Prasara-Primer-2.0-TacFit
May 3, 2017 | Author: blackether | Category: N/A
Short Description
Prasara Yoga Primer Manual...
Description
THe PrASArA PrIMeR CRICKeT FlOW Supplement for TacFit Commando
The Authors
Ryan Hurst
The Prasara Primer version 2.0 ©2010 Real Creative Health Ryan C. Hurst, CST Faculty Coach Jarlo L. Ilano, MPT, CST Head Coach Andy Fossett, CST Instructor
Jarlo Ilano
http://prasaraprimer.com Expanded and and Improved from: The Prasara Primer (Version 1), First Edition ©2007 and Second Edition ©2008 by Ryan C. Hurst and Jarlo L. Ilano
Andy Fossett
The Obligatory Fine Print Disclaimer The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed. Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the application of information in this book the author and publisher disclaim any liability for untoward results including (but not limited) any injuries or damages arising out of any person's attempt to rely upon any information herein contained. The exercises described in this book are for information purposes, and may be too strenuous or even dangerous for some people. The reader should consult a physician before starting Prasara Yoga or any other exercise programs.
Legal Statement When purchasing products from Gold Medal Bodies, the purchaser understands the risk associated with using this type of product, and the purchaser understands the risk associated with following instructions from related products, and agrees not to hold Gold Medal Bodies, its agents and/or representatives responsible for injuries or damages resulting from use without proper supervision.
Attention Nothing within this information intends to constitute an explanation of the use of any product or the carrying out of any procedure or process introduced by or within any material. This course and its authors accept no responsibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising out of any person's attempt to rely upon any information contained herein. Consult your doctor before using this or any other exercise device. Do not use if you have an injury, or are experiencing pain or inflammation in your hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, or shoulders without first consulting your doctor. Use this product at your own risk. Failure to follow instructions and/or using this product in any way other than its intended use could result in injury.
Important Please be sure to thoroughly read the instructions for all exercises in this course, paying particular attention to all cautions and warnings shown for Prasara Yoga to ensure safety.
Table of Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................7 How to Use the Prasara Primer................................................................................9 What’s New in 2.0
Prasara Yoga Basics....................................................................................................11 The Eight Limbs of Yoga Asana - Yoga Poses Prasara - Yoga in Flow
Breath Awareness and Control .............................................................................13 Prasara Yoga Breathing Becoming Aware of Your Breath Working With Your Breath Perfecting Your Breath
Keys to Prasara Practice..........................................................................................19 1st Key Secret to Successful Practice 2nd Key Secret to Successful Practice
The Five Flows ...............................................................................................................21 Benefits of Each Flow
Cricket............................................................................................................................22 Points to Remember
Cricket Postures ........................................................................................................23 Beginner Level Intermediate and Advanced Levels
Cricket Flow Charts ................................................................................................30 Beginner Level Section A Section B Section C
Cricket Beginner Walkthrough .............................................................................31
Section A Section B Section C
Cricket Flow Charts .................................................................................................33 Intermediate and Advanced Levels Section A Section B Section C
Cricket Intermediate Walkthrough .....................................................................34 Section A Section B Section C
Cricket Advanced Walkthrough ...........................................................................36 Section A Section B Section C
Learning Cricket Flow..............................................................................................37 Choosing a Program Begin with the Beginner Versions of the Flow Mind Your Exertion While Learning
Program 1 - Slow and Steady ...................................................................................38 Cricket Beginner Cricket Intermediate and Advanced
Program 2 - Quick and Ready ..................................................................................44 Cricket Beginner Cricket Intermediate and Advanced
How to Practice Prasara.........................................................................................48 Training Guide ..............................................................................................................49 Prasara To Fit Your Goals
Learning The Flows Plug It In
Using Cricket Flow with TacFit Commando.......................................................51 Moderate Intensity Days Low Intensity Days
Outroduction ..............................................................................................................53
Introduction So what is Prasara Yoga all about? And what makes it different from all the other yoga out there, and what exactly can it do for you? All yoga classes and programs out there say that they will improve your flexibility and strength, relieve stress, and improve your health in a hundred different ways. And if you practice regularly, they will probably do all those things. The benefits of yoga in general are numerous; they include improved posture, weight loss, increased energy, and muscles more resistant to injury. These are all results of engaging in solid, regular yoga practice. Now add on to that some specific and progressive yoga moves for particular activities, and you’ve got what our system is all about. Simply put, the yoga we teach is designed to improve your athletic ability and get your muscles strong, flexible, and resilient. We give you five programs, each with three levels of difficulty, to hit specific areas to improve performance in many different sports and activities. Whatever your favorite activity is, whether you play pick-up basketball as much as you can, or are in a softball league, or a daily runner, or a hardcore hiker, we have the program that will make you better. We all know - or at least have been told! - that we should stretch our muscles out. But what does that even mean? Well, it doesn’t mean anything really, if you don’t have the right plan of attack. A bunch of random stretches here and there won’t do much for you, but what will get you there is a specific program tailored for your favorite activity or sport. The best part is that our programs fit into whatever exercise program you are doing right now. We aren’t looking to replace your routine - we’re here to enhance it, so that you can have the benefits of yoga, but not have to stop your normal routines just to try it out. In the manual and accompanying videos, we will show you a step by step program that you can easily incorporate into your current routine. They work well as a warmup or as a cool-down after an intense training session. Our clients have had great success with them as a cool-down after bootcamp and cross-training type workouts, and often tell us that it helps relieve muscle soreness and prevents those nagging injuries in their shoulders and knees. Do you want a lean, strong body that can handle any activity that you want to try? The following programs will get you there.
So what is it specifically about Prasara yoga that will improve your athletic ability and readiness for sport? One obvious difference that you’ll see when you watch the videos, is that our yoga is about smooth and controlled movement. Most yoga out there is about holding a pose for a long period of time, and this absolutely has its place in an exercise program. However, with this style of yoga, we want to pretty much keep moving and work on making ourselves go from point to point as smoothly as possible. This is what develops athleticism, that sense of effortlessness that is evident in the best athletes on the field. And because you are always moving, it’s why Prasara is often described as “cardio” yoga. Working these programs back to back or stacked together will really get you into that fat burning mode.
How to Use the Prasara Primer This TacFit Commando Edition of the Primer only includes a fraction of the full Prasara Primer experience. Yet, it’s complete in that it gives you everything you need to apply the Cricket Flow to your routine and accelerate your results on TacFit Commando program. Below is a synopsis of the materials in the full course.
