Phase 3 · Everything in a Row

Part of the 8-Week Yoga Program for Strength and Independence

30-Minute Yoga Sequence for Everyday Transfers

Weeks seven and eight. The four movements strung together the way a day strings them together.

The last two weeks put the pieces in a row. Stand up, reach, turn, bend, sit down: not as separate exercises but as one continuous thing, because that is how a kitchen or a supermarket asks for them. At the end of week eight you count chair stands again and compare with week one.

30 min · Level 2

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When it helps

For weeks seven and eight, twice a week, and afterwards for as long as you like. Thirty minutes. A chair and a blanket. A chair within reach for anything standing. This is a strength and everyday movement program rather than a balance program: if fear of falling is the main thing, the balance guide is the better starting point. With osteoporosis, fold from the hip crease with a long spine and keep twists moderate. A recent fracture, a joint replacement, spinal surgery, or unstable heart disease all need a doctor first.

Transfers

The four movements joined up. Standing, reaching, turning and bending in one sequence rather than four.

Shoulders

Reaching behind you, which is what a seatbelt, a coat and a bra strap all require and which nothing else in a day trains.

The measurement

Chair stands in thirty seconds, week one against week eight. You run the test yourself.

The four movements

Eighteen minutes standing. Each position here names the everyday movement it belongs to.

Tadasana

2 min

Mountain Pose

Feet hip width, standing tall. Then walk slowly across the room and back, noticing your step length.

Walking. Gait speed is one of the outcomes this research improves and it responds to how you stand.

Learn more about Tadasana

Urdhva Hastasana

2 min

Upward Salute

Arms overhead, front ribs down. This is the top shelf and the loft hatch.

Reaching up, kept in because it disappears quietly and nobody notices until it has.

Learn more about Urdhva Hastasana

Virabhadrasana II

90 sec each side

Warrior II

Wide stance, front knee bent, arms long. This is carrying a full bag in one hand.

Uneven load through the legs, held long enough that they have to hold it.

Learn more about Virabhadrasana II

Uttanasana

2 min

Standing Forward Bend

Knees soft, folding from the hips, coming up slowly. This is the dropped shopping.

The hinge, and coming up unhurried, which is when people get dizzy.

Learn more about Uttanasana

Utkatasana

1 min, eight times

Chair Pose

Eight slow chair stands. At the end of week eight, count how many you can do in thirty seconds and compare with your week one number.

The measurement. This is the outcome the research improves most reliably and the one you can check yourself.

Learn more about Utkatasana

On the floor

Twelve minutes down low, and the way back up.

Marjaryasana

2 min

Cat Pose

Hands and knees, rounding on the out breath.

The spine after eighteen minutes standing.

Learn more about Marjaryasana

Bitilasana

2 min

Cow Pose

Chest forward on the in breath.

And extension, which is the half that keeps you upright.

Learn more about Bitilasana

Gomukhasana

90 sec each side

Cow Face Pose

Sitting, one arm up and over the shoulder, the other reaching up the back. A strap between the hands if they do not meet, which is normal.

Reaching behind you. A seatbelt, a coat and a bra strap all need it and nothing else in a day trains it.

Learn more about Gomukhasana

Bharadvajasana 1

90 sec each side

Bharadvaja's Twist

A seated turn, from the ribs rather than the arm. Moderate if bone density is low. This is the shoulder check when reversing.

Rotation, practised on purpose so it is available when a parking space needs it.

Learn more about Bharadvajasana 1

Finishing

Four minutes, and the way up onto your feet.

Apanasana

2 min

Knees to Chest Pose

Knees towards the chest.

On the way out.

Learn more about Apanasana

Savasana

2 min

Corpse Pose

Flat for two minutes. Roll to your side, push up to sitting, stand with a hand on the chair.

Getting off the floor, one more time. By week eight it should feel like nothing, which is the result.

Learn more about Savasana

Phase 3 · Weeks 7 to 8

This practice is part of a program

It belongs to Everything in a Row, the third phase of the 8-Week Yoga Program for Strength and Independence. The program says how often to practise it, what comes before and after, and when to move on.

See the whole program →

Integration

Twice a week for weeks seven and eight, then keep it twice a week for as long as it is useful, with the ten-minute sequence in between. Eight weeks is where strength gains start showing, not where they finish.

The teacher behind this sequence

Gründer & Autor

Manish Rana

Gründer von Asanaverse.de. Manish schreibt über Yoga, Ayurveda und Meditation und verdankt seine tiefe Verbindung zum Yoga seinen indischen Wurzeln. Mit über 1000 Stunden Yoga Alliance Teacher Training gibt er sein Wissen an die Community weiter.

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Go deeper into the poses

Every asana in this practice has a page of its own. You will find alignment cues, what the shape actually works on, and the energetics behind it.

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Make it yours

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