Practicing Surya Namaskar A
Practicing Surya Namaskar C
Sun Salutation A Versus Sun Salutation B: The Difference You Should Know
Takeaway: Sun salutation B has two more poses than sun salutation A, but it’s also more challenging on your muscles and your cardiovascular system. Yogis should master sun salutation A before moving on to B.
I love sun salutations. Theyre the perfect way to start the day. Moving, breathing, offering reverence to the sun and her unconditional light—sun salutations are one of yogas greatest gifts.
The movements never bore, they never tire; theyre steadfast and true. Sun salutations are my go-to morning ritual when I need to open my body.
Theyre easy to memorize, so you can set them to music or do them in silence. They include variations, which make them fun to play around with, and they also have two very distinct aspects to them: sun salutation A and sun salutation B .In this article, were going to explore the difference between sun salutation A and B, and how knowing the difference will help you to better understand yourself and your yoga practice.
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Sun Salutation A: Video
Typically I like to lead my classes through 3 rounds of Sun Salutation A. After reviewing the moves above for basic form and alignment cues, follow;along with my flow below!
Now go forth and salute dat sun!!! Next Tuesday;will be all about Sun Salutation B. Stay tuned
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Chair Surya Namaskar For Seniors
For those of us who have limited mobility, injuries, or other conditions that prevent us from performing the full Sun Salutation, there is always the option of modifying it by using a chair.
1. Begin with the back of the chair behind you. It may be beneficial to support your back with a cushion on the lower back and it may also be beneficial to keep a pillow under your buttocks.
2. On an inhale lift the arms up over the head and gently lean back against the back of the chair being careful not to let the neck fall too far back.
3. On an exhale, keeping the back straight slowly drape the trunk over the legs, sliding the hands along the shins.
4. On an inhale, slide the hands back up and come back to a seated position, drawing the right knee in towards the chest. Lean into the chair back and open through the chest.
5. On an exhale round the back and draw the head towards the knee, dropping the shoulders.
6. Release the right leg. Repeat on the other side.
7. After both sides are complete, reach your arms over hand and lean against the back of the chair, perform another forward bend, come back and perform one last back bend, and return to an upright position with the hands in prayer position.
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How To Perform Sun Salutation A
Different types of yoga;each have their own spin on the sun salutation. Thats one of the beauties of yoga sequences; you can customize them as your own.
A Final Note About Sun Salutation A
Despite having practiced Surya Namaskar A for more than 30 years, it continues to have more to offer me. I come back to it again and again because it does exactly what its meant to do: stabilize, strengthen, soften, open, and prepare. And despite having taught it thousands upon thousands of times, I still love teaching it and getting us all to flow together.
If you ever start to feel bored with it, change it up a little. Why not use it as a template to create your own Sun Salutation sequence that targets the areas you want to target? Play with it and have fun so that it keeps inspiring you to unroll your mat and practice.
Namaste OMies, Stephen
I hope this post has been helpful in expanding your possibilities with Surya Namaskar A. Its my goal to inspire you to explore your yoga practice more deeply while enabling you to cultivate the strength and clarity needed to live your life adventure to the fullest!
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How To Practice The Sun Salutation
When you first practice the Sun Salutation, it can feel quite strange and complicated. As a yoga teacher, I often see students struggle with their co-ordination and strength to complete a cycle. However, once you get the hang-off the sequence, this yoga sequence is a most rewarding experience.
Ideally, it is best to learn this sequence in person from a qualified yoga teacher as she will be able to guide you through the sequence and ensure your technique is correct. However, if you arent able to make it to a class, this video, gives very clear and detailed instructions on Sun Salutation practiced by the Sivananda style of yoga
How To Do Sun Salutation C In Yoga
The Sun Salutation, or Surya Namaskara , is a sequence of yoga poses performed in a particular order to build heat in the body. They are often used as warm-up sequences for a yoga practice. Each movement is coordinated with your breath: Inhale as you extend, and exhale as you bend. The poses included in a Sun Salutation make up a “vinyasa,”;which is the sequence of movements used between poses in Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Power Yoga.
Sun Salutations vary between traditions, but include many of the same basic components. The sequence presented below is often referred to as Sun Salutation C . Make sure you’re breathing through your nose when you practice; this helps warm the air entering your body. Breathing through your nose also helps to calm your mind, making your practice meditative. If you’re having trouble breathing, slow down and be gentler with your movements. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Press your palms together in prayer position. Rest your thumbs on your sternum and take several breaths.
Inhale as you sweep your arms out to the side and overhead. Gently arch your back and gaze toward the sky.
Exhale as you fold forward from the hips. Bend your knees if necessary. Rest your hands beside your feet and bring your nose to your knees.
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What Are Sun Salutations In Yoga
Sun Salutations are a series of yoga postures that flow smoothly from one into another. It is an essential part of vinyasa-style yoga as every pose in the sequence is linked to the breath.
Even if you dont practice Vinyasa, youll most probably encounter this dynamic routine in different types of yoga. Thats because Sun Salutation has become a staple of most practices nowadays. It is an excellent full-body warm-up, strengthener and can help you work up a sweat to prepare your body for deeper postures.