What’s New in 2.0 The original Prasara Primer was a single ebook including embedded videos of each flow performed at regular speed. We have expanded things considerably in Version 2.0 with separate instructional videos, printouts for each flow, and a training guide that will show you how to organize your training to match your goals and activities.
Prasara Primer Course Manual Included here is all the information you need to make your practice pleasurable and effective. We’ve included exercises in yogic breathing, detailed notes on each of the poses that comprise the flows, and lots of summary/overview material you can reference as necessary.
Demonstration Videos These videos show each level of each flow performed by Coach Hurst at regular speed so you can see how everything fits together and get a sense of the grace and smoothness you should aim for in your own practice.
Instructional Videos Lacking from the original Primer was any sort of video breakdown of the flows. This time around, we’ve included instructional videos that slow things down and provide instruction via voiceover. As each flow has three levels, each level is further broken down into three sections, with a video for each short chunk.
Training Guide This is the previously missing component that we feel is really going to help you make Prasara Yoga you own and find the best way to integrate it effectively into your life. Many people told us that they enjoyed the flows and explanations in the original Prasara Primer, but weren’t sure how to use Prasara optimally. The most frequent questions were about where to start, how often to practice, and how to use Prasara to improve their current training for specific sports. To answer those questions, Coach Ilano spent many, many hours putting together these programs for various sports, schedules, and goals. The result is a set of step-by-step practice templates anyone can use to ensure they get the most out of Prasara Yoga.
Flow Charts For those who want to have a reference they can carry to the gym or on the road, we’ve created printable charts for each level of each flow. These sheets offer only the necessary reminders to guide you through the flows after you’ve already learned them.
Follow-Along .mp3s These audio cues an be a big help for learning the flows - just drop them on your iPod. Now you don’t have to practice in front of your computer anymore.
DVD Beautifully filmed by Japanese sports TV channel Gaora, the DVD includes different views of the beginner and advanced versions of each flow along with the convenience and higher resolution of DVD video.
Forums For 2.0, we decided to create a dedicated private community forum where members can ask questions and log their training. We also use the forums to make announcements about updates and other exciting stuff going on in the world of Prasara.
Prasara Yoga Basics Yoga is an age-old discipline developed in India for the purpose of improving the health of your body, mind, and spirit. The path of Yoga is said to be eightfold, with specific instructions in key disciplines. Comparing the totality of Yoga to a tree, the disciplines which make up the tree are called the “limbs” of Yoga. We’re going to list them here in the interest of completeness, but we’re not going to test you on them later. Note: Throughout the course manual, we’ve included the Sanskrit names of many poses alongside the English names. Though people coming form a yoga background will find these useful, learning them is not required. If you’re not interested, feel free to ignore them.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga 1. Yamas - restraints 2. Niyamas - observances 3. Asana - postures 4. Pranayama - breathing 5. Pratyahara - withdrawal of senses 6. Dharana - concentration 7. Dhyana - meditation 8. Samadhi - absorption
Asana - Yoga Poses Asana is the limb of Yoga that the majority of people will find most familiar. Asana practice involves learning specific postures that directly improve physical health and vitality. The postures are said to “open your joints” and give your body freedom and energy. When people speak of exercises called Downward Facing Dog, Cobra, and Pigeon, they are talking about Asana.
Prasara - Yoga in Flow Prasara is a method resurrected from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, considered the “bible of yoga,” compiled in 200 B.C. It was developed by Circular Strength Training founder Coach Scott Sonnon, and integrates all eight limbs of Yoga into a physical practice designed to improve your Flow. Flow is the ability to move your body into any posture and into any direction with grace and fluidity. Your Flow is your freedom of movement! The English translation of Prasara can be interpreted as “extension, advancing, a free course, a stream.” Prasara Yoga is then a means to improve your body’s freedom. Freedom to play your sport, to dance, and to move with grace in all that you do! Sounds good, doesn’t it! Everyone appreciates the graceful movement of our favorite athletes and dancers. And don’t we all wonder if we could ever move the way they do? It seems that it is ingrained in our being to appreciate the beauty of their movement and seemingly effortless actions. Prasara Yoga was developed as a method to develop our bodies and our movement in search of that grace.
Breath Awareness and Control Prasara Yoga Breathing Breathing is simple right? 1. Inhale and exhale. 2. Rinse and repeat. 3. Done and done!
Well, not really...
Becoming Aware of Your Breath I’m sure we all have had an experience at work when everything just seemed to go wrong. Paperwork was lost, co-workers suddenly decided to forget how to do their jobs, your boss was breathing down your neck, and every time you just about caught up, something else got dropped in your lap. Go back to that time at work for a minute, or another stressful situation in your life that really got you worked up, and close your eyes, imagine yourself there, feel the sensations of stress and anxiety, get back to how you were feeling, and the sensations you were experiencing in your body. Do this for just a couple of minutes. What did you notice? I bet one of the things that happened was your breathing became shallow and ragged. And even now, just thinking about that stressful time, you see that your breath is quickening and uneven. Now try this. Go back to the last great vacation (or even nice weekend you had off). There was a particular moment when you didn’t have a care in the world. No thoughts of work, or where you had to be at that second. See if you can recapture that sensation. You feel not just relaxed, but content. Everything is free and easy. Your stomach is pleasantly full and your
muscles are relaxed. In short, you feel great. How’s your breathing now? Odds are it is even and smooth, with long steady inhales and exhales. These are just two examples of how your breathing is connected to your feelings and state of your mind. Anxiety and stress go hand in hand with short, choppy breathing. And the reverse is also true. If right now, you consciously make your breathing ragged and quick, like you are trying to hyperventilate, you’ll notice that you are probably beginning to feel anxious and your heart rate increases like something was going on. But you are just sitting here reading an ebook! Now you begin to see the importance of regulating your breathing and how it can affect your stress levels and health for the better (or for the worse!). Proper breathing in yoga can be a very complex subject. People that practice yoga can spend a whole hour session just on the breath, and do this for years! But our goal right now can be very simple.
Exercise 1 The first exercise is much like the visualizations I asked you to perform earlier. But, thankfully, we’ll skip thinking about the stressful day at work! Start by finding a comfortable position, it can be sitting or lying down, we are just starting to find our breath and the exact position doesn’t matter. Just find a relaxed, easy place to start. Now, without worrying about how you are breathing, just take a little time to observe your breath. Notice the pace, length, and smoothness of your breath. Do the exhales and inhales seem to be the same? Is one faster than the other? Try this for a couple minutes, don’t attempt to do anything but just observe your breathing.
