Sun Salutation
Twelve linked positions flowing with the breath. The most complete single sequence in yoga: it warms, stretches, strengthens and settles, and a round takes under a minute.
Meaning of the name
A salutation to the sun. Twelve positions, one for each month and, in the older reckoning, one for each name of Surya.
How to practise
- 1
Stand in Tadasana facing east and bring the palms together at the heart. Exhale.
- 2
Inhale and sweep the arms overhead, arching gently back. Exhale and fold forward over the legs.
- 3
Inhale, step the right leg back into a low lunge and lift the chest. Hold the breath and step the left leg back into a plank.
- 4
Exhale down to the ground — eight points touching. Inhale up into Cobra. Exhale back into the downward-facing posture.
- 5
Reverse the sequence: right leg forward, fold, rise, and return to standing. That is one round. Build from four rounds to twelve over several weeks.
Benefits
- Works every major joint and muscle group in under a minute per round
- Raises the metabolic rate and is the most effective yogic practice for weight management
- Improves cardiovascular fitness and lung capacity
- Regulates the menstrual cycle and supports thyroid function
- Warms and prepares the body for every other practice — traditionally done first
- Synchronises movement with breath, which is the whole discipline in miniature