This Intense Butt-Burning Yoga Sequence Is Anything but Relaxing

Three-Legged Dog

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Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step both feet together so your big toes are touching.
Shift your weight onto your hands and your left foot equally and raise your right leg into the air. Try to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground and gaze at your left thigh or up toward your belly to help you stay balanced.
Stay here for five breaths.

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Warrior 1

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From Three-Legged Dog, step your right foot forward between your hands and lift your torso up.
Press your palms together and gaze at your hands, coming into Warrior 1.
Try to lower your hips so your front thigh is parallel with the floor.
Hold this pose for five breaths.

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Rotated Warrior

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From Warrior 1, cross your left elbow over the right thigh.
Enjoy this twist for five breaths.

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Eagle Warrior 3

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From Rotated Warrior, untwist the torso.
Cross the left elbow over the right, and bring the fingers as close together as you can.
Raise your right leg into the air, and balance with the body parallel to the floor.
Actively extend the arms away from you, and engage the abs for five breaths.

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Warrior 2

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From Eagle Warrior 3, lower the back leg into Warrior 1 position.
Untwist the elbows and open your hips, arms, and chest into Warrior 2.
Draw your abs in, and lengthen your spine. Keep the shoulders relaxed, and hold for five deep breaths.

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Reverse Warrior

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From Warrior 2, gently arch your back, resting your left hand on the back of your left leg.
Raise your right arm overhead, feeling the stretch through the right side of the body. Make sure you continue to lower your hips and press your front knee forward so it's directly over your right ankle.
Remain in Reverse Warrior for five complete breaths.

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Bound Extended Side Angle

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From Reverse Warrior, lift your torso and lower your right hand to the floor next to the inside arch of your right foot.
Extend your left arm overhead, coming into Extended Side Angle.
For more of a challenge, bind underneath your right thigh in Bound Extended Side Angle (seen here). Your right hand will clasp your left wrist.
Stay in either variation for five breaths.

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Burning Lunge

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From Bound Extended Side Angle, reach your right arm underneath your bent right knee.
Interlace both hands in front of your right ankle. Keep all the weight in your legs, resisting the urge to lean into your hands.
If this is too hard for your thigh muscle to hold (it's an intense move!), then rest one or both hands on the floor.
Breathe deeply in this low lunge for five breaths.

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Side Fierce

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From Burning Lunge, release your hands to the floor and step back to Down Dog.
Step or hop the feet forward and stand at the front of your mat with both feet together.
Bend the knees to squat down into Fierce pose.
Rotate your torso, and cross your left elbow over the outside of your right thigh. Actively press into your outer left arm to lift the torso.
Pull the right hip back to keep both knees in line and keep weight back into the heels.
Hold here for five deep breaths, gazing over the right shoulder.

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Goddess

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From Side Fierce, untwist and lift the torso. Step your right foot open so you're facing the side of your mat with the toes pointing out.
Bend your knees and elbows at 90-degree angles, holding Goddess pose for five deep breaths.

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One-Legged Half Wheel

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Come to lie flat on your back with your arms along the sides of your body, with your palms facing down.
Bend your knees, placing your heels as close as you can to your bum.
Come into Half Wheel by lifting your hips off the floor, and placing your hands under your lower back.
Press into your left heel and lift your right leg into the air.
Stay here for five deep breaths, lifting your hips up as high as you can.

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Intense East

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From One-Legged Half Wheel, lower the hips and sit up. Extend the legs straight out in front of you.
Place your palms behind your hips about six to eight inches away, with your fingers pointing toward your toes.
As you inhale, press into your hands and feet firmly, lifting your hips into the air. Raise them as high as you can so your spine is in a long line. Slowly release your head back, looking behind you and opening through your throat.
Stay here for five deep breaths, then lower your hips to the floor.

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Bow

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From Intense East, roll onto the belly. Bend your knees, and hold onto the inside or outside edges of your ankles.
Once you have a firm hold of each ankle, try to keep your toes together, either pointing or flexing your feet.
Lift your feet as high as you can, and shift weight forward, so you're resting on your navel instead of on the pubic bone.
Hold for five deep breaths.

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Extended Locust

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From Bow Pose, release the ankles and extend the arms and legs, lifting your feet and hands as high as you can, breathing deeply for five breaths.
Lower the hands and feet, and work your way back to Down Dog, repeating this 14-pose sequence on the left side.

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