Exercise 2 Next, let’s try a simple breath control technique. Without worrying about making the breath longer or shorter, let’s try and make it even. And by that I mean, make our inhales and exhales the same. Don’t think about a particular number right now. Just think about breathing in and out at the same pace. Equal in exhalation and inhalation. Do this for a few minutes and observe what’s going on. What are you feeling? I bet that you’ll start to notice that your breath is lengthening naturally. Neat trick huh!
Try these exercises at least once a day for a few days.
Your Personal Breath Now that you have a beginning understanding about the quality and pacing of your breath, this is a good start in finding your “personal breath”. Without worrying about the specifics of proper breathing you are just taking the time to observe your breathing pattern. This tends to result in a more steady, even pacing and you’ll notice immediate changes in your mood and stress levels. Spending even just a few minutes a day with this will enhance the quality of your life. Breath awareness is the basis of all meditative traditions and is not only used by monks in temples, but also pro athletes in their quest for high level performance. Take a look at the best golfers playing their “A” games, notice how they remain so calm and steady even when their next putt determines the difference between first and second place, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then look at other golfers in that same tournament that aren’t doing so well, you can see the anxiety in their faces, and you can almost feel their shoulders rising high with each breath and the tightness in their chest. You can bet that the difference in breathing between the winner and the guy in 20th place is like night and day.
Working With Your Breath After you have a fair amount of time finding your steady rhythm in breathing, it’s time to go on to the next step. Now you want to be specific in “working” your breath and getting the most out of each inhalation and exhalation. The goal is to fully expand your lungs and achieve big, cleansing breaths. But rather than forcing yourself to take that “big breath”, you are going to allow air to fill your lungs to the highest capacity. And what does that mean exactly? First, we are going to start in the opposite way of what you may be thinking. Most of the time when we think about breathing, we focus on the inhale. It’s only natural to start there. However, if we start by focusing on the exhale, you’ll quickly understand what it means to fully expand your lungs.
Let’s think about it this way. Say you have a big bucket and your goal is to move water from one basin to another. Would you fill the bucket and bring it over only to pour out 1/2 or even 3/4 of the water? No, you’d pour all of it out to empty and then fill it up again. Well, its the same thing with your lungs, you need to expel all of your air out first, before you can take a nice big inhale on your next round. Makes perfect sense doesn’t it?
Exercise 3 Begin by either lying down or taking a comfortable sitting posture (cross legged, in a chair, or on a couch, whatever is most comfortable for you). Relax into that steady breathing pace we talked about in section one. When you are ready, exhale as much air out as you possibly can. Notice what is going on in your body to make that happen. You should feel your ribs drop and move down towards your hips, your low back flattens out, your hips roll underneath you, and your stomach become smaller and tight. Now, pause for just a second after the exhale and feel that still emptiness with all of your breath out of your body. After a second of holding this position, fully relax and feel the air rushing back in as you inhale without effort. Do you see how the inhale becomes stronger and more full after you worked on a deep exhale? Work on this for a few minutes and see if you can get a steady rhythm in this deep breathing method. Remember, the goal is a relaxed steady breath. You’ll get no benefit from forcing any of this. A few minutes of this and you will feel both energized and relaxed. Calm and steady, but also feeling like you are ready to run 10 miles if you had to! This is the effect of proper breathing. Feels nice doesn’t it! So to recap a few key points of “working your breath”. 1. Concentrate on a full exhalation. 2. Feel your spine lengthen as your ribs draw down and in, your belly button pulls in towards your back, and your tailbone tucks in underneath you. 3. Hold for just a second on “empty”. 4. Be relaxed as the air rushes in and you feel your ribs lift up and out while your body starts to feel even more tall. Keep your belly button pulled in a bit as you let the air go fully up to the top of your lungs. 5. Work on a steady pattern with no forceful intent. Forcing it will only work against you. You will probably not be accustomed to this deep full breath work, and all this oxygen may be a new experience for most of you! If you start to feel lightheaded or dizzy, go
back to breathing normally and allow yourself to settle down. There’s no rush, your deep breath will still be there when you are ready to go back to it. This deep breathing exercise is a great way to help you understand how much breath capacity you really have. Practice this daily, and those days of ragged breathing and “losing your breath” will be long gone!
Perfecting Your Breath Spend some time working on finding your deepest, relaxed breath and after a few days, you will notice either exhalation or inhalation being longer than the other and you may have felt like you wanted to rush one either one. This is natural and actually gives you a good insight into the areas of your breathing that need to be smoothed out. Let’s use this feeling to start a new exercise to make the inhale and exhale the same amount of time starting with a count of four.
Exercise 4 Get into your comfortable position, and as always, relax into a comfortable even breath. Now do a few repetitions of the deep breathing technique we discussed earlier. The next step is to inhale while counting a steady 1.....2.....3.....4. Don’t worry if it feels like you can manage a deeper inhalation, as you get more familiar with this exercise you can work on changing the pacing. Pause before exhaling and count 1.....2.....3.....4. You should be pausing your breath, but you shouldn’t feel as if you are bearing down and holding it in. You are simply waiting before going on to the next part of your breath. Now, exhale fully for 1.....2.....3.....4, and pause on empty for 1....2.....3.....4. This technique is often called “square” breathing. You may feel that this type of breathing is unnatural, even if you’ve been working the earlier exercises for a while. This feels unnatural, because you are really exploring all aspects of your breath and finding the spots which are harder to control. And, as you may have guessed, those more difficult spots are the areas that you need to improve! Just like most things in life, you get better not by doing the easier things over and over again, but instead working on the parts that challenge you. Here we see the paradox of breath work. We want to practice on improving our difficult areas, but at the same time not forcing ourselves in the practice. That’s the hardest part! It’s not
easy, and that’s why even the best athletes and yoga practitioners spend every day working on these breathing techniques. The goal is not to constrain yourself into a particular breathing pattern because its the “best”. Instead, we are working on relaxing into steady and even breathing. We are practicing for the fullest, most steady pattern of our inhales and exhales, while removing all the anxieties of “catching our breath”, or “needing more breath”. If this sounds difficult to achieve... well it is! But it doesn’t have to be “hard”, does that make sense? It’s tough to explain in words and you can’t get it just by reading, but with regular practice you will begin to understand. With breath work, it is the learning on the job that gives you the primary benefit. We started with the count of four for square breathing, and as you continue on in your practice, you’ll naturally start to lengthen the counts. Again, DON’T FORCE IT! When in doubt, just drop it down a count, or take a break and try again. And maybe you’ll need to stop the square breathing for a while and work on the earlier two exercises for a bit. That’s perfectly fine, and actually the best thing to do. It’s better to do this, than to just give up. Find a way to practice every day, and you’ll find your improvement. It is better to do these exercises for shorter periods and more often, than to force yourself to do it for a long time once a day. You may work up to that point, but too many people start this way and then quit. Starting for just a few minutes, and for whenever you feel like it during the day is an ideal way to begin without feeling forced or dreading it. “Oh, I have to do my breathing exercise!”. Can you see how that’s probably not the best way to go? Start on making this a nice daily habit, and as you get more comfortable you will lengthen the time you spend on these exercises. Breath awareness and control does wonders for your health and wellness, and it also helps your performance in sports and other recreational activities by helping to manage your energy and control anxiety levels. Take some time to work on your breathing, you’ll be glad you did!
