The Roots Sequence

The Roots Sequence
Sridaiva 2013 Tour
Rooting the Dark, Branching the Light
Created by D. Springer & J. Friend
*
The Roots sequence is comprised of 8 sets of 108 poses, which can be
performed in 90 minutes.
The sequence is composed of 54 base poses - in 7 base sets plus:
54 advanced poses, including the Kali Roots advanced set.
Centering
1. Sitting crossed legged – Sukhasana or Siddhasana
Mula Mantra
Mula – (first set)
2. Table Top
3. Crouching Cat (Downward Facing Dog variation)
a. One-legged twisted Cat pose – R & L
[step or jump to Uttanasana]
b. Hop into Handstand from Crouching Cat pose
i. Bent knees – knees together
ii. Pike
4. Uttanasana ->
5. Tadasana (transition) ->
6. Standing Crescent Moon R & L
a. Hands behind head [step back R wide stance] ->
b. On Tip-toes
c. Nila Chandrasana
7. Wide-legged Standing Backbend – (WSB) – Prasarita prep
a. Service Arms, Skydiver Arms
8. Prasarita Padottanasana – bend forward
a. Straight arms
9. Parsvakonasana R ->
a. Forearm on the front thigh, hand on back hip
John Friend & Vital Yoga 1

. Bottom arm on outside of leg, extend top arm overhead
c. Skydiver arms – dropback
d. Backbend – walk bottom hand backward
e. Bend forward – bottom arm on the inside of leg – head toward
inner ankle
f. Bound hands/wrists behind back – Hercules clasp
10. Trikonasana R ->
a. Hand on floor, arm up
b. Bound
c. Backbend – walk bottom hand backward – (Tripod pose)
d. Nirlamba -
i. To the side – arms up overhead
ii. Skydiver arms
(Repeat Prasarita -> Parsvakonasana -> Trikonasana ->
Uttanasana -> Tadasana -> Repeat Standing Crescent Moon -> Nila Chandrasana)
Prasarita Padottanasana ->
a. Clasp hands behind back
Parsvakonasana L ->
• Bottom arm on outside of leg, extend top arm overhead
• Skydiver arms – dropback
• Backbend – walk bottom hand backward
• Bend forward – bottom arm on the inside of leg – head toward
inner ankle
• Bound
Trikonasana L ->
• Hand on floor, arm up
• Bound
• Backbend
• Nirlamba
i. To side – arms up overhead
ii. Skydiver arms
-> [pivot on the feet and step to the front of the mat.] – Uttanasana
-> Tadasana
Standing Crescent Moon R & L
• Hold opposite wrist – Tip-toes
• Lift opposite leg
• Nila Chandrasana – R & L
John Friend & Vital Yoga 2

Earth – (second set)
11. Horse stance -> [Step back L]
a. Bend forward – half-way – forearms on legs
b. Upright – Pull-Up Bar Arms
c. Tip-toes
12. Utkatasana -> [Step forward staying low in the hips – touch the floor]
a. Downhill skier pose – bend knees until thighs horizontal, touch the
floor by the outer feet
b. Pull-up Bar Arms
c. PTL arms – bring arms up in front, palms forward
d. Steeple hands
13. Urdhva Hastasana – Tip-Toes
Stretch all the way up – PTL arms, legs straight, up on toes ->
Utkatasana Tip-Toes – Pull-Up Bar Arms, deep squat down ->
Rise up slowly to Urdhva Hastasana – heels down slowly
14. Eka Pada Galavasana prep R & -> Skydiver arms, fold forward
a. Forward twist – (elbow to foot) ->
b. Standing Baby Cradle
{Repeat Horse pose ->
15. Hop Frog Handstand
a. Parivrtta Manduka Handstand twist -> Utkatasana ->
16. Parivrtta Utkatasana – Tip-Toes ->
a. Parivrtta Utkatasana backbend
b. Matrix drop-back
Repeat Urdhva Hastasana ->
17. Eka Pada Galavasana ->
a. Ninja Pose ->
18. Dragonfly pose
-> Tadasana ->
Phoenix Rising – (third set)
[Crounching Cat pose -> Uttanasana -> Tadasana]
19. Garudasana R & L -> (wrap arms, then legs)
a. Backbend -> Tadasana ->
Garudasana (#2) – (wrap arms and legs at same time) (R & L)
*
*
John Friend & Vital Yoga 3

[Bend forward - elbows to knee] ->
20. Propeller Pose - (Virabhadrasana 3 – back leg bent square, Fiesta
Foot with
Garudasana arms -> [rewrap legs to Garudasana --> Tadasana] (R & L)
21. Vrksasana ->
a. Foot on inner thigh – legs bent
b. Side stretch – toward bent knee
c. On tip-toes
d. Backbend
e. Dropback
22. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana
a. Standing forward bend – Half-Lotus pose – hands on floor
i. Bound Half-Lotus
b. Handstand in Half Lotus
i. Hop / bent knee
ii. Press-up / straight leg
c. Handstand Scorpion - Half-Lotus
23. Tip-Toe pose – Half-Lotus
-> Tadasana ->
24. Hasta Padangusthasana
a. Front knee bent – hold shin, then outer edge of foot
b. Straight leg (Dandasana leg) horizontal – forward plane, hold with
both hands
i. Bend forward, leg horizontal, chin-to-the-shin
c. Roller Skate pose – holding foot with both hands, leg
horizontal, squat deep
-> Tadasana ->
25. Parsva Hasta Padangusthasana – side plane -> hips level ->
a. Backbend ->
26. Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana – Twist with top leg straight
ahead ->
a. Cascade Pose – Sidestretch ->
27. Niralamba Eka Padasana – Leg in front - bent or straight – Pull-
Up Bar Arms / PTL arms
28. Natarajasana - #1 set - R & L
a. Hold outer edge of Fiesta foot
b. Hold on inside of ankle or inner edge of Fiesta foot
c. Bend supporting knee deeply
[repeat Natarajasana - #2 set - R & L ]
John Friend & Vital Yoga 4

