Take flight by bringing the focus to your breath, before coming home to roost in tree pose. This gentle 9-step yoga sequence builds strength in the arms, legs and back, calms the mind and unites breath with heart.
Inspired by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, who wrote that ‘only from the heart can you touch the sky’, this gentle yoga flow harnesses the breath and unites it with the heart. The upper-body sequence builds strength and stability in the legs, arms and back muscles, engages the core and heart centre, and brings calm, peace and balance to the mind. It’s suitable for beginners and only takes a few quiet minutes.
WHY THIS YOGA SEQUENCE WORKS FOR CALM AND BALANCE
Pairing slow, intentional movement with conscious breathing is one of the simplest ways to settle the nervous system. This particular flow combines upper-body openers with the grounding stability of tree pose (vrksasana), so it gently strengthens the body while quieting the mind – the perfect short practice for the start of the day, between study sessions, or whenever you need to come back to yourself.
HOW TO PRACTISE THE 9-STEP SEQUENCE
Move slowly through each step and stay in tune with your breath. Don’t rush – the calm comes from the pace, not the poses themselves.
- BEGIN IN MOUNTAIN POSE (TADASANA)
Stand tall in mountain pose – tadasana in Sanskrit – with feet hip-width apart and parallel, toes and knees pointing forwards, and arms falling naturally by the sides of the body. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly through the nose.
- LIFT THE FOREARMS TO WAIST HEIGHT
On an inhale, keep your elbows tucked into your waist, bend your arms at the elbow and bring the forearms to waist height, so they’re in front of you and parallel with the ground, palms open and facing upwards.
- OPEN THE CHEST AND ROLL THE SHOULDERS BACK
Breathe in and then lift and roll your shoulder blades back towards each other, opening your chest area, while moving your forearms sideways from the elbow. Keep your forearms parallel with the ground and at right angles with your torso.
- RELEASE THE SHOULDERS FORWARDS
Breathe out, release your shoulder blades and chest forwards, and move your forearms from the elbow to bring them out in front of you again.
- REPEAT FOR 10 ROUNDS AND COME TO PRAYER POSITION
Repeat this breath-flow movement of the arms and chest for 10 rounds. On the final inhale, bring your hands into a prayer position in front of your chest. Breathe here, stand tall, engage your core and leg muscles, and plant your feet into the ground.
- MOVE INTO TREE POSE
Imagine you have roots going through your right leg into the ground. Shift your weight onto your right leg, bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot against the inside of your right leg in tree pose. Keep your foot in a position that’s comfortable for you, either against the calf or the inner thigh, but not against your knee. You could also rest your left toe on the ground with the sole of the foot against your right ankle.
- RAISE THE ARMS OVERHEAD
Breathing in – and with your hands still in prayer position – raise your arms above your head. Take a few comfortable breaths here. Your chest and shoulders should be open, core engaged, and your legs strong and grounded.
- LOWER, RELEASE AND REPEAT ON THE OTHER SIDE
As you exhale, lower your arms and bring your hands into prayer position at your chest. Gently return your left foot to the ground. Breathe here for a moment, then repeat the whole sequence on the opposite leg.
- RETURN TO STANDING AND OBSERVE
Return to standing with your arms by your sides in a relaxed position and observe the effect on your being. You may notice a feeling of calm, serenity and lightness.
A NOTE ON SAFETY
As with all physical activities, do not attempt if you have any medical or physical conditions that could be aggravated. If in doubt, talk to your doctor. Younger children should be supervised.
WORDS: Dawattie Basdeo
ILLUSTRATION: Sara Thielker
This article was originally published under the title Soar With Your Heart in Issue 50. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