Keys to Prasara Practice Before you begin the Prasara Primer program, there are a couple of basic concepts that you should keep in mind. Sticking to these key points will both make sure you are doing the Yoga properly and not harming yourself. It will also help ensure you make the best progress possible.
1st Key Secret to Successful Practice Breathe out when you are exerting effort, and never hold your breath. Holding your breath and bracing in a posture or a difficult activity is, for many, a natural response. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the worst things you can do! When you inhale strongly and hold your breath, don’t you feel that build-up of tension? That sensation is the exact opposite of what you want to achieve. Practice the breathing methods in the breath control and awareness chapter of this manual and you will greatly improve your progress in this program and any physical training you do.
2nd Key Secret to Successful Practice You must be sure to do this practice with minimal pain. Our saying is not “No pain, no gain”, it is “No pain, all gain!” The developer of this method is fond of saying “You should be uncomfortable, but not very uncomfortable”. How do you decide this? We use a discomfort scale of 0 to 10. Zero means no discomfort at all and ten represents the worst pain you’ve ever felt. We want to hover around a 3, which we call your “edge”. It should be uncomfortable enough that you know you are doing something by going to your edge” but not so bad that you feel a pain that makes you want to jump off that cliff! No pain sounds good right? It is! And what’s best about this is, it is not only a comfortable way to progress, but also the fastest way to progress. You see, if you feel pain, your body will
react by tensing up and bracing. It’s only natural, the body wants to protect itself from further pain and injury. So rather than improving your movement, you are hindering it if you are pushing into pain. Another good milestone is you should feel better as you perform your practice. At the end of your session you should feel better than you did at the beginning. If you are doing repetitions of a particular movement, the tenth one should feel better than the first one. If it feels worse, you are either performing the movement incorrectly or pushing yourself too hard. Remember the goal is not to “stretch”, but to regain freedom of movement. These two ideas, breathing out when there is effort, and having no pain (no more than a 3 out of 10 on the scale), are fundamental to your success in learning the Prasara Primer program.
The Five Flows These five yoga flows, sometimes called the ‘Series B’ flows, are specifically designed to strengthen your body from every angle while simultaneously increasing mobility in areas that are frequent trouble spots - hips, back, knees, ankles, and wrists. Though each flow actually addresses the entire body, certain movements will impact some muscle groups more than others. Likewise, the movements practiced in certain flows may have greater or lesser carryover into a particular sport or other activity. Still, it’s important to remember that we use our entire bodies for literally every physical task we perform. That’s why we encourage you to practice each flow in turn. This will allow you to develop a well-rounded set of movement skills and a body that can do whatever you ask of it.
Benefits of Each Flow Here are just a few examples of the benefits of each flow covered in this course. Flow
Muscle Group
Attributes
Sports
Cricket
Hips, Knees, Ankles
Hips mobility for activities involving squatting or moving on the ground
Running/Jogging, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Rollerblading
Vine
Legs
Balance and leg strength for kicking and single-leg activities
Dancing, Martial Arts (kicking), Rock Climbing, Skiing, Volleyball
Wind
Hips, Back
Breath control, Endurance, Breathing under stress
Surfing, Snowboarding, Tennis, Golf, Wrestling/Grappling
Ocean
Shoulders, Arms, Core, Hips
Full-body Integration, Balance, Controlled movement
Football, Rugby, Wrestling/ Grappling, Rowing/Paddling
Seesaw
Core, Torso
Lifting movements, General strength and power
Swimming, Diving, Golf, Racquetball, Tennis
Cricket Cricket is a flow designed to improve your ability to work your hips in all angles of movement. From full flexion to extension and rotation, your hips will start to move more freely than you ever thought possible! This program works on both strength and flexibility as you transition smoothly from one position to another. You will notice improvements in all of your activities that require squatting and knee bending.
Points to Remember Rotation (in and out) and full extension of your hips are movements that sometimes get neglected in our daily lives, the Cricket flow restores and expands these motions. As always, resist the urge to progress too quickly in the movements. You may feel that natural eagerness to “get there faster”. But you will soon realize that the fastest way to get where you are going is through disciplined, mindful practice. Going too fast, too soon will only bring you tweaked muscles and joints, and set you back. Keep in mind all the beginning tips we gave you in the introduction. Most importantly play and have fun! With continued practice of the Cricket flow, your hips will become both stronger and more mobile. You will notice less of a strain and you will experience a greater enjoyment in many of your recreational activities.
Cricket Postures Beginner Level Trinity Squat The squat begins and ends with a feeling of being upright and strong. You will raise your hands up in front of you, and be sure to keep your shoulders packed down. Keep a good alignment in your spine; think tall and long, and position your head as if held up from a string. Feel the pressure on the bottom of your feet being distributed in the middle of the foot. Your weight should be even rather than too much on the toes or heels. Begin by exhaling and sitting your hips backward as if you were sitting down in a chair. Drop down as far as you are comfortable, eventually ending up with your butt all the way down to your ankles. The goal of this movement is to maintain proper head, shoulder, and hip alignment while not leaning forward nor slouching when performing the squat.
Shin Squat This position is with one knee up and the other folded beneath you as you sit back on your calf. Your weight should be evenly distributed between both legs. Rest your hands on your legs and remember to think tall through your spine, and sink your tailbone into the floor. Keep your back straight and your shoulders down and relaxed.
