My 7 Step Guide For Creating A Yoga Sequence Around A Peak Pose
I hope this 7-step formula for crafting a yoga sequence around a peak pose ignites your sequencing creativity.
Below, you’ll find a peak pose theme template inspired by my post, 101 Perfect Poses For A Peak Pose Themed Yoga Class. Feel free to use this template as a foundation for designing your own unique themed yoga sessions.
Peak Pose Yoga Class Theme Template
Here’s a peak pose-themed class plan I’ve designed for you to use as a template. The greatest advantage of a peak pose-themed class is its simplicity and efficiency in creation, plus students enjoy the challenge of working towards a peak pose!
90-Minute Yoga Class Plan: Crow Pose (Bakasana) As The Peak Pose
Class Aims:
- To build strength, balance, and confidence in Crow Pose (Bakasana).
- To increase core stability, wrist flexibility, and shoulder strength.
- To foster a sense of playfulness and exploration in arm balances.
Class Objectives:
- Prepare the body with dynamic warm-ups targeting the wrists, core, and hips.
- Progressively build strength and alignment through preparatory poses.
- Guide students into Crow Pose with clear instructions and modifications.
- Allow time for exploration, practice, and reflection in the peak pose.
Class Outline:
1. Intro (5 minutes):
- Brief overview of Crow Pose, emphasising strength, focus, and playfulness.
- Set an intention for the practice, encouraging self-exploration and patience (e.g. “In today’s class we will embrace the spirit of the crow, embodying balance, focus, and the courage to take flight into new possibilities.”).
2. Warm-Up (15 minutes):
- Child’s Pose (Balasana) with wrist stretches.
- Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) to warm up the spine.
- Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) focusing on wrist alignment.
- Wrist Bending and Plank On Forearms to build wrist and core strength.
3. Flow Sequence (30 minutes):
- Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A) x3 to build heat.
- Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) with a twist to open hips and engage core.
- High Plank to Four-limbed Staff to strengthen shoulders and arms.
- Three-Legged Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana) to prep for arm balancing.
- Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) with a focus on weight shifting.
4. Preparatory Poses (20 minutes):
- Garland Squat (Malasana) to open hips and prepare for the squat position.
- Dolphin Pose (Makarasana) for shoulder stability and core engagement.
- Boat Pose (Navasana) to strengthen the core.
- Crow Walking (Kawa Chalanasana): Come into a Wide-legged Squat and sit up, placing palms of hands onto knees. Holding onto knees, come up onto toes as you walk forward, taking small steps, still in the squatting position.
5. Crow Peak Pose (15 minutes):
- Crow Pose (Bakasana): Step-by-step guidance into the pose.
- Modifications: Blocks under feet, one foot lifted.
- Encourage students to explore holding the pose and coming out safely.
6. Cool Down (10 minutes):
- Child’s Pose (Balasana) to release the wrists and shoulders.
- Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) to stretch the back body.
- Supine Twist On Bolster to release any tension in the spine.
- Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) for a gentle hip opener.
7. Savasana (5 minutes):
- Savasana to allow students to relax and reflect on the practice.
8. Closing (5 minutes):
- Recap the experience with Crow Pose and the journey toward arm balances.
- Invite students to carry a sense of crow playfulness off the mat.
That’s the class plan outline that you can use as template. If you want to turn this into a plan with vibrant, blue yoga stick figures, you’ll want to get your yogic hands on my Online Yoga Lesson Planner.
Below is the first step on how to sequence around a peak pose.
Step 1: Pick A Peak Pose (e.g. Crow)
Pick a pose you’d like your students to learn more about. If you need a little help picking a pose, here’s a blog post I wrote that you might like: 101 Perfect Poses For A Peak Pose Themed Yoga Class.
Instead of your students practising a pose for the traditional 1 to 5 minutes, if it’s a “peak pose” they get to spend the whole class preparing for it and mastering it.
If your peak pose was Crow Pose, you could say something like this at the beginning of class…
“Crow Pose, Bakasana in Sanskrit, is going to be our peak pose. When taking flight in Crow Pose, feel a world of endless opportunities opening up in front of you.”
