Academic Catalog

PHED 21D: VINYASA FLOW YOGA

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2023
Units: 1
Hours: 3 laboratory per week (36 total per quarter)
Advisory: This course is included in the Flexibility & Stability family of activity courses.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area VII: Lifelong Learning
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Identify the principles and goals for Yoga practice.
  • Demonstrate proper technique and increasing expertise in Yoga postures and sequences.

Description

A form of traditional hatha yoga that focuses on integrating breath and movement, awareness and alignment, strength, and flexibility. Uses series of sequences of advancing difficulty with repeated closing sections between each sequence. Each variation is linked to the next one by a succession of specific transitional movements. Likened to a dynamic dance, postures or asanas are connected through the breath for a transformative and balancing effect. Practice ranges from slow flowing to fast aerobic, developing strength and endurance.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify concepts and aspects of the full range of Vinyasa yoga
  2. Demonstrate proper technique in the physical postures of Vinyasa yoga
  3. Integrate the eight principles of Vinyasa yoga
  4. Practice the basic techniques of Vinyasa flow yoga
  5. Reduce stress both mentally and physically
  6. Understand the importance to perform and practice Vinyasa yoga independently

Course Content

  1. Principles of Vinyasa yoga
    1. Breathing techniques
    2. Posture and alignment
    3. Historical and cultural foundation
    4. Philosophy
    5. Development of character
    6. Thoughtful and compassionate social interaction
    7. Union of body, mind, and spirit
  2. Physical postures
    1. Traditional syllabus of Vinyasa poses: standing, inverted, forward bends, twists, shoulder stretches, pelvic openers, strength, inverted spinal, seated, lower back strengtheners, waist bends, and back bending
    2. Practice in increasing the duration of power sequences, such as the sun salutations and warrior series
    3. Movement routines modifiable and designed specifically for all levels
    4. Training in inversions and increased duration of inversion series
    5. Using props and partners to advances skills
  3. Eight principles of Vinyasa yoga
    1. Movement and breath are coordinated together
    2. Start where you are and design a practice that is appropriate for your needs
    3. Begin with the simplest poses and progress toward the more complex
    4. Asanas or postures contain the two qualities of sthira (steadiness, alertness) and sukha (inner joy, ease) and reflect the hatha yoga approach of the union of opposites (solar/lunar)
    5. Use counter poses to balance the effects of each asana
    6. Use modifications of postures for different levels and injury prevention
    7. Listen to your body, always come out of a pose when your breath or equilibrium is disturbed or there is strain in the body
    8. Cultivate a gradual progression/evolution within your yoga practice
  4. Basic techniques of Vinyasa flow yoga
    1. Asana postures: standing poses, balance poses, backbends, twists, forward bends, hip openers, inversions
    2. Ujayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath)
    3. Drishti Gaze: placement of the eyes for concentration and inner and outer balance
    4. Bandhas—three Bandhas (locks or gathering of energy): Mula Bandha (root lock), Udyiana Bandha (to fly up, lifting of the lower belly), Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock)
    5. Navigating the flow; questions to help connect the underlying evolution within a practice
    6. Grounding/stabilizing the pose (where the anchor is within a pose)
    7. Activation (where the pose is activated/initiated from)
    8. Elongation (which direction the spine is elongating itself)
    9. Relationship (what the relationship is from one pose to the next)
  5. Stress reduction
    1. Diverse techniques and styles of relaxation to calm the mind
    2. Diverse techniques and styles relaxation to rest the body
  6. Personal private practice
    1. Student will be helped in designing personal routines that help with individual physical problems, ailments, and limitations
    2. Student will be helped through demonstrations and modifications of exercises to achieve an appropriate personal and individual practice

Lab Content

Lab content may include, but is not limited to, the practice and mastery of the six Vinyasa flow yoga series.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Appropriate exercise wear, one yoga mat, one towel.
2. When taught as an online distance learning or hybrid section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous internet and email access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Skills and techniques will be assessed by direct instructor observation
Committed and regular participation (with any missed classes made up by attendance to any yoga classes or a written paper describing a personal private home practice of yoga)
Oral or written skill tests
Final examination
1. Performance of physical postures
2. Graded on level of preparedness and ability to attend, concentrate, and focus

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Demonstration
Group discussion
Worksheets
In-class quizzes

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Brown, Christina. The Modern Yoga Bible. 2017.

Rector, Skip. Yoga. 2017.

Although these texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal texts in this area of study.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Optional reading and writing exercises as recommended by instructor

Discipline(s)

Physical Education