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These At-Home Hybrid Yoga Sequences Are Perfect For People Who Don’t Like Yoga
Find yoga too soft and slow for your liking? This yoga teacher's hybrid home workouts will give you all the mobility benefits at the pace you prefer.

by Women’s Health

June 21, 2018

These At-Home Hybrid Yoga Sequences Are Perfect For People Who Don't Like Yoga

First, let’s get one thing out the way: If you’ve had a never-again experience with yoga — on YouTube or IRL — where the chanty weirdness of it threw you off, consider giving yoga another chance. There are many different styles, some more chanty than others. If you’re not into that, avoid any classes called Kundalini. If you see the words Ashtanga, Vinyasa or Power, there might be some light chanting — an om in the beginning or at the end — but that aside, you’re in the clear. And if it’s Bikram there’ll be no chanting at all (although you will be in forty-degree heat. Bread buttered on both sides and all that).

Getting through my first yoga class like…

Alternatively, you could try these hybrid yoga sequences from personal trainer and yoga teacher Mali Ramara. At home, with no one to judge you but your cat. Do the sequences slowly at first so you can master the moves. If you can’t do some of them (hello, wide-leg V-sit, eish!) just go as far as you can. You may be surprised how quickly your body limbers up with regular practice. Once you have the sequences down, you can start going faster and focus on flowing smoothly from one move to the next. “Breathe in and out with every pose and focus on the movement,” says Mali. “Close your eyes to improve your focus, concentration and proprioception.”

READ MORE: “I Did A Naked Yoga Class — And This Is What It Was Really Like”

ActionYoga For Your Whole Body

Mali’s ActionYoga sequences are fast-paced flows designed to tone your whole body and promote weight loss. “This workout strengthens your core, upper body, butt and legs,” says Mali. “It will also give you a dose of cardio and improve your flexibility, easing muscle tension.” Do the full sequence ten times, then take a rest. That’s one round. Do three rounds total.

YogaFlex To Sculpt And Tone

You’ll need a pair of light dumbbells for this one – one-kilogram weights will do; they’ll be feeling much heavier by the end! Again, do the full sequence ten times, then take a short rest. That’s one round. Do three rounds total.

 

Tried your first class or at-home flow? Let us know how it went — for better or worse. Post about it on social media and remember to tag @womenshealthmagsa on Instagram or @womenshealthsa on Twitter.