Iyengar teacher Patricia Walden thinks that two key actions help students cultivate confidence: repeating poses and holding them for long periods of time. Some poses might be difficult to hold. But you can repeat them in order to build tenacity. Aim to hold these poses, especially the three Virabhadrasanas (Warrior Poses), for 20 seconds or as long as you can to ignite your willpower. Over time, increase your hold times to build endurance. “Muscular action is the most direct expression of willpower in our body. These poses engage muscular action and strength. From that you develop confidence,” says Walden, who adds that introspection is part of the process.
When you want to come out of a pose, see if you can stay with the discomfort a few more seconds. There are psychological benefits to challenging yourself to do something you’ve never done before. “It took me a year to do Handstand. When I finally was able to balance on my hands, it was transformative,” says Walden. “Working through difficulty requires tapas [discipline], and you feel your power. Doing something when your mind or body says it doesn’t want to—that’s empowering.”
To Begin
Meditate: Sit quietly for 10 minutes. Chant Om if you like.
Stretch: Take Balasana (Child’s Pose) to lengthen your spine. Move into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) to get your entire body ready to start an intense, active sequence. Sequence by Patricia Walden.
Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana (Upward Salute in Mountain Pose)
Standing in Tadasana, raise your arms in front of you so they are parallel with the floor. Hug your upper arms toward each other and release your shoulder blades down. Exhale as you raise your arms over your head, lengthen through the fingertips, and lift the sides of the chest. Hold for 30 seconds.
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Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
On an exhalation, bend forward, placing your hands on the ground a little wider than shoulder-width apart. If your hands don’t touch the mat, bend your knees. Step one leg back at a time into Downward-Facing Dog. Lengthen the spine away from your arms and lengthen your heels toward the floor. Hold for 1 minute.
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Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
Walk your feet toward your hands and bend your legs so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Sweep your arms up
toward the sky, lifting your torso and coming into Utkatasana. Press the tops of your shins toward the back of the room, keeping your weight on your heels. Hold for 20 seconds to 1 minute. On an inhalation, come back to Tadasana. |  |
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)
On an inhalation, jump or step the feet roughly 4 feet apart and extend the arms out to your sides. Turn your left foot in 45 degrees and turn your right foot out. Press the outer left heel into the floor and lengthen all the way from the heel to the left buttock, as you bend your right leg to a 90-degree angle. Stretch your arms out to the sides, moving your shoulder blades into and down your back. Hold for 20 seconds to 1 minute. Switch sides.
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Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I)
Lower your arms by your sides and rotate your torso to the right. On an inhalation, raise your arms up to the sky and come into Virabhadrasana I. Raise your chin and look up, lifting your chest from the base of your sternum. Hold for 20 seconds to 1 minute, then straighten the right knee and move into the pose on your other side.
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Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III)
After doing Warrior I on the left side, parallel your feet and turn your right foot out, left foot in. Lean your torso over your right leg. Keep moving forward and let your back leg lift off the ground. Your torso and arms should be parallel with the ground. Your back kneecap points toward the floor. Hold as long as you can. On an exhalation, rise up and come back into Tadasana. Step the feet wide again and do the left side, ending in Tadasana.
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Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
Lie on your stomach with your elbows bent and your hands on the ground beside your ribs. Place your feet a foot apart
and tuck your toes under. Hug your elbows into the sides of your chest and lift your head and shoulders up. Take a deep inhalation; then, with a sharp exhalation, lift your body off the floor, hovering a few inches above the ground. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. |  |
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose)
Lower from Chaturanga Dandasana onto the floor. On an exhalation, press down through the palms, straighten your arms, and lift your chest, hips, and knees. Roll your shoulders back and rise up through the base of your sternum. Hold for 1 minute. Draw yourself back into Child’s Pose.
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Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
Kneel with your hands on your waist. Draw your tailbone down and lift the top of your chest. Arch back, continuing to draw your tailbone down. Take your hands to your heels and press down through your hands to lift up through your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. To come up, place your hands on your hips, inhale, and lift from your sternum.
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Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)
Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet hip-width apart close to your buttocks. Place your palms on the mat outside your shoulders with your fingers pointing toward your feet. Press down and, on an exhalation, raise yourself off the floor, coming onto the crown of your head. Straighten your arms fully to lift your head off the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and come down slowly.
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To Finish
Fold: Take Child’s Pose again to relax your spinal muscles and counterbalance the backbends you’ve done.
Rest: Appreciate all your hard work and recognize what you’ve accomplished in this practice as you relax in
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