Then throughout the class, keep bringing up the theme.
Don’t just bring the theme up at the beginning and the end. Weave it into the class. You can’t overdo it. It’s impossible to overdo it. Allow yourself to weave away!
Here are five crow pose themes that I came up with when brainstorming in my yoga notebook.
5 Crow Pose Themes
Below are five crow pose themes that I came up with when brainstorming in my yoga notebook.
Crow Pose Theme 1: Boldness
Crows are anything but shy. They are the extroverts of the bird world. Sometimes it’s good to be bolder, braver and brazen in how you express yourself. Call upon crow energy to move you into confidence.
Crow Pose Theme 2: Curiosity
Crows can’t resist sparkly things. They’ve just got to check stuff out. When you find yourself getting stuck in a rut, call upon crow energy to make you curious and go off exploring.
Crow Pose Theme 3: Higher Perspective
Crows are known to build their nests in very tall trees. By doing so, they get a better perspective on their surroundings. What areas of your life could benefit from seeing it from a higher perspective?
Crow Pose Theme 4: Support
Have you ever watched a group of crows ganging up together and chasing off predatory birds much bigger than they are? They work as a group, especially when dealing with adversity. Do you have an effective support group in your life? If not, it may be time to cultivate one.
Crow Pose Theme 5: Warning Signs
The crow is highly aware of the looming danger. What areas of your life may cause danger if it’s not sorted out now?
Step 2: Sanskrit Storage For Your Brain
Wouldn’t it be just great if you could effortlessly store every Sanskrit pose name in your brain?
But, let me guess. You think you’ve got a bad memory.
Right?
Wrong!
You’ve got a marvellous mind, you just ain’t using it right. Here’s a memory tactic so you never forget the Sanskrit for crow pose (BAKasana)…
Imagine you’ve got a crow on your BAK (back) when practising the crow pose. Feel its claws in your BAK. Hear the loud cawing as it tells you the steps on how to get into crow pose.
The trick to remember is to make the scene as bizarre as possible. It’s easy once you let your imagination out to play!
If you like this memory trick, you may like this blog post I wrote: how to remember your yoga students’ names.
If you like yoga card decks and Sanskrit, then you’ll absolutely love my 101 Mini Yoga Cards With Sanskrit Pronunciations.
Step 3: Revel In Research
Go to town on researching your peak pose.
You could look through your yoga books, watch some youtube videos or save yourself lots of time and use the Online Yoga Lesson Planner.
During research, I wrote down the following eleven crow pose teaching tips in my yoga notebook.
11 Crow Pose Teaching Tips:
- Build coordination in the core with the Bandhas.
- Let your mind feel as light as a bird.
- Perform Baby Crow (lifting one leg at a time).
- Maintain a straight gaze so that the body balances.
- Return to mountain pose.
- Keep your neck straight to avoid sprains and strains.
- As you exhale feel that the floor is pushing you up.
- Feel the shoulder blades broaden on your back.
- Press through the arms.
- Draw the belly in.
- Breathe without releasing your strong, active core.
Step 4: Provide Beginner & Advanced Modifications
Crow Pose puts a lot of weight on the hands and wrists. At least one or two people in your class will have weak wrists. That means you need to crank out a beginner modification or two.
I tell my students that a beginner modification is ‘magic’ because it invokes the secret universal law of Sometimes Less Is More.
Here are 10 beginner modifications for Crow Pose that I wrote in my yoga notebook.
Beginner Crow Pose Modifications
Beginner Modification 1: Curl Fingers
If you feel pain in the wrists, curl your fingers slightly instead of spreading them out. This reduces strain on the wrists while maintaining balance.
Beginner Modification 2: Use a Yoga Block
Place a yoga block under your feet to lift your hips higher. This helps ease the transition into Crow Pose by reducing the distance you need to lift off the ground.
Beginner Modification 3: Keep Toes on the Floor
Instead of lifting both feet, keep your toes on the floor and shift your weight forward. This allows you to get used to the arm balance without fully committing.
Beginner Modification 4: Use a Wall for Support
Place a wall in front of you and rest your forehead against it for balance. This provides a sense of security and helps prevent tipping forward.
