This will be a more traditional ab sequence.

We will focus on asanas or Yoga poses that greatly target the core.  The great thing is that these are compound exercises that will target the abs, legs, and arms as well!

Taking control of your core and belly fat is very EMPOWERING.  I don’t know about you but my jiggly belly was always a source of embarrassment and shame.  I hated doing traditional ab exercises that were repetitive and include shortened movements.  I want to engage my abs doing non “exer-cisy” asanas…..one’s that I already do and enjoy!

So we will be doing longer holds in these poses.  And slowing down and focusing on being graceful swans is our goal (or doves since that was the icon available!). 🕊




This will be practiced after a good warm-up (10 min-you should now be sweating)

1. Downward dog
   Start by walking your dog.  Grip your mat with all fingers feeling the upward energy in your palms.
2. Shift your booty up and back towards the sky.  Rotate the thighs outwards.
   Pull your belly in.
3. Bend your knees slightly, push back up into downward dog.
4. Slowly and gracefully roll your body up and over into a plank
   Push through your arms strongly.
   Engage your belly.  Hold 10 sec
   Repeat 2 more times
   Feel the burn in that belly.  Feels amazing to take control of your core!
5. Downward dog
   Smile!  Enjoy.
6. Inhale lift your right foot up
   Bring leg to nose hollowing out your stomach
   Inhale bring leg back to the sky
   Exhale bring left to right tricep
   Inhale bring leg to the sky
   Exhale cross leg to left tricep
   Inhale reach to the sky
   Exhale bring leg to nose
7. Bring through to runners stretch
8. Right leg back up to sky
9. Plank
10. Bhujangasana
11. Repeat on the left side
12. Childs pose
13. Boat
    Sit your booty onto the earth-resting on your sits bones.
    Inhale bend your knees into 90* and bring your arms by the legs.
    Keep your back straight, legs pressed together.
    If desired, inhale and straighten both legs.
    Lock the knees and keep the legs together.
14. Now come to all fours.
15. Do a couple of cat/cows.  Twisting to the side.  FEEL what it’s like to be in YOUR body.
16. Bird dog
    Extend your right leg out behind you.  Toes facing down.
    Lift your left arm in front of you.
    Hold, now lift both the arm and the leg up even higher!
    Repeat on other side.
17. Return to all fours and circle your hips wide
    Move how it feels good to you.
18. Bird dog crunch
    Again lift up the right leg and extend the left arm.
    Bring both inwards for a crunch.
    Round your back like cow pose
    Repeat 3 times.
    Switch to left leg.
19. Camel on knees-lions breath
20. Downward dog
21. Plank
22. Side plank
    Place all the weight on your left hand and roll onto the edge of your left foot.  Stack right foot on top of left.
    Lift right foot off the ground.  Balance.  Now lift left arm.
    Repeat all on other side.
23. Plank 30 seconds
24. Downward dog
25. Side plank
    Lift right leg
    Roll to other side and lift left leg
26. Childs pose
    You deserve it!
    Feel all this energy…this fire in your belly.  It’s burning away toxins and giving you control of your life!
27. Vajrasana-Kapalabhati
28. Forearm plank
29. Once more come into plank.
30. Now lower down into forearm plank.
    Spread your fingers.  Feel the earth supporting the weight of your glorious body.
    Your forearms are so strong.  Chest towards the sky!
    Push into your heels.
31. Come down onto your belly-relax.  Roll around a bit.
32. Sphinx pose
    Inhale engage the core and lift your lift lower belly off the ground.
    If possible (no lower back sensitivities) lift quads off the ground too.
33. Camel
    Lift up onto knees, heels together.
    Inhale and bring your hands to your lower back…testing the waters for came.
    Come into full camel…fingers or palms on the ground behind you.
34. Bound angle
    Bring your legs down and sit with the soles of your feet together.
35. Now place your left hand on your right knee and twist.
    Right hand on left knee and twist.
36. Cat/cow-sitting
    Inhale lift your chest to the sky and exhale round your back.
37. Sukhasana
    Sit in easy pose and bring your palms to the earth or 2 blocks.
    Engage your core and lift your legs off of the ground.
38. Camel
39. Lye on your back
40. Hands can massage your belly for a few moments.
41. Supine belly twist
    Allow both knees to fold and roll over to your right.
    Come back to neutral and then roll to the left.
42. Savasana

TraditionalAbSequence (in pdf form)

Image Credit