Need to refresh your knowledge on the types of yoga? Check out this easy breakdown of the most common yoga styles.
Sun Salutation routine should become the best friend of yogis who never have enough time. Five rounds of Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B can substitute a full yoga practice. .
For the record, Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B are the two most common types of the sequence. However, you may come across different variations specific to Sivananda Yoga, Ghosh Yoga, and a handful of other yoga traditions.
What Is Sun Salutation Good For & Why Should I Do It
Ok, ok. We went over the full Sun Salutation A sequence now what?
Well sister, you get on your mat each and every day and try to do at least 5 rounds of this sucker. You want to build strength in those muscles so that when you move onto Sun Salutation B you wont be as sore or get worn out as easy.
I would start with 5 rounds of Sun Sal A before moving on. Once that gets to where youre feeling good what I would do is practice lowering into Chaturanga quite a few times to build your shoulder and arm strength.
Slowly build up to 10 rounds of Sun Sal A and then move on to adding Sun Salutation B into your sequence.
The goal is to get to 5 Sun Salutation As and 5 Sun Salutation Bs. These two sequences together will help build a solid foundation that you can then expand from and build beautiful flows from.
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How To Do Sun Salutation Yoga
1. Prayer
After standing still, put your hands together, with your thumbs and fingers at a 90-degree angle, pressing against your breastbone. Close your eyes and focus on your chest.
2. Half Moon
Inhale, put your hands together and stretch upwards, raising your head high. Keep your arms close to your ears, and continue to extend your upper body backwards, with your back arched back. At this moment, the head is tilted back slightly, the chin is raised, and the attention is on the throat. For beginners, you can extend your hands back in parallel without pressing your palms. Look up and look directly at the center of your hands.
3. Standing straight leg forward bend
Exhale, straighten your knees, bend your upper body forwards, palms on both sides of your feet, palms close to the ground. Continue to straighten your back and stretch it down, bringing your chest and abdomen as close as possible to your thighs. At this time, relax the neck and focus on the legs, back, spine and hip joints. It is not easy for beginners to straighten, so you can bend your legs slightly.
4. Horseback riding
5. Downward Dog
6. Eight-body throwing style
7. Cobra style
8. Downward Dog
Exhale, step on the ground with your heels, straighten your knees, and lift your hips up. Support your body with your arms and return to the fifth pose.
9. Horseback riding
10. Standing straight leg forward bend pose
11.Half Moon
12. Prayer
Ntathus Sun Salutation Written Guide
TIP: For the first few times you practice the Sun Salutation, it is easier to just focus on the postures. As you get used to the routine, try and co-ordinate the movement with the breath.
Sun Salutation Starting Position: Stand erect with the head and body straight but relaxed. The feet are together, the knees are straight, and the arms are relaxed at the sides. Inhale deeply.
Sun Salutation Position 1: Exhale and bring the palms together in the prayer position in front of the heart centre.
Sun Salutation Position 2: Inhale. Stretch the arms out from the heart centre and stretch your arms up over your head. Arch your body backwards, keep your arms up alongside the ears. Try and keep your knees straight. Keep looking up at your hands; give yourself a full body stretch as you stretch up all the way from the feet to the tips of your fingers.
Sun Salutation Position 3: Exhale. Bend forwards and bring the hands down to the floor next to the feet. If your hands do not touch the floor with the knees straight, then slightly bend the knees. Allow the head to relax toward the floor.
Sun Salutation Position 4: Inhale and without moving the hands, stretch the right leg back as far as possible. Drop the right knee to the floor. Leave the left knee on the floor between the hands and the left knee close to the chest. Stretch the head up and back .
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Here Comes The Sun Salutation
No one is more ready for sun than Mimi Rieger. On April 5, the yoga instructor is slated to lead Cherry Blossom Yoga, an outdoor free class at the foot of the Washington Monument.
And I dont want to have to wear a ski jacket, says the Louisiana native, whose voice hasnt lost its Southern lilt even after 16 years in Washington.
But if chillier temperatures prevail, Rieger has a surefire way to warm up the crowd: sun salutations.
Known in Sanskrit as surya namaskar, the two series of postures are found in several popular styles of yoga, including Ashtanga, vinyasa and power.
The sequences can look like slower, more controlled versions of the burpees commonly found in boot-camp-type workouts, and they have some of the same physical benefits. Both require people to lower themselves to the ground and get back up again, which raises heart rates and engages muscles all over the body. But sun salutations are a particularly intelligent and safe way to move, Rieger says.
Basically, its the foundation of the yoga I teach, she says. And thats a lot of yoga. Rieger leads 26 classes a week at several studios and gyms across town, in addition to her outreach work through Sweetgreen in Schools and Anacostias Community Wellness Collective.
Every practice starts with the first sun salutation series, or Sun Salutation A . Begin by standing tall and lifting your arms to the sky, creating length in the spine and limbs, Rieger says, while taking a deep inhalation.
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