Surya Namaskar A, or Sun Salutation A The yoga warm-up sequence. It combine deep breathing with flowing movement, stretch the entire front and back of the body, and build strength too.
Surya namaskar A is the first sun salutation practiced in the Ashtanga primary series, each practice starts with five rounds of surya namaskar A. - Ashtanga Sun Salutation A
SURYA NAMASKAR A :STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Begin in Tadasana (Mountain pose), feet either together or hip width distance, hands by your side.
2. Inhale, bringing your arms out to the sides and then joining your palms above your head in Urdhva Hastasana (raised arms pose). Raise your gaze to your hands and slide your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Exhale, release your hands to your sides and bend forward, then place the hands onto the floor Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose). If you hands unable to reach the floor, you can place them on your shins or a block.
4. Inhale, lift your head and straighten the spine to come to Ardha Uttanasana (Half Forward Bend Pose).
5. Exhale, firmly ground your hands onto the floor and then jump back with bent elbows into Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) If the jumping is hard for you, first exhale into Uttanasana. Next inhale, walk back by feet to Plank Pose shoulders over the wrist, creating a straight line from the head to the heel.Continue by exhaling into Chaturanga Dandasana. If lowering directly through Chaturanga Dandasana is hard to you, lower down to the floor by dropping your knees, chest, and chin, keeping your butt high and your elbows hugging your ribs.
6. Inhale, roll onto the tops of your feet, roll the shoulders back and down to Urdhva Mukka Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose) knees and thighs lifted. If Urdhva Mukka Svanasana is hard for you, simply lift up into Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose),thighs and knees remain on the ground.
7. Exhale, press back into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). Raise your buttocks high, palms press into the floor, shoulder firm down towards tailbone, heels press towards the ground.
8. Inhale, walk or jump your the feet to the front of the mat raising into Ardha Uttanasana.
9. Exhale, release to Uttanasana.
10. Inhale reaching both arms up by side and then raising them overhead as you hinge at your hips raising back to Urdhva Hastasana.
11. Exhale the arms back down to Tadasana.
image credit @YJ
