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The Balancing Body

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Challenge Overview

Join yoga therapist Sarah Garden for this comprehensive program where you’ll work with your balance in dynamic and subtle ways, exploring practices that engage, strengthen, and mobilize the entire body (from the feet up!) and utilize props in explorative ways. This program involves self-myofascial release techniques, resistance band practices, standing balance work on blocks and a rolled-up mat, balance work with closed eyes, and much more.

Throughout, Sarah emphasizes that balance work isn’t really about “finding” your balance, but more about engaging in a process of balancing. After all, life is a balancing act where we are constantly growing and evolving, and these practices are designed to reflect that.

Here’s what you’ll get, day by day:

Day 1: In your first class, you’ll build your balance on a foundational level by focusing on your feet. This sequence includes mobilizing therapy ball practices for the soles of your feet and your toes, toe lifts from standing (lifting one toe at a time), and one-legged balance poses (including a variation where you’ll stand on a blanket).

Day 2: Day two is leg focused. This class includes self-massage for your calves, passive and active calf stretches using a rolled-up yoga mat or blanket, and strengthening practices for your hips and thighs that utilize a block and a strap.

Day 3: Your third practice is about hips! In this progressive class, you’ll work on building lateral hip stability through a standing series that eventually leads to one-legged balance practices (including warrior III flows while standing on a block).

Day 4: On day four you’ll explore an upper-body releasing sequence. This class includes a supported heart opener, a seated upper-trapezius stretch, a half quarter dog flow, a thread the needle flow, open twists from table pose, child’s pose, and bridge (both a bridge variation over a bolster and an active bridge).

Day 5: Your fifth class takes things up a notch by featuring dynamic balance and alignment practices. It includes a lateral hip stability practice from mountain pose, a walking and lunging series where you’ll use blocks and a rolled-up yoga mat (your “balance beam”), and hopping around on one leg.

Day 6: In your sixth class you’ll work specifically with your proprioceptive system—i.e., the body’s ability to sense itself in space and adapt to what it senses. This sequence challenges drishti (maintaining a single focus with your gaze during balance work), and you’ll even work toward closing your eyes in balance poses.

Day 7: Your seventh class focuses on the vestibular sense—the sense that helps us stand upright in space. This class includes head tilts (while standing in mountain pose, then on one leg) and standing side bend, forward bend, backbend, and lunge drills. For added challenge, you’ll explore closing your eyes throughout class.

Day 8: In your eighth and final class, you’ll combine the exercises you learned throughout the program. This sequence includes self-myofascial release for your neck, neck stretches and neck strengthening work, one-legged balance poses with a drishti (gaze) practice, walking on a rolled-up mat (possibly with eyes closed), and more.

So…are you ready to learn a wide range of techniques that not only support and strengthen your balance, but are also challenging and fun? Start this program now!

Certificate of completion

3 CEU’s Upon Completion

Self Paced Learning

Challenge Outline

3.75hrs to complete

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Section 1
  • Welcome! In this introductory module, Sarah outlines how you’ll benefit from this program and shares what’s to come.
Section 2
  • Welcome to the program! For your first practice, you’ll build your balance on a foundational level by focusing on your feet. This class begins with mobilizing therapy ball practices for the soles of your feet and your toes. After that, you’ll work with toe lifts from standing (lifting one toe at a time) and one-legged balance practices (a toe lift variation, and a variation where you’ll stand on a blanket). Enjoy your first class!
Section 3
  • Now that you’ve built a strong foundation in your feet, you’ll work your way up your legs. You’ll begin by rolling out your calves with a massage ball and then move on to passive and active calf stretches using a rolled-up yoga mat or blanket. From there, you’ll do strengthening practices for your hips and thighs that utilize a block and a strap. You may want to have a wall (or a chair) available.
Section 4
  • Now that you’ve done some hip and leg practices you’ll take these practices further! In this strength-building class, you’ll focus on building lateral hip stability through a progressive standing series that eventually leads to one-legged balance practices (including warrior III flows while standing on a block). In addition to your block, have a resistance band available—a wall or chair are optional, but could be helpful.
Section 5
  • You’ve built strength and stability in your legs, now you’ll work on your upper body. This class is designed to counteract the effects of a forward-rounded posture by helping you to release and mobilize your thoracic spine. You’ll begin with a supported heart opener, then move on to a seated upper-trapezius stretch. From there you’ll do a half quarter dog flow, a thread the needle flow, open twists from table pose, child’s pose, and bridge (both a bridge variation over a bolster and an active bridge). In addition to your bolster (or cushion) have a blanket available.
Section 6
  • This class features dynamic balance and alignment practices. You’ll start with a posture check-in where you’ll refine your pelvic and upper-body alignment. After that comes a lateral-hip-stability practice from mountain pose, then a walking and lunging series where you’ll use blocks and a rolled-up yoga mat (your “balance beam”) to create variable surfaces. Last but not least, enjoy hopping around on one leg! In addition to your blocks and rolled-up mat have a strap available—a wall or a chair may also come in handy!
Section 7
  • In this class you’ll work specifically with your proprioceptive system, i.e., the body’s ability to sense itself in space and adapt to what it senses. This sequence challenges drishti (maintaining a single focus with your gaze during balance work), and you’ll even work toward closing your eyes in balance poses. The final two practices, which are the most challenging, involve standing on one leg with eyes closed while toe-tapping with the opposite foot. Opt out of anything that doesn’t feel right for you and be sure to have a wall (or a chair) and possibly more than one blanket available.
Section 8
  • In this class you’ll work with your vestibular sense. This sense communicates with our visual sense and our spine to help us stay upright in space. You’ll begin in mountain pose with simple exercises where you’ll move your head forward and backward and side to side. After that you’ll explore these head tilts while standing on one leg, and then you’ll move through standing side bend, forward bend, backbend, and lunge drills. For added challenge, you’ll explore closing your eyes throughout class. You may want to have a wall or chair available.
Section 9
  • In the final class of Sarah’s 8-Day Balancing Body program, you’ll combine the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive system exercises you learned throughout the program. This practice includes self-myofascial release for your neck, neck stretches and neck strengthening work, one-legged balance poses with a drishti (gaze) practice, walking on a rolled-up mat (possibly with eyes closed), and more. In addition to your rolled-up mat, have a massage ball and a block available.

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Meet Your Teacher

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Sarah Garden
Hi, friends! I’m Sarah Garden, and I am a yoga therapist with an interest in treating chronic pain and... 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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