Surya Namaskara (SOOR-yuh nah-muh-SKAR-uh)
Complete this series of poses to energize your morning or for a midday pick me up like Sun Salutation A, but unleveled with Warrior I Pose.
Mountain Pose Tadasana
Inhale, take your hands up overhead. Press down into all 4 corners of your feet, lift out of your knee caps and draw your navel toward your spine. Relax your ears away from your shoulders, and lengthen through the crown of your head.
Chair Pose Utkatasana
Exhale, sink your tailbone towards your mat. Rock your weight into your heels so much that your toes may lift off of your mat. Energetically squeeze your thighs together. Draw your bellybutton up and in.
Forward Fold Uttanasana
Exhale, hing from your hips, take your hands through heart center. Draw your hands down to the mat. Bring your head forehead towards your shins.
Halfway Lift Ardha Uttanasana
Inhale, place your palms on your shins or thighs. Rock your weight into your toes to stack your hips over your ankles. Pinch your shoulder blades together to open through your chest. Gaze down at your mat and draw the crown of your head toward the front of the room.
High to Low Plank Chaturanga Dandasana
Exhale, plant your hands, step your feet back. Draw your navel toward your spine. Rotate your elbow points inward to hollow out your armpits. Inhale, shift forward about 2 inches and press into your toes. Exhale, lower half way down. Keep your elbows in tight by your side bodies.
Upward-Facing Dog Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Inhale, flip your toes. Press your chest through your arms. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. You should have 4 points of contact on the mat; your hands, and your feet. Your thighs and shins should be lifted off of the mat.
Downward-Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana
Exhale, flip your toes. Press your hips up and back. Press into the L-shapes of your hands and melt your heels toward the mat. Press your chest toward your thighs to send your tailbone high.
Warrior 1 Virabhadrasana 1 (Right Side)
Inhale, step your right foot forward. Rise up, take your arms over head. Dial your back toes out to a 45 degree angle and melt your heel toward the mat. Stack your front knee directly on top of your ankle. Engage your 360º core. Press your shoulders down and away from your ears.
High to Low Plank Chaturanga Dandasana
Exhale, plant your hands, step your feet back. Draw your navel toward your spine. Rotate your elbow points inward to hollow out your armpits. Inhale, shift forward about 2 inches and press into your toes. Exhale, lower half way down. Keep your elbows in tight by your side bodies.
Upward-Facing Dog Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Inhale, flip your toes. Press your chest through your arms. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. You should have 4 points of contact on the mat; your hands, and your feet. Your thighs and shins should be lifted off of the mat.
Downward-Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana
Exhale, flip your toes. Press your hips up and back. Press into the L-shapes of your hands and melt your heels toward the mat. Press your chest toward your thighs to send your tailbone high.
Warrior 1 Virabhadrasana 1 (Left Side)
Inhale, step your left foot forward. Rise up, take your arms over head. Dial your back toes out to a 45 degree angle and melt your heel toward the mat. Stack your front knee directly on top of your ankle. Engage your 360º core. Press your shoulders down and away from your ears.
High to Low Plank Chaturanga Dandasana
Exhale, plant your hands, step your feet back. Draw your navel toward your spine. Rotate your elbow points inward to hollow out your armpits. Inhale, shift forward about 2 inches and press into your toes. Exhale, lower half way down. Keep your elbows in tight by your side bodies.
Upward-Facing Dog Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Inhale, flip your toes. Press your chest through your arms. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. You should have 4 points of contact on the mat; your hands, and your feet. Your thighs and shins should be lifted off of the mat.
Downward-Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana
Exhale, flip your toes. Press your hips up and back. Press into the L-shapes of your hands and melt your heels toward the mat. Press your chest toward your thighs to send your tailbone high.
Halfway Lift Ardha Uttanasana
Inhale, place your palms on your shins or thighs. Rock your weight into your toes to stack your hips over your ankles. Pinch your shoulder blades together to open through your chest. Gaze down at your mat and draw the crown of your head toward the front of the room.
Forward Fold Uttanasana
Exhale, hing from your hips, take your hands through heart center. Draw your hands down to the mat. Bring your head forehead towards your shins.
Chair Pose Utkatasana
Inhale, sink your tailbone towards your mat. Take your arms overhead. Rock your weight into your heels so much that your toes may lift off of your mat. Energetically squeeze your thighs together. Draw your bellybutton up and in.
Mountain Pose Tadasana
Inhale, take your hands up overhead. Press down into all 4 corners of your feet, lift out of your knee caps and draw your navel toward your spine. Relax your ears away from your shoulders, and lengthen through the crown of your head.
Put It All Together
Repeat these poses in a flow for a few rounds to warm up and energize your body. 12 rounds is usually what you find with a Google search but you can customize to you! For a beginner, maybe try 2-5 rounds and add more over as you build your practice.
You may have noticed the breath attached to each pose above. Remember to inhale when opening up and to exhale when folding or "closing". Take inhales and exhales through your nose to further warm your body from the inside out. And remember if you get too warm, take open mouth exhales.
Sun Salutations are super common in many types of yoga. Practicing these at home can help beginners feel more comfortable when heading into a yoga studio for the first time. Even the experienced yogi can benefit from practicing at home. Focusing on proper alignment can help you become stronger in your practice and help you nail that Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) you've been working on.