From Yoga to Yogaru - Giving you freedom to step on your mat when it suits
As winter surely arrives many of us are frequenting our local yoga studio less, and although we would urge you to keep supporting them, we also understand that your home practice often takes precedence at this time of year.
Can you remember the first time you stood at the top of your mat to venture into the world of home practice?
Maybe you had a yoga book, or your yoga studio offered online sessions or an app, but even with these tools, finding a sequence of poses to suit you and develop your practice can be daunting and frustrating.
Or maybe you are a yoga teacher and you can cast your mind back to that moment when you qualified as a new yoga teacher and needed to sequence up your very first class?
When faced with these conundrums Ruth Delahunty decided to build a sequencing tool to help address these issues.
Ruth is a RYT500hr Yoga Alliance certified teacher, Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist, teacher trainer and writer from Dublin, Ireland. Combining her previous career as a graphic designer with her passion for yoga she created the original 108 Asana Yoga Sequencing Cards with the aim to simplify sequencing – “When I was doing my yoga teacher training I found it very hard to find visual aids for sequencing. I remember thinking yoga really needs more of a design presence. Soon after I finished my first teacher training I took up the challenge of creating a tool to make sequencing more available for students curious to try
home practice and yoga teachers creating class plans.”
The 108 Asana cards are designed to give yoga students the freedom to step on their mat when it suits, and practice exactly what they need as often as they like; and help yoga teachers keep their sequences cohesive, relevant and fresh for their students.
108 Asana helps you individualise your yoga practice to optimise your, and your students, health and wellness:
- 108 illustrated asana cards - each card includes alignment cues
- Asana benefits list - tailor your practice to your specific needs
- Easy-to-follow sequencing guide - perfect for all levels of experience
- Unique coding system - based on yoga anatomy for optimal practice
- Sample sequences - to help you get started
- Designed and illustrated by a certified yoga teacher - ensuring quality and effectiveness
The cards have evolved over the years, with the addition of stick people on the front of each card in the recent edition. This helps you sketch up and keep a record of your creations – whether you are yoga students creating personalised home practices or a yoga teacher sketching up class plans.
The hand symbol of the Yogaru logo is called a "hamsa" which means 'five’. It is an ancient Egyptian emblem of protection adopted by yoga symbolism. The symbol brings happiness, peace, luck and prosperity. Each finger of the hand symbolises the five senses, five elements (including ethereal), and five of the seven chakras:
- Thumb - Fire element, solar plexus chakra.
- Forefinger - Air element, heart chakra.
- Middle Finger - Ethereal elements, throat chakra.
- Ring Finger - Earth element, root chakra.
- Little Finger - Water element, sacral chakra.
The teal colour of the Yogaru logo has very calming attributes and is associated with refreshing, energy, wisdom, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, spiritual grounding and tranquility.
Ruth has also created two Yogaru A2 posters – the first poster has all 108 asana illustrations with stick people and pose names and the second poster has a comprehensive list of benefits for each pose family to help you practice to your specific needs. Ruth is currently working on a new project of a set of 52 ready-made yoga sequences. Keep an eye out on her Instagram for details, and of course, we'll bring you them here at Eco Yoga Store too!
Start Your Journey Today
Grab yourself a set of 108 Asana Cards, unfurl your mat and follow one of the sequences, or create your own. Enhance your yoga journey and stay connected to your practice all winter long.
Still looking for some help and inspiration check out our previous Journal entries:
How to create a home yoga practice
Winter Wellbeing: Yoga, Meditation and Nutrition
