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Ashtanga Yoga Poses

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The Sun Salute – Surya Namaskara
Surya means sun, and namaskara is a greeting.

The sun is the soul of the world. Rig Veda 1.115.1

The Namaskara are of ancient origin and serve as the foundation stone upon which the science of yoga rests. Sun salutes help gather the strength of the mind in one direction and aid in mental focus. Without bringing the mind into a state in which it can control the body risk of injury is higher. Without its focusing of mental energies, yoga practice amounts to little more than gymnastics.

According to the sages-the first duty is to take care of the body which is the means to the pursuit of spiritual life. Sedentary lifestyle leads to pain. The practice of Surya Namaskara cures this affliction; sun salutes lead to greater health, creativity, and productivity.

Worship of the sun was created because the sun is a powerful symbol of spiritual consciousness. Sun Salutes worship the outer and inner sun.

Benefits:
The practice of Sun Salutes requires form, energy, and rhythm.

	They alternate forward and backward bending give a profound stretch to the spinal column, keeping it healthy.
	They build heat in the body, helping to prepare our body for the practice; and the heat helps with the removal of toxins from our organs and bloodstream.
	Connecting the moving and breathing synchronicity is the most important lesson in the sun salute. Pay attention to match your movement to your breath, at first this may seem challenging (especially in the 2nd sun salute) but over time with practice will become easier. When we synchronize our moving and breathing it is very calming to the mind while energizing to the body, removing stress.
	The postures generate prana.

The practice of Surya Namaskara brings happiness, health, and sunlight to the spirit.

Starting Position: Samasthitih (Equal Standing)

	Stand with your feet together, toes touching, heels slightly parted
	Gently contract your thighs lifting your kneecaps
	Keep pelvis level, create inner lift through your bandhas
	Relax shoulders down
	Keep chin parallel to floor and lengthen top of head towards ceiling

Benefits

	Induces a state of introversion
	Focus of the mudra (anjali mudra, the pressing of your palms together) to make an offering of intention for your practice
	Activates the anahata Chakra (heart chakra)
	It is the beginning and end of the sun salute and as such it represents the peace, tranquility, and beauty of the sunrise and sunset

First Position: Hasta Uttanasana - Inhale Hands Up

	With an Inhale, reach your arms overhead keeping your palms together
	Keep your tailbone slightly tucked
	Gaze up to your thumbs

Benefits

	The upward stretch gives traction to the spine helping to maintain health of the discs
	When performed with an inhale it massages the abdominal organs and aids in digestion
	Removes roundness of the back
	Prana is moved upward
	This pose affects the Vishuddi Chakra and the thyroid gland speeding up metabolism.
	This pose is indicative of drawing in the energy of the newly risen sun, not only via the breath but every pore in your body. This is the energy we will use to dive into our busy days.

Second Position: Exhale - Uttanasana

	On Exhale bend forward at your hips (keeping your waist long —ribs away from hips)
	Ground your palms on either side of your feet—even if you need to bend your knees to do this--See picture of Deb
	Tuck your head in toward your knees
	Gaze past the tip of your nose

Benefits

	Combines the effects of a forward bend with an inversion massaging the abdominal contents.
	The whole abdomen is toned eliminating constipation
	Good blood flow is encouraged to the spinal nerves
	Emphasis is on the Swadhisthana chakra (2nd )
	Prana is channeled to the lower regions of the body, motivated by exhalation

Third Position: Inhale - Head Up

	Keeping your hands grounded look up lifting your head and heart, if your hamstrings do not allow you to straighten your knees, bend your knees to keep your palms grounded as in picture of Deb.
	Pay attention to lift your heart area and not just throw the head up
	Lean your body weight forward into your hands

Benefits

	Prepares us to jump back
	Counter-stretch on the spine
	Improves posture and strengthens the back