Beginner Modification 5: Widen Knee Placement
Place your knees on the outside of your upper arms instead of the triceps. This wider stance provides more stability and is easier for beginners to hold.
Beginner Modification 6: Practice on a Soft Surface
Use a folded blanket or cushion under your face in case of a fall. This makes the practice safer and encourages confidence in attempting the pose.
Beginner Modification 7: Focus on Arm Strength
Practice plank and Four Limbed Staff to build arm strength before attempting Crow Pose. Strong arms provide the foundation needed for a balanced and supported Crow Pose.
Beginner Modification 8: Engage Core Lightly
Engage your core gently rather than fully lifting off the ground. This helps in understanding the core engagement needed without the full balance challenge.
Beginner Modification 9: Use a Partner
Have a partner stand in front of you to catch you if you tip forward. This gives you the confidence to practice the balance aspect of the pose.
Beginner Modification 10: Keep One Foot on the Ground
Lift only one foot at a time while keeping the other grounded. This allows you to gradually build strength and balance for the full pose.
Here are 10 advanced modifications for Crow Pose.
Advanced Crow Pose Modifications
Every class has a few advanced students, so here are the ten advanced modifications for Crow Pose that I wrote in my yoga notebook…
Advanced Modification 1: Crow Pose on Elbows
Lower your body so your knees rest on your elbows instead of your upper arms. This increases the challenge on your balance and core strength as you maintain stability in a lower position.
Advanced Modification 2: Straight Arms
Extend your arms fully while holding Crow Pose, turning it into Flying Crow. This engages the triceps and increases the intensity of the balance.
Advanced Modification 3: One-Legged Crow
Lift one leg off your arm, keeping the other leg bent. This challenges your core stability and enhances balance.
Advanced Modification 4: Crow to Headstand
Transition from Crow Pose into a headstand, then back to Crow. This requires advanced core control and precision in shifting your weight.
Advanced Modification 5: Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)
In Side Crow, twist your torso and place both knees on one arm. This variation strengthens the obliques and improves rotational flexibility.
Advanced Modification 6: Crow to Four Limbed Staff
From Crow Pose, slowly lower into Four Limbed Staff. This strengthens the arms and builds control through a challenging transition.
Advanced Modification 7: Jump Back to Four Limbed Staff
From Crow Pose, jump back directly into Four Limbed Staff. This explosive movement enhances strength and coordination.
Advanced Modification 8: Crow on Blocks
Place your hands on blocks to elevate Crow Pose, increasing the demand on your core and balance. This shifts the center of gravity, making it more challenging to hold.
Advanced Modification 9: Crow Pose with Extended Legs
Extend both legs straight out behind you, transforming Crow into Crane Pose. This demands more strength from the core and arms while enhancing balance.
Advanced Modification 10: Crow to Handstand
Kick up from Crow Pose into a Handstand. This requires advanced balance, core strength, and control over the body’s weight shift.
Step 5: Preparation Poses That Lead Up To The Peak Pose
If it’s a challenging pose (e.g Crow Pose) make it a priority to prepare students for it.
All the postures leading up to your peak pose will help prepare the student’s body, mind and spirit for practising it for 10 to 20 minutes. Preparation poses make it easier for your students to physically and mentally take flight when it comes time to practice the peak pose.
Here are ten “preparation poses” for Crow Pose…
Preparation Pose 1: Mula Bandha (Root Lift)
Engaging Mula Bandha strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and provides stability in the lower body. This helps in maintaining balance and control during Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 2: Uddiyana Bandha (Upward Abdominal Lift)
Activating Uddiyana Bandha engages the core and lifts the abdominal organs, which is crucial for the core strength required in Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 3: Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lift)
Practicing Jalandhara Bandha aligns the cervical spine and creates a sense of lightness in the upper body. This aids in maintaining focus and balance in Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 4: Boat Pose (Navasana)
Boat Pose strengthens the core and hip flexors, which are essential for lifting and balancing in Crow Pose. It also improves focus and stability.
Preparation Pose 5: Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Chair Pose builds strength in the legs and core, which are needed to support the transition into Crow Pose. It also helps in developing endurance and stability.
Preparation Pose 6: Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Down Dog stretches the wrists and strengthens the shoulders and arms. These are key areas that need to be strong and flexible for Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 7: Garland Pose (Malasana)
Garland Pose opens the hips and strengthens the lower back. This flexibility and strength in the hips are necessary for the knee positioning in Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 8: Gorilla Pose (Padahastasana)
Gorilla Pose stretches the hamstrings and wrists while releasing tension in the lower back. It prepares the body for the forward fold aspect of Crow Pose.
Preparation Pose 9: Plank Pose (Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana)
Plank Pose builds arm, shoulder, and core strength, all of which are crucial for maintaining balance in Crow Pose. It also helps develop wrist stability.
Preparation Pose 10: Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Four Limbed Staff strengthens the arms, core, and shoulders, providing the necessary strength and control to hold Crow Pose. It also enhances wrist flexibility.
Step 6: Use Yoga Imagery For Magic
Dare to let lose the yoga poet within when teaching a class.
Adding yoga imagery to your class is magical. It lifts the energy and spirits of your students. I’m not religious, but I am impressed by the poetry to be found in the Bible. The Bible is overflowing with imagery, which is the secret behind its success (it’s the most read book on the planet). Imagery turns the mundane into magic.
Below is some crow imagery that you can weave into throughout the class (anything positive to do with the crow is fair game for your crow theme).
For example, during one of the preparation poses, you could say:
“Crows are well known for their adaptability. We humans sometimes get stuck in a rut. And when that happens, tapping into crow energy by practicing Crow Pose can help us fly out of ruts and soar into a world of endless opportunities.
I gave the example of “adaptability” above.
8 Crow Characteristics:
- Adaptability
- Alchemy
- Destiny
- Fearless
- Higher perspective
- Intelligence
- Personal transformation
- Trickster
Step 7: Shift Into Reverse Gear With Counter Poses
It’s time to reverse the key actions of the pose. You’ll want to relax and stretch the muscles that worked overtime during the pose.
Here are ten “counter poses” for Crow Pose…
Counter Pose 1: Cow Face Pose
Cow Face Pose stretches the shoulders, arms, and upper back, releasing tension built up during Crow Pose. It helps balance the intense arm engagement with a deep shoulder stretch.
Counter Pose 2: Baby Camel Pose
Baby Camel Pose gently stretches the front body and opens the chest, countering the forward fold of Crow Pose. This helps in releasing any tightness in the abdominals and chest.
Counter Pose 3: Full Camel Pose
Full Camel Pose provides a deeper stretch for the abdominals, chest, and shoulders. It counteracts the compression in the front body experienced during Crow Pose, promoting spinal extension and openness.
Counter Pose 4: Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Reclining Bound Angle Pose relaxes the core and opens the hips, counterbalancing the core engagement and hip flexion in Crow Pose. It also stretches the inner thighs and relieves tension in the lower body.
Counter Pose 5: Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose gently stretches the back, shoulders, and arms, providing a calming counterbalance to the strength and focus required in Crow Pose. It helps in grounding and relaxing the body.
Counter Pose 6: Seated Forward Bend
Seated Forward Bend Pose stretches the entire back of the body, including the spine and hamstrings. It helps release any tension in the lower back from the arm balance of Crow Pose.
Counter Pose 7: Up Dog
Upward-Facing Dog Pose opens the chest and stretches the abdominals, counteracting the forward bend and core engagement in Crow Pose. It promotes spinal extension and opens the shoulders.
Counter Pose 8: Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose stretches the chest, neck, and spine while strengthening the back and glutes. It provides a gentle backbend to counter the forward fold and arm strength used in Crow Pose.
Counter Pose 9: Cow Face Eagle Arms Pose
Cow Face Eagle Arms Pose stretches the shoulders and upper back, relieving tension from the arm engagement in Crow Pose. This pose also enhances shoulder flexibility and mobility.
Counter Pose 10: Thread The Needle Pose
Thread The Needle Pose provides a deep stretch for the shoulders, upper back, and arms. It helps release any tension in the shoulders and upper body, which are heavily engaged during Crow Pose.