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Intelligent Progressions: A Fresh Approach to Familiar Practices

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Challenge Overview

Inspire your practice or teaching as you explore both foundational and more challenging poses in new ways within the context of full yoga practices.

All of the classes begin with a hip-opening warm-up that will deepen your awareness of this region of the body and prepare you for the strengthening and mobilizing work that follows. There are five classes: a full-spectrum practice, standing pose emphasis, arm balance emphasis, backbend emphasis, and twisting and forward bend emphasis.

As Christina says, greet yourself as you are—because all of these postures, principles, and cues are designed to take you inward, not to force something on you. Enjoy this opportunity to open mind and body in unexpected ways!

A breakdown of the practice, day by day:

Day 1: Full-Spectrum Practice

Day 2: Standing Pose Emphasis

Day 3: Arm Balance Emphasis

Day 4: Backbend Emphasis

Day 5: Twisting and Forward Bend Emphasis

Certificate of completion

3 CEU’s Upon Completion

Self Paced Learning

Challenge Outline

2.8hrs to complete

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Section 1
  • In the first class of this program, you’ll explore familiar poses in new ways, and learn unique approaches to oft-challenging poses. You’ll begin with a hip-opening warm-up, standing poses, and abdominal strengthening. After that, you’ll move into a reclined hip sequence, arm balances (including eka hasta bhujasana—leg over shoulder pose—and eka pada koundinyasana—flying splits), gentle backbends, forward bends, and twists. Throughout the class, Christina encourages you to take your time and listen to yourself, offering helpful alignment cues each step of the way. Enjoy this opportunity to switch...
Section 2
  • In this workshop-style class, you’ll explore strengthening and mobilizing your hips in six fundamental standing poses. Christina offers thorough alignment cues along the way so you’ll be able to refine your practice as you find what feels right for your body. She also tells you about some of the common mistakes students make in these poses. You’ll begin with the same hip-opening warm-up you did in the first class, before moving into vrksasana (tree pose), trikonasana (triangle pose), parsvakonasana (side angle pose) with and without a block, parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose), virabhadrasana...
Section 3
  • In this well-rounded class, you’ll explore four arm balances: eka hasta bhujasana, eka pada koundinyasanana, vasisthasana, and bhujapidasana. You’ll begin with the same hip-opening warm-up from the first two classes. After that, you’ll move into a sequence where you’ll weave together deep hip openers and the arm balances. This will help you gain strength as well as a greater understanding of these arm balances, which are the foundation for many others. Have a blanket on hand for this class.
Section 4
  • This class continues to develop the strengthening and mobilizing themes featured in the earlier classes. You’ll prepare for backbending with a shoulder-opening warm-up. After that, you’ll move into a standing pose sequence that includes revolved triangle, quadricep stretches, eagle pose, and more. For the backbending section of class, you’ll begin with eka pada bhekasana (one-legged frog pose) variations and then move into two prop-supported versions of dhanurasana (bow pose), followed by strap-supported versions of ustrasana (camel pose), setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge pose), chatush padasana...
Section 5
  • In the final class of this program, you’ll continue to work with the hip-opening postures practiced in earlier classes as you prepare for seated twists and forward bends. You’ll begin with a warm-up similar to the others you’ve done so far and then move into a standing and supine hip-focused sequence. After that, Christina teaches you bharadvajasana (seated bound twist), a baddha konasana (bound angle twist), an “untraditional” janu sirsasana (head to knee pose), a marichyasana III sequence, paschimottanasana (seated forward bend), and more.

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Meet Your Teacher

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Christina Sell
Christina Sell has been practicing asana since 1991 and teaching since 1998. Christina maintains an active... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely, you can include this challenge in your Yoga Alliance training hours, with each hour equivalent to one continuing education credit.
This challenge is entirely self- paced, allowing you to learn at your convenience.There are no imposed deadlines or time constraints for Challenge completion.
No prerequisites are required; this challenge is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and practice.
No, the challenge is accessible to all individuals interested in enriching their understanding and practice of yoga.Yoga teaching certification is not a prerequisite.

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