Fourth Position: Exhale - Jump Back to Chaturanga Dandasana

	On exhale step or jump back to push up position
	Your forearms should be by your waist
	Wrists under your elbows
	Engage abdominals and do not let back sag! If you are too weak to not let your back sag, or have shoulder issues, you may need to bend your knees to do the pose safely until you gain strength--see picture of Deb.
	Gaze past the tip of your nose
	Fully exhale before moving into next pose

Benefits

	Strengthens chest, arms, shoulders, and abdominals
	Stimulates Manipura Chakra (3rd )

Fifth Position: Inhale - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

	On Inhale Roll forward uncurling toes and pushing through to the tops of your feet. Lift your torso up and back, push down with hands and lift chest in opposition
	Pull your hips to wrists as you extend upward and backward
	Contract gluteals and thighs, point legs back. Slide shoulders down and back, If possible contract thighs and lift them off floor so only your hands and feet touch the floor. Again if strength or shoulder/back pain do not allow you to keep your thighs off the floor, allowing your knees to rest on the floor may be helpful--just be careful to work toward building your strength and posture over time to be able to do the pose with your knees off the floor.
	Head is back and Gaze is down.

Benefits

	Relieves tension in the back muscles and spinal nerves as it stretches each vertebrae from top to bottom. Corrects posture.
	Relieves many ailments such as asthma, constipation, indigestion, kidney and liver problems
	Prana tends to move upward but we want to place our attention at the Swadhisthana chakra in attempt to stimulate prana at the source of the upward flow.
	Represents the awakening after the low point of the previous pose, the arising of knowledge from ignorance

Sixth Position: Exhale - Adho Mukha Svanasana-5 breaths

	On exhale lift hips by first engaging abdominals, push back with arms as you press chest back toward thighs, bend your knees if necessary.
	Allow your head to relax between your arms, gaze toward navel.
	Hold this position for 5 breaths.
If you are a member of the "tight hamstring club", you have a couple options of ways to do your down dog:
	Bend your knees as in the photo of Patrick, this will allow you to keep your spine straighter.
	or to deepen the hamstring stretch, keep your legs straight and work to move your hips back. This may cause your back to round, if you have any back issues this way is not recommended--however if you have a strong back this position will stretch your hamstrings better.

Benefits

	Strengthens abdominals, arms, and wrist
	Stretches calves, hamstrings, and Achilles tendon, chest and shoulders
	Relieves varicose veins
	Relieves spinal compression, like traction for the spine
	Because the drishti (gaze) is toward the navel, the head position stimulates Vishuddi Chakra (5th)
	Prana moves downward with the exhalation

Seventh Position: Inhale - Jump Up, Head Up

Eighth Position: Exhale - Forward Bend

Ninth Position: Inhale - Hands Up

Exhale - Samasthitih

Surya Namaskar B
The Second Sun Salute is a little longer than the first, it too requires energy and rhythm. Since it is a bit longer you will feel it affect your breathing; over time practicing sun salutes will improve your fitness! I will only give detailed info on the new poses, see Surya Namaskar A for details on other poses.

Samasthitih

First Position: Inhale - Utkatasana

	On Inhale squat down to a demi-squat position, shifting your body weight toward your heels but keeping weight on all four corners of your feet
	keep your arms just in front of your cheeks (reaching the arms back to far strains the shoulders)
	bring your palms together
	look to your thumbs

Second Position: Exhale - Uttanasana

Third Position: Inhale - Head up

Fourth Position: Exhale - Chaturanga

Fifth Position: Inhale - Upward Facing Dog

Sixth Position: Exhale - Downward facing Dog

7th Position: Inhale - Virabhadrasana

	turn your left foot grounding your heel, step your right foot forward up toward or between your hands, straighten your back leg, bend your front knee
	Inhaling reaching your arms up, palms together, looking to your thumbs
	Stepping forward from the downward dog position will be challenging if you have tightness in your hips--in this case you may feel the need to take an extra breath here for awhile, that is ok . . . be careful not to hold your breath while trying to keep rhythm. Also you may take a shorter stance or even use your hand to help get your foot forward.