Full pose - Natarajasana – (strap)
Teardrop Dancer pose – Candor Talons
*
Deep Roots – (fourth set)
29. Propeller Pose – (Virabhadrasana 3 – back leg bent square, Fiesta
Foot)
a. Skydiver Arms – legs bent - R (from Tadasana) ->
30. Ardha Chandrasana -> legs bent, back leg bent square, Fiesta Foot)
a. Crescent in Half Moon – arm overhead
b. Ardha Chandra Chapasana
31. Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana ->
32. Handstand - Hitch Kicks
a. Press-up Handstand
-> [lower R. leg down out of handstand into Propeller Pose]
33. High Lunge – Skydiver arms ->
34. Virabhadrasana 1 - R
a. Backbend – Pull-Up Bar Arms / PTL arms
-> [place one hand on floor – Bright hand]
35. Vashistasana prep ->
a. Backbend
b. Full Vashistasana ->
i. Vashistasana – backbend ->
36. Wild Thing pose ->
37. Kapinjalasana
a. Baby Kapinjalasana - Holding outside of back foot – Fiesta foot
b. Condor Talons – Fiesta foot
i. Leg up high
ii. Foot on floor
-> Downward Dog -> [step one foot forward into Low Lunge pose] ->
38. Nuclear Pigeon ->
a. Niralamba – Service Arms
b. Thigh Stretch – back leg
39. Eka Pada Rajakotasana 1 prep
a. Forward bend
i. Niralamba
John Friend & Vital Yoga 5

. Eka Pada Rajapotasana – thigh stretch
c. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I
d. Valakhilyasana
-> Downward Dog -> jump/step into Uttanasana – Handstand ->
Tadasana (repeat Deep Roots set - L)
Kali Roots – (Fifth set)
40. Parsvakonasana – Skydiver Arms -> bound around front leg
a. [Bend forward on the inside of the front thigh. Rotate back foot
out to place flat. Take the shoulder underneath leg and clasp the
hands behind the back.]
41. Parivritta Uttanasana – bound
42. Bird of Paradise ->
a. Leg bent
b. Legs straight
[-> Uttanasana -> step back into High Lunge]
43. Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana – bound
[-> Parsvakonasana ->]
44. Vishvamitrasana – hold front foot with top hand ->
45. Eka Pada Koundiyasana I ->
a. Back foot on floor, front leg bent
b. Both legs bent square
c. Both legs straight
46. Ganda Bherundasana
a. On chin, and legs bent
b. Legs straight
[lower down prone] –> Up Dog, Down Dog, -> jump into Adho Mukha
Vrkshasana, (Handstand) or Uttanasana ->
(Repeat Kali Roots set – L. side)
Talons – (Sixth set)
47. Malasana (squat) ->
a. Spine curved in and up
*
*
John Friend & Vital Yoga 6

. Deep forward bend
48. Bakasana ->
a. Press up into Handstand from Bakasana
49. Virasana ->
50. Supta Virasana ->
a. Kapotasana -> [kneeling -> Virasana]
51. Parivrtta Virasana R & L -> Table Top ->
52. Dolphin pose -> (with block between hands)
53. Pincha Mayurasana
a. Vrschikasana – (Scorpion pose)
i. Twist
Blue Sky – (Seventh set)
54. Eka Pada Bhekasana ->
a. Eka Pada Bhekasana – front arm straight
b. Eka Pada Padangusthasana Dhanurasana
55. Shalabhasana – hands clasped behind back ->
56. Makarasana – Skydiver arms – bent legs
a. Pull-Up Bar Arms, straight legs
57. Chaturanga Dandasana
58. Bhujangasana
a. Rajakapotasana
59. Dhanurasana – Hold tops of feet - knees up
a. Dhanurasana – Hold ankles - knees down
b. Bhujangasana 2 – holding legs
[roll over onto back]
60. Setubandhasana - Robot arms
a. Clasp hands underneath
61. Urdhva Dhanurasana ->
a. Eka Pada
b. Eka Hasta
c. Eka Eka
d. Drop-backs & standing
e. Viparita Chakrasana – Handstand
f. Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana
g. Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana
h. Chakra Bandhasana
*
John Friend & Vital Yoga 7

*
Shiva Moon – (Eighth set)
Downward Facing Dog, or Childs pose -> Uttanasana -> Tadasana ->
[step one foot back about 3 feet]
62. Parsvottanasana - Skydiver arms ->
a. Hands on floor
b. Goofy Parsvottanasana
i. Hands clasped behind back
-> [opposite hand to outside of front shin, other arm stretched upward]
63. Parivrtta Trikonasana ->
[Skydiver arms in Parsvottanasana -> Tadasana] -> repeat 2nd side ->
Tadasana -> [squat deep into Malasana, then sit down slowly]
64. Navasana
a. Hold back of legs – legs bent
b. Ubhaya Padangusthasana
65. Dandasana
66. Janushirsasana – R & L
a. Bend forward between legs
i. Skydiver Arms
b. Over front leg
c. Hanumanasana
67. Baddha Konasana
68. Ardha Matsyendrasana – R & L
69. Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
a. Block between shins, Pull-Up Arms
b. Hovering feet
70. Jathara Parivartanasana
a. Knees bent
71. Supta Padangustasana – hold back of thigh
72. Sucirandhrasana – (Eye of the Needle pose) ->
73. One-legged Supine Twist – top knee bent
74. Supta Balasana – Knees bent toward chest
75. Shavasana
***
John Friend & Vital Yoga 8