Trying out tricky poses in yoga class is a catch-22: You don’t want to fall or look silly, but you need to make mistakes to get better. Luckily, Shauna Harrison, a TRX and Under Armour trainer and yoga teacher, designed a way to incorporate the TRX into yoga classes with the recent launch of TRX for Yoga.
While you may not want to use the TRX for all of your asanas, it’s perfect for helping you progress into poses like headstand and standing backbend. (First, Learn How to Overcome Your Fear of Inversions.) With the suspension trainer as extra support, you don’t have to worry about falling out of a pose. Eventually, your muscles will learn the poses and you’ll build strength, so you’ll be able to perform the poses without support.
1. Handstand
A.With straps at mid-calf, stand facing towards the anchor point (where the TRX connects to the ceiling or door) with one foot in both foot cradles. Lower hands to the ground and walk your hands back towards the standing leg as you extend the leg in the TRX toward the ceiling.
B.Press hands into the floor and drive the back heel into the foot cradles to bring the non-suspended foot off the floor. Bend the free leg and bring knee to chest. Pull the belly button to the spine to engage the core.
C.Begin lifting the free leg towards the suspended leg, keeping tension on the straps. Hold for 2-3 three breaths, then slowly lower the non-suspended leg back down to the ground. Begin to walk the hands and the non-suspended leg forward toward the anchor. Carefully remove the foot cradles.
D.When you feel comfortable doing this progression using the TRX, try the pose without the TRX.
Sets:1
Reps:
1
2. Headstand
A.With straps at mid-calf, stand facing away from the anchor point and place one foot into each cradle. Come into a plank on forearms, fingers interlocked.
B.Pike hips up directly over shoulders and let the top of the head rest on the ground between your arms.
C.When you’ve mastered that, start again from plank, with only one foot in the cradle, then lift the free foot up over your hips. Repeat on the other leg.
D.When you feel comfortable doing this progression using the TRX, try the pose without the TRX.
Sets:1
Reps:
1
3. Crow
A.With straps at mid-calf, place feet in the foot cradles, directly under the anchor point. Start with knees and hands on the floor, then press the hands down into the ground and the feet into the foot cradles so that the knees lift directly off the ground and hover.
B.With feet still in the foot cradles, walk hands away from the suspension trainer into a plank position. Practice drawing knees to triceps one side at a time.
C.With feet in the cradles and knees down, press the hands down into the ground. Bend the elbows and bring the right knee towards the right armpit and the left knee towards the left armpit. Lift the belly up and round the upper spine.
D.When you feel comfortable doing this progression using the TRX, try the pose without the TRX.
Sets:1
Reps:
1
4. Backbend
A.With straps fully extended and in single-handle mode, stand facing towards the anchor point and put your upper body through the straps so that the interlocking handles are resting just below your shoulder blades. Ground feet, extend arms over the head, and lean back.
B.Once you feel comfortable there, return to standing, unlock the handles, and stand facing the anchor point with one handle in each hand. Push hips forward to lean your head back.
C.Return to single-handle mode and position A, but move feet closer to the anchor point. Gradually reach back and step forward until in a backbend, letting the straps act like a hand to support your middle back.
D.When you feel comfortable doing this progression using the TRX, try the pose without the TRX.
Sets:1
