How to Do a Sun Salutation
Learn the benefits of sun salutations., Stand in tadasana or mountain pose., Place your hands in a prayer position in front of your heart and set an intention., Raise your prayer hands into an upward salute., Exhale and hinge into standing forward...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Learn the benefits of sun salutations.
Surya namaskar is an important foundational vinyasa in yoga that will energize, calm, and relax you.
It can also stretch your entire body while strengthening your arms, shoulders, and legs.
Practicing regularly may aid digestion, and relieve back pain.Talk to your doctor before you begin any yoga practice to make sure you’re healthy enough to practice.Be careful practicing sun salutations if you have any back, arm, or shoulder injuries.
Those with motion disorders, including ear infections, should also be careful. -
Step 2: Stand in tadasana or mountain pose.
Start by standing in tadasana, or mountain pose, at the front of a yoga mat.
This will allow you to most easily flow into the sun salutation from standing.Tadasana, or mountain pose, is when you stand at the front of a yoga mat with your feet hip width apart and your arms at your sides.
Gaze forward, spread your toes, and make sure your balance is evenly distributed between both feet.Make sure to engage your abdominals and lightly pull your sacrum toward the ground, which is sometimes referred to as engaging your root lock or mula bandha.Inhale and exhale evenly through your nose.
If you can, make a slight sound like the sea when you breathe.
This is called ujayyi breathing and can help you flow through your downward dog more effectively., No yoga practice is complete without setting an intention.
By taking a few seconds to dedicate your practice to something, you may be more effective at doing sun salutations.
Lightly touch the bases of your palms, then the palms themselves, and finally your fingers to make prayer hands.
You can leave a small space between your palms if you like to let energy flow.
If you don’t know what your intention is, consider something as simple as “letting go.” , Once you’ve set your intention, inhale and raise your hands towards the ceiling in an upward salute, which is also called urdhva hastasana.Gently arch your back as you look up towards your hands.
Make sure to completely extend your elbows and reach up through your fingers towards the ceiling.
Only tip your head back slightly, making sure not to compress your cervical spine.Do this without hunching your shoulders and make sure to keep your chest and heart area open.You can take a slight backbend in urdhva hastasana, which is easiest to do by simply pulling down your sacrum, or tailbone., Exhale and “plunge” into standing forward bend, which is also called uttanasana.It’s important to keep your back straight and hinge forward at your waist as you transition from upward salute (urdhva hastasana) to standing forward bend (uttanasana).
It may help you to remember to keep your heart open.Plant your palms flat on the floor next to either foot.
Your fingers should point forward and be fully spread apart so that your entire palm is pressing into the floor, which will make it easier to flow into the following asanas.
It’s important to keep your abs engaged and in contact with your thighs.If necessary, bend your knees to keep this contact.
If your palms don’t reach the floor, put them on blocks so that your entire hand is pressing into the floor., Gently inhale and extend your spine into a standing half forward bend, which is also called ardha uttanasana.
This position will make it easier for you to enter the following asanas.
Make sure to keep your spine straight as you extend halfway upward.
You’ll also want to keep your palms firmly planted on the floor next to your feet.Make sure to keep your abs engaged while you’re in this position., Depending on how experienced you are at yoga, either step or jump back to four-limbed staff pose, which is called chatturanga dandasana in Sanskrit.This is one of the most challenging positions and sequences in yoga, and may require years of practice to master.
If you are a beginner, you’ll want to step back to downward facing dog and then lower half down to the ground into chatturanga dandasana.
Your upper arms should be parallel to the floor.Those who have more experience with yoga can jump back and complete a end up in chatturanga dandasana.Make sure your body is completely even: do not sink your hips or collapse your abdominals.
Remaining strong through your core is key to this asana, or exercise.
Your upper arms should form a 90 degree angle with the floor and should be close to your side ribs.If you are not strong enough to hold yourself in this position, you can drop your knees to the floor until you build enough strength to support yourself.Your toes should be flexed., From chatturanga dandasana, roll over your toes to an upward facing dog position, or urdhva mukha savasana.
This will make it easier to transition to the next and your final position, downward facing dog.Your hands should be in the same position in which they started and the palms should be fully pressing against the floor.Use your flexed toes to roll over on to the backs of your feet.
Keep your thighs engaged and off of the floor as you push your chest through your arms.
Gently arch your back, open your chest, and look up at the ceiling.Your toes may not be flexible enough to allow you to roll over them.