Triangle Squat This is similar to the Shin Squat, but now your front foot is turned inward placed just to the outside of the leg that you are sitting on.
Modified One Leg Crane Pose Primer Eka Pada Bakasana
Place your hands shoulder width apart in front of you, and bring one knee forward to rest above your elbow. Extend the opposite leg straight back while on your toes. Keep your weight distributed equally on each foot, but as your strength improves you should gradually distribute the majority of your weight to the front leg.
Modified Crane Pose Place your hands shoulder width apart in front of you and bring both knees forward to rest above your elbows. Place your toes on the ground. Keep your weight distributed equally on each foot. As your strength improves you should gradually distribute the majority of the weight to the knees and bring your feet up off of the ground.
Frog Pose or Quad Squat Manduka Asana
While on all fours, flatten your back and equally distribute the weight of your torso between all four limbs. For this first form, bring your knees close to your elbows. Turn your hands inward while flaring your elbows and knees slightly outwards. This pose must be performed correctly to insure a proper understanding of the position, so that you can transition into the Quad Squat Variation.
Modified Frog Pose or Quad Squat Manduka Asana Modified
From the quad squat position in which your knees are close to your elbows, begin by leaning your weight forward to place yourself over your hands. Bend your elbows and knees at the same time. Go down towards the floor and then press back up to the Quad squat position keeping equal pressure on your hands and feet. Remember to breathe out while performing the movement, never hold your breath!
Pigeon Pose Rajakapotasana
This pose is great for opening up your hips. Start by having one knee bent and lying flat in front of you. Work on getting your shin perpendicular to your torso. The opposite leg is straight back behind you. Think of making it as long as possible with the top of your foot flat against the ground. Now roll the front of your hip inwards into the floor while keeping your shoulders squarely pointed towards the front. Squeeze the buttock of the straight leg. Your torso should be upright and tall as in the squat positions you’ve practiced. You can place your hands where you need for balance, or to take the pressure off of any painful areas. However, pay careful attention to not shrug your shoulders while placing your hands on the ground for
support. Keep your upper body relaxed but shoulders pulled down and back as you look straight ahead.
Sleeping Pigeon Supta Rajakapotasana
The Sleeping Pigeon is the same position as the Pigeon, but now lean forward and place your arms on the ground in front of you.
Shin Box In this position you will sit with one foot folded in front of you, bringing the foot into the inner thigh of your other leg. The other leg is then folded in back of you, with the heel placed next to your buttock. Sit with your weight evenly distributed on the right and left side of your body. Be tall!
Downward Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana
Begin on all fours with your hands placed about 5 feet away from your feet. Keep your hands planted and push down through your hands. Your elbows will now straighten to support your upper body as you push your heels down towards the ground. Again, work towards a long spine and bring your chest facing down towards the floor. Push your buttocks up towards the sky and keep your head neutral while looking towards your stomach.
Sleeping Warrior Supta Virabhadrasana
Sit back onto your heels with the top of your feet flat on the ground, rest your upper body forward on your thighs and reach with your palms flat on the ground in front of you. While keeping your arms straight, push down through your hands while sinking your buttocks down deeper into the heels of your feet. Think of sinking your torso into the floor while trying to keep your back straight in alignment to the floor. Keep your shoulders down and breathe!
Upward Facing Dog Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Lie flat on your stomach and bring your hands up by your shoulders. Push up and straighten your arms while keeping your hips down on the ground. Turn your elbow pits forward and push against the floor making sure not to shrug your shoulders up. Project your chest forward and up in front of you. Look straight ahead, or if is comfortable lift your head and arch back to look at the sky. Squeeze your thighs tightly and push your ankles into the floor. If this feels easy to you place your legs closer together and push your knees off of the ground.
Cat Pose Bidalasana
On all fours much like the quad squat position, lift your upper and mid back upwards toward the sky.
Intermediate and Advanced Levels
Awkward Chair Pose Utkatasana
Just like the Trinity squat, raise your hands, however, this time bring them up to about the level of your ears. Keep your arms straight with elbow pits turned up towards the sky and palms facing towards each other. Your head should remain neutral and not looking up or down. When sitting back do not drop all the way down, stop your hips at 90 degrees parallel to the floor.
One Leg Crane Pose Eka Pada Bakasana
Place your hands in front of you and bring your knees just above your elbows. In the advanced version, lean forward far enough to allow the leg that is straight behind you to lift up in the air. The intermediate version is the same; however you may bend the knee to make it easier. Squeeze your hips and point your toes in this hand balancing pose. As you improve, gradually straighten your arms and bring your bent leg closer to your chest for a deeper and stronger pose. Remember to breathe out when extending the leg behind and inhale when returning the leg.
Crane Pose Bakasana
The Crane Pose is actually easier than it looks. From the bottom squat position, place your hands directly out in front of you on the floor. Widen your knees outwards slightly past your elbows. In the basic version of this pose, bend your elbows and flare them outward to the side. Now shift your weight slightly forward and while on the balls of your feet, lay your knees on top of your
bent arms just above the elbows. Bring your head forward and up to counterbalance your weight. Exhale to activate your core and continue the forward lean. You will soon find a good balance point that will enable you to lift your feet off the floor. Keep your balance by using your fingers and the heel of your palm. In the intermediate version of this pose, bring your elbows in closer to your body. So, rather than flaring your elbows like in the beginner version, keep your elbows in and rest your knees on your arms just above the elbow as you rise up into the Crane. The advanced version of this pose keeps the arms straight while placing your knees even further up your arms. Start with your arms straight and stand up a bit from your squat. Push yourself forward slightly and rise up onto the balls of your feet. Your shoulders will be past the plane of your hands. This is very important. If your shoulders are not out in front of your hands you will not be able to hold this balance. Your knees will slide off of your arms! Finally, place your knees as close to your armpits as possible and push up in to the pose. You can place your knees to the outside of your arms however we prefer placing the knees in the inside of the arms, almost up into the armpits. This keeps the body more compact and easier to control.
One Leg Downward Facing Dog Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
This pose is similar to Downward Facing dog, except now you will have one leg extended off the ground and raised behind you. Be sure to keep your back flat and do not allow it to twist as you raise the leg up. Keep your hips facing straight toward the ground. Your leg and your back should be in a nice straight line.
