Instructors use transitions to move your bodies to set up for the next poses. For example; from your back to your feet, from your feet to your back, from the front of the mat to the back of the mat, from stomach to your back etc.
Here are some transitions I use all the time. Learn these, once you have them, my classes become so much more fun.
Transition: from your back to your feet.
Transition: from your feet to your back. This one is really fun! Mountain to Chair to Knees to Camel to Wheel to back to Plow.
Transition: from your back to your Feet to your hands.
Transition: from low chest to your feet.
Transition: ‘Hop-Thru’ – Transition from Down-dog to almost anything. This one incorporates mobility and coordination and balance if you swing your leg through while in the air. Every flow class has tons of Down-dogs so imagine the possibilities!
Transition: feet to hands, Down-dog to Feet, Back of mat to Front. This one is advanced in that it requires some strength. As a beginner or intermediate, work on floating your feet to your hands. Shift your weight as far forward of your hands as possible to reduce the effort required to hold your lower body in the air.
Transition: Down-dog to front of mat, arm-balance or handstand. This one is advanced in that it requires balance, core and upper body strength. Once you can float and hold the float, many arm-balance and inversion sequences are possible (stringing multiple advances moves together). Just work on this first.
Transition: back of mat to front, Down-dog to Mountain. This clip shows the options. Stepping forward for those new to the mat, then jumping forward and then light-landing jumps. These are all beginner transitions in a progression of increasing strength.
Transition: Vinyasa Flow. In class, when I say, get some ‘air time’, this is what I mean.
Transition: Down-dog to front of mat (intermediate). When you can ‘float to the front’ you will have one of the markers of being an intermediate Zimbogi.
Transition: Zimboga Flow. This is an amplification of the traditional Vinyasa flow sequence. It consists of: float to front, Malasana (Yogi Squat), Burpee jump (with ‘Side Straddle Hop’ arms and legs), float legs back to Plank, 3 Chaturangas (push-ups), use feet to push forward through arms to Up-dog, Spinal Twist left & right, push back to Plank, end in Down-dog. You can modify down by going to knees for the Chaturangas, skipping parts or just doing the traditional V-flow.