Three Vinyasa Variations for Yoga

If you’ve been teaching yoga for a while, you’ll notice that in an ashtanga-inspired vinyasa, it’s easy to skip the chaturanga and just go to upward facing dog when cuing a classic vinyasa sequence. Here’s the classic sequence along with alternative vinyasa variations. Included is a video for demonstrating the three variations at the end of the article.

Ashtanga-Inspired Vinyasa

• plank
• chaturanga
• upward facing dog
• downward facing dog

One of the most effective alternative to the classic vinyasa sequence is the one popularized by Patrick Beach and Carling Harps of Awakening Yoga. This vinyasa adds a proper push up to the vinyasa, so it makes it less likely to just glide through the chaturanga.

Awakening Yoga Vinyasa

• plank
• chaturanga
• push-up back to plank
• child’s pose with forearms on the ground looking forward
• upward facing dog
• downward facing dog

The sequence not only addresses the chaturanga-upward facing dog “glide”, but it adds more power to the sequence. Try it a few times and you’ll know what I mean. 

Vinyasa Without a Chaturanga

Another alternative is Chatur-Nada. If you’re teaching a more mellow class, a vinyasa alternative that used to be common but I rarely see now in class is the “knees-chest-chin” cue instead of chaturanga. This way, if students are gliding through chaturanga, this alternative will give them the arm strengthening workout without feeling overwhelmed. But don't be deceived--the “knees-chest-chin” method if done deeply and slowly, can be intense.

Chatur-nada

• plank
• knees-chest-chin
• upward facing dog or cobra
• downward facing dog. 

I hope these vinyasa variations will spice up your yoga practice.