/feet |
Mental/emotional attributes | Quick to learn, active, creative, fun, high-energyChangeable mood, can be ungrounded or airy, worrier, nervous, impulsive, does not sleep well, bad long-term memoryDislikes windy or changeable weather | Loyal, loving, compassionate, slow to get going but once they’re going good stamina, good immunity, good long term memory, sleep well, Sluggish, can get complacentDislike cold damp weather | Organised, good leaders and teachers, passionate, loves a challenge Assertive, impatient, irritability, tendency to overwork, burns themselves out much quicker than Kapha, Dislike heat/hot weather |
Yoga practices that are said to balance this dosha | Grounding, balancing, slow and steady practices that gradually build heat
| Light, warming and mobilising practices | Cooling, soft practices |
If you wanted a comprehensive explanation of your unique constitution based on the doshas, you’d need to consult an Ayurvedic expert. Or you could do a quick quiz online with the caveat of much less accurate results: https://sunshineayurveda.com.au/dosha-quiz/
E – Elements 🌊🔥💨🌎
On Monday 5th August we explored the elements Water, Fire, Air and Earth. We looked at various poses and practices that are said to work with/balance each of these elements, and we explored the mental/emotional, as well as the physical effects of working with these elements.
It was my birthday on the 4th August, so I also threw in a few of my favourite poses (hi Half Moon!!).
Expand for a reminder of the mental/emotional and physical effects of working with each of the elements.
Water | Fire | Air | Earth | |
Working with this element is said to | Increase creativity, passion and our ability to ‘go with the flow’ | Increase energy, self-esteem and determination | Increase feelings of love, contentment and gratitude | Increase feelings of being emotionally grounded and stable, reconnect us to the earth |
Anatomically we | Worked with hip mobility | Focused on the core to create heat and build strength | Opened up the chest and shoulders | Brought awareness to the feet and legs, focusing on creating a stable foundation |
F – Flexibility (for longevity!) 🤸🏼♀️
On Monday 19th August we looked at flexibility, and how we can practice yoga in a way that supports a lifelong practice.
Flexibility is the reason a lot of people start practicing yoga, but we’re often sold a dream with the over-flexible or even hypermobile representation within yoga, especially online. Working towards physical flexibility or a specific pose will only keep you coming back for so long, it’s about mental flexibility too - can we be okay when we can’t do a certain pose, when we feel discomfort in a certain pose, when we can’t switch off in savasana.
We tried to move as many joints in as many directions as possible, practiced postures that build strength as well as helping to improve flexibility, and focused on being content with how things are.
G – grounding 🌳
We welcomed September on Monday 2nd by exploring the idea of grounding. We focused on bringing awareness to the feet and legs, and the importance of creating a stable foundation. We stabilised, pressed into, rooted down and anchored into the ground to create a sense of stability in the body, so that we could experience ease in the mind!
H – heart opening 💌
On Monday 9th September we focused on poses that expand the upper chest and ribcage to release tension in the shoulders, neck and back (especially good for those of us who spend a lot of time working on screens each day!). We explored the subtle difference between back bending and heart opening – heart opening involves the chest, ribs, scapula and shoulders whilst activating the thoracic spine and taking pressure off the lower back, whereas back bending can put the emphasis on the lower spine (which is not good if we already have lower back pain or discomfort).
We also explored the emotional effects of working with heart openers (increased feelings of compassion, joy, kindness and love) and we finished with a gorgeous Buddhist Loving Kindness meditation (Metta Bhavana).
I – inhale (& exhale!) 💗
On Monday 16th September we looked at the importance of the breath in yoga, and explored how focusing on the breath can bring us into the present moment, make us feel more grounded and connected, and bring us out of our heads and into our bodies. We moved through various different postures and practiced gently bringing our awareness back to the breath when the mind started to wander.
J – joyful joints! (for functional movement) 🪑
On Monday 23rd September we explored the 7 functional movements (bending, squatting, lunging, twisting, pulling, walking and pushing) and focused on training mobility over flexibility to strengthen the muscles that support our joints (keeping them joyful!). As a short summary:
Functional movements help us to perform daily tasks better (things like getting objects off of shelves, squatting to pick something up on the floor, twisting to look behind us etc).
All 7 functional movements are performed in almost every yoga class, which is why yoga is so good for functional movement!
Pretzel-like poses and deep ranges of motion way be fun challenges but arguably aren’t functional (there’s no need for us to be able to do the splits functionally!).
Working within active ranges of motion enhances mobility, lubricates the joints and improves balance.
We also used chairs as props, mainly to provide support and help us balance so we could focus on building strength and mobility, but also because it’s fun to try new things!
K – kindness 💕
On Monday 30th September we looked at the idea of kindness, and the yogic idea of Ahimsa which translates as non-violence towards others and ourselves in both thoughts and actions. During our yoga practice, we paid attention to how we talk to ourselves, noticing any self-critical thoughts (I’m rubbish at this pose, I can’t do it). Instead we tried to embrace a kinder and more curious mindset (my body doesn’t want to move in this way today, how interesting!). We allowed ourselves to embrace a sense of ease, listening to our bodies and recognising that it’s okay to not give 100% all the time.
L - lower body and legs 🦵
To welcome October on Monday 7th we focused on the muscles in the lower body and legs (particularly the hamstrings, calves and glutes). We mobilised our joints, stretched our muscles and built strength (Chair pose was definitely present!!).
M – mega mix! 🐬
This class was a little bit different, at my classes the week before I asked everyone to pick a random card from my deck of yoga postures which I then put into a sequence for this week (Monday 21st October). It ended up being quite a hip focused class with the cards that were pulled, and we also explored Dolphin pose (most of the class agreed, not a new fav!).
And that’s where we’ve got to!
I’d love to know your favourite theme so far, or whether there are any themes that have particularly resonated that you'd like to see more of.
Next week, as we move onto the letter N, we’ll be looking at the nervous system, specifically how we can use yoga to downregulate and relax our nervous systems. It’s going to be a lovely relaxing class, so bring any blankets, warm socks, jumpers etc so you can be really comfortable.
As always, if you have any ideas for upcoming weeks, or specific poses or themes you’d like to explore, please let me know! We’ve had some great suggestions so far, such as Chakras and Inhale/Exhale (thank you Chelsea and Jordan! 😊), and I always love being able to include your favourite pose for the week that aligns with the first letter of your name. So do get in touch!
Elli 🥰
*Reminder that this A-Z theme list is not exhaustive or comprehensive. It would be completely impossible to cover everything that yoga encompasses within a lifetime, let alone 26 weeks!
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