Surya Namaskar
Sun Salutations
A
Sequence
How to
Surya Namascara A, or Sun Salutation, begins in Samastiti. Standing with feet together, hands in prayer at the center of the chest.
1. Inhale from there and raise the arms over the head looking to thumbs. Urdrva Tadasana.
2. Exhale, folding at the hips. Make sure to make contact between the stomach and the thighs, even if you must bend the knees quite a bit to do so. Take the hands to the floor. Uttanasana.
3. Inhale, look forward, keeping knees bent if necessary, lengthening the spine. Ardha Utanasana.
4. Exhale step back to a high push-up, and lower. The knees may come to the ground first, but make sure that the hips do not drop early - try to keep the spine as level as possible as you lower. Either hover a few inches above the floor with the elbows close to the sides, or lower all the way down. Chaturanga Dandasana.
5. Inhale as the chest opens. If you had lowered all the way to the ground, make sure to the bring the hands back to the hips first. If not, roll over the toes and use this to push your hips forward. Try to keep the legs off the floor so that the body is supported only by the hands and feet. The chest opens as the shoulders draw back, the gaze may be either forward or up. Urdva Mukha Swanasana (upward dog).
6. Exhale rolling back over the toes as the hips lift up and back. The gaze moves back through the legs as the body comes into an inverted "V" type position. Adho Mukha Swanasana (downward dog). Hold here for 5 breaths.
7. Inhaling step the feet forward between the hands, looking up. Ardha Utanasana.
8. Exhale as the chest releases down over the legs, look back through them. Utanasana.
9. Inhale rise back up to standing, raising the arms over head. Urdva Tadasana.
10. Exhale back to Samastiti.
Sequence
Virabhadrasana A (right side)
Virabhadrasana A (left side)
How To
Surya Namascara B begins in Samastiti. Standing with feet together, hands in prayer at the center of the chest.
1. Inhale, bend the knees and raise the arms over the head looking to thumbs. Utkasana.
2. Exhale, folding at the hips. Make sure to make contact between the stomach and the thighs, even if you must bend the knees quite a bit to do so. Take the hands to the floor. Utanasana.
3. Inhale, look forward, keeping knees bent if necessary, lengthening the spine. Ardha Utanasana.
4. Exhale step back to a high push-up, and lower. The knees may come to the ground first, but make sure that the hips do not drop early - try to keep the spine as level as possible as you lower. Either hover a few inches above the floor with the elbows close to the sides, or lower all the way down. Chaturanga Dandasana.
5. Inhale as the chest opens. If you had lowered all the way to the ground, make sure to the bring the hands back to the hips first. If not, roll over the toes and use this to push your hips forward. Try to keep the legs off the floor so that the body is supported only by the hands and feet. The chest opens as the shoulders draw back, the gaze may be either forward or up. Urdva Mukha Swanasana (upward dog).
6. Exhale rolling back over the toes as the hips lift up and back. The gaze moves back through the legs as the body comes into an inverted "V" type position. Adho Mukha Swanasana (downward dog).
7. Inhaling step the right foot up between the hands, plant the back foot (heel down, toes at 45 degrees) on the floor. Standing up raise the arms over the head, look to the thumbs. Virabhadrasana A.
8. Exhale the hands back down to the floor, stepping back to chaturanga dandasana.
9. Inhale for Urdva Mukha Svanasana again.
10. Exhale Adho Mukha Svanasana.
11-14. Repeat 7-10 for the left side.
15. Hold the last down dog for 5 breaths.
16. Inhale, stepping the feet up between the hands, looking forward and lengthening the spine. Ardha Utanasana.
17. Exhale as the chest releases down over the legs, look back through them. Utanasana.
18. Inhale rise back up to standing, raising the arms over head. Urdva Tadasana.
19. Exhale back to Samastiti.