Sun Salutations for Beginners – Breaking down the poses
Start in mountain pose with arms down by your sides or hands in prayer position at your heart.
Inhale, bringing arms out to your sides and together over your head, palms touching. Keep your shoulders down away from your hears.
Exhale and dive forward from the waist, neck and shoulders relaxed and hands reaching for the floor.
Inhale and lift your head and chest into a flat back position. Bring your fingertips to the floor or up onto your shins.
Exhale, and
- Option 1: Step one foot back into a lunge and bring the other foot back to meet it in a plank. Slowly lower down knees, then chest, then chin with arms hugging in towards your sides.
- Option 2: For more of a challenge, plant palms on the ground and jump feet directly back into chaturanga.
Inhale and,
- From the floor: keep palms planted on the ground beside your chest, and lift from the chest (not the hands) into a cobra. Keep elbows bent, or come all the way into an upward dog, legs straight and knees lifting off the ground. Bend your elbows if needed to keep your shoulders down and back away from your ears.
- From chaturanga: Roll over your toes lift chest forward into an upward dog.
Exhale, and send your hips up and back into a downward dog. Stretch your arms and legs straight and in opposite directions. Keep your head between your upper arms, gazing towards your knees. Stretch tops of your thighs back and heels on or towards the floor.
Move on, or stay in downward dog for several breaths if you need a rest.
Inhale and jump or step your feet forward to your hands, and lift your chest to the flat back position.
Exhale, and fold forward.
Inhale, and come up to standing, lifting arms out to the sides and up over your head, palms meeting.
Exhale and lower your arms to your sides in mountain.This completes one sun salutation.
Repeat the sun salutation as many times as desired.