Here, I share with you a small segment of my Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Great for beginners and every level participants who wish to enhance or maintain their practice. Begin with minimum six cycles to help you build strength and flexibility for a more stronger and limber body. Please note, every movement requires a specific breath so make sure you are consciously breathing. Once you feel comfortable and stronger with six cycles, build up to maximum twelve cycles every morning.
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- TADASANA: Feel that you are squeezing your thighs, big toes are touching. Heels slightly apart. Core engaged and tailbone tucked. Let’s use this starting point to build an intention and carry it though out our practice. Now take a Deep Breath in.
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- Extending your breath long, reach your arms up
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- Reach your heart up and hips forward. Perhaps back bending only as far as you can. Keep squeezing your thighs
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- Slowly begin to return towards center
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- Exhale dive forward with leap of faith
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- Keeping your back straight and arms spread out like you are flying
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- Uttanasana: Place your hands parallel to your feet. If you are not flexible you can micro bend the knees and rest your heart to your thighs.
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- Ardha Uttanasana: Inhale, half way up. Flat back
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- Exhale, release back into Uttinasana
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- Step back for Plank
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- In plank pose: remain strong and maintain proper alignment from head to toe
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- Modified Chaturanga Dandasana: You may bend the knees for a modified version of Chaturanga
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- Exhale, bend the elbows and slowly begin to rest your chest and chin towards your mat
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- This move requires a lot of core and strength so take it slow
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- Finally, rest your hips and squeeze your elbowys behind you
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- Urdhva Muka Svanasana. Inhale, lift your heart up to Cobra
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- Cobra: Your choice, preferably after two cyles lift your heart higher for King Cobra. Use this pose to bathe in grace and appreciation for the breath that we take every day.
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- As you exhale, slowly melt your heart to your mat
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- Inhale, rest your forehead to the ground
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- Exhale, begin to push your heart off the ground
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- Lifting your knees off the ground
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- Adho Muka Svansana: Pressing your heart to your thighs come into Downward Facing Dog.
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- Either walk or lightly hop your feet back towards the front of your mat
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- Keeping the crown of the head down towards the ground.
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- Uttanasana: Exhale. Once again, you may gently bend the knees in order to keep you back straight and rest your heart to your thigs
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- Ardha Uttanasana: Inhale. Lift your heart up keeping your back flat
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- Uttanasana: Exhale. Once more into Uttanasana
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- Inhale reach the arms up maintaining proper alignment of the spine and heart lifted
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- Urdhva Hastasana: Inhale extednd your body long and reach for your hands
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- Exhale. Return the hands back to heart center
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- TADASANA: Feel that you are squeezing your thighs, big toes are touching. Heels slightly apart. Core engaged and tailbone tucked.
From a classical standpoint, the Sun Salutations are a meditative and dedicative practice. Through gentle repetition of the sequences, the mind eases it’s way into a more centered place, leaving behind any agitations and preparing to approach the day to come in a more balanced fashion. The Sun Salutations also have a beneficial biomechanical and physiological effect on the body. The Surya Namaskars move all of the major joints of the body through many of their ranges of motion, while using the muscles in a dynamic, rhythmic fashion. This helps lubricate and prepare the joints, increases blood flow to the muscles, warm the muscles and fascia, increase the heart and respiratory rate to deliver more oxygen to the muscles and stimulates the nervous and endocrine systems to prepare the body for the potentially higher physical demands of the practice to come. This is why, even if you are not taking a yoga class you may practice every morning before starting your day. It prepares the body for the physical challenges and helps you stay strong through stressful situations. I hope you enjoy and begin to practice every day 🙂
In light, love and peace.
Namaste.
Fit Lotus 