Cricket Flow Charts Beginner Level Section A Trinity squat to shin squat to modified one leg crane Modified one leg crane to quad squat to quad hop Quad hop to pigeon to sleeping pigeon
Section B Sleeping pigeon to shin box to triangle squat switch Triangle squat switch to flat foot squat to triangle squat Triangle squat to modified shin swing to pigeon pose Pigeon pose to sleeping pigeon to downward facing dog
Section C Downward facing dog to sleeping warrior to upward facing dog Upward facing dog to sleeping warrior to cow pose Cow pose to trinity squat
Cricket Beginner Walkthrough Section A The first movement begins as you sit your hips down towards the ground. At the bottom of the Squat bring your left knee to the inside of your right ankle. Roll the toes of your left leg over and keep your left ankle close to the ground. Turn your upper body to the right as your right leg settles into the ground and you sit back onto your left heel. Inhale and straighten your back. Lightly clasp your hands on your right knee. This is called a Shin Squat. Now place your hands in front of you, placing your right elbow to the inside of your right knee. Shift forward and straighten your left leg behind you. As you improve, place more weight onto your hands and less on your legs. This is the beginner variation of the Crane Pose. To move out of this pose, bring your right leg slightly under your left leg and put your right knee on the ground. Your weight will be evenly distributed between your arms and legs. Then extend your left leg backwards for a Pigeon Pose. Exhale to go deep into the pose and be tall and strong. You may place your hands on your thighs or the ground for support.
Section B From Pigeon Pose, sit the hip of your front leg down to the floor and bend the knee of your back leg to bring it up in front of you. This is Shin box pose Bring your left leg over your right leg and place your foot in front of your right knee. Your toes should be pointed in the same direction as your knee. You can use your right hand for balance. Shift your weight to your left leg as you swing your right leg towards the back in a sweeping motion. Your body will follow, and you will be in a squat facing the other direction. Continue by bringing your left knee to your right ankle, rolling your toes over to end in another Shin Squat. Now, use your left hand on the ground for balance and swing your right leg out to the side and back ending in another Pigeon Pose. Your left leg should remain in the same position as when you were sitting upon it.
Section C First we will move into Downward Facing Dog by placing your hands shoulder width apart in front of you. Lift your rear foot up and place the ball of your foot on the ground. Push down into the floor with your hands and bring your front leg back behind you and into Downward Facing Dog Pose. Remember to keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and pulled down. Work on getting your knees straight as you improve. As you breathe out in Downward Facing Dog slowly shift your weight to the front and bring your knees to the mat. Sit back slightly and turn your toes under. Sit back even further, and while keeping your elbows close to your body, breathe out as you pull with your arms and push with your legs, skimming just above the floor. Continue this motion into Upward Facing Dog. Your chest should project up and out in front of you. Breathe out from Upward Facing Dog and slowly lower yourself to the mat. Once again take a breath and lift your hips into the air keeping your toes flat on the mat. Breathe out and push back with your arms, pressing against the mat with your toes. Keep your back as flat as possible and push back into Sleeping Warrior. To end this flow, exhale and push with your legs as you sit up to balance on all fours. Breathe in while going onto the balls of your feet. Lean slightly forward and breathe out while smoothly jumping into a deep Trinity Squat. Be careful not to hunch over and keep your back as straight as possible. Breathe out as you rise to the standing position.
Cricket Flow Charts Intermediate and Advanced Levels The transitions for Cricket Intermediate level are the same as in the Advanced. The primary difference is the smoothness and grace you can exhibit as you strive for continuous free movement between the asana.
Section A Chair pose to shin squat to triangle squat Triangle squat to one leg crane to crane Crane to pigeon pose
Section B Triangle squat to standing shin roll to triangle squat Triangle squat to pigeon pose to sleeping pigeon Sleeping pigeon to one leg down dog to one leg dolphin dive
Section C One leg dolphin dive to up dog to sleeping warrior Sleeping warrior to upward facing dog to chair pose
Cricket Intermediate Walkthrough Section A Begin by sitting your hips down towards the ground pausing slightly with legs at 90 degrees. Continue the squat, and at the bottom of the Squat bring your left knee to the inside of your right ankle. Roll the toes of your left leg over and keep your left ankle close to the ground. Turn your upper body to the right as your right leg settles into the ground and you sit back onto your left heel. Inhale and straighten your back. Lightly clasp your hands on your right knee for Shin Squat. Next, place your hands in front of you with your right elbow to the inside of your right knee. Lean forward bringing yourself into one leg crane pose. Extend your left leg up and out behind while slightly bending it. Next, bring your left leg to your left elbow going deeper into crane pose. Now, drop your toes to the ground. Bring your right leg slightly under your left leg slowly lower it to the floor. Extend your left leg backwards for Pigeon Pose. Exhale to go deep into the pose and be tall and strong. You may place your hands on your thighs or the ground for support.
Section B From Pigeon Pose, bring your back leg forward and continue by bringing it over your right leg and place your foot in front of your right knee. Next swing your right leg towards the back in a sweeping motion pausing as you come into the flat foot squat. Continue the motion by bringing your left knee to your right ankle, rolling your toes over and swing your right leg out to the side and back ending in another Pigeon Pose. Your left leg should remain in the same position as when you were sitting upon it. Next, place your hands on the floor. Push down into the floor and bring your left leg up and back behind you and into One Leg Downward Facing Dog Pose.
Section C Bring your leg down to the floor and into the standard Downward Facing Dog. Next, slightly bend your knees, and while also bending your elbows skim your body forward just above the floor into Upward Facing Dog. Next, slowly lower yourself to the mat and push back with your arms, pressing against the mat with your toes ending in Sleeping Warrior. To end this flow, exhale and push with your legs as you jump into a deep Trinity squat. Breathe in while going onto the balls of your feet. Be careful not to hunch over and keep your back as straight as possible. Breathe out as you rise to the standing position.
Cricket Advanced Walkthrough Section A Begin by sitting your hips down towards the ground pausing slightly with legs at 90 degrees and arms raised above you. Continue the squat, rolling your left leg under to finish in Shin Squat. Next, place your hands in front of you and lean forward bringing yourself into one leg crane pose. Extend your leg straight out and make sure to exhale into the movement. Bring your left leg to your left elbow, straighten your arms and exhale into crane pose. Next, bring your right leg slightly under your left leg and slowly lower it to the floor. Extend your left leg backwards for Pigeon Pose.
Section B From Pigeon Pose, bring your back leg forward and continue the motion passing through the flat foot squat and into opposite side pigeon pose. Next, place your hands on the floor. Push down into the floor and bring your left leg up and back behind you and into One Leg Downward Facing Dog Pose.
