A sequence for feeling empowered

Yoga teacher and clinical psychologist Dr. Melody Moore offers a framework for building your own sequence and standing in your power.

Starting a practice at home is a creative endeavor that requires curiosity, spaciousness, and a willingness to make mistakes. In vinyasa, we practice physical shapes and intentional breath. We create tension in order to release it. We sweat, cry, struggle, and expand. It’s vulnerable, it’s courageous, and it’s rife with possibility for transformation.

This practice is designed to challenge the parts of you that buy into rigidity (It’s always been done this way!) and perfectionism (I’m not worthy unless I get it right!) so you can be open to possibility. The shapes aren’t meant to be perfected; they’re meant to be explored. Add your own transitions, such as stepping from Low Lunge back to Downward-Facing Dog or walking Down Dog up to a Standing Forward Bend, then lifting to Mountain Pose. Throw out what doesn’t support you, and improvise the rest!

If we can show up to our practice with inquisitiveness, yoga offers us clarity; it aligns our actions with our intentions and empowers us to stand in our authentic truth—no matter how challenging. In my work as an activist for body liberation, and in my yoga practice, I confront the need for outside approval. This sequence was designed to help you open up fully to your own experience, trust the process, and find joy in being in your body.