• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Di Hickman

discover how to live your yoga, and love life

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • My Yoga Journey
    • About Me
  • Virtual Yoga Classes
  • Connect
    • Press
      • Media Kit
  • Resources
    • Sign up
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • My Yoga Journey
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • My Yoga Journey
    • About Me
  • Virtual Yoga Classes
  • Connect
    • Press
      • Media Kit
  • Resources
    • Sign up
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Hatha yoga heart opening sequence 20-Min Class

February 5, 2021 //  by Di Hickman//  9 Comments

In Yoga teacher training we’re taught about the chakras. Many people think they are pseudoscience, while others fully believe they are energy vortexes in the body. Whatever you believe, there is no doubting that movement changes our mental, emotional and physical state. Is it magical mysterious unblocking of chakras? Or simply muscle and fascia releasing its grip? Explore your 4th chakra in this 20-minute hatha yoga heart opening sequence.

Hatha yoga 20 min class, heart opening


This is a 20-minute class for the heart chakra. This slow and gentle flow will guide you to exploring low lunge, twists, and Camel Pose, Ustrasana. Open your heart, let it shine to the Universe for love and abundance.

If you can’t view the embedded video above, you can view the video on YouTube. Maybe add it to a playlist? Above all, remember to subscribe to my channel. New videos are uploaded every Tuesday and Friday. However, for exclusive longer format videos sign up for my Patreon community. Patrons also get early access to all my videos, along with lots of other benefits.

Hatha yoga heart opening sequence

We begin this hatha yoga heart opening sequence in seated. Takings this time to ground yourself into the practice. Notice the quality of your heart space. Is there any restriction with the breath, or how your body moves with the breath? From here, come to all fours for cat and cow.

yoga teacher doing sukhasana and cat cow.

From all fours, bring the right knee forward, placing the left hand in the center of your mat. With the right hand behind the head rotate the heart center to the right. Repeat for a few repetitions exploring the twist, then hold. Either keep the hand behind the head or let the arm rest behind you trying to reach the right hand to the left front pocket.

yoga teacher doing kneeling twist
yoga teacher doing kneeling twist

Pause in the twist for approx 3-5 breaths, before yourself back to all fours, then rest in child’s pose for a few breaths. Repeat the twist to the other side. Notice if you have more rotation available on one side. Or perhaps if the shoulder feels more fluid on one side.

Heart opening sequence

It’s no surprise that this yoga flow has downdog in it. My yoga teacher mentor used to joke that it’s not a real yoga class until you’ve done downward facing dog. So take a few breaths in downdog. Maybe pedal the feet a little before settling for a few breaths. Then lift the left leg into 3-legged dog.

yoga teacher doing downward facing dog and 3-legged dog pose

Sweep the leg through transitioning into a low lunge. Take your time setting up the lunge. Let the arms come to cactus/goddess arms. If it feels comfortable explore having the arms across the back body. Hold onto opposite wrist, forearm or elbow.

yoga teacher doing low lunge with arms in goddess and arms behind back

This motion of reaching back, allows openess through the front body. It allows the back to extend into a small backbend. Pause for a few breaths before returning the hands to the floor, and stepping back into down dog. From dog, float into plank, and lower to the floor. Then lift into cobra.

yoga teacher doing cobra/locust variation

After repeating all that on the other side settle into child’s pose. From child’s pose rise to all fours and come into kneeling. Maybe the hands come again into cactus/goddess. Or, can you explore the arms behind the back body. You will have the option of leaning back into camel pose.

yoga teacher doing camel pose

Think less about leaning back, and more about opening the heart up to shine into the Universe. Showing you are ready and open to give and receive love. Return to all fours for some cat-cow before settling into child’s pose. Repeat camel. From child’s pose return to a seated position. Lean forward to lengthen the back body. Rest in seated for three breaths.

Interested in more yoga classes with me?

Questions

  • Do you believe in the chakras?
  • Have you experienced emotional releases in movement?
  • Do you express your emotions freely?
Previous Post: « Tips for down dog to lunge transition
Next Post: 5 Forward fold mistakes & their fixes yoga teacher demonstrating forward fold done incorrectly»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Grimaldo

    February 13, 2021 at 10:22 pm

    I have liked your Youtube video and I’ll probably do this with the family. Yoga is something that I’d like to do more often, perhaps this long weekend I can catch up!

    Reply
  2. Monidipa

    February 10, 2021 at 7:19 am

    It looks super easy but my back wouldn’t support me. But I must say it is super affective!

    Reply
  3. Melanie williams

    February 9, 2021 at 11:38 pm

    I do yoga a few times a week via an online class, so good to get the body moving in a positive way

    Reply
  4. Shar

    February 9, 2021 at 4:08 am

    I enjoy all the benefits of yoga and meditation. Your photos are very helpful and illustrative of the step by step instructions.

    Reply
  5. Indya | The Small Adventurer

    February 8, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    I only use yoga and stretching for the physical benefits – and I definitely only need to as I am an open book and as soon as I have an emotion, people are aware of it! That may make me sound like a bit of a basket case, but I simply mean I don’t keep things bottled up, I am an open and loving person and aren’t afraid to let people see if I’m sad or angry either It’s just too much stress to try and hide who you are from certain people!

    Reply
  6. Lori Bosworth

    February 8, 2021 at 7:33 am

    I love this sequence since Hatha yoga is the only yoga i have tried. I do believe in the chakras. I learned Reiki and the chakras are an important element of that healing modality.

    Reply
  7. Michael Oyco

    February 8, 2021 at 5:05 am

    I like your photos! Its rare for someone one to smile while doing it! The energy is vibrant.

    Reply
  8. Nisha

    February 7, 2021 at 9:43 am

    Hatha yoga pose looks great and wonderful to learn about the poses. It is so true “movement changes our mental, emotional and physical state” whether it’s chakras or energy vortexes.

    Reply
    • Viano

      February 8, 2021 at 6:08 am

      I don’t believe in Chakras so I haven’t tried it. And yes, I express my emotions freely.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

reduce clutter and gain focus - wundermax padfolio

Hi, I’m Di. A yoga teacher with over 20 years experience in the health and wellness industry. My mission is to give you information so you can be fitter, healthier, stress-free and happier (no, seriously).

RECENT POSTS

Reclined Pigeon Pose Modifications for beginners
Yoga block balance exercises for strength & stability
Supporting wrists in downward dog – Quick Fixes for pain relief
How to lay on your side without hurting your shoulder or neck
Yoga Hip Flexor Strengthening for Beginners
Gentle somatic yoga hip openers for beginners

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© Di HIckman 2020. Unauthorized use and/or distribution of this material without expressed written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. You may use an excerpt, link, and/or photo ONLY if full and clear credit is given to Di Hickman with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

  • My Yoga Journey
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Copyright © 2023 Di Hickman · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme