Another Vintage Sadhana (practice)

                               

I wrote a vintage sadhana a few posts ago. It included preparation for being able to do surya namaskara, salute to the sun. All of the poses are in the previous vintage sadhana post.

The next step is to combine parts of the poses that we did.

1st set of moves:

• Start standing: hands in prayer/greeting, in front of our heart centre. Inhale raising arms overhead, whilst stretching backwards. Exhale as you do a forward bend, Move forwards from the hips, tilting up your tailbone. Bend your knees if you need to, going backwards or forwards.
• Place your hands shoulder width apart, either: at the sides of your feet; or, forwards of your feet. Step your right leg back into a kneeling lunge. If this is too hard, keep your right knee off the floor, otherwise it goes to the floor. This is all on an inhale.
• Exhale as you bring your right leg forwards, dropping your torso into a standing forward bend. Inhale, standing upright, taking your arms overhead and stretching back. Exhale to standing straight with your hands back in prayer.
• Repeat with the left leg. Alternate your legs as you keep repeating the move.
• To complete: do a back bend then go forwards, fold your arms, hang, or take hold of your legs, and relax for a few breaths in this position.

2nd set of moves: 

• On all fours: inhale to cat, exhale to Down Dog
• Inhale cat, exhale child.
• Inhale as you slither forwards into cobra
• Exhale as you tuck your toes under to go up into Down Dog. 
• This is one round, do as many as you feel that you can, and rest in child after, going from your last Down Dog > cat > child.

When you feel up to it, the next steps are:

Do the first step above several times, then add this:

• Stand
• Back bend
• Go forwards
• Step back with one leg then the other to Down Dog. 
• Step forwards with the same leg into a standing forward bend
• back bend to prayer
•                  

                              

                             

Omit the 2nd step above, and do this:

• Stand
• Back bend
• Go forwards
• Step back with one leg then the other to Down Dog to plank, exhaling.
• Inhale as you drop your knees to the floor
• Exhaling, drop your chest and chin to the floor (knees, chest, chin to floor = astanga asana)
• Inhale to cobra
• Exhale to down Dog 
• Step forwards with the same leg into a standing forward bend
• Back bend
• Prayer  

With the stepping backwards and forwards in the two above steps, don't worry too much about whether or not you are actually doing a lunge

Another variation of the last step is to start on all fours:

• Cat
• Down Dog to plank all on an exhale
• Inhale as you drop your knees to the floor
• Exhaling, drop your chest and chin to the floor
• Inhale to cobra
• Exhale to down Dog 

There are so many variables to Surya Namaskara. So many different ways to do it. If you practice at home, find one style and stick with it. If you are a yoga teacher, knowing a few variations is invaluable.

 Surya namaskaras do so much! They restore flexibility to the body, and, if one is stretching within the poses, the whole body starts to become toned and stronger. They are somewhat aerobic due to the parts of the body moving up and down, plus can be done quickly with a brisk style of breathing to increase the aerobic effect.