Harry Potter Magic Yoga Sequence.
Photo: favim.com.
By Cheryl Crawford.
Feeling like a troubled, tuckered out muggle? Want to enter the wizard-like state of clarity and focus?
Choose to ground your outer body to create the conditions for a vast inner freedom. You need space inside for the magic to do its work.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ~ Albus Dumbledore
Each pose has a corresponding charm for you to breathe into your structure. The more you breathe with awareness, the more potent the charm becomes. With each inhale, feel the wand drop the charm into the crown of your head. With each exhale, drop the meaning of the charm into the same space. Say the word to yourself as you drop it down into your heart. The charm Duro is used to keep objects still. It is cast by Hermione while escaping from Death Eaters in Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows.
Stay balanced in each pose by softly gazing at an immobile object. Inhale Duro, exhale Freeze to keep the object still.
“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” ~ Albus Dumbledore
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Charm: Rennervate
Rennervate is a charm that awakens and energizes whomever the caster’s wand is pointed at. It is accompanied by a flash of brilliantly colored red light. Harry uses it to attempt to revive Professor Dumbledore after Dumbledore has succumbed to the potion guarding the locket in the lake.
Pose: Wake Up Mountain
Stand with your feet parallel and evenly rooted to prepare for Wake Up Mountain. Exhale as you reach up high with outstretched hands and take hold of Universal energy. Inhale and pull the power into your core. Each time you exhale, stretch out higher. Each time you inhale, bend your elbows and pull in deeper. Visualize the movement of energy around and inside your body. Accelerate your breath to accelerate your movement. Then decelerate your breath to slow your movement. When your movement follows your breath, you feel more alive. Inhale Rennervate, exhale Wake Up!
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Charm: Mobiliarbus
Mobiliarbus lifts a tree a few inches off the ground and levitates it to where the caster points his or her wand. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione uses the charm to move a Christmas tree beside her table to hide Harry.
Pose: Root Tree Rise
Ground your left foot to prepare for Root Tree Rise. Place the sole of your right foot inside of your left thigh or shin. Reach your right hand behind your waist between your shoulder blades. Lift your left arm overhead, lowering your hand to interlock with your right hand. Rise up inside with each breath as you open your shoulders and stretch your branches. Exhale, expand and explore. Root into the earth and into your own center. Experiment with gazing both outward as a tree rising up toward the sky and inward as the same tree roots down into the earth. Inhale Mobiliarbus, exhale Rise. Ground your right foot and repeat on the other side.
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Charm: Avis
This charm creates a flock of birds from the caster’s wand and is shown in Goblet of Fire, cast by Mr. Ollivander to test Viktor Krum’s wand.
Pose: Flap Eagle Fly
Ground your feet to prepare for Flap Eagle Fly. Inhale, lift your arms. Exhale your right elbow under your left one — twisting to bring your palms together. Steady your breath for balance. Lift the right leg up, over and around your left leg. Center your wrists, elbows, knees and ankles in one line. Slowly untangle your right leg and extend it behind as you hinge forward. Stretch your crown, fingers and elbows forward. Inhale Avis, exhale Fly. Flap for stability and fly with freedom. Ground your feet and repeat on the other side. Let your brilliance soar.
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Charm: Incendio
Incendio produces fire. It is first seen in Philosopher’s Stone, when Hagrid produces fire out of his umbrella in the little house the Dursleys took refuge in. In Half-Blood Prince, this charm is used several times in battle, for instance, when Hagrid’s hut is set ablaze.
Pose: Playing with Fire
Ground your sitting bones to prepare for Playing With Fire. Lift your legs and rub the soles of your feet together. Balance and rub your palms together. Create friction. Generate heat by scooping your tailbone until your lower belly fires up. Draw into you internal fire to provide energy and fuel your focus. Inhale Incendio, exhale Fire.
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Charm: Revelio
Revelio will reveal to the caster whether any other humans are within its area of influence. In Deathly Hallows, when they first arrive at #12 Grimmauld Place, after leaving Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Harry, Ron and Hermione are concerned that there may be Death Eaters lurking. Hermione casts Homenum Revelio to determine that the house is, in fact, empty.
Pose: I Am What I Am
Sit in Easy Pose. To prepare for I Am What I Am, press thumbs into each of your fingers in the following order. Say Focus and press your thumb, first and second fingers together. Say Clear and press your thumb and third finger together. Say Certain and press your thumb and ring finger together. Say Bright and press your thumb and little finger together. Repeat out loud for a minute. Whisper for a minute. Hear it inside while you silently keep moving your fingers for one minute. Do another minute of silence, then one minute of whispering, then one minute of saying it out loud. Close your eyes. Inhale Revelio, exhale Reveal.
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Charm: Lumos
Lumos creates a beam of light. It is first cast in Chamber of Secrets, and then constantly throughout the series.
Pose: Lighten Up
Lie on your back and press the back of your head into the ground to prepare for Lighten Up, keeping your chin level. Exhale as you lift your legs to a 90-degree angle, making an L shape with your body. Inhale, root your upper arm bones down and back by your sides. Exhale, spread your toes and extend your flame. Soften your back body into the earth. Inhale Lumos, exhale Light.
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” ~ Albus Dumbledore
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Charm: Quietus and Sonorus
Quietus makes a magically magnified voice return to normal. Sonorus magnifies the charm caster’s voice, functioning as a magical megaphone. These charms counter each other and were used by Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge in Goblet of Fire to commentate at the Quidditch World Cup and during the Triwizard Tournament. Also used by Dumbledore to silence everyone in the Great Hall in Goblet of Fire. Used by Voldemort several times during the Battle of Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows.
Pose: Just Breathe
Roll up into Easy Pose to Just Breathe. Close your eyes and tune in to your own internal magic elevator. Visualize a silvery white light beginning at the base of your spine and flowing upwards, reaching your head and spilling out from the top of your head, like sparkling stars soaring upwards into the Universe. Through your nose, inhale a spacious breath into your basement, up into your atrium and toward the roof of your mouth. Exhale the breath from your roof all the way down into your basement. Establish a steady rhythm of your breath. Inhale Quietus, exhale Quiet. The quieter you become, the more you can hear the quiet whisper of your heart. Listen. Magnify your heart’s voice so it functions as a magical megaphone. Inhale Sonorus into your heart, exhale Magnify. Listen… that’s the magic.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” ~ Albus Dumbledore
Imagery credit: Cheryl Crawford.
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Cheryl Crawford is the Cat on the Mat. As co-founder of Grounded, Get Grounded Foundation and the non-profit Yoga service initiative Grounded for Good, she has spent more than a decade fusing Dr. Seuss and other universally loved children’s books with Yoga Sutras to help kids find peace, poise and playfulness in their everyday lives. Through breathing and mindful alignment, Cheryl believes that by asking “Are you safe? Are you sound? Are you whole? Are you well?”, she can help students of all ages and abilities find the grounding they need to truly soar. Recognized by local, national and international media for her work in yoga education, schools, homeless shelters, social workers and more seek Cheryl’s counsel on age and situation-appropriate yoga curricula that bring out the best in everyone so they can become open-hearted, flexible and confident — both on and off their mats.
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