If this is the case, modify the pose by picking up your feet and placing the backs on the floor.Pulling your sacrum towards your heels will protect your back and keep the position from hurting., You’ve reached the final asana and a well-earned rest.
Exhale and roll back over your toes so that your body ends up in an inverted “V” shape, which is downward facing dog or adho mukha savasana in Sanskrit.
This position should feel calming and allow you to rest as you get deeper into the asana, or pose.Keep your palms pressing flat against the floor and your abs engagedRoll your shoulders down your back and arms inward so the eyes of your elbows are facing one another.Your toes may not be flexible enough to allow you to roll over them.
If this is the case, modify the pose by picking up your feet and placing the backs on the floor.
Your heels may or may not touch the floor, depending on how flexible your lower back, hamstrings, and calf muscles are.
The more you practice, the easier it will be to get your heels to the floor.Keep lifting your sitting bones towards the ceiling.You can keep your gaze towards your navel, but make sure you’re head is hanging comfortably., In order to finish the sun salutation, you need to end up in tadasana.After five breaths in downward dog, bend your knees to your chest and either jump or step forward into ardha uttanasana, or half standing forward bend. , Gently inhale and extend your spine back into ardha uttanasana.
This position will make it easier for you to re-enter uttanasana.Make sure to keep your abs engaged, spine straight, and palms firmly planted on the floor next to your feet., Hinging forward completely, exhale and fold completely forward into standing forward bend, or uttanasana.
You’re almost done with your first round of surya namaskar A! , You’re ready to come full circle like the sun.
Inhale and rise up radiantly by bringing your prayer hands towards the ceiling in urdhva hastasana.Gently arch your back as you look up towards your hands.
Remember to keep your spine straight as you rise into urdhva hastasana., Bring your prayer hands back to your sides as you exhale and return to tadasana.
Take a minute or two to enjoy the heart-opening effects and energizing effects of surya namaskar.You can do as many more sun salutations as you like to help yourself warm up.
Consider trying different variations of surya namaskar to help yourself warm up. -
Step 3: Place your hands in a prayer position in front of your heart and set an intention.
-
Step 4: Raise your prayer hands into an upward salute.
-
Step 5: Exhale and hinge into standing forward bend.
-
Step 6: Inhale and extend your spine into standing half forward bend.
-
Step 7: Exhale and step or jump back to four limbed staff pose.
-
Step 8: Inhale and roll over your toes to upward facing dog.
-
Step 9: Exhale and roll over your toes into downward facing dog.
-
Step 10: Exhale and transition back to ardha uttanasa.
-
Step 11: Inhale and extend your spine into standing half forward bend.
-
Step 12: Exhale and fold forward into uttanasana.
-
Step 13: Inhale and rise into into an upward salute.
-
Step 14: Exhale and return to tadasana.
Detailed Guide
Surya namaskar is an important foundational vinyasa in yoga that will energize, calm, and relax you.
It can also stretch your entire body while strengthening your arms, shoulders, and legs.
Practicing regularly may aid digestion, and relieve back pain.Talk to your doctor before you begin any yoga practice to make sure you’re healthy enough to practice.Be careful practicing sun salutations if you have any back, arm, or shoulder injuries.
Those with motion disorders, including ear infections, should also be careful.
Start by standing in tadasana, or mountain pose, at the front of a yoga mat.
This will allow you to most easily flow into the sun salutation from standing.Tadasana, or mountain pose, is when you stand at the front of a yoga mat with your feet hip width apart and your arms at your sides.
Gaze forward, spread your toes, and make sure your balance is evenly distributed between both feet.Make sure to engage your abdominals and lightly pull your sacrum toward the ground, which is sometimes referred to as engaging your root lock or mula bandha.Inhale and exhale evenly through your nose.
If you can, make a slight sound like the sea when you breathe.
This is called ujayyi breathing and can help you flow through your downward dog more effectively., No yoga practice is complete without setting an intention.
By taking a few seconds to dedicate your practice to something, you may be more effective at doing sun salutations.
Lightly touch the bases of your palms, then the palms themselves, and finally your fingers to make prayer hands.
You can leave a small space between your palms if you like to let energy flow.
If you don’t know what your intention is, consider something as simple as “letting go.” , Once you’ve set your intention, inhale and raise your hands towards the ceiling in an upward salute, which is also called urdhva hastasana.Gently arch your back as you look up towards your hands.
Make sure to completely extend your elbows and reach up through your fingers towards the ceiling.
