Sun salutations are the perfect yogic exercises to awaken your body each morning. I find that they help relieve stiffness from sleeping in strange positions and give me energy to start the day.
The Sun Salutation
1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, palms together in a prayer position, and thumbs against your chest.
2. Inhale deeply. Slowly raise your hands over your head and bend back as far as comfortably possible while tightening your buttocks for support. Hold for three seconds.
3. Slowly exhale and bend forward, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch the floor outside your feet. (If you can’t touch the floor, reach as close as you can.) Bring your head in toward your knees.
4. Slowly inhale, bend your knees, and if your fingertips aren’t already outside your feet on the floor, place them there. Slide your right foot back into a runner’s lunge, with the right knee an inch or so from the floor. Look up as high as possible, arching your back.
5. Before exhaling again, slide your left foot back until it is beside the right one, and with your weight supported on your palms and toes, straighten both legs so that your body forms a flat plane (or plank position). Make sure your stomach is pulled in.
6. While slowly exhaling, bend both knees to the floor, then lower your chest and forehead.
7. Now inhale slowly and look up, bending your head back, raising it, followed by your upper chest, then lower chest. Your lower body—from the navel down—should be on the floor, and your elbows should be slightly bent. Hold for three to five seconds.
8. Exhale slowly and raise your hips until your feet and palms are flat on the floor and your arms and legs are straight in an inverted V position—downward dog.
9. Inhale slowly and bring your right foot forward as in position 4, returning to the runner’s lunge. The foot should be flat on the floor between your fingertips. The left leg should be almost straight behind you, with its knee slightly off the floor. Raise your head, look up, and arch your back.
10. Slowly exhale and bring your left foot forward next to your right one. Straighten your legs and stand, trying to keep your fingertips on the floor, with your head near your knees as in position 3.
11. Slowly inhale, raise your arms up and stretch back as in position 2. Don’t forget to engage your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.
12. Slowly exhale, lowering your arms to your sides. Relax and then repeat steps 1–12 for as long as you’d like.
I love these combinations so much for morning time, but I also find that when I do an entire ten sun salutations when winding down for bed or swap the routine out at night for some moon salutations, I rest much easier.
Let us know how your yoga practice is going in the comments!