Section C With your leg extended in the air, perform Diving Dolphin by bending your elbows and skimming your body forward just above the floor into Upward Facing Dog. Next, slowly lower yourself to the mat and push back with your arms, pressing against the mat with your toes ending in Sleeping Warrior. To end this flow, exhale and push with your legs as you jump into a deep Trinity squat with arms raised above. Breathe in while going onto the balls of your feet. Be careful not to hunch over and keep your back as straight as possible. Breathe out as you rise to the standing position.
Learning Cricket Flow The following two programs are templates you can use to learn this flow. Program 1 is a plan for learning the flow gradually and at a relaxed pace over the course of seven sessions. Program 2 is faster-paced and requires only four sessions to learn the flow.
Choosing a Program Which program you choose depends on your schedule and goals. If this is your only training, we recommend using Program 1 and scheduling sessions at any time that’s convenient for you. You can practice twice a week, every other way, or even daily if you are careful about getting enough rest. Program 1 is also a viable option if you play a sport or do other training, but you’ll probably want to move a little faster so you can begin incorporating Prasara into your regimen and seeing results. We don’t blame you. In that case, you could schedule your sessions on off days, during your warmups, or really whenever is convenient, with the caveat that you get adequate rest and nutrition.
Begin with the Beginner Versions of the Flow Even if you have experience with yoga, we recommend beginning with the beginner version of each flow. You can easily step up to the next level once you’ve mastered the basics.
Mind Your Exertion While Learning Whichever program you choose, you should keep your overall exertion level below 60% while learning a new flow. This is because training new skills while fatigued results in learning sloppy form. Sloppy form is the opposite of the smooth and controlled movement we are trying to develop. Be sure to take breaks as necessary to ensure that you don’t wear yourself out. Remember: This is practice. You’ll be able to plug this flow into one of the programs in the Training Guide when it’s time to workout.
Program 1 - Slow and Steady Cricket Beginner
Session #1 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 1 (see Course Manual)
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video flat foot squat, shin squat, and modified one leg crane. 1 Minute Each
Practice
2 Sets
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form. Cricket Beginner Section A
Perform
Practice
3 Sets of 5 Rounds through the flow
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Practice the flat foot squat, shin squat, and modified one leg crane once more.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #2 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 1 (see Course Manual)
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video quad squat, quad hop, pigeon, and sleeping pigeon
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
Perform
Cricket Beginner Section A
Practice
Practice the quad squat, quad hop, pigeon, and sleeping pigeon once more.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
3 Sets / 5 Rounds 1 Minute Each
1 Set
Session #3 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 1 (see Course Manual)
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video shin box, triangle squat, and downward facing dog
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
Cricket Beginner Section B
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Practice the shin box, triangle squat, and downward facing dog once more.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #4 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 2 (see Course Manual)
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video sleeping warrior, upward facing dog, and cow pose
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
Perform
Cricket Beginner Section B
Practice
Practice the sleeping warrior, upward facing dog, and cow pose once more.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
3 Sets / 3 Rounds 1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #5 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 2 (see Course Manual)
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video Cricket Beginner Section C
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Session #6 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 3 (see Course Manual)
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video Cricket Beginner Sections A and B
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #7 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 3 (see Course Manual)
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Demonstration Video Cricket Beginner Full Flow
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Cricket Intermediate and Advanced The following progression assumes that you have already practiced the Beginner level as directed above. If you have not done so, make sure you spend some time with the breathing exercises outlines in the Course Manual. Session #1 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video chair pose, shin squat, and triangle squat
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Section A
Perform
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Practice
Practice the first three poses once more.
3 Sets / 5 Rounds
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #2 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video one leg crane, and crane
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
Perform
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Section A
Practice
Practice the two postures once more.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
3 Sets / 5 Rounds 1 Minute Each
1 Set
Session #3 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video pigeon pose, standing shin roll, and sleeping pigeon
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
2 Sets
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Section B
Perform
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Practice
Practice the three postures once more.
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #4 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video one legged downward facing dog, upward facing dog, and sleeping warrior 1 Minute Each
Practice
2 Sets
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
Perform
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Section B
Practice
Practice the four postures once more.
3 Sets / 3 Rounds 1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #5 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Section C
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Session #6 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video Cricket Int/Adv Sections A and B
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Duration
Repetitions
Session #7 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 3 (see Course Manual)
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video Cricket Int/Adv Full Flow
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Program 2 - Quick and Ready Cricket Beginner
Session #1 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 1 (see Course Manual)
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Video flat foot squat, shin squat, modified one leg crane, quad squat, quad hop, pigeon, and sleeping pigeon 1 Minute Each
Practice
1 Set
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form. Cricket Beginner Sections A and B
Perform
1 Set / 5 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Session #2 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 2
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Video shin box, triangle squat, and downward facing dog
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Cricket Beginner Sections A and B
Perform
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
1 Set / 5 Rounds
Session #3 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 3
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Video sleeping warrior, upward facing dog, and cow pose
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Cricket Beginner Sections B and C
Perform
1 Set / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Session #4 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Beginner Video Cricket Beginner Full Flow
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Cricket Intermediate and Advanced The following progression assumes that you have already practiced the Beginner level as directed above. If you have not done so, make sure you spend some time with the breathing exercises outlines in the Course Manual.
Session #1 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 1 (see Course Manual)
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video chair pose, shin squat, triangle squat, one leg crane, and crane 1 Minute Each
Practice
1 Set
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form. Cricket Int/Adv Sections A and B
Perform
1 Set / 5 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Session #2 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 2
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video Pigeon pose, and sleeping pigeon pose
Practice
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form.
