PA-0100

Vinyasa

Vinyasa

IntermediateFlow FoundationsSalutations & Flows

At a glance

A linking breath-sequence used to transition between poses, most commonly Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog to Downward-Facing Dog. Each shape is paired with a specific breath, and the movement itself is the practice, not just a bridge to the next hold.

“Let each shape land on its own breath, no rushing through.”

Essence

A vinyasa is often treated as filler between the real poses, but the breath-shape pairing is the point. Rushing through it, or letting the shoulders collapse in chaturanga to get it over with, misses what the transition is actually training.

Intention

To move through a coordinated breath-and-shape sequence that links two poses, most commonly chaturanga, up-dog, and down-dog.

What this pose develops

Physical

  • •Shoulder and core strength through repeated chaturanga
  • •Spinal articulation between flexion (down-dog) and extension (up-dog)
  • •Sustained coordination of breath with movement

Mental

  • •Rhythm and continuity across a longer sequence
  • •Attention to breath as the pacing mechanism, not the count

Teaching concepts

  • •Naming each shape with its paired breath explicitly, so students learn the mapping
  • •Watching for shoulders dropping below the elbows in chaturanga, a common strain point
  • •Offering knees-down chaturanga as a full-value option, not a lesser one

How to practise

  1. 1From plank, exhale as you lower into chaturanga, elbows tracking back over the wrists.
  2. 2Inhale, roll over the toes and lift the chest into up-dog, thighs lifting off the mat.
  3. 3Exhale, press back through down-dog, sending the hips up and back.
  4. 4Take a full breath cycle in down-dog before moving to the next pose.

Alignment exploration

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

  • •Chaturanga: elbows at 90 degrees, shoulders level with elbows, not dropping below.
  • •Up-dog: thighs and pelvis lifted off the mat, shoulders stacked over wrists.
  • •Down-dog: even weight through both hands, hips lifting up and back.

Breath

Exhale to chaturanga, inhale to up-dog, exhale to down-dog. The breath leads each shape rather than following it.

Teacher’s eye

Watch for shoulders sinking below elbows in chaturanga, or bypassing up-dog by staying in cobra without a clear cue. Offer knees-down chaturanga as an equal option — the coordination and breath pairing are the practice, not the strength display.

Student practice

Reflect after practising:

  • •Knees-down chaturanga is a full expression of this transition, not a lesser one.
  • •If your shoulders drop below your elbows in chaturanga, that's the signal to lower the knees or skip the vinyasa entirely for that round.

Common movement strategies

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

  • •Build comfort with each shape separately before linking them under a single breath cycle.

Modifications

  • •Knees-down chaturanga.
  • •Cobra in place of up-dog.
  • •Skipping the vinyasa and moving directly to the next pose.

Completion check

  • ✓Land fully in down-dog before moving to the next pose, taking at least one full breath there.

Related poses

Prerequisites

PlankChaturanga DandasanaDownward-Facing Dog

Complements

Sun Salutation ASun Salutation B

Counterposes

Child's Pose

Alternatives

Cobra flowSkipping the transition

Regressions

Knees-down chaturangaCobra instead of up-dog

Related movement concepts

Breath as the pacing mechanism, not the countTransitions as practice, not fillerFull-value modifications, not lesser versions

Search tags

flowvinyasatransitionintermediate

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