1. Salute the Sun for the Whole Being
Many yoga practitioners welcome the day with sun salutation poses. While performing the poses in a sequence, it's important to maintain a rhythm with movement and breath. Sun salutation is a great way to warm up for other yoga poses; it helps circulate the blood and gets muscles moving. It's also beneficial for the body-mind-spirit connection and helps to promote a sense of well being and tranquility.
2. Greet the Sun From the Mountain
Tadasana, or mountain pose, is a restorative pose which often precedes and ends yoga practice. It helps establish your breathing and grounds your center. Mountain pose is a standing pose with shoulders, arms and hands relaxed and an engaged core. It's important to keep knees slightly bent while tucking buttock muscles under as well. Urdhva hastasana, or upward hand pose, follows/leads back to mountain pose. Reach up to the sun to greet it with raised arms and an open heart.
3. Full Circle Sun
Sun salutation includes actively moving through a series of poses but always ending where you began with mountain pose to form a full circle. Breathe through other sun salutation poses, such as plank pose; ardha uttanasana, or half standing forward bend; urdhva mukha svanasana, or upward-facing dog; chaturanga dandasana, or four-limbed staff pose; and adho mukha svanasana, or downward-facing dog pose. Flow in a full circle to emulate and pay tribute to the sun.
4. Acknowledge the Sun From Space
You can perform sun salutation poses from home or anywhere as long as you have a small amount of space to move in. Completing just seven to eight sun salutation repetitions daily will help keep you in shape, and you don't need a gym or equipment to practice it. Work all parts of your body with sun salutation poses, including the upper body. Stretching is one part of yoga practice, but strength building is another. Build up important muscles, such arm and leg muscles, and get a cardio workout from sun salutation poses.
5. Find Yourself in the Sun
Many cultures, especially Hindu, have always well-regarded the sun, or Surya, as not only the center of our physical world, but also as the spiritual heart of our existence--the giver of life. One of the main ways to honor the sun is with sun salutation poses, or the surya namaskar sequence. Honor the sun as you honor yourself and become one with the light.
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