Sun Salutation Quick and Simple

Sun Salutation Quick and Simple (beyond beginner level but not quit intermediate)

There are many Sun Salutation variations, in fact I find it a particularly enjoyable series to play around with. Here is a set of asanas for Sun Salutation that you can start with.  On this post I am just going to give a brief description. For more detailed explanation of the asanas stay tuned for my next Youtube on this series.

1. Mountain Pose

Start in mountain pose.  Breathing in raise your hands above your head, roll your shoulder blades down your back and expand your chest to the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Breathing out fold forward, hinging at your hips and keeping your shoulders rolled away from your ears. Grab behind your legs and pull yourself down a little further keeping the spine straight. Breath in and bring your spine even with the floor and your hands flat on the floor or on your shines/ thighs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Breath out and step back into plank position. Tuck your tailbone under, make sure your hands are your under shoulders, navel pulled up to your spine for stability and shoulders pushed away from your ears.  There should be a micro-bend in your elbows and knees. Hold for 3 – 5 breaths.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Lower your body slowly towards the ground keeping your elbows tucked in. Hover above the ground for 3 to 5 breaths.

 

 

 

 

5. On the in breath move into cobra. Look between your hands and push your body forward and up planting your hips and the tops of your feet into the mat while bringing your forearms to the floor. Remember not to scrunch your shoulders. Stay here for a few breaths.

 

 

 

 

6. On the in breath push back into downward facing dog. Firmly plant your hands into the mat with middle finger pointed to the front of your mat, roll your shoulders away from your ears micro-bending your arms and legs (or bending a lot in legs).  Breath in and push up into hips breath out and push down in your heals. Stay here for 5 – 8 breaths.

 

 

 

 

7. On the in breath look between your hands arch your back and bring your leg through planting your back foot into the ground turned out towards the edge of your mat. Push up into Warrior 1. Micro-bend your back leg and arms, roll shoulders away from your ears, expand your chest out and up. As you breath in expand your chest as you breath out bend deeper into the pose. Stay here for 3 – 5 breaths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. On the in breath straighten your front leg with a micro-bend bring your arms out, expand your chest and breathing out hinge forward at the hips bringing your front hand to your thigh, shin, ankle or the floor. Triangle pose. Stay for 3 – 5 breaths.

 

 

 

 

 

9. Rotate your body parallel to the floor bend your knees and step forward into forward fold. Breath in and straighten your back. Breath out and release further into forward fold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Breath in and bring your arms out and come up expanding your chest to the sky. Breath out bring your hands down into mountain pose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat for the other side and as many times as you wish.

There are a lot of places where you can modify this simple Sun Salutation. I encourage your to get creative as you progress to multiple salutations. Examples could be, side plank, lifting one leg in downward facing dog, upward facing dog, warrior 2, warrior 3, side angle pose and twisting your triangle. Enjoy!