1 Minute Each
1 Set
Cricket Int/Adv Sections A and B
Perform
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
1 Set / 5 Rounds
Session #3 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 3
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video one leg downward facing dog, sleeping warrior, and upward facing dog pose 1 Minute Each
Practice
1 Set
Refer to the descriptions of each pose in the Course Manual and study the pictures for proper form. Cricket Int/Adv Sections B and C
Perform
1 Set / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover.
Session #4 What to Do Breathing Watch
Exercise 4
Duration
Repetitions
5 Minutes
Cricket Intermediate or Advanced Video Cricket Int/Adv Full Flow
Perform
Practice
3 Sets / 3 Rounds
Watch the video first, then follow along with the voiceover. Pick the four postures you have the most difficulty with and practice those four postures again
1 Minute Each
1 Set
How to Practice Prasara You’ll find complete programs and advice on how to structure your practice in the Training Guide, but here are a few general tips to keep in mind as you work your way through each flow. You may find yourself progressing through each level quickly, or you may find yourself stuck at one particular level for awhile. However it goes, remember that the goal is not to blast through each level so that you become a “master” at this style of Yoga! The goal is to achieve graceful motion and to achieve a greater understanding of how your body moves. Each practice is a new beginning and every movement can feel fresh and exciting. Enjoy the journey, don’t be so focused on the end, or you’ll miss all the benefits of traveling the path. There will always be aspects of the asana that you could work on, but you don’t want to get stuck there! Once you understand the basic mechanics of the asana, allow yourself to move on to achieving flow between them, you will find that working on flow will improve your performance of the static asana. Our goal is graceful movement, so don’t be content to sit in one position for too long.
Training Guide The full version of the Prasara Primer includes a Training Guide that is meant to answer the most frequent questions we’ve had regarding the use of the Prasara Primer materials, such as how to get started and where to put the practice into your current training regimen.
Prasara To Fit Your Goals In this edition, we’ve included some ideas for combining the Cricket Flow with your TacFit Commando program. The full Primer also includes programs for:
Muscle Gain Cardio/Fat loss Sports/Activity Enhancement Muscular Endurance 4x7 / TacFit Commando
In each section, we give you a detailed outline on which flows to choose, and how to use them to best assist you towards your goal.
Get the Full Program at: www.prasaraprimer.com
Learning The Flows First, you’ll need to learn how to perform the Cricket Flows. Feel free to jump in and learn the flow in whatever way you feel is best. For those seasoned and experienced athletes, you probably know your optimal learning style. However, it is also good to have a sample plan to give you a general idea of how to begin this practice. In the Cricket Flow Chart, we’ve given you two options to attack learning the flow: Program #1 is the “Slow and Easy” progression. In this program, you progress through your chosen flow slowly and steadily, taking eight training days to learn the entire flow. Program #2 is the “Quick” progression, for those that want to get going on the fast track to learning a flow. It takes four training days to learn the flow using this method.
These two programs show how to learn the flows, with detailed session outlines. You can perform these sessions whenever you like in your current program. We recommend at least a day in between training sessions, and have found the optimal learning curve to be about once every three days, or twice a week. Your Prasara flow practice days can be scheduled as often as every other day, but you must be mindful of using appropriate recovery methods to prevent overuse injuries.
Plug It In After you have learned the flow, then you can follow the guidelines below for incorporating it into your training.
Using Cricket Flow with TacFit Commando The flows can be inserted into the Low and Moderate days of a 4x7 program, such as TacFit Commando. For TacFit Commando, it is recommended that you cycle through the flows, so that you can reap the full benefits of the total body work of the program as written. If you’re training on a 4x7 program for a particular goal, choose the flow that best suits your sport/activity. In this case, it’s still a good idea to switch to a different flow at the end of a cycle. Pick one Prasara Primer flow and perform that one for the duration of the 28 days, and choose another for the next 28 day program, cycle through these with each 28 day 4x7 cycle or TacFit Commando mission. The interval training method employed in TacFit commando is an excellent approach for developing a high level of burst-recover-burst metabolic conditioning. We don’t want to just tack on additional activity using this method after you have gone through the complete TacFit workout of the day. Instead we will use two other protocols to complement the main training. You will perform “on the minute” intervals on the Moderate Intensity days and a slow, steady pace for a specified time on the Low Intensity days.
Moderate Intensity Days In the usual “on the minute” training protocol for TacFit, you perform the particular exercises as fast as possible in order to have adequate rest before the minute expires and you start again. Because of the length of the Prasara Primer flows, we will perform the individual sections of the flows as the exercise activity. They are designated as A, B, and C. You will perform your chosen flow for 5 one-minute sets. After you complete one set of the flow, your rest period before the next repetition is determined by how fast you completed the breakdown.
Get the Full Program at: www.prasaraprimer.com
The Prasara flow practice will be performed after the main workout and before the cooldown activities. Follow your Mission Calendar and add the chosen flow breakdown to your day as follows: Day 3 Flow Section A Day 7 Flow Section B Day 11 Flow Section C Day 15 Flow Section A Day 19 Flow Section B Day 23 Flow Section C Day 28 Full Flow (see below)
On Day 28 you’ll perform the whole Flow, but this time on the “third minute” for 3 sets. So just like the “on the minute,” you will go through the whole flow, and the rest period will only be as long as it is from when you stop until the third minute begins. If it takes you two and a half minutes, then you only get thirty seconds rest. The flow will be performed after the main workout and before the cooldown activities.
Low Intensity Days The purpose of a the low intensity day in the TacFit Commando program is to use compensatory postures to alleviate and counteract the stored tensions from the moderate and high intensity days. To complement this, you will perform your chosen flow at a slow and steady pace for seven minutes. Simply set a timer for the seven minutes, start the flow, and finish when the timer goes off. Perform the flow before the compensatory postures.
Outroduction This manual is our introduction to one of five creative and fun Prasara Yoga Flows we designed to uncover your natural agility and athleticism. We hope you enjoy it enough to check out the full course available at www.prasaraprimer.com. Remember that Prasara practice is meant to be ongoing and engaging. As you improve in the movements, you will discover the areas that need more practice in order to make your movements more smooth and agile. When you continue to improve and move freely, the practice becomes a moving meditation. You are no longer just doing the movements, you are experiencing the freedom of the movement that leads to “being in the zone”. You will not just do the movement, you will own that movement. The program in this guide are just samples of the many ways you can us the Prasara Primer flows to complement your existing training. The possibilities really are endless, so don’t take these programs as scripture. Remember that the key to developing grace, power, and mobility is consistent, conscious practice. As unsexy as it sounds, lots and lots of practice is the true “secret” to learning any skill or building any attribute your could ever hope for. We hope this guide gives you an inkling of the many options for fun and varied practice that are possible with Prasara Yoga. We hope you enjoyed this introduction to Prasara, and that you will practice the flows we have shared with you. We also hope that this gets you interested in learning more about Prasara Yoga. Seminars are being held throughout the United States, Europe, and internationally. Prasara Yoga has been a wonderful method in our personal exercise practice, and we enjoy sharing our experiences with others. We hope to see you soon!
Get the Full Program at: www.prasaraprimer.com
View more...
Comments
