How to Practice Slow Flow Yoga
Vinyasa, slow flow and Hatha
For slow-flow yoga, you should start using a yoga mat with a few prop-like yoga blocks or yoga straps for the maximum effectiveness of the pose you are practicing. The slow flowing sequences typically are approximately twice as many poses as you could practice in an orthodox or vinyasa yoga class. The deep meditation process makes it easy to relax and be renewed. When you undergo yoga in slow-motion you can experience all the benefits. We should be able to let go and savor yoga experience the gradual pace while also experiencing active meditation which will continue even after leaving yoga poses.
Slow Flow vs. Power Flow Yoga vs. Vinyasa
Slow flow yoga cultivates awareness through gentle, steady sequences coordinated with long, deep breathing. Postures are held for several breaths with a meditative focus. In contrast, power yoga and vinyasa use faster-paced, vigorous flows to build strength, flexibility and stamina.
Power yoga flows rapidly with challenging strength-building sequences modeled on Ashtanga yoga. Classes emphasize building internal heat, endurance and mental focus through dynamic standing and seated postures. There are often no pauses between poses.
Vinyasa yoga also links movement and breath in creative, flowing sequences at a brisk pace. The variable sequences generate heat while improving coordination. While still upbeat, vinyasa’s pace is not quite as continuous as power yoga.
Overall, slow flow represents a tranquil practice, power yoga provides an intense workout, and vinyasa offers vigorous sequences with a touch more restraint. But all three styles integrate breath, movement, and awareness to cultivate physical vitality and mental balance. The intensity and speed vary.
Vinyasa and Hatha
Slow flow yoga is a dynamic style of yoga that links breath and movement through a series of poses at a slow, flowing pace. While it has an active, movement-based approach, it shares some key principles with Hatha yoga.
Hatha yoga emphasizes the connection between mind, body and breath control. It uses physical postures or asanas along with pranayama breathing exercises to stabilize the body and focus the mind. Slow flow yoga has the same goals of synchronized breathing and mind-body awareness.
In a slow flow yoga class, postures are practiced at a steady, flowing pace coordinated with the inhales and exhales. This mirrors the slower tempo and smooth transitions between asanas in Hatha yoga. The slow breathing helps students deepen each pose while maintaining calm focus.
Key Hatha yoga pranayamas like ujjayi breathing and longer exhales are commonly used in slow flow classes. Sequences may also include foundational Hatha postures like downward dog, plank, and child’s pose between more active standing poses.
While a bit more dynamic, slow flow classes retain the steady pace, breath control and meditative quality of traditional Hatha yoga. The flowing sequences create heat and energy in the body while the emphasis on breath and awareness cultivates mental clarity and serenity.
In this way, modern slow flow yoga creatively combines active asana sequences with mindfulness, breathwork an
Some Asanas in Slow Flow yoga
Eagle Arms With Circles
Bring your hand up to 90° at the elbow and your hand toward the right. Exhale & wrap your arm around left shoulder blades, bringing your elbows around. Make an integral binding by a forward fold connecting hands with hands, or modify hands by folding forward and pressing back. Exhale by lifting your elbows up and away from your shoulders while breathing toward your chest. Keeping shoulders soft is good. Keep your breath by making clockwise circles around your shoulders. Hold for another 3 seconds, exhale and release your hand. Do it again.
Viparita Virabhadrasana — Reverse Warrior Pose
When a warrior takes an incredibly deep breath and raises the arms above him to a higher point. Drop your fingers down your back and left leg and bend over your back. Feel more heat in this space growing around your right hip width waist when you breathe deeply between the two thigh bones. Exhale and put your hand down your hips with both legs straight up.
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Inhale several rounds, then exhale, and then fold forward over your feet. Lean back on your feet. If the ground is too far away, use blocks or lay your feet on your back. Breathing three rounds.
Ardha Chandrasana — Half Moon Pose
From your triangle position, turn your left knee toward the left fingertips and use your fingers as a block when necessary. Using one breath as an exhaler, both feet should be straight and lifted. Extend the right leg right off the hip and hold the right hand towards the floor and bring eyes upward. Feel the thighs stacked and the core pulled in for traction. Hold a breath until you slowly reposition your left foot and find your upright wide-legged position. Flow from a Vinyasa into a downwardly facing animal. Repeat the flow class the whole standing sequence in one direction.
Adho Mukha Svanasana — Downward Facing Dog Pose
Put the fingers down and tuck in the toe while you lift the hips up and back. Tip your head towards the sky. Reduce neck and shoulder tension by nodding ‘yes’. Turn one ankle to bend one knee and heel to bend back leg to the other. Hold in the position for five breaths.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana — Supported Bridge Pose
Slowly turn around and put your feet up in front and arms on your sides. Bring the shoulder back under a little to elevate the center of the heart. Press with both your feet forward while lowering the pelvic area into the air in a breathing motion. Place one pose the blocks underneath your sacrum and let the whole feel calm and entire body melt. Stay at the hotel one to three minutes and do leg variations if necessary.
Plank Pose (Phalakasana)
On the fourth breath, breathe in the palm of your hand and move the hands onto the floor and turn the feet toward the plank position. Shoulders must lie on your wrist and feet underneath the heel of right foot. It looks right. Cores involved. Keep three slow breaths and feel your muscles strengthening.
Paschimottanasana — Seated Forward Fold Pose
Find an upright seated position with the legs pointing forward. Find a straight spine while extending the upper arms to your abdomen and pushing up. When I breathe, pull front leg from the kneecap up the hips and pull back. Continue breathing for a minute, increasing inhalations and softer exhalations as needed.
Chaturanga (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Exhale and return to the top plank with wrists beneath shoulders and an upright head. Deep breaths. Press palms to extend the back. Exhale and bend the elbow, dropping halfway to the floor. Keep the whole body strong by supporting these difficult shapes.
Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Inhale and enter into the backbend. For yoga practice and milder backbends, take a Cobra with the palms on the shoulder to sit on the ground in front of the mat palm. Push through the foot’s tops and pinch your shoulders to raise downward dog slowly. Using a straight arm and engaging legs to lift up a leg can give the dog a stronger backbend. Released on another breath.
Upward Dog (Urdhva Mukka Svanasana)
During an inhale roll over your knees and lift your head up with your head. Then raise your body with your hands and rotate your shoulders. The inner thighs also should be lifted up and engaged, or if that’s difficult, put the thighs in a cobra pose (Bhujangasan). Give yourself 3 long slow breaths and feel a deep breath.
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