Only tip your head back slightly, making sure not to compress your cervical spine.Do this without hunching your shoulders and make sure to keep your chest and heart area open.You can take a slight backbend in urdhva hastasana, which is easiest to do by simply pulling down your sacrum, or tailbone., Exhale and “plunge” into standing forward bend, which is also called uttanasana.It’s important to keep your back straight and hinge forward at your waist as you transition from upward salute (urdhva hastasana) to standing forward bend (uttanasana).
It may help you to remember to keep your heart open.Plant your palms flat on the floor next to either foot.
Your fingers should point forward and be fully spread apart so that your entire palm is pressing into the floor, which will make it easier to flow into the following asanas.
It’s important to keep your abs engaged and in contact with your thighs.If necessary, bend your knees to keep this contact.
If your palms don’t reach the floor, put them on blocks so that your entire hand is pressing into the floor., Gently inhale and extend your spine into a standing half forward bend, which is also called ardha uttanasana.
This position will make it easier for you to enter the following asanas.
Make sure to keep your spine straight as you extend halfway upward.
You’ll also want to keep your palms firmly planted on the floor next to your feet.Make sure to keep your abs engaged while you’re in this position., Depending on how experienced you are at yoga, either step or jump back to four-limbed staff pose, which is called chatturanga dandasana in Sanskrit.This is one of the most challenging positions and sequences in yoga, and may require years of practice to master.
If you are a beginner, you’ll want to step back to downward facing dog and then lower half down to the ground into chatturanga dandasana.
Your upper arms should be parallel to the floor.Those who have more experience with yoga can jump back and complete a end up in chatturanga dandasana.Make sure your body is completely even: do not sink your hips or collapse your abdominals.
Remaining strong through your core is key to this asana, or exercise.
Your upper arms should form a 90 degree angle with the floor and should be close to your side ribs.If you are not strong enough to hold yourself in this position, you can drop your knees to the floor until you build enough strength to support yourself.Your toes should be flexed., From chatturanga dandasana, roll over your toes to an upward facing dog position, or urdhva mukha savasana.
This will make it easier to transition to the next and your final position, downward facing dog.Your hands should be in the same position in which they started and the palms should be fully pressing against the floor.Use your flexed toes to roll over on to the backs of your feet.
Keep your thighs engaged and off of the floor as you push your chest through your arms.
Gently arch your back, open your chest, and look up at the ceiling.Your toes may not be flexible enough to allow you to roll over them.
If this is the case, modify the pose by picking up your feet and placing the backs on the floor.Pulling your sacrum towards your heels will protect your back and keep the position from hurting., You’ve reached the final asana and a well-earned rest.
Exhale and roll back over your toes so that your body ends up in an inverted “V” shape, which is downward facing dog or adho mukha savasana in Sanskrit.
This position should feel calming and allow you to rest as you get deeper into the asana, or pose.Keep your palms pressing flat against the floor and your abs engagedRoll your shoulders down your back and arms inward so the eyes of your elbows are facing one another.Your toes may not be flexible enough to allow you to roll over them.
If this is the case, modify the pose by picking up your feet and placing the backs on the floor.
Your heels may or may not touch the floor, depending on how flexible your lower back, hamstrings, and calf muscles are.
The more you practice, the easier it will be to get your heels to the floor.Keep lifting your sitting bones towards the ceiling.You can keep your gaze towards your navel, but make sure you’re head is hanging comfortably., In order to finish the sun salutation, you need to end up in tadasana.After five breaths in downward dog, bend your knees to your chest and either jump or step forward into ardha uttanasana, or half standing forward bend. , Gently inhale and extend your spine back into ardha uttanasana.
This position will make it easier for you to re-enter uttanasana.Make sure to keep your abs engaged, spine straight, and palms firmly planted on the floor next to your feet., Hinging forward completely, exhale and fold completely forward into standing forward bend, or uttanasana.
You’re almost done with your first round of surya namaskar A! , You’re ready to come full circle like the sun.
Inhale and rise up radiantly by bringing your prayer hands towards the ceiling in urdhva hastasana.Gently arch your back as you look up towards your hands.
Remember to keep your spine straight as you rise into urdhva hastasana., Bring your prayer hands back to your sides as you exhale and return to tadasana.
Take a minute or two to enjoy the heart-opening effects and energizing effects of surya namaskar.You can do as many more sun salutations as you like to help yourself warm up.
Consider trying different variations of surya namaskar to help yourself warm up.
About the Author
